If you are wondering why people are rushing to learn Spanish these days, it might be hard to pinpoint one particular reason. If you are an American, your reason for learning Spanish may be far different than a European who has decided it’s time to learn the language. So, why is learning Spanish important to so many people? Let us give you some facts first: * Spanish has become the second language of the United States * The Spanish language is gaining importance as a second or third language in many European countries * There are over 400 million Spanish speakers around the globe, only exceeded by those groups speaking English, Chinese, and Hindustani. * Spanish is the fourth most popular language in the world and the native, or official, language on four different continents. So, enough for the geography lesson. So why should you make the time and investment to learn Spanish? Let me tell you some of the more popular reasons why people like you and me want to learn Spanish: It’s Very Easy to Learn The Spanish language is truly one of the easiest foreign languages to learn. Much of the Spanish vocabulary is similar to English. Better yet, written Spanish is almost completely phonetic. Even a complete beginner can look at almost any Spanish word and tell how it should be pronounced. Of course, there are a few differences in the grammar and verb structure, but the basic grammar is relatively straightforward enough to allow you to carry on a meaningful conversation after just a few lessons. Learning Spanish is Fun If you like to take on a basic challenge, then learning to talk, read, and speak Spanish is your cup of tea. As far as difficulty, learning the Spanish language is quite basic and you can really have some fun in the process. The enjoyment involved in mastering a second language and being able to speak with native speakers can be extremely rewarding. The thrill of having a second language also opens up a whole new world, and different cultures, to you. Enhance Your Travel and Vacation Experiences Knowing how to speak Spanish expands your options when you scour the globe for a new vacation experience. Countries that you have avoided in the past due to the language barrier now become prime targets for your new travels. There is nothing worse than traveling to a new country when you cannot communicate with the local population. Imagine being able to converse with people in most Central and South American countries (and many European countries) in their native language. Whether you just learn a few common Spanish phrases or learn Spanish vocabulary and pronunciation like a native speaker, you will find that it can really open new doors to you while increasing your fun and excitement in a new land. Improve Your Job Skills It’s amazing how many new jobs are now requiring candidates to possess multilingual skills in order to meet the qualifications of the position. For instance, certain regions in the United States have a significant Hispanic population and influence. Employment candidates with Spanish as a second language are highly sought after in these areas and are paying a premium to attract them. Being able to speak Spanish is also a big resume booster and can lead to a better paying job, regardless of your area of employment. Hopefully we have provided a reasonable answer as to the question posed earlier; “why is learning Spanish important for so many people?” We have touched on the more common reasons given by many Spanish students for wanting to learn this wonderful language, but not a comprehensive list for sure. Of course, each person has their own motivation for taking Spanish lessons. But regardless of your motivation for wanting to speak Spanish, the experience can be fun and rewarding and leave you with a new skill that you can use for a lifetime.
Posts Tagged ‘Grammar’
Learn Spanish To Enhance Your Vacation Experience
January 1st, 2010Review of Pimsleur Method, Linguaphone and Rosetta Stone Language Courses
December 24th, 2009This review is directed towards those people wondering what makes language courses different from one another. We will cover the strengths and weaknesses of the Pimsleur Method, Linguaphone and Rosetta Stone language courses. Each course is a top rated language course.
Advantages of Pimsleur Language Courses
1. Pimsleur is a good course to learn to speak a new language.
2. Pimsleur is audio course that works if you are on the move.
3. Pimsleur is interactive course that keeps you intensely involved while learning.
4. The Pimsleur Method makes it easy to learn a new language.
5. Pimsleur is a very simple learning course.
6. You are more likely to retain what you learn because of the Graduated Interval Recall System developed by Dr. Pimsleur, the developer of the course.
7. The courses focus on the most used words in a language. This becomes very beneficial in leaning to speak a language.
8. The combined group of techniques used in these courses makes learning easy.
Disadvantages of Pimsleur Language Courses
1. There are no written transcripts of the audio.
2. If you want to go further in learning a language than simply carrying on a simple conversation you will need to purchase a few books: grammar, verbs and a dictionary to expand your vocabulary and perhaps a workbook to learn to write. A good set of flash cards could also help.
4. The short Pimsleur courses are repeated in the more expanded Comprehensive I courses. The manufacturer uses the smaller courses to entice you to buy the larger, more expensive course. If you are serious about learning a language it is not very economical to buy one of the small courses.
Comments
Pimsleur offers 38 different language courses formatted on CDs and downloads. You can download a course directly to your computer. The cost is on the expensive side but Pimsleur is an especially good course for a beginning language student.
Advantages of Linguaphone Language Courses
1. Linguaphone offers courses that teach you to read, write and speak the language.
2. Many of the Linguaphone courses have very nice manuals with beautiful pictures and the dialog of what you are going over in a lesson.
3. Linguaphone has some courses that are all audio so you can learn on the move.
4. Linguaphone courses are based on: listen, understand and speak. This method has been used for over 100 years.
5. Many people rate Linguaphone very high on their list of language courses.
Disadvantages of Linguaphone Language Courses
1. If you don’t have a basic knowledge of the language you are learning, Linguaphone courses can be somewhat difficult because it moves along too fast, without enough repetition.
2. On some of the Linguaphone audio you will need to listen very carefully.
3. You may want to go over another language course series, like Pimsleur, and use Linguaphone to expand your language skills, vocabulary and listening comprehension.
4. Linguaphone prices range from inexpensive to expensive depending on the course.
Comments
Linguaphone has 15 language courses. Most people’s ratings of Linguaphone are positive. It covers all language core skills, oral, aural, writing and reading. Linguaphone courses are very thorough courses. People who like written transcripts of the dialog will like Linguaphone. The narrators on the Linguaphone courses are British speakers.
Advantages of Rosetta Stone Language Courses
1. Many people feel that Rosetta Stone software is very good because it integrates audio, text and images.
2. Rosetta Stone software makes learning a language both simple and entertaining.
3. The Rosetta Stone lessons are short and simple, featuring native speakers, real life images with beautiful graphics and big fonts.
4. Speech recognition is available in the Rosetta Stone software to help you say the words correctly.
5. Rosetta Stone is very thorough and covers all language core skills, oral, aural, writing and reading with good sound quality.
6. Vocabulary is a strong point with the Rosetta Stone software.
Disadvantage of Rosetta Stone Software
1. Rosetta Stone software is best used by a visual learner.
2. Rosetta Stone would be best to use along with another language course that teaches you grammar, verbs and to speak the language. It can be difficult to learn a language just by looking at pictures and repeating phrases that you hear.
3. If you are a beginner you would be better starting with another language course and then use Rosetta Stone to further your studies.
Comments
Rosetta Stone software is a great way to improve your specific language vocabulary quickly. It is very difficult to really learn how to speak a language with software alone by looking at pictures and repeating phrases. This does not help you in the real world. You need to learn to think in your new language. This is a better course for a child or pre-teenager than for an adult. Rosetta Stone Software has 3 Levels. It is a more expensive language course.
