10 Traveler’s Tips for Learning Spanish
Over five years ago I arrived to Mexico for the first time with the goal of becoming fluent in Spanish. I had no training or foundation in the Spanish language but knew that in order to reach my goal I was going to have to be unafraid of making mistakes. Now, on the other side of my goal but still working to improve my language skills, I have compiled a list of tips to learn Spanish as a traveller. These tricks and lessons all helped me in attaining the grasp I have now on my second language and are designed specifically with travelers in mind.
Immerse yourself
When I initially arrived to Mexico in February of 2020, I did so with the primary goal of learning Spanish. After graduating University and wanting to break out of my routine, I tried to think of something I knew I had always wanted to learn or do. I knew I love traveling and had many reasons for which I wanted to learn Spanish. The next natural thought was to set myself up to learn it, so I began to think of where I would want to start. Within a few months, I was on a plane to the Yucatan Peninsula, with my life closed up behind me, ready to start anew somewhere else. I can say with full confidence that being immersed in a Spanish speaking context was fundamental to my learning the language. What I learned in five years here could have taken me ten times longer to learn if not been for being in a setting of constant exposure to the language.
This first tip is great news for the traveller, because we love any excuse to leave our “comfort zone;” or maybe perhaps to go to it, if you feel the state of traveling is your comfort zone. Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the world, and the official language of 22 different countries. This offers plenty of incredible choices for where to begin immersing yourself to learn Spanish.
2. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes
This is one of the biggest thing that holds us back from learning a new language. Our pride tells us we shouldn’t try to speak if we aren’t absolutely certain we are going to speak correctly. In learning a new language, this pride can be a huge inhibitor. If we were to let fear of failure or making mistakes stop of us from trying, no one would ever learn anything! We must accept that in the beginning stages of learning a new language, we are going to sound like babies some of the time. This means being open to speaking with a few mistakes here and there, expressing yourself as simply and basically as possible until you gain more confidence and skill in your new language.
While this may sound like the scariest tip on the list for some, it is gradually easier to overcome. Locals and native speakers of your target language will be happy to engage you in conversation after seeing that you are trying to speak the language you are in the process of learning. For perspective, you can think about it as if you were in the opposite position. Imagine meeting someone traveling in your place of origin who is making efforts to learn the local language. If they went around trying to speak to you and the other local people in their native language, one that no one speaks there, it may seem quite ridiculous, unusual, and maybe selfish in a way that they are demanding to communicate on their terms, in their native language outside of where that language is known. But on the other hand, if that traveller is doing the best they can to string together phrases and questions in the language of the local environment, they are more likely to quickly gain friends and contacts who can not only help them improve their language skills, but who also may provide a wealth of information for getting to know the local area, answer questions about the local cuisine, and may even be invited over to share a meal or have a coffee.
The most important thing is to try speaking your new language as often as possible and don’t let fear of making mistakes keep you from making your best effort. Learn to see your mistakes as opportunities to improve and sharpen your comprehension and pronunciation of your new language.
3. Make learning numbers a priority
This tip deserves to be high on the list, as it is very advantageous for the traveller living in an immersion context of their target language. In short, nobody wants to get ripped off or screwed over and knowing your numbers in your new language is crucial to making sure you get the proper amount of change back after a monetary transaction and making sure you pay the correct amount in the first place. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say that many people have bad intentions when it comes to interacting with travelers and tourists, I will say it is important to be aware and sharp when it comes to making deals and decisions in the context of an unfamiliar language and currency. Even counting your coins and bills in a new country can be a challenge if you are not used to their different values!
All to say, while a few doubts here and there shouldn’t keep you from speaking, knowing your numbers with certainty will get you far in your travels and offer you more control in situations that require monetary transactions, and also time. Knowing your numbers will help you learn to express specific times of the day and open the world of understanding when it comes to bus/train/plane schedules, and your tickets for them.
4. Find friends that will correct you
This is a very important one that can be more difficult than anticipated, depending on the cultural context where you are learning Spanish. Some native Spanish speakers may find it rude to correct you, or unnecessary compared to their appreciation at your effort to communicate with them in their own language, and not yours. As you gain native-speaker friends throughout your travels, communicate to them that you want be corrected because you genuinely want to learn to speak the language correctly. Take advantage of your access to “experts” in the language all around you, Even if they may not know how to explain complex grammatical rules, they know the proper way the language is to be spoken and may be happy to share that knowledge with you. After all, everyone benefits as your Spanish improves, as this permits you to better communicate with those around you in the contexts of immersion.
5. Find a lover that speaks the language you want to learn
This is a cliche for a reason. Having a lover whose native language is the one you want to learn will greatly accelerate the rate at which you understand your new language. Not only will you hopefully be comfortable enough around this person for them to consistently and gently correct your mistakes in speaking and comprehension, but they will also be holding the keys to deep cultural insights that will facilitate your learning of local slang and expressions that will help you connect specifically with the people and places you are meeting.
With a lover it is more likely that you will share more intimate and personal conversations. This will help you advance in fluidity and vulnerability with your new language, also helping you to learn to express your own personality in your new language sooner. Having a lover who is a native speaker of your target language is better than having a private teacher because while they may not have the expertise to explain every grammatical nuance, they will be a companion in millions of daily moments during which you are exposed to new words and ways of speaking and they may end up becoming a type of guide and intermediary with the language, bringing what you want to know from your target language closer to you.
6. Maintain a small notebook with you to write down vocabulary as you learn it
While at first you might want to write down the newly acquired word in your target language along with the translation of it in your mother tongue, the goal of this is to reach the point of just writing down the newly acquired word in the language you are learning, without the translation. Overtime, the practice of writing down the word will sync with the memory surrounding the circumstance in which you learned it, and this personal context will better cement the meaning of the word into your memory.
When I first began to learn Spanish, I kept a small pocket sized notebook with me and would write down words I’d hear that I didn’t know in a pages-long list. Then, often at the end of the day, I would go through the new words on the list and write down their meanings as I collected them. This practice was incredibly helpful in the process of learning Spanish because it got me into the habit of associating new vocabulary words with the accompanying experience, place, or activity in which I had gathered that word.
This memory-association tool helped me to retain the vocabulary I was learning more efficiently, because they were not just random words I decided to look up, but words I had needed to know in order to understand the world around me that day.
7. Make a playlist of songs in the language you want to learn
This is the easiest way to just feed your brain the new language. Different phrases or words may stick in your head when accompanied with a nice beat of rhythm that also appeals to you. Songs also offer insight into different ways of speaking the same target language, depending on where the artists are from. Saving songs you like in the language you want to learn throughout your travels will help you subtly and consistently keep making you aware of more words, ways of speaking, and also cultural information, in your target language.
8. Read newspapers in the language you want to learn
Newspapers are a great way to start exposing yourself to the basics of your new language, like basic nouns, days of the week, verbs in the present tense or preterit past (as many news articles tend to be written), as well as local current events of wherever you are. They are generally available for very cheap, sometimes even free. Reading is one of the four components of learning a language, the others being speaking, oral comprehension/listening, and writing. Newspapers also tend to be written precisely and in plainer language than what may be used in books or even music, making them more accessible for the beginner to understand.
The added benefit is that newspapers will also offer you information into happenings in the country or locality wherever you find yourself. Newspapers may offer insight into different cultural or political values of the place where you are traveling and may provide unique information you would be less likely to encounter outside of that specific region.
9. Speak with children who speak the language you want to learn
Children are an unmatched resource when it comes to learning a language because the way they think about speaking their own language is different than how an adult native speaker thinks about it. Basically, kids don’t think about it so much, so they don’t overthink about it; it is simply all they know! This means they are less likely to cater to your needs to slow down, repeat, or the worst: bounce back to speaking English or another language that’s easier for you when you’re not understanding what they mean. Kids are unfiltered and are sometimes just getting a grasp of their language themselves. They are more likely to tell you exactly what they mean expressed in their own words rather than make roundabout efforts to phrase things a certain way in hopes that you will understand, like many adult native speakers tend to when they want to be accommodating to your learning stage.
Children also tend to have a genuine desire to interact, play, and get to you know you. While they may have unique ways of expressing themselves, children still tend to stick with more basic ways of stating questions. This is advantageous to be exposed to when learning a new language because it is similar to the way in which we ourselves as language-learners must begin to understand a new way of not only speaking, but also of being in and perceiving the world.
10. Try not to translate in your head to your mother tongue!
While always tempting, this little habit will keep you walking backwards instead of advancing forward in your new language. Claro, in the beginning it is okay to do this to begin to understand the new language and “make sense of it” here and there when absolutely necessary, but I recommend stopping this practice gradually and as soon as you can. Train yourself to understand your target language enough to use it without making an immediate translation in your head to your own mother tongue.
Just try to understand the new language for what’s being said. This will help open to you to nuances in your newly acquired language that have no adequate translation in your mother tongue. Making an effort to not translate once you’re able to may also help transition you to begin thinking, or even dreaming, in your newly acquired language sooner than you think.
A lot of language immersion also requires cultural immersion! Here is the hammock. I made with the help of the local women who taught me the skill.
Learning a new language as a traveler can be both challenging and rewarding, but with the right mindset and strategies, it’s entirely achievable. Reflecting on my journey from zero knowledge of Spanish to fluency, it’s clear that immersion, consistent practice, and a willingness to make mistakes were essential to my progress. Whether you’re navigating a bustling market, chatting with new friends, or simply reading a local newspaper, every moment spent engaging with the language brings you one step closer to fluency. Treat language learning as the journey that it is. Embrace the process, celebrate your small victories, and, most importantly, don’t be afraid to stumble along the way. Make an opportunity of our those mistakes to truly grow and deepen your connection to the world around you.
La laguna “de siete colores” en Bacalar, Quintana Roo
