Posts Tagged ‘Conversational Skills’

Why is Spanish Such a Hard Language to Learn

December 23rd, 2009

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.

Advice if you Want to Learn the Russian Language Quickly and Easily

December 11th, 2009

Russian language learning classes should be top of your list of things to do if you want to get the most out of travelling or working in Russia on any one of the dozens of Russian speaking countries.

There are about 150 million people in the world that speak Russian as a first or second language so it certainly won’t be a waste of your time putting in some effort to pick up at least a basic level of conversational skills.

Learning to speak Russian means learning specific pronunciations of the consonants and words. You might want to start by learning the constructs of the Russian Language, for example the alphabet followed by the different genders of nouns such as neutral, masculine and feminine. Learning the different meaning of words and phrases in Russian is important if you want to make sure you avoid conversation mishaps.

What Is The Best Method To Learn Russian?

There are a number of option open to you for learning Russian. One of the most popular methods these days and a great starting point of any research is using the Internet.

Online Courses

There are plenty of online courses that are designed to help you learn Russian accurately and fluently. A website called byni. com (Before You Know It) offers a free software download so you can start learning straight away. Online courses and software programs are great lower cost option. You have the opportunity to work and learn at your own pace and finding these programs is easy. All you need to do is visit Google or Yahoo and type in “Russian Language Learning”, you will be provided with a variety of results that can help you. Many sites, such as MasterRussian. com offer a variety of different ways to learn. For example, you can take lessons in nouns, numerals, pronouns, adjectives, vocabulary, cases, verbs. They also provide you with great tips and tricks for learning quickly.

Attending Classes

This is a great option if time and money are not a constraint. Classes can be found in two places. You can learn in your own country or you can learn Russian in Russia.

This can be a viable option for you because it allows you to experience in class demonstration of the language and get a better feel for how to form the words and pronunciation.

To find classes in your area, you can look in your phone book or even call your local high school to see if they have any resources. Individual Tuition An even better, all be it more pricy option is One on One Tuition. This is a great way to learn as it is completely personalised to your style and speed of learning. This gives you specialized attention and even more opportunity to speak and interact in the language. Of course, it is always a good idea to choose a tutor that is fluent in both Russian as well as your own native language to get the best results.

Finding a Russian tutor can be a little easy or difficult depending on where you live. You might want to place an ad in your local newspaper asking for a tutor or you can even call a college or university in your area to see if any students are willing to help you.

Books

You local bookstore shouldn’t be overlooked as a helpful resources. Reading up of some of the famous Russian cities, such as St Petersburg or of course the capital, Moscow will help you get an idea of what to do when you get there. A Russian to English dictionary must have and should be one of the first things you pick up during your tip to the bookstore.

Having Fun Is Key To Learning

Of course, many people find learning a new language such as Russian to be easier if they are having fun doing it at the same time. Some sites, such as the one mentioned above, offers fun ways to implement your learned skills. This includes word games, quizzes and downloadable MP3 music tracks.

If you are looking to learn a little faster, there are some ways you can accelerate your learning. For example, you can simply visit any Russian speaking country. Ukraine, Latvia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are some that you might consider in addition to Russia of course.

Visiting these countries will almost force you to pick up on many aspects of the language in a short period of time.

Pen Pals and Forums

If you would rather learn more before your arrival, why not get yourself a Russian speaking pen pal. They can often teach you the right and wrongs of the language.

You could also join forums, watch movies in the Russian Language, watch Russian television, or even listen to Russian radio. The choice is yours.

No matter why you want to learn the Russian language, it is important to understand that you have many different avenues of going about your learning. Some may be better suited to your learning style than others. It’s key that you select a course that matches your style of learning, how much you can afford and your time and work constraints.