My Spanish teaching style...less = more.

One thing I wanted to touch on this week is the teaching style you'll find throughout my newsletters and websites, & why I teach this way. Basically you can sum up my style as "by teaching less, you learn more." I think it's important for students to remember that you don't need to learn every element of an entire grammar category before you begin using it. In fact, you often deter yourself from becoming comfortable with a new grammar concept if you feel that you can only use it after you've learned every single rule, etc. Don't worry about this. I think a few good examples can go a very long way with language teaching. Try to look for patterns rather than trying to memorize a ton of sentences & conjugations. Most importantly, keep in mind that practice is the only way to real fluency - so don't be shy about using each new thing you learn - even before you feel you have it down pat. When you learn a new concept (let's say a new tense of verbs) - try to find a few examples that you really understand - and use those words over and over again until you feel really comfortable. Then try to apply what you've learned to new vocabulary.

I'm not suggesting it's a good idea to only learn a few things & then stop there - but learning is much more natural when you don't try to overload yourself. Take it 1 or 2 new things at a time, and never forget that only by USING your Spanish will you really become fluent. You can find a couple more tips about learning Spanish below.
How Long Does it Take to Learn Spanish?