What is the best way to learn a language?
It’s not an easy question to answer, but there are some certainties.
You can’t rely on technology alone, and you won’t make much progress with just books. But if you want to become fluent in Spanish (or any other language), then you need to practice speaking it every day. The good news is that there are plenty of ways of practicing online for free or at low cost–and they’re all available right now!
Take a look around this blog post and try out one or two things today. Who knows? Maybe by tomorrow morning, your new life as a bilingual speaker will be underway!
The importance of practice speaking:
The importance of practicing the speaking of a language is essential to learning it. This is because you will not be able to learn a new language or become fluent in it if you do not know how to speak the language. Speaking also helps to create new vocabulary and grammar which can lead to a better understanding of the language. In addition, speaking forces learners to use an active vocabulary which promotes strengthening skills within the mind.
PRACTICE SPEAKING SPANISH ONLINE:
To learn Spanish properly, you need to practice speaking it daily. You can’t learn fluency by reading books or listening to audio files alone. Face-to-face practice with native speakers is essential for your language development–but until you’ve moved abroad (or found a generous teacher), you’ll need to practice online.
Luckily, there are plenty of great websites, social media platforms, and apps for practicing Spanish conversation online each day. So let us share with you some of the best social platforms, websites, and apps where you can easily find native Spanish speakers to practice speaking online.
Social Media platforms to practice speaking Spanish online:
Social media and the internet have turned our world into a global village. So why not benefit from social media platforms to learn a new language?
The following is a list of social media platforms you can use to learn Spanish online. Some offer Spanish courses or forums, others have been designed from the start for language learners and provide free resources, tools, and apps to practice your skills.
- Snapchat
- Skype
Facebook:
Facebook is the number one social media platform in the world. There are around 1.7 billion active users on this platform. A lot of people use Facebook as a way to communicate with friends and family living abroad, so you can also find plenty of Spanish speakers there too!
Facebook offers a huge range of free resources for language learners, including tools that allow you to translate text from one language into another and an app called “Translate” that allows you to translate words while reading in your preferred language.
Facebook also has groups for learning Spanish, these are useful if you want to speak with other students or find some more interactive courses designed by teachers/speakers of the language.
All you have to do is join some Spanish-speaking practice online groups and find a partner to practicing. You can respond to requests of people to practice Spanish speaking with them, shared in these groups. In addition, you can contact some native Spanish speakers and give them an offer to learn English from you and in return, they have to practice Spanish with you. It will be a win-win situation for both of you. They will definitely be tempted by this offer and you will find a partner to speak Spanish online.
Snapchat:
This is a relatively new social media platform. It was created with the intention of sharing images and videos with friends and family, and according to their site they claim that “Pictures last longer than memories”.
So you can use Snapchat to practice your speaking skills by messaging people you know or starting conversations with new friends.
* Important: You can add Spanish-speaking people from anywhere in the world, but it will be more interesting to interact with people from Latin American countries where they speak a similar dialect of Spanish.
Skype:
This is an application for voice and video calls across various platforms. It allows you to connect with your contacts and make free calls. You can also use Skype to call a Spanish speaker for a small fee.
Skype allows you to chat with native speakers of any language, so this is a good way to practice your Spanish speaking skills by finding students or teachers that are happy to help you speak better in their own language.
There are many Spanish tutors that are rendering their services on Skye. You can take help from them. They will hook you up with other students or native speakers to practice speaking Spanish online.
Whatsapp:
Whatsapp is a messenger service that’s been around from the days of BlackBerry and Symbian phones. Now, you can send text messages with your phone or add stickers to photos for free on Whatsapp.
This application works in a similar way to Skype in that you can connect with contacts and make room for new conversations, or you can practice your Spanish speaking with native speakers that are happy to help.
You can video or voice call your Spanish-speaking partner over Whatsapp as it is a convenient way to practice speaking.
Instagram:
This social media platform is most commonly used for sharing photos and videos, but it also offers direct messaging between its users.
It’s important when using Instagram in the context of learning Spanish to keep an eye on hashtags or keywords. For instance, you can search for the hashtag #LearnSpanish and find images that people have taken all over the world to practice Spanish speaking.
So how can you start practicing Spanish speaking using Instagram?
Just search hashtag #SpanishSpeakingPractice or #PracticeSpanishSpeaking on Instagram. You will get results of images posted by people to practice Spanish speaking. So now you know who is interested in Spanish language learning. You can comment on the picture or send a private message to individuals who show interest in posts. So all in all, it’s an easy job to find a speaking partner for Spanish with Instagram.
Besides Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Skype, there are a ton of social platforms that allow you to voice or video chat with people all over the globe. So it all depends on you what you choose to practice your Spanish language. But before starting to practice speaking keep one thing in mind that you should have the basic and working knowledge of the Spanish language so that the person practicing with you may not get bored.
APPS TO PRACTICE SPEAKING SPANISH ONLINE:
Technology has revolutionized how we learn new languages. We can download apps on our phones and tablets to practice speaking Spanish while we wait for a bus or when we’re on the way to work.
Of course, some apps are better than others–but you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on one. In fact, the best Spanish learning software is completely free!
Best apps for practicing Spanish conversation:
There are loads of different apps available to help you with your conversational development online. Try out these top-rated software apps and websites to find the right place for you to practice speaking Spanish every day.
1) Duolingo.
Duolingo is an app developed by Carnegie Mellon University. It’s available on Android, iOS, and Windows phone platforms. It is a very popular language learning app, which uses gamification techniques to encourage students to keep going.
Improve your vocabulary, learn the rules of grammar, and have fun while being challenged with Duolingo’s bite-sized lessons. You can do simple things to improve your vocabulary, or go all out and take on the full course. The choice is yours!
How to use Duolingo?
- Once you open the app, you’ll be asked to create a profile and then choose a language that you want to practice.
- You then start at level one and work your way up until you become fluent in the language of your choice.
- You will start out learning new words and phrases and then get more complicated through every lesson.
- Speaking exercises are asked throughout the lessons in order to help you become more fluent.
- If you find a lesson too difficult, you can skip it, but if you do this make sure not to try and take on another one that’s above your level or you will end up stuck later on.
- Once a lesson has been completed correctly, users are rewarded with points and badges based on how well they did.
While it’s best to practice with a native speaker in person, Duolingo is still an amazing app for practicing your conversation skills.
2) Busuu.
Busuu is an online learning community–and its apps are available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and other smartphones. They offer six different languages for you to practice speaking Spanish with native speakers–Spanish (Latin American and Castilian), French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese and English (from New Zealand and the USA).
If you are learning one of these languages, Busuu can be very beneficial for practicing your conversation skills.
Busuu has a large community of language learners from around the world. You can connect with them on Facebook or Twitter, or join their Free Language Exchange Community to find someone in your area who is learning the same language you are.
3) Babbel.
Babbel is one of the best apps for learning languages on your mobile phone. You start off with lessons that are easy and begin at a level which you feel comfortable practicing your new language. The app has 14 different languages available on iOS and Android devices–including Spanish, French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch, Irish, Russian, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Romanian and Turkish.
You can follow a pre-set program that teaches you the basics of your new language over twelve weeks or choose your own path through the lessons until you become fluent in Spanish!
Your first lesson is always free–so what are you waiting for? Go ahead and give one of the best apps for learning Spanish a chance.
4) Rosetta Stone.
If you prefer a more standard, class-based setting to learn Spanish, Rosetta Stone is for you. In order to use the app, you must have a subscription–and they offer a 24-month plan which you can get through Apple’s AppStore.
Rosetta Stone offers around 15 languages on their app–which include English, Spanish, French, Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Japanese. You can also use their award-winning software on your PC in order to learn one of the languages they offer in another way.
Rosetta Stone has lessons for beginners through advanced users–so you can choose to start with basic words or take on something more challenging.
5) Spanish Pod 101.
Spanish Pod 101 is for anyone looking to learn Spanish through podcasts. The lessons are quick and to the point–and can easily be used on your commute so you don’t have to waste time practicing your conversation skills at home.
The app offers free content which includes flashcards, audio tracks, vocabulary lists, grammar lessons and pronunciation guides. They are also partnered with the Michel Thomas Method, so you can work your way up to learning Spanish in just ten days!
If you want to take your language skills further, Spanish Pod 101 also offers a premium membership for $4.95 a month or $25 a semester which grants you access to their entire catalog of lessons and lets you download audio files to listen offline.
NEED MORE SPANISH PRACTICE?
If these apps don’t sound like they’ll suit you, then try out some of these other Spanish learning websites:
Italki:
Italki is a social network for learning languages and finding language partners. You can find tutors to provide you with one-to-one lessons, or simply look up other learners inside your local area if you want someone to practice speaking Spanish regularly with.
Mixxer:
Visit The Mixxer is another easy way for English speakers to practice their Spanish conversation skills. This website offers free online chat for users from all over the world, and it’s available for desktop and mobile use.
The Mixxer is an online chat site where people from all over the world meet, chat and practice languages with each other. It’s a great place to meet native Spanish speakers and develop your conversational skills. The basic version of the website contains a “free chat” section, so you can easily find people to have language exchanges with.
You must register in order to use the website, although it’s free and quick to do so. The Mixxer is available for desktop, tablet or mobile devices.
What are the things that can improve your understanding of the Spanish language while practicing speaking Spanish online?
- Watch videos on YouTube to get an idea of how people speak Spanish.
- It’s important to practice as much as possible because it’s not just about learning new words or phrases – it’s also about getting used to hearing yourself speak another language
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – it’s all part of the learning process!
- Be patient with yourself and don’t get frustrated if you can’t say something perfectly – that will come in time!
- Learn how to read Spanish so you can learn more than just how to speak Spanish.
- Remember that while it may be difficult at first, this is an investment in your future and worth the effort!
- Visit Spain or Mexico for an immersive experience where you can practice your skills in person!
Conclusion:
It is possible to find a Spanish-speaking practicing partner online. If you are looking for someone to practice your Spanish with, try out one of the social media platforms listed above or an app on their website that will help you speak in English and they will reply back to you in Spanish. You can also take advantage of Skype’s language exchange feature if it has been enabled by both parties before starting a conversation. There are plenty of options available so get started finding your perfect match today!