If you want to learn to speak Italian, then you should know that with the right course choice and the right approach, you can be conversational in about eight weeks.
That doesn't mean that there is no effort on your part. You need to work at it, for at least an hour each day. But there is great motivation in knowing that if you do so, you will be able to hold basic conversations with an Italian speaker in eight weeks.
How can this be possible? Well, it is all in the tools you select and the approach that you take. Indeed, the tools required are those which support the approach, so let's deal with the approach first.
A classroom approach simply will not work. That is great for passing exams, but classes do not provide the right environment for quickly learning a language. Also, any online course which bases its structure on a classroom approach will not do the trick. You will learn lots of words. You will learn all about the structure of the perfect sentence. You will not learn to speak Italian conversationally.
Also, any course which claims to teach you the language just like a child learned it, by word / picture association, or flash cards, no matter how sophisticated their tools look are simply taking the wrong approach. Adults do not learn a second language the way children learned languages. The child's mind was empty and like a sponge. Adults are already thinking in their first language, so the brain doesn't receive the information about the new language like a child's mind would.
The fastest way to learn to speak Italian is to approach vocabulary, verbs and conjugation with a view to getting conversational as fast as possible. Are the online courses different in this regard? Absolutely! You need to tailor the words and verbs you learn to the types of conversations you want to have. That way, you are using the upfront time efficiently. Once you are capable of basic conversation, then you can worry about expanding your vocabulary. Believe me, it will be much easier.
So the right approach to learn to speak Italian fast is to be selective about what you learn in the early stages. Be ruthless with your time, and focus on those basic words and verbs that get you conversational. Then use tools which simulate immersion to expand your speaking skills.
Rocket Languages is the fastest way to Learn To Speak Italian.
Sunday, 21 February 2010
How to Learn Spanish
Are you studying in a place where you won't be interrupted? Yes? Great! But are you getting interrupted anyhow?
How can you change this? Do you need to turn off the TV? Unplug your cell phone? Ignore the "You've got mail" that pops up on your computer while you are working? Do you need to ask the other members of your household to respect the time you have put aside to learn Spanish?
If you have answered yes to any of these questions, it's a good idea to make some changes. Tempting though these things may be, uninterrupted study time is important. Although Spanish is probably starting to become part of your everyday life, and that's a good thing, spending time with your course is best done when you can concentrate.
Are you putting aside time each week for your course? Are you prioritizing this time so that is as important as your morning run or TV time at night? Bueno. But, are you finding it too easy to tell yourself you'll make up the time tomorrow if you miss a session today? Hmmm. If so, it might be a good time to stop, remind yourself that Spanish is now a priority in your life and you have made the decision to make time for it. You deserve it. Stick to your decision and stick to your study time. Who will benefit? You will! Learning Spanish is a wonderful adventure you have chosen to go on. You have great reasons for doing it and you will reap the rewards!
Keep up the fantastic work you have been doing, reward yourself for sticking to your plan, and focusing while you do. You're worth it!
Think about this: Do you have Spanish in your head? Are you trying to think in your new language? Do you find yourself looking at things and thinking thoughts en espanol? Fantastic. You have expanded your mind, enriched yourself, and changed your life a little. Keep it up!
However, if you are finding that Spanish is more like a hobby you have taken up, to be enjoyed only during those scheduled times, try to see it in a new way; it is now part of your life, part of you. Try to live and think as someone who knows more than one language. Remember to use Spanish, in your thoughts, in your daily interactions, in the course of your day. Listen to the Spanish station on the radio in the car, or even put your course dialogues on your MP3 player and listen while you work or get on with your daily activities. Make sure that you are finding ways not only to study Spanish, but to use it through the forums, online chat, or enjoying Spanish cuisine and culture in your free time. This is a smart way to work, not a hard way. Make it enjoyable, and fit it in around your real life and it won't be an extra, or another chose to do. It will be a pleasure, and your learning will take off like a rocket!
And remember, though it is important to follow a few rules, and make sure you study the course frequently, focus when you do, and make it a part of your life, you can decide the best way for you to learn (with your best learning style), and you can decide how to practice. Most of all, you can make sure that learning Spanish is fun! Fantastico!
Tip: Learn the Spanish alphabet! It is almost the same as the English one, but it is a little bit different, as it includes ch as one sound, ll as another, n as another and rr as yet another. The pronunciation of most of the letters is different too...it's important to learn them in Spanish, as people will get very confused if you need to spell your name to a Spanish speaker! For an excellent explanation on a practical quiz, go to section 1.8 of your course in the Grammar and culture section.
Liked the article and interested in learning Spanish? Check out the free learn to speak Spanish 6 day Course... Or jump straight to the Premium learn Spanish online course. For more tips check out my Spanish blog
How can you change this? Do you need to turn off the TV? Unplug your cell phone? Ignore the "You've got mail" that pops up on your computer while you are working? Do you need to ask the other members of your household to respect the time you have put aside to learn Spanish?
If you have answered yes to any of these questions, it's a good idea to make some changes. Tempting though these things may be, uninterrupted study time is important. Although Spanish is probably starting to become part of your everyday life, and that's a good thing, spending time with your course is best done when you can concentrate.
Are you putting aside time each week for your course? Are you prioritizing this time so that is as important as your morning run or TV time at night? Bueno. But, are you finding it too easy to tell yourself you'll make up the time tomorrow if you miss a session today? Hmmm. If so, it might be a good time to stop, remind yourself that Spanish is now a priority in your life and you have made the decision to make time for it. You deserve it. Stick to your decision and stick to your study time. Who will benefit? You will! Learning Spanish is a wonderful adventure you have chosen to go on. You have great reasons for doing it and you will reap the rewards!
Keep up the fantastic work you have been doing, reward yourself for sticking to your plan, and focusing while you do. You're worth it!
Think about this: Do you have Spanish in your head? Are you trying to think in your new language? Do you find yourself looking at things and thinking thoughts en espanol? Fantastic. You have expanded your mind, enriched yourself, and changed your life a little. Keep it up!
However, if you are finding that Spanish is more like a hobby you have taken up, to be enjoyed only during those scheduled times, try to see it in a new way; it is now part of your life, part of you. Try to live and think as someone who knows more than one language. Remember to use Spanish, in your thoughts, in your daily interactions, in the course of your day. Listen to the Spanish station on the radio in the car, or even put your course dialogues on your MP3 player and listen while you work or get on with your daily activities. Make sure that you are finding ways not only to study Spanish, but to use it through the forums, online chat, or enjoying Spanish cuisine and culture in your free time. This is a smart way to work, not a hard way. Make it enjoyable, and fit it in around your real life and it won't be an extra, or another chose to do. It will be a pleasure, and your learning will take off like a rocket!
And remember, though it is important to follow a few rules, and make sure you study the course frequently, focus when you do, and make it a part of your life, you can decide the best way for you to learn (with your best learning style), and you can decide how to practice. Most of all, you can make sure that learning Spanish is fun! Fantastico!
Tip: Learn the Spanish alphabet! It is almost the same as the English one, but it is a little bit different, as it includes ch as one sound, ll as another, n as another and rr as yet another. The pronunciation of most of the letters is different too...it's important to learn them in Spanish, as people will get very confused if you need to spell your name to a Spanish speaker! For an excellent explanation on a practical quiz, go to section 1.8 of your course in the Grammar and culture section.
Liked the article and interested in learning Spanish? Check out the free learn to speak Spanish 6 day Course... Or jump straight to the Premium learn Spanish online course. For more tips check out my Spanish blog
Learning the French Language
When you are learning a foreign language, and you have the feeling that you are progressing pretty well, you would be rather disappointed when you'd realized that you can't understand the language when it is spoken with a regional accents.
The French language has a wide variety of regional accents. Among the most popular ones are the northern accent (du nord), the Southern accent (du midi) the Perpignan accent (de Perpignan), the Lyon accent (Lyonnais), the Alsace accent (Alacien). The Brittany accent (Breton), and more.
All these accents are very different in tune and can make the French language sounds pretty different especially for foreign ears. The reason for this is that accents make words and even syllables sound very different from the more flat "none-accent" Parisian French.
How can you make yourself understand French regional accents better? The first thing you need to do is deepen you understanding of the French language in general. You must remember that if you have problems understanding any accent of the language it's because your French might not be strong enough. French natives have no problem understanding any of the many accents of France and two people of different regions could be speaking to one another just as if they had the same accent. This actually happens all the time!
The second thing you might want to do is listen to some of those regional French accents and get use to them. When you ears hear a new accent, they need to adapt to that new sounds or new tune. Once your ears are accustomed to the new tune, you understanding of the language with that particular accent will improve greatly.
Do you want to learn French or improve it like never before, and be able to understand all the different French accents?
The French language has a wide variety of regional accents. Among the most popular ones are the northern accent (du nord), the Southern accent (du midi) the Perpignan accent (de Perpignan), the Lyon accent (Lyonnais), the Alsace accent (Alacien). The Brittany accent (Breton), and more.
All these accents are very different in tune and can make the French language sounds pretty different especially for foreign ears. The reason for this is that accents make words and even syllables sound very different from the more flat "none-accent" Parisian French.
How can you make yourself understand French regional accents better? The first thing you need to do is deepen you understanding of the French language in general. You must remember that if you have problems understanding any accent of the language it's because your French might not be strong enough. French natives have no problem understanding any of the many accents of France and two people of different regions could be speaking to one another just as if they had the same accent. This actually happens all the time!
The second thing you might want to do is listen to some of those regional French accents and get use to them. When you ears hear a new accent, they need to adapt to that new sounds or new tune. Once your ears are accustomed to the new tune, you understanding of the language with that particular accent will improve greatly.
Do you want to learn French or improve it like never before, and be able to understand all the different French accents?
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