5 Common Problems Beginner Spanish Learners Face [Video]

5 Common Problems Beginner Spanish Learners Face [Video] Suzy S. Learning a new language can be tough. From new vocabulary to strange grammar rules, theres a lot of places beginners can stumble or get frustrated. Although Spanish is a relatively easy language to learn, its not without obstacles. Many English speakers, in fact, run into the same hang-ups along the way. For example, conjugation rules take some time to get used to theres a reason  most Spanish teachers include lots of Spanish conjugation practice in their classes! Repetition helps you understand the rules, and once youve got them figured out, the language gets much easier. In the video below, tutor Sara T. shares five of these common  trouble spots, and below the video, weve listed some extra resources and links to help you work on them! 1.  Conjugating Verbs in Spanish For example, with the verb to talk, in English, there are five  conjugations but the verb is only going to change one time on the other hand in Spanish, the verb is going to change  five  times. Resources for Spanish conjugation practice: Intro to Spanish Verb Conjugation | Tips, Charts, More Spanish Verb  Drills, via StudySpanish.com Conjugation Practice Quiz, via SpanishDict.com 2. Understanding Lack of Pronouns Youll notice that speakers do not use I, you, we, or they when they speak  because the verb is already communicating the pronoun for you. Resources for pronoun practice: Pronoun Guide Pronouns Quiz, via StudySpanish.com 3. Irregular verbs Most of the verbs that are the most common are irregular they DO NOT follow the same conjugation as regular verbs. Remember, the only way to tackle this is to memorize the conjugations! Resources  for practicing irregular verbs: The Most Common Irregular Verbs in Spanish, via Linguasorb The Simple Guide to Untangling Irregular Spanish Verbs, via Fluent U 4. Phonetics There are some different sounds in Spanish that youre going to have to get used to!  The biggest ones are vowels for example, in Spanish the A has one sound, a soft ah sound like in hablar. Whereas the E is going to have a strong ay sound, like in leer. Resources  for practicing pronunciation and phonetics:   Phonetic Transcriptions of Spanish Words, via EasyPronunciation.com 3 Embarrassing Mistakes New Spanish Speakers Make [With Audio!] 5. Expressions That Use Different Verbs For example, the verb tener, which means to have, is used with many expressions that we would use to be in English. For example instead of saying I am cold, in Spanish youre going to say I have cold. (Tengo frio.) Resources  for learning Spanish expressions:   12 Common Spanish Expressions with Tener, via SpeakingLatino.com Idiomatic Expressions with Tener, via StudySpanish.com Readers, what other resources do you use for Spanish conjugation practice, verb practice, or pronunciation practice? Let us know by leaving a comment below! Post Author:  Sara T. Sara T.  teaches Spanish, English, Anatomy, and more through online lessons. She has over five years of teaching experience  and holds a Masters degree in  Teaching and Learning with Technology, with a specialization as an online educator. Learn more about Sara here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher