Add Spanish to your every day: the smaller, every day chunks.

The biggest gift you can give your learner self is to incorporate a little Spanish into your life every day--especially listening to Spanish.

So, how can you add a little bit of Spanish to your every day as a complete beginner? The most important thing is setting yourself up with those things before you need them. If you leave all your running clothes nearby and ready to go, you have a little more motivation to go on that run, right? It's the same with Spanish. If you have these resources handy and available at all times, you will be more likely to do a quick 5-10 minutes during your busy day. Here are some of the resources you can add to your 5-15 minute every day routine:

Download apps on your phone:

Duolingo. It reminds you every day of meeting your goal and practicing!

LyricsTraining. It allows you to play games or sing along to Spanish songs.

Conjugato. For the later weeks of this course, it will help you practice conjugating verbs; "Conjugar + gato" (conjugate + cat!) is just the cutest, too.

Falou. Another way to review Spanish vocab.

Drops. Visual vocab learning app.

Discover new music:

Find music on Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, or your preferred way of listening to music. You can easily find curated playlists that people have made if you like:

Salsa

Tango

Reggaeton

Spanish pop music

Cumbia

Spanish folk music

Spanish rock music

Here are some recommendations of music I love with some of their famous songs:

Watch TV.

See if you can change the subtitles to Spanish or the audio to Spanish with English subtitles. For now, you won't be able to follow along much, but the more exposure you have to listening to Spanish, the more you will get used to how it sounds! One of my best friends learned Spanish from watching Telenovelas (soap operas) growing up in Eastern Europe!

Tune in to the radio.

Listen to the music and occasional commentary on your commute to work or as you are doing chores around your house or yard.

Plaster your house with Spanish notes.

Have scraps of paper or post-it notes on hand to write down vocab or small notes/reminders to place throughout your house.

Put pen to paper.

Sit down, grab a paper and pencil, and write down new phrases or words you've learned. Writing things down is the equivalent of reading it seven times--writing down notes helps your brain remember them more than just looking at them. 

Talk to yourself in Spanish.

When you think of it, say a new phrase aloud to yourself and then repeat it a little quicker each time. Try to say it without breaking up every word, so that instead of saying, “Hola - soy - Eli,” you can say, “Hola, soy Eli,” a little more fluently each time. Practice saying it aloud, as your brain will have more to retain this way!

Your library is your new best friend.

Check out children's books/picture books in Spanish, or borrow CDs or other media in Spanish from your library.

YouTube is your new kingdom.

YouTube is full of resources. Search for a topic you are interested in and watch those videos in Spanish. One of my students would simply listen to simple Spanish lessons as she walked her dog every morning. Listening is the most important skill you can offer yourself through your Spanish learning.

✏️ Choose the ones that work for you.

Forcing yourself to like an idea won't do you many favors, just stick to the ideas that sound the most fun to you--these will help you stay motivated. Some people love listening to and learning songs, some people love watching shows, and some prefer to stick to apps or writing notes in Spanish. Which one calls out to you? Write down the ones that you think you will enjoy the most and set them somewhere visible to remind yourself of these throughout the course.

In the next lesson, I will share some videos and ideas for a 5 minute session that you can start whenever you are ready!