5 Tools and Resources for Effective Studying
You’re learning Spanish – well done! Now it’s time to plan out how and when to study. Let’s take a moment to go over some good practices for studying your new Spanish vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension.
1. Master Flashcards
Students use flashcards for a reason; they work. Physical cards let you add notes, organize and practice like a pro. If you have good flashcards, (like these) for your new Spanish words, all you need is a regular study habit.
First, make them early. After you finish a chapter or section of class, sit down and make your new set right away.
Separate the cards into five groups and number them 1 through 5. They can be sorted by theme, type of verb or conjugation into boxes or pouches. Start with pile one and go through your cards. Every definition or conjugation you get right goes into pile two. An incorrect answer stays in pile one. Then move on to pile 2 and continue to put correct answers into the next pile while incorrect answers move back to one.
Keep going until you get to the bottom of pile five. Start again with the cards from pile one only and continue until you’re all out of flashcards.
2. Play a Vocabulary Game
Games are a great way to make studying fun! Take advantage of your goofy side with a great word game like ¡Basta! or Stop! This takes a little practice but it’s a great way to practice your new words and push yourself to learn new ones.
Here’s how to play. Print up a ¡Basta! Board for each player, (easy or hard, depending on students’ levels). Then, designate a game master to be in charge of how the game starts. The master says, “I’m thinking of the alphabet…” then goes through their ABC’s until the players yell ¡Basta! The master lets the group know what letter he or she stopped at. Players then use that letter to start each word in each category and write as fast as they can.
After a minute, the Master yells ¡Basta! and everyone puts their pen down. Players then read what they wrote. If another player wrote the same word, they have to cross it out. Go through each player to make sure final answers are original and not repeats. Each unique word gets 100 points. Use the final column to add up their points and the next round begins. The player with the most by the end of the game is the winner.
3. Listen to Spanish
Listening to Spanish is important for various reasons. It allows students to pick up on accents and pronunciations, but also offers another means of learning. If your child is an a strong auditory learner, listening to Spanish is a plus. Students have a few choices – they can make an audio recording of their lesson for review, record themselves speaking or find a radio show designed for Spanish learners.
A popular site with Spanish podcasts is Audiria. The site is free and designed to promote the Spanish language and culture. They post a new podcast each day and tag each with a level and a theme so students can easily navigate to the podcast that best suits them.
4. Take Advantage of Technology
If your child uses Facebook, Instagram or any other fun site, try changing their account settings so it functions in Spanish. This way they will see their second language every time they log in, even if they don’t type in Spanish. Students can also use their Instagram account to make short, digital stories to review new vocabulary or to show their comprehension from the latest lesson. Many other devices allow for this too. Have an iPhone or use Alexa around your home? Try changing the settings on your devices so practicing Spanish becomes inevitable.
5. Sing a Song
Have a learner in your house who can’t sit still or loves music? You’re in luck – there are tons of Spanish songs that work well for learners of all levels.
For a song with direct commands and tons of encouragement to dance, try Te Mueves Tú by Ha*ash, Reik and David Bisbal. This song has a lot of repetition, is kid-friendly and tells you how to dance along.
There are tons of songs about family that can aide your studying. Most of them are for young learners, (like this one from Peppa Pig), but some are more grown up. Try Mi Familia by Basho & Friends for older kids.
Songs are wonderful for more advanced review. Check out ¿Con Quién se Queda el Perro? by Jesse and Joy. The song looks at a couple’s tough decision of who gets their beloved dog once they break up. This version shows the lyrics to help you sing along.
Have some additional tips and tricks for effective studying? Share them with the HSA community in the comments below.
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