Archive for March, 2009

 
Saturday, March 7th, 2009

Learning any new language can be challenging but it does become easier if you have enthusiasm for what you are trying to achieve. Learning the new language might seem simple but if you have a lackadaisical attitude towards it, you are going to have a very hard time. If you aim for speaking Spanish, there are plenty of options for you: several colleges and universities offer rocket spanish language courses, which they believe, are very advantageous, which it is. In case age is not on your side and you would not like to attend classes with a group of teenagers, then the best option for you is to go for their language programs. To help further, most schools and colleges also organise courses during the summer breaks which can be easier for some people keen to learn quickly.

Spanish

Some corporate houses also offer courses, which enable you to speak Spanish, and these companies also offer you a job soon after finishing the program. Aside from that, you’ll see lots of dictionaries in bookshops that could really help you if you have no time to attend a class. Lots of self-help books are also available where there are lots of sentences in Spanish with their English translations appearing at the bottom. Free tutorials are there for you to take help from which are available on the net from Google and Yahoo. It’s not just about reading and teaching yourself on how to pronounce the words, although it’s easy since speaking Spanish is more phonetic. But, you can listen using Internet, too and there are webcasts and podcasts available and what’s great is that some sites will allow you to download it, all you have to do is just type your fingers away!

But, it is much easier to learn if you really listen, don’t just go with the books as there are songs and movies and telenovelas you can always listen or watch. Pictures are a great help since when you learn a Spanish word, you remember it better when you know what it appears like. If you have the financial resources as well as the time, there is no better way to learn a language than to be amidst people who communicate in that language all the time. Embrace their place and culture and I’m pretty sure you’ll be speaking the Spanish language in no time.

Just remember never to put too much pressure on your self, as it would only delay your learning process. When one is in a Spanish speaking country, one cannot help but try to copy the accent and way of talking of the natives. It’s a big no-no and you will just sound funny if you do that but do not be afraid of making mistakes because when you are a beginner, what do you expect? Anyway, when making mistakes, you learn and you get to remember the correct way, so just enjoy the learning process, have much fun as you can and buena suerte!

 
Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Some rules you must abide by: You must never ponder and delay if you want to attend foreign language courses as they are not like any other courses. Any postponement is deemed as a failure in a foreign language course where you need to devote a minimum of 15 minutes a day for a minimum of 3 hours a week. Devote any additional time in pursuing your language lessons but not more than 45 minutes per session.

Foreign Language

Distribute your whole study into small units. Class Attendance is mandatory and necessary in order to pass the course particularly if you are serious about learning the language. Recapitulate your previous learning on a regular basis as this is good for you, for instance the vocabulary. Below are some suggestions to make the different parts of learning a foreign language easier and more successful.

Check out only such words which can not be guessed even by your widest imagination. Glance through the text book chapters every day taking one small section at a time.

Start expressing: Do not feel shy of mistakes, simply listen to others and start to communicate yourself. Practice the foreign language by talking loudly to yourself, or communicating with your friends in the same class or even with your own dog or cat at home.

Putting it down on paper: Practice your writing skills every day until they become more natural.

Take a dictation of a small portion of the language from a friend and then check it for correctness.

Some Miscellaneous Helps: View the foreign language learning positively and set achievable goals. Know what you are going to get from your studies and how to get them.
1.If you need help get it and do not be afraid to ask questions or ask for help for fear of sounding stupid, or being embarrassed.Do not feel shy or embarrassed to seek help when you want it.
2.Get audio tapes of the language and listen to them or make you own tapes and listened to yourself in order to perfect your pronunciation.
3.Make colored flash cards which help you to grow vocabulary where different colors are used to convey genders and words like nouns, verbs and adjectives, etc.
4.If you practice studying in groups, you can make good friends with your classmates which would be eager to help you out.