How the radio can help you learn another language

Have you ever wanted to learn a second language? Being bilingual, especially in Spanish, is a great asset, both personally and professionally. But learning Spanish can seem overwhelmingly difficult when you’re first starting. Taking classes and studying books are good tools, but they’re only helpful to a point. To truly become fluent, you need to hear Spanish as everyday people speak it. 

Fortunately, there is an easy and enjoyable way to listen to your target language every day and improve your skills. All you need is access to the radio. In fact, studies show that listening to radio stations in a foreign language is one of the most effective ways to absorb and learn that language yourself. Here are some tips for leveraging the radio to increase your Spanish-speaking skills.

Finding the Right Spanish Radio Stations To Listen To

With the explosion in the popularity of internet radio stations, you can easily find a plethora of stations in any language with a few simple clicks. For Spanish, check out La Mega for a variety of programming, from music to talk shows and beyond.

You may find that listening to news broadcasts is the easiest way to begin since announcers tend to use more formal language and speak more slowly than participants in talk shows and interviews. As you become more accustomed to hearing the spoken word, you may want to expand your exposure by tuning into more informal programming, where you’ll be more likely to hear colloquial and slang speech.

Listening to advertisements and music is another great way to soak in the language as it is actually used in everyday life rather than in textbooks and software. It may be difficult to distinguish the individual words at first, but keep trying, and eventually, you’ll hear them.

Making It a Daily Habit

Learning Spanish, or any language, takes time, patience, and practice. Set aside about ten minutes a day to do nothing but listen to a Spanish radio station. That may not seem like enough time to make a difference, but because your brain will work behind the scenes afterward to assimilate what you’ve listened to, it’s actually an effective amount of exposure.

The most important part of your plan is consistency. Strive to tune in to the Spanish radio station every day of the week. Remember, it’s only for a few minutes. You can listen in as you wash dishes after dinner, in the car as you run errands, or on your headphones as you wait in line at the grocery store. No matter how or when you tune in, be sure to make it a regular part of your daily routine.

Taking the Next Steps

After a few days or weeks of simply listening to the radio in Spanish, you’re ready to move on to repeating back what you’ve heard. You’ll likely struggle at first, but just jump in and try it. Listen to a phrase or sentence the speaker says, and then try your best to imitate it. Strive to reproduce the exact pronunciation, phrasing, and intonation. Even if you don’t understand exactly what you’re saying, you’ll be laying the groundwork for speaking Spanish like a native speaker.

Finally, be sure to make learning fun by listening to radio stations and programs that you truly enjoy. If you’re a sports fan, listen to a live broadcast of a soccer game in Spanish. If you’re a music lover, find a Spanish music station that plays your favorite genre. Combining your personal interests with your goal of learning Spanish is a great way to ensure success.

Committing yourself to learn Spanish is an admirable goal. Setting out on the journey is the hardest part. Once you’ve taken that first step, you’re well on your way to victory. Listening to the radio in Spanish is one of the easiest and most efficient tools you can use on the road to becoming a Spanish speaker.