Acquire a new language using social media

To be honest, I've deleted and then re-installed the Facebook app on my phone more times than I care to admit. I hate how it sucks me in and occupies too much of my time and mental space, so I delete it. Then I need to sell something on Marketplace, so I re-install it. And around and around I go.

If you're like me and catch yourself mindlessly scrolling on social media, why not make it work for your language acquisition? Confused? Here's some tips on how to practice Spanish using social media:

1. Follow Spanish-speaking people on social media.

Like soccer? Follow Lionel Messi. Like rap music? Follow Ana Tijoux. Like cooking? Follow Bricia Lopez. Look up people or celebrities that do things you are interested in. This might require a little research if you aren't familiar with certain Spanish-speaking celebrities. But once you find them, their social media posts can act as great reading comprehension en español!

2. Explore places and food.

Do you love eating? Do you love traveling? Social media can be a great way to explore new places and foods from different cultures. Search "Comida"+(Spanish-speaking country) or "Turismo"+ (Spanish-speaking country). For example, comidamexicana for Mexican food or turismocolombiano for Colombian tourism. These searches will bring you to some stunning visual images that will help expose you to new cultural aspects of the Spanish language.

3. Follow hashtags.

You can also follow hashtags. For exmaple, if you have a particular interest, you can search the hashtag and follow it. For example, if you are an avid cyclist, just search #cyclismo and viola! This will help you find relevant, interesting posts to read in the Spanish language!

4. Follow English accounts, but en español!

There are many accounts that exist in English that have Spanish language counterparts. For example, National Geographic also has National Geographic en español. CNN also has CNN Chile. Netflix also has Netflix Latinoamerica. All you need to do is a little browsing on social media to find these accounts and soon you'll be receiving your news and entertainment en español!

Hopefully with these tips you'll go from mindless scrolling to language acquisition! ¡Buena Suerte and Buena Scrolling!

Interested in more tips or acquiring Spanish? Check out Kinda Bilingual's online, immersive, Spanish classes or give us a follow on Instagram (@kinda.bilingual)!