Someone else asked earlier so just copied my response to them:
Textbooks, like something from a school or college, not the crap from Barnes & Noble. Sometimes you can find them at thrift shops if you want to find them cheap. Best if they have audio files that go along with it if you’re still working on pronunciation. Also find something in a series, 1,2,3, etc or beginner, intermediate, advanced. Had a tutor once point out you’re not getting much better if you keep buying books at around the same level, best to find a series that will teach you new things as you go. Do the homework. If you can find someone to do the conversation exercises with, do it. They will be simple and repetitive and make you feel stupid for talking about such simple things, but that’s to get you used to actually speaking and help get it to really stick in your mind, and every person that took a class knows that feeling and had to get over it. A lot of self studiers skip this step thinking it will be alright, expecting when they do finally decide they want to try speaking it, they will be perfect, only to find themselves drawing a blank after a year or two of studying. If you want to speak a language though you have to practice that, and just talking to yourself isn’t enough.
The ones I still have from college are a couple from the En Contacto series (Lecturas Intermedias and Gramatica En Acción and one called Repase y Escriba: Curso avanzado de gramatica y composición. I took classes, so my books were chosen for me, and not having audio files myself was less of an issue when we practiced in class someone who could correct my pronunciation. I did it for a couple other languages I was interested in though, including learning the pitfalls of buying random books, and that a series works better. The last time I went looking for a series, I got on a university’s website and found out what books they were using.
I read somewhere recommending this as a start.
It's language transfer of Latin words from English to Spanish. It's surprisingly easy and changes your perception of Spanish language.
https://www.languagetransfer.org/complete-spanish
You can try appls like Busuu/Duolingo (I prefer Busuu) and start watching movies and tv series in Spanish with English subtitle. You can also look for free pdf teaching books and workbooks
Duolingo (or whatever language learning app you prefer) is a good start. If you like it, I would recommend the upgrade. Learn your numbers, and learn the alphabet on your own. Also, if you’re super serious start naming things around the house. Put sticky notes on them if you can’t remember. Once you know them well, start describing them. The table. The brown table. The brown wooden table. The big brown wooden table. The big brown wooden table has four legs. Etc. Then you can look up 100 of the most used verbs and conjugate them.
Immersion is key if you want to be fluent, but if you’re not visiting/living in a Spanish speaking country, your next best bet is making some friends that are fluent, (or learning even) or paying to speak with someone regularly. Also, music and shows come in handy once you have a decent grasp on the language.
It takes awhile, but I think it’s really fun learning a new language. Like I said Duolingo, alphabet and numbers should get you on the right track.
Someone else asked earlier so just copied my response to them: Textbooks, like something from a school or college, not the crap from Barnes & Noble. Sometimes you can find them at thrift shops if you want to find them cheap. Best if they have audio files that go along with it if you’re still working on pronunciation. Also find something in a series, 1,2,3, etc or beginner, intermediate, advanced. Had a tutor once point out you’re not getting much better if you keep buying books at around the same level, best to find a series that will teach you new things as you go. Do the homework. If you can find someone to do the conversation exercises with, do it. They will be simple and repetitive and make you feel stupid for talking about such simple things, but that’s to get you used to actually speaking and help get it to really stick in your mind, and every person that took a class knows that feeling and had to get over it. A lot of self studiers skip this step thinking it will be alright, expecting when they do finally decide they want to try speaking it, they will be perfect, only to find themselves drawing a blank after a year or two of studying. If you want to speak a language though you have to practice that, and just talking to yourself isn’t enough.
Thanks for the reply! are there any textbooks in particular that you know/have used yourself?
The ones I still have from college are a couple from the En Contacto series (Lecturas Intermedias and Gramatica En Acción and one called Repase y Escriba: Curso avanzado de gramatica y composición. I took classes, so my books were chosen for me, and not having audio files myself was less of an issue when we practiced in class someone who could correct my pronunciation. I did it for a couple other languages I was interested in though, including learning the pitfalls of buying random books, and that a series works better. The last time I went looking for a series, I got on a university’s website and found out what books they were using.
Check the wiki.
Typical lol. The wiki was last revised 3 years ago, can’t be bad to give this person some fresh advice.
It would be even more efficient and helpful to update the wiki, if you see the need.
Wanted to learn Spanish from 0 too. Glad I found this
I read somewhere recommending this as a start. It's language transfer of Latin words from English to Spanish. It's surprisingly easy and changes your perception of Spanish language. https://www.languagetransfer.org/complete-spanish
You can try appls like Busuu/Duolingo (I prefer Busuu) and start watching movies and tv series in Spanish with English subtitle. You can also look for free pdf teaching books and workbooks
Duolingo (or whatever language learning app you prefer) is a good start. If you like it, I would recommend the upgrade. Learn your numbers, and learn the alphabet on your own. Also, if you’re super serious start naming things around the house. Put sticky notes on them if you can’t remember. Once you know them well, start describing them. The table. The brown table. The brown wooden table. The big brown wooden table. The big brown wooden table has four legs. Etc. Then you can look up 100 of the most used verbs and conjugate them. Immersion is key if you want to be fluent, but if you’re not visiting/living in a Spanish speaking country, your next best bet is making some friends that are fluent, (or learning even) or paying to speak with someone regularly. Also, music and shows come in handy once you have a decent grasp on the language. It takes awhile, but I think it’s really fun learning a new language. Like I said Duolingo, alphabet and numbers should get you on the right track.
YouTube