Spain: Travel Information, News and Opinion
All the latest news views and opinions on travel to Spain and on other Spain-related issues.

Archive for:



February 18, 2009

Spanish Courses For Children

Filed under: Spain General Information - 18 Feb 2009 from author

learn spanish fast

Spanish courses customized for kids teach kids Spanish in an interesting and easy way. It doesn’t go into grammar and syntax in a direct manner. Children, like a lot of adults, would be bored very quickly if they had to tediously conjugate regular and irregular Spanish verbs. Spanish for kids avoids all that, but still manages to teach children the basics too.

Children are able to learn Spanish fast. The younger a child is when they are initially exposed to another language, the sooner they can learn it. A five-year-old could learn fairly good Spanish in a matter of a couple of months, while a twelve-year-old might take more than six months. It depends too on their exposure. If they only hear Spanish in school, but not at home, they will take longer to pick it up.

Kids are able to learn Spanish quickly. Kids soon discover that Spanish for kids shows them Español es un lenguaje fonético y la pronunciación es muy clara. Unlike English where the ending, “ough” for example, can be pronounced at least half a dozen different ways, in Spanish the pronunciation is clear, straightforward and phonetic.

Generally, the second to last syllable is where the emphasis goes, unless the word has a letter with an accent on it. The word, “farmacia” has the emphasis on the second “a” as there is no accented letter. The word, “problema” has its emphasis on the letter “e.”

But when there is an accented letter, it becomes even easier. You simply place the emphasis of the word on that letter. For example, “fútbol” is that ever-popular ball game, or soccer, as it is known in the USA. The emphasis is naturally on the emphasized letter “u,” and sounds more or less the same as the word in English. Another example is the word for “plastic” that is spelt as “plástica.” Without the accented first “a” it would be pronounced as “plastEEca.”

Spanish for kids can fun. Remember, it won’t have been too long ago that they started to learn English. This is why kids they have the ability to adapt so rapidly; they are still learning so much every day that another language is something they take in their stride without batting an eyelid.

If you are teaching a child who have not learnt how to read yet, then you should make them involve all their senses, if possible, to learn the language. Computers are great for this in numerous ways as they can see diagrams and animations as well as hearing the language.

Employ your house pet as well. They will be amused to call the dog “un perro,” or the cat “un gato.” Needless to say, they will need to get the genders right too! If the dog and cat are female, then they will become “una perra” and “una gata” respectively.

Normally, the younger the child is when they are first exposed to Spanish, the faster they will be able to learn it. If the learning process is interesting, children will not see it as a boring task that they have to undertake. Also, teach them helpful phrases, such as, “may I have a glass of milk?” (¿Puede darme un vaso de leche?), and start using them in every day speech. They will take to it naturally. Spanish lessons for kids can be easy and fun too.

 

Tags: , , ,


February 15, 2009

A fun Way Spanish

Filed under: Spain General Information - 15 Feb 2009 from author

learn spanish quickly

It’s not too difficult to learn Spanish fast if you start with the basics. You would be surprised by how much Spanish you can learn by listening to a cd while being on the road every day. Just get down the simple verbs, some food names, and maybe a few descriptive terms. In general, a fair number of people learn Spanish quickly by starting to say the alphabet and practicing greetings such as “hello” and “goodnight,” but studying the facial features will allow you to have a bit of variety and spice as you learn Spanish.

A very cool simple to start with while in the process of learning Spanish is the descriptions of the face. The face is recognized as the front part of the head. It includes the lips, nose, eyes, cheeks, eyebrows, nose, hair, teeth, lips, and chin.  The face is an instrument of expression and identity, and people’s faces are the body part that is most commonly used to distinguish them. Often caricatures will overemphasize certain parts of the face in order to make them instantly recognizable to the people who may be familiar with those memorable features.

If you have a bit of trouble remembering names of others, you may wish to become more aqquainted with the features of the face. The size of someone’s eyes allow a mother know immediately which one of your children you are refering to.

It’s good to be able to describe someone’s facial features in Spanish because if you meet a person in a Spanish-speaking country you may have to describe that person to someone else who speaks Spanish. Also, describing people’s facial features in Spanish will help you to learn Spanish in an interesting and unusually way.

To begin with, if you see a person having a thin face, you could say “una cara delgada”. Translated into English, this means “She has a thin face.” If you see a person having a chubby face, you would say “una cara regordete.” If you meet someone you would like to describe as having had a face lift, you would say un lifting or un “estiramiento facial.” In the event that someone has a face with a lot of wrinkles, you would say “arugas.” In the event that someone’s face is happy, you would say “una cara alegre.” If a person has a big nose you would say “una nariz grande.”  If a person has sunken eyes, you would exclaim “ojos hundidos.”  In the event that you meet a person with shifty eyes, you would exclaim “ojos furtivos.”

These are just several easy Spanish words that you may use to describe people’s faces as you continue to pick up Spanish. With these Spanish words, you will not be at a loss for words when you meet people on the street.

In order to avoid the typical method of learning Spanish such as getting down the alphabet and, “What’s your name?” you may wish to consider picking up the physical anatomy in Spanish or learning how to say the different parts of an existing suburban community. When you deviate from the norm, it not only can be fun to learn Spanish, but it also can be very exciting.

Tags: , ,


What are the most optimal ways of learning Spanish?

Filed under: Spain General Information - 15 Feb 2009 from author

learn spanish quick

If you want to pick up Spanish as a foreign language, it is a great choice - Spanish is one of the most frequently-spoken foreign languages in the States and other Latin countries, such as Mexico and South American countries.

Due to the immigration population to the States, there are a number of people in the United States who do not have a lot of knowledge of Spanish, and immigrants may not possess a fluent command of English either. This makes communication a big challenge. So what’s the most optimal method to learn Spanish fast? You can learn Spanish a number of different ways, even beyond what you were probably taught in school.

A lot of people envision to learn Spanish in the same way they were taught during school - textbooks and group conversations. This, in real life, doesn’t usually work out, because textbooks can be costly, and they’re not the most optimal way to learn Spanish quickly because they teach you the formal way that Spanish is spoken.

Native Spanish speakers has a tendency to put the lingual dialect into their conversation, which is not mentioned in every Spanish textbook, so you may be clueless as you try to understand them. Group conversation, however, does have its advantages. You have the oportunity to engage in conversation and work alongside people who are learning Spanish the same way as you.

The disadvantage is that the group progresses at a certain pace, and you have to keep up with the group, otherwise you’ll be left behind. If you are able to work well in a group dynamic, attending Spanish classes are one of the most effective ways to learn Spanish.

You can also learn Spanish through online courses; there are sites that offer free Spanish lessons online. Some even offer an entire step by step learning system. These are one of the most optimal ways to pick up Spanish, especially if audio tapes are included. Audio tapes let you hear how Spanish is supposed to be spoken, and the text element of online courses make it the most optimal way of learning Spanish as you can both hear and see the words whenever you want.

One of the best Spanish courses online that I’ve come across is Rocket Spanish - it has a full complement of all parts of the Spanish language that you’ll need for engaging in usual conversations, and in addtion, you get to learn at completely your own pace when using online courses.

The drawback in this case is that there’s no one to actually have a conversation with. Learning a language in theory is all well and good, but to really get it into your system, you need to have someone to converse with you in the language, as you would have to think on your feet about what you’re saying. Neverthess, online courses are still one of the best ways of learning Spanish.

These are just a few of the most optimal ways to learn Spanish quick. Probably the most effective way to learn Spanish would be to mix all these ways into a single program for yourself by setting up a learning schedule according to your learning needs and the time you have available. Ideally, one of the most optimal ways of learning Spanish is to allocate half an hour each day. If you have audio tapes, you can listen to them in the car on the way to running errands.

Tags: , ,


January 15, 2009

Spanish for kids

Filed under: Spain General Information - 15 Jan 2009 from author

 

Where are you going to use your Spanish

Have you moved to Spain from Britain or to Latin America from the USA and want to connect with the locals

Would you like to locate to a Spanish speaking country in the near future

Do you live in a city with a lot of Latino

Are you working with people who speak and understand Spanish http://www.wishfullproducts.com/Spanish

Are you in a love romance with someone who speaks Spanish

There are lots reasons to speak Spanish, the language is becoming so valuable these days. You have so much to look forward to when you are able to communicate in Spanish.

Travel is so much more enriching when you have enough confidence in your Spanish to get away from the tourists, you can soak up the vitality of Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain, as you interact and move freely among the locals.

Your new ability to speak Spanish is your ticket to go where the tourists don’t go. It’s your travel ticket to having great conversations with Spanish people for the very first time.

It’s like walking in some secret society, with a hospitality you probably have never encounted before. You’ll get more attention in the restaurants and bars. You’ll get advice on where to go to get the best quality food and authentic products. And of course, when you speak Spanish the prices are so much better.

Native Spanish speakers really appreciate your efforts to speak to them in their language. When people realize that you are not the typical sad foreigner expecting “them” to speak English, you will be amazed how warmly you are treated.

But of course, not everyone has to travel. You may have an immediate need, right where you live, to communicate in Spanish.

 

Spanish words are usually taught in long lists. The lists are based on a theme. This is a really easy and quick way to build a Spanish course. But it is next to useless for communicating.

If courses were created this way, it would take a few days instead of the best part of a year to make a course. Those courses make sense for the publisher’s interests, however, as a way for you to connect with people in Spanish…

Just move on!

Here’s what usually happens with word lists;

First day you learn words related to a theme e.g. animals. So you learn the Spanish words for goat, dog, donkey, fish, saddle, bridle, snake, lion, zoo, etc.

Next day’s theme is wood furniture;

bed, coffee table, Rocking chair, armchair, cupboard, toy box etc.

If you learn 20 words a day then after three days 20+20+20 = 60 words

Now you know 60 words. That’s so much better than 7 days ago, you can now go out and communicate in the real Spanish people?

Not really.

What would you say?

Snake cat armchair or dog saddle sofa?

On the other hand, when you multiply Spanish combinations you can use at will to express yourself.

By using combinations, you will speak in real Spanish sentences in no time.

In fact, the example sentence is from this website http://www.wishfullproducts.com/Spanish . Helps You easily make sentences like this and many more. Best of all, you can finish in just two hours.

This is the most powerful secret for your successful communication in Spanish.

Instead of learning thematic words-lists that make you sound like a tarzan, you will discover patterns that multiply Spanish. Then the words will flow into Spanish phrases that you can use when you want.

You’ll delight your Spanish-speaking amigos with the way your Spanish flows.

Isn’t your reason for starting Spanish in the first place to communicate with people?

Instead of more grammar or thematic words, try an easier method of multiplying Spanish; it’ll have a greater impact on your communication.

I am sure you’ll agree that nobody has ever learned by being confused.

Instead of learning those complex themes, look for a more productive place to begin. A step by step approach is never confusing. Actually, most people find it refreshingly uncomplicated.

When you find the simple ways to start making sentences, you’ll be amazed how quickly you are able to speak real Spanish with confidence.

It’s a easy approach that has you speaking naturally; it all just seems to drop into place without any effort…

You can even start with zero knowledge to learn spanish

 

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,


January 13, 2009

Learn Helpful Spanish Greetings

Filed under: Spain General Information - 13 Jan 2009 from author

learn Spanish quickly

In your first attempt to pick up Spanish, Spanish greetings are commonly the first things that you learn. What do you know if you don’t know how to say “hello?” Practicing the greetings will help you to learn Spanish quick in its simplest form because you don’t have to worry about all the verb agreements or word orders. Spanish greetings are presented in simple phrases. No extra words need to be looked up or added. As I said before, as you learn Spanish, the first phrase you should know is “hello.” In order to say that in Spanish, you would say, “Hola.”

“Hola” can be used either formally or casually to mean hello to anyone you might run into. If you want to say hello on the phone, you might use “bueno” or “diga.”

If you want to say “goodbye” in Spanish, you would say, “Adiós.”

If you would like to say, “How are you?” you would say, “Cómo estás?” If you want to say, “Good afternoon.” you would say, ” Buenas tardes.”. If you would like to say, “Good morning” or “Good day,” you would say, “Buenos días.” “Good night” in Spanish is buenos noches, and to ask what someone’s name is, you would say, “Cómo te llamas?”

Once you get these down, you will find that it’s a breeze to learn the language, but you are in for some more complex terms a little later on down the road. Other fundamentals that you can start learning are numbers, the alphabet, telling time, asking directions, gender, color, body parts, and family.

Picking up these types of common terms will help you learn Spanish quickly as you are able to use such words everyday. It is normal to hello and good night all of the time so you should feel comfortable practicing your Spanish frequently.

Later on, you can learn to express more complex greetings such as,  “Hello, how are you are you doing?” or “Hi, the weather is pleasant today, isn’t it?”

You can begin to get a little more sophisticated by asking “What’s up?” or “What’s new?” When you say that in Spanish, you would say “Qué hay?” If you wish to say, “How’s it going?” you would say, “Qué pasa?” If you wishto say “nice to meet you” you would say “Mucho gusto.”

Those are just a few of the more intermediate level greetings that can help you to learn Spanish while getting to meet other people.

In Spain, it’s often a common thing for people to greet each other with kisses on both cheeks when they meet. However, men will generally just shake hands. Even though people kiss each other many times when they meet, they don’t do it in every situation. For instance, in during a business meeting, you will not catch people giving each other kisses on the cheeks.

If you are in America, you may not want to try kissing anyone as you learn Spanish, even if it’s another Spanish person. Most Spanish people in the States have gotten accustomed to the American culture, and Americans don’t normally kiss each other when they first meet. But, if you visit Spain, you should try it. It will add to the fun as you learn Spanish.

Tags: , , ,


December 27, 2008

Learn to speak Spanish fast – The Smart Way

Filed under: Spain General Information - 27 Dec 2008 from author

You should have only one goal when it comes to learning a second language, becoming conversational in that language so it’s useful to you. To many learn to speak Spanish programs focus on building a huge vocabulary that isn’t really useful in real life situations.

So in this short article we’ll discuss why you should learn to speak Spanish fast, the best way to go about it, and suggestions on what programs you can use.

Reasons to Learn to Speak Spanish Fast

There are several reasons people might want to learn to speak Spanish quickly.Possibly you’re heading on vacation to a Spanish speaking country in the near future.For others it might be a professional trip that has to be taken to a country who’s native language is Spanish.Of course there will also be those of you who just like learning new languages.

The How of Learning Spanish Fast

The secret to learning to speak Spanish quickly is easy, only learn the important stuff.A lot of the popular learn Spanish lessons focus on building a big vocabulary.How ever a huge vocabulary just isn’t that important in every day life.Understanding how to saw the names of different animals and vegetables doesn’t really help you if you need to ask for directions.

Also writing should be a secondary skill you acquire.Becoming conversational in Spanish as fast as possible should be the primary goal of any lesson(s) you take.Rather then looking for a program to teach you grammar and vocabulary find one that focuses on teaching you important everyday phrases. You’ll find this 100% more useful in an actual Spanish speaking situation.

Suggestions for Programs to Teach you

To start learning conversational Spanish fast I suggest you check out this Rocket Spanish review. It’s primarily an audio program, but it concentrates on what’s important for you to be able to carry on a conversation in Spanish.

Of course audio lessons aren’t for everyone so if you’d like options consider looking at the other Spanish learning programs available. Software Spanish lessons use videos, games, and other interactive tools to teach Spanish.

Tags: , , ,