Time 4 Spanish » Spanish Articles & Guides

The Spanish Language Speed Learning Course

admin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:10:15 +0000

Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the world. It belongs to the Italic
subfamily of the Indo-European language family, and is primarily spoken at the Iberian
Peninsula and Latin America of about 250 million people. It is also called Castilian,
which was derived from the dialect it came from. This language was brought and
introduced by the Spaniards in Canary Island, Antilles, the Philippines, the southern part
of North America, South America, and the coast of Africa.
The Standard Spanish language is being spoken at 43 countries, not including
Spain. Most of them consider it as their official language and use it for business,
education, industry, politics, and everyday conversation.
This shows how widely popular the Spanish language is and how it will continue
to be for many years to come. Foreign language courses are already being offered at
different colleges and universities. Spanish training is always included in them. Students
taking up such courses are continuously increasing in number. New books and training
materials are being published and sold.
Aside from the possibility of having to deal with so many Spanish speakers in
business or education, another reason to learn Spanish is that it is regarded as a romantic
language, both in literature and everyday conversations.
This is the reason why a lot of movies and television programs nowadays use the
language – to captivate and touch the hearts of millions of audiences. Imagine how many
friends and loved ones you can impress with lines like Te amo (I love you) or Te quiero (I
need you) and actually knowing how they came to be!

Whether you’re having a hard time coping up with Spanish in school, you’re
dealing with many Spanish speakers in the office or business, or you simply like adding
another entry on the “language spoken” part on your résumé, you have chosen the right
report to help you learn the language by yourself.
With this report, you’ll be learning basic Spanish not within a whole year, not
during one term in school, not even a month! You can learn how to speak Spanish
confidently in just 12 days, or even less! Imagine that.
Common foreign language trainings usually bombard you with thousands of
words and phrases in their vocabulary. They let you memorize these words and phrases
until you get used to speaking them out – without really knowing how they became that
way.
How this book differs from those word factories is that it applies the linguistic
approach in training you to learn the language effectively. This means, as a foreign
language learner, you start by studying the letters and sounds of the language. From these
sounds, you create words and phrases. As you gather up these words, you’ll be able to
form sentences.
In the first few days of your training using this report, you’ll be concentrating on
Spanish sounds. This is important as you will be encountering sounds that are not present
in the English language, or sounds familiar to your native tongue but not used in the
Spanish language.
Sounds are among the fundamentals of one language because all throughout your
language training, you’ll be using these sounds as you speak out words and form
sentences.

From the 3rd to the 10th day, you will be forming different kinds of Spanish words
and phrases. These words consist of nouns, pronouns, adjectives, prepositions, and verbs.
Among these basic parts of speech, more days will be given to the training of verbs as
they are the most important and complicated topic in learning the Spanish language. You
will be taught to conjugate different types of verbs according to tenses such as past,
present, and future.
Finally, as you approach the 11th day of our training, you’ll be able to compose
sentences in Spanish using the words and phrases you’ve learned. Recall that simple
sentences are actually composed of only a subject and a predicate, where a subject can be
as simple as a pronoun, and a predicate can be composed of only a verb. Hence, excellent
knowledge of word formation will help you a lot in forming sentences.
During your final day of training, you will be provided with some useful
situational phrases you can use when you actually deal with Spanish culture, like when
you visit Spanish countries or live with Spanish people.
Are you still unconvinced that you can learn the language in just 12 days? It’s
always easier said than done. Nevertheless, if you really put your mind to it, and if you’re
determined to achieve success, you can actually learn to speak Spanish in 1 day – if you
choose to finish reading and comprehending the book today!
With faith and patience, nothing is impossible. In Spanish, nada es imposible. So,
are you ready to speak Spanish?

This Course is only $ 7.95

Sign-Up And Recieve A $ 21.95 Gift.

How To Learn Spanish Easily

admin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:19:07 +0000

With the popularity of the Internet has come the opportunity to partake in a plethora of new services. Who would have imagined that you could, for example, learn the fundamentals of the Spanish language from an online course? All you need is an Internet connection and the desire to learn.

Providers of online Spanish language courses offer a number of programs from whhich to choose. Online language-course services not only offer fast-paced Spanish language lessons but many also try to make the learning experience a pleasurable endeavor.

Various exercises are offered to assist online students in becoming more familiar with the Spanish language. Some providers use the “natural language acquisition” method which closely resembles the way children in every culture learn their own language. With this approach, online students build the foundation, attitudes, habits, skills and learning strategies that will help them to learn quickly the Spanish language.

Online resources are available, like English/Spanish dictionaries, online translators and other learning tools, that may be downloaded from various sites free of charge.

For those who want a more traditional education, there are online Spanish courses administered by expert language tutors and self-paced independent study programs. Some Spanish courses conduct weekly online “meetings” using live voice chat to provide students with a real-time exchange of information and to help them learn proper pronunciation. Spanish courses found online include introductory and advanced level Spanish, business Spanish, health care Spanish, Spanish and Law, Spanish for Emergency Situations, and Spanish for teachers.

All the courses online are administered by expert language tutors so you can be sure that you are learning correct Spanish. There are various Spanish learning resources offered to students in order to enhance further their knowledge of the language, including interactive drills on grammar, verbs, and vocabulary.

There are many benefits to learning Spanish online. You can study any time, from any location and most importantly at your own pace and you earn a certificate of completion that’s acknowledged by educational institutions.

A guide to learning Spanish – Part 1 – Anybody can learn the Spanish language

admin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:14:49 +0000

There are many reasons why someone might want to learn Spanish. Perhaps you are planning a holiday or business trip to a Spanish speaking country or maybe you are thinking of emigrating. It could be that you don’t really need to speak Spanish at all but you just want to say that you can. Being able to communicate in another language certainly gives you a great sense of achievement.

My reasons were a little mixed. For a long time I had wanted to learn another language, and for some reason I was always drawn to Spanish. I am not entirely sure why this was. I think one reason was because the little I knew about Spain at the time somehow appealed to my sense of good living. Sun, sand, siestas, late night dinner parties and dark skinned beautiful women! Of course there is far more to Spain than this, but for me, Spain and the Spanish language held more appeal than say French or German did.

Although I had wanted to learn Spanish for a long time I guess the main reason why I finally decided to do something about it was because I was planning a long trip to Central and South America. I was about to pass through as many as 19 different countries where the official national language was Spanish. Well that was a back in 2002. Since then Spanish and all things Spanish both in Spain and in Latin America have literally taken me over. I wouldn’t have believed it then but now Spanish is a part of my every day life. I can speak, read and understand Spanish to the point where I don’t have to think about it too much.

When people ask me if I can speak Spanish fluently I am always a little hesitant to say yes. The truth is that even though I can communicate in Spanish with relative ease I still don’t feel that I know enough. I am not really sure if I ever will! There are always new words and phrases to learn for example and of course these vary from country to country.

I think one of the biggest tests for me is being able to sit in front of the TV with una cerveza (a beer) and watch a Spanish soap opera (una telenovela) or a Spanish movie and completely understand everything that is going on. After all, if I can do that in English why shouldn’t I be able to do the same in Spanish? Well I have to say I am definitely not there yet but almost! I highly recommend ‘Pasion de Gavilanes’. It’s a hugely popular telenovela from Columbia. I’ll talk more that this and others in later articles.

So, how did I get from not knowing a single word of Spanish (apart from – gracias and amigo), to being able to read a Spanish book, speak to a Spanish-speaking friend or watch a Spanish telenovel? Well the answer to that is what I intend to write about in the coming articles. I am not going to lie to you and say that the journey was an easy one. The truth is that learning a new language takes time and requires a great deal of patience and commitment. However, what I really want to convey at this point is that anybody can do it if they rally want to.

In the next article I intend to write about preparation. By that I mean thinking about what it is you want to achieve and how you intend to go about achieving it. You are not going to learn Spanish overnight and I think it makes sense to prepare yourself for the challenges ahead. Learning a new language should be fun and there is no reason why it shouldn’t be as long as you realise your limitations.

By no means do I consider myself to be someone that has a natural flare for languages. When I went to school (all those years ago!) the only subject I failed in was French. For some reason I just couldn’t get my head around it. Before I started learning Spanish I knew nothing of other languages. I started right from the beginning. I guess what I’m trying to say is, is that if I can do it then believe me anybody can.

Learn Spanish as a Second Language

admin — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:38:05 +0000

Learning a second language like Spanish for example, can be a daunting experience for a lot of people especially as many of us decide to learn a language later in life. It is a well known fact that an adult’s capacity for learning reduces with age, hence the lack of the term ‘adults’ in the saying ‘kids are like sponges’, but that doesn’t mean to say that it is impossible or difficult to learn a new language, in fact it’s quite the opposite.

But, why learn Spanish?

Learning Spanish as a Second Language.

The figures tell us that Learning Spanish would be the most sensible option when it comes to choosing a language to learn; it is the second most widely spoken language in the world after English with over half a billion speakers worldwide.

It is the primary language in more than 20 countries and a second language in many more including the US, home to over 40 million Spanish speakers which makes the US the fifth largest population of Spanish speakers in the world, with an estimated 17 million of those unable to communicate in English or at least not communicate very well!

The academic world is split as to the best way a language should be learned, many old school academics still believe that the student should learn the correct structure and grammar relating to a language before moving on to the practical implementation therefore protecting a language’s integrity. These purists however, are few and far between, with the vast majority of language scholars now believing that learning how to communicate through verbal interaction speeds up and enhances the understanding of any language let alone Spanish.

So what is the best way to learn Spanish?

It all depends on your circumstances really, many towns and cities provide Spanish classroom courses at local schools and colleges at a cost but with peoples’ hectic schedules nowadays these are not always the most viable option.

Immersion courses, although growing in popularity, are only suited to specific groups, namely students and retired people, as they rely on relocation for a set period of time. They are however, excellent courses teaching not only language interaction but social interaction, as you are required to take part in everyday life in Spanish communities.

The easiest way and by far the most common method of learning Spanish, is to use an audio/visual interactive course. There are many of these available nowadays, many of which are downloadable over the internet, they are extremely affordable and give the added benefit of being able to fit in around peoples’ hectic lives allowing you to study when you are able to study.

Once you begin learning Spanish you will be amazed at just how much can be spoken with a limited vocabulary of 4000 to 6000 words and many of these words are very similar to their English counterparts making learning them that much easier.

It is a good idea, once you’re more capable at speaking and understanding Spanish, to then do a course that is more academic that will teach you the structure and grammar of the language. You will find that this knowledge will be vital when you begin to communicate through the written word as well as the spoken.

Find out more about how you can learn Spanish by visting any of the author’s current sites:

http://irregularspanishverbs.com

http://learn–spanish.net

http://thespanishemporium.com/learnspanishprogram.html

http://spanish–language.net

http://spanish–lessons.net

http://learntospeak-spanish.net

http://learn-spanish–online.net

http://learning–spanish.net

http://thespanishemporium.co.uk

By: Daniel Major

Rocket Spanish – A Summation of Free Online Spanish Lessons

admin — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:27:49 +0000

Spanish lessons like most subjects taught begin with an introduction to the Spanish language. Learners can read or watch a video clip, which includes a summary of the language. Sometimes an outline listing the names of each lesson often includes a brief summary of the sub topics within the lessons. For example the first lesson usually teaches the Basics: the Spanish alphabet, and learning correct pronunciation of the Spanish consonants and vowels. This lesson may include examples of some simple greetings and time for practicing correct pronunciation. Plural and gender nouns will be part of the first or perhaps second lesson.

For example, in the Rocket Spanish course, each lesson includes audio clips for learners to hear and then mimic the Spanish words, phrases and sentences presented. In other courses, a second lesson may present an introduction to articles and pronouns, especially subject pronouns. Learning the formal and informal use of you is an important part of an early lesson. For example “Usted” is the formal Spanish word for “you” and “tú” is the Spanish word for the informal pronoun for “you”. With practice between the lessons one can learn this and other minor differences between English and Spanish languages.

Another part of the early lessons is learning about capitalization. Knowing where and when, to use stress and accent marks while writing Spanish is one of the early lessons for learning Spanish grammar. Most learners will remember the grade school days of conjugating verbs and the Spanish language lessons includes this very important lesson. The main difference is learning conjugation in Spanish is less difficult because English speakers know and understand the concept before they begin the lesson.

Learners will find lessons on prepositions and learn to use them with ease. Pronouns, adjectives, verbs, articles, prepositions, interrogative pronouns, possessives and adverbs are all words learners will hear and see when learning Spanish. Every language has all the parts of speech and all the languages use those parts of speech in the same manner. An English speaking person who does not have a good grasp on English grammar, has poor concepts of words and word meanings and lacks a good ear for sounds will have difficulties learning Spanish and other languages, but courses like Rocket Spanish make it easier to learn.

As learners move through the free online Spanish lessons they will find joy in knowing they are doing something for themselves. Learning how to tell time, speak the months of the year, the names of everyday objects, the four seasons and so much more will create an inner excitement. The more people learn the more they desire to learn. Before long those taking Spanish lessons from one of the many available free Spanish learning websites will surprise not only self but also family and friends.

Among the many websites available to learn Spanish are those, offering a new word, phrase or sentence each day. This information offered free is among those websites people can link to their personal website for the enjoyment of visitors. There are also websites such as the Rocket Spanish site with simple games using Spanish words such as word puzzles. Linking these pages to your personal website can bring visitors back for repeat visits.

By: William Parish

Why is Spanish Such a Hard Language to Learn

admin — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:30:35 +0000

Spanish is like any other languages apart from the few special facts about the language which makes it identical like other languages. Spanish language is not particularly a hard language to learn, it has it’s set of difficulties which is faced to learn any new language.English is actually more difficult to learn than Spanish. Spanish and English have many words in common and some even sound similar, so it’s very easy for an English speaking person to learn it.

It’s just that it’s more difficult for an adult to learn a foreign language than a child. Our schools really should teach it throughout a person’s school years. Some very smart people have trouble learning a foreign language, while some of lower intelligence do extremely well.

Languages other than Spanish like English which is a Germanic language, however German isn’t especially easy for English speakers to master because there are so many different conjugations. Even more than in Spanish.Chinese is one of the most difficult languages for English speakers to learn because the structure is completely different. In English we spell things phonetically using a 26 character alphabet. Chinese uses thousands of characters, and is not phonetic.Spanish isn’t that hard to learn if you have a basis in Latin or some other of the Romance languages like French or Italian.

Sometimes you can get another language because of it’s similarities to one you already speak for example if you’re German you might have a good chance of learning English as English has it’s roots in German.

One basic problem faced by people in learning Spanish is not the writing skills which is easy to attain the Spanish grammar being easy but conversational skills is tough in Spanish because of it’s vast vocabulary and accent. One thing to remember about the Spanish language, is that not all Spanish speakers use the same accent. I originally learned Latin-American

Spanish, and one of my teachers spoke with the Castilian accent. I could not understand much of what she said.The grammar is very close to English grammar and the words are usually written phonetically.It shares a large common ground with English, French, Italian, Portuguese, German…etc. so it’s easy to learn for people of Latin/Germanic language descent.

The easiest way to learn a language is to study a short time every day, as opposed to a long time every once in a while.

There was a time when the capability of learning a new language was completely based on the person’s genetic ability.

Things have changed drastically with technology, now it is possible to learn and adapt a new language like Spanish in 3-4 months .I have listed few habits that you can develop to learn Spanish quickly , Watch the news in Spanish. This is a good exercise because you will always have a context. Watch the film as you listen to the story. You can read the subtitles and

listen at the same time. When you hear people speaking in Spanish try to understand what they are saying to each other.

.Be fearless. When you are in a setting in which you can use your Spanish just do it. Most Spanish-speakers are glad to help and happy you are trying. In order to learn and master the language, you will need to practice and immerse yourself in the language and understand the culture.

By: chris basu

Is it Really Possible to Learn Spanish at Home

admin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:59:34 +0000

Of all of the Romance languages, Spanish is the most widely spoken by native speakers (47%), so it’s certainly no wonder you want to learn it as well. As the official language of many countries all over the world, it simplifies communicating with locals during your travels and if you have a Spanish speaking population back at home, you’ll enjoy sharing in their culture at the native level.

Spanish, as with most languages, is directly descended from Latin, or more precisely, Vulgar Latin, the form used by commoners throughout the Roman Empire. In many respects, the vocabulary and grammar is similar to other languages such as Portuguese, French and Italian, so if you speak any of these languages, learning Spanish will be a breeze for you or certainly vice versa.

As with any language studies, Spanish may be learned in a variety of ways and will generally take up to 300 hours to become skilled at speaking fluently. Taking classes locally in a group setting by a trained instructor is often helpful, but you’ll proceed at a slower pace. The best method of course is total immersion – actually living and working in locality where Spanish is the official language.

However, with our busy schedules, often hectic personal lives and even financial limitations, immersion may not be feasible and classes may conflict with other obligations. That really leaves two other choices, which are hiring a private tutor or simply learning at home on our own. Private tutors of course are costly and you’re still subject to adhering to a schedule for your lessons.

Fortunately, there is an abundance of self-taught training in Spanish widely available on the Internet, CD’s, DVD’s, audio cassette and even in workbooks and manuals. Pursuing a home study course is ideal because you learn according to your schedule and at your own pace. You can listen to CD’s for example while driving, working out or doing just about any other activity.

You’ll start with basics, learning simple vocabulary and grammar to communicate with native speakers. As your vocabulary and skill at grammar increases, you may want to find other Spanish speaking people to practice with; ideally someone who’s native language is Spanish. This will allow you to focus on the details of the language and refine your level of fluency.

Learning Spanish at home is a rewarding experience that will stay with you throughout your life. By turning it into a family activity you’ll also benefit your children and expose them to a wonderful culture with centuries of rich history!

All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, blog or website as long as the author’s name and all website links remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

By: Terry Edwards

Learning Spanish Part Twenty-Five: The Monitor Hypothesis

admin — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 10:37:59 +0000

Dr. Krashen explains that this idea, The Monitor Hypothesis, shows how language learning (grammar) affects language acquisition. This is, according to Krashen, the useful outcome of learning grammar. It acts as a “monitor” of spoken language. Krashen postulates that this monitor brings refinement and correctness to speech. It acts to correct errors in speaking the second language.

He also suggests there are three kinds of people who use The Monitor Hypothesis to one degree or another. There are those who consistently use the monitor to correct their speech. There are those who never learned grammar or choose not to use grammar to monitor their speech. Then, there are those who use their deliberately learned grammar in an appropriate manner in the monitoring of their speech.

An extrovert, for example, tends not to use his deliberate learning of the grammar of the second language in actual communication events. Introverts, on the other hand, tend to be perfectionists in how they use what they know about the language (grammar) in the monitoring of their communication in the second language.

Academics tend to debate the issue of whether grammar should be taught concurrently with second language acquisition. What makes a lot of sense is that when we learned our native tongue, there was just “language acquisition” taking place until we were able to advance to the first day of our beginning level of formal education. I often hear five- and six-year-old Mexican children using the subjunctive and doing so before they’ve had any formal, deliberate training in Spanish.

The point in my mind, my burning question, is that if it is true we are hardwired for learning language, and we did not learn what we knew when we started our formal education through the conscious learning of grammar rules, then why do we do the opposite when trying to learn how to speak a foreign language? Why do we pay for classes that have us memorize grammar rules and vocabulary words in absolutely no context?

The grammar first, or even grammar concurrently, seems to violate the brain’s programming-our hardwired instinct to learn language.

By: Douglas Bower

Learn Spanish Online Course – Don’t Know Which Learn Spanish Course to Choose?

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:13:58 +0000

Are you making a plan to take your sweet heart or family on a holiday to costal Del Sol, Barcelona, easing off in Alicante or basically going on a business trip? Learning a new language, be it to speak it while at work or travel, especially learn spanish online can be quite fun and very useful. Like any new exploit, to learn a new language will demand on your part determination, action, and of course good learning materials.

What is the most Cost Effective way to Learn Spanish Online?

If my experience is anything to go by when l relocate to Spain in 2005, the old method of learning Spanish has always been to attend evening classes, hire a tutor for private lessons. This have prove not to be quite effective and can very expensive.

lam so glad that things has changed since then, because there are now a lot of learn spanish online cources, with flexibility, less expensive, and entertaining. Notably, studies by expert has shown recently that interactive way of learning has a very high success rate. Which prompt us to test and review a lot of learn spanish online courses to know if is true or not.

Which Learn Spanish Online course should I choose?

The result of testing and review shows that Rocket Spanish is the best and has the most intensive, thorough, learn spanish online course available on the internet. The course is good value for money and deserves the fantastic review it get from it customers. You will be able to learn and speak spanish fluently within a short period with Rocket Spanish. The course consist of Interactive Audio Lessons, Grammar & Culture Lessons, and full range of Mega Spanish software-based Learning Games, and the MegaCards memory game, you will learn to speak Spanish with ease and fun – Guaranteed.

Iam a born English speaker who’s now living in Spain and l know from experience that the major obstacles students face is how to master Spanish grammar and vocabulary. Learning how to pronounce the words is also very tricky. Rocket Spanish solves these problems effectively with its audio courses and software. Their interactive games make learning the vocabulary easy.

By: Pius Victor Ephenus

Rocket Languages Spanish – A Good Place to Learn Spanish?

admin — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:49:16 +0000

On of the best parts about the Rocket Languages Spanish course is the interactive online experience similar to an online classroom setting. You and others like you are taking the course at the same time led by two professional instructors. You will get to know the instructors as teachers who really want you to get your money’s worth and have fun along the way. It is an eight- week course, which because of follow-up does not end in eight weeks.

Mauricio Evlampieff, originally from Chile is the creator of Rocket Spanish. His first language is Spanish. Amy Waterman, whose first language is English, is actively involved in the lessons with Mauricio. Together they guide students through each of thirty-one lessons and offer support and encouragement along the way. The course is interesting, practical and effective. Students usually experience a strong sense of accomplishment as they progress through the course. Their ability to speak Spanish often amazes them. Surprised by how much they are learning like others they look forward to their time with Mauricio and Amy. Students soon become very familiar with the purple buttons, which serve as a direct line to audio messages from Mauricio and audio portions of the course.

The components of the full course are:

31 Interactive Audio Lessons

A Learning Guide

31 Grammar lessons- 400 exercises and grammar audio tracks

MegVocab software game

MegaAudio software game

MegaCards (Flash cards)

MegaSpanish software

Follow up Newsletters and free lessons

Rocket Languages Spanish is available as an interactive Audio course on 20 CD’s for use at home, in the car and elsewhere. The CDs include grammar lessons and MegaSpanish games. The downloadable course gives you the complete course on your computer. You can even download audio files in MP3 format to your iPod or burn them to an audio CD. There are just so many ways to make the course work for you, so you can learn to speak, read, write and comprehend the Spanish language. Mauricio has made the course available in different formats because he is serious about helping adults and older students became adept at communicating in Spanish.

Mauricio Evlampieff is the author of Rocket Spanish and proud of his native culture, heritage and language he has a deep love for his homeland. Mauricio as a former teacher, continues to enjoy sharing his great love for the Spanish language with students around the world. He is passionate about his work and thrilled by the success of students who have learned Spanish through Rocket Spanish. Who is more qualified to teach the Spanish language than, a man like Mauricio, a natural born Spanish teacher?

Take the first step and request the six free lessons to determine if Rocket Languages Spanish is for you. Most people who really work through those six lessons are ready to make a commitment and purchase the course. Good reviews tell us for great value at a low price, Rocket Spanish is the Course to buy.

By: William Parish