If you are planning to take a trip to the Caribbean, Mexico or another Spanish speaking country there is no doubt that you want to learn some Spanish phrases you can use when you are there. You may want to just learn some phrases to help you greet others, to help you find directions, to assist you in bartering at the market or you might want to learn some romantic phrases. You don’t have to buy phrase books or attend classes in Spanish because everything you need is available online and for free. There are many Internet sites that you can use to find commonly used phrases, but they may only give you the printed words. What you really need is a site that will teach you the phrases you need in Spanish where you can see the words and hear how they are pronounced by a native Spanish speaker. While you can learn the phrases just be reading and memorizing them you may not be learning to say them properly. When you learn any new language it is important to learn how to pronounce the words correctly. Some of the common phrases you should know when speaking to a Spanish person are: – Si ?yes – No ?no – Por favour ?please – Hola ?hello – Gracias ?thank you – Buenos dias ?good morning – Buenos tardes ?good afternoon – Buenos noches ?good night – Como estas ?How are you? – Como te llama? ?What is your name? – Me llamo. . . ?My name is. . . . In Spanish the words donde esta mean where is. Once you know this all you have to learn is the specific vocabulary for specific places that you want to find, such as playa (beach), hotel (hotel), banco(bank), or bar mas cecano ( bar). Once you start learning phrases in Spanish you will quickly realize that you do need to learn more than just specific phrases and that it would be better for you to learn all facets of the language. There are many sites online that offer full courses in Spanish that won’t cost you nay money and which you can take at home. Through these courses, you will learn the Spanish alphabet and the sounds of the letters as well as how to conjugate verbs to make grammatically correct sentences. The language is easy to learn and some of the vocabulary is quite similar to English words. Once you start learning Spanish and have some knowledge of the language, when you spend some time in a Spanish speaking country or in the company of native Spanish speakers, you will easily pick up the language. Immersing yourself in the culture and the language is one of the easiest ways to learn any second language, no matter how old you are. As you hear others around you using the language, you will start to pick out words that you know and you will learn how they should be pronounced if you are not doing so correctly. You do have to determine how you learn best. Maybe you are a person that likes to have images with which you can associate words and phrases. You may be a person that likes to read the words as you hear them spoken. These ways are all possible when you take an online course in Spanish.
Posts Tagged ‘Common Phrases’
Chinese Language Needs The Help Of Online Friends
December 11th, 2009A person was there who was completely confused trying to understand Chinese language and was astonished by the complex design of the same. Several translation sites tried by him to get further knowledge about Chinese language fetched no positive result. For those who are yet to begin, there are 3 types of languages that are spoken in China and they are Mandarin, Cantonese and Traditional. Regardless of the translation sites they visit, gaining more knowledge in Chinese language is tough unless they go into depth of it. The ideal choice will be to go to someone who knows the philology of that language and seek their assistance. Prior to your planning to visit China on a business trip, it is essential to know a little of their language and learn a few common phrases like greetings and salutations and pronounce them rightly. Since it is a language which is alien, this may sound tough, however, if Chinese visitors on their visit to your country can speak your language, why not you. If you put an effort it won’t be difficult to pick up a few words although English is too easy to learn as compared to Chinese language. A business deal in China can be struck taking the help of basic courses offered to business travelers by many online courses which help you to master this language. Chinese is second only to English in the world as far as following is concerned. The Chinese language is made up of hundreds of graphical representations that construct each word and sentence unlike the English language which has just 26 characters. You will be amazed to know that typing 10 words per minute on a Chinese typewriter is considered to be very fast. Take the help of your online friend if needed to learn common phrases and their right pronunciation. A few phrases like `hello’, `greetings’, `good morning’, `good evening’, `good night’ along with some more complicated terms like `where is the’ are all you need when you are on a business trip to China. Having a decent knowledge about the Chinese language will open up many avenues for you and you can find yourself with the job of a translator. Unlike some Western & Eastern European languages like German & Russian, (or to be more specific, the Deutsch & Cyrillic script and the written term is called), that are guttural; the Chinese language is soft and musical. Many people are there who try to directly learn phrases by heart. While this might be fine, would it not be better if you try to understand the scientific and the grammatical nuances of the language? All it needs is some time and patience and if you are dedicated enough, you should start picking it up easily. <a onClick=”javascript:pageTracker. _trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www. studiochinese. com/”>Learning chinese online</a> is no more a difficult task. We can find many useful online resources which will make the chinese learning fun and enjoyable.
Foreign Language Learning Resources – Which is Right for You? Part 2 – Audio Programs
September 20th, 2009By now, most people are familiar with audio books. In fact, in the internet age, a tremendous proliferation of audio books and learning tools has spearheaded a number of very successful ventures, including online free libraries as well as companies like Audible. A variety of courses are available on CD, as well as through downloadable content (mp3 or Audible). There is even a unique device called “Playaway” marketed on a standalone player.
Where it Succeeds
When done correctly, audio only programs are the most versatile and can be the best option for the adult learner. The one factor you cannot beat is convenience. Wasted time, driving to and from work, the store, etc… can become a rewarding experience with these audio programs. I have personally converted all of my CD audio programs purchased over the years to mp3 format for easier use in the car (it’s easier to hit pause on an mp3 player to think about your response). Best of all, audio programs, by their nature, require native language instruction. Native language cues and explanations are critical to the success of adult students.
Where it Fails
All language courses benefit from accompanying written material, regardless of platform (audio, computer, immersion, etc…). While most audio programs include a small booklet with some basic dictionary style translations or common phrases, there are a relative few that include more than that (save the Living Language series). Once you get into the program, you will want to see how the language looks on paper – that’s a guarantee. Access to the written material will help you progress much more swiftly. This is an added expense, and finding the proper companion books is not an easy task.
Additionally, audio language courses vary tremendously in quality – of both the audio quality itself, and the actual lesson content. I have run across at least two programs where the audio quality was not of sufficient fidelity to help anyone learn anything (one of the programs turned out to be defective; the other was just cheaply produced). Unfortunately, without a good number of reviews of specific products, it can be difficult to make the correct decision, so be sure to check review sites before making any purchase.
As with any course, the content of the lesson is paramount. With cheaply produced audio courses, all you get is a person reading a word or phrase with a translation – over and over again. This continues with little backtracking to previously learned material. These are the types of programs to avoid at all costs. Courses increase in quality from there on up, to include almost classroom style presentations. Pimsleur products are an excellent example of a top quality, classroom style course. Other issues with content revolve around irrelevant material. “See Jane Run”, etc… will get you nowhere on vacation. Carefully choose programs that include relevant phrases and situations that you may actually encounter!
Finally, there can be issues with the pace of the lessons. Some courses present the material too fast (it’s never a problem if the pace is slower). If the material is presented to quickly, you will be reaching for the pause button far too often, which impedes your progress.
In Summary
I love this format as a first introduction to a foreign language. The convenience factor is unmatched, and the task of learning a foreign language is well suited to it. But you have to be very careful in choosing the best program. Some audio programs are absolutely terrible, and some are outstanding. Keep a sharp eye on the reviews at various websites. Additionally, you must select at least one dictionary or phrase book to go with your program, if one is not provided. Be on the lookout for part three, where I will explore the best way to select a companion book, or books to compliment your audio or immersion course.
For more great information on foreign language resources for English speakers visit www.foreignlanguageresource.com. Be sure to check out my Visual Link Spanish resource while your there!
By: Chris Katheman
