Sign up for a college or university Spanish language course. Make sure to register for the appropriate level based on your knowledge of the Spanish language. To determine your level, contact the community college or university Spanish Department directly. These institutions can provide a Spanish-language assessment test that will give you a score that rates your language skills. Classroom instruction will give you opportunities to improve your conversational abilities and interact with other students.
Study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country. You may study in a foreign university, a language academy or as a foreign exchange student. Studying in a foreign country will allow you to absorb Spanish rapidly, as you will be faced with daily tasks that will require you to speak Spanish. Ordering food and drink, making purchases and asking directions -- in Spanish and on a daily basis -- will quickly build your confidence and improve your speaking skills. Many foreign language academies offer full-immersion courses, meeting several times a week, in which you are only allowed to speak Spanish. Studying as a foreign exchange student and living with a Spanish-speaking host family will also require you to use everything you know on a daily basis.
Purchase a Spanish-language software course. New technology has led to the creation of Spanish-language software that promotes learning at an extremely fast rate. Traditional methods -- such as index cards and direct Spanish-to-English translations -- have been replaced with more-effective learning methods such as interactive, audio-based instructions. Many Spanish-language software courses now focus on learning the way native speakers learn their first language: by hearing a spoken word or phrase while viewing an image. This learning method leads to higher retention of new vocabulary and in turn improves fluency. Another great advantage of using Spanish-language software is the ability to learn at your own pace.
Sign up for a Spanish conversation group. Speaking Spanish on a regular basis, in a conversational setting, is vital to becoming fluent. Finding a Spanish conversation group is easy to do, and the groups are often free. Spanish conversation groups are open to students of all ages and can be commonly found in libraries and community centers. These groups typically meet several times a week and are taught by a volunteer native Spanish speaker. The native speaker guides the conversation and focuses on correcting pronunciation and teaching new vocabulary.
Watch TV in Spanish. In the United States, Spanish-language channels are often included in basic cable packages. Channels such as Univision, Telemundo and Galavision are broadcast in cities all over the country. Television is a superb tool that can help you develop your fluency. Television programs will expose you to different accents and will tune your listening and comprehension skills. Also, you will encounter new vocabulary by seeing and hearing new terms in context, which often will make the terms easier to remember.
Listen to music in Spanish to improve your fluency and to pick up colloquial phrases. Listening to a local Spanish-language radio station -- on the way to work or while running errands -- will allow you to get used to hearing and understanding spoken Spanish. Dedicate some of your free time to listening to Spanish music, and see how much you can understand. A great way to learn pronunciation is to listen to a song while viewing the lyrics at the same time.