¡Hola amig@s!
¿Cómo están?
Are you doing an online course for the first time? Then you are in the right place. Here I will give you eight tips that will improve your online classes, considering the physical accessories you should have to the environment that will help you pay attention the most.
As I always say, if you have any doubts or questions about any Spanish-related topic, you know where to find me!
¡Empezamos!
1. Is your laptop fully charged or plugged in?
As unbelievable as it sounds, it has happened to me many times that students start their Spanish class with the computer sitting on the bed and without the charger at hand. When you are paying for a 30 or 60-minute class, it can be annoying to look for the charger for 10 or 15 minutes when that time could have been spent chatting with your Spanish teacher.
So, before you start your Spanish class, have your charger, microphone, and headphones (in the case of Bluetooth) ready.
Have you checked your internet connection? Maybe it is more potent in another area of your home? Just like having everything you need, good internet access is also something you should consider before going online.
2. Focus on learning
Try as much as possible not to have distractions around you. For example, most sit at the computer with their phone next to them; when it rings, they lose concentration.
So try to turn off your mobile phone during your online Spanish class, and if you can’t turn it off because of work, leave it in silence or the next room.
3. Peace
Find a calm moment in a space without distractions to have your Spanish lesson. For example, it is tempting to do some Spanish activities on the way to work while waiting for a friend to show up at the coffee shop or while waiting for the bus.
Still, the problem with studying at these times is that you will not fully concentrate on the activity and, therefore, will not achieve your goals.
4. Stay healthy
If you are having a bad day and not feeling in the mood to do your Spanish class, reschedule it. Recall that this can be done 24 hours in advance, but if you send me a message or email explaining the situation, I can always make an exception, and my students know that.
Remember that studying a language has to be fun. For the learning process to happen, we can’t feel we are doing the lessons out of obligation. It’s much better when you are rested and feel up to studying.
I’m sure you’ve noticed that when we’re sick, we can’t even think in our language, imagine in a language that is not our native language.
5. Plan ahead
Studying a new language can be similar to starting a new sport. It can be challenging to follow a routine at the beginning, but when you have been practicing the same way for a while, you will see that the results will be more effective.
That’s why I recommend that you plan, having a definite timetable of classes. With my Spanish classes, you can schedule them on the day and at the time that suits you best, as I work with a flexible timetable. However, it is good to make your timetable and define one or two days a week to have your Spanish classes.
You can schedule them yourself or let me know which days you would like to have your classes, and I can book them all at once.
6. Time for homework!
Having a moment where you can study Spanish alone is super necessary. There are many things I can help you with as a teacher, but there are others where the progress depends only on you.
This is the case with vocabulary learning. To learn new words and later remember them, you have to study them. So you will need to have a self-study moment where you do activities, look up the meaning of the words, and try to remember the vocabulary you have learned in advance.
That’s why I always insist on helping my students with homework. There is a noticeable difference in the progress of those students who study outside the online class and those who don’t. You will notice the difference yourself when you take lessons with me.
7. Approach people who speak Spanish
Try to meet, seek out, and get close to people who speak the language. As I always said, it is optional to be in the place where your target language is spoken. You need to be in contact with the right people.
You can have native teachers online or go through language exchanges. This will help you to keep in touch with the language, listen to the intonation, and understand expressions. But, above all, it will allow you to put into “active” the knowledge you already have about the language.
Exactly, when you are on the passive side of the language, you are very likely to understand the context of a conversation but not be able to interfere in it, listen to a song and understand what it is about but not be able to sing it without getting it a bit wrong.
That’s why being in touch with the language is essential to move from passive to active and reproducing your phrases.
8. Variety is the spice of life!
When you start studying a new language, you must do things daily. So, of course, you can’t take lessons with me every day of the week, but you can take two or one class a week with me and plan activities related to your interests on the other days.
Try to vary as much as you can, be creative and choose activities you enjoy, but most importantly, do them every day. For example, if one of your passions is reading, you can plan different activities related to this hobby. Spend one day with free reading and another reading an article you like, then look up the vocabulary from the newspaper, etc. The possibilities are endless, and you can be as versatile as you want, but always with consistency and commitment.
Did you like this post? I’d love to read your comments💌.
¡Hasta la próxima!
Giane 😘
Take your free trial Spanish class with me!
