Make Spanish Part of Your Summer

Summer is in full swing for students at The Episcopal School of Knoxville. While summer is a great time for students to relax and grow, one of the downfalls of summer is that it can sometimes be easy for students to forget much of what they’ve learned the previous year. Today, middle school Spanish teacher Amanda Sharpe shares a few tips for how to keep students on top of their game during the summer.

1. Listen to radio in Spanish.  Use the “tunein radio” app (which is free and gives you access to hundreds of radio stations) on your phone or iPad and search for Spanish-speaking radio stations.  Some of my favorite stations out of Madrid are Cadena Dial and Cadena 100, which both play modern pop music in Spanish and some in English.

2. Use the online language learning program Duolingo for 10 minutes a day.  Review vocabulary here, practice grammar concepts, and simply keep your language skills fresh through reading, speaking, listening, and writing with this gamified approach to learning a second language.

3. Order in Spanish at your favorite Mexican restaurant.  Practice making polite requests and using phrases of courtesy with the host or hostess and servers.

4. Check out entirely in Spanish using the self-checkout at the grocery store.  Change the interface to Spanish as soon as you arrive at the kiosk, and challenge yourself to practice food words and pay in the target language.

5. Follow Spanish language accounts on Twitter. @CNTravelerSpain is full of travel inspiration, @museodelprado keeps you up to date on all the latest exhibitions at the world famous Museo del Prado art museum in Madrid, and @CNNEE shares current events articles in Spanish.  For a look at a newspaper published in Spain, follow @elpais_españa.

6. Listen to music in Spanish – some of my favorite artists are Juanés, Laura Pausini, Amaral, Quinta Estación, Fito y Fitipaldis, Shakira, Maná, Esteman, Jesse y Joy, and Chambao.

7. Visit the Green Acres Flea Market on Alcoa Highway.  Indulge in some authentic Mexican tacos while you’re there and attempt to practice your Spanish skills with the vendors.

8. Check out Spanish-language children’s books at your local public library.  Try reading the book aloud to a friend or adult at your house in order to practice pronunciation.

9. Listen to a podcast in Spanish.  Many podcasts are made just for language learners, and can provide educational entertainment during summer travel. One recommended podcast is “Notes in Spanish,” which lets you choose the level appropriate to your current learning.

10. My favorite recommendation, and the advice I take as often as I can: visit a Spanish-speaking country!  Immerse yourself in the culture and language, try new foods, and learn more about the different ways people live all over the world.  And if that’s not a possibility, read travel books (Insight’s Guides have stunning photos) and dream about one day experiencing the country for yourself!