Introduction
Learning a new language opens the doors to learning a new culture. It helps you become more tolerant towards other cultures and people understand them with an open mind. If you are bilingual and are wondering how to learn Spanish as a third language, just remember that if you can learn a second language you can definitely learn a third language. The process may be time taking with a lot of effort but it can certainly be easier than the first time.
When learning a third language you can use your experience with the second language. If you have learned a Romance language as a second language, learning Spanish may not be very difficult for you. Also, at this stage you are aware about what method of learning works for you and what is your learning style. This can save a lot of time in finding the best resources that suit you.
Also, your experience with the second language helps you understand the areas which needed more effort and were time consuming. Based on this experience of yours you can start with difficult areas that would need more concentration and effort.
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Learning Spanish:
Whether you have learned a romance language that has many cognates and similarities with Spanish or a completely different language you can use both of them to enhance your Spanish learning experience. With cognates it becomes easy to understand the new vocabulary and use them. False friends also make it easy to understand or compare words and their usage.
If you have learned a completely different language as a second language it ensures that you do not mix up both the languages.
You might have already realized that it is only through constant practice with speaking that enables you to achieve a good fluency fast. Thus, when learning Spanish find every opportunity to speak in whatever Spanish you know. Try to overcome that shy or awkward feeling that you face when trying a new language in the very initial stage.
It is a good idea to start Spanish after you have achieved a proficiency level in your second language. This allows you to keep both the languages separate and avoid confusion.
To stay motivated apart from finding a strong reason to learn the language, you can also make your decision to learn the new language known to everybody. Once you have informed your family and friends about your decision, it becomes difficult to go back and do nothing about it.
If you have already tried methods like spaced repetition, mnemonics, reading books or online classes, use them to the best of your capability for learning Spanish as well. A combination of all these methods along with an online class where you get an opportunity to learn the language at your own pace can be of great help.
As said by Karl Albrecht, “Change your language and you change your thoughts”, learn spanish and learn to think in a different way. It can also be an excellent exercise for your brain which helps you think more rationally and logically.