So you learned a little Spanish in school. How much do you remember? How much of it is truly useful?
Our Spanish 1 course is designed to help you learn the most fundamental concepts of Spanish and hundreds of the most useful Spanish words.
Do you know enough Spanish to skip our Spanish 1 course?
Take this quick 20 question quiz to find out.
How did you do? We would love to hear what you think in the comments.
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We have uploaded a new video to our YouTube channel. Learning about the people, culture, and places of a language is a big part of understanding it. We hope you enjoy this video, and we’d love to hear what you think of it. Enjoy!
It’s very common to hear somebody say something like “I took Spanish in school, but…” and then proceed to explain how their Spanish language skills are pathetic. How could spending years of time and effort in Spanish classes yield such poor results? The main reason is simple: they learned the wrong words.
To prove this, we offer the following example.
A high-profile and typical language learning company produced a list of 250 Spanish words that they called “Common Vocabulary Words”. We compared it with top 250 words from our high-frequency Spanish words list.
Here are the results.
The two images above contain the same text. The text was taken randomly from four different articles in a prestigious Spanish language newspaper. Specifically, the text was taken from articles in the sports section (about soccer), the culture section (about a musician), the science section (about the premier nuclear test facility in Europe), and the international politics section (about US involvement and withdrawal from Iraq).
So what is the highlighting all about? This is where it gets interesting. Every word from the typical “Common Vocabulary Words” list is highlighted in the first image, and every word from our high-frequency word list is highlighted in the second.
This example uses only 250 words! But it gets even better.
The image below has additional highlights for names of people and places [green] and for cognates (words that are spelled exactly the same or very close in English) [blue].
In case it isn’t clear now, I’ll just say it. A high-frequency word list is the best foundational tool for language learning. Period.
It takes time and effort to learn new words. If you spend your time and effort wisely, you can learn the 1% of words that you will run into no matter what your interests are. Language Possible courses are designed to teach that 1% of words first so that you can really enjoy the world that learning a new language will open for you.
There are so many great reasons to learn Spanish: practical business reasons, curiosity, love of people, cultural exploration, travel, and more. No matter what your motivations are, learning Spanish will benefit you for the rest of your life. Here are some of the best reasons why you should learn Spanish.
More than 400 million people around the world speak Spanish, making it the second most-frequently spoken language on Earth, behind Chinese and ahead of English (if you count only native speakers). It is an official language on 4 continents, the mother tongue in 21 countries, widely spoken in 21 others, and it is of historical significance worldwide. It is the second most used language in international communication, and an official language of the United Nations and its organizations. One in seven United States citizens and residents speaks Spanish as their primary language, and the Spanish-speaking population of the United States is also growing much faster than the average.
While this is true of almost all professions, of course a career in international business, communications, and tourism benefit from new language skills. If you are in healthcare or education, the benefits are also huge. In any case, knowing Spanish will help you communicate with Spanish-speaking employees or co-workers.
Hispanic consumers are the fastest-growing market segment in North America. Their population in the United States grew by 60% in just one decade and their buying power is estimated at over $1 billion. Worldwide, there are around 400 million people who could potentially benefit from the products and services of your business. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to have Spanish on your résumé.
Spanish is one of the easiest foreign languages to learn. The written language is extremely consistent, and there are only 5 vowel sounds (compared to 15 in English!). Many of the Latin root words in Spanish have English counterparts, making vocabulary acquisition much easier.
Learning Spanish can also help you learn other languages. Learning the structure of a language gives you a reference point for learning others. Like making millions of dollars, it gets easier after the first one because you have done it before and have more resources.
Whether you enjoy listening to new music, watching sports, learning to cook new things, reading famous literature, or just mastering interesting challenges, you’ll find them all in learning Spanish. Learning languages is also its own reward. You’ll find satisfaction and perspective that can only come from understanding other people and their culture.
Knowing Spanish can be the difference between a getaway and an adventure. It’s not just about being able to read the menu, either. It’s about getting outside of a hotel or resort and actually connecting with interesting people and experiences. Do you want to observe the world, or participate in it? It can even help you make the world a better place. Knowing Spanish can empower you to make a difference in the lives of people around the world.
Many English words came from Latin by way of French. Since Spanish is also a Latin language, you will increase your understanding of English vocabulary as you study it. Students who learn another language also score higher on tests in all subjects, especially Math and English. Not only that, it actually gives both children and adults improved critical thinking skills and creativity.
No, really. Learning another language reduces your chances of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s Disease. The cells that make up your brain are similar to those that make up your muscles, and if they get used, they stay healthy and strong longer. Besides, you’ll just feel more alive.
The Spanish Rulebook is a result of years of rigorous and extensive research in Spanish language instruction. This comprehensive reference is a must-have for any serious student of the Spanish language.
The Spanish Rulebook is really three books in one: pronunciation guide, grammar and verb resource, and usage manual. It is the perfect reference for any Spanish language student.
[button link=”http://www.mediafire.com/file/w9j2jzbapjvttph/Spanish%20Rulebook.pdf”]Click here to download the Spanish Rulebook for free![/button]
Over 1000 authentic, embedded audio examples of Spanish used in context
Clear and concise definitions for even the most complex linguistic concepts
Detailed grammatical constructions with charts, examples, and exceptions
Helpful usage advice with real-life examples
Precise and easy-to-use pronunciation guide
Unique and practical “Real Spanish” guide to understanding Spanish the way people really speak it
Generous coverage of common dialect differences including Castellano and Rioplatense
Much, much more
