The "Acquisition" Advantage: Why True Fluency Goes Beyond Just "Learning" Spanish

Unlock the surprising power of natural language absorption

Yesterday, I mentioned that many students don't make progress not because they lack motivation or desire, but because they don't know how to. They don't know how to study effectively.

That's precisely why Spanish Makes Sense exists. To share with you tools that will help you study Spanish better and more effectively.

You're not studying because you lack motivation or talent for languages, but because you haven't yet found the routine, the tools, or the method that clicks with you.

We all love TV shows, telenovelas, and movies.

Why do we love them so much?

Because they harness the power of stories.

That's why my aunt and mother couldn't resist watching the final episode of their favorite telenovela. Or why so many people come into work on Mondays with dark circles under their eyes after a weekend series binge.

Well, an excellent way to improve your Spanish is through stories.

But here's a big problem:

Generally, these stories are made for native speakers.

Faced with this, many people try turning to cartoons, but even cartoons are made for native speakers – just children. And being for children doesn't automatically mean they're easy.

In this situation, what many teachers suggest is to turn on the subtitles.

Subtitles are a great tool for understanding the gist of the story and learning vocabulary.

But, pay close attention here: they don't help you "acquire" the language.

There's a key difference between "acquire" and "learn."

When you learn something, it's because you've put purposeful effort into it. Like when you learned your multiplication tables in school after practicing them over and over again.

Acquiring, on the other hand, is what happened with your native language.

Try to remember the exact moment you learned your native language...

You can't, right?

Why is that so?

Because you didn't learn it; you absorbed it from your environment.

And that's precisely what our type of story aims for: that we learn a new language as we acquired our first language: naturally.

If this piques your interest, head over to this article on my website: Best Series To Learn Spanish (By Level)

There you'll find:

• The first episode of a Spanish telenovela that will hook you from minute one (yes, it has subtitles, but not just that – it's designed to help you acquire the language, not just learn it).

• Other recommendations if you want to go further and have a high enough level to enjoy watching and listening to a Spanish story, rather than just suffering through it.

• Some tips to get the most out of Spanish series and, especially, if you’re using subtitles.

Tomorrow I will tell you more about the difference between acquiring and learning.

Hasta pronto,

Leo

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P.S. If you're enjoying my emails, please spread the word and send this to a friend who also wants to improve their Spanish.

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