Learn Spanish Rapidly

No one technique available in the market is sufficient to pick up any language when you are largely driven by self.

After spending money and time on several well known courses such as Pimsleur, Berlitz, etc., I finally started thinking back how I learned when I was a child.

Contrary to many experts, I have determined that the learning process does not necessarily change when you grow up. You have to learn by listening, reading and writing. However, the constraint of time is something that creeps up when one grows up. I had to find something that would help me read and write without wasting too much paper and time.

I decided that I need to use flash cards - not the hand made, paper strips; rather a software.

I think the best software for flash cards is BYKI (Before You Know It). It has come amazing features that I will explain below.

But first, the problems with flash cards ... Flash cards just help you learn words and phrases by rote - an extremely detestable idea to me. Context is an essential element in learning language - a word could convey something totally different depending upon how it is used. Flash cards do not help much in this direction.

That's when I decided to use the power of two: make flash cards of a course that you can also hear in context.

Enter Linguaphone AllTalk.

This course was ideal (more details below). It stresses listening skills as the main gateway to language-dom. And the course also supplies vocabulary in an index like structure, with words in an alphabetical order cutting across chapters.

So what did I do?
Read on.

But first about the courses themselves ...

The technique is simple but effective. This ensures just amount of effort that is required to fix any language in your mind. So without much ado, here goes ...

1) Using BYKI, create chapter-wise flash cards from the words given in the booklet that come with AllTalk. As you type in the words from the list, some of the words gets fixed in your mind. Each chapter has 95-150 words. As you type in the Spanish words and the English equivalent, your learning process has already begun.
I recommend that you prepare the flash cards for the first 8 chapters. The first 8 chapters constitute Level 1.

2) Now listen to CD1.

3) Once you have finished listening to CD1, turn to your BYKI flash cards and see how many of the words you can recognise. The words will appear strange and may not form any connection with the speech you just heard. But gradually it will come back to you. Do all the 4 modes of the BYKI.

4) Once you are satisfied with your performance with flash cards, listen to CD1 again. I bet you will be thrilled with your progress.

Repeat this with all the 8 CDs.

Once this is done proceed with the next 8 CDs of level 2.