How did you learn a second language?

Hey!

Let's see.. When we say ''Second language'', it doesn't mean it's another language you learned at school, for exaple, or institutes. The second language it's a language you learn since you're a kid at the same time you speak some other (that's the case of children with two-different-nationalities parents. Ex, mother speaks spanish and dad speaks portuguese).

In my case, i've studied many languages all my life (it's not that long though, i'm just 20 years old), such as English, French, Japanese.

But i consider Italian as my second language, since i learned it in Italy, when i lived with an italian family for 10 months. I ''lived'' the language. Lived within that culture. That makes it a second language-

For being a second language, it doesn't mean that you MUST know how to write it perfectly or actually read it. You must speak fluently and very well you're second language as you're a native. The fact that you don't actually have to THINK before speaking. You simply speak.

For ex, i've studied English for many years, but i defenetely don't consider it my second language.

I hope my answer isn't too twisted! ;)

Bye!

My first language is also Spanish but at school I've taken English lessons through elementary, middle and high school.

Now I think I've very fluent in both languages and as you correctly said, it's a matter of practice and conjugating verbs, isn't it?

Where do you live?? If you live in the States, maybe there is a Mexican food restaurant where you can hang out frequently and get to know some people from there. Some of them will speak Spanish. Do you have Hispanic friends?? I'm sure some of them speak it too.

Try also, if possible, to read books, magazines, watch movies and TV shows in Spanish. Mexican soap operas are also a good resource for practicing slangs or informal words used by Spanish speakers. Take into consideration that Mexican soap operas (called telenovelas) present very different settings and situation compared to the American ones. Nevertheless, it's a good technique.

For me, English is almost as natural to speak as Spanish now. Also usually I feel like I speak better English towards the end of the day, since I speak only Spanish at home and English at school and with friends. It takes me a small fraction of the morning to adjust to the English- speaking world. But by the time class is over at my homeroom I feel more comortable and confident.

Try to write small things in Spanish too. It's so easy to forget about the spelling rules and specific words for some meanings, feelings or emotions. Spanish is a very beautiful and complex language and therefore it expresses the subjectivity of many things in a unique and explicit context for many things.

Thanks for reading!!!!

I grew up speaking English and some French with my parents and grandparents, but my dream was to learn Spanish, While learning Spanish in college, I met my husband who is Hispanic and he became my tutor. One year later, we got married. At home, we only spoke Spanish for many years, it was my very own "immersion" in the language. Then, we moved to Brazil for a few years and I spent the time learning Portuguese because the Brazilian government didn't allow me to have a job. Our children first language is English, Spanish is their second language, and they still remember a lot of the Portuguese they learned while in Brazil.

I get taught Spanish at school. :)

I have been for four years, almost five. (:

It kind of feels natural now to speak it, because I'm learning a lot more stuff, but I still think it's really hard to understand actual Spanish people, haha.

When I was little all I knew was spanish...now that I'm older I know a lot of english and I'm starting to lose some spanish vocabulary...Hope I helped!

Please take a look at this 10 minutes video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08uhRgBmhCE

Thank you.