Learn A Foreign Language by Following Simple but Effective Tips

Kids Can Learn Spanish

Spanish for Kids, Spanish for Children, Teach Kids Spanish

Kids Can Learn Spanish! Spanish for Children

I just got a call from my two year old granddaughter. She wanted to sing "Los Pollitos" to me. You can find this children's classic in most of the collections of songs that we are recommending.

It is perfect for hand gestures. These gestures are ideal for language learning because they imprint the sense of the words as the child recites.

The text is: (translation follows)

Los pollitos dicen pío, pío, pío
cuando tienen hambre,
y cuando tienen frío.

(the kids make gesture of shivering)

La gallina busca el maíz y el trigo;
Le da su comida,
Y le presta abrigo

(the kids make the gesture of Mom hugging her kids.)


Pío, pío, pío

(the kids should ham it up, making a little chick face!)

Translation:

The little chicks say peep, peep, peep
when they are hungry
and when they are cold.


The chicken looks for corn and wheat;
she feeds them,
and she keeps them warmn


There are many reasons for wanting your children to learn Spanish. We want to help you find resources that will help you with Spanish for Kids.

Some parents are interested in preparing their children for life in today's world where it is important to know more than one language. This is even more important in our hemisphere where it becomes increasingly valuable to know Spanish.

Other people think of the intellectual stimulation that learning a language provides. They think that they can give their children a an additional intellectual challenge in a painless way. Researcher in London, England have determined that learning a second language boosts brain power which remains throughout life.

Learning a language can be a source of pride and self esteem for the child who is fortunate enough to be exposed to learning outside of the classroom.

There are some parents who are concerned that their children grow up respecting the different heritages that surround them. Concerned that the nativist tradition of United States history is always present, many parents, not of a Spanish Speaking background, choose to prepare their children to accept and embrace the Hispanic culture they live alongside of.

Their reason to encourage their children to speak Spanish is based in part on the history of a previous group of Latin immigrants to the United States, the Italians.

"Some social critics were aware of the consequences of sudden assimilation. Mary McDowell, a social worker, wrote en 1904:

'The contempt for the experiences and languages of their parents which foreign children sometimes exhibit... is doubtless due in part to the overestimation which the school places upon speaking English. This cutting into his family loyalty takes away one of the most conspicuous and valuable traits of the Italian child.' She attributed the lawlessness of some of the immigrant children to their disrespect for their parents and therefore for all authority."

(La Storia: Five Centuries of the Italian American Experience, Mangione and Morreale, p. 222)

Reflection on this same national history, and often more importantly personal experience, moves many Hispanic parents to keep their language alive in their children. They want to preserve their heritage for their children by giving them its most evocative and powerful manifestation, the language of their forebears.


Whatever your reason for wanting your children to learn Spanish, this site will provide resources to help you. You will find suggestions and experiences of others who share your interest; you will find songs and stories in Spanish that will enthuse your children with their learning task. A list of links to related sites will lead you to other resources. And you will find that the books you need for yourself and your children have been located and placed at your disposition.

¡Buena Suerte y adelante con su cometido!


Do the Parents Know Spanish?

Although most of us agree that it is a good thing for our kids to speak Spanish, most kids in the US whose parents were born in Latin American countries do not speak Spanish well.

Even if both parents speak Spanish at home, quite often the kids answer their parents in English. Look around at your Latin friends and relatives and you will see that most give up on teaching their kids to speak

Spanish. Chicano and Puerto Rican families seem to have a little better luck than Latinos from other countries with keeping Spanish alive in their barrios but even their younger generation is losing fluency in Spanish.

However, parents who want their children to speak Spanish can go against the current and set the stage for their children to grow up speaking Spanish. It is not easy. Most families fail in their resolve but it CAN be done. Take a look at our bilingual study. How to Get Your Children to Speak Your Language/¿Cómo Lograr que Sus Hijos Hablen Su Idioma? You can find it in http://www.leerespoder.com/comoeng.htm. This report will give some hints on how to improve your chances.

But it is most important for you to get your kids reading Spanish BEFORE they learn to read in English.

Don't be afraid that it will hurt their English. Unless they are living in a closed Spanish Speaking Barrio,

their English will be perfect. They will absorb it on the playground and in the school. Your job is to keep the Spanish up!

Take a look at the fuller argument presented below for the importance of your kids learning to read FIRST in Spanish.

Finally, another idea for native speakers of Spanish: You may want to review (or study it for the first time) your Spanish. I found one reference for you. Sorry it is expensive; that's because it is used as a textbook. But that will make it easy to use and will surely be complete. Take a look at Nuevos Mundos, Spanish for Native Speakers 2nd Edition, Workbook : Curso de espanol para estudiantes bilingues"


Whether or not the parents know Spanish will determine their strategy for exposing their children to the language. Obviously, parents who do not know the language well will not have native pronunciation.

If their children learn to read Spanish, they may not have the proper pronunciation. This is a tough issue. Some might say that pronunciation is not important for children. However, why not try to expose them to the correct values of the Spanish sounds. Parents should work on their own pronunciation to model as correctly as possible for their kids.

Nevertheless, the value of the parents' involvement in reading and singing in Spanish with their children more than outweighs the disadvantage of the child hearing their poor pronunciation. Much of the damage can be remedied by having the child listen to as much Spanish spoken by native speakers as possible.

So, in general terms parents can fall into one of three groups:
1. those who know NO Spanish;
2. those who know enough to read, even poorly;
3. and those who can model correct pronunciation for their children. All these parents should make sure their children HEAR a lot of good Spanish but obviously those parents who know no Spanish will be more dependent on recordings for their children to listen to. Try to find some good audio resources. Besides the tapes and CDs you might buy or take out of the library don't forget the radio and TV. All parents should expose their children to ask much passive listening of Spanish that they can. In most places there are Spanish language radio stations. TV programs from the Univision network are very widespread.

All of the above boils down to three tactics that are valid for all kinds of parents and all kinds of kids of all ages and level of Spanish.........


1. Passive Listening: Everyone should keep the Spanish radio on as much as possible. Keep the radio or TV on while the childis doing other things. It has to be the sea of sound that they swim in while they are beginning their study of Spanish. The child doesn't have to concentrate on it; they will not be listening to try to understand. After a while they won't even hear the radio but it will be affecting them. Little by little they will begin to anticipate the rhythm of the language, even before they understand they words. They will also begin to recognize certain words.

2. Pattern Response Drills: Those parents who know some Spanish can try to run through all the permutations of the new expressions that the child learns. For example, suppose your child 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, you should go on substituting different ages and the names of different people. The child will soon be able to say comfortably, "María tiene cuatro años." "Juan tiene ocho años." "Yo tengo tres años." "¿Cuántos años tienes tú?" There are many examples of these drills in most language courses but the parent can generate them herself.


3. Encouragement: Don't correct their Spanish when they speak. Don't interrupt the flow of their conversation. Don't make their speaking Spanish to be another homework assignment. It should be something special, even something "secret" in your family. Kids like the mystery and intrigue of having something special of their own. Their speaking Spanish should be a joyful, non-threatening experience. If they make mistakes in their grammar, correct their errors by using the same expression correctly a few minutes after. Don't come right back at them with the correct form or they will begin to feel conscious of their expression and choke off their freedom of expression.

also...........

The Alphabet: If your child is coming up on kindergarten age,
you have a wonderful opportunity to teach him or her how to read in Spanish BEFORE they learn the alphabet in English! Why? I will be brief, hoping that you will catch the direction of my thought (and my practice, with both my children and my grandson!)

Spanish is completely regular. They can learn the vowels in one sitting.This is how Spanish Speaking kids learn: from "abecedarios", the same as English Speaking children used to learn from primers. If your child learns to read (even if only simple words) Spanish first, in effect you are giving them a
great head start.

You can start the child reading the simple words like Mami, comida, mesa, Papi, muñeca, carro, etc. Basically you are giving them phonics without having to buy any expensive program.
You can do them no harm because, they will have a basis of the sounds that DO hold up for English; they will have achieved the satisfaction and boost to their confidence by your enthusisastic affirmation of the achievement when they read "Mami y Papi" and other simple phrases.

As they progress in English they will still have to deal with the irregularities of this language. However, they will have learned the consonants by applying them to completely foolproof regular vowels.

I said I would be brief. I am very convinced of the value of this method. I have no scientific proof, just intuition and my own experience. To work, you have to teach the child to read the alphabet in Spanish BEFORE they begin to learn in English. If they are already learning in English, it will confuse them. But if you get there FIRST, you will do them a great favor! to see a bunch of alphabet resources for you to choose from.

Toys and Games: Of lesser importance but still a possible beakthrough for certain children could be the use of toys and games (board games and others) as a way to sneak in some fun and variety into the learning process. See if Spanish Educational Toys would be useful for your child.

Computer Programs for kids If you or your child is computer savvy or if you want to combine math or science with Spanish you may want to check out the Educational Software for Children in Spanish: Reader Rabbit, Disney, Jump Start and many more...

Some First Recitations


A long time, universal, traditional favorite is "Pinpón"

Pinpón es un muñeco,
muy guapo y de cartón

(the kids smile for "muy guapo",
and act stiff for "de cartón")

se lava la carita
(the kids make the gesture of washing their face)

con agua y con jabón.


Pinpón dame la mano,
(the kids reach out their hand)

que quiero ser tu amigo
(the kids make the gesture of shaking hands)

¡Pinpón, Pinpón, Pinpón!


Translation:

Pinpón is a doll,
a handsome cardboard doll.
He washes his face
with soap and water.

Pinpón give me your hand,
I want to be your friend.
Pinpón, Pinpón, Pinpón!


Another favorite of our kids was "La Mar Estaba Serena"
Kids like this one because it is easy to follow. The repetition helps them learn the relation between noun and adjective as well as the vowels in Spanish.


The same verse is repeated by using all of the vowels in turn. It begins by the parent singing, "La mar estaba serena; serena estaba la mar". (The sea was calm; calm was the sea.) Then either the parent or one of several children taking turns shouts out, "¡con A!", meaning, "Let's sing it with all "a" sounds"! And you sing, "La mar astaba sarana; sarana astaba la mar."

"¡con e"! "Le mer estebe serene; serene estebe le mer".

"¡con i"! "Li mir istibi sirini; sirini istibi li mir".

"¡con o"! "Lo mor ostobo sorono; sorono ostobo lo mor".

"¡con u"! "Lu mur ustubu surunu; surunu estubu lu mur.

You'll find the kids really like this one.


English (sic!) As A Second Language

It might be interesting to do some "reverse engineering" and look at the world of those Spanish Speakers who want to learn English. Check out http:www.leerespoder.com

Language Translation To Count On

What is more frustrating than not having language translation abilities? It could be that you think you have found them and find out down the line that they are nowhere near as good as you needed them to be. Regardless of why you need language translation services, there is no doubt that you need high quality products and services to use. You don’t need someone with broken language skills to do your translation work for you. The problem often is that you will not realize the quality of your language translation until you have had the ability to converse with the individual or company one on one. Most of the time, this is too late though.

So the question is then, how do you find the right language translation products and services that you need and that you can rely on? While this is difficult to give a clear cut answer to, it helps to know someone well enough on the other side. The good news is that those who speak other languages tend to know English anyway, so they can help in telling you if what your language translation services provide for you was accurate and that it made good sense.

When you begin your search for language translation, make sure that you consider several things. That old saying of, “You get what you pay for” rings quite true here. If you find that something is less than high quality, you are going to get burned later on. In other words, take the time to find the right options for your language translation before it gets too far down the road. Language translation can be done in many ways. For example, a real person could do the work for you. Or, you can find quality language translation software programs as well. Then, of course, there are all the other options in between to consider as well. And, do just that, consider them. Language translation is key to your success after all.

Learn A Foreign Language by Following Simple but Effective Tips

In this article I will illustrate the importance of learning a second language for the broadening of one's life and opportunities.

Knowing a second language has it's benefits and the importance of learning a second language is vastly underestimated.

The importance of learning a second language is greater today than ever. As the world keeps shrinking with greater advances in communications technology and modes of travel, people are moving around both physically and in cyberspace at an ever-increasing rate. Immigration and tourism are growing rapidly in many countries. You may live in a country with one "official" language but chances are that many other languages will be spoken in that country.

But how do you set about learning a foreign language?

Here are some tips.

1. Make sure you enjoy it. Make it fun. It will make the learning process easier for your brain.

2. Don't get stressed out if you can't remember words or phrases. Slowly it will all begin to fall into place.

3. Allocate enough time to study. Promise yourself you will study for "x" hours per week. If you are a student, or you work, don't put too much pressure on yourself by thinking you will be able to study more than you actually find comfortable. This will be counter productive because you won't enjoy it and you will become stressed (see points 1 and 2 above)

4. Learn with someone. It will be easier, and you will each have a "practice partner"

If you live in an area where your next door neighbors' primary language is not your own, wouldn't it be nice to be able to speak their language also? You can get to know them on a more personal basis, get invited to more parties and more easily ask for help if you need it. Of course, if you don't care to talk to your neighbors or you live in an area where everyone speaks the same language, this would not apply. But what if you are the type of person who likes to spend a lot of time on-line? The Internet brings the world to your desktop! Wouldn't it be nice to be able to chat with someone on the other side of the world in their own language?

If you are a single man or woman looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right, why limit yourself to only those who speak your own language? The perfect one for you may speak a different language! Many relationships like this are made but are problematic because of the lack of communications. Having a good knowledge of the other's primary language is a tremendous help.

If you own a business or work in sales, the importance of learning a second language should be evident. Knowing another language allows you to develop international business contacts, prepare advertising targeted to markets that speak another language or do sales work in neighborhoods with mixed languages. Expanding your market is one of the best ways to increase business, so why not learn the language of the market you are interested in? You have probably read stories of advertising screw ups where a product name or advertising copy did not translate well. You can prevent this type of thing from happening by learning the language.

The importance of learning a second language for business opportunities goes for employment opportunities as well. Having at least one other language on your resume is a big plus. It means that you are more valuable to the employer because you can help with more customers, deal with more business contacts or help prepare more targeted advertising.

Try and work out how you would say everyday occurrences in the new language. For example, you have to phone and ask for an appointment at the doctors. When finished, try and work out how you would have said it in the second language you are learning. Find out, write it down, then teach your practice buddy. Teaching is the best way to learn.

Second language benefits are numerous.

Learn a Foreign Language Online

Knowing more than one language in today’s world is not so unusual. With cultural barriers coming down, and many people living in and visiting non-native countries, it makes sense to have at least a basic knowledge of one or more languages other than your native tongue. It has never been easier than it is today to learn a foreign language. Taking a foreign language course online is a convenient and even speedy way to learn another tongue for work, for travel, or for your own personal enrichment.

When you decide that you want to learn a foreign language online, you have several options available to you. You can enroll in an online college or University language program, and earn your degree in the foreign language of your choosing. If time is a factor, you can choose from many accelerated language programs offered online. If you choose to receive a degree in a foreign language, you will come away not only with a college education, but you will more than likely come away being fluent in the language you studied, both written and conversationally. This has many advantages for you career-wise. An accelerated course will probably give you a good basic foundation of a foreign language, which will be helpful in business-related travels.

The advantages of learning a foreign language for your career are numerous. Being fluent in a language like French, Spanish, or German will allow you to communicate with your peers and associates abroad, eliminating the need for a translator. Also, if your job demands that you be relocated abroad, learning the native tongue of the country to which you are transferring will ease your transition there. You will find the cultural differences far less stressful if you are able to understand what people around you are saying! In addition, learning a foreign language opens up whole new career paths for you. If you become fluent in one or more languages, you have the opportunity to be certified as a foreign language translator. This challenging career opportunity requires you to be fluent in one or more language, and to be knowledgeable in another industry, such as law, healthcare professions, or business. Working as a translator, you would be bridging the gap between English and non-English speaking associates by converting documents of all types so that each party is able to understand them. In this position, you can work full-time for a larger firm, or you can strike out on your own as a freelance translator, and make your own work schedule and workload.
If you have plans to travel extensively to one or more countries, consider taking accelerated foreign language courses online. By learning the basics of a foreign language, you show cultural sensitivity by learning to communicate with locals in their native tongue. You won’t look like a typical tourist by carrying around a book, and you will be able to fully immerse yourself in the culture of the country you are visiting. Your travels will be more enjoyable and enriching. Leaving your comfort zone and learning another language is an ideal way to educate and improve yourself.

There are many advantages to learning a foreign language online. Whether you decide to enroll in a degree program or simply take a few accelerated courses, you will find that doing so online is very convenient. Often, courses are completed at your own pace, with no set class times. All work is submitted online, and you will find many opportunities to interact with instructors and peers. Additionally, if you are learning a foreign language for your job, many employers are willing to pay the tuition and fees for courses taken in relation to work.
So, whether you are being transferred to a new job abroad and you need to learn the native tongue or you are making plans to travel to another country in the future and want to be able to ask where the bathroom is in their language, learning a foreign language online is convenient and easy. Taking the time to learn a foreign language can ease the transition for you in a new position abroad, help you immerse yourself into an interesting new culture, and even provide you with new and interesting career opportunities.

Learn English

If you want to boost your confidence in your work life or social life, then pay close attention.

Because you're about to discover a surefire technique to learn English, at home, with your kids and family.

Best of all it's easy and fun-filled. You'll soon begin to amaze your colleagues and friends.

Let's get started:

Learn English

The motto of success in today's competitive world is to learn English. Sounds like a simplistic solution, doesn't it? I can almost visualize you shaking your head in disbelief and wondering if success can depend on a language and one's expertise in it. Let me convince you however, at the very outset, that if you aspire to make a difference to yourself and the people around you, you have to learn English.

English for most people around the world is a second or at times a third language and it is only natural to feel lost in the maze of this language. This is a problem that needs to be given due consideration, keeping in mind the vital importance that English occupies in today's global world. English is one language that is used in communication of any kind, be it social, political or work related. In this scenario, why do you want to feel left out? Wouldn't it be much better if you could learn English and feel confident and good about yourself?

At this point, you might have a lot of doubts in your mind. You might not be very sure about the possibilities of learning English and how to go about it. Well, all I can tell you is how I learnt English and reached a point where I feel great about sharing my experience with others.

I joined EN101 which proved to be the answer to my ardent prayers. They provide the kind of hand-holding that one can only dream of but rarely find. The best part about learning English online with EN101 is that learning doesn't seem a difficult task at all. On the contrary, you can have a lot of fun in the process of mastering English. One of the problems I had was with the pronunciation of English. So many words can be misleading if you go by the spellings and you never know when you have fallen into a pitfall and made a fool out of yourself. Of course, there is no earthly need to take such an extreme view but if you look at it from another angle, what use is knowledge of any language if it doesn't serve the purpose of communication?

Well, if you learn English with EN101, you won't face this problem. In fact, one of the best features of EN101 is that it facilitates with expert audio voices pronouncing each word articulately to reach you, so that you are never confused about how to use words. Again, if you are the conscious type and feel embarrassed about exhibiting your ignorance in front of others, EN101 is ideal for you as it is an online service where you can learn from the privacy of your homes and achieve the maximum benefits. Thus, EN101 not only helps you learn English online but it also sees to it that you learn English from home in a comfortable and relaxed manner.

EN101 has 4 modules that are divided keeping in mind the strengths and weaknesses of the student. These modules have been devised after a lot of research and ensure that you are adept in every field of life where language comes into play. After going through this, you won't find yourself tongue-tied in social situations groping for the right word but will be able to converse with ease and grace. You might not even think of English as a second language after enrolling with EN101, but come to look upon it as a first language.

Another great idea would be to enroll your kids with EN101. The Learn English for kids program at EN101 is truly a fun experience for kids. Quizzes are taken at regular intervals so that the kid is stimulated and motivated to do better.

If all of this is not enough, with EN101, you can learn English not only in English but also in your native Arabic, Korean, Mongolian, Hungarian, French, Spanish, German, Netherlands, Romanian, Indonesian, Estonian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Latvian, Italian, Lithuanian, Turkish, Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Hebrew and Japanese. Whew! Quite a list, isn't it?

I think all I need to say further is that by not enrolling at EN101, you are missing the opportunity of a lifetime. So, go ahead and grab the bull by the horns. Be a master of English.

Now, for a limited time only, Learn English Free From EN101!

Go to http://guarantee101.en101.com

Or: http://guarantee101.en101india.com

Click on Learning Center.

The Username is marinabay and the guest Password is guest

1. Simply begin to Learn English.

2. Select 'Chinese', 'Spanish' or 'Latvian' from the top menu if you like to learn these other languages.

(Please feel free to pass this info by email on to anyone you think can use this.)

P.S. Don't forget that as well as now being able to learn English (Chinese, Spanish

and Latvian) you can also "earn while you and others learn". When you enroll and

share En101 with others we pay you a commission to "spread the word".

Learn Italian In Italy

There are lots of ways to learn a language, but nothing can beat actually visiting and studying in the country where the language is spoken. Daily immersion in the language and culture is the key to gaining proficiency in a language. So where better to learn the Italian language than in Italy! Italy is a beautiful and diverse country with friendly people, fantastic food and an astonishingly rich cultural heritage.

For anyone who hasn't realised, Italy is a country rich in history, beauty, romance and style. It's also a country where good taste in fashion and food abound. Italians take an immense, and justifiable, pride in their national assets, and often refer to their country as the 'bel paese' or 'beautiful country'. Italy is among the oldest and most fascinating European countries, with art and architecture are second to none. Whether you choose to explore Italy by foot, by gondola, or by Vespa, the journey is breathtaking! To appreciate 'la dolce vita' fully, knowledge of the Italian language is essential, and there is no better place to learn than right in the midst of Italian life.

Italian language schools are located throughout Italy, from world-famous Venice and Milan in northern Italy to historic Taormina and Otranto in the south. Choice of location is one of the most important factors in deciding which language school to attend. Without a doubt, time spent outside the language classroom is at least as important as time spent in class. In larger cities, language programs typically emphasise amenities and activities but, depending on the size of the program, can neglect individual student attention. While there may be no shortage of cultural activities and museum visits, intimate cultural experiences are more likely to occur in smaller towns and villages. It is also much easier to fall back on speaking English in large cities, which of course defeats your original purpose entirely!

Throughout Italy, English is less spoken in smaller towns and villages than in cities. In such locations, it is almost impossible not to speak the language you’re there to study. Generally, people in the more rural areas of Italy will be quite honored that you’ve chosen to learn Italian in their home town and will be more welcoming, making it easier to establish lasting friendships and feel right at home.

The type of Italian language program you choose will of course be determined partly by your specific needs. There are many different types of program offered by language schools in Italy, including general Italian, Italian for business, Italian for academic studies, and Italian for art courses, music, design and culinary arts.

Whichever program you choose, there are several features to look for which are shared by all good programs: flexible, communicative instruction methodologies, a friendly atmosphere, personal attention, enthusiastic and qualified teachers, small groups. Depending on your requirements, the program should also provide a language qualification recognised by national and international colleges and universities.

In summary, to get the most out of an Italian language program in Italy, look for schools with small groups, qualified native-speaking teachers and programs providing plenty of individual attention. Cultural programs including excursions and activities are important, but they should not substitute for real language learning which occurs best in smaller groups and more intimate contexts. Whatever happens during your time in Italy, the most important thing is that you thoroughly enjoy the language learning experience! You will learn much better if you are happy with your program and enjoying yourself!

Learn Spanish – Quick And Easy

The first thing I discovered upon my arrival in Caracas was that I remembered much less Spanish than I thought I did. As it had been over five years since I had taken a Spanish course I guess I really shouldn’t have been surprised right? Who can really expect to remember much from a high school course that was mediocre at best? As I tried desperately to order a simple sandwich and something to drink, I realized that if I didn’t at least attempt to learn Spanish I would most likely starve after a week or so.

How exactly does one go about learning Spanish in a Latin American country? Seems pretty easy right? Well I assure you it is not, especially when your entire day is spent speaking English. Another obstacle that I quickly encountered was the very rapid way in which everyone speaks in this city. It is amazing how a sentence containing 10 words or so can come out sounding almost like one long word. Is that what English sounds like to people who don’t speak English? It is exceedingly difficult to learn words in another language when you are unable to decipher exactly where one word ends and another begins. This process is made even harder by the fact that most people here fail to pronounce the whole word anyway. There were many words that I was convinced I knew and was using quite frequently. Imagine my dismay when I found out they had whole other syllables on the end of the word. No wonder I had been getting funny looks from people on the street and in restaurants.

I eventually came to the conclusion that an actual course was needed or even better, a private tutor of some sort. The only way I was ever going to learn Spanish was by actually sitting down and studying with someone who could answer the myriad of questions that arose everyday. Sad isn’t it? Here I sit, living in a Latin American country and I am unable to pick up the language without resorting to private lessons. Some people seem to have an ear for languages and can pick them up simply by listening, too bad I will never be one of those people.

Learn Spanish Fast

How fast is it possible to learn a foreign language? You see products that claim to teach you to speak in weeks or even days. I am trying to learn Spanish fast, but as with any other language it is a long and tiring process that take months and even years to become proficient. It is possible to learn some Spanish very fast, but you will find that will mostly be swear words and slang terms that wont really get you anywhere when it comes to actual conversation.

Sometimes I have dreams with a few of the Spanish words I know in them but they unfortunately normally revolve around how dumb I am and how I don’t know any other words. Of course some people are able to learn Spanish very fast, or any other language for that matter, simply because they have what is frequently called an “ear or languages”. I wish I was one of those people.

Not matter how well you learn languages I have to say that I agree with the school of though that says the best way is through immersion. Living in a country that speaks the language is by far the best way to truly learn a language. You can also read books, listen to tapes, and use interactive software. Or there is another more novel method I found that involves learning through music. While this sounds interesting and kind of fun I have to say the words used in the lyrics to the Latin songs I have encountered here are not the words I would want to be learning.

To truly learn Spanish fast and well a nice combination of all the above mentioned methods would be nice. To live in the country, listen to tapes and music, read books, use software, and speak nothing but the language would be ideal and probably very successful. Unfortunately no one really has the time this would entail so we must instead settle for a long, drawn out, frustrating process.