7 Characteristics of Highly Successful Spanish Speakers
There are certain character and personality traits that are present in the person who learns Spanish successfully...And knowing them will save you time and energy as you learn. Read on to see the list. In this ariticle, I've assembled a list of 7 characteristics. There are probably many more you can add to the list. I hope you identify a lot of these in yourself.
The Nature of Success
It's just the way things are... Some people will learn Spanish faster and with less effort than others. -- Just like in basketball and guitar playing and most everything else, there is a natural talent for learning languages. If you possess, or can develop, the characteristics and traits described below, it will make your journey of learning Spanish faster, easier, and more successful.
1. Motivation
When someone is buying or selling a house, you'll often hear the real estate rep say home value is set by 3 things: location, location, and location. -- In the same way, you could say success in learning Spanish is determined by motivation, motivation, and motivation. Why are you doing this? How much do you want to achieve this? The answers to these questions have a lot do with success in learning Spanish.
If you're learning Spanish with a group of people you like and get along with -- you'll be more successful sooner. Will knowing Spanish get you more money or advancement in your business? Then you'll have motivation to learn it. Do you work at a hospital or teach at a school where a large percentage of the patients and students speak Spanish? These are the factors that will influence your motivation.
2. Persistent
I can still remember when I was starting out learning Spanish someone made a comment to me like "Are you sure you want to learn Spanish? -- There are so many words to learn, it's such a big task."
Well, I'm glad now that I never paid any attention to what that person was saying. It's natural that there will be times when you reach a plateau in learning, and when you ask if it's worth the effort, and when you consider quitting or leaving things as they are.
But if you persist, and hang in there you'll be rewarded with knowing Spanish as a second language. Remember that anyone who does anything new has those thoughts of defeat. -- It's the people who do it anyway who are successful and achieve what they aim for.
3. Imitative
"When in Rome, do as the Romans" goes the old saying... And when speaking Spanish do as the native speaker. Imitate every detail of the way they speak -- the way they roll the double rr sound -- the way the tone of their voice goes up and down as they say a sentence and make a point. (it almost sounds like music or singing a song the way some folks inflect their voice) and imitate the way questions have a lot of inflection upwards towards the end of the question. Imitate all these things.
The best way to be understood in Spanish is to copy and imitate the people you see being understood.
4. Risk Taker
The successful learner and speaker of a second language is usually a risk taker. In addition to the risk of failure that's inherent in any undertaking, He or She is risking embarrassment if they pronounce a word incorrectly. Or use an incorrect word for a certain situation. This comes with the territory, and someone who can take this in stride and focus on the goal will do well learning Spanish. So, the successful learner, while aware of these things, will choose to focus on the many benefits of learning Spanish.
5. Note Taker
Perhaps note taking is less essential than some of the other characteristics but it'll definitely be to your advantage to write it all down. Words are quick to evaporate once they are spoken but the things you write down (or record with your digital voice recorder) will remain for you to study later.
6. Inquisitive Learner Type
Have you ever taken something apart to see how it worked? -- Or just to learn what was inside? Are you the type of person who just has to look something up to learn a fact or a certain way to do something?
Well, if you've been gifted with this inquisitive and always learning nature, it'll be a huge asset when you learn Spanish. That's because as you study Spanish you'll learn how it works, and you'll do a lot of looking things up when you learn it.
7. Enjoy The Process
Let's face it, learning Spanish to the point of becoming fluent is a good-size undertaking. Depending on the amount of time you're able to give it, it's quite possible that you'll spend a few years getting to a level where you'll confidently say "I'm bilingual!". I can speak Spanish!
My point is that as this is something that goes on for years, you'll want to aim to enjoy the process every step of the way. Are you a beginner student who has invested just 1 month leaning? That's great!, you've made the most important step already by just beginning. If this is where you are enjoy that spot -- enjoy where you are in the process. Be sure to pat yourself on the back for having the courage to begin the process of learning a foreign language.
Are you already an intermediate or advance speaker? Congratulations! That's great too! Now, don't get bored or lose heart. Don't stop using Spanish and get rusty. Stick with it -- hold on and keep going toward reaching the goal you have.
Conclusion
There it is, 7 characteristics or traits or habits of a successful learner of Spanish as a second language. As you look over the list, don't expect to have an abundance of all the traits. But being aware of them and knowing the ones you want to work on having will aid you as you go on in the journey of learning Spanish.