Use the Spanish Around You
Without a doubt, the ideal environment in which to learn another language is total immersion — spending an extended period of time in a country where that language is spoken. There are plenty of wonderful places to live and learn in the Spanish-speaking world, but doing so may not suit your lifestyle, schedule, or budget. The next best option is to take advantage of every possible medium of Spanish input available to you where you live, such as classes, private tutoring, conversation partners, printed matter of all sorts, films, TV, and radio. Seek out opportunities to practice what you're learning at home, at work, and in your community.
Take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself. Even simple errands can be learning experiences. For example, if your hardware store has bilingual labels, take a little time to learn the Spanish words for and related to the items you are buying. You could shop for groceries at a His panic supermarket. If you are sitting in the dentist's office and there is a Spanish-language magazine available, read it instead of one in English.
Evaluate Your Language Models
Be aware, however, that there are reliable and unreliable models of Spanish out there, just as there are in English or any other language. If you ask the impish little boy next door how to say something in Spanish, he may find it funny to mislead you by teaching you an embarrassing phrase. On the other hand, children often display infinite patience with students of their language because they are suddenly the experts and you, the adult, are learning from them. Spending time as a volunteer among Hispanic students at a local school may prove to be as enriching a linguistic experience for you as for the children you tutor.
No matter how isolated you may be, you can still have access to materials in Spanish through your computer and the Internet. Use the Spanish-language search engines, available through most Internet portals, and you'll find countless sites on every topic imaginable.
Use Resources by and for Spanish Speakers
When using materials from the Internet to practice your Spanish, focus on sites written by native speakers for native speakers. Be selective, choosing resources like newspapers, tourist information, and cultural pages that are likely to have been written in standard Spanish with a greater attention to accuracy and eloquence than a blog or a personal Web page.
