Manuela's Five Commandments for Learning Spanish

I 

Thou shalt be able to laugh at yourself. 

Learning a new language implies going out of your "comfort zones" to explore making sounds that your mouth and throat never physically tried before (like "j" and "rr"), and learning a whole new set of rules that seem weird, to say the least (like, yes nouns come in feminine and masculine). This can be overwhelming and frustrating at times, as you suddenly have the ability of a 2 year old to communicate. Well, keep your sense of humor! The good news is that Spanish speaking folks will appreciate any effort on your part to communicate in Spanish. And that practicing is rewarding as you progress. 

 II 

 Thou shalt commit to Spanish 
with love and dedication.

The best advice for thou, Spanish beginner student, is that you immerse in Spanish language and Latin American culture as much as you can. Plan travelling to a Spanish speaking country, make Spanish speaking friends, visit Latin American restaurants and stores, and try to talking to people there. Watch Spanish speaking movies with English subtitles, and English movies with Spanish subtitles. Listen to Podcasts in Spanish about Latin American politics. Discover Spanish speaking music. Explore Latin American Literature. Thou get the idea, no?

 III 

 Thou shalt not attempt to translate from English to Spanish word-by-word. 

 I bet thou have probably already tried just using a translator app to communicate with that Colombian babe you met online, and realized how much you don't make sense when you try to translate word-by-word. Words have meaning in a context, and ways of expressing yourself in English and Spanish are just different. 
Learn to appreciate what makes each of these languages so special, and how each carries the history and culture of the people who speak them.

  IV 

  Thou shalt honor the Spanish vowels. 

Spanish vowels have one, and only one sound each. Learning how to pronounce the vowels properly is crucial for your ability to speak clearly. Many words have dramatic different meanings just changing the sound of one vowel in the word, for example: 

"hombre" (man)

"hambre" (hunger)

"hombro" (shoulder)

  V 

Thou shalt remember that H is always, always silent. 

Just pretend it's not there.