Tag Archive | "Spanish Speaking Countries"

How You Can Learn Spanish Better Through The Arts

How You Can Learn Spanish Better Through The ArtsDo 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.

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Learn Spanish Language Secrets

Learn Spanish Language SecretsYou can learn Spanish to a certain degree and still have trouble with certain words and sentence constructions. It seems that you are saying them right, but you notice that Spanish speakers say them differently. If you learn Spanish language secrets, you will understand the subjects better.

One thing to remember is that you don’t always have to use the pronoun. If you say “yo,” meaning “I,” each time you could, you will sound strident. This is because using the pronoun is only necessary when you are emphasizing it. If you are constantly emphasizing it, you will sound foolish. Learn Spanish rules like this and you will sound more like a native speaker.

You can learn Spanish word order in its basic form quite easily. It is usually like English except adjectives tend to go after the noun they describe. However, if you spend the time to learn Spanish word order by listening to Spanish speaking people, you will find differences. Meaning can have subtle variations when you change the word order.

There is another secret people can come across when they learn Spanish. There are many Spanish words that look very nearly like English words that you know. Sometimes, they can be considered direct translations.

However, some words only look similar. They actually mean something quite different. Pay attention to the exact translations of words, as you learn Spanish. Using some of these words incorrectly can cause you embarrassment, or can even insult someone.

An interesting secret when you learn Spanish is that common phrases, or idioms, don’t always translate word for word. If you try to translate an idiom word for word, you might get the meaning, or at least an approximation of it.

However, there are many idioms that would seem to mean one thing that mean something else when translated as a whole. The only way to learn this is by experience, or to get a book of idioms. You must remember, though, that there are different idioms in different Spanish speaking countries.

Learn Spanish from textbooks if you like, but when you are put into the culture, don’t rely on them. This is another secret to know when you learn Spanish. Many people don’t speak like the textbooks are written.

That’s ok; English speakers don’t either, if you think about it. If you try to learn Spanish better in this informal way, you will likely make mistakes that the book has not prepared you for. Don’t worry; you can pick up the language from the conversation if you’re alert.

Another secret is that pronunciation is important. The way you pronounce your “b’s” and “v’s” will mark you as a person who does or doesn’t consider it necessary to learn Spanish well. If you don’t roll your “r’s” properly, you will sound like a toddler to the Spanish speaking person. All these little things can set you apart or help you fit in.

Learn Spanish with all the nuances and you will not be looked at as an outsider. Taking a few steps to improve your Spanish will be worth it in the long run.

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