Posted on 18 February 2011. Tags: Academy Awards, Answering Your Questions, Approximation, arts, cultures, Discussion Group, Exact Translation, Foreign Language, Form Of Art, Inaccuracies, language, Language Academy, Language Skills, Language Writers, learn, literature, movies, Nice Thing, Novelists, Poets, spanish, Spanish Culture, Spanish Cultures, Spanish Language Television, Spanish Literature, Spanish Speaking Countries, Spanish Speaking Country
Do you want to learn Spanish and enjoy yourself at the same time? There are many ways to do this. If you’re a person who enjoys the arts, a good way to learn Spanish is to take pleasure in the arts of Spanish speaking countries.
There is a great deal of very good literature that comes from Spanish cultures. You can go to the libraries in cities and even larger towns to find Spanish literature in its original language. Ask the librarian or do a search in the computerized catalog under Spanish language writers.
If you take time to learn Spanish to a certain extent before you try this, you will have the best results. This is a practice that is mainly meant to improve already existing language skills. After you check out a book that seems interesting, begin to try reading it. You will come to words and phrases you don’t understand.
This is when it is good to have someone who will help you learn Spanish by answering your questions. If you don’t have someone like that, you can sometimes get into a discussion group, whether in person or on-line. This is also a good way to learn Spanish culture because there are novelists and poets from virtually every Spanish speaking country.
Another way to learn Spanish through the arts is by watching Spanish language movies. One way to learn which movies are good is to find out which have been nominated to win foreign language Academy Awards. There have been some very moving and sometimes funny movies that have been acknowledged.
When you watch the movies, there are often subtitles. Don’t take these words as an exact translation. They usually are just an approximation, and sometimes not even that. As you listen carefully to the words, you will find the subtitles hilarious at times in their inaccuracies. Watching a movie gives you context for language and makes it easier to learn Spanish.
Even Spanish language television, although perhaps a lower form of art, can help you to learn Spanish as well. The nice thing about television is that there is a constant supply of programs. You can watch and learn Spanish every day.
There are different types of programs. There are many Spanish soap operas. This might not be the type of program you would normally watch. However, you will find a lot of common usages that will help you learn Spanish. There are also dramas, game shows, and even sit-coms.
People who aren’t even trying to learn Spanish have been doing it for years through listening to Spanish language songs. The trick is to find a song that has lyrics clear enough to understand completely. Then, sit down with a recorder and tape the song.
Once you have the song recorded, you can go through it a phrase at a time. Write down each phrase as you hear it. Then use the Spanish you know along with your Spanish-English dictionary to translate it. Pretty soon you will learn Spanish from the song enough to sing it as you work.
If you learn Spanish better through the arts, you will have enhanced your language skills while gaining a deeper understanding of life. After all, that’s what the arts are all about.
Posted in Reasons To Learn Spanish
Posted on 17 February 2011. Tags: College Resources, colleges, Conversations, culture, Different Cultures, English As A Second Language, Find People, Foreign Exchange Students, friend, Friendship Associations, High Schools, International Friendship, Language Program, learn, Learning Spanish, Local Church, native, Native Spanish Speaker, Native Spanish Speakers, spanish, Spanish Culture, Spanish People, Spanish Speaking, Spanish Teachers, Speaking Spanish, Word Of Mouth
One of the easiest ways to learn Spanish is to find someone else who speaks Spanish. This person can be someone who is a native Spanish speaker or it can be someone who is also learning Spanish. Speaking Spanish with a friend will really increase how much fun you have as you learn Spanish, and it will also make the process much easier.
Most people know that it’s a great idea to learn Spanish with a friend, but many people don’t know where to find people to speak Spanish with. There are many resources that can be used to find people. They include internet and college resources. Word of mouth is good as well.
If you are in college, you may want to check out the English as a Second Language program. There, you will be able to find many native Spanish speakers who are eager to improve their English skills by having conversations with you.
You also can research different groups on campus and locate those that are about Spanish culture. These groups are sure to have some native Spanish speakers in them.
Not only can people who speak Spanish be found at colleges, but they also can be found at high schools in your area. Many Spanish-speaking students attend high schools. If you go to one, you may be able to find a student who wouldn’t mind helping you learn Spanish. Also, high schools might have foreign-exchange students.
If you are not able to find any students that might be able to help you, Spanish teachers can be found in elementary, junior high, and high schools. They may be able to offer you suggestions on other resources you can use to locate a person that you can have conversations with as you learn Spanish.
In some large cities, there are what are called international friendship associations. These associations encourage networking among different cultures. Contact these associations to get more information.
You may also want to try your local church. Many of the members there may be able to speak Spanish.
Another thing you can do is put an ad in the classified section of the newspaper. You can use the online classified section as well. Just be careful. If you put an ad online, you may attract all kinds of people who may have nothing to do with helping you learn Spanish.
As a last resort, you may want to search for chat rooms that attract Spanish speakers. If you get to know someone well enough, they may not mind logging on with you every now and again to type some conversations in Spanish.
With enough research and tenacity, you can easily find someone who will speak Spanish with you for hours at a time. You just can’t give up on your search. Once you find that person you will find that you will learn Spanish quicker than if you strictly studied on your own. Conversing with another person will help to challenge your memory and use of the Spanish language in everyday situations. That’s something you don’t always get in a textbook.
Posted in Reasons To Learn Spanish