5 Ways to Build Confidence Speaking Spanish!

Start Small

When learning anything new, it’s best to adopt a beginner’s mindset. Maintain a positive attitude and eagerness to learn no matter how difficult the process becomes for you. Starting to find partners on language learning websites is a great way to stay motivated, you can make friends to edit your writing, have a quick video call, or even just text back and forth. 

Online sites like Babelvillage, Speaky, iTalki LingoGlobe, InterPals Penpals, and Busuu are just a few of thousands of language exchange websites online. Facebook and other social media sites also have groups to help you find a language partner! This is a great small step to find learning materials, language partners, tutors and more. This will help you feel more confident day by day and slowly begin speak more.

Sing in the Shower

It’s no coincidence that children learn their ABC’s better when it’s made into a song. Get more comfortable making the sounds of Spanish and making mistakes by singing Spanish music! Start listening to music in Spanish as much as possible. You can watch music videos in Spanish on Youtube, create your own Spanish station on Pandora, or even make a playlist on Spotify.

Listen with the lyrics in front of you so you can sing along on Youtube! Try memorizing the lyrics and practice speaking them, not only singing. This can be a huge confidence booster for beginner Spanish learners and a great way to force yourself to speak.

Think in Spanish

While this may sound too good to be true, or too difficult to make a reality, thinking in Spanish can help trick yourself into feeling that Spanish comes naturally to you! Normally when starting a language you have to translate what you want to say in your head before you speak, which can make it feel impossible to hold up a conversation at a normal pace. Fortunately, this process gets easier the more you’re exposed to the language. Eventually, you’ll find yourself thinking in Spanish without having to translate first, and spending 15 minutes a day actively trying to think in Spanish alone will speed this process along!

Read Out Loud

Similar to thinking, reading out loud can force your body to feel comfortable pronouncing Spanish. Reading is a great way to build vocabulary and learn grammar, but it doesn't help you feel ready to form these words into their own sounds.

Try reading books, magazines or newspapers in Spanish out loud. You can also find many Spanish websites and blogs as well. If you’re up to the challenge, read subtitles from a muted television program in Spanish! The speed may be overwhelming, but its a quick way to feel confident reading quickly and speaking at a decent speed.

Find a Conversation Partner or Tutor

There are great language exchange groups around the world. There you can rip off the bandaid and talk to strangers in Spanish, it’s a relaxed, informal setting and a great way to practice stress free when you’re just starting out. Through groups like these, you can learn cultural customs, while enhancing your understanding of local slang. 

There are plenty on MeetUp, Facebook, Craigslist, and even just searching forums online! These will help you feel safe and comfortable practicing with people who are also learning, without the stress of speaking to a native speaker.

Finally, a teacher or tutor is the best way to get the most practice. Many online sites that I mentioned above offer teachers, as well as other online teachers through skype or zoom, such as me! Finding a Spanish teacher in your city can be a great step if you prefer in person classes.

I hope some of these steps have given you an idea of how to grow your confidence speaking Spanish, no matter what your level!