Have you been learning Spanish for a while, but still have trouble speaking? You may have a good knowledge of grammar and a reasonable vocabulary, but when it comes to conversation, barely a few words escape your mouth.

Why is this?

It happens because although you know roughly what to say, you don't know how to say it.

Conversations are made from phrases and not words, which is why to get by on holiday you buy a phrasebook and not a dictionary. The problem is that phrase books only teach you the basics: enough to check into a hotel or order a coffee; certainly not...