Learn 4 tools and techniques to stop translating in your head and start thinking in Going through lessons is enough to get by and learn the basics of , but to truly become fluent you need to be able to think in . This will allow you to have conversations with ease, read smoothly, and comprehensively understand natives. To do this, you need to go beyond just completing daily or weekly lessons. We naturally translate in our heads because it's viewed as the easiest way to learn the definitions needed when learning a language. This way of learning can actually hinder your skills and fluency later on. If your brain has to make neural connections between the word you're learning, what it means in your native tongue, and the physical object... Show more

Every Spanish learner will have these fears – “I’m not good enough yet.” “I don’t think I’m making any progress.” “What if I never reach my goals?” Spanish learning fears – we all get them from time to time. What are yours? And are they worth being scared of? In this blog post, we’re killing the top 4 Spanish learning fears – 1) what are the fears learners tend to have the most and 2) how you can overcome them! Here are the top 4 language learning fears according to our users: 1. “I’m not good enough to start speaking yet.” Do you feel like you’re not good enough to start speaking yet? It’s a pretty common fear or misconception that most learners have. Here’s how you overcome it: The best way to get good at speaking is... Show more

1. Schedule your time. One of the most important factors in keeping your motivation up is developing it into a habit. Whether it be 20 minutes or 3 hours, schedule time to study every day and stick to it. Regular exposure solidifies what you learn and keeps you progressing. To make sure you stick to your routine, a great idea is to build a schedule for your day and decide that every day/Monday/weekend, you study from 6pm to 8pm. Just remember that 30 minutes a day, every day, is better than a binge 8-hour study session at the end of the week (though it’s obviously better than nothing). 2. Learn a word a day with our great Word of the Day learning tool. Trying to learn everything at once and getting overwhelmed by the sheer number... Show more

“To have another language is to possess a second soul.” - Charlemagne Learning a new language is an achievement anyone can be proud of and it's exciting and beneficial at all ages. It offers many practical, intellectual and aspirational benefits. A wave of new research shows the incredible psychological benefits of learning a second language. These benefits extend far beyond being able to order a cup of coffee abroad or ask directions to your hotel. 1. Learning a Foreign Language Boosts Brain Power Medical studies have shown the positive effect learning a second language has on the brain. A foreign language is a whole new system with distinct rules, etymology, and meaning, which are just a few of the complexities of a language.... Show more

One of our long time listeners is a writer in Mexico. Meet, Phylis Collier. She sometimes finds it difficult in some areas to find natives who don't speak Spanish! That can be real discouraging when you're trying as hard as Phylis is to learn Spanish. Hear about how she toughs it out and tries her best to still practice. "I have been living in Mexico for about three years. I lived in Oaxaca when I first came and my Spanish was coming along really well, mainly because so few people spoke English. However, when I moved to San Miguel de Allende that luxury changed. There are scores of Norte Americanos here and although the upside is more conveniences because of them, most Mexicans encountered in stores, restaurants etc., speak... Show more

This week we'd like to share a story from John Miller. John enjoys listening to Spanish while working and had a great experience with being able to use his Spanish to help out a fellow passenger on a plane. "I came across this podcast via iTunes, in the best of 2008 listings. I am and have always been totally blind, and therefore I obviously learn best through audio. As one who has made repeated attempts to learn this language, I thought your offerings might well help. Since then, I've actually dated a Spanish woman who resided in Madrid. Of course, being in a relationship is a difficult way to learn a language. I've tried other couple online sites that helped a little as well, although according to the woman in Spain their... Show more

This week we'll announce our Mail Bag Contest II GRAND PRIZE Winner! Give a big congratulations to Tobie from Melbourne, Australia! Tobie had this to say about his Spanish studies and travels: "Querido Amigos, I am an Australian student and you have been of great help to me over this past year and a half! I began using it before I started to officially study it. I listened to each podcast just before I go to sleep and then the next day I would write a letter or a journal entry. I found that these were 2 great ways to explore and experiment with my abilities and knowledge. Fortunately, 6 months ago I was given the opportunity to travel to Spain. I went to Toledo, Granada, Barcelona, Madrid and Cordoba. It was an AMAZING... Show more

Welcome to the new section of our blog, The Mail Bag. This is where we'll share stories from our listeners in their endeavors with Spanish. We hope stories from fellow students can help motivate and inspire you to begin learning Spanish or give you that extra needed push and renewed sense of strength when you think it's impossible to get become more proficient! Today we look at one such individual who had trouble restarting since 2 years of high school Spanish.  Meet Katrina Sanford. "In the past, I have tried very hard to learn another language.  First I started off with Spanish, taking 2 years in school.  That's because my dream is to work and teach around the world! :D Fast forward to the present.  There are now three of... Show more

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from everyone here at SpanishPod101.com! We're grateful to have listeners just like you, and we're eagerly waiting for the upcoming year to learn Spanish together! And when the New Year comes around, be sure to make a resolution to study Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! Have a healthy and happy holiday season. From the SpanishPod101.com Team!