Learn About What Interests You

One of the main reasons why someone stops learning a language is because they got bored of it, or they became frustrated that they weren’t reaching the milestones they wanted. It’s common to feel overwhelmed, and that’s a sign to change your mindset. Learn about what interests you, and you’ll keep your motivation.

Focus on your interests

When you start to feel discouraged or bored, focus on whatever topics you’re interested in. Obviously, some words are more commonly used across different themes than others, but your language learning journey is just that- yours. One of the amazing benefits of learning Spanish at home is that you are in control of your curriculum, and you can choose whatever makes you feel excited.

For example, if you don’t care about soccer, you don’t have to force yourself to sit through a soccer game on TV just to practice your comprehension. You can watch a movie in Spanish, or watch the news in Spanish if you like keeping up with politics. On the other hand, you can learn all about topics you love, whether it be insects or travel, cosmetology or medicine.

Curate your own vocabulary lists

There’s nothing stopping you from learning all about what you like, and you can create your very own vocabulary lists to help you learn. For example, if you love flowers, you can make a list of your favorite flowers in Spanish. You could even label them in your garden in Spanish! If you work with cars and want to learn all the different car parts, label them on a picture and hang it on the wall where you’ll see it often. If you love to cook and try different recipes, try making recipes from Spanish language cookbooks, or watch some of José Andrés’s cooking videos.

Although it’s a good idea to also learn common vocabulary so that you can make conversations with others, if you start to feel frustrated or not as invested, learn vocabulary on a topic that interests you. You surely won’t regret it, and those are the words you’ll probably remember most!