What Kind of Spanish Course is Right for You?

article from April 28, 2011 (all links current as of January 2014)

by Julie R Butler

So you are planning to expatriate to Latin America, and it is time to commit yourself to learning Spanish. The reasons for learning Spanish are many, as are the options available. You are serious, perhaps you have studied some grammar books and have been learning vocabulary, but you need more than that. Now you are ready do what it takes, and it is time to decide what kind of Spanish course is right for you.

There are three basic types of courses to choose from, all of them requiring commitment and effort, but each offering different degrees of structure and flexibility.

1. Spanish Classes offer the most structured environment, with all the benefits of personal interaction with an instructor as well as with other students.

2. Language Software offers the flexibility to study at your own pace and on your own time schedule, with multimedia options providing the audio and visual tools that you can use according to what appeals to you the most.

3. Online Courses combine flexibility with interactivity, as such components as study modules, quizzes, and chats with instructors or others can be scheduled at your convenience.

The first option may sound old-fashioned, but it is tried and true. It requires the most commitment while providing the biggest payout in the form of interaction with other real-live human beings, which might just lead to socializing over cervezas, which, in turn, might even enhance your Spanish – or at least seem to, at the time.

However, not everyone has the luxury of time that a class demands, or you may still suffer from those recurring nightmares where you show up for your final exam an hour late and discover that you studied for the wrong exam (nooooo!). The software option is good for those who are very self-motivated and good with follow through. Of course, finding a good fit for yourself is important, and weighing the advantages of each program against their costs is not easy.

Here are a few things to consider when looking for a good course:

- Does the course accommodate different learning levels, or is it just a very basic learning tool for beginners? Most of the lower priced software programs fit into the latter category, each one focusing on a different aspect of language, so take stock of what your goals are. Are you looking to build up your vocabulary, or are you interested in learning phrases? Is knowing how to speak with proper grammar important to you, or would you like to focus on comprehension?

- A comprehensive course should offer reading, writing, and speaking lessons on basic grammar, sentence structure, and pronunciation. Regardless of what your focus is, learning all of these skills together is really the best way to grasp the way that the language works, and each will enhance your understanding of the others. However, you will have the option to pick and choose whatever interests you most.

- Does the software take full advantage of technology? Look for user-friendly navigation tools, voice recognition software that will help you correct your pronunciation, dictionaries and parallel texts in English and Spanish, audio and visual aids, and step-by-step instructions.

- Will the lessons hold your interest?

- Does the course offer books, study pages, CDs that you can listen to in your car or elsewhere while you are doing other tasks to help reinforce the lessons?

- Does the company offer online support? If so, is it via email, forums, or live assistance?

- Is there a money-back guarantee or a free preview or trial?

The third option, the online courses, offer a variety of situations, from sites that offer free lessons to high-tech private instructions, providing you with the most flexibility and the widest range of learning tools. The free sites may offer useful tools for learning as much as you can at your own pace, or the free instruction is an introduction for courses that charge a fee.

Here are some listings and reviews:

Language Software:

http://www.thebestwaytolearnspanish.org/

http://spanishlanguagecourses.com/

http://learn-spanish-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

Online Courses:

http://futureexpats.com/learn-a-new-language-online

http://www.onlinespanish.org/

http://www.italki.com/learn-spanish/en-us

Julie R Butler is a writer, journalist, editor, and author of several books, including Nine Months in Uruguay and No Stranger To Strange Lands (click here for more info). She is a contributor to Speakout at Truthout.org, and her current blog is Connectively Speaking

email: julierbutler [at] yahoo [dot] com, Twitter: @JulieRButler

Learning Spanish: Get In the Groove

article from November 23, 2010
by Julie R Butler

Learning Spanish will enhance your life immensely in Latin America, even though you can often get by without it. But don’t put off learning on the assumption that immersion will make it happen when you can get further ahead of the game before you leave the States. Whether you are taking Spanish language courses or not, there are several other ways to get in the groove.

Spanish language television offers a variety of programming that helps to accustom your ear to the flow of the language. Choose whatever will interest you, whether you are a news hound, you love Animal Planet, or you have a passion for soap operas. I have to say that I have found the dubbed narrators of documentary-type shows such as National Geographic to speak the most clearly and carefully. But, again, pick something that will hold your interest for the best results.

My favorite method is watching movies that are in Spanish with English subtitles. Also, most DVDs have Spanish subtitle options, so you can make a lesson out of sitting back with a bowl of popcorn and the wonderful world of Netflix.

I have often heard the claim that Latin Americans learned their excellent English by watching soap operas or other television shows in English with Spanish subtitles, and one young woman we met said she learned all her English from the Simpsons. Now, I do not recommend watching the Simpsons dubbed in Spanish as a learning tool because the voices are ridiculous, they have to speak very fast to keep up, and it is all very distracting. On the other hand, even though I’m not fond of dubbing in general, there is some value to watching a beloved movie or show that you are already quite familiar with to pick up on phrases and vocabulary.

As for reading, comic books are what people always seem to recommend. But they are full of slang that is not terribly useful for navigating normal, everyday life. Newspapers are helpful, where pictures and context aid in the battle to understand. However, you may not be too keen on the very graphic photos of auto accidents that are usually included, and I’m not sure how important it is to know the seemingly 101 euphemisms for dying that accompany them. What I found to be the most helpful in the early stages of my learning were children’s books and literature for young adults that you are already familiar with (Harry Potter, capaz?).

Of course, anything with an English translation available is also very helpful. I have discovered that articles about Latin American culture, history, people, and other such topics that appear on Wikipidia in English have often been translated from the Spanish language version of Wikipidia, so going back and forth between the two can be enlightening.

The point is to jump in and make some kind of effort, the more enjoyable the better. Every little bit helps.

Julie R Butler is a writer, journalist, editor, and author of several books, including Nine Months in Uruguay and No Stranger To Strange Lands (click here for more info). She is a contributor to Speakout at Truthout.org, and her current blog is Connectively Speaking

email: julierbutler [at] yahoo [dot] com, Twitter: @JulieRButler