Most people who want to learn to speak Spanish don't keep at it long enough to learn much. This is true of learning other languages as well. There are three essential elements for success: motivation, knowledge of how to learn, and the ability to create regular habits. Consider how strong your motivation is and think of ways to make it stronger. Inform yourself about how adults learn languages -- it is different from how young children learn, but some popular software programs fail to recognize this. Finally, work out a schedule of learning Spanish that fits into your life and keep at it long enough to make it a real habit.

1. Why You Won't Learn to Speak Spanish
By Rosana Hart
LearnSpanishRapidly.com
Want to learn to speak Spanish? If you are like most people
with this idea, it won't happen. Sad but true: most people who
think they would like to learn Spanish won't get very far. You
don't have to be like them, but it's best if you know what you
are up against.
So why don't they really take on their intended project of
learning Spanish? There are three aspects to this: motivation,
knowledge, and habit.
How Strong is Your Motivation to Learn Spanish?
People want to learn to speak Spanish for all sorts of reasons.
I'll name a few. Sometimes it's before a vacation trip to Mexico,
Spain, or some other Spanish‐speaking country. They want to
be able to carry on basic tourist‐type conversations, about
where the hotel is, how to find a good restaurant, and the like.
Other times there may be more of a business aspect to it: they
need to know some Spanish – or a lot – to do better in the job
they have or to find a new one.
It could be a romance with a Spanish‐speaker that motivates
someone to learn Spanish, and (if the romance lasts) these
people often do well. Another situation: as an American living
in Mexico, I see many other Americans who want to be able to
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2. converse with the Mexicans they meet, whether it is socially or
in simply paying their rent or buying things in shops.
What motivates you to learn Spanish, and how strong would
you say your motivation is?
What Knowledge Do You Have about HOW to Learn
Spanish?
As well as some motivation, you will also need to have some
knowledge of how to proceed. If you just take a class that
happens to be offered in your community, it may or may not be
good for speaking Spanish. Many classes concentrate on
grammar and are not really aimed at helping your conversation
skills.
If you just use some CDs or a computer program that you
happen to come across, at least they offer something you can
work into your life more easily. But such programs vary
tremendously in how well they prepare their students for
speaking Spanish. Some of the most well known are not the
best.
If people start out with a method that doesn't suit them or isn't
well designed in the first place, they are more likely to give up.
How much do you know about HOW you are going to learn
Spanish?
Can You Create the Habit of Working on Your Spanish?
Knowing what to do isn't enough to make it happen. I imagine
you've had the common experience of knowing you should do
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3. something but not getting around to it! Fortunately, there are
ways to create habits, and once you have the habit of learning
to speak Spanish in place, you are well on your way.
Whether you think you can create the habit or not, you
probably can – if you are motivated enough and if you know
what to do. So these three elements – motivation, knowledge,
and habit – are all necessary, and they all support each other as
you get going. With these in place, chances are you will learn to
speak Spanish!
If you have the motivation to learn Spanish, there's no reason
you should be like the people who never get around to it. Visit
my website www.LearnSpanishRapidly.com to get the
information you need to learn to speak Spanish. I provide you
with knowledge of the different methods you can use, on the
site and through my free ebook, Five Keys to Learning Spanish
Rapidly. The ebook discusses creating habits too.
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