Free Conversational Spanish Tips: Prepare Yourself for Class or Meet-Ups
Smooth, effortless Spanish conversation is every Spanish learner’s dream. The magic of knowing exactly what to say to someone in Spanish or how to respond naturally motivates us to keep studying.
Luckily, you’ve decided to invest your precious time in practicing conversational Spanish, because you know the benefits are worth it. You may be wondering how a free conversational Spanish class or meet-up can lead to fluency? The strategy is clear, and we’ve detailed it here. Check out how to prepare yourself for a free conversational Spanish class or meet-up!
Solution for Improvement
Books, movies, and music in Spanish are awesome, fun, and engaging, but guess what? They are not going to promote fluency if you are a beginner or intermediate Spanish learner. Instead, they function more as a wonderful supplement and even a source of motivation (like pushing you to learn what the lyrics to your favorite song mean).
Conversation and live, real-time interaction in Spanish is the key to building fluency in the fastest and most effective way. As you prepare yourself to converse in Spanish, consider two areas of focus that are considered the most effective ways to learn a language:
- Language-driven approach
- Content-driven approach
The language-driven approach is likely what you are used to, especially if you learned Spanish in a formal setting. Same if you’ve been teaching yourself Spanish through online lessons. In this approach, “content is used simply as a vehicle for teaching target language structures and skills.” [1] You focus on themes you already understand like family trees, holidays, colors, etc.
Conversely, the content-driven approach balances the importance of both the content and the language. The focus is on mastery of new concepts and improved proficiency of the target language.
To put it simply, as you engage in conversational Spanish, you can:
- Focus on conversations about themes you already understand, concentrating only on new vocabulary and grammar structures
- Focus on conversations about new concepts and facts, concentrating on learning new perspectives and information, as well as vocabulary and grammar
The key here is to know which type of approach you want to take and for how long. Since both approaches live on a continuum, it’s easy to move from language-driven to content-driven conversations.
Basic Requirements for Conversational Spanish
Conversational Spanish is a powerful stepping stone to reach your ultimate goal of comfortably speaking in Spanish and knowing how to express yourself properly with a wide variety of vocabulary. While it is absolutely possible—and highly encouraged—for total beginners to start speaking conversational Spanish, it is exponentially more effective for “high beginners” who have already learned to conjugate verbs in the present tense.
By knowing a conjugation set of at least 20 verbs, you give yourself a stronger foothold in participating in Spanish conversation. Check out our post on Present Tense Verbs in Spanish for loads of examples!
Some verbs to consider are:
Spanish Conversational Topics in Class
Conversational Spanish classes are designed to improve your Spanish comprehension and to teach you techniques for expressing yourself. In these formal settings, you’re likely to explore themes that help you to build vocabulary, learn idiomatic expressions, and identify false cognates to avoid miscommunication. You’ll also engage in situational role-plays and have plenty of conversations in partners or groups.
For tons of resources on free conversational Spanish classes that are available online, check out our post with 45+ Free Resources Proven to Promote Spanish Fluency.
Spanish Conversational Topics in a Meet-Up
More informal conversational Spanish groups exist both online and off, going under various names like meet-ups, language groups, or conversation exchanges. Most conversational groups expect that participants have acquired basic skills outside of the group and use the group as a place for practice.
In a meet-up, you’re likely to sharpen more informal conversational skills like introducing yourself, talking about your likes and dislikes, discussing current events, and sharing jokes. Conversational groups like these do not usually give explicit instructions in Spanish.
Set yourself up for success with 100+ Spanish Conversation Starters for Casual and Formal Occasions.
Start a Conversation Today!
Would you like to gauge your Spanish skills before you jump in headfirst with a formal class or a group? Try our free trial class with a certified professional Spanish teacher! Our live, online instructors are native speakers from Guatemala who live and breathe Spanish conversation. They want to help take your Spanish level to the next level and prepare you for the best Spanish conversations you could ever have. Don’t hesitate, sign up for a free class today!
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Resources:
[1] Genesee, F. (2004). What do we know about bilingual education for majority language students. In T.K. Bhatia & W. Ritchie (Eds.), Handbook of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism (pp. 2-3). Malden, MA: Blackwell.
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