7 Tips on How to Improve your Spanish Writing Skills

Hola! Are you looking to improve your Spanish writing skills? Writing in Spanish complements the other three language skills and makes you seem more like a Native Spanish speaker. Here are valuable tips that will up your Spanish writing game in no time:

Begin by Mastering Spanish Listening and Speaking

Writing is, by extension, the hardest of the four basic language skills, including listening, speaking, and reading. Linguists argue that it is often more complicated than the other three skills, so they recommend saving it for last.

This, however, does not make writing any less important than the other three basic language skills. We advise that you start by learning to listen to Spanish and speak the same. Following this course allows you to understand aspects like pronunciation and accents, which will make more sense later when you get to writing.

If you are learning to write in Spanish from home, we advise you to start listening to Spanish music and podcasts and watching Spanish shows. You can begin with having subtitles on for ease of understanding. However, shift to no subtitles and try speaking like them when you feel more confident in the language and see if you can still understand and sound the same.

Read Spanish Books and Articles

There is no better way to improve your Spanish writing skills (or any other foreign language) than by reading books and articles in Spanish. The secret here is to start small (simple Spanish words and phrases) and build up.

If you are a beginner to Spanish writing and the Spanish language in general, we recommend starting by reading children’s books and short stories since they are the simplest. You could then progress to reading books, newspapers, blogs, and magazines on topics that interest you.

An example of a beginner-friendly Spanish book you can reach for is ‘El principito’. Once you get more confident in your Spanish reading and understanding of the Spanish language, go for publications by Columbia’s award-winning writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

When reading these Spanish materials, pay attention to the wording, the syntactic constructions, and the expressions. Note what conjunctions are used to form sentences. If you find phrases that interest you, note them down and research them to develop your Spanish vocabulary.

Master the Basics of Spanish Writing

Here are the things that form the fundamentals of writing in Spanish:

Spelling

Spelling in Spanish is easy to learn after knowing how Spanish words sound. However, here are a few things to note concerning letters and spelling in Spanish:

Double L (LL) and the letter Y often are pronounced the same in Spanish. Be careful not to mix them up since you can distort meaning and affect the wording structure. It is essential to know the context to determine which one of the two to use.

Another spelling aspect you should note is the difference between C, S, and Z in Spanish writing. For instance, the letter S in European Spanish sounds similar to English pronunciation. However, ‘C’ in Spanish sounds the same as ‘th’ in English. Still, in Spain, ‘Z’ sounds like ‘th’.

Grammar and the Influence of Gender on Spanish Writing

Next, it is crucial to master what forms Spanish grammar. Learn to identify and word nouns, pronouns, adverbs, and adjectives. Know how to use conjunctions while retaining meaning.

One key thing to note is that all Spanish nouns often have lexical gender, determining masculinity or femininity. Usually, nouns ending with -o (as in Valentino) are termed masculine, whereas ones ending in -a (as in Lucia) are feminine. There are a few exceptions, but this is often the rule of thumb.

Also, adjectives have lexical genders. For instance, ‘good night’ would be ‘buenas noches’ when said to a female and ‘bueno noches’ or ‘buenos noches’ when told to a man. Noting these differences will help you write better and provide the intended meaning.

Spanish Accents

This can be hard for you if you are a native English speaker wanting to improve your Spanish writing skills. Unlike English, Spanish has accents.

There is just one accent in Spanish known as the acute accent, which you will often find (and use) in Spanish writing. Please pay attention to the syllabic rules and know where and when to use them or not to avoid butchering written Spanish.

Punctuation and Capitalization in Spanish Writing

Knowing where and how to punctuate part of a Spanish phrase or sentence will make you sound like a pro. For instance, when writing an email in Spanish, you must put a comma between the greetings and the person you are addressing, then follow up with a colon (e.g., Hola, Martino:).

Apart from punctuation, you need to know that Spanish writing does not use as much capitalization as it does in English. For example, you do not capitalize languages like Spanish writing (italiano, español etc.).

However, proper nouns and country names retain capitalization.

Write Everyday Spanish Words

Now that you understand the other three fundamental basic language skills, it is time to advance to writing. This way, you understand how to form words and phrases in Spanish.

Common examples of everyday Spanish words include ‘hola’ for ‘hello’ and ‘gracias’ for ‘thank you’.

Keep a Daily Spanish Journal

You can only sharpen your Spanish writing skills by being consistent with Spanish writing. And what better way to exercise that muscle than to have a journal that you update daily?

Start by writing your daily to-do list in Spanish. Progress to creating short sentences and look up on sites like Duolingo and FluentU to see if you are getting better at it.

We would also recommend writing more in Spanish than in your current comfortable language. Any time you encounter difficulties in wording your phrases or sentences, look for ways to improve and incorporate that. Embrace the awkward phase and watch your Spanish writing skills improve.

Ask for Feedback

In as much as learning and improving Spanish writing skills on your own is beneficial, it can only take you so far. It is because there is no use making mistakes that you do not realize and thinking you are good at Spanish writing when you are not.

With that, you will be better off asking for help or feedback from a trusted friend who is a native Spanish speaker and writer. You could send them your writing and ask them to review it and provide constructive feedback.

Sign up for Private Spanish Writing Classes

If, after some time, you still feel like your Spanish writing skills are writing, consider signing up for private Spanish writing classes. You could find physical ones in your area code or opt for online courses.

Many online platforms offer private Spanish writing tutorings, such as Live Lingua, Verbling, and Preply. These will help you learn how to write in Spanish and boost your Spanish language skills in general, boosting your confidence in the same.

Conclusion

Improving your Spanish writing skills is easier than you think. Master and incorporate tips like the basics of Spanish writing, reading more Spanish articles, sharpening your Spanish listening and speaking skills, and keeping a daily journal pushes you ahead. However, remember to ask for feedback from a trusted native Spanish speaker to avoid making obvious mistakes.

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