Language Learning: Learn Spanish for a Mid-Career Boost
Learning a foreign language is a great way to add a marketable skill to your resume, no matter what stage of your career you may find yourself in. The ability to speak Spanish can help new college grads beat out the competition for their first job just as easily as it can help workplace veterans […]
Language Learning: Spanish Noun Gender Tips
If you’re a native English speaker, the fact that other languages assign a “gender” to every noun is going to seem strange and superfluous, especially considering the gender has no other purpose besides telling you which article (el or la) and adjective ending (-o/-os or -a/-as) to use with the word. If you’re coming from […]
Language Learning: Setting and Meeting Goals
Well, January is almost over…how are those New Year’s resolutions holding up? If you’re already broken your resolution, don’t worry. You’re not alone, and it doesn’t mean you’re a horrible failure of a person. What it probably means is that you simply didn’t frame your resolution in a way that would enable you to succeed. […]
Language Learning: Is Chilean Spanish Bad?
Many people will tell you that certain places speak “better” Spanish or are easier for foreign students to adapt to. While it is true that accents and local slang can vary greatly from country to country–and even from city to city, that doesn’t necessarily mean that any one type of Spanish is better than another. […]
Language Learning: Dealing with Unfamiliar Words
When learning Spanish in South America, practicing with native speakers is key. After all, why bother traveling to a foreign country if you’re not going to interact with the locals? One major hurdle to get past is the fear of getting lost during the conversation. A native speaker doesn’t have access to a copy of […]
Language Learning: Verbling
Looking for more ways to continue practicing your Spanish after returning from your study abroad? Check out Verbling, a new online video chat system that matches you with people to practice with! Tell Verbling what language you want to learn and what languages you already speak, and it automatically matches you up with a practice […]
Language Learning: Animal Language
As a student learning Spanish, I remember being really amused to learn that animal “speak” differently in different languages. This is mainly because the way that we hear and transcribe sounds is affected by the conditioning of our native tongue. Here are a few examples: guau guau = woof miau = meow bee mee = […]
Language Learning: Keeping Skills Up
So you’ve finished your Spanish study abroad. Now what? Whether you’ve just spent a few weeks mastering the basics or a few months polishing your skills, you need to keep practicing Spanish after you go home if you hope to remember everything you’ve learned. Here are a few suggestions for how to keep from losing […]
Language Learning: How to Lose an Anglophone Accent
While you may be able to communicate fluently in Spanish, you’ll never be mistaken for a local as long as you have a foreign accent! Check out this article from Fluent in 3 Months for tips on correcting the most common mistakes English speakers make when learning a Latin language. Getting Rid of Your English […]