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Not only that it is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, Spanish is also one of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers.
Spanish pronunciation is very straightforward, unlike French and English with their rules and rule exceptions.
As it belongs to the Romance languages group, Spanish vocabulary is a lot similar to other languages in the group (to English also) which makes it much easier to learn.
However, in order to improve your spoken Spanish fluency, you should try some online tips to reach conversational fluency which have helped many students before you.
You also have a chance to book lessons with native Spanish speakers of your choice and start working on your skills. But the best and the most fun way to be fluent in Spanish is to visit Spain and discover their culture. This doesn’t have to be a paid vacation or language exchange. It can be free!
The best way to gain experience and to make the world a little bit better is through volunteering.
With that being said, here are some ways to volunteer in Spain (and other Spanish speaking countries), help their community and improve your spoken Spanish fluency.
Discover European Voluntary Service (EVS)
One of the best things that has happened to me was volunteering through European Voluntary Service. The only regret I have is not finding about it sooner. In case you are not familiar with it, it is an international program that enables Europeans to volunteer abroad. It is completely free of charge as everything is financed by the European Commission. However, as a volunteer in this program, you should be trust worthy. You shouldn't take advantage of this opportunity, as EVS involves real work for 5 days or more a week giving you a chance to improve the local community. To be able to apply, you need to find your sending organization that will help you find a hosting organization (in case you still haven’t chosen your wanted program in Spain). Thousands of volunteers have tried this program and just like me, they would repeat it thousand more times.
Choose your next destination
After you have decided to volunteer abroad and work on your Spanish fluency, it’s time to choose your project. Is it going to be a city or a village, a program about gender equality or about helping the environment? It depends on you and your interests, above all. At this moment, you could start asking around in order to find your sending organization. It is completely alright if you haven’t found your wanted program in Spain, because they will gladly help you and offer you the best projects in Spanish speaking countries.
Find EVS
If, on another hand, you prefer to search for projects by yourself, I would suggest a website called Find EVS. I have used it before and they really offer a wide range of projects. Apart from EVS in Spain, you’ll be able to search through projects in other countries, maybe even other Spanish speaking countries. They also have a FB group so you can adjust the settings to inform you as soon as there is a new project.
Mladi!info
Another website that can help you find opportunities abroad is Mladi!nfo – they don’t offer only volunteering projects, but also trainings, scholarships, jobs, conferences etc. They cover three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa and their main objective is to create positive change in the world. The best way to do this is to create opportunities for young people. If you go on their website you will be able to discover a lot of stories that will surely motivate you.
EVS Database
There is also a great website that collects all hosting organizations in one place, so you can filter through it and find the best project for you. It’s called Europa.eu database and it is an initiative of the European Union. Some of the Spanish organizations that you could consider are CEEDCV, I.E.S. Cánovas Del Castillo, Abrego but there are many others. After filtering by country, you can get access to more than 600 Spanish organizations on European Youth Portal.
Workaway
One of the most popular platforms for language learners and travelers is Workaway. It connects hosts and volunteers from around the world and enables them to help each other. Hosts usually need some help with the chores or babysitting, and volunteers want to gain experience, practice with native speakers and get the accommodation and food in return for their help. It is a great chance to get to know the local community in Spain and to improve your spoken Spanish fluency. There are more than 500 hosts available in Spain on Workaway that you can contact and choose your next destination.
Prepare for departure
Apart from the preparations that your sending organization can provide (help with insurance, trainings, travel tips) you should also consider hiring a native Spanish speaker as your tutor. They could help you refresh and work on your Spanish language knowledge. You can choose amongst a wide range of Spanish tutors on Justlearn. There is also an option to take a trial lesson so that you are completely confident in your choice. We have also gathered some tips that can help you speak in Spanish more confidently before going there to practice with native Spanish speakers. Buena suerte!
