Studying using comprehensible input in Spanish can be a fantastic way to learn. After all, it’s how we all learned our first language, be it English or something else.
I first learned Spanish in a school setting, so I didn’t use comprehensible input right away. Still, it’s been one of my favorite methods to this day.
In this article, I’m sharing what makes comprehensible input such a useful tool for your Spanish studies.
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What Is Comprehensible Input?
The term is pretty self-explanatory: it’s input (listening and reading) that you can comprehend, at least for the most part.
You don’t have to understand everything you read or listen to. But if you’re having to look up ever other word, it’s not comprehensible.
Input can be an amazing way to learn, especially as you advance. Rather than focusing on grammar rules, you learn by context.
Why Comprehensible Input Is Effective
Learning with input you can (mostly) understand works well for a few reasons.
I don’t know about you, but that’s basically how I learned my first language, English. When we’re young, our parents speak to us in simple vocabulary. We may also watch cartoons just for kids.
As you read or listen to the same thing over and over, your brain can start to pick up on things. You may connect the dots with new vocabulary or grammar patterns.
Just memorizing vocab from a list can help, but it’s not a solid strategy on its own. The same is true of doing grammar worksheets.
What to Look for in Spanish Comprehensible Input
The most important thing when choosing comprehensible input for Spanish studies is to choose content that’s at or just above your level.
You should aim to understand about 80-90% of what you’re consuming.
If you’re a beginner, look for videos or content with visuals. That way, you can use those other clues to understand more of what you’re reading or watching.
Avoid content specifically for natives, at least until you’re more advanced. My favorite thing to do is to watch children’s shows but dubbed in Spanish, particularly shows I grew up watching.
You can also find a slew of Spanish comprehensible input YouTube channels. These pages often list the level each video is for.
How to Make Use of Comprehensible Input
If you want to study Spanish with comprehensible input, here are some tips you need to keep in mind.
Do It Often
You can’t just do one session of listening or reading and expect to make progress. Incorporate input as part of your daily study routine.
Do both listening and reading exercises. If you can, watch a video or listen to a podcast, and read the transcription along with it.
And don’t be afraid to revisit the same piece of content if you didn’t catch everything. You may find more words each time.
Avoid Pausing Too Much
It can be tempting to look up every single word you don’t know. But I challenge you to use your context clues when you can.
Don’t focus too much on each individual sentence. Maybe you’re reading something about the beach, and you come across a word you don’t know, like “arena.”
It doesn’t mean “arena” like in English, but you can tell it relates somehow to the beach. With enough context, you should be able to understand that it actually means “sand.”
Be Patient
I know, it can feel like it takes forever to get anywhere when learning Spanish. But as with any study method, you have to be patient.
You can’t expect to see results in just a few days or even a month. I like to dedicate a little bit of time each day to comprehensible input to see results.
An app like LingQ makes it super easy and fun, and you can even track the vocabulary you learn. Plus, you can both use their content library and import your own stuff.
My Secret Sauce for Comprehensible Input: Translated and Dubbed Media
One of my biggest tricks for comprehensible input in Spanish is to find media you already know and love. But look for the translated or dubbed versions.
For example, I’ve been slowly working my way through the A Series of Unfortunate Events books but translated into Spanish.
When I have nothing else I can do to study, I’ll pull up Disney+ and look for some of my favorite childhood shows. Disney has a Spanish dub for almost all of them.
What I love about this is that I’m reading books or watching shows I’ve read or seen before. So I already know the basic plot, and I can focus on learning new words and phrases.
Final Thoughts
Comprehensible input for Spanish is a great way to learn the language. It can feel more natural (and more enjoyable) than studying flashcards and grammar workbooks.
So the next time you want to study but are getting bored, give input a try. You never know what you might learn.
Just make sure you follow it up with a review of our Spanish flashcards to solidify your vocab even further.