For the longest time I was trying the wrong techniques for language learning. I was using the traditional methods that I learned when I was taking Spanish classes in high school and college.
Using flash cards and writing down vocabulary with definitions in English. I suppose when you literally know zero Spanish this is the only way to develop a foundation. But, if you have some basis of vocabulary and training with verbs, but you just need to take the next step in fluency I would like to share with you what I feel is the best approach.
I will preface this by saying that I am not a specialist. I have only spent a small amount of time researching methods for learning. All I can say is that this really worked and is working for me. It is not enough to just move to a Spanish speaking country. You don’t just learn through osmosis. Surely at a certain point you will reach fluency, but if you want get the most rewards in the shortest amount of time, you have to focus your efforts.
Once you find yourself in social situations where the people are speaking in Spanish the next step is to engage as much as you can. If you aren’t saying things wrong you are not saying enough. Just like the old adage “if you aren’t failing you aren’t trying hard enough”.
To get your tongue ready for the workout I would suggest to read the written word aloud. There are a lot of language learning books written with the goal of the learner in mind. These books utilize the science behind language learning which I believe is that you retain information best if it is learned in context. So when you are reading aloud the stories and you encounter a word you have never seen, heard, or said before, … read it aloud and allow it to form a meaning given the context. Start super simple with the beginners level books which are certainly not that stimulating in terms of the content of the stories. But you will see that in no time you will be reading about interesting topics such as Buddhism, or Helen Keller.
I can not emphasize enough how important it is to read aloud. All of the friends that I have made that are native Spanish speakers compliment me on my accent. I attribute it to the practice of reading aloud every night. I take my time and read slowly being sure to place the emphasis on the correct syllables as I’ve learned. I will stop at the difficult word containing sentences and read them over and over again until I make it over the hurdle with out falling.