How to Keep Your Focus in Spanish: Integrating Content That is Meaningful to You

I love when different parts of my life overlap and intersect. For example, this blog! I get to do something I love – write – about other things I love – language, Spanish, language acquisition, etc. Another example of this is when my friend gave me a Spanish Bible. Connecting the stories in the Bible to the language I was (and always will be) learning was really cool.

My friend gave it to me when I was leaving to study abroad in Argentina and it was such a personal and thoughtful gift. I really enjoyed getting to integrate my Spanish into my faith life and vice versa. I used it along with my regular English Bible for side-by-side translation, a great way to practice and reinforce your language skills. As an adult language learner, you already have a personal identity, a set of things you like and are interested in and enjoy doing. Tap into that reservoir of content and use it to help you focus in Spanish. If you’re dealing with a topic that you are already familiar with and know you like, your mind is much more likely to be relaxed and engaged, which in turn makes it much more able to absorb and process new information, like language.

Another beneficial aspect of being an adult acquiring Spanish is the ability to personalize your learning and tailor it to what you want and need as an individual. You have control over what you learn and spend time on and can maximize your learning according to your own life. Now, it may seem overwhelming or intimidating to try to figure things out yourself, but don’t worry! There are tons of resources out there that can help guide you in taking your personal language path, like Pars Omni Spanish Voices. The multitude of options is a good thing because it means you can find just the right thing instead of settling for something that’s not really right for you.

You can center your language acquisition around many things: literature, faith, community, work, whatever. If there is something you love, weaving it into your language experience will help you to love Spanish, too. I definitely think a lot of the reason more and more people are learning foreign languages, specifically Spanish, is the globalization of our planet, and I also think there has been a shift in the approach to language acquisition that has catalyzed many people. There is more of a focus on communication, real life application, and different learning styles among and within different people.

The more we learn about how we learn – including the benefit and importance of relevance, particularly for adult learners – the more we can take advantage of that knowledge and leverage it. What do you already know about yourself and how you learn? What has worked in the past? What hasn’t? Take these things into account when approaching acquiring Spanish. For a great tool that you can personalize to fit your wants and needs, download Pars Omni Spanish Voices for free today and see how it can help you improve your Spanish fluency in a real and meaningful way.