This week I had a breakthrough moment in one of my Spanish classes. I’m working with two expats from the Coronado area—one of them is still in Canada (let’s call him Bob). We connect through Google Meet (way better than Zoom, by the way).
A couple of days before class, Bob admitted he was nervous. He wasn’t sure he could ever really learn Spanish. He had all the fears most people have: “I’ll never sound right, I’ll confuse the words, my brain is too old for this.”
But yesterday, something clicked.
The Golden Rule (3 minutes)
Before we learned a single word, I gave him the foundation: the five Spanish vowels.
Unlike English, which has 12+ vowel sounds, Spanish has only five simple sounds. They never change.
I told him:
“Once you master these five sounds, you can pronounce almost any Spanish word you see. This is the golden rule.”
Intensive Practice (10 minutes)
We went through my chart:
- A = ah, like “father” → Panamá
- E = eh, like “bet” → mesa
- I = ee, like “feet” → vivir
- O = oh, like “go” → hola
- U = oo, like “boot” → uno
That’s it. Five predictable sounds. No tricks, no exceptions.
And here’s what surprised me: Bob already had that pronunciation inside him. What I did was wake it up—make him aware of it through the method. Once you master those five sounds, you’re in. That’s the key. Everything else becomes so much easier.
The Secret Sauce
This is the essence of The De Silva Method:
- Consistency → just 3–5 new words a day.
- Foundation first → vowels before vocabulary.
- Build confidence → small daily wins add up fast.
The truth is, this is exactly what I did 47 years ago when I first started learning English, and it still works today.
Bob still has fears in his head, but the reality? His Spanish pronunciation—thanks to those five essential sounds—is impeccable.
Your Daily Practice Starts Here
That’s why I created the free Translator App on KnowPanama.link.
Every day, think of any word in English that you don’t know how to say or what it means in Spanish. Write it down, come to the app, practice it out loud, and apply The De Silva Method.
Day by day, word by word—you’ll see it happen for yourself.
👉 Start today: KnowPanama.link Translator App