4 Tips for Students Who Struggle with Spanish Verbs
4 Tips for Students Who Struggle with Spanish Verbs
Do you struggle with Flash Cards and Flashcard Apps?
I know I do. I create epic flashcard sets only never touch a single flash card. I watch tutorials on installing and using Anki but always give up in frustration. Why isn't there a more straightforward way to learn verbs?
Flashcard Apps like Quizlet and Anki seemed more work when I incorporated these tools into my studying routine. Since mastering verbs is essential to reach basic conversational fluency, I needed help to level up to actual B1 status in Spanish.
I needed a strategy that helped me memorize key Spanish verbs and essential verb tenses without using flashcards.
You should read this post If...
If you need help learning vocabulary and conjugated verb tenses without using massive Quizlet sets, this post is for you.
This post is for you if you want to know verbs and be more confident with tenses in Spanish and the subjective.
If you want to spice up your verb learning routine because you want to consume more comprehensive Input, then this post is for you.
- Memorize Spanish Verbs without Flashcards using Audiobooks like Pimsleur or Penton Overseas.
I'll be the first to admit that I sometimes decide not to do something based on how much energy a task requires. I am an educator who has ADHD and works at a school specializing in helping students who learn differently. So, my natural approach to any type of discussion around learning is to find what works best for HOW YOU LEARN.
Moreover, when it comes to language learning, I pick activities that can be accomplished while doing something else. For instance, when I wake up in the morning, the first thing that I do is listen to a Pimsleur lesson in either Spanish or Arabic. I like to do this while getting ready for work because it doesn't require much brain activity. All I do is go through my morning routine while listening and responding to the narrator in the lesson.
So, if audiobooks like Pimsleurs and Penton Overseas don't work for you, then find something else that will.
It's a great way to train your mouth to make sounds in your target language and develop an ear for spoken language. Because I know I like to learn through listening comprehension, I felt listening to an audio course where they conjugated essential verbs would be one tool I could include in my morning routine to help me level up.
Pimsleur
Pro
It contains 30-minute lessons that progress from A0 to B1.
It helps with pronunciation.
It trains your mouth to make the sounds of your targeted language.
Pimsleur has an audio course for a lot of languages.
They have both Castillian Spanish and Latin American Spanish.
Con
It doesn't teach you grammar, nor does it explain concepts well.
The accents of the narrators sound strange.
It can be pricey if you buy a subscription; however, I would check to see if my local library has the audio course on CD or, if you're lucky, an MP3 that can be checked out through apps like Libby.
Penton Overseas
Pro
The audiobooks are free both on Apple Music and Spotify.
Penton Overseas verb audiobooks conjugate all of the essential tenses for you.
The audiobooks are great tools for reviewing verb conjugation and tenses
There are also audiobooks by Penton Overseas for Vocabulary available.
Con
It takes time to work through the entire audiobook.
Remote memorization isn't for everyone.
There are no visuals. Yes, you learn verb conjugations and vocabulary but don't know how to read or write that information.
So, I use Pimsleur and Penton Overseas to supplement my primary studying method: listening and reading in the target language, reading a textbook, and practicing new concepts with one-on-one tutoring or in a group class.
I know, not very sexy is it?
2. Grammar Workbooks: A Controversy
 |
| No Nonsense Spanish Workbook by Cata Cuneo |
There is a little controversy surrounding using grammatical workbooks when learning a language. For some, the only way to become fluent is to ACQUIRE the language. People in this camp believe that adult language learners should learn a language how babies and children do by listening to massive amounts of Input and holding off on talking until the learner develops an ear for the language. This method of language is known as Comprehensive Input.
Comprehensible Input is based on research by the linguist Stephen Krashen.
What is Comprehensible Input Hypothesis?
The Comprehensive Input Hypothesis is a second language acquisition theory (McCaul).
Widely accepted by theoretical and applied linguistics.
People learn best when given information in their targeted language at the student's level of understanding. So, a person at a low intermediate level, like B1, should only consume Input at the B1 level and more inadequate.
Krashen's theory is to teach students at their level of understanding and avoid giving learners Input that is too advanced because it can discourage the learner (McCaul).
I know what you're thinking.
How is it related to grammar workbooks?
Well, supporters of the comprehensive input hypothesis believe that grammar workbooks and drills aren't helpful, especially if you want to become fluent.
For this reason alone, I wanted to ensure you understood the discussion surrounding using grammar books, specifically in the Youtube Language community.
As an adult trained in teaching my native language to both native and second language learners, I feel that grammatical books in my target language help me acquire the language faster and have more confidence because I know the why and not just the how. For instance, in Spanish, I learned the formula for saying that you've just finished something: Acabar de + Infinitive.
In my grammatical workbooks, I can practice the structure of this sentence until I grasp it. I also like using grammar and textbooks because I often recognize a grammatical construction in the media I consume in my target language. For instance, now that I understand how to use the Subjunctive tense in Spanish, when I rewatch a Youtube video on the Subjunctive, I recognize and often can answer questions before the answers are revealed.
I still use comprehensive Input. In fact, I only use comprehensive Input from my podcast to the Youtubers I watch. I usually learn about content for learners from people actively learning languages. As a matter of fact, I follow the comprehensive method, and I consume loads of content daily.
Nonetheless, as one advance in their language learning journey, they will discover they can only get so far without understanding how the language works on a conceptual level.
3. Why Reading Comprehensible Input in Your Target Language Matters?
Reading in Spanish is essential because it introduces new vocabulary in context. You understand how the word is used idiomatically and how it is conjugated if it is a verb. You can even copy down unfamiliar phrases into a notebook and try to incorporate them into your automatic speech in Spanish. Automatic speech is the speech that comes to you without thinking.
In addition, by reading in Spanish, you'll improve both your vocabulary and command of the language because you're being exposed to more of it in its natural context.
4. Using Youtube's Plethora of Language Teaching Channels to Master
Verbs.
Lastly, I wanted to share some resources or recursos in Spanish for grammar.
Comments
Post a Comment