Blue Beetle Comic in Spanish...

Now this is pretty cool. Aparently, the Blue Beetle comis book is publishing its next issue almost entirely in Spanish. They are trying to go after a broader audience with this and reflects a trend going on in the US to appeal to the hispanic population. Here is the link if you would like to read the story:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/main/5728759.html

This is a great thing to start to see. Not only does it help with cultural understanding issues, but also gives those of you learning Spanish another interesting oppertunity to practice and have some fun.

Learn Spanish with Cartoons...

One of the best ways to add some fun and learn at the same time is to watch tv, movies and listen to music in Spanish. What your goal should be is to try and understand as many of the main points as you can. Don’t try and get into detail.

It is a funny thing, I have not seen any of the big animation kids movies in English yet. You know, Toy Story, Monsters Inc, ect. It does help your Spanish though.

Here is an example of a clip that I found on Youtube. Just an example.

Enjoy and good luck.

By the way, sometimes the voices in these things can be a bit cheezy! =)

Latin American Spanish all the Same?...

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day, and we were discussing the fact of whether there was a difference between Spanish spoken in Mexico and any other place in Latin America. They are learning Spanish now, and were concerned with this. Should they worry about it and try to find a program which addresses this issue?

You know what I told him? Honestly, no. What I notice, aside from different accents, is that there are some different idioms and phrases, which actually are not very usefull if you are not in the particular country where they are used, as well as some additional vocabualary like names of foods, etc. Even in the US, Canada and England you can see this. It doesn’t mean that somebody being interviewed in England who is from the great white north would not be understood.

Worrying about this type of thing when learning Spanish is a waste of time. Keep your focus!

Learn to Speak Spanish Online...

Everyone has been asking me lately if it is really possible to learn to speak Spanish online. I always say the same thing. Yes it actually is, if, and this is a big “if” you add additional activities to your learning. All or pretty much alll of the main Spanish learning programs available today work wonders, but there is only so much they can do.

You must add stuff. Like what? Well, go and buy some magazines in Spanish and sit down and just read. By the way when you do this, don’t have a dictionary there so you can look up all of the words you don’t know. This will not help, and in fact it can hurt your progress.

Rent a dvd that has spanish audio as an option. Watch the movie and try to understand the main points. Again, you do not have to understand every word. Use your imagination and practice as much as you can what these spanish programs are trying to teach you. Anything extra that you can add will help.

Best Way to Learn Spanish...

So what’s the best way to learn Spanish? Well it depends on what type of person you are and how you like to study. Me, I opted for the total immersion osmosis method. I came down to Mexico to work in a classical orchestra and quickly had to adapt.

Now if that is not a situation which presents itself to you, there are many decent options for learning Spanish. Attending a language school is one option, but this means a time commitment that may not be convenient for everyone. Studying on your own presents many advantages and challenges. If an online Spanish option is a possibility, several decent programs are Rocket Spanish, Learning Spanish Like Crazy, or Rosetta Stone. All of them work.

There are also other techniques that will help you learn Spanish quickly. Sign up for our 5 day free email course on Language Learning Strategies to find out.