Learn Spanish The Fast And Easy Way
It's nice when you get a chance to take a trip abroad. If you are going to a Spanish speaking country, it might be a little intimidating to get off the beaten path and explore. Just making yourself at home in hotels and restaurants can be quite a task if you're unprepared. That's why it's good to learn Spanish phrases to get you by.
Of course, if you have time to take a full Spanish course, that's preferable. Learning to speak conversational Spanish will make your stay among the local people much more pleasant. You can communicate most ideas if you learn Spanish in this way.
However, you may not have the time to learn Spanish thoroughly. You may have been invited on the trip unexpectedly. You may have won the trip and have to take it in a short amount of time. Or, perhaps you had plenty of notice, but had too busy of a schedule to fit in a full course to learn Spanish properly.
It doesn't matter why you're in this position; the crux of the matter is that you need to learn Spanish enough to handle your basic needs. You will probably find English speaking people somewhere on your journey to speak with. However, there will be times when you must depend upon Spanish speaking people to answer important questions.
You can find phrasebooks to help you find the words to ask for basic needs. They will tell you how to introduce yourself and say please and thank you. You will learn Spanish phrases for asking the time and weather.
More importantly, these books will tell you how to ask where the restroom is. You will learn Spanish phrases like "Ayudame!" meaning "Help me!" Most of the books will also tell you how to ask where you can find a doctor or dentist.
Phrasebooks can also be helpful with the hotel you're staying at. They can tell you how to ask for clean linens. You can learn Spanish phrases that make it easier to order room service. You will also know how to check into and out of your hotel.
The books will tell you the basics of how to order food in a restaurant. They will tell you any number of words to use in different situations. A book like this should also contain valuable information like how to ask where the US embassy is.
If you are concerned about your pronunciation, you can get the same type of phrase manuals on CD's. Just pop them into your CD player and repeat after the speaker. You can do this in your car, at your computer, or in your living room. Wherever you find comfortable will do.
A book or CD like this can help you learn Spanish phrases. What it can't do is help you understand the answers. You will have to rely on a lot of pointing and gesturing. Also, never forget, if you think you might be able to understand the person, if they would speak slower, just say, "mas despacio."
It works wonders.
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 sitcoms.
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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