Increase Your Drive to Learn Spanish with These 10 Methods

Sustaining and even increasing your motivation is the most important element for success in learning Spanish. When you encounter an obstacle, such as difficult words or grammar concepts, you may feel like quitting, but don't give up!

As a Spanish speaker, new worlds, new foods, and new people become accessible to you. Continue reading to discover 10 essential strategies, tips, and approaches to keep your motivation strong throughout your Spanish learning adventure!

1. Write Down All Your Reasons for Learning Spanish

When you begin learning Spanish, your motivations likely seem clear. You might aim to travel, seek better career opportunities, want to engage with different cultures, or even hope to connect with your family background.

Yet, when you feel like stopping, you probably won't recall these reasons.

This is why you should create a list of all your motivations for learning Spanish. Keep it in an accessible spot, preferably near your study area or with your learning materials.

Whenever you face a challenge that appears too difficult or you consider skipping your regular study time, look back at your list.

Recalling your original reasons for learning Spanish can help you maintain your concentration and determination.

2. Enjoy Authentic Spanish Media

Viewing authentic Spanish-language media can be highly motivating. When you watch several episodes in a row, you often become deeply engaged. The success of series like “Game of Thrones” demonstrates how easily you can become absorbed in a great show!

This same engaging quality can inspire you to enhance your Spanish abilities. If the material you love to watch is in Spanish, not only will watching it provide useful practice, but it will also give you the drive to get better so you rely less on subtitles or frequent vocabulary searches.

Netflix provides a wide selection of authentic, binge-worthy Spanish media, such as “Narcos.”

After several hours of compelling television, you will likely feel much more enthusiastic about improving your Spanish. At the very least, you will certainly learn some nautical terms for your next sea voyage.

Shorter videos with native speakers are also excellent learning tools. They allow you to practice and learn a manageable amount of Spanish without feeling overloaded. One source for this kind of content is the language learning program Lingflix. It offers a collection of short, authentic Spanish videos and provides them with educational features.

Lingflix also runs a Spanish YouTube channel where you can discover episodes of well-known TV series—like Friends and The Big Bang Theory—transformed into detailed Spanish lessons. The episodes are in Spanish, and bilingual subtitles are available. The presenter analyzes important vocabulary, cultural context, and expressions.

Have a look at these videos that use episodes of “Friends,” for instance:

Because it is so varied in content and style, authentic media can make studying Spanish feel more interesting and lively. Additionally, you will get to understand a little more about Spanish culture too!

3. Treat Yourself

Learning Spanish is quite difficult, so you have earned a treat!

Rewarding yourself as you go can help you acknowledge your achievements and improve your spirits for what's ahead. This is based on the theory of operant conditioning, which suggests that we are more inclined to continue a behavior if it results in a positive outcome.

You can give yourself rewards for reaching both small and large goals to maintain your motivation throughout the process.

For example, if you must have a few peanut M&Ms every day (they contain useful protein, after all), think about using your snack as a study incentive. You only get your M&Ms after you have studied Spanish for a specific time, say 15 minutes.

This will not only encourage you to study every day, but it might also help you remember to study when you otherwise might not. When you crave those M&Ms, you might remember that you need to study to get them.

In fact, if you reward yourself with one M&M for every five minutes of study, you could soon see your study time increase from 15 minutes a day to much longer.

Rewards for long-term objectives can also be beneficial.

For instance, if you are progressing through a course or textbook, you can plan a reward for when you finish the next level. If you promise yourself a night out with a close friend upon reaching your goal, you will likely strive to achieve it much faster.

4. Embrace Spanish Cultural Elements

Studies indicate that embracing cultural aspects linked to a second language can enhance learning. It is clear that this may also boost your motivation to learn the language.

If you have a strong interest in the culture connected to a language, you are more likely to be eager to learn that language.

There are numerous ways to incorporate culture into your daily life. Celebrate the holidays, adopt the Spanish custom of the siesta (afternoon rest), or begin following the style trends of your preferred Spanish fashion influencer.

If you adore the culture of a Spanish-speaking area, you will probably feel a stronger connection to it, which could then revive your passion for the language.

5. Communicate With (or Hear) People in Spanish

Using your abilities is a major incentive to continue improving. It shows that you have advanced, giving you a tremendous sense of achievement.

Communicate in Spanish as often as you can. If there are Spanish speakers near you, attempt to start a conversation. If not, you can always find a language partner through a platform like Tandem.

If you feel nervous about talking to Spanish speakers, just keep in mind: even if they seem surprised, most will be patient and reply in Spanish.

Think about how you would treat someone learning English: You would probably want to assist and support them! The feeling is the same.

Help a Spanish-speaking tourist in her language (she will be grateful and feel at ease!). Ask a grocer you've heard speaking Spanish where to find the tomatoes… in Spanish.

It will feel strange and be tough initially, but the more you practice speaking Spanish, the more self-assured you will become.

And the great feeling you get from these small exchanges will renew your motivation for learning the language.

6. Organize a Trip to a Spanish-speaking Nation

Planning a trip can be very inspiring, even if it's only hypothetical. This is because the more you learn about a destination, the more you'll want to visit.

And if you're arranging a trip to a Spanish-speaking country, you'll feel highly driven to improve your skills to make it an unforgettable journey (even if it never goes beyond the planning phase).

When you need a break from studying, simply plan your ideal vacation. Think about your accommodation, the sights you'll see, the food you'll try, and your activities there. Explore Lonely Planet and research your preferred Spanish-speaking countries to discover what you could do on a trip.

You might even print your favorite photos to look at whenever you need an additional motivational push to continue.

7. Savor the Spanish Language Through Food

There are countless tasty dishes originating from Spanish-speaking nations around the world. Without this cuisine, we would lack tapas, tacos, enchiladas, and more!

So why not use food as a way to maintain your motivation while learning Spanish?

You can not only visit Spanish and Mexican restaurants and order in Spanish, but you can also use Spanish recipes at home, watch Spanish cooking programs on YouTube, and share your own recipes entirely in Spanish.

Try preparing dishes from Latin America or Spain whenever you need a quick motivation boost. Cook a paella. Refine your preferred tamale recipe—then make them a holiday tradition. Even your love for churros could drive your motivation to learn Spanish.

By letting your stomach guide your motivation, you'll build a meaningful link to the Spanish language that will keep you inspired on your learning journey.

8. Become Part of a Spanish-speaking Community

With over 450 million Spanish speakers worldwide, there is often a Spanish-speaking community not far from where you live.

Search for groups on Facebook. A simple search in my California town produced some intriguing outcomes: a Spanish-language cooking class, a pickleball league, and a knitting club are all located within five miles of my home.

Send a introductory message and join!

9. Date in Spanish

It's often said that the fastest route to language success is dating a speaker of your target language. I can confirm this from my own experience.

Why not adjust your Tinder profile to connect with Spanish speakers and discover interesting people in your area to meet? I assure you that if you develop feelings for a Spanish-speaking individual, this will provide all the motivation required to continue studying the language.

10. Monitor Your Spanish Progress

Tracking your progress is crucial for staying motivated because it serves as a reminder that you are, in fact, moving forward!

This is a very useful self-assessment on your journey. To do this, I recommend taking Spanish level tests, which are now freely available online. One I prefer is from Preply.

Test yourself and don't be discouraged if your score is sometimes lower. It occurs! But in general, this technique will keep you motivated and learning.

Here is a useful video with additional tips for staying motivated while learning Spanish:

Why Is Increasing Motivation to Learn Spanish Important?

Most importantly, motivation has a direct effect on learning.

In fact, one study revealed that motivation could be one of the primary elements influencing language acquisition. Your motivation can affect how often you communicate with native speakers, how you apply learning strategies, and much more.

Strong motivation can also make learning more pleasurable. If you are truly enthusiastic about learning Spanish, studying won't feel like a task. Instead, it will feel like a significant step toward your objective.

Finally, motivation is essential for fluency. Achieving fluency in Spanish can be a lengthy process. Taking part in a Spanish immersion program abroad or volunteering in Latin America can help advance you toward fluency, but complete fluency might take longer than these experiences alone.

Since you won't master Spanish instantly, reaching fluency will demand considerable motivation to persist when you feel like giving up.

Many of us have experienced that dip in motivation holding us back. Sometimes you pause and ask yourself, "Why am I really doing this? Is it worthwhile?"

If you're going through a foreign language "crisis of faith," or if you've reached that frustrating learning plateau and feel stuck, here are six ways to get back on track!

It's no secret that learning Spanish requires solid motivation. With these straightforward methods, you will never lack a reason to continue.

And One More Thing… If you are like me and enjoy learning Spanish on your own schedule, from the comfort of your smart device, I have something you will appreciate. With interactive captions, you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, pronunciation, and useful examples. You can even see other videos where the word is used in a different context. For example, if I tap on the word "puerta," this is what pops up: Want to make sure you really remember what you've learned? We’ve got you covered. Practice and reinforce the vocab from each video with learn mode. Swipe to see more examples of the word you’re learning, and play mini-games with our dynamic flashcards. The best part? Lingflix tracks everything you’re learning and uses that to create a personalized experience just for you. You’ll get extra practice with tricky words and even be reminded when it’s time to review—so nothing slips through the cracks. Start using the Lingflix website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download our app from the App Store or Google Play.Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)