11 Ingenious Methods for Getting Daily Spanish Writing Practice
Do you continually promise to start writing journal entries and blog pieces, only to fall short?
Even if you are not a natural writer, writing practice is crucial to your Spanish learning development.
Many students believe that writing in Spanish is tough. Still, we are dealing with another "practice makes the perfect" issue. Join the best Spanish language class in Nagpur if you want to become fluent in German.
The more you write, the simpler it will be for words to flow from your hands.
The Advantages of Practicing Spanish Writing
Aside from pen and paper, we have many possibilities for writing practice these days. Many of us have mastered compelling keyboard typing from an early age (thank you, Mavis Beacon!) at this stage. and we're constantly typing away on our smartphones, tablets, e-readers, and other devices.
So, what are the advantages of writing by hand vs. utilizing technology?
It all comes down to long-term learning vs. short-term learning. When you type, your brain skips over much of the data, and it flows right from your ears or eyes to your fingers.
Your brain does not digest the information. You may prevent this by writing things down on your terms rather than making an exact textual clone of the stuff at hand. Laptops are also infamous for distracting students, so keep an eye out for that.
Because of these reasons, typing allows you to copy items into a page swiftly and correctly. This is preferable for getting organized and creating attractive learning materials. In the case of time constraints and the need to refer to your notes later, typing is a good alternative.
According to research, the benefits of handwriting are undeniable. It uses our fine motor abilities and involves different areas of the brain, activating muscle memory and assisting us in remembering words and phrases better through repeated gestures. We are more inclined to slow down and report on our terms when writing by hand.
Handwriting improves the recollection of various forms and symbols is a boon for Spanish students. We do not have to learn highly foreign characters like we would in Chinese.
As we become more familiar with various syllable combinations and accents and Spanish letters (LL, RR), our memory will be strengthened. Suppose you want to get serious about your Spanish writing practice. In that case, cursive handwriting takes mental processing capability to a whole new level. Plus, contrary to popular belief, the script still has value, even if it is only a source of personal pride.
Tips for Improving Your Spanish Writing Practice
Could you include it in your daily routine? As you'll see below, many Spanish writing exercises may easily fit into your everyday life—you probably write more than you know.
I devoured books. Never, ever stop reading. Get into the habit of reading anything in Spanish that you can get your hands on. Magazines, newspapers, novels, and children's stories are all acceptable.
Change the UI on all of your gadgets to Spanish so that your brain becomes unconsciously entrenched with Spanish syntax, grammar, and vocabulary.
Get your keyboards ready. You'll need to allow both your smartphone and laptop to interpret and write in Spanish. Continue reading to find out how!
How to Get Your Keyboards Ready for Spanish Writing
Before we begin, depending on your system, you may need to install a foreign language package.
On a computer keyboard, it's simple: go to your control panel's "keyboard" settings and adjust the "input sources." You can choose between the Spanish and US International keyboards, depending on your preferences.
The Spanish keyboard contains a distinct key for (where your ":" key is), / (where your "-_" key is), and several additional symbols, but the letters are all in the exact location. Suppose you want to live in a Spanish-speaking nation and use computers in a library or institution.
This keyboard layout would be helpful to you in that case. If not, it's an easy way to experience cultural immersion from the comfort of your own home!
The US International keyboard, on the other hand, retains all of your symbols and letters in the same place. Press the apostrophe key followed by the vowel to add an accent—no holding required. To type a type followed by the letter "n" or "N," again without holding. "option+!" and "option+?" are the symbols.
Regardless of the keyboard you use, putting your keyboard's map on-screen will come in helpful at first. Suppose you want to learn the Spanish keyboard but keep forgetting where particular keys are. In that case, you may cut little pieces of paper, write down Spanish characters, and glue them to the proper keys.
Last but not least, provide a simple command as a keyboard shortcut to quickly swap between language inputs. To switch between inputs, I press alt + shift. This allows me to converse with Ecuadorean and American friends on Facebook concurrently while changing rapidly and aggressively.
Your computer keyboard is now ready to use. But what about the gadget that you carry with you all day and use as your primary mode of communication and day-to-day management? Let's get the smartphone on board.
Both iPhone and Android users must follow the identical steps. Locate your "keyboard settings" screen first. Usually, you can reach there by long-pressing a key on your keyboard. Choose Spanish as an additional input language. After that, you may jump to Spanish at any moment by long-pressing the space bar.
If you want to take things a step further, go to "settings" to access the "language and input" tab on your phone. You may replace your phone's English operating system with a Spanish version.
11 Ingenious Methods for Getting Daily Spanish Writing Practice
Practice writing in Spanish
It's astonishing what we'll do when given deadlines and threatened with failing marks. What did I do? I wrote a lot of blog posts. Looking back through these blog pieces, I was ecstatic to read my previous ideas and viewpoints in my voice. Even if you write poorly, you will never be sorry for beginning a blog—but you will be sorry for not starting one. So get started right away!
WordPress is a popular blogging platform due to its user-friendly design. Without being a true blog guru, you can create wonderfully polished, professional-looking blogs here.
Blogger is easy, straightforward, and linked to your current Google account. It's the simplest method to establish and manage many blogs, engage with others in real life, and keep track of intriguing content in an exceptionally lovely and tidy newsfeed.
Tumblr is a fantastic platform for the indecisive blogger. This is a terrific area to have fun and share any multimedia stuff that strikes your attention. If the spirit hits you, you can make longer messages, but you can also share funny cat pics with one-word remarks.
Start here if you're hesitant to start a blog. Every day, you'll discover something intriguing to share and remark on! More information on learning Spanish using Tumblr may be found here.
2. Find writing partners.
Practice writing in Spanish
HelloTalk is similar to WhatsApp for those of us who don't have any Spanish-speaking buddies. You'll enjoy all of the benefits of an international multimedia messaging service, but with a language learning twist. It's essentially a social media platform designed exclusively for language learners' needs and goals.
Meeting new individuals isn't easy here because users are a very energetic and committed bunch. You may either look for a fellow language learner who completes the description (someone who speaks Spanish natively) or enters your information and let them discover you (or both)!
In addition to Spanish, we offer more than 100 languages, so you can talk with someone in Spanish while connecting in whatever other language you are fluent in. Send and receive messages, make free phone calls, and connect with the Spanish-speaking world.
Practice writing in Spanish
Language fluent is frequently suggested to Spanish learners looking for teachers and chat companions.
Create a profile and begin writing entries. Because users here take their writing practice very seriously, the longer, the better, the more you write, the more detailed feedback you'll get on your work. Return the favor to the community by also correcting some English language posts!
You may then pick whether to book some time with a free language exchange partner or a paid, private language instructor on Language fluent so that they can review your work, fix it, and provide feedback. Practice writing in Spanish WhatsApp is a multimedia messaging service popular in Europe and several Spanish-speaking nations. Take advantage of this relationship if you have Spanish-speaking pals! If you enjoy chit-chatting on WhatsApp, don't forget to try out its microphone icon, which allows you to send brief audio recordings to your pals.
Practice writing in Spanish
Reddit is more than simply a place to browse varied online material; it also has a large, diversified community with whom you may communicate. Subreddits for individual nations and areas (such as /r/latinoamerica and /r/ecuador) or the Spanish language itself (/r/spanish and /r/espanol) are worth a look. You may even lie your face off about your expertise and life experiences. Tell stories about things that have never occurred to you. It makes no difference whether you're spreading false rumors to strangers on the internet. What matters is that you practice your Spanish writing. More information on studying Spanish on Reddit may be found here.
We've all met some Spanish speakers throughout our life, regardless of where we reside. Perhaps you have an Argentine exchange student in your area, or you had a Chilean Spanish instructor in high school.
Have you lived in a Spanish-speaking nation before? Then I'm sure you still have some Spanish natives on your Facebook friends list, Skype contacts, or email contact list. Please get in touch with us! A simple message stating "Hola, qué tal?" might lead to many practice possibilities.
Your former homestay family will appreciate a postcard or letter from you. Reconnecting with old friends is never too late, and people are always pleased to know that someone is thinking of them.
4. Make effective use of social media.
If you have friends who speak Spanish on the internet, social networking is an easy answer. It is also helpful in meeting new people and discovering new resources. You can continuously broadcast your Spanish ideas to the globe without relying on real-life buddies as your audience. You could even open a new Twitter, Pinterest, or Facebook account to follow Spanish pages and share your ideas.
5. Convert everyday writing tasks into Spanish practice time.
What do you generally write daily? Are you a compulsive list-maker? When faced with a significant choice, do you prepare a list of pros and cons? Do you use a day planner or calendar to take notes or keep track of your schedule? Most individuals maintain some form of notice, even if it's only a grocery list.
Begin managing your life in Spanish today! Every little practice adds up. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that thinking, speaking, and writing in a foreign language helps you make better decisions in general.
Are you concerned that taking correct notes is too vital to risk with inadequate Spanish? That merely raises the stakes and emphasizes the need to write outstanding Spanish!
6. Begin working on your projects.
A diary, dream journal, scrapbook, or nature notebook (documenting the creatures and plants in your backyard and beyond—yes, I'm a scientific freak) might be a personal writing activity.
Writing is a beneficial technique for self-reflection. Remember how we make better decisions when we operate in a foreign language? It doesn't simply end at conclusions; putting in more mental processing effort while constructing phrases enables us to be more attentive, wise, and cautious with our words.
The benefits of learning a second language are debatable in psychiatry, but they are undeniable from an individual's perspective. You've broadened your language and cultural horizons by studying Spanish. You're learning to see the world through a Spanish lens.
That might mean that you express yourself more eloquently or passionately than you would in English (I mean, Spanish is quite a musical, beautiful language). That may also imply that you will approach your thoughts, ideas, and feelings from an entirely different perspective.
Furthermore, suppose your nosy little brother doesn't understand Spanish. In that case, all of your projects will benefit from an extra layer of privacy protection. Unfortunately for me, my younger brother began studying Spanish when I did. Sigh.
7. Gather a large amount of good reading material.
Reading significantly enhances foreign (as well as native) language writing abilities. So, start using this in your Spanish right away!
Do you want to discover what you're capable of reading?
Every day, you read something. Living online means that you will read a lot more than most of us. Since I'm a full-fledged online citizen, I regularly read newspaper articles, essays, literary pieces, research journals, memes, blogs, BuzzFeed funnies, webcomics, emails, and social media updates. My understanding of the language is growing, even if I don't remember everything.
Let's now modify the language of all of this stuff. Find your favorite Spanish-language information sources. All of the major internet companies are expanding their reach to the Spanish-speaking globe, so you'll be able to access BBC, CNN, Vice, BuzzFeed, Vogue, and other prominent information sources in Spanish. Easy.
Unplugging and being offline every day is also vital for your Spanish progress and your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Take a break from the internet, please. There are excellent Spanish language books available for beginners, intermediate learners, and advanced students nearing proficiency. And if you genuinely can't bear the thought of giving up technology, you could always read an e-book!
Keep writing applications on hand.
As much as I want you to disconnect from technology for a bit, applications are too convenient to ignore. They can assist you in staying focused on your writing daily. Blogging applications will keep you linked to your blog, whether hosted on WordPress, Blogger, or Tumblr.
When inspiration strikes and you're not near your computer, a basic note-keeping or word editing tool is ideal for tracking ideas. There are other unique, functional, and free applications like these available for both iPhone and Android.
Practice writing in Spanish
If you enjoy writing on your phone or tablet (perfect for light travelers), you might even use a journaling app. Day One is the most aesthetically beautiful, cleanest, and well-organized software built.
There are several advantages to maintaining a digital diary or Notebook. Use great software like Day One. Your log will be portable, will automatically back up and save copies in case of an emergency, allow you to write rich multimedia entries, and even post and share if you're feeling sociable.
9. Make Google Translate your go-to tool.
Practice writing in Spanish
So, let's assume you're on board with these fantastic daily writing ideas. However, you're still intimidated by the prospect of writing in Spanish. If you speak Spanish at a high-intermediate or advanced level, but your writing skills are lacking, Google Translate can help you write like a boss.
Some would claim that this is cheating or bad practice. Still, I can personally attest to the advantages of utilizing Google Translate to teach you to write.
Use Google Translate to translate any existing text or write anything you want in your native language. Those Spanish sentences need to be. Solved that sucker needs to be translated into Spanish. I know; it already feels like a ruse. Now you'll go over the text and carefully modify it, paying particular attention to syntax, diction, and grammar. It would help make this text sound natural and native-level Spanish feasible. When done correctly, this strategy may result in gorgeous, smoothly flowing Spanish text.
You should know better than that, fool. Stay away from public content when you're writing a paper for a class. Don't do this if you're a beginner or don't feel completely comfortable with genuine Spanish syntax and language usage. This is ideal for advanced learners who already know how to read, talk, and listen in Spanish since they can use their previous expertise to have materials accurately translated.
10. Keep track of the time you spend writing.
You can do it as quickly as you think. Put yourself under pressure, provide structure, and devise simple daily tasks to hold yourself accountable. . Decide how much time you have every 10, 20, or 30 minutes. Describe your surroundings while sipping on this latte for 20 minutes. Once you finish that, you can write one last blog article.
Don't be scared to mix this strategy with your other everyday Spanish writing skills. For example, if you've decided to compose blog articles, diary entries, or dream journal notes, set a time restriction for yourself.
Without a time restriction, you might never start because the notion of writing a page of Spanish is too daunting—it sounds like it could take two hours. Considering that the exercise will only take 10 minutes to complete, it is much simpler to get inspired to begin.
11. Describe your day-to-day activities.
This is a straightforward exercise that takes no additional effort. It's excellent advice for writers since it keeps you thinking creatively throughout the day. You'll be continually producing new Spanish lines and descriptions.
For example, describe the people and items you see when you go around the grocery store. When you consider whether to buy anything, do so in Spanish. Consider how you would describe an amusing situation to someone in Spanish after it has occurred to you. Make a note of any good word choices or phrases in your notepad or note-taking software for future reference!
This isn't only wonderful for motivating your writing; you'll also get a lot of practice telling stories and making jokes in Spanish, which is vital for having fun and conversing fluently!
After all, the main objective of learning Spanish is to be able to interact effectively with others.
Begin implementing these basic materials and exercises into your everyday life, and Spanish writing will become second nature in no time!
