Learn Spanish: Why Is It Important to Learn Spanish in the USA? Read this First!

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Why Is It Important to Learn Spanish in the USA?

Is it really important to learn Spanish or just a waste of time?

If you are second guessing or between the highways with this question, then hopefully this post today will give you a boost in the right direction.

If you asking yourself if you learn Spanish, then obviously there is a slight inkling of a desire to move forward. However, let me give you prefer facts along with some sources that may encourage you to learn Spanish.

why is it important to learn Spanish

Some Stats Showing Why It Is Important To Learn Spanish:

According to NY Post:

According to the US Hispanic Data Gallery , 18.2% of New Yorkers speak Spanish.

  • New Mexico has a population of 47% Spanish speaking
  • California & Texas has about 18%

According to List World, Spanish is probably the second most widely spoken language in the world with about 410 million native speakers. This represents 5.85% of the world’s population.

According to Pew Research Center, there 10 US cities that have the most concentration of Spanish speaking people: California, Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois, Arizona, New Jersey, Colorado, New Mexico, and Georgia.

If you live in ANY of these major 10 states, then you may definitely see the need to learn Spanish.

As according to QUARTZ at QZ.com, some very interesting statistics suggest that by 2050 there could more Spanish speaking people than any other country in the world.

These are just a few of many stats that you can find online that establish a need to learn Spanish. I don’t want to bore you with numbers, but if you really do some digging on Google this will help clear up any doubts to learn the Spanish language.

The True Benefits of Learning Spanish

 There are many true benefits of learn Spanish in the USA.

    • You will enjoy the best of both worlds.
    • Be able to get paid more for bilingual jobs [call centers, medical field, etc.]
    • Be able to communicate when traveling abroad
    • Be able to order in Spanish restaurants
    • Understand when people are talking about you & more!
  • Watch this video to discover other reasons why it is important to learn Spanish!

 

Why Is It Important To Learn Spanish In High School?

If Spanish is offered in your high school, then it would very beneficial to learn it. Why? There are several good benefits of taking advantage of these courses. For starters, it’s FREE!

When you graduate high school, the reality is that you will have to pay for Spanish courses and furthered formal education.

Another benefit of learning Spanish while in high school is that you will have the advantage of learning grammar and verb structure in a relaxed environment. The reality is that when you learn Spanish outside of school there are many nit bits that are often left that you will learn in a classroom setting. You will receive one on one attention and learn a comfortable pace.

Although there are many ways to learn Spanish on your own and improve your comprehension, listening, reading and speaking, high school is great start to break the ice. You can really get a good structure and understanding of the language to build on.

Why do I say this? Although high school method focuses more on the so-called “book Spanish method”, there are many phrases, terms and expressions that you will never learn in a classroom setting.

You will meet Spanish speaking people from all over the world who may use different sayings from their countries. However, learning Spanish in high school is a great idea.

Other Effective Methods to Learn Spanish Today

If you are young, then you know that you should take advantage of school to learn Spanish for free. But if you are not in school there are many other highly recommended methods that are effective to learn Spanish.

1.Language Exchanges 

Some people use language exchanges like iTalki to learn Spanish. These are setup to connect you with people Spanish who may also want to learn English. So basically you will exchange services.

2.Language Learning Software

There are many effective language learning software to help you learn Spanish. Some that I personally love that you can find today on Amazon are:

[Click the software link below to get details]

Spanish Living Language

Fluenz Spanish Latin America Software

Rosetta Stone Spanish Software 

3.Spanish Short Stories

These are another great way to learn Spanish. They help to improve your Spanish vocabulary and learn Spanish the fun way. If interested in these, I recommend these audios for beginners and intermediate learners.

4. Spanish Tutoring Services

There are many companies that offer Spanish tutoring services across the country. You may have some in your city. Or perhaps if you have a tight schedule, online Spanish tutoring services may be more suitable for you.  With these, you can get flexible private one-on-one sessions to learn Spanish at your own pace and schedule.

Conclusion

In today’s discussion, I have not only showed you why it is important to learn Spanish, you have learned many effective ways to achieve this goal. The truth is that there are many other ways to learn Spanish that we can’t detail in one reading.

However, the most important thing is to select a method above to use to learn Spanish and then practice daily what you learn with other Spanish speakers. Get out of your comfort zone and start speaking Spanish today!

Now let’s open it up to you. Did you like this discussion today about why it is important to learn Spanish today? Which method above will you use to start learning today? Your comments below please…

Spanish Books for Kids 2-4: 10 Best Ways For Kids 2-4 to Learn Spanish Fast!

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Are you looking for some Spanish books for 2-4 years old?

If so, then recently I came across some really great Spanish books that are really awesome tools to help kids learn Spanish.

If you are new to my blog, then you should know off back that I feel Spanish for kids is an awesome idea.

We all know that the brains of kids are like sponges and that they soak up everything. It’s for this reason that I have always felt that one should NEVER underestimate how much kids 2-4 learn even subconsciously. It’s also known that babies have the ability of learning multiple languages at a time. So there even more reason to start now if you have kids between the ages of 2-4.

Considering this proven fact, there is no need to wait until they commence school, nor traveling abroad. You can start using the best Spanish books for kids 2-4 to learn the language.

To find out more details on any of the Spanish books listed below, simply click on the book name and it will take you over to Amazon page for that book. I love Amazon because they have lots of fun books to help kids learn Spanish and other languages as well.

 

OUR RECOMMENDED BEST SPANISH BOOKS FOR KIDS 2-4

  1. La Gallina Cocorina
  2. My First Spanish Word Board Book
  3. Perro grande…Perro pequeno [Big dog..little dog]
  4. 500 Palabras Nuevas Para Ti [ 500 New Words for you]
  5. Eres Mi Mama?  [Are You My Mom?] Bright and Early Board Books
  6. Dragones y Tacos [Dragons & Tacos]
  7. Un Dia de Nieve [A Day of Snow]
  8. La Vida de Una Mariposa [The Life of a Butterfly]
  9. The Everything Kids’ Learning Spanish Book
  10. National Geographic Readers: Sigueme! [Follow Me] Animales Papas y Bebes

As a fluent speaker of the Spanish language, I highly recommend these Spanish books for kids 2-4. I think that they are very fun to ready and that your kids will have fun learning the language and different expressions.

The cool thing about all of these Spanish books for kids 2-4 is that they are all available online at Amazon as you could see above. I have included a special link that takes you directly to Amazon for my blog visitors. Simply click the Spanish book above to learn more about how to get your personal copy for your kids today!

I hope that these suggestions of my best Spanish books for kids 2-4 proves to be a great resource to learn the basics of the Spanish language! Tell me what you think below in comments. Also, don’t for get to share these with friends, family and other parents.

 

 

What is the difference between usted and ustedes? Answered here!

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What is the difference between usted and ustedes? 

If you are learning Spanish in school or trying to learn it by yourself you may be confused and wondering what is the difference between usted and ustedes.

If that is the case, then today I will lay out for you the difference between these 2 Spanish pronouns.

Also, later I will cover some basic examples using these in sentences.

On the previous article, we reviewed 2 major singular Spanish equivalents of “you” – Usted and Tú.

However, today I am going to help you to understand 2 things:

1) What is the difference between usted and ustedes? and..

2) How do you know when to use usted versus ustedes in Spanish conversations?

Now the first thing that you want to understand is that the pronoun “usted” is the formal form of “you“in English. When I say formal, I mean that usted is used as a sign of respect when addressing:

  • adults
  • elderly individuals
  • teachers
  • any superiors
  • individuals with authority or rank
  • someone that you don’t know / meet for first time
  • etc…

Got it? Okay great!

However, the Spanish pronoun”ustedes” is the plural form of “you“, sometimes rendered “you all”.

So, when do you use ustedes in Spanish conversation? Ustedes can be used for these groups types:

  • a group of all men
  • a group of all women
  • a mixed group of both men and woman
  • You + 3rd person;  (Example = You and Peter..)

Now that you know what is the difference between usted and ustedes and how they are typically used, now let’s look at some examples of these below.

For the purpose of this post, we will focus on a few Spanish verbs using present tense.

Examples:

¿Van ustedes a la playa? Are you all going to the beach?

Van ustedes tres al cine? Are you three going to the movies? or.. Are the three of you going to the movies?

¿Cuántos años tiene usted?  How old are you?

¿Comen ustedes arroz con pollo? Do you all eat rice with chicken? Or Are you all eating rice and chicken?

Usted y Pedro van a la biblioteca. You and Peter are going to the library.

Usted es muy buen bailador. You are a good dancer.

 

Now that you know the what is the difference between usted and ustedes, you can now start using these Spanish pronouns in conversations with native speaking in public.

If you are just starting to learn Spanish, something else that will help you to expand your vocabulary is to learn how to form the present participles in Spanish verbs.

 

What is the difference between usted and tu?

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What is the difference between usted and tu in Spanish?

This is a question that many learning Spanish wonder about and may not be sure when to use which in conversation. If that is your case, then I will give you a few pointers that will help you differentiate the two.

what is the difference between usted and tu

First off, you should know if not already that both “tu and usted” mean “you” in English. However, it’s important to know which pronoun to initiate almost ALL conversations if you are unsure.

Tu versus Usted – What You Need To  Know

I want you to remember that “tu” is used specifically with people that: 

  • are your same age or age group
  • with close friends / family members (brothers & sisters)
  • or with those that asked you to use this pronoun.

Whereas “usted” is used primarily for people such as:

  • adults
  • teachers
  • any superiors
  • individuals with authority or rank
  • someone that you don’t know / meet for first time
  • strangers
  • etc…

Why is it so important that you know what is the difference between usted and tu?

It’s really important to know what is the difference between usted and tú to avoid confusion and also show respect.

Let’s think about these for a minute…

In most cultures, typically you would never greet someone that you don’t know by their first names on your first encounter, right? It is always polite to address the person using titles or salutations such as Mr., Mrs, Ms. etc. followed by their last names.

Why? Well, to do otherwise could be considered as a lack of manners, respect or being overly familiar. Some may even feel offended..

what is the difference between usted and tu

Source

In Spanish, using the Spanish pronoun “tu” would be like a person in English inviting you to call them by their first name. This shift in address is like the official crossover from “I don’t you… to now we are cool and friends” stage in my opinion.

Yes, although these Spanish pronouns usted and tu both mean “you” in singular form, it’s important to recognize what the difference is & when it is deemed appropriate to use each. If you learn and understand this people will love and respect you.

Let’s recap.

What is the difference between usted and tu?

Tu again is used with people that you:

  • Know really well
  • Are your friends and
  • Typically in your same age group.

whereas..

Usted is used with people that:

  • Adults
  • Any superiors such as a teacher, boss, judge, police officer, etc
  • Elderly
  • First Encounters

I hope that this brief overview has helped you to clear up any doubts and to really appreciate what is the difference between usted and tu and when to use them in Spanish conversations.

Did this quick review help you to grasp what is the difference between usted and tu? If so, then maravilloso!

I would love to hear your comments below..

How to conjugate vivir in the present tense in Spanish

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How to Conjugate Vivir in the Present Tense in Spanish

Today, I will show you how to conjugate vivir in the present tense in Spanish.

Vivir, means “to live” in Spanish and in really easy to conjugate in the present tense. As you can see vivir is an ir verb. To form the present tenses in Spanish, you simply have to drop the ir ending and then apply the correct tail below.

yo vivo (I live)

tú vives (you live) (informal)

él vive (he lives)

ella vive (she lives)

usted vive (you live) (formal)

nosotros vivimos (we live)

ustedes viven (you all live)

ellos viven (they live) for all males or mixed group (plural)

ellas viven (they live) all female (plural)

Now, I want you to view some examples below of how to conjugate vivir in the present tense in Spanish:

Yo vivo en este vecindario. I live in this neighborhood.

¿Vives tú en esa casa roja? Do you live in that red house?

La escuela está muy cerca adonde él vive. The school is very close to where he lives.

Ella vive en Argentina. She lives in Argentina.

Los muchachos viven en con padres. The boys live with their parents.

¿Donde viven ustedes? Nosotros vivimos en New York = Where do you all live? We live in New York.

¿Vive usted en este edificio? Do you live in this building?

I hope that these brief examples above have helped you to see how to conjugate vivir in the present tense in Spanish.

 

 

5 Secrets How to Improve Your Spanish Listening Comprehension Skills

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How to Improve Your Spanish Listening Comprehension Skills

Looking for tips on how to improve your Spanish listening comprehension skills today? If so then we will cover this today on this post.

If you just started learning Spanish, then you are probably having a really hard time understanding different Spanish accents. This was something that I discovered when I started learning Spanish years ago. Keep reading below to see some simple Spanish learning tips that you can apply today to improve your comprehension of the language.

How to Improve Your Spanish Listening Comprehension Skills Using Spanish Tutoring Services

If you are having trouble comprehending Spanish in class, then Spanish tutoring services maybe key to help sharpen your listening skills. Sometimes students may not understand their Spanish teachers in school because they speak to fast. Is that your case? If so, you should try working one-on-one with a private Spanish tutor who can work with you personally and do things at your pace.

How to Improve Your Spanish Listening Comprehension Skills Watching Spanish Movies

You may not believe it, but you can learn a lot of Spanish by watching Spanish movies. I think that one good way to go about this is by watching videos with subtitles. By watching Spanish videos or tv programs, you will be able to improve your listening comprehension skills when hearing different accents.

How to Improve Your Spanish Listening Comprehension Skills Listening To Spanish Music

Spanish Music is great to help improve your comprehension. If you have a local Spanish radio station, you can listen to it daily. If not, try subscribing to radio services like iHeart, Pandora, or even Spotify. All of these have Spanish music stations that you can listen to. They have free versions and paid versions. Stick with the freebies.

Try listening to Spanish music on Youtube also. Try searching for songs that you know already in English. Type in the name of the song follow by “Spanish version”. This will give you Spanish artists who have done a rendition of the same song, but in Spanish. Sometimes you can even get subtitles in English. This is a great fun way to learn new Spanish words and will sharpen your listening comprehension skills.

Example: Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars (SPANISH VERSION)

How to Improve Your Spanish Listening Comprehension Skills Speaking To Natives

In most schools across the US, Spanish is taught with an emphasis on two main countries: Spain and Mexico. However, the reality is that there are 21 countries in the world the official language is Spanish. This means that if you stick to one way learning, then you are missing out on other accents, cultures, idiomatic expressions that you would never learn in a classroom setting. This explains why most students when hearing a Spanish word pronounced slightly different from the way it’s taught in school they are often lost.

For this reason if you live in or near an area where there are a lot of Spanish-speaking people from different countries, you could improve your Spanish listening & comprehension with them and become well rounded with the language. The more exposure you get, the more fine tuned your comprehension of the language will be.

How to Improve Your Spanish Listening Comprehension Skills Using Spanish Software

There are so many Spanish language learning software online that you can utilize to improve your listening skills. One of the main benefits of using them is that you can also hear accents from different countries. Some are inexpensive, while others may cost a pretty penny to buy. I recommend buying a Spanish software that’s in your budget. Most, if not all come with audio CD’s along accompanied by phrase books. To discover more ways to improve your listening skills using Spanish software, visit here.

As you can see in this brief discussion, there are many ways how to improve your Spanish listening comprehension skills. These are just a few of many that can get you going in the right direction. I hope that these tips will not only help you to understand Spanish, but also to build your confidence while communicating with natives.

What do you think about these suggestions? Your comments below.

 

 

English for Spanish Speakers – Learn English for Spanish Speakers Free Online

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English For Spanish Speakers

If you are looking for ways to learn English for Spanish Speakers Free Online, then today I will share one source that is great to utilize.

Whether you have been living here for a long time or recently arriving to the US, you no doubt recognize the importance of learning English.

According to Wikipedia, the English language is not only the official language of the US, however also that of 67 countries and 27 non-sovereign entities. It is said that some 360-400 million are native English speakers.

These figures are quite impressive and might blow your mind. But, I will not bore you with facts and stats about the English language. Rather, I want to give you want you came to site today for: How to “Learn English for Spanish Speakers Free Online“.

How to Learn English for Spanish Speakers Free Online?

Recently I came across a great site called esldesk.com that has some really cool ways to learn English for Spanish speakers. How does it work? Well, it’s quite simple. Watch this video below on how Spanish speakers can use esldesk.com to start learning English as a second language.


As you were able to see in the video above, esldesk.com is one of the best ways to learn English for Spanish speakers free online. You can learn basic Spanish vocabulary like:

  • Colors
  • Days
  • Months
  • Seasons
  • Cardinal Numbers
  • Ordinal Numbers
  • Weather
  • Family Related Terms
  • Personal Pronouns
  • Learn about Body Parts
  • Learn About Fruits & Vegetbales
  • How To Tell Time
  • Food

Why EslDesk.com Is Great To Learn English for Spanish Speakers Free Online?

Something that I think you will like about this site is that after each set of English vocabulary that you study, there is a quiz to take. Some students may not like quizzes or tests, but I think they are great because they help to retain quickly what a student has just learned.

After you finished the quizzes that esldesk gives you, you will see your score or grade. This is great because it allows you to test your knowledge quickly while the new English vocabulary is fresh in your mind.

Esldesk.com is simply one of many sources to learn English for Spanish Speakers Online Free. In addition to the free vocabulary, there are over 40 external ESL Links that are extremely helpful to improve your grammar, listening and comprehension skills on the site.

I hope that this site helps you to improve your writing, reading and speaking skills in English. I invite your comments below. Tell me where you are from and why you want to learn English.

source

Digital Dialects Spanish – Are They Great Spanish Games for Kids or Not?

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Digital Dialects Spanish

Have you heard of Digital Dialects Spanish? If not, then you should know that it’s a great FREE website online with Spanish games for kids.

At DigitalDialects.com/Spanish, parents can find great resources online such as games for learning some basics of the Spanish language. There on their site, kids can things like:

  • Phrases & Greetings
  • Numbers 1-100
  • Food
  • Animals
  • Days and Months of the Year
  • Colors
  • Clothing
  • Telling the Time
  • Units of Time
  • Fruits and Vegetables
  • Animals and Insects
  • Essential Spanish Verbs

Some Highlights of Digital Dialects Spanish

So how does Digital Dialects Spanish work? Well, for many of the sections, you can see an English vs Spanish comparison of various vocabulary. Kids can also listen to audio of the Spanish words to see how they are pronounced in Spanish. After studying and repeating the new vocabulary, kids can play brief Spanish games that help them to remember the new Spanish words that they just learned.

These Spanish games for kids are so interactive that they will have fun while learning the language. As mentioned in the beginning, this resource online is absolutely FREE to use and does not cost anything. If you are a parent who wants to start teaching your kids Spanish, then I think that DigitalDialects.com is a great place to start.

Will Digital Dialects Spanish Teach Kids Everything In Spanish?

No. This is a great starting point to get your kid’s feet wet and exposed at an early age to the Spanish language. Kids can learn a lot of basic terms and expressions that will help them to start speaking almost immediately.

Cons Of Digital Dialects Spanish

Although you can learn many Spanish verbs and useful expressions, you will not learn how to groups these to form sentences. As a linguist, I feel that this is important to really advance with the language and see how to engage in conversations. That is really the only 2 cons that I see with Digital Dialects program. However, let’s not forget that although it has great Spanish games for kids, it is a FREE language learning tool.

Why Use DigitalDialects.com Now?

We all know that kids learn and soak up information way faster than adults. They often retain information and learn things subconsciously. They are easy learners and the format in which Digitaldialects.com is very simple and easy to follow. Kids love games. In my opinion, any language learning resource that unites text with games are a great start for retaining a kid’s attention.

Recently, I came across some other great Spanish games for kids online at Amazon that you check out also to learn Spanish.

Free Spanish Learning Programs: 10 Free Spanish Learning Programs to Learn Spanish for Free

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FREE SPANISH LEARNING PROGRAMS

So today I will share with you 10 Free Spanish Learning Programs that you can use to learn Spanish from the comfort of your home. These are some great useful sources that I have found online that are completely free to use and don’t any person information on your part to utilize these. Now, with this small list here below, if you like you can click on them and they will take you personally over to their site.

However, before you review this list, I must state something important that you should keep in mind as a language learner. Free Spanish Learning Programs are limited and will not teach you everything that you need to know to speak it fluently.

If you want to learn Spanish on your own, then I think that these 10 free Spanish language programs below are a great start to get your feet wet. Another good thing about these sources listed is that although you DON’T have a personal one-on-one teacher, you DO have audio to be able to listen and hear vocabulary pronounced which I feel is extremely important for language learning.

Memrise

Babbel

Esldesk

StudySpanish.com

Duolingo

Busuu

Google Translate

BBC Languages

DigitalDialects.com

Learnalanguage.com

How Can You Get The Most Out Of Free Spanish Learning Programs?

These Free Spanish Learning Programs listed above are just a few of many that are online that you can use at your disposal to learn Spanish for Free. They will help you to learn some basic vocabulary terms and preliminary expressions in Spanish. I hope that this list will serve you well and help you start learning Spanish today.

There is one important thing that I have learned to become fluent and master Spanish. It doesn’t matter if you utilize free or paid methods to learn Spanish. It’s essential that you start speaking from day 1 with natives so it will stick to your memory faster. Don’t worry too much about making mistakes because it comes with the territory. Simply strive to use the new words that you learn to form questions and complete sentences to communicate with natives.

Have you used other Free Spanish Language Programs that have been effective to learn Spanish? If so, then let me know in the comments area how it is working for you!

Spanish Software to Learn Spanish? My Top 2!

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Should you use Spanish Software to learn Spanish or not? Read this first to see what I think!

My name is Wally, the guy behind spanishtutoringservices.com. Today I want to talk about using Spanish Software to learn Spanish and why I think they are great tools for self-education.

Although this website is dedicated primarily to Spanish tutoring services for kids and adults, this is a question that comes up. People have asked me many times what I think about the effectiveness of using software to learn Spanish. Would I use them or not? And if so, which programs are the best Spanish language learning software to use?

To see what I really think about the idea of using Spanish software to learn Spanish, watch this quick video below that I made at home. Let me know in the comments what you like most below..

 

=> BUY INSTANT IMMERSION SPANISH HERE <=

 

=> BUY LIVING LANGUAGE SPANISH HERE <=

 

Some Other Great Spanish Language Learning Software To Consider for Kids & Adults:

To find out more details about each software below, simply click the software.

  1. FLUENTZ SPANISH
  2. OUINO SPANISH
  3. ROSETTA STONE SPANISH
  4. ROCKET SPANISH
  5. BERLITZ SPANISH
  6. DISCOVER SPANISH (FOR KIDS)
  7. JUMPSTART SPANISH (FOR KIDS)
  8. LEARNING SPANISH LIKE CRAZY

As you can see above there are many different types of language learning software that you can purchase to help you learn Spanish on your own. As mentioned in the video above, I can’t highlight how extremely important it is that practice speaking Spanish with natives in public from day 1.

The 2 initial software that I mentioned in the brief video worked great for me to get nice foundation of the Spanish language. However, although super effective, I must say that one thing I was determined to do was speak Spanish with natives every opportunity I had. This is was a key contributor to my mastery and fluency of the Spanish language.

More About Using Spanish Software to Learn Spanish..

I want you to know that these Spanish software to learn Spanish that I have researched and listed above are highly recommended in the industry. If you click any of the 8 Spanish software above, it takes you directly to the Amazon site where you can purchase them. If you are already familiar with Amazon, then you know that Amazon provides a money back guarantee on these software. If you have a Mac or PC, you study from virtually any location which puts you in control of your study sessions.

I want to thank you personally for reading this quick overview. Once you decide which Spanish Software to learn Spanish above that is best for you, start learning Spanish today! I hope you much success!