HelloSpanish Start-up Routine
“Structure not only increases our chance of success, it makes us more efficient at it.”
― Marshall Goldsmith, Triggers: Sparking positive change and making it last
With a little help from our friends🎵 🎸 🎶
Okay, for clarity's sake, this guide is a comprehensive, step-by-step routine designed to help you initiate your Spanish learning journey. It is not intended to be another "master Spanish in 3 months" or "become fluent using Duolingo in 6 months" type of guide. Rather, this guide is specifically tailored for those who require a word-for-word structured routine because they are uncertain about how to begin.
This guide necessitates that you fulfill a set of tasks on a daily basis. If you miss a day or neglect a few tasks, it's likely that the guide will lose its effectiveness, leading to an inevitable deviation from its intended purpose.
This guide will adhere to a daily schedule over the span of two weeks. Why not three weeks? The aim here isn't to falsely promise you the perfect Spanish-learning guide, but to get you started on your journey. Different people learn Spanish in different ways: some through telenovelas, others through reading books, or even studying grammar books. Everyone has unique learning preferences, and attempting to devise a one-size-fits-all roadmap will only lead to the perception that this guide is ineffective when it doesn't fit everyone's needs.
To reiterate, this guide serves as a starting point, not a comprehensive course in Spanish.
Let`s gather the resources.
This guide is designed for immediate action. All resources included here are readily accessible and can be utilized right now. Some require downloading, while others can be accessed directly by clicking on the provided links. DO NOT SKIP any of them. They all complement each other, and any attempts to overlook or replace one could lead to less than satisfactory results.
Please note that even though all materials are immediately accessible, there's still some preliminary setup required. This preparation shouldn't take much time. We estimate that you'll need to devote approximately 30 minutes to an hour to organize the materials. This way, you'll be able to focus solely on studying for the upcoming weeks.
Remember, eliminating the initial setup is only the first step, and it's crucial in forming a new habit.
Weaving Spanish into your daily routine.
If you have an existing routine, like making coffee first thing in the morning, we aim to incorporate some Spanish learning into it. For instance, while your coffee is brewing and you usually turn on the TV or scroll through your phone, now you should open Anki and review a few flashcards instead. Not the whole set, but perhaps 10 to 15 words before your coffee is ready. In doing so, you'd have completed or nearly completed your Anki repetitions even before your coffee break. If you're saying, "But I need my coffee to fully wake up," that's fine. Review the flashcards while sipping your coffee, just avoid jumping onto Instagram first. Smaller, manageable habits are better than large ones that you can't maintain daily.
Do you exercise on a treadmill or stationary bike? That's a perfect opportunity to watch your daily Spanish video. Can't watch a video without feeling nauseous? Then it's the perfect time to listen to a Spanish podcast. Adapt and adjust, and success will follow.
The key is persistence. As a busy adult, the amount of time you can devote to learning Spanish each day may differ significantly. The contemporary era suggests an average free hour each day, but this statistic doesn't account for the fragmented nature of free time, especially if you have kids, household duties, or work meetings. However, you can accumulate an hour's worth of study by utilizing the brief intervals during your day, even during bathroom breaks. While it might not be the most healthful method, it's certainly efficient to use Anki during these short breaks. A common pitfall for eager new learners is the attempt to cram an entire hour of uninterrupted study into their schedules. This may be feasible for a few days or a week, but eventually, life's demands interfere, making it unsustainable and leading to a significant drop in enthusiasm.
Conversely, if you're at a stage in your life where you can dedicate substantial time to learning Spanish, you should immerse yourself in it completely from the outset. You'll rapidly absorb the language, but this requires an unparalleled level of dedication and enthusiasm. Yet, even with ample time, learning is not guaranteed. What truly enables substantial learning is a well-thought-out plan. Simply having time is not enough; a strategic approach is the key.
Get Anki First
Alright, let's delve into the HelloSpanish routine you should adhere to for the upcoming two weeks. The crucial factor here is consistency - staying committed to the process every single day is vital. This discipline and regular practice will lead to significant progress in your learning journey. Remember, it's all about making it a daily habit.
Before we begin, you'll need to set up a few essentials.
Firstly, you'll need to download Anki on your computer. This software is free for both computers and Android devices. However, if you're an iPhone user, you'll have to purchase the Ankimobile app for $25 if you wish to use Anki on your phone from the outset. Android users have the flexibility of using either the Ankidroid app or the computer version. Please ensure you don't download any imitation Anki apps as they could compromise your information or charge additional fees.
Anki is going to help you learn vocabulary faster. You are using Duolingo better? Well, let me tell you something about Duolingo: Duolingo has specific use case - causual learner. Not someone who wants to study in their target language next year or whatever. It bootstraps you over those most boring first lessons and grammar that are typically super off-putting and massively boring. Plus a convination of marketing it pressures you to keep going without taking you anywhere. The longer you stick to Duolingo the more time they can push the premium version of it, the more they make you "think" is working the better for their profits.
Get All the Pieces for Your Spanish Puzzle
Fantastic! With Anki all set and ready to go, it's time to gather the remaining materials and become 100% prepared to kickstart this language-learning adventure.
You will need to get the 1k Most Complete Mexican Spanish Deck here. Once downloaded click it to open it and Anki will sync with it.
Get our Specilized Shadowing: A Journey to Fluency book. Use this book to improve your speaking as well as your undertanding of the Spanish language WITHOUT translating from English in your mind.
Download the Yotsubato sample from the first volume of the series. Yotsubato is a book about Yotsuba moving into a new neighborhood along with her father. Throughout the story, Yotsuba engages in various activities, each resulting in humorous and heartwarming situations.
Subscribe to our Youtube channel to listen to HelloSpanish Podcast for Beginners.
Subscribe to the HelloSpanish Youtube Channel, and be sure to watch the video for the matching day without skipping any. This ensures the ultimate progress.
Seize the reins of control! Stay committed to the plan and watch yourself soar. Skipping a day won't obliterate your progress, but it'll disrupt your rhythm and zap motivation. This battle is against your own self. Embrace the plan, and not only will your Spanish thrive, but it'll weave into your daily existence—language and life, united as one. DON'T GIVE UP!
For convenience, simply click on the activity you're assigned, and like magic, you'll be whisked away to the relevant material. No more hassle, just seamless learning at your fingertips! Get ready to be enchanted by the power of efficiency!
Let's Do the Math
If you've stayed committed to the plan, by the end of the fourth week, you would have accomplished the following milestones:
Clocking in at 119.9 minutes. That's right, you were only a hair's breadth away from reaching the epic milestone of 2 hours of pure auditory bliss.
Kudos to you for delving into the realm of Comprehensible Listening Videos! You've just completed a solid 96.1 minutes, equivalent to a precise 1.6 hours, of immersive language learning.
Impressive progress! You've completed a remarkable 1,616 repetitions out of the 7,618 needed to finish the 1K Most Complete Mexican Spanish Deck. With an average of 58 repetitions per day, you're steadily working towards mastering Mexican Spanish vocabulary.
You've just embarked on an exhilarating comic adventure, devouring over 1500 words within the captivating 50 pages you explored. Page after page, you immersed yourself in a rich tapestry of storytelling, where every word brought the characters to life and the plot unfolded before your eyes.
Wow, buckle up for an extraordinary language journey! You've just spent a thrilling four hours engaging in captivating conversation and grammar classes with one of the finest teachers on italki. The experience must have been nothing short of exceptional as you delved deep into the intricacies of language, honing your skills and expanding your knowledge. With the guidance of such a skilled educator, you've undoubtedly unlocked new levels of fluency and confidence.
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