Many beginners assume Spanish must be studied silently for weeks before attempting real conversation. That’s what a lot of students believe, but the truth is that you should start speaking Spanish as soon as you start learning it, even if you only know a few words. Spanish is a phonetic language. Therefore, to improve your pronunciation and intonation, you need to practice speaking it. This will help you get used to its rhythm and melody. Besides, the sooner you start speaking, the better you will understand the sounds and intonation patterns of the language.
If you don’t know where to start, begin with micro-conversations. A micro-conversation is a small conversation that consists of 2 or 3 lines. Choose 3 different sentences like a greeting, a question, and an answer. Read them out loud. This will help you get used to Spanish pronunciation and intonation. Repeat each phrase several times. However, change your pace a little every time you say them. Otherwise, you will sound like a robot. Once you have said them several times, have a mini-conversation with yourself. Try to answer that question and respond to the answer. This will help you internalize the language.
One of the biggest mistakes that you can make as a beginner is that you read Spanish but you don’t speak it. When you read Spanish in your head, you think that you understand the language. However, when you try to speak it, you realize that you don’t understand it as well as you thought. The reason is simple: if you want to improve your speaking skills, you need to speak. Every time you learn new words or expressions, say them out loud. Even if you don’t have a speaking partner, try to say them out loud or at least whisper them. This will help you get used to Spanish pronunciation and intonation. If you mispronounce some words, don’t worry. You will learn the correct pronunciation little by little.
If you have only 15 minutes a day to practice your speaking, use them to practice your speaking. Don’t try to learn as many words as you can in 15 minutes. Start by listening to a dialogue or a sentence for 2 minutes. Try to repeat what you hear. Then, repeat that dialogue or sentence out loud for 5 minutes. If you can’t remember some of the sentences, listen to them again. Try to repeat them out loud again. Finally, try to have a mini-conversation with yourself. Respond to some of the questions or statements. This will help you practice your speaking skills. It will also help you internalize the language.
At times, you will feel like you can’t improve your speaking skills because the Spanish speaker is speaking too fast or because you can’t pronounce some sounds. In this case, slow down. Focus on a single phrase until it feels comfortable. Little by little, you will start to feel comfortable with your pronunciation and intonation. What’s more, try to practice the same sentences every day. You may think it’s boring, but this is the best way to improve your speaking skills. Finally, internalizing the language will help you have a conversation in Spanish fluently. So, don’t try to learn too many words a day. Start speaking Spanish as soon as you start learning it.