The First thing you need to Know about learning a new language (Spanish)

1. The​​First​​thing​​you​​need  to​​Know​​about​​learning​​a  new​​language​​(Spanish):  in​​every​​aspect​​of​​life​​it​​is​​important​​to  understand​​the​​motive​​behind​​everything  we​​do​​on​​a​​daily​​basis.​​This​​concept  especially​​applies​​to​​this​​particular​​topic  because​​as​​fun​​and​​exciting​​as​​learning​​a  new​​language​​can​​be,​​it​​is​​not​​something  that​​happens​​overnight.​​It​​does​​require​​a  lot​​of​​effort​​and​​time​​as​​well​​as​​discipline  and​​a​​laser-like​​focus.     Now,​​my​​aim​​in​​saying​​these​​things  is​​NOT​​to​​in​​any​​way​​discourage​​the  reader.​​I​​did​​however​​say​​at​​the  beginning​​of​​this​​article​​that​​I​​was​​going  to​​be​​honest​​and​​upfront​​with​​the​​reader.  The​​tite​​at​​the​​top​​does​​indeed​​read​​“The  First​​thing​​you​​​need​​​to​​Know​​about  learning​​a​​new​​language”.​​And​​what​​you  need​​to​​know​​now​​is​​that​​your​​first​​and  very​​most​​important​​step​​in​​this​​entire  process​​will​​be​​figuring​​out​​WHY​​you  want​​to​​learn​​the​​language​​you​​want​​to  learn.​​This​​is​​the​​question​​I​​had​​to  answer​​when​​I​​was​​starting​​out.         For​​all​​of​​you​​out​​there​​who​​take  interest​​or​​who​​have​​begun​​to​​take​​an  interest​​in​​learning​​to​​speak​​Spanish,​​I  congratulate​​you​​for​​your​​curiosity!​​It​​is  not​​very​​common​​to​​find​​such​​an  attribute​​among​​people​​nowadays,  especially​​when​​speaking​​in​​regards​​to  multilingualism​​and​​multiculturalism.  While​​offering​​my​​compliments​​to​​the  reader​​however,​​I​​am​​also​​going​​to​​be  very​​honest​​and​​upfront.     To​​begin​​there​​are​​a​​few  important​​questions​​I​​would​​ask​​the  reader:    ● What​​is​​the​​motive​​behind​​your  taking​​interest​​in​​learning  Spanish?  ● Is​​it​​to​​travel?  ● Is​​it​​to​​further​​your​​career?  ● Is​​it​​to​​get​​in​​touch​​with​​your  genealogical​​roots?    These​​are​​questions​​that​​perhaps  many​​of​​you​​have​​already​​considered.​​And  perhaps​​I​​have​​not​​covered​​all​​of​​them.  However,​​we​​are​​all​​very​​well​​aware​​that    My​​name​​is​​Brett​​and​​I​​am​​22  years​​old.​​I​​was​​born​​and​​raised​​in  Missouri,​​U.S.A.​​for​​most​​of​​my​​life.​​By  that​​I​​mean​​that​​I​​have​​also​​spent​​a​​total  of​​five​​years​​outside​​of​​the​​U.S.​​(3​​in  Canada,​​2​​in​​Bolivia)​​I​​have​​not​​always  taken​​interest​​in​​or​​have​​had​​a​​passion 

2. for​​this​​particular​​niche.​​In​​fact,​​it​​was for​​this​​particular​​niche.​​In​​fact,​​it​​was  not​​until​​I​​was​​in​​my​​sophomore​​year​​of  high​​school​​that​​I​​started​​to​​become  curious.    It​​all​​started​​in​​my​​school  cafeteria​​during​​lunch​​hour.​​Like​​any  normal​​day​​I​​was​​sitting​​down​​to​​enjoy​​my  lunch​​when​​suddenly​​I​​was​​caught​​off  guard​​by​​strange​​words​​and​​sounds​​I​​did  not​​understand.​​I​​turned​​my​​head​​and​​at  the​​table​​behind​​me​​was​​sat​​a​​group​​of  students​​that​​made​​up​​a​​good​​portion​​of  the​​school’s​​Latin​​American​​population;  dark​​skinned,​​dark​​haired,​​and​​speaking​​in  a​​language​​I​​could​​not​​understand.     At​​first​​I​​was​​nervous.​​For​​all​​I  new​​they​​could​​be​​talking​​about​​me..​​But  then​​my​​fear​​quickly​​transformed​​into  fascination​​and​​awe.​​At​​that​​point,  instead​​of​​asking​​myself​​what​​they​​were  talking​​about​​or​​what​​they​​were​​saying,  my​​curiosity​​shifted​​more​​toward  understanding​​how​​they​​were​​as​​people  and​​how​​they​​saw​​the​​world​​around​​them.  This​​is​​where​​it​​all​​began.​​And​​little​​did​​I  know​​that​​my​​life​​would​​be​​changed  forever.     Needless​​to​​say​​that​​my​​love​​for  Spanish​​(and​​other​​languages)​​has​​taken  me​​places​​and​​has​​opened​​more​​doors​​of  opportunity​​that​​would​​otherwise​​be  closed​​to​​me.​​However​​I​​firmly​​believe  that​​my​​desire​​to​​learn​​from​​and​​love​​the  people​​whose​​language​​I​​was​​learning​​is  what​​really​​motivated​​me​​to​​learn.     So​​with​​that​​being​​said,​​I​​understand  that​​every​​person​​is​​different​​in​​his/​​or  her​​approach​​to​​learning,​​but​​I​​would  invite​​all​​of​​you​​to​​consider​​making​​your  main​​motive​​for​​learning​​Spanish​​the  genuine​​interest​​that​​you​​have​​in​​the  people​​whose​​language​​you​​will​​be​​learning  to​​speak.         Once​​you​​have​​that​​down​​pat,  everything​​else​​will​​fall​​into​​place.​​You​​will  be​​successful​​in​​learning​​to​​communicate  effectively.​​You​​will​​be​​successful​​in  learning​​the​​customs​​and​​the​​culture​​of  the​​people​​who​​speak​​the​​language,​​and  more​​importantly…​​You​​will​​be  transformed​​by​​your​​experience.​​You​​will  never​​see​​things​​the​​same​​again.​​The  language​​you​​learn​​to​​speak​​at​​that​​point  will​​be​​more​​than​​just​​words​​and​​grammar  to​​you.​​It​​will​​become​​a​​way​​of​​life.     For​​those​​of​​you​​who​​are​​still  interested​​learning​​Spanish​​after​​having  read​​this​​article,​​below​​are​​several​​links  that​​will​​prove​​useful​​in​​getting​​you  started.​​Thanks​​for​​reading​​and​​good  luck!      ● Rocket​​Spanish  ● Get​​by​​with​​Synergy​​Spanish!  ● Learn​​Spanish​​Like​​Crazy!  ● Spanish​​English​​Cognates!