Studying Spanish online is an efficient and effective way to learn the language. There are no classes to commute to, no tutors to hire, and no books to lug around or store. You can study at your own pace and whenever you wish: night or day, there are no limits to the things you can learn.

To get yourself going in learning the Spanish language online, consider the following tools and tips below.

Tools for Learning Spanish Online

Headset for your computer. I know this sounds like an obvious thing, but make sure your computer has speakers and a microphone or a headset. I personally followed a couple of language courses without having a microphone for my computer, and as I couldn’t participate in the speaking and pronunciation exercises, I think I missed out on some valuable lessons.

Software. Choose a good Spanish learning software program to get yourself up and running in the Spanish language. Some types of software include immersion programs, flash card programs, and programs full of interactive games.

Free courses. In addition to Spanish software programs, sign up for free online Spanish courses through the BBC’s courses like Mi Vida Loca for beginners or Livemocha’s beginning and intermediate Spanish courses.

Online dictionary. Choose a couple monolingual and bilingual online dictionaries to get comfortable with. One option is the Real Academia Española’s online monolingual Spanish dictionary. (The Academia is the official body that serves as the guardian and arbiter of the Spanish language.) For bilingual choices, Wordreference.com is my favorite online Spanish-English and English-Spanish dictionary.

Internet phone capability. VOIP-to-VOIP technology like Skype allows you to talk to people around the world for free. You can then use this technology to have a long-distance language exchange with a native Spanish speaker and improve your spoken Spanish.

Spanish media. Once you have acquired basic proficiency in Spanish, try to read online newspapers and listen to online radio stations. Newspapers in Spanish with online versions include El País [http://www.elpais.com] , El Mundo [http://www.elmundo.es], and La Vanguardia [http://www.lavanguardia.es] from Spain; El Universal [http://www.eluniversal.com.mx] and Reforma [http://www.reforma.com] from Mexico; and Clarín [http://www.clarin.com.ar], Página12 [http://www.pagina12.com.ar], and La Nación [http://www.lanacion.com.ar] from Argentina. You can find some online Spanish radio stations on Radio Nacional de España’s network [http://www.rtve.es/radio/].

Tips for Learning Spanish Online

Impose self-discipline. When you learn Spanish online there is no teacher to ask you why you have missed class again. Disciplining yourself to sit down and learn Spanish online is your responsibility: you only have yourself and your Spanish skills to answer to.

Have goals. Set goals for yourself each week. Determine how many lessons you are going to cover, how many words you are going to learn, or how many language exchanges you are going to have, and then do it.

Make the time. Carve out a regular Spanish learning schedule for yourself, and then stick to it. Whether this means studying on your lunch hour or before going to bed at night, the important thing is to have an ongoing regular time for learning Spanish.

Don’t forget to celebrate. Each time you achieve a victory learning Spanish, no matter how small it is, you should celebrate it! Positive reinforcement isn’t just for kids; adults like you and me respond well to it too, and often with increased motivation for learning Spanish.

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