Fluency in Spanish in two days or less

Now I've got your attention with my catchy title. I must ask " Did you really believe this was possible? ". Surely not, but maybe you clicked on the link because you want to learn another language and don't really want to spend long doing it.

Clearly, it isn't possible to learn a language in two days but there are methods you can use to speed up the process. Techniques you can use to remember words, clever mnemonics, the roman room method, concept maps, tools which will improve your memory, and suchlike.

Pah.

I don't want to spend my time doing this. I‘m too busy. What can I do instead. I’m looking for something easier, something more passive, something that can happen around me if and when I feel like learning. And I don’t want to leave the house either.

I have some suggestions to start.

1. Improve your vocabulary.

Write Spanish names on everyday items. This is an easy way to expand your vocabulary, and not only that, associates the Spanish words with the objects, something that straight vocabulary learning does not do. This makes it easier to remember a word when you need it. To prevent boredom setting in, start with the drinks cabinet, wine cellar or plastic bag with the booze in it.

2. Improve your comprehension.

Don't listen to the Spanish radio. You won't understand any of it until you are at an advanced level, and it is discouraging.

Instead watch Spanish TV (which can be done over the Internet) concentrating on the soaps (telenovelas). You don't need to understand them to enjoy them, and the same language is repeated again and again. Look up the meaning of commonly used expressions. As you will hear them so often, once you are hooked on telenovelas, you can’t help but remember them.

3. Improve your spoken language

If you don’t want to leave the house practice on your nearest and dearest. Get them to learn some Spanish. If you don't use it, you lose it. This is especially true with foreign language learning, and it is important to constantly reinforce what you are learning.


4. Stay Motivated

This is the hardest part of language learning. So book a holiday in a Spanish speaking country, and keep learning key eating and drinking words. Barcelona is a great place to practice them in. In fact Barcelona is such good place to practice Spanish in that you might spend longer there than you intended.

So that’s it. You are not going to learn Spanish or any other language in two days, but if you stick words on everyday items, and watch soaps you will learn something with minimal effort.

by Frank Smith

Frank Smith is a freelance author and writes occasional articles for Veneficium Ltd.

Visit http://www.linguata.com for great language learning software and articles on languages and travel.



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Do You Make These Spanish Vowel Mistakes?

Every language has a different sound system. When learning Spanish, note there are some important phonemic and phonetic differences between your mother tongue and Spanish that you must keep in mind to improve your pronunciation.

Think of any words you may know in Spanish. Many words in Spanish, actually the majority of them, end in a vowel. This is very different from English, which has numerous words that end with consonant clusters, for example; but even when an English word ends in a vowel, it tends to be pronounced as a schwa, since it makes pronunciation easier. Spanish doesn’t work like that however: every vowel has a distinct, consistent pronunciation. An e, for example, is always pronounced in a certain way in Spanish—like e in pet. Each vowel and consonant has its own sound; and this doesn’t vary as it does in English, where [i] can be spelt in many different ways, like feet and seat, to give an example.

It is impossible to master Spanish pronunciation in one lesson; so as with most things, you’ll have to improve step by step. Here’s some help to get you going:

A very common mistake that native English speakers make when speaking Spanish is making the final vowel a diphthong. This happens when English lacks that vowel sound in that position. It is not that English doesn’t have that sound, only that it doesn’t occur in the same context as in Spanish. In such cases, the learner unconsciously tries to look for an alternative in his/her own native language. For instance, a final e—always pronounced [e] as in net (but with the mouth a bit more closed than in General American English)—will be turned into a diphthong, and this will be [ei], as in cake, since both sounds are very similar. English doesn’t have an [e] in word final position, but it does have an [ei]. There are many words ending in [ei] actually; for example, bay, pay or convey.

I did a study on several native English speakers to test the pronunciation of the final e, and the results showed that in fact it is very common to pronounce [e] as [ei]. These subjects were beginner and intermediate level Spanish language students—except for one: please note for your encouragement that the one advanced level student scored significantly better in this study. As you can see, practice makes improvement. That old saying, ‘Practice makes perfect’ should be buried and forgotten.

Another vowel which is often diphthongized by native English speakers is o. In this case, it tends to be pronounced as [ou], like in boat. This vowel, as with the previous example, is worth keeping in mind. There is another vowel, a, which instead of being diphthongized is replaced by a schwa, like the vowel in to. To correct this mistake, my advice is that you try to produce the vowel you make in but (in General American pronunciation, not British), which is pretty similar to the Spanish a. To be honest, it’s so similar that I don’t really see the difference, and I’m Spanish, and a linguist!

By: Silvia Lopez-Cepero


Articles by Silivia Lopez-Cepero

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Quickly Learn A Language By Thinking In It

It can be tedious to learn a language. There will always be a certain amount of rote memorization required. However, there are also many little techniques for more easily learning a language. Labeling things around the house in the language you want to learn comes to mind. Listening to tapes while in the car is another. Then there is a technique I used to learn Spanish.

How I Quickly Learned Spanish

I studied Spanish books for six weeks before going to Ecuador. I didn't speak a word of the language during this time - a big mistake. Still, I was able to converse with the locals in the hostel in Quito the day after I arrived. Within a few days I was discussing philosophy, politics and more with Ana, who is now my wife.

How did I learn a language so quickly? I didn't really. I had a very limited vocabulary when I arrived in Ecuador, and a very limited vocabulary when I left. However, I could use what little Spanish I knew to express myself. This I credit to a habit that fortunately is also a great technique for learning a language.

I have conversations in my head. I think of what I am about to say, and have always played out future discussions in my imagination. I found myself doing this in Spanish too. The result was that I learned how to speak the language quickly, and say a lot with few words.

Learn To Think In A Language

People imagine that they have to be fluent to think in a language. This just isn't true. You can choose to think "I am walking to the store," so there is no reason you can't think "Yo estoy caminando a la tienda," as soon as you know those six words. If you don't know the word "caminar" (to walk), but you know how to say "Yo voy a la tienda," (I go to the store) you can think that. Alternately, you can look up a word or two as you get "stuck."

One reason this is a great way to learn a language is that it helps you remember the words. Repetition works, and saying the words, even if only in your mind, works better than reading or hearing them. When you make a point of translating your thoughts into your new language, you are always practicing.

It is more than just good practice, though. Putting your thoughts into your new language forces you to learn not just words and rules, but also specific ways to express what you want to say. We all talk about different things and have different interests, right? A doctor might want to know how to say "where does it hurt?" while I may want to ask where the mountains are. Often, you learn what others think you should know. This helps, but your thoughts are uniquely yours, and when you think in your new language, you are learning exactly what YOU need to learn.

Speaking a language is perhaps the best way to learn it, and thinking it is just speaking it in your mind. You'll learn your most important words, expressions and sentences quickly if you are thinking them continually. Another tip: Carry a language dictionary with you to use whenever your thoughts stop flowing. This is a powerful way to learn a language and start speaking it quickly.


About the Author

Steve Gillman has been working on his Spanish with his wife Ana Blum, a native of Ecuador. Together they have built a website where you can get free lessons in Spanish. Visit: http://www.TheSpanishLesson.com

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Speaking Spanish To Increase Mind Power

Words, and the concepts they express, are different in each language, and there are differing common expressions. That's why when you learn a new language, you learn new ways to think.

Most Americans see money as something created, not as a static quantity to be divided up. This is no coincidence. English is one of the few languages that speaks of "making" money. In other languages, the verb used is "to gain," "take," or "get." The words used affect how people think about money. Personally, I think "making money" is a very healthy perspective.

Hablas Espa񯬿

Did you know that in Spanish, you're not thirsty, cold or afraid? You have to say "I have thirst (yo tengo sed)", "I have coldness (yo tengo frio)," or "I have fear (yo tengo miedo)." Could this change the way a person experiences things?

Definitely. Therapists are now telling people to stop saying or thinking things like "I am afraid." That way of expressing it creates too much identification with the feeling. It's healthier to say "I feel fear." You're not afraid, you're a human; fear, like all feelings, is just a temporary visitor.

In Spanish you "take" a decision (tomar un decision). Is it possible that "taking" a decision could be less stressful than "making" one? It might subconsciously limit you, too, since you generally "take" from what's available, while to "make" leaves your options wide open.

Other Advantages Of Learning A Language

You gain words when you learn a language, but also the ability to understand things better. Who can speak more precisely about snow; someone with three words for it (snow, sleet, powder), or an eskimo with 22 words for it? Which is more efficient, the German word "zeitgeist," meaning "the taste and outlook of a period or generation," or the nine words I just used to say the same thing?

According to the research, most people experience a general improvement in memory from studying a language. Research has also demonstrated that you can halt age-related decline in mental function by learning a new language. Tuck that little tip away for later in life, or better yet, why not start learning a new language today?

Steve Gillman has been studying brainpower enhancement, creative problem solving, and related topics for years. You can visit his website, and subscribe to his free Mind Power Course, at:

http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com/mind-power.html

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6 Keys to Help You Learn Spanish Online

This article consists of six tips to help you learn Spanish online. If you follow these six tips, you can be sure that you will learn to speak Spanish online much easier.

Key Numero Uno to Learn Spanish Online:

"Stay motivated"

I think everyone that studies a foreign language will experience a time when they are becoming less and less motivated. You may feel that you are losing your desire to learn Spanish online around the same time that you have reached a plateau.

If you feel that you are losing your desire to learn to speak Spanish online, try planning a trip to a Spanish speaking country. Since you will want to get the most out of your trip, this should motivate you to study.

Here's another tip to help you stay motivated and to make you want to learn to speak Spanish online. Find a native speaker that you are romantically interested in. Since you will probably want to impress him or her with your Spanish, this should motivate you to keep studying and make you want to learn Spanish online. You will also notice that you are making progress quicker by practicing your Spanish with a native speaker and that should also motivate you to keep studying and practicing Spanish.

Of course, this tip only applies to single people or other people without a significant other.

Key Numero Dos to Learn to speak Spanish Online: "Don't Be Afraid of Making Mistakes"

Make lots of mistakes. And then after you have made lots of mistakes go make some more mistakes. And then go make some more mistakes.

Many people are afraid of making mistakes when learning Spanish online. If you really want to learn to speak Spanish online, then you have to accept the fact that making mistakes is part of the learning process. The more mistakes you make, the quicker you learn to speak Spanish online.

If you are not making mistakes, that's probably an indication that you are not making the effort to learn Spanish online.

Some people will try to learn to speak Spanish online by ONLY listening. Their reasoning is that once they learn enough Spanish that's when they will begin trying to speak Spanish online. But I can I assure you that it doesn't work that way. It works in reverse.

That is, once you start trying to speak Spanish and making mistakes that's when you will begin to learn to speak Spanish online. Not the other way around.

So go ahead and make mistakes. The mistakes aren't there to embarrass you. The mistakes are there to help you master Spanish.

Key Numero Tres to Learn Spanish Online:

"Focus on how to speak Spanish" Don't focus on "why Spanish is Spoken the way it is"

Many people have sent me emails with questions such as why is it "me gusta" (I like) instead of "me gusto" or why is it "me toma" instead of "me tomo"

Of course, I could easily answer these questions. (And I do) But the objective is not to try equate everything in Spanish with English or your native language.

Accept the fact that Spanish grammar is different from English grammar. And focus on the objective of any language -- which is to communicate effectively.

And in order to communicate effectively, you only need to understand and be understood. It is not necessary that you understand each and every grammatical facet.

Trying to do so will only hinder your learning and make it difficult to learn Spanish online. Imagine trying to teach a 4 yr old the definition of a direct pronoun vs. an indirect pronoun. We would never attempt such a thing. But the 4yr old child is still fluent in his or her native language.

So make your goal to understand and be understood. Focus on "how to speak Spanish" Don't focus on "why Spanish is Spoken the way it is."

Key Numero Cuatro to Learn to Speak Spanish Online:

"Master the Fundamentals"

Many people spend their time learning a bunch of Spanish vocabulary that they could go a life time and never use. That's because the words are hardly used in normal everyday conversation. If you want to learn to speak Spanish online without Wasting anytime, I advise you to master the fundamentals. When I say the "fundamentals" I am referring to the basic vocabulary and basic grammar.

I know adults that have studied Spanish for a few years and they know thousands of words in Spanish. Although they may be proficient in Spanish, I would not consider them fluent. On the other hand, a three or four year old native Spanish-speaking child can speak Spanish fluently. It is not because the child knows thousand of words in Spanish. The child may only know about a thousand words or less in Spanish. But the child has mastered the fundamentals.

Mastery of the fundamentals is what separates the proficient from the fluent.

If you really want to learn to speak Spanish online make it a priority to master the fundamentals.

Key Numero Cinco to Learn Spanish Online:

"Take Advantage of downtime" Finding time to study can be a challenge. Many people just don't have the time to sit down and study. But who said that you have to be sitting down? If you are waiting in line at the bank or waiting at the doctor's office, turn on your mp3 player or ipod and listen to an audio Spanish lesson.

If you drive to work everyday, that's an excellent opportunity to practice your favorite audio Spanish course. If you like to jog or exercise on a stairmaster or treadmill, bring your mp3 player or ipod with you and listen to your favorite audio Spanish course

Instead of watching the 10' clock News. Watch "Las Noticias" Instead of watching a movie on HBO, watch a movie on HBO Latino.

So to those that say "I just don't have the time to learn Spanish online." My response is that you can make excuses or you can learn to speak Spanish online. But you can't do both. The choice is yours. Key Numero Seis to Learn to speak Spanish Online:

"Become an Imitator"

Some Spanish courses do not put much emphasis on pronunciation. I think that is a big mistake.

If you really want to be understood, you must try to mimic native speakers.

Have you every experienced someone that asked you for directions or some other question and you were unable to assist the person because you didn't speak her language. And then you suddenly realized that the person was actually speaking English but her accent was so thick that you thought the person was speaking another language.

The same thing happens to Spanish ears. If you do not develop good pronunciation, you will not be understand.

If you say the word "dad" in Spanish and you do not stress the appropriate syllable, a native Spanish speaker may think that you are talking about "french fries." To English ears the difference may be very subtle. But to the Latin American its the difference between "dad" and "potatoes".

So focus on mimicking native Spanish speakers.

I hope that you enjoyed these 6 Tips to Help You Learn Spanish Online and that they truly help you in your journey to learn to speak Spanish online.

Patrick Jackson

About The Author Patrick Jackson is a self-taught speaker of Spanish and the founder of the Learning Spanish Like Crazy method. You may publish this article online or offline so long as the article is not altered in any manner, including, but not limited to, this section which contains the URL of the author's web site. Learning Spanish Like Crazy makes it quick and easy to learn Spanish. Download free audio Spanish lessons and get your 6 day Spanish mini-course visit: http://www.learningspanishlikecrazy.com/

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What Is The Best Way To Learn A Foreign Language?

Studies have shown that how you learn a foreign language impacts whether or not you will actually follow through it. Obviously, if you get bored before you’ve put in the required time and effort, you’re not going to learn much of the language at all. So let’s address the facts that help determine whether you’re going to stick with your goal of learning a foreign language or not.

First things first, you are going to need positive feedback. That means you need a way to measure your goal of learning the new language. Whether this includes tracking your progress or actually trying to speak the language with someone fluent in it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you have a way to gauge that you’re really learning. Otherwise you may get frustrated and give up long before you get anywhere at all.

Secondly, you need to follow a step-by-step course that progresses from easy to hard. It should also do this slowly. Again, the reason you want to learn a foreign language in this manner is so you do not get too frustrated.

The problem with early frustration is that it steers people toward giving up. If you don’t see any progress in the early stages, you may not feel like you can accomplish your goal at all. Obviously, if you don’t think your goal is achievable after all, chances are good you’ll give up.

So minimizing the amount of frustration (especially early on) is a big part of learning a foreign language. On another note, you want to make learning a foreign language as interesting as possible.

As I’m sure you’ve experienced, learning from a textbook can be monotonous. Not only is reading from a textbook boring, but your chances of sticking with it are slim to none. Besides, merely learning vocabulary and grammar is not going to prepare you for a real-life conversation in a foreign language.

Interaction is the best way to learn anything. You can’t just passively read, listen or watch as someone explains everything to you. You need to get involved.

By turning learning a new language into a game, you’ll stick with it and actually remember more of what you learn.

You need to actually listen (not just read from a book) and then speak lots of foreign words and phrases. Turn the words into something familiar by associating them with their actual meaning.

You need to practice the new language with fluent speakers, all the while listening to it as it’s properly spoken. Many foreign languages are spoken very quickly, therefore you need to make sure you can keep up with the pace and actually hear it spoken correctly.

By: Lisa Nobles .

Article Source: http://www.articleinterchange.com

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Learn Spanish On The Internet - It Couldn’t Be Easier

Like just about anything these days learning Spanish is a service that can be found on the internet. Nowadays it is possible to order just about anything you want on the internet, so much so that you could probably live a very long time without ever having to leave your house or interact with another human being. How you can learn a language this way though is lost on me.

I guess it is possible to memorize words and grammar rules. You can gain an understating of the structure of the language and learn how to write and read; however speaking is a different matter. Personally I think if you learn Spanish only on the internet you are missing some of the important nuances that exist in the language. Your pronunciation will probably be horrible as you will have no one to correct you. Your conversational skills will definitely be lacking as you will have no basic knowledge of how to hold a conversation in Spanish.

In theory I assume it is possible to “learn” the words and form of the language on the internet but you will have no grasp of intonation or the many colloquial phrases used in everyday conversation; these of course being mostly specific to the country in which you are speaking.

There are many sites to learn Spanish on the internet, offering varying levels of assistance. Most require the purchase of software for true help as one would expect. They are worth it if you have no other way, but will probably leave you at a severe deficit when it comes to actually speaking.

I think the language is valuable, and I recommend to all that are able, to relocate to a Spanish speaking country where you can learn not only the language but also about the culture from which it stems.


Gregory Newell is a web author who's written about hot to learn to speak Spanish. If you want to learn Spanish on the internet then you might be interested in reading more. http://www.replace.com/


Article Source: http://www.EzinePlug.com


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Languages of Spain

The most prominent of the languages of Spain is, of course, Spanish (which nearly everyone in Spain can speak and is also called in Spain castellano — "Castilian"). Other languages figure prominently in many regions: Basque (Euskara) in the Basque Country and Navarre; Catalan in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and Valencia (where it is known as valencià, "Valencian"); and Galician in Galicia. Spanish is official throughout the country; the rest of these have co-official status in their respective regions and all are major enough that there are numerous daily newspapers in these languages and (especially for Catalan and Basque) a significant book publishing industry. Many citizens in these regions consider their regional language as their primary language and Spanish as secondary; these languages cover broad enough regions to have multiple distinct dialects. (Spanish itself also has distinct dialects around the country, with the Andalusian dialect being closer to the Spanish of the Americas, which it heavily influenced.)

In addition, there is strong and growing support for other regional languages, some of them in danger of extinction. These include Asturian in Asturias and León province, Aragonese in Aragon, and Aranese, a dialect of Gascon spoken only in the tiny Val d'Aran, but enough of a live language to be co-official and used in the public schools there.

With the exception of Basque, which appears to be a language isolate, all of these are Romance languages.

Arabic or Berber are spoken by the Muslim population of Ceuta and Melilla and by recent immigrants (mainly from Morocco and Algeria) elsewhere

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Overcome your fear of speaking foreign languages

Many people hesitate to try and speak in a foreign language . This might be because they don't want to feel foolish, are worried about how they will sound, are scared of sounding silly and so on. As a result they remain resolutely monolingual during any trip abroad, preferring to speak loudly in English. These are the same people who are clever, articulate and never lost for words when speaking in English. The same people who are achievers in other areas of life.

But why ? It may be because many people stop learning (or never start) languages when leaving school and when they travel abroad have only haunting memories of having to learn lists of words or conjugate verbs. Yuk. It could also be because many foreign language courses are detailed, promise a lot and require to much time. Anyway, let's cut to the chase. Who has the time or inclination to spend months learning Spanish/French/German or any other language when planning a three day visit ?

Well, maybe things have moved on or maybe not as regards language learning when still at school. I don't know, but I do know that it is fun and possible to learn some basic language for when you travel.

By basic, I mean basic. How to start ? Learn a few key words. For example, 'hello', 'goodbye', 'please', 'thankyou'. These are words that you will hear all the time and be able to use all the time. Learn them and say them as often as possible. It is a great confidence booster to do this, and once you can do this you have cleared the first hurdle.

I'm suggesting that it is always worth learning these key words because you will almost certainly have a better holiday. Try them out. Taxi drivers and waiters are great and will almost always respond positively. The moment you attempt to speak in another language you stop being a number to them and become a human being.

Almost always you will receive a positive reaction. In some cases, especially with shop-keepers it takes longer, (a few days) but most will crack eventually and reward you with some recognition that you are not just another tourist.

So, here we are, you can now speak ten or so words fluently. A good start but perhaps it might be fun to learn a few more and so how about some numbers. Start with 'one', 'two', 'three'. Remember that the goal is not fluency, or obsessing about finishing what you start (like having to count to ten) but to have a little fun and communicate.

Everyone buys drinks on holiday. This is an ideal occasion to use the numbers you know. It doesn't matter if you ask for the drinks in English. The important thing is to use the opportunity to ask for the number of drinks in the foreign language, or to confirm the number of drinks ordered.

Feeling inspired move onto a few phrases. A good one is 'that was delicious', assuming of course that you have chosen a good restaurant, and it is amazing how appreciative and surprised the owners will be.

Decide in advance what you are going to say. If you are getting a bus or if you are going to take a taxi learn 'one ticket' or whatever you will need, but keep it simple.

Start with the simplest phrase you can imagine. A common mistake is to make sentences in a foreign language more complicated than necessary. For example, instead of saying 'could you tell me where the beach is ?', it is easier to say 'where is the beach?'. In other words skip out the non-essential.

So, don´t be shy, learn ten, twenty or thirty words and a few phrases and make sure you use them. If you want some software to help you do this, download a free demo from www.linguata.com

About the Author

Frank Middleton is a freelance author and writes occasional articles for www.linguata.com a site dedicated to the achievable goal of learning simple foreign words and phrases.

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Learn Spanish - Ten Reasons Why

Why learn Spanish? Almost five years ago I met the most wonderful woman in my life in Ecuador. I'm not sure we'd be married today if I hadn't learned a little of the language before going there. Finding true love is not the only reason to learn Spanish, though. Here are ten more.

1. To understand better. Like it or not, you'll hear as much Spanish as English at the Miami airport, and in many other places now. Wouldn't it be nice to understand what people are saying, and what the announcements are?

2. To be able to help others. Our bank has a branch at the grocery store, and this past week a farmer who didn't speak English was ready to leave without his money or groceries. It felt good to be able to help him out.

3. To improve your brainpower. A new language expands the range of your possible thoughts. There are concepts and expressions in each language that don't exist in others. These can give you new ways to think.

4. To change your perspective. In Spanish, you say "I have fear" (yo tengo miedo). Psychologists tell us that thoughts like "I am afraid" create too much identification with the feeling. It's healthier to think "I feel fear," or "I have fear," and in Spanish it's automatic.

5. To improve your memory. Did you know that most people experience a general improvement in memory from studying a language? Studies prove it.

6. To age more slowly. Learn Spanish to slow the aging process? It's true. It has been demonstrated that you can halt the age-related decline in mental function by learning a new language.

7. To get a better job. Knowing more than one language always looks good on a job application, and Spanish is the most useful one to learn.

8. So you can enjoy ALL the channels on your cable TV.

9. So you can order without help in a TRUE Mexican restaurant.

10. So you can say hello (hola) to your neighbor.

Learn Spanish for whatever reason you want, and you'll get all the benefits above as well. There is one more reason to learn Spanish: You'll be able to make new friends. My wife is glad I learned.

About The Author

Steve Gillman has been working on his Spanish with his wife Ana Blum, a native of Ecuador. Together they have built a website where you can get free lessons in Spanish. Visit: http://www.TheSpanishLesson.com.


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Synergy Spanish, lessons that makes it easy to learn Spanish quickly

If you are reading this Blog the chances are that you have attempted to learn Spanish in the past. It may been at school or at college or by a self taught method like a book, an audio course, short intensive residential course, computer course or even an online course.

Many of you have probably tried a number of these ways and methods and acheived a degree of success with them. For others the process may have been a little disappointed and may gave up.

Here is a Spanish Course which you may have a lot fun with and might make learning Spanish a lot more fruitful for you Synergy Spanish, lessons that makes it easy to learn Spanish quickly.

The creator of this course Marcus Santamaria says " I have exciting news for anybody who wants to learn to communicate in Spanish. You can get a flying start and begin communicating in Spanish in 25 days or less. In fact, with just 138 words anyone can communicate in Spanish.

Amazingly, with just 138 Spanish words you can actually make over 88,000 Spanish sentences and say just about anything you will want to say in Spanish.

Just as 3 primary colors make all colors, 12 notes make all music and 26 letters make all English literature, 138 words are all you need to begin communicating effectively in Spanish. "

You may sceptical of these claims but Marcus offers you a free trial so what have got too lose !

Go to Synergy Spanish, lessons that makes it easy to learn Spanish quickly and try for youself.


The Learn Spanish Now Editor

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Why is learning Spanish so important?

Learning a foreign language, like Spanish, is becoming much more of a necessity in today’s society. Learning Spanish is easier and more enjoyable than ever with audio courses, online courses, study abroad, and intensive language courses.

Following are just some of the many reasons learning Spanish will benefit you and enrich your life:

More than 400 million people speak Spanish worldwide -- By learning Spanish, you’ll be better able to communicate with Spanish speakers who don’t speak English. Whether you travel abroad or within the United States, you’ll likely run into more than one situation that will require you to know at least basic Spanish.

Spanish speaking countries include Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela.

More than 33 million people in America speak Spanish -- That makes the United States fifth on the list of countries with the most Spanish-speaking people. Spanish is also one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world, behind Chinese, English and Hindustani. Undoubtedly, at some point during your life, you’re going to find that knowing Spanish is extremely valuable.

More than 1000 Spanish-speaking immigrants come to the United States every day -- That means the country gains at least 365,000 new Spanish-speaking residents each year.

Knowing Spanish enhances your resume -- Employers love applicants that have fluency (or even moderate fluency) in a foreign language. Having the ability to speak Spanish will allow you to communicate with Spanish-speaking employees. If no one else at the company speaks Spanish, you’ll be even more valuable. If you’ve ever searched through the classifieds, you’ve likely run across an ad that states, “Must speak English and Spanish.”

If you want to continue your education, you’ll need to take foreign language classes -- Most colleges require that undergraduate students take at least two semesters of a foreign language. If you have your eyes on graduate school, you should know that many require students to be able to read and comprehend one, and sometimes two, foreign languages. Getting a jump-start on learning Spanish will definitely pay off later, especially if you’re continuing your education.

If you love to travel, you’ll have even more fun if you go to a Spanish speaking country -- Of course, you don’t need to know Spanish, or any other foreign language, for that matter, to travel overseas, but you’ll find it really enhances your experience to know the language. In fact, even if you don’t go to a Spanish speaking country, you’ll still find that knowing Spanish is an asset. Let’s say you go to Paris or Rome. More likely than not, you’ll run into Europeans who don’t speak English, but speak several other languages, and you’ll be able to use your Spanish.

Spanish is a romance language, which means if you’re in France or Italy, for example, you’ll have an easier time deciphering the language because they’re similar.

Learning a foreign language actually helps keep your memory sharp -- As we grow older, our memory begins to fade. In fact, an article published by the AARP (American Association of Retired People) states, “Mastering activities you’ve have not done before, such as playing the piano or learning a foreign language, stimulates neuron activity. For best results, remember this: People exposed to positive reinforcement before completing memory exercises scored well above others exposed to negative reinforcement in a study led by Thomas Hess, a North Carolina State Univ. psychologist.”

These are only a few of the many reasons you’ll benefit from learning Spanish. You probably have a few of your own. Whatever the reason, you’ll find that learning Spanish is not only fun, but it enriches your experiences, whether at work or while traveling.

About The Author

Dorioara Pinku

Enjoy your free Spanish phrase ebook: http://www.amerispan.com/spdownload - This 30-pager is great if you quickly want to learn common Spanish phrases for travel or life in general. Also pronunciation and basic grammar. http://www.amerispan.com

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How Can I Learn Spanish?

To learn Spanish, you could invest a lot of money in a college education in which you could earn a degree in the language. You would end up very fluent and very well versed in the history of it. But, this is costly and, well, time consuming. If you need to learn Spanish you will probably want a more speedy result. And, you can find this without a problem in several areas. In fact, you may even consider teaching your kids a second language as well. Learning Spanish should be fun, entertaining, and exciting!


Think back to when you learned to speak English. What? You don’t remember that? Well, of course you don’t! You were more than likely just a child. But, how can a child learn to speak a language? It is through the use of pictures, sounds, and hearing the language on a daily basis that helps them to learn. Unfortunately, this won’t work for our quest to learn how to speak Spanish, will it? Yes, it can. In fact, the best way to learn something new like this is to see, hear, and experience it daily.

You can learn to speak Spanish through a variety of ways. You can learn it by studying in a book. You can learn it from watching videos on the television. And, you can learn Spanish through the online adventures. In fact, you can even purchase programs to help you with each aspect of learning the language. By using these programs, you will get the repetition that is necessary while learning how to speak fluently. You will need to expose yourself to the language daily and it will often be challenging, but in every way that counts, it will be learned.

Finding these software programs isn’t hard. If you choose to go the tapes and videos route, many of your favorite department stores will carry beginning level learn Spanish tapes. But, if you want quality programs either for the television or for the computer, always turn to your online sources. Learning Spanish will be fun!


About the Author:

Find more information and tips about learning Spanish by visiting http://www.learnspanishnews.info

Read more articles by: Ben Shar

This article is distributed by: www.iSnare.com

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Learning Styles And Their Effect On Language Learning

Note: This article makes special reference to the effect of learning syles in the learning of Spanish but the principles are valid for all language learning.

¡LEER ES PODER!
¡Learning Spanish!

How can you best learn Spanish? It depends on your particular approach to learning. Take a look at the following approaches to learning Spanish. But if you already know where you are, you can skip the following reflections and go back to see what is available for your level ( beginning, intermediate, or advanced ) in Spanish, to sort and search for your specific needs, as well as to read reviews and summaries of the books that strike your interest.

DIFFERENT STYLES

Non-Virgins: Those who studied another language should use the skills they acquired with that language. They know what a conjugation is. They know that verbs are different from nouns. Their previous study gives them some mental hooks to help with their Spanish. They should not throw away their advantage by working on Spanish in a completely conversational manner. They should try to get an overview of some commonplaces in the language. They should get an "old fashioned" grammar and lean heavily on the tables to organize their thought. This type of learner should "invent" Spanish on the basis of what they know of the other language. They will remember a little of the structure of the other language. For example, what is the relation between adverbs and adjectives in Spanish? What is the most common way to express what happened yesterday (past tense)? If the other language is a Western language, they should observe the possible similarities. If the other language is non-Western, the very differences can be their starting point to learn the counterparts in Spanish. In short, they should study "the wrong way". This is not for everyone. The learner should know his or herself.

Brains: These folks will operate much like the Non-Virgins. They will progress better by concentrating on the little points that intrigue them such as the difference in usage between the prepositions "por" and "para" and the verbs "ser" and "estar". To master one or two of these elements so characteristic of Spanish will help the learn build on their conquests to go on to master other things. This analytical approach will be of great utility to the persons with the cerebral learning style.

Motor Mouths: The persons who are not afraid to try out their Spanish will progress very rapidly. These folks probably have a little genetic edge over the rest of us. However, we all should try to put together the pieces as we learn them. If there is no opportunity to talk with someone else, then we can tape our attempts. There are two parts to this early talking practice: confidence and pronunciation. The most important thing is to gain confidence or to be thick-skinned enough to speak your piece, knowing that the exercise will pay dividends. However, we should not put off working on our pronunciation until it is too late and we have given up on acquiring a valid accent. There are too many people who after living years in a Spanish speaking country are perfect in their grammar but who have a typical or even stereotypical English accent. There is no need for that. Spanish is perfectly regular in its phonetics. Motor mouths should also work on their accent!

People People: Anyone who likes being with people and who has a need to communicate will progress quickly in learning a language. Many outgoing, friendly people learn language in the "motor mouth" mode. However, other people without the gifts of the motor mouths can gain valuable exposure to the language by just following their social instincts. These folks, however, should not overlook the need to speak correctly. Although they are not interested in traditional grammar in the same way the "brains" are, they must work at speaking correctly. We all know people who learned English years ago, but still say things like, "I am interested to go with you". You don't want to spend your life in Spanish with a similar easily corrected error. Learn it right as soon as you can. The people people have to stay curious about the language.

Learn-while-doing People: I was told once that the only way to learn French was to sleep with a French woman. The idea behind this is that we learn the expressions and words for the activities we are interested in. People who learn like this try to get their Spanish-speaking friends to accompany them as they cook or fix their car. They find that they learn better when their whole body is involved in learning the new words and phrases. For example, the person who learns the word "serrucho" while sawing a board will remember it better than the person (see the "word collector") who just learns the vocabulary from a list.

Word Collectors: This person may be great at crossword puzzles (Crucigramas) in Spanish but rarely gets to speak it. If you find yourself learning words and not getting any further, break out of it! We once had a houseguest, a young man from Spain who came to learn English. There were times when our family would be talking Spanish, and he would echo all the Spanish words with their English equivalents. He had a great vocabulary but never got around to talking English. This kind of learner should alway make sure that they make up sentences to practice using the new words they learn. They can combine their ability with vocabulary with the "divide and conquer" tactic. They should not only invent sentences to use the new words; they should run through diferent grammatical constructions as the setting for their vocabulary.

Divide and Conquer People: Every learner of a foreign language has to learn to incorporate the learning style of dividing and conquering into their own style. If they are "brains" they should concentrate on one grammatical turn of phrase, such as conditions contrary to fact, (If my grandfather hadn't died, he'd be alive today!) until they can handle it.
The people people should repeat in the same conversation the new expression that they just heard. The same goes for all the others. The only way to learn a language is by following the "swiss cheese" method, nibble away at the things you don't know, and master them until they are all gone.

Lost Latinos: This person should try to remember the nursery rhymes that they might have learned in Spanish. They should run over the names of their cousins and uncles. All of this will loosen up their rusty language skills. They should listen to how others speak "spanglish" and try to figure out the proper way to say things. They should make a game of trying to spot the influence of English in the Spanish they hear at home or in the barrio. This detective work will make them more aware of correcting whatever bad habits they have picked up. However, don't think that these persons have all the advantages. The person learning from scratch will probably spell Spanish words better than those who know a little Spanish. I'm not sure why.

What works for EVERYONE... There are two activities that will help everyone, no matter what their learning style, move forward rapidly: They are: 1. Passive Listening, and 2. Pattern Response Drills.

1. Passive Listening. Everyone should keep the Spanish radio on as much as possible. Keep the radio or TV on while you doing other things. It has to be the sea of sound that you swim in while you are beginning your study of Spanish. You don't have to concentrate on it; you are not listening to try to understand. After a while you won't hear it but it will be affecting you. Little by little you will begin to anticipate the rhythm of the language, even before you understand everything. You will also begin to recognize certain words. You will begin to hear "beyond" the differences in pronunciation of different people and recognize the underlying word. Once you clearly hear a word or phrase, you can look it up and progressively expand your vocabulary.

2. Pattern Response Drills. You have to run through all the permutations of the new expressions that you learn. For example, suppose you just learned to say. "Pedro tiene cuatro años" rather than translating from the English incorrectly, "Pedro es cuatro". Now to make this new element of the language stick with you, you should go on substituting different ages and the names of different people. You have to be able to say comfortably, "María tiene cuatro años." "Juan tiene ocho años." "Yo tengo treinta años." "¿Cuántos años tienes tú?" "Nosotros tenemos cuarenta años." This type of drill is necessary for all the different learning styles.

Do you want to return to look at beginning ; intermediate , or advanced books? Or you can check out other Books ON Spanish at: http://www.bookslibros.com/spanishbooks.php to help you out.

Or do you want to see our books IN Spanish? You will find books on health, the family, self help, literature, etc. and the possibility to search for any other topic. Check out http://www.bookslibros.com/LibrosEnEspanol.php

Kids Can Learn Spanish! Take a look at: http://www.bookslibros.com/SpanishForNinos.htm


About the Author:

Frank Gerace Ph.D has lived and worked in Latin America on Educational and Communication Projects. He currently teaches English in New York City at La Guardia College/CUNY. He invites learners of Spanish of all levels and styles to visit him at: http://www.bookslibros.com/spanishbooks.php

Read more articles by: Frank Gerace

This article is distributed by: www.iSnare.com


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Learn Spanish - You can do it!

One of the major frustrations faced by British expats living in Spain is their inability to communicate with the Spanish. Of course, different groups will be more affected than others. It is a major problem for those seeking employment and people who have children attending local Spanish schools, more than retirees.

It is true that if we compare ourselves with foreigners from other countries living in Spain, the British appear to be the least successful at learning Spanish. For example, most of the Scandinavians, under the age of sixty can converse quite comfortably in Spanish at the fish counter in the supermarket, not to mention their near native command in the English language.

I find it bizarre how some of the most academically, intelligent British people, I know, simply cannot get beyond the concept of masculine and feminine words, let alone hold a simple conversation in Spanish. When I look around the urbanisation that I currently live on, the Eastern European cleaning staff have a level of Spanish that would put the average Brit, that's lived here for a decade to shame.

So what exactly is wrong with the British, why can't we learn other languages? Is it a question of laziness and complacency that "everyone speaks English anyway"? Could it be that we are stuck in a superior, coloniser mindset that the 'other' should learn our language for their own good? My own belief, based on what I have seen from living in the Costa del Sol, is that most British expats are desperate to be able to communicate in Spanish, or rather, Castilian. However, a number of factors hold us back.

Firstly, our naturally inhibitive culture prevents us from letting ourselves go. Therefore, we freeze whenever we have to communicate in a language other than our own. We hate to make a fool of ourselves by sounding silly in a foreign language so we stick to speaking in English, as it is the only language in which we can be taken seriously. Although, I previously disagreed that we still had a coloniser mentality, I do wonder if our reluctance to speak in another language apart from our mother tongue is our way of avoiding putting ourselves in the 'underdog' position. Therefore, we persist to speak in English, expecting to be understood by at least someone, in order to maintain an even power level.

When talking to friends about their experiences of learning Spanish, on courses here in Spain, many report that they have been heavily grammar orientated. It is often the case that beginners are presented with pages of verb tables and do very little conversation practise in the classroom. Such teaching methods do nothing to build the confidence of reluctant speakers and can actually do them more harm as they often become obsessed with grammatical correctness.

The consciousness of 'getting it right' can be very restrictive when trying to communicate spontaneously as is needed in everyday life situations. British people often fail to realise just what is required when learning Spanish. Many expect to be fluent after a few lessons. If only it were that easy, I would be fluent in about ten different languages by now.

Learning a language is never a fast project; in fact, it is a project that can never be completed. If you compare your English vocabulary today with ten years ago, you will realise that we are constantly working on our mother tongue never mind learning a second one. You have to accept that the learning pace is sometimes fast especially at the very beginning, but you often reach a plateau where you don't feel like you are progressing for months.

It is worth putting in some effort and finding some learning techniques that suit your learning style. Although, you can get through life without speaking Spanish on the Costa del Sol, life can get pretty frustrating at times and you will miss out, especially if you intend to stay.

It takes time to learn a language, requires commitment and regular input. Investing small, regular bursts of time is the most effective way of doing it. As a learner of languages, here are my top tips for learning whilst in the UK.

1) Enrol on an evening class. An obvious one maybe, but as Spanish is such a popular second language, there is bound to be a class in your area that fits into the busiest of schedules.

2) If you really can't make it to a class i.e. lack of childcare etc then once the kids are in bed log onto http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/, which is a great place to start and prepare yourself for your next trip to Spain.

3) Get Spanish television via satellite or digital and put on the subtitles to associate the sounds with the words.

4) Next time you are visiting Spain buy a few DVDs. You can find all the new releases, they're cheaper than in the UK and you can select either Spanish language or English. Perhaps watch the English first to get the story line and then the Spanish for the language input. If you've got young children perhaps get them a couple of DVD's. The language used for under 5's is pitched at an ideal level for adult beginners. Look out for 'Barrio Sesamo' (Sesame Street) and 'Los Lunnis' some Muppet type aliens, really popular with young Spanish children. Try the big supermarkets e.g. Carrefour, El Corte Ingles.

5) Listen to Spanish radio via the Internet to accustom your ears to the sound of the language.

6) Perhaps take in a Spanish student for a couple of weeks. Local schools and colleges often need local families to lend a room for a short period of time. A great opportunity to work on conversational Spanish.

7) Need an extra pair of hands around the house, help with kids, how about a Spanish au pair? A great way to introduce your children to the Spanish language.

8) Next time you visit Spain buy a couple of reading books for toddlers or pre-schoolers to learn the basics e.g. colours, parts of the body etc. Try El Corte Ingles, the big supermarkets, Imaginarium (Early Learning Centre equivalent toy shop)

9) Buy CDs by Spanish artists. Not only will you become familiar with the Spanish music scene, the rhyme and rhythm in songs can be an effective way of picking up vocabulary.

10) Hire a private tutor an hour or two per week. The lessons will be catered to your needs and it is more flexible than attending a class.

11) Ask your boss to send you for some Spanish language training.

12) Buy a course book and set aside ten minutes a day to work through it.

13) Be realistic and don't expect it to happen over night. It takes a while before it all starts to sink in.

About the Author

Susan Pedalino is Masters degree qualified in Intercultural Communication and teaching English as a foreign language. Having moved to Spain to set up a business and buy property, she has gained invaluable experience in buying off plan property in Spain. Susan regularly writes for Eye on Spain (www.eyeonspain.com).

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From The Editor of : Learn Spanish Now Blog

Want To Learn Spanish

Learning any foreign language be it Spanish, French, Russia or even Chinese can be a daunting task. The experience can however also be a challenging and exhilarating experience, depending on how you set about it.

In approaching any subject and that includes learning a language, if you possess the enthusiasm, passion and determination for your subject you are half way there in achieving your goal in learning Spanish

The aim of this blog is to provide the user with articles and information that will provide the user with advice and encouragement to enable them to take that first step along the road in learning Spanish.

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