Here, we'd like to share with you some practical advices gathered from other successful foreign language students. Best of luck!

Study Strategy

• I've made daily and weekly study plans outside of my Spanish class. I study for a set amount of time every single day.
• It's really important to use time wisely. I studied Spanish whenever I had a short free time (Memorizing vocabularies, for example). I think this small build-ups helped me improve my Spanish.
• I want to become a Spanish teacher. So that's why I want to be able to speak Spanish confidently. Especially I want to speak Spanish fluently so my students would have good accent.
• I invested so much time in studying Spanish. I didn't do anything but studying Spanish. I challenged myself to keep studying from dawn until dusk.
• I don't know why I was so crazy about Spanish but as soon as I got back home, I begin studying Spanish. I don't remember doing anything else during that time.
• I concentrated on studying English during summer break. Books, cartoons, movies, etc... I changed everything into Spanish to immerse me in the language. Now that I remember, I think that period was the most invaluable time for me.
• I was listening to Spanish even in the bathroom. I was completely immersed in Spanish. It was like as if I was studying abroad in Spain for the summer.
• I took time to study Spanish every day at 6 in the morning. Just like that, I was always ahead of my Spanish class in school.
• I made sure that I come in contact with Spanish, every day: 15-30 minutes of radio, 30 minutes of reading magazines and at least a few pages from novels or newspapers. I learned the vocabularies and expressions from all of them.
• I was in contact with Spanish for 1 - 2 hours every single day.
• You have to increase the amount of input. I read topics of my interest and I talked to myself often too. Instead of singing in the shower, I was talking to myself in Spanish. When I knew that I was getting better, then I went out find a place to use my Spanish. I used to go to a church looking for people to speak Spanish.
• When there was a chance to use Spanish, I always volunteered. If I hadn't done it, I wouldn't have had enough chance to practice my Spanish.
• When I made phone calls, I pretended like I can't speak English and only spoke Spanish. In other words, you can't be waiting for an opportunity to use Spanish come to you. You have to make your own.
• Always went to places where Spanish was spoken and took notes in Spanish too.
• I have lots of friends who speak Spanish. They can correct me and it's easy to ask lots of questions without being shy. They were very patient with me when I spoke Spanish.
• I did all the translating jobs that I could find. Sometimes, I thought it was too difficult for me, but I did my best to challenge myself to stretch my ability.
• In my case, I practiced speaking Spanish in situations where I had to speak formally and with high degree of precision. I wouldn't have learned Spanish as well, if I hadn't done so.
• You should start using Spanish even though you just learned some basics because your will to communicate is what helps you learn. I was always studying to use it in the real life.
• I think it's important to have a successful experience of using Spanish. It made me feel like studying more. It's a great cycle because it makes learning fun.
• After memorizing a book of expressions used in conversations, I looked for a place to use it. Because if what I learned really works, then I would feel really motivated.
• You must recognize that the opportunity to use Spanish is very limited. You have to actively seek out the opportunity.
• Reserve at least 1 hour a day for individual study session is a lot more economic and efficient.
• It doesn't matter how little, but you have to make sure to have connection with Spanish every single day.
• You have to be mentally tough so that you can put yourself in a situation where you have to use Spanish. You have to form the habit of using Spanish.
• I always put myself in a situation where I had to take initiative to speak in the foreign language.
• During the summer break of my freshman year in college, I tried to have an immersion experience. So I think that vacation was my period of concentrated learning.
• Being able to have a concentrated time to study for a while was really significant for me.
• A clear objective will be your source of strong motivation. In addition, it would be even better if they are set step by step.
• As you are learning, you won't know if you are getting better or not. But, one day, you'll feel the improvement all of sudden. In other words, you'll experience the break-through. So you have to be patient and keep on studying.
• You shouldn't rush in learning a foreign language because it takes so much effort to reach a certain level. But once you are there, you ability will be incomparable to the one before. Also I think you learning speed will accelerate from there.
• Learning a foreign language is not something like going up gradually the uphill. It's more like going up steps. When you get better and reach a certain step, you come to a stage where you feel like you are not getting better at all. Then, suddenly you feel the improvement again.
• I repeat. The language is just one of the mean of communication.