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Languages

Importance of Language Guide 2024

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Importance of Language Introduction

What is Language?

Language is the ability to acquire and use complex systems of communication

Language is thought to have originated when early humans started gradually changing their early communication systems. The structures of language as having evolved to serve specific communicative and social functions.

Language is not the creation of one person or of one period but it is an institution, on which hundreds of generations and countless individuals have worked on

Language is thought to have originated 10,000 BC

Language Development

Importance of languages development

Languages were typically spoken not written. Now, languages evolve and diversify over time. The production of language is a continuous process.

Humans acquire language through social interaction in early childhood, and children generally speak fluently when they are approximately three years old.

Languages develop to be used for 3 Objectives:

  1. Informative Language Objective – [communicate any information]
  2. Expressive Language Objective – [Express emotions and feelings]
  3. Directive Language Objective – [Performace Actions]

Language is one of the most fundamentally characteristic of the faculties of Humankind

Therefore, the importance of language for society cannot be minimised. The importance of language is essential to every aspect and interaction in our everyday lives and for wider society.

Why are Languages Important?

In an increasingly globalized world, just getting by with your home language is no longer enough. Those who can speak one or more foreign languages, as well as their native language, have many advantages.

In this Importance of Language Guide, we explore the Importance of Language in terms of [Business, Cultural and Individual Perspective]

  • From a Business perspective, it can be quite beneficial to know foreign languages in order to connect and network with people from all over the globe.
  • From a Cultural perspective, learning a foreign language gives you a chance to experience an entirely different culture in a very intimate way. A cultural is deeply integrated with its language, so to truly experience it you have to speak the foreign language.
  • From an Individual Perspective, Speaking a foreign language can be a highly enriching experience. Learning a foreign language can also be a lot of fun, and give the student a great feeling of accomplishment.

Importance of Languages for the Individual

1. Importance of Languages for Personal Communication

Language Personal Communication

Language is not only a mode of communication between individuals but is also a way for the expression of their personality.

We use language to:

  • inform the people around us of what we feel
  • what we desire
  • question/understand the world around us

We communicate effectively with our words, gestures, and tone of voice in a multitude of situation.

Would you talk to a small child with the same words you would in a business meeting? Being able to communicate with each other, form bonds, teamwork, and it’s what separates humans from other animal species. Communication drives our lives and better ourselves. 

Even with the ability to communicate with each other. Misunderstandings happen. Remember, communication is a two-way street that should be embraced and not ignored.

2. Importance of Languages for Personal Development

Believe it or not, some people can be arrogant to believe they can’t go to foreign countries without knowing anything about the language or culture of the people in the places they visit.

The importance of language is beneficial regardless if you do it for fun or for your career or even just for personal travel. They expect the indigenous people to accommodate them and know their language.

The importance of language isn’t much different no matter what your nationality is. Honestly, if you were to study other languages you will find that most of them are actually pretty similar. Mainly the differences are in alphabet, pronunciation, and grammar with the syntax generally staying the same.

We should use it to show our understanding of the cultures and lives of our fellow men in other lands. We should go behind the outer shell and see the speaker beneath.

3. Importance of Languages for Career Development

improve your career with new languages

The importance of languages really shines in your career and business with companies trying to reach global audiences and markets. More and more business leaders recognize to compete you have to have knowledge of many foreign languages.

Your colleagues/clients will be more likely to trust what you are saying and there will be a more intimate relationship than if you were to conduct all communication through a translator. This could be an important step in building strong and lasting business relationships that help ensure the success of your own business.

More and more school are recognizing the importance of language. Some schools begin offering to teach a second language as early as middle school.

Many schools and employers are requiring specific language requirements as part of their application process.

4. Importance of Languages for Understanding Culture

spread culture carrier language

Knowledge of other languages, as well as their culture, shows that you respect the ideas that they bring to the table and you understand their needs and wants better than somebody who does not have this background. Through language, we can connect with other people and make sense of our experiences.

Our language is the most important part of our being. It’s important to learn other languages besides our own because it helps us to learn about other peoples and cultures but the most important one that we can learn is our own mother tongue as this is one of the most basic parts of our identity.

If we lose our own tongue, for example, when we grow up in a country which is not our own, in my opinion, we are losing a part of ourselves. It is an important attribute of his personality.

5. Importance of Languages for Developing Children

Children with languages

Imagine what it must be like for your child to develop these skills that we take for granted.

As a parent, teacher, or another type of caregiver, you shape a child’s language development to reflect the identity, values, and experiences of your family and community. Therefore, it is up to you to create a warm and comfortable environment in which your child can grow to learn the complexities of language.

The communication skills that your child learns early in life will be the foundation for his or her communication abilities in the future.

Strong language skills are an asset that will promote a lifetime of effective communication.

Important of Language to Society

Important of Language to Society

Importance of language to society is clear. It has led man from mere clumsy animal to a human being in the real sense of the word. It has simplified the conveyance of ideas, smoothed social contacts, conserved our culture and transmitted it to future generations.

1. Importance of Languages for Improved Social Contact

improve social skills language

Society, as we have seen, is a web of social relationships which imply the development of social contacts among individuals with language contacts become easy to be established because men can easily exchange their ideas.

According to E. H. Sturtevant, “A language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols by which members of a social group cooperate and interact”

2. Importance of Languages for Culture-Carrier

Spreading Culture via Languages

Ideas require language. Sometimes an idea or concept is hard to translate because the language has no words with which to express it.

Language conserves our culture which it passes to posterity. Language may be called culture-carrier. The culture that exists at a given time and place has come from the past and is the result of the accumulation of things, attitudes, ideas, knowledge, error and prejudice.

We get co-operation of other people by using the language which expresses our feelings, thoughts and passions. Through conversation, we get mental and emotional satisfaction

The animals as we have seen are incapable of speech except for a few sounds and so incapable of having any culture and civilization. It is a man alone who through language has acquired a high degree of culture and civilization.

As pointed out above it raised a man from a savage state to a noble state.

Sociologically, language moulds the individual from infancy.

3. Importance of Languages for Spreading Ideas

Spreading ideas languages

A language gives a capacity for spreading ideas about a great variety of things. People get benefits from the knowledge and experience of one another in the same language. Media of the same language will enhance the knowledge of the people of the society.

In times when there was no language, the ideas were transmitted by signs or cries which were not easy to interpret. Humans felt great difficulty in the clear expression of states of emotion or signs.

But with the invention of language now a number of ideas and states of emotion can be conveyed in an easy and simple way.

A language that could transmit an idea such as “the flood came and destroyed the houses” through delicate variations in sound was an achievement far superior Lo the transmission of ideas by a variety of cries.

Explore more Importance of Language


Importance of French
Importance of German

Importance of Spanish
Importance of Italian

Importance of Chinese
Importance of Hindi

Importance of Arabic
Importance of Russian

Importance of Korean
Importance of Japanese

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Categories
Languages

Language Learning Tips Guide

Learn Languages Tips

Guide to Language Learning tips

Top Ways to Learn/ Study Languages

• Use a grammar book.

• Play Free Duolingo.

• Play Memrise.

• Ask questions on HiNative.

• Talk to natives.

• Watch Foreign movies.

• Read Foreign Language books.

• Read articles in your target language for your homework/projects.

• Keep a diary.

• Make Language flashcards.

• Make mind maps.

• Use mnemonics.

• Pretend to talk on the phone with someone in your target language.

• Make sentences with what you have around.

• Name everything around you when you’re bored.

• Sticky notes everywhere.

• Fake it till you make it.

• Make mistakes.

• Read comments from youtube.

• Learn poems.

• Translate texts.

• Read dictionaries. (Yes, read, not memorize)

• Play games.

• Think daily at least 10 minutes in your target language.

• Solve grammar exercises online.

• Read grammar explanations.

• Read on Matador articles related to your target language.

• Read vocab lists on tumblr.

• Watch youtube channels with natives.

• Copy-cat what you hear.

• Learn by heart different songs.

• Challenge yourself with more difficult tasks.

• Write a story with your new vocab.

• Translate from your target language to your native and the other way around.

• Make a summary for what you read. (in your target language)

• Find a language partner/pen pal.

• Join a group with learners.

• Talk on Skype.

• Read fanfiction.

• Listen to Forgien Language podcasts.

• Play Closemaster/WordBrewery/BabaDum.

• Teach someone else.

• Try online tests.

How do you start learning a foreign language?

  1. The best way to learn a foreign language is to start young – the younger the better. Indeed, the ultimate goal of learning a foreign language is to be able to speak, not as if you were speaking a second language, but as a native speaker, and this can only really happen if you learn the language from a very young age. Of course, for many people, this is no longer an option.
  2. Aside from the obvious step of taking formal classes, either in person or online, you can try immersing yourself in the foreign language.
  3. There is a huge variety of foreign language MP3/Audio Books available.
  4. Or find foreign language reading material in the language you are trying to learn. Of course, this will be easier if the foreign language is related to a langue you already know. For example, if you speak English you will recognize a lot of the words used in a French newspaper. If you pick up a newspaper written in Arabic, however, you would likely not even know where to begin.
  5. No matter how you are attempting to learn a foreign language, the key is practice, practice and practice. Try to use the foreign language as much as possible, speak it, listen to it, and write it whenever you can. It is especially important to communicate with native speakers. Foreign languages are living, breathing skills that need to be used to thrive, so get out there and start talking maintenance!
  6. Take your TimeTo learn a foreign language in a perfect way, you need to spend much more time in it. Reading, listening and speaking are the three most important factors of learning a language. Therefore, you need to read books, magazines, newspapers in that particular language. Listening to music and speaking will help you to improve your correct pronunciation
  7. If possible, Travel to the Country where the language is spoken nativelyTravelling to that country where the language is spoken natively will give you a good experience. Being there will help you to understand their culture, tradition and their values with the language. In this way you will quickly get used to it, you will speak and pronounce the language as it is, you will behave in their body language, and you will also learn words which you will never learn in books because of regional accents.If you can’t locate any individual that talks your language nearby, aim to get in touch with a person on Skype. People in foreign countries are usually ready to exchange half a hr of speaking in their native tongue for half an hour of speaking in English. A Hello talk account is one more option.
  8. Be a Member of Foreign Language CommunitiesAll languages have their communities and it is a good way to practice and learn your foreign language. It will help you to understand where like-minded people share their thoughts, ideas and opinions.You should connect with a native speaker. Hands down, the best method to discover a new language is to talk it. Too often, individuals spend all their time studying grammar and also memorizing listings of words as opposed to really heading out there and placing just what they’ve learned into technique. Talking with an actual, online individual will assist you to really feel a lot more inspired regarding learning the language compared to staring at a book or computer system screen.Search for a good friend or associate who speaks the language you wish to discover and that ‘d be willing to take a seat with you as well as help you exercise. As an alternative, you could possibly try placing ads in regional on the internet discussion forums or newspapers to locate a person to tutor you or participate in a language exchange.

How Long Will it Take Me to become Fluent a foreign Lanaguage?

It is very important to have the right expectation when you start to learn a language. How long it will take you to become fluent depends on a few factors:

Factor 1: What do you define as fluent?

“Fluent” means different things to different people. Do you want to sound indistinguishable from a native speaker? That is a feat that not everyone can achieve, and if you are to achieve it, it probably means you will have to move to the country where the language is spoken and immerse yourself for years.
But if you want to be able to have a well-flowing conversation with a native speaker, that will be possible in a much shorter time. You can learn up to 80% of a language relatively quickly, but the closer to 100% fluency you want to get, the more effort you have to put in.

So how long does it take you to get to 80%? It depends on the other factors below.

Factor 2: Which languages do you already speak, and which language do you want to learn?

If you are Japanese and want to learn Mandarin, you have the advantage that much of the Chinese characters (“Hanzi”) are very similar to the Japanese ones (“Kanji”).

If you already speak French, it is much easier to learn languages related to French, such as Spanish, Italian, Romanian and Portuguese. In the Netherlands, there are special Dutch classes and learning methods for people from Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. A German friend of mine picked up near-native sounding Dutch while playing with Dutch friends on the street.

Conversely, if you are a Westerner wanting to learn Chinese, it will take you much longer because of the totally different structure of the language and the lack of recognizable words. It is possible to learn the language, but it will take you at least double the time of learning a related language.

Factor 3: How much time and effort can you bring to the table?

Being realistic when you start out learning a language helps to avoid later quitting in disappointment. A major factor in learning languages is how much time you are willing and able to put into it. In mathematics, there may be wonderkids who can simply “get” complex equations almost instantly, but learning a language is hard work, even for the most gifted language learners.

Do not just count how much time you can spend sitting in a classroom, also think about how much time you can spend revising between classes. Are you in an environment where you HAVE TO speak the language? Do you have roommates whom you can only converse within the language you are learning? Do you watch movies or try to read books in the language you are learning? All of these things count towards your time spent learning and really help you to speed up the learning process.

Study the language every day.

People often claim to have studied a language “for 5 years” and also still not be fluent. Yet when they claim five years, they most likely suggest that they examined the language for only a number of hours a week over that whole time period. Let’s get one point clear– if you wish to learn a brand-new language promptly– that is, in the space of a few weeks or months– you’re going to need to commit to examining the language for a number of hrs daily.

Language learning is based on repeating– hammering something into your brain over and over once again up until you remember it. If you damage too lengthy in between study sessions, you are much more susceptible to forget just what you found out last time and also you will throw away beneficial study time going back over just what you’ve currently learned.

You could minimize this lost time by researching everyday. There are no amazing shortcuts when it comes to language discovering– you merely have to commit.
Learn the alphabet of the language you are discovering, if necessary. It will make it substantially much easier for you and you will be able to read and also pronounce words, which will aid you memorize them with greater ease. Plus, it is better for you to be sounding the words out rather than looking at the romanization for the words.

Factor 4: Are you passionate about the language? Are you good at learning languages?

In my life, I have taken classes in English, German, French, Spanish, Ancient Greek, Latin and Mandarin, and in each of these classes, I have seen some fellow learners pick up the language faster than others. It is a matter of how our brain works. Some people are simply better at reproducing sounds and seeing patterns in languages. It also helps if you have learnt other languages before, even if they are not related to the language you are learning. The 3rd language you learn will be easier than your 2nd language.

Conclusion
How fast you will become fluent in a certain language depends on a number of factors, such as:

What you define as being fluent;
How related the language is to your native language;
How much time and effort you can put into learning the language, and
Your passion and aptitude for learning languages.
You might have hoped to get a number from me as an answer to this question. To give a very broad estimate, I would say 80% fluency can be achieved in a matter of months if you dedicate yourself to it full-time (a few hours every day). If you only have a few hours every week, it will take you 1-2 years to hit the 80% mark.

Learn Languages Fast – Three Techniques to Learn Languages Faster

In this article, I will be sharing three of the best and easiest techniques I have to learn languages fast. Learning a new language can be a very exciting and fun journey, I’m sure. Some people, however, want to speed up the process and time it takes to learn languages fast.

Here are some tricks and techniques to help understand how to learn languages fast and easy. But these techniques will still require some time and effort on your part.

Technique 1: Focus on improving your memory skills

The strength of your memory skills is the most important factor when trying to learn languages fast. Most people don’t use their memory skills to their full potential that becomes a big obstacle when trying to learn languages fast.

One of the simplest techniques to increase memory ability is word association. Word association is learning new foreign words with similar words that you may already know. Try to divide the new words into syllables and find words in your vocabulary that that share similar sounds or remind you of every single syllable of the new foreign word you’re trying to learn.

Another easy technique is through repetition. Simply saying and writing a word over and over again. Repeat use of a word helps your memory’s ability to retain and remember that word.

Technique 2: Shorten the amount of time you study.

Adults tend to have a short attention span. In fact, studies have shown that a healthy and fit adult would stay interested and attentive to a certain repetitive task for up to a maximum of 20 minutes! Just 20 minutes! And that’s the attention of a healthy adult towards a task he does daily.

A person usually has a maximum of a 20-minute attention span. This means that after 20 minutes, you’ve most likely lost interest in your lesson. When you’re studying a new language, you should keep your learning sessions to about 15 to 30 minutes at a time. Take frequent, short breaks with some snacks. These breaks and short learning sessions will keep you more focused and your brain will be more sharp, relaxed and focused.

Perhaps the easiest of all the techniques to learn a language fast, you need to keep your study period short. Keep your sessions to 15 to 30 minutes and take 5 to 10-minute breaks in between. Also, be sure to munch on some light snacks to keep your energy.

Technique 3: Create a designated area or room to study.

There are many techniques to learn a language fast and it would be a very big help if you study in the same place and at the same time. Creating a familiar setting for your brain will make it easier for you to learn.

This is why it is necessary that you create your own personal space for your speed learning languages lessons. The human brain responds better when used in an area or situation is comfortable with. A simple area that has little to no distractions. Once your brain gets accustomed to the environment around you, it will automatically program and set your mind into “learning mode.”

It is important to note here that your study area does not need to be a whole room or has to be big or something. It could just be a small desk in your room. Just keep it uncluttered and relaxing. The more relaxing or calming a place is, the same will happen to your brain. And a relaxed and calmed brain means that it is most susceptible to learning new things and more importantly retain the information.

That’s it – the three techniques on how to learn languages fast. Don’t forget that it’s all about your approach – if you believe that something is easy, it will be easy. Really, it all depends on you – every language can be easy and you can learn it fast if you are optimistic and persistent.

Live through your new language on a daily basis. Watch movies, listen to music, podcasts, chat with native speakers, exchange e-mails, speaking on Skype, write a journal, play games. Many people don’t use their new language right from the beginning and that’s why they have a hard time learning it. Good luck and have fun while learning!

Three Easy Tricks to Learn Multiple Languages Easily

Many people start with the belief that learning a second language is something that is beyond their reach. This is very untrue, it is quite possible to learn multiple languages easily. Learning multiple languages actually becomes easier the more you learn.

Truth is, the first language people learn in their life will be their hardest to learn. Because your first language is learned out of necessity by trial and error for the several years of your life. To learn multiple languages easily takes mostly motivation to do.

Learning multiple languages easily is not as far-fetched as you might believe. Most people are scared of the amount of time and effort needed in learning a second language. But there are three easy tricks to learn multiple languages easily, whether you’re learning them at the same time or one at a time in succession.

1.  Creative lessons into a small daily routine

It’s easier to absorb information and knowledge in smaller and more precise lessons. Trying to cram too much information at once, makes it harder to retain it. Breaking down learning sessions of several hours into daily languages lessons of 30 to 60 minutes lessons. Don’t be afraid to spend extra time and attention on things that are giving you trouble.

2. Learning Languages for something your already passionate about.

This can easily be the most useful language learning tool. Because it ties into something you’re already interested in. For example, if you are into Japanese anime, Hindi Bollywood films, or Korean pop music.

You’ll probably experience some grammatical errors at first but merging language learning with something you’re already passionate about is a natural way to develop your language learning skills.

3. Flashcards with everyday objects you interact with.

Many linguists suggest that using everyday objects with flashcards or small notes placed on the object itself. That image of the object with the word next to it, helps your mind associate the word with that object. Basics of learning a language on common words that relate to eating & drinking, transportation, and work.

Remember that learning a language is a long-term commitment. Probably spend the rest of your life learning new words and never be done completely learning. If you plan to learn multiple languages, you should think ahead and come up with a list of priorities, set some goals before going for it.

Three Things Every Language Learner Should Do

Looking for a way to boost your language learning speed and success? Here are a two ideas that I think everyone should embrace.

  • Stick to short study sessions. Scheduling six 20-minute lessons scattered throughout the week will net you more results than one two-hour session on the weekend. The regular exercise you give your faculties will help things stick, apart from giving everything time to sink.
  • Invest in good tools. Every student, whatever subject they’re looking to master, can benefit from the use of proper tools to help them succeed. It doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg either. A good language-learning software, along with a few small reference materials, can prove a terrific set of tools to get by on.
  • Make time for practice. Whether you get your practice time by going through lessons with fellow learners or diving into a crowd with native speakers, you need to find an outlet to use what you’ve learned. Without that, you’ll like find a difficult time integrating it into your natural skillset.

Those three things sound particularly simple and basic. Yet, you’ll be amazed at the number of language learners who aren’t doing them. In my opinion, they’re the foundation of every successful language training endeavor. Get them done and you give yourself a bigger chance of coming out on top.

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Importance of Languages

Importance of the Spanish Language

Guide to Importance Spanish Language

Why it’s Important to Learn the Spanish Language?

The importance of the Spanish language is the third most spoken language in the world after Mandarin Chinese and the Hindi language.
It is estimated that Spanish is spoken in more than 25 countries all over the world and has about over 500million native speakers.

The importance of Spanish is beneficial regardless if you do it for fun or for your career or just for personal travel.

Recent polls of college students show Spanish is the most popular choice as a second language of U.S.college students, surpasses other language favorites such as French, and German.

Spanish Language and Culture

The culture accessible through Spanish is very rich and rewarding. There are many ways you can use it to enjoy your Spanish from the comfort of your home.

Spanish music is very popular throughout Mexico and parts of the United States.

Salsa and other forms of Spanish dance are also popular in the United States. Spanish movies don’t enjoy the large budget of Hollywood movies, but there are a good amount of decent Spanish films that you can buy with Spanish and English subtitles. So you can also enjoy learning the importance of Spanish in a more entertaining fashion.

You could spend all your life travelling between each Spanish-speaking country and never see the same location twice. The former Spanish empire was so great that basically anywhere you go could be of some Spanish descent. The two more popular tourist locations are Spain and Mexico. Spain is the second most visited country in the world for its amazing beaches in all of Europe. Also houses many historical towns, churches, and monasteries. Even if you are a casual traveller, travelling in a Spanish-speaking nation it will be easy for you to interact with the local population on your own without depending on an interpreter. You can easily go to places on your own because you can read sign boards and guiding instruction which will be in Spanish. This will certainly enhance the quality of your travel.

Spanish Language and Business

The combined GDP of Spanish-speaking countries is one of the highest for any language, surpassed only by English and Japanese. The importance of Spanish as a business language in many large areas of the United States, the world’s biggest economy. Throughout the world, there is a very fast growing Hispanic background market that knows the importance of the Spanish language. In a decade, it is possible that the chances of the United States declaring itself a bilingual state with Spanish and English as Official languages. Countries all over the world teach Spanish as part of a world-class educational program and a very important language to know to compete in the world economy.

Spanish is one of 6 official languages of the United Nations:

  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese
  • English
  • French
  • Russian.

Spanish Language – Easy to Learn!

Spanish at its essence is an easy language to learn since it lacks the complex difficulties of languages such as Russian, Chinese, or Japanese. Spanish is a Romance language and shares the same difficulties as other Romance languages such as word genders, irregular verbs, and conjugations. Other Romance language include French, Latin, Italian, and various others. Some vocabulary is shared with other Romance languages as well.

All languages evolve with time and Spanish is no exception. To genuinely understand the importance of the Spanish language you need to learn the language yourself so you can receive the full benefit of this amazing language. In fact, the latest research has shown that learning a second language helps fight against Alzheimer’s disease and slows down the ageing effects of the brain.

List of Spanish Language Countries

How many countries have Spanish as their official language?

List of countries in which Spanish has full legal or official status or in which Spanish is widely spoken.

Countries where Spanish is an official language:

Spanish Speaking Countries in Europe

  • Spain
  • Andorra
  • Gibraltar

Spanish Speaking Countries in Africa

  • Equatorial
  • Guinea

Spanish Speaking Countries in the Americas and the Caribbean

  • Argentina
  • Bolivia
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Cuba
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • El Salvador
  • Guatemala
  • Honduras
  • Mexico
  • Nicaragua
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Puerto Rico
  • United States
  • Uruguay
  • Venezuela

Finding The Right Way To understand The Spanish Language

The most efficient way to understand Spanish for you will depend on what makes you comfortable. Here are five ideal alternatives that have used by others to successfully
understand Spanish:

  1. Try and find some good books for memorizing Spanish – There is a whole array of books which can help you understand Spanish in easy steps at home. Look out for books, which have pictures, are bi-lingual and have a good teaching structure. Talk to the sales people about which books they would recommend for whatever level you need. Also, ensure that you have a very good dictionary Spanish-English (or your native language)-Spanish.
  2. Look at the classifieds in your local newspaper for advertisements – there are bound to be a number of language institutes, which teach Spanish in your area. Check your newspaper to find when and what their terms for enrollment are and their costs. Keep in mind that the place should be as close as possible to your home to keep down the travel time and costs to the minimum.
  3. Make sure you read a lot – This is really important and beneficial. This is definitely one of the easiest ways to understand Spanish (or any other language) because this is the only way you can increase your vocabulary and learn about to use the words in the right context. You will find that the more you read, the more you will be able to think in Spanish and hence, your conversation will become fluent.
  4. Look around for a tutor – You can always try using a regular tutor. However I’d like to suggest to you that you get an online tutor – Perhaps a friend, (you can check out facebook or another of the social networks, since there are so many people who would love to help you out and teach you how to learn Spanish), who can guide you. This will make learning Spanish very interesting and fun as well.
  5. Take a look around the Internet – The Internet is the greatest boon to mankind especially when you need to learn something. You can find anything you want with the help of the Net. There are multiple online courses and sites, which you can enroll in and learn about Spanish at your own pace from the comfort and convenience of your home. You can compare prices; you can see how long the courses are; you can also find the level of the language you want to start at (basic, medium, advanced) and so on.

    So as you can see, the most ideal way to understand Spanish is by using one of the above or even a combination of several different methods. Why not try some or all of them out and see what works for you and what doesn’t. You’ll find that the most ideal way to know and learn Spanish is the method or combination that makes the learning fun. You’ll pick up and retain more if it’s fun and is the best way for you to learn. Don’t forget convenience and the amount of time you have available to study and learn.

Why Learn the Spanish Language – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish

Reasons learn the Spanish language

You probably already have your own reasons to learn Spanish but in case you don’t have one already or still looking for more reasons to get motivated to learn Spanish. This article should help you answer the question “why learn Spanish?”

1: 500 Million Worldwide Native Speakers, 40+ Million in the USA

Spanish is the fourth most spoken language in the world with around 500 native Spanish speakers. Spanish has the most countries from various parts of the world speaking it including 40+ Million in the USA alone.

2: Spanish is one of the Easiest Languages to Learn

Spanish is one of the easiest languages for an English speaker to learn. Spanish as quite a bit in common with English in sentence structure and vocabulary.

3: Knowing Spanish will completely transform your travel experience

Many countries in the world have Spanish as their official language. You can travel your whole life to every Spanish speaking without visiting the same country twice. This makes knowing Spanish when travelling one of the most useful languages to learn.

4: Bilingual People Have More Employment Opportunities

Knowledge in a second language increases your potential business opportunities cause businesses planning to break into international markets should understanding that communicating in your target demographic native languages increases confidence and builds trust among both parties.

5: Enjoy Spanish Music and Movies without Subtitles!

What about Spanish music and art? Most people would recognize Cuban singing-sensation, Gloria Estefan, and Spanish cubist painter Pablo Picasso is known worldwide for his modern-style of art that has influenced the artistic community around the globe. In recent years, film stars from Spain and Latin America such as Penelope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, and Salma Hayak have become recognized not just at home, but in Hollywood as well.

6: Learning Spanish Makes Learning Another Language Easier

Learning a language makes it easier to learn another. Especially in the case of Spanish. Spanish is a romance language and shares quite a bit in common with other romance languages like Italian, French, and Portuguese.

7: Cultural Importance of Spanish

Learning the Spanish language and culture go hand-in-hand. While not impossible to learn Spanish never having experienced the culture first hand, direct exposure to the culture will give language learners insights into the language that would otherwise not be possible.

8: Spanish Communities Growing in the Untied States and All Over the World

According to the latest US census, the Spanish speaking community is the biggest growing minority with an estimated 50-55 million by the year 2015. This growth has lead some states like New Mexico to adopt Spanish as an official. Other states are expected to follow suit.

9: Learn Spanish as a Hobby/Love of Learning Languages

Maybe you are just one of those people that just enjoy learning languages for the fun of it! Once you’ve mastered the urge to learn more becomes pretty strong. Contrary to popular opinion, not much confusion happens between languages.

10: To Help Others in your Community

If your of those people that enjoy helping others in your community. Learning Spanish to help people who don’t know English or Spanish communicate

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Importance of Languages

Importance of the Italian Language

The Importance of Italian Language

Why it’s Important to Learn Italian

The importance of Italian is spoken by over 80 Million people in Italy and other countries in Europe such as Malta, San Marino and parts of Switzerland, Croatia, Slovenia, and France.

Learn Italian

Importance of Italian Language

Quick Italian Language Facts

[icon name=”etsy” class=”fa-3x” unprefixed_class=”middletext”] Language family:  Latin Romance language

[icon name=”users” class=”fa-3x” unprefixed_class=”middletext”] Spoken by 80 Million (50m Online Readers)

[icon name=”bars” class=”fa-3x” unprefixed_class=”middletext”] 9th most spoken world language

[icon name=”globe” class=”fa-3x” unprefixed_class=”middletext”] Official Language in 32 Countries

[icon name=”history” class=”fa-3x” unprefixed_class=”middletext”] Origin 2nd Century

[icon name=”file-word-o” class=”fa-3x” unprefixed_class=”middletext”] Approx 1m Words – Only 10k words commonly used.

History of Italian Language

Italian is a Romance language derived from Latin. It slowly evolved from Latin into many dialects. At the end of the Middle Ages, the Tuscan dialect became the most popular version of Italian, owing to the central location of Florence and its thriving economy. Dante, Petrarca, and Boccaccio, who left a long-lasting mark on the Italian language, all came from Tuscany. Italian then became Italy’s official language when the peninsula was unified in the 19th century.

Although the Italian language was used and spoken, it was not standardized until came Dante Alighieri. Dante Alighieri is often referred to as the father of Italian language. He was the most famous Italian writer of all times. He was working on The Divine Comedy(La Divina Commedia) which he completed in 1320, a year before his death. Most writers and poets used Latin for their work but Dante chose to write his finest work in Italian (known as Tuscan dialect at that time) that set its standard in high culture

Countries with Official Italian language

  • Italy
  • France
  • Switzerland
  • Vatican City
  • San Marino
  • Malta

Italian Dialects

Map of the key Italian Language Dialects

The dialects of Italy are each their own independent languages. Italy was made up of several independent states, each with their own regional language

Dialects of Italian are regional varieties (Tuscan, Central Italian) which are closely related to Standard Italian, while the terms Dialects of Italy is suggested for those idioms, such as Neapolitan, Sicilian, and Gallo-Italian languages which show considerable differences in grammar, syntax and vocabulary.

Italian has significantly influenced English and other Western languages.

Common English words of Italian origin include:

  • Broccoli
  • ciao
  • cappuccino
  • pizza
  • piano
  • Fiasco
  • Propaganda
  • Flu
  • Quarantine
  • Lottery
  • Zucchini
  • Maestro
  • Orchestra

Most native speakers of Italian are bilingual of both standardized Italian and their regional dialect. Italian is also the primary language of Vatican City. Adopted after the unification of Italy sealing the importance of Italian language.

Like many languages in Europe, Italian is a romance language that has the most characteristics in common with Latin.

Italian derives from the Indo-European language family, which includes English, in some ways it is easier to speak than English since most words are pronounced exactly as they appear. People naturally assume that their first language is very simple to learn and others languages are very difficult to learn and use in their everyday life, but it is not so. The importance of Italian is beneficial regardless if you do it for fun or for your career or even just for personal travel.

Importance of Italian Language in Italian culture

Italian culture is everywhere you look, you might even be eating Italian food while you are reading this or wearing clothes by an Italian designer. When it comes to food and fashion the Importance of Italian culture and language cannot be surpassed. No question that Italian cuisine is considered the best in the world to some people.

Italy has been Europe’s main trendsetters ever since the early 11th-16th centuries so it’s no surprise that Italy holds the Fashion capital of the world today, Milan, holds fashion shows year round and many of the top designers live in Italy, such names as Gucci, Armani, Emilio Pucci, Valentino, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Ferragamo, Roberto Cavalli, Trussardi, Versace, Krizia, Etro, Laura Biagiotti, just to name the tip of the iceberg of fashion.

Importance of Italian Language when visiting Italy

Use Italian Language to visit Italy

Italy is one of the biggest places for tourism, being the fourth highest overall earner, and the fifth most visited country in the world. Plenty of reasons to visit Italy for its amazing cuisine, history, fashion, art, and culture.

Biggest attractions for most people are visiting the city of Rome, the Colosseum, and Vatican Museums.

Millions of international flock to Milan every year for the fashion shows. Other famous locations in Italy are Bologna, Florence, Genoa, Naples, Pisa, Turin, and Venice. Sites like the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Vatican are also major tourist attractions.

The importance of the Italian language and culture have an unmistakable impact on the world.

Importance of Italian Language in History

The importance of Italian is present today in Rome. Where the Roman empire used to reside. Thousands of books can be found in Italian about Roman history, which makes amazing reading for academic or personal interest reasons.

No matter your own personal beliefs, Italy also holds the biggest Catholic church in the world, the Vatican. You can see priests and nuns all over the place, and bishops and cardinals in Rome. Before Italy had become unified in 1861, it was a very divided country, with many smaller states that all had their own language, currency, and own culture. Becoming unified under a single official language helped ceased the division and Solidify Italy what it is today.

Importance of Italian Language in Business

Learning Languages will help you in the Economy

Italy is one of the world’s top ten economies after building steadily after the second world war from mainly exporting goods. Germany, France, the United States, and other European countries are the biggest importers of Italian goods such as industrial products, cars, and car parts, fashion, as well as food.

Much Italian business does business outside of Italy only know Italian or at least very little English. Italy is also focused on building strong trade agreements with China and India. Since the global slump, Italy exporting took a slight dive but it is expected that the strength of the Italian economy will succeed and push it back into being a world leader in exporting.

All languages grow and evolve over time and Italian is no exception. To truly understand the importance of the Italian language you need to learn the language yourself so you can receive the full benefit of this amazing language.

Talk about the Importance of language in action!

Why Learn Italian – Ten Reasons to Learn Italian

You probably already have your own reasons to learn Italian but in case you don’t have one already or still looking for more reasons to get motivated to learn Italian. This article should help you answer the question “why learn Italian?”

Top 10 Reasons for Learning the Italian Language

1 – Italian is very Polite and Elegant People

Many people from all over the world consider Italians to be very polite and elegant.

2 – Understand Your Favorite Opera Singers

If you are a fan of the opera and want to understand your favourite opera singers when they belt out those really high notes.

3 – Italian is a Beautiful Language

Italian as a romance language is rated as one of the most beautiful languages in the world

4 – If you Plan to Visit Italy Someday.

Use Italian Language to Visit Italy

Traveling in Italy is intensely pleasurable, with about everything you can dream of the richest historical sites in Europe, with full roman ghost towns you can visit, cathedrals, circuses, monasteries, paintings, sculptures. And for the present, one of the most attractive cooking dishes in the world, beautiful and elegant people, world-class designers.

The main problem when traveling in Italy seems either to be money or that you must go back.

5 – Italian Food is the Best in the World

No other language is as deeply ingrained when it comes to food than Italian. No other language has as close to as many words for food or for describing food. Many people around the world say Italian food is one of the most attractive and tasteful cooking in the world.

6 – If your Highly into Art and Fashion

Milan is the fashion capital of the world so if you like fashion, supermodels, world-class designers.

7 – If you have a Significant Other that Speaks Italian

Speak to Foreign Language Relatives

Want to learn Italian as it’s your partner’s native language and you want to surprise them or improve communication between you. Or planning a romantic date with an Italian theme.

8 – Academic Reasons to Learn Italian

Academic Reasons to Learn Languages

Because of the higher demand for people speaking Italian, many of the world’s governments and agencies have been offering scholarships and other opportunities for individuals who are interested in Italian studies and learning Italian

9 – Learn Italian as a Hobby/Love of Learning Languages

Love of Language Learning

Maybe you are just one of those people that just enjoy learning languages for the fun of it! Once you’ve mastered the urge to learn more becomes pretty strong. Contrary to popular opinion, not much confusion happens between languages.

10 – Understand the Cultural Importance of Italian

Maybe you fell in love with the rolling hills of Tuscany on your first visit to il bel paese—or maybe you fell in love with an Italian! Maybe your grandparents emigrated from Italy, so you want to investigate your family history. Perhaps you’re an aspiring musician who wants to learn what adagio, allegro, and andante mean or an opera singer who wants to improve her pronunciation.

Try Italian Language Tools

best online language tools

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Importance of Languages

Importance of the French Language

The importance of the french Language

Importance of the French Language

What is the French Language?

French is considered a Romance language. With its origins in Latin, French is widely regarded to be among the most beautiful languages in the world.

French language History and Origins

Key influencers are early Latin and Italian. In the 17th – 19th centuries French was the main international language, though it has been overtaken by English in the 20th – 21st.

Today, besides in France itself, French can be heard in many other European countries, widely throughout Africa, and also in various dependencies. In addition, it is the unofficial second language of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and many others.

Académie française, French Academy, is the advisory body which advices on the rules of the French language

I speak French?

How is the French Language is Used Today?

France is part of the European Union and the official language in 29 countries and spoken by about 110 million people, mainly by people who live in France and as a second language by a further 190 million French language speakers. French is spoken by many people in Switzerland, Belgium and Luxemburg. In Canada, French is spoken mainly in Quebec and was introduced by the French explorers led by Jacques Cartier in 1554. French is an official language in  Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey which are British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy.

French is spoken on 5 different continents. Making French one of the most useful second language for travelling.
France is the second largest tourist location in the world that attracts over 70 million visitors a year alone.

Other major destinations that speak French include the Caribbean, Europe, Canada, and parts of Africa and Asia.

French is an official language of many of the world’s organizations:

  • United Nations,
  • Nato,
  • UNESCO
  • International Red Cross Association
  • Doctors Without Borders
  • Numerous other international committees and organizations.

After English, French is the most learned second language in Europe and around the globe.

List of French Speaking Countries

french language countries

List of countries where French is native language or French is regularly in use.

French Speaking Countries in Europe

  • France
  • Belgium
  • Luxembourg
  • Monaco
  • Switzerland

French Speaking Countries in Africa

  • Algeria
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cameroon
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Congo
  • Republic of the Côte d’Ivoire Djibouti
  • Equatorial Guinea Gabon Guinea
  • Madagascar
  • Mali
  • Mauritius
  • Morocco
  • Rwanda
  • Senegal
  • Seychelles
  • Togo
  • Tunisia

French Speaking Countries in the Americas and the Caribbean

  • Canada
  • French Guiana
  • Guadeloupe
  • Haiti Martinique

French Speaking Countries in Australia and the Pacifics

  • French Polynesia
  • New Caledonia Vanuatu

Quick French Language Facts

[su_list icon=”icon: exclamation”]

  • Language family: Slavic group of the Indo-European
  • Origin 9th Century
  • Spoken by 220 Million (70m Online Readers)
  • 8th most spoken world language
  • Official Language in 32 Countries
  • Approx 1m Words – Only 10k words commonly used

[/su_list]

Importance of French in Culture

French Language in Culture

French is the language of culture opening your door to art, music, dance, fashion, cuisine, and cinema.

As you quickly realize when you look at the foreign film section of your local video store, France is one of the most prolific producers of international films. The Cannes International Film Festival annually attracts the attention of the world when the best films, directors and actors are named. When you understand French you don’t need to rely on subtitles to enjoy a French film.

If you follow French literature then you have heard of such wonderful French novels like Les Miserables, The Three Musketeers, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, The Little Prince, and The Stranger. In fact, France has won more Nobel Prizes for literature than any other country. The French are also admired for their great philosophers, such as Descartes and Pascal, Rousseau, Voltaire, Camus and Satre. When you read French, you can enjoy these works and authors in the original.

Famous French Celebrities who speak French include:

  • Serena Williams,
  • Johnny Depp
  • Elton John
  • Bradley Cooper
  • Mick Jagger
  • John Travolta.

French Culinary

France is known for its fine dining, its wine exports, and so it is no surprise that French words go along with it all: words like foie gras, brie, and sauvignon blanc are all very commonly used. But the influence of the French language goes beyond the restaurant and back into the kitchen as well. Chefs have taught themselves to master the French arts, including julienne, consomme, and even mayonnaise.

Importance of French in Business

French Language in Business

The importance of the French language extends into France’s military power. France is the third most robust military in the world after the United States and Russia. France is second in the building defence systems such as Exocet missiles, radar technology, as well as being the second largest exporter of civilian and military aircraft and helicopters. French has troops presence in over 15 countries worldwide. France also boasts one of the most advanced telecommunication systems

France has also led the way in major advancements in science and technology. France was the place where the very first nuclear fusion reactor was developed and manufactured. Advances in high energy physics and research in the medical field such as isolating the HIV from the AIDS virus, the crucial first step in a cure for the virus as led to French being adopted has a necessary language of the scientific community. The importance of French has regional and global implications on all major economies of the world.

Learning any language is an ongoing process and don’t expect results overnight or without any effort. Many resources are readily available to lessen the effort and time it takes to learn French.

Believe it or not but over 40 to 50% of English vocabulary comes from the French Language.

In fact, French has the most words spread out over many different languages. Learning the importance of French can even help you understand your own language better! French is also a good language to learn if you plan to learn other romance languages like Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian.

Learn more about the importance of French Language in Business

Learning French Difficulty

The French Language is a romance Language with similarities to Spanish and Italian.

Romance languages share a similar grammatical structure and there are often similarities in vocabulary.

If you learn French, you’ll have a head start in learning other languages such as Italian, Spanish or Portuguese

All languages change over time and French is no exception. To indisputably understand the importance of the French language you need to learn the language yourself so you can receive the full benefit of this amazing language.

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Top Ten Reasons to Learn French

10 reasons to learn the French Language

You probably already have your own reasons to learn French but in case you don’t have one already or still looking for more reasons to get motivated to learn French. This article should help you answer the question “why learn French?”

1: French is one of the most important languages in the world

French is an international language spoken by over three-hundred million on five different continents. French is the official language of many of the international organizations like the United Nations, NATO, the European Union, UNESCO, and many more. French is also the third most used language on the internet after English and German.

2: Tourism is Huge in France And Other French Countries

France alone attracts over seventy million visitors a year but that doesn’t include other places that speak French like the Caribbean, Europe, and parts of Africa. Paris was recently named by Fortune Magazine as one of the top ten global cities. Overall, France is the second most visited tourist location in the world and knowing a little bit of French will make your travel experience that much better.

3: Easier to Understand International Sporting Events

French is always an official language used to announce events, winners, and medals at the Olympic Games. In Canada, you can also follow hockey and baseball games in French. Automobile races (Le Mans and Monte Carlo), horse racing (Longchamps), tennis tournaments (French Open), and the Tour de France engage fans around the globe. When you know French, the international world of sports is open to you.

4: French is One of the Most Romantic Languages Worldwide

French is considered by many to be one of the most romantic languages in the world with it’s beautiful, rich, the melodious rhythm of sounds.

5: Learning French for International Business

Learning Languages will help you in the Economy

Knowledge in a second language increases your potential business opportunities cause businesses planning to break into international markets should understanding that communicating in your target demographic native languages increases confidence and builds trust among both parties.

6: There are Scholarship Opportunities for French Studies

Scholarship Opportunities with a New Language

Because of the higher demand for people speaking French, many of the world’s governments and agencies have been offering scholarships and other opportunities for individuals who are interested in French studies and learning French.

7: Many of the World’s Greatest literary masterpieces Are in French

People around the world are familiar with Les Miserables, The Three Musketeers, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, The Little Prince, and The Stranger. In fact, France has won more Nobel Prizes for literature than any other country. The French are also admired for their great philosophers, such as Descartes and Pascal, Rousseau, Voltaire, Camus and Satre. When you read French, you can enjoy these works and authors in the original.

8 – Wanting to Learn More About French Culture

Learn Cultural History With Languages

French is the language of culture opening your door to art, music, dance, fashion, cuisine, and cinema. As you quickly realize when you look at the foreign film section of your local video store, France is one of the most prolific producers of international films. The Cannes International Film Festival annually attracts the attention of the world when the best films, directors and actors are named. When you understand French you don’t need to rely on subtitles to enjoy a French film.

9 – Learning French from English is very Easy

Believe it or not but over 40 to 50% of English vocabulary comes from the French Language. In fact, French has the most words spread out over many different languages. Learning French can even help you understand your own language better! French is also a good language to learn if you plan to learn other romance languages like Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian.

10 – Learn French as a Hobby/Love of Learning Languages

Love of Language Learning

Maybe you are just one of those people that just enjoy learning languages for the fun of it! Once you’ve mastered the urge to learn more becomes pretty strong. Contrary to popular opinion, not much confusion happens between languages

Consider Using a French Language Learning Program

Try Language Software

If you are really serious about learning French and want to maximize your time then you should consider using a French language course to further aid you in your quest to learn French

There are several great programs out there that deliver a great language learning experience. The advantages of a language learning program are the organization and having a next step already lined up. Most break down the lessons into 30-minute intervals that can fit into any type of schedule. Flexible to retry a lesson to make sure you understand what you are learning and give you confidence in succeeding.

Examples of great [highlight background=”” color=””]French language programs[/highlight] can be found below:

Start Learning French with our Beginners Guide to French >>

Categories
Importance of Languages

Importance of the Hindi Language

The Importance of the Hindi Language Guide

Importance of Hindi Language

The importance of Hindi language is[highlight background=”” color=””]the second most spoken language in the world[/highlight]after Mandarin Chinese. It’s estimated that nearly half a billion people worldwide speak this wonderful language. The importance of Hindi is one of the many languages in India that is considered to be the national and official language of the northern parts of India.

The Hindi language is also known as Hindi-Urdu or Hindustani and also had many different regional and national dialects. Hindi derives from the Indo-European language family of languages. The closest language to Hindi can be considered Arabic. However, unlike Arabic, Hindi is written left to right.

Indian History

After the Independence of India in 1947 began a period of growth that continues today. The tourism industry in India has increased and is expected to keep increasing for many more years bring in hundreds of billions US dollars a year with an annual 10% growth rate. The importance of Hindi is beneficial regardless if you do it for fun or for your career or even just for personal travel. This is for many reasons such as the following.

Hindi Language Today

Indian songs and hymns have been adapted and used by various popular rap and pop music artists. From science to commerce and business to various multimedia as shown India to becoming a viable world economy with increasing interest in the world. Bollywood as it is called the second biggest film following Hollywood. Indian music becomes influential, not only audiences in the United States but also with the rest of the world.

Hindi Language in Tourism

India is filled with a lot of beautiful and incredible architectural achievements such as the Taj Mahal Palace, considered the icon of the Capital of Mumbai, Mahabodhi Temple, the Shore Temple, and the Bridhadishwara Temple, which is considered by some as India’s most prized architectural site. Another part of the attraction of Tourists to India is the geographical diversity of the country, such as its Waters falls in the Western Ghats. Tourism is a major part of India’s economy and plays a major part in its employment as well.

Hindi Language in Business

Learning Languages will help you in the Economy

Anyone that wants to compete globally will need to put some effort in growing their business into India. India is currently the fourth largest economy in the world(by GDP) after the USA, China, and Japan. It is predicted by 2025, that India will surpass Japan. India’s huge potential for growth and innovation has made the importance of Hindi as a global language.

Other then tourism, India is growing in every other aspect such as science, commerce, business, and other information systems/digital media.

Although there are still some societal problems within the country. India’s growth seems unstoppable and shows no sign of slowing down. Companies that eye operational and sales expansion in the South Asia region are mostly recruiting people who are familiar with Indian culture and who could articulately and fluently speak and write Hindi.

The importance of the Hindi-speaking population as an important global market segment. Making it a very viable and important target for most global-minded businesses.

People who can fluently speak and write Hindi are actively recruited for South Asia companies as well as companies internationally. It would truly be to your advantage if you would be able to speak and write Hindi.

Whether you plan to migrate to India or not, in the end, you will surely find your decision in learning the importance of the Hindi language as a very beneficial one.

Why Learn Hindi – Ten Reasons to Learn Hindi

You probably already have your own reasons to learn Hindi but in case you don’t have one already or still looking for more reasons to get motivated to learn Hindi. This article should help you answer the question “why learn Hindi?”

1 – Over Half a Billion People Worldwide Speak Hindi

Hindi is the second most spoken language in the world and is the official language of India.

Hindi is also referred to as Hindi-Urdu, Standard Hindi, Modern Standard Hindi, and Literary Hindi. Roughly 300 million speak Hindi as native speakers and another 200 million speak Hindi as a second language.

2 – Many Jobs are Being Outsourced to India

Improve Business Opportunities by Learning New Languages

Many technology jobs are currently being outsourced over to India. Even if you don’t personally have any plans to move to India, you might find yourself dealing with native Hindi-speakers more and more often.

3 – India is One of the Most Exotic Tourist Locations

India is one of the most exotic tourist locations in the world. Picturing India one can imagine the wonders:

  • Taj Mahal
  • cups of steaming chai tea
  • spicy cuisine
  • women’s vibrant colored saris
  • intricate temples
  • sacred cows
  • elephant rides
  • rickshaws
  • bustling streets

Visitors come to see Delhi’s landmarks, enjoy Goa’s sandy beaches, marvel at Karnataka’s monumental architecture, experience Mumbai’s cosmopolitan nightlife and admire the palaces of Rajasthan.

4 – Popularity of Bollywood Films

Characterized by their highly entertaining musical numbers and elaborate sets. Bollywood films are a growing phenomenon among foreign audience over the globe in places like the United States, the United Kingdom, and other parts of Asia and Africa. Knowing Hindi allows you to understand and appreciate these films more without having to rely on subtitles.

5 – Growth of India’s Economy is Unstoppable

India is becoming one of the world’s biggest exporters of commerce, business, digital media, and other information based technologies. And this trend doesn’t seem like it will be stopping anytime soon.

6 – Plan to Travel to India Someday

Travel to India. India is one of the most exotic, fascinating and exciting places in the world. Its rich history and culture have significantly influenced the civilization in the East. India’s wonderful heritage is manifested in its intricate temples, elaborate architecture and other awe-inspiring landmarks.

7 – If you have a Family / Partner that Speaks Hindi

Speak to Foreign Language Relatives

Want to learn Hindi as it’s your partner’s native language and you want to surprise them or improve communication between you.

8 – Learn Hindi as a Hobby/Love of Learning Languages

Love of Language Learning

Maybe you are just one of those people that just enjoy learning languages for the fun of it! Once you’ve mastered the urge to learn more becomes pretty strong. Contrary to popular opinion, not much confusion happens between languages.

9 – To Fully Embrace the Culture of India and Hindi

Learn Cultural History With Languages

Learning Hindi will help you fully embrace the culture of Hindi with:

  • exotic Indian poetry
  • literature
  • wisdom
  • belief system
  • Philosophy.

Hindi is based on Sanskrit which shares common ancestry with many other languages around the world.

10 – Academic Reasons to Learn Hindi

Academic Reasons to Learn Languages

Because of the higher demand for people speaking Hindi, many of the world’s governments and agencies have been offering scholarships and other opportunities for individuals who are interested in Hindi studies and learning Hindi.

Hindi is truly an amazing language to learn. I hope you find this article helpful in narrowing and strengthening your reasons to learn Hindi.

Best Online Hindi Language Tools

Best online language tools
Categories
Importance of Languages

Importance of the Chinese Language

Importance of the Chinese Language Guide

Importance of Chinese Language

Why it’s Important to Learn Chinese?

The importance of Chinese stands out as the most spoken language in the world with over an estimated billion people in China and various other parts of the world speaking it. One can easily assume this makes Chinese one of the most important languages on the planet. China as a country is growing by leaps and bounds as a world power and shows to sign of slowing down.

Recent studies have shown that Chinese has become a popular choice for a second language among college students. Surpassing the previous favourite that includes Spanish, French, and German languages. This increasing popularity isn’t surprising since the growing appeal of Chinese culture in the west and worldwide.

Governments in the US and the UK are increasingly recognizing the importance of offering Chinese language classes in the school systems. One 2008 poll of employers in the UK, done by the Confederation of British Industry, discovered that 38% of employers answering the poll wanted to hire people who spoke either Mandarin or Cantonese. (The two were lumped together in the survey.) French speakers and German speakers ranked higher, at 52% and 43% respectively. Spanish was desired by 28% of employers.

The UK Schools Secretary said, in part as a result of this survey, that he would like every teenager to have a chance to learn Mandarin. He would also like to see Japanese, Arabic, Portuguese, and Indonesian offered more widely than they are at present. One secondary school in seven in the UK is already teaching Mandarin.

“In this new decade our ties with emerging economies like China will become even more important and it’s vital that young people are equipped with the skills which they need, and British businesses need too, in order to succeed in a rapidly-changing world,” Mr. Balls said.

Mandarin is the prominent version of Chinese, spoken by something like 885 million people out of the 1.3 billion who speak some form of Chinese.

In the United States, interest in learning Chinese used to come from Asian parents who wanted their children to keep up with the cultures they came from.

Now, more and more non-Asian parents see learning Chinese as a useful tool for their children, one that will help them compete for top jobs. The US government also sees the benefits of a good pool of Chinese speakers. Some of the school districts in the internationally-minded suburbs of Washington, DC, have offered Mandarin for decades.

Chinese Speaking Countries

Chinese Speaking Map

List of countries with a Chinese (Mandarin) speaking population or Chinese is a widely spoken language.

  • Chinese Speaking Countries in Asia
  • China Hong Kong Macau
  • Tibet (Tibet Autonomous Region within PR China)
  • Singapore
  • Taiwan (Republic of China)

Countries with a significant number of Chinese speaking population (more than 5 million)

  • Indonesia (Java and Bali)
  • Malaysia (Peninsular)
  • Thailand

Mandarin is an official spoken language in China, Taiwan, and Singapore. Cantonese is an official spoken language in Hong Kong and Macau.

Chinese Language Dialects

Chinese Dialects Map

Like many other languages around the world, Chinese has many dialects, the most common Chinese dialect is Mandarin Chinese.

Even though English happens to be popular throughout China, most Chinese people tend not to understand English very well, so learning some Chinese is important knowledge to have. The Mandarin Dialect is very universal throughout China overall, although a number of dialects could possibly be more common in other locations.

Chinese Language History

Since the invention of the Chinese Pinyin tonal system has made learning Chinese a lot easier then it was previously. The importance of Chinese Pinyin is a crucial method when it comes to writing Chinese in a romanized alphabet. Hanyu pinyin spells the sound and includes tone marks to help give you the proper pronunciation. Knowledge of the written language opens up the culture of one of the world’s oldest civilizations.

Before China’s reform in the 1970s, China was an isolated country that didn’t accept any tourism. After 1970, China has become one of the leading tourist destinations. The Great Wall of China might be one of the most traveled to places on Earth but other wonders of China include the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Terracotta Army in the Qin Empire Emperor’s Mausoleum, the Yangtze River, and the Potala Palace. Even if you’re just a casual traveler, learning some Chinese to understand street signs, order food, or just communicating with people you meet on the street, a most pleasant and enjoyable experience.

Chinese Language Today

Chinese Language Today

Chinese is becoming one of the most important languages when it comes to operating an international business.

The Chinese market is the biggest growing market even in this economic downturn. Expertise in Chinese has grown increasingly important to the overall global economy and many business owners are looking to break into this international market. Any business in the twenty-first century will be trying to do business in China and in doing so will be required Chinese speakers to negotiate agreements and develop these trade deals. Economist predicts by 2020, China will without a doubt surpass the United States as the biggest international superpower.

The importance of Chinese is beneficial regardless if you do it for fun or for your career or even just for personal travel. When trying to uncover the importance of Chinese. One cannot discover a more fascinating and challenging language to learn.

All languages evolve with time and Chinese is no exception. To indisputably understand the importance of Chinese language you have to learn the actual language yourself to help you receive the full benefit of this amazing language later. In fact, the latest research has shown that learning a second language helps fight against Alzheimer’s disease and slows down the aging effects of the brain.

Talk about the Importance of language in action!

Why Learn Chinese – Ten Reasons to Learn Chinese

You probably already have your own reasons to learn Chinese but in case you don’t have one already or still looking for more reasons to get motivated to learn Chinese.

This article should help you answer the question “why learn Chinese?”

1 – Mandarin Chinese is the Most Spoken Language in the World

One of the biggest reasons to learn Chinese should because Mandarin Chinese is spoken by roughly a quarter of the world’s population which is estimated to be around two billion Chinese-speakers. Not all of them live in mainland China, but in parts of Taiwan, Singapore, and throughout southeast Asia.

2 – Chinese Influence on International Cultures

Second, traditional Chinese culture, from Confucianism and Chan Buddhism to martial arts and Chinese cuisine, has an enormous influence on East and Southeast Asian nations. Chinese culture has also greatly inspired the western world through Marco Polo, G. W. Leibniz, Max Weber, Franz Kafka, Andre Malraux, Bertolt Brecht, Ezra Pound, and Luis Borges, among others.

3 – Traveling to China is Increasingly Foreigner Friendly

With the Chinese Language you can Travel to China

In the past, China wasn’t very accessible from outside visitors wanted to travel there. But travel to China recently as become a lot easier back and forth from.

4 – With Chinese Pinyin Learning Chinese is Easier

Chinese Pinyin Tonal Marks

You don’t have to learn Chinese characters to learn how to speak Mandarin Chinese. Pinyin is a method of writing Chinese in the romanized alphabet. Hanyu pinyin spells the sound and includes tone marks to help give you the proper pronunciation.

5 – Fastest Growing Economy in the World

Improve Business Opportunities by Learning New Languages

China is currently the fastest growing economy in the world and is already the biggest global market to break into. Any business in the twenty-first century will be trying to do business in China and in doing so will require Chinese speakers to negotiate agreements and trade deals.

6 – Reading Chinese Literature

The dialects are not mutually intelligible but the written language is shared between them all. Although you do not need to learn to read Chinese characters to speak the language, by doing so you open the door to an enormously diverse and rich literature. In fact, the earliest record of writing was in Chinese characters although very different in form from modern characters (of which there are many thousand).

7 – Growing Presence of Chinese Speakers all around the world

Communities of Chinese Speakers have been popping up outside Chinese in parts of the United States and Europe.

8 – Learn Chinese as a Hobby/Love of Learning Languages

Love of Language Learning

Maybe you are just one of those people that just enjoy learning languages for the fun of it! Once you’ve mastered the urge to learn more becomes pretty strong. Contrary to popular opinion, not much confusion happens between languages.

9 – Rich Cultural History of Chinese on the World

Learn Cultural History With Languages

Learning Chinese is immediately linked to learning Chinese culture. Learning becomes a more extraordinary and enjoyable experience. Chinese has a unique ideographic writing system, which provides visual comprehensibility.

The grammatical structure of Chinese is not only logical but also pragmatic, related to the particular way of Chinese thinking. Knowledge of the written language opens up the culture of one of the world’s oldest civilizations.

10 – There are Scholarship Opportunities for Chinese Studies

Scholarship Opportunities with a New Language

Because of the higher demand for people speaking Chinese, many of the world’s governments and agencies have been offering scholarships and other opportunities for individuals who are interested in Chinese studies and learning Chinese.

Mandarin Chinese is truly an amazing language to learn. I hope you find this article helpful in narrowing and strengthening your reasons to learn Chinese.

Chinese Language Tools

best online language tools
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Importance of Languages

Importance of the Korean Language

Importance of Korean Language

Guide to Importance of Korean Language

Why it’s Important to Learn Korean?

The importance of the Korean language is spoken by an estimated seventy-five million people in North and South Korea, and the importance of the Korean language is steadily growing all over the world. Although most speakers of Korean live on the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands, more than three million are scattered throughout the world on every continent. In this day and age having knowledge of a second language is seen as a huge asset around the world.

If you were to start learning Korean today, you would realize there is more to the Korean language then the basics, such as infections, pronunciations, and various accents to get a hold of. But nothing so serious that native won’t understand you if only know a few phrases if you speak the language with the unique Korean subtleties that go with it. Hangeul, the Korean alphabet system is somewhat easier to learn then the language itself.

The importance of Korean is beneficial regardless if you do it for fun or for your career or even just for personal travel. But if you are devoted to learning Korean you shouldn’t have many problems with the importance of the Korean language.

The number of international students worldwide that want to study the Korean language has shot up in recent years.

For several reasons such as:

  • understanding Korean TV dramas/music,
  • foreign business job seekers,
  • possibly traveling to Korea in the near future.

Even though Korean is not a major world language, it still is a very important language in Asia and is slowly becoming a more popular second language around the world.

South Korean History

South Korea as a rich culture but isn’t really known as a tourist attraction. It’s very distinct from other countries in the region such as Japan and China. Many historical and artistic places of interest to visit such as the natural landmarks of the peaks of the Baekdudaegan, the caves of Danyang and Hwanseongul. Along the coasts are ferries to take you from island to island, to even limited tourism to the Liancourt Rocks. Korea also has a lot of beaches and islands to visit.

South Korea has as it’s own unique style of cuisine that sets it apart from Japan and China. Many portions of the country have annual festivals, including the Boryeong Mud Festival and the Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival.

South Korean Today

Modern South Korean

Importance of Korean language in business around Asia because of Korea’s increasing trade volume and foreign investors. Many top Korean businesses are viewed as the bridge or central hub of breaking into East Asian markets. Theses business advocate and seeking highly experience bilingual individuals graduates from Europe, Russia, Central Asia and the United States for Business and Trade opportunities. Korea highly values trust and inter-personal bonds in its business deals, for this to work, knowing the local language is indeed invaluable. Cause trust brings cooperation, and cooperation brings successful endeavours.

All languages evolve with time and Korean is no exception. To genuinely understand the importance of Korean language you need to learn the language yourself so you can receive the full benefit of this amazing language. In fact, the latest research has shown that learning a second language helps fight against Alzheimer’s disease and slows down the aging effects of the brain. Talk about the Importance of language in action!

Why Learn Korean – Ten Reasons to Learn Korean

10 Reasons Learn Korean Language

You probably already have your own reasons to learn Korean but in case you don’t have one already or still looking for more reasons to get motivated to learn Korean. This article should help you answer the question “why learn Korean?

1 – “Easiest” of the Asian Languages

Compared to other languages in the area, Korean can be considered the easiest to learn although it does resemble Chinese and Japanese in structure, politeness rules, and borrow vocabulary. The Korean alphabet script Hangul, saves times and lessens confusion,

2 – Gaining Popularity as a Second Language Amongst Young People

Korean is becoming a more and more popular second language for people all over the world including young adults. This is probably due to factors of younger generations becoming more internationally linked together through the internet.

3 – If you Plan to Travel to South Korea. 

Use the Japanese Language to Travel to Japan

Although North Korea is very restricted for people to travel. South Korean is a very vibrant tourist destination full of beautiful historical and artistic sites of interest. Korea also boasts it’s own distinctive cuisine from other countries in the area.

4 – Growing Business Opportunities in Korea

Improve Business Opportunities by Learning New Languages

Knowledge in a second language increases your potential business opportunities cause businesses planning to break into international markets should understanding that communicating in your target demographic native languages increases confidence and builds trust among both parties.

5 – To Understanding That Korean Dramas and Music You Love!

This was the reason why I personally decided to Learn Korean cause I love Korean music. Songs by 2ne1 and T-ara are so damn catchy!

6 – Fastest Growing Economy in Northern Asia

Knowledge in a second language increases your potential business opportunities cause businesses planning to break into international markets should understanding that communicating in your target demographic native languages increases confidence and builds trust among both parties.

7 – If your Significant Other Speaks Korean

Want to learn Korean as it’s your partner’s native language and you want to surprise them or improve communication between you.

8 – Learn the Cultural Importance of Korean

Learn Cultural History With Languages

To truly understand a language is to examine the culture that surrounds it. Korea has a fascinating culture with K-pop and dramas, and the biggest competitive gaming scene. Korea has a rich cultural history dating back a thousand years for you to explore.

9 – Learn Korean as a Hobby/Love of Learning Languages

Love of Language Learning

Maybe you are just one of those people that just enjoy learning languages for the fun of it! Once you’ve mastered the urge to learn more becomes pretty strong. Contrary to popular opinion, not much confusion happens between languages.

10 – Makes Learning Other Asian Languages Easier.

Korea has been shaped by the influences of other countries in Asia like:

  • India
  • China
  • Japan.

While the cultures and languages different in many ways. They do share some similarities when it comes to languages.

Learning one of their languages makes learning one of the others a lot easier because of similar grammar structure, politeness rules, and borrow vocabulary.

Korean is truly an amazing language to learn. I hope you find this article helpful in narrowing and strengthening your reasons to learn Korean.

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Importance of Languages

Importance of the Japanese Language

The importance of the Japanese language

Why it’s Important to Learn Japanese?

The importance of the Japanese language is spoken by over one-hundred forty million in Japan alone and is also a natural second language for people in Chinese and Korean speaking countries. Despite Japan’s growth being outshined by neighbor countries like China and India. Japan still has the second largest economy in the world following China.

Japanese Language History

Japanese is part of the Altaic languages (which includes Turkish, Tungusic, Mongolian, and Korean) spoken in the early Transcaspian steppe country over four to five thousand years ago. Early Japanese continued to evolve into its current form until over a thousand years ago when the Japanese people started recording their language through poetry and other writings. The importance of Japanese is beneficial regardless if you do it for fun or for your career or even just for personal travel.

Several reasons exist for how the importance of the Japanese language is in the grand scheme of things. One reason is that knowing Japanese bringing various business opportunities worldwide as well as being a gateway to learning and understanding other Asian languages and cultures. Japanese presence and culture are growing all over the world as well online. Japanese is also one of the most extensive in its use of politeness and honor as well as any other form of expression.

Studying Japanese should be in trying something different and joining one of the great languages of the world.

Traveling to Japan

Use the Japanese Language to Travel to Japan

Even if you plan to travel to Japan or just a casual traveler. Minimal understanding of the importance of Japanese will make it easier when traveling around Japan.

Common every thing like road and shop signs that are written in Japanese. Even when ordering food in a restaurant or communicating with your waiter or waitress or other locals in the restaurant will greatly improve your experience of your travels. A critical challenge to remember is that of vocabulary. Having used different books and courses to learn to read Japanese I found several to be of benefit.

Japanese Language Today

Japan is a very resourceful country for being so isolated. Japan files nearly four-hundred thousand patent applications every year in such fields as optical media, semiconductor manufacturing, industrial robotics, and fermentation process. Innovation as made the Japanese world leaders when it comes to technological advancements.

Japan has a growing industry of exporting automobiles and other manufacturing goods. With the increasing manufacturing strength of Japan can only stress the importance of the Japanese in opening doors of employment in pretty much any occupations. Learning any language can only improve your chance of success in today’s difficult job market.

When trying to uncover the importance of Japanese language one cannot discover a more fascinating and challenging language to learn.
All languages change over time and Japanese is no different. To genuinely understand the importance of the Japanese language you need to learn the language yourself so you can receive the full benefit of this amazing language.

In fact, the latest research has shown that learning a second language helps fight against Alzheimer’s disease and slows down the aging effects of the brain. Talk about the Importance of language in action!

Why Learn Japanese – 10 Reasons to Learn Japanese?

You probably already have your own reasons to learn Japanese but in case you don’t have one already or still looking for more reasons to get motivated to learn Japanese. This article should help you answer the question “why learn Japanese?”

1: Set Yourself Apart from Others

A lot of people when considering learning a foreign language generally choose one of the more common choices like Spanish, French, or German. So choosing an uncommon language like Japanese will immediately set you apart from the crowd.

2: Cultural Importance of Japanese

More and more Japanese culture is becoming part of the international culture from anime and manga, to karaoke and sushi bars, to bonsai and origami.

3: Learning Japanese Opens the Door to Other Asian Languages

Japan has been shaped by the influences of other countries in Asia like India, China, and Korea. While the cultures and languages different in many ways. They do share some similarities when it comes to languages. Learning one of their languages makes learning one of the others a lot easier because of similar grammar structure, politeness rules, and borrow vocabulary.

4: If your Ever Plan to Visit Japan

Use the Japanese Language to Travel to Japan

Many people study up whenever they plan to visit another country. Tourism to and from Japan is growing every year. Knowing Japanese in the tourism industry or as a tour guide would be a great place to utilize this language.

5: Japanese is the Third Most Used Language on the Internet

After English and Chinese, Japanese is the third most spoken language on the internet with around 10% (or 90 million Japanese) of the world’s population. Knowing the Japanese can connect you to more potential friends, partners, and/or business acquaintances.

6: Japan has the second biggest economy in the world

For a small isolated country, Japan is one of the most prosperous nations in the world. Ranking Third overall in the world in the economy.

7: Academic Reasons to Learn Japanese

Because of the higher demand for people speaking Japanese, many of the world’s governments and agencies have been offering scholarships and other opportunities for individuals who are interested in
Japanese studies and learning Japanese.

8: Learn Japanese for the Challenge

Some people just enjoy having a challenge and Japanese is definitely a challenge to acquire fluency. But it’s not impossible to learn, in facts, part of learning Japanese is quite easy. Japanese grammar is considered easier than some of the European languages. Understanding the Japanese Alphabets and writing system might be a challenge.

9: Learn Japanese as a Hobby/Love of Learning Languages

Love of Language Learning

Maybe you are just one of those people that just enjoy learning languages for the fun of it! Once you’ve mastered the urge to learn more becomes pretty strong. Contrary to popular opinion, not much confusion happens between languages.

10: Leading Innovators of Technology

Japan is a very resourceful country for being such an isolated country. Japan files over four-hundred thousand patent applications every year in such fields as optical media, semiconductor manufacturing, industrial robotics, and fermentation process. Innovation as made the Japanese world leaders in technology.

Japanese is truly an amazing language to learn. I hope you find this article helpful in narrowing and strengthening your reasons to learn Japanese.

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Importance of Languages

Importance of the German Language Guide [2024]

The Importance of German the Language

Why it’s Important to the Learn German Language?

The importance of the German language is known by an estimated 140 million across Europe and around the world. German is tied with French as the most learned second language in the European Union. The importance of German as playing a crucial role for centuries in Europe and on the world stage.

Why Learn German Video?

German Language Origin & History

From Gutenberg’s printing press to Hertz’ discovery of electromagnetic waves, from Ehrlich’s development of chemotherapy to Einstein’s theory of relativity, to Brandenburg’s creation of the MP3 digital music format, throughout history, Germans have proven themselves time and again to be great innovators.

In addition to the very wealthy cultural heritage of the German themselves add to the importance of the German language history. With art and architecture spanning centuries ranging from the middle ages to modern times. It’s a shame that Germany receives little tourism though from the Lakes of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to the beautiful Bavarian Alps to the beautiful Swiss cities of Bern and Zurich only add and highlight the pure beauty to the landscape of Germany with plenty of theatres, choirs, and Orchestras to go to.

A good amount of the original immigrants to America were German and with them brought many customs and traditions with them to America. Cultural mainstays such as kindergarten, the Christmas tree, hotdogs/hamburgers/ketchup, and founded many breweries as well as Levi jeans and Hershey’s chocolate were introduced by German immigrants to America.

[idea]It is estimated that One out of every four Americans nationwide has German heritage. [/idea]

Important Facts about German Language

German Language Today

Importance German Language Facts and Statistics

The importance of the German language in the European Union as the most crucial language to possess in enterprise cause it bridges the particular divide involving the established and emerging financial systems of Central and Eastern Europe.

As a result, knowing German is highly valued in parts of Poland, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic states and the Czech Republic is a great asset to have. German speakers form the biggest group of potential business partners in the European Union, forming around one-third of the population.

Being in a position to speak the actual language of the target group can be a major factor of influence in successful advertising cause the majority of customers anticipate the service or product to end up being presented within their own language.

Germany and the German language have a wealth of musical talent, literature, architecture and even Scientific and technological advancements.

German Cultural Examples

The demand for German-speakers is highly sought after within the fields associated with:

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Pharmacy
  • Engineering

List of German-Speaking Countries

German is the official language in six countries

  • Germany
  • Austria
  • Switzerland
  • Liechtenstein
  • Belgium (co-official)
  • Luxembourg (co-official)

The German Language

German is a West Germanic language as ties to English and Dutch languages and presents some degree of difficulty for English speakers due to its different vocabulary, three-word genders, case system, and rigid syntax.

Although it is quite easy to articulate words however there really are a few difficult ones to understand.

The three genders (Masculine, Neuter or Feminine) is the most demanding part of learning German cause you can’t really predict which gender the word requires. Potentially forgetting them altogether however sad that might be, it usually isn’t an option since sentence structure and vocabulary of the phase depends on the gender.

10 Reasons to Learn German

You probably already have your own reasons to learn German but in case you don’t have one already or still looking for more reasons to get motivated to learn German. This article should help you answer the question “why learn German?”

German is one of the most Spoken Languages in Europe

German is a popular language around Europe as a native language and has a second language. Germany is one of the most populated areas of the European Union.

It is also an official language:

of Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein. And it is the native language of a significant portion of the population in northern Italy, eastern Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, eastern France, parts of Poland, the Czech Republic, Russia, and Romania, as well as in other parts of Europe.

German Immigrants influence World Culture

A good amount of the original immigrants to America were German and with them brought many customs and traditions with them to America. Cultural mainstays such as kindergarten, the Christmas tree, hotdogs/hamburgers/ketchup, and founded many breweries as well as Levi jeans and Hershey’s chocolate were introduced by German immigrants to America. It is estimated that One out of every four Americans nationwide has German heritage.

Some of the Greatest Discoveries Were Done by German Scientists

From Gutenberg’s printing press to Hertz’ discovery of electromagnetic waves, from Ehrlich’s development of chemotherapy to Einstein’s theory of relativity, to Brandenburg’s creation of the MP3 digital music format, throughout history, Germans have proven themselves time and again to be great innovators.

Tons of Great Literature And Music in German

German speakers produce nearly 80,000 new book titles each year. Munich, Germany is second only to New York in the number of new books produced each year and roughly as little as 5% of those are translated into English and other world languages. Most of the world’s famous composers were German.

Foreign Business Opportunities with German Businesses

Improve Business Opportunities by Learning New Languages

Knowledge in a second language increases your potential business opportunities.

Businesses planning to break into international markets should understanding that communicating in your target demographic native languages increases confidence and builds trust among both parties.

German’s Importance to the World’s Economy

Germany has the third largest economy in the world and is one of the biggest exporters.

The German Language has a Strong Job outlook

Rich Cultural History of German on the World

Learn Cultural History With Languages

Apart from its impact on American culture, Germany has a wealth of history and art of its own. Germany part referred to as “the land of Dichter und Denker” or “the land of poets and thinkers”

Academic Reasons to Learn German

Considering the importance of the German language in the fields of publishing and research, it’s not surprising that many graduate schools want their graduates to have at least a reading knowledge of German.

Knowing German gives graduates access to important research published in German books and professional journals. Many of the world’s governments and agencies have been offering scholarships and other opportunities for individuals who are interested in German studies and learning German.

Learn German as a Hobby/Love of Learning Languages

Love of Language Learning

Maybe you are just one of those people that just enjoy learning languages for the fun of it! Once you’ve mastered the urge to learn more becomes pretty strong. Contrary to popular opinion, not much confusion happens between languages.

German is an Easy Second Language to Learn for English Speakers

English and German both come from the Germanic language and are pretty similar in vocabulary and grammar. There is a good chance you already understand a little German already.

Meine Schwester hat braunes Haar. Sie ist intelligent. Sie studiert Medizin in Berlin. Sie kann gut singen.

If you understand that with little to no problem then learning German should be no problem for you.

German is truly an amazing language to learn. I hope you find this article helpful in narrowing and strengthening your reasons to learn German.

Why study German Summary?

Interested in a further study into German or confused on where to start? I recommend reading our German Beginners Guide

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Importance of Languages

Importance of the Arabic Language Guide [2024]

Importance of the Arabic Language

Importance of Arabic Language

What is the Arabic Language?

Arabic is a Semitic language originating from the Arabian peninsula. With its Origins in the 6th Century, the Muslim World expanded, Arabic spread into Africa and Asia. The distribution of the Arabic language began within the seventh century throughout the Islamic conquests which expanded Arabic’s reach from the Middle Eastern countries into Northern Africa. Arabic began to prosper for a while before having to incorporate new words and technological dependent terms.

Arabic is considered to be one of the oldest languages in the world with a wealth of knowledge that Archeologists to this day are still trying to uncover. Importance of Arabic has roots going back as far as the sixth century. The Middle East has a rich storytelling history that has produced some of the most remarkable stories such as the Arabian Nights, Ali Baba, and Aladdin. Arabs have also made significant contributions in such areas as mathematics, navigation, belly dancing, astrology, and architecture.

Arabic Language Facts

  • Language family: Central Semitic language
  • Spoken by 280 Million
  • Offical Language in 22 Countries
  • 5th most spoken world language
  • Orgin 7th Century

Arabic Language Today

Today Arabic is the official language of 26 Countries and spoken by 280 Million worldwide.

One of the UN Six official languages. (UN’s 6 official languages: Chinese, Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish)

Example of Countries where the official language is Arabic:

  • Bahrain,
  • Comoros
  • Chad,
  • Djibouti
  • Egypt
  • Eritrea
  • Iraq
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Kuwait
  • Lebanon
  • Libya
  • Mauritania
  • Morocco,
  • Oman
  • Palestinian National Authority
  • Qatar
  • Western Sahara
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Sudan
  • Syria
  • Tunisia
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Yemen.
Example of Arabic Language Countries

An important thing to keep in mind when traveling to Arabic speaking countries. Each region has a different Arabic dialect that may or may not be understood in a different region.

Map of the different Arabic Language Dialects

Arabic has 2 forms:

  1. Classical Arabic (Fus-ha)
    Language in which the Qur’an is wirtten.
  2. Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)
    Arabic dialect generally understood

Arabic is an extremely descriptive language. Where some languages has one word for something, Arabic has many.
Arabic has many words for ‘love’ and even hundreds for ‘camel’

Lets now explore why Arabic is Important:

The Muslim Religion

Muslim and the Arabic language

Arabic plays an important role in the Islamic faith because Arabic is the language of the Holy Quran. Muslims holds the importance of Arabic language in very high esteem with most of their beliefs being inseparable from Arabic.

Muslims considering Arabic the divine gift and a sacred part of their customs. They are required to perform five daily prayers in Arabic. Muslims believe that Arabic may be the mother of all languages in the world, is the very first language taught to Adam in the Garden of Eden.

Business of Arabic

The global importance of the Arabic language is highlighted by the growing presence of the Middle East.

Arabic is spoken by more than 260 million people throughout the world and is the main language of most of the Middle East.

Arabic is becoming an important language when it comes to operating an international business that’s trying to break into foreign markets.

Learning Arabic opens up many employment possibilities in a number of different industries:

  • Oil
  • Energy
  • Travel
  • Finance
  • Translation
  • Government

Importance of Arabic within the international intelligence gathering community when trying to extract information from highly valued targets and individuals.

With this level of high demand, they are prepared to pay a lot of money to individuals who utilize this particular important ability. Some businesses want Arabic speakers onboard specifically to contact local Arabic people and to obtain an edge when running a business that might otherwise end up being missed only using English interpretation and discussions.

Why Learn Arabic Lanaguge?

Ten Reasons to Learn the Arabic Language

Why Learn Arabic Guide

You probably already have your own reasons to learn Arabic but in case you don’t have one already or still looking for more reasons to get motivated to learn Arabic. This article should help you answer the question “why learn Arabic?”

Arabic is the fifth most spoken language in the world

The Arabic language is spoken by over 280 million speakers. Most Arabic speakers are found in the Middle East and are a presence as the official language of more than twenty countries with a minority of Arabic speakers all over the world. Arabic is also an official language of many world organizations. Arabic has a rich history and dated back as one of the oldest languages.

High Demand Arabic-Speakers in the Western World

High Demand for Language Speakers

Despite being one of the most spoken languages globally, there are very few Arabic translators available in the western world. With the increasing importance of the Arabic world in our daily news.

There is a very high demand currently for more and more Arabic translators and interpreters are needed by government departments and agencies as well as corporations seeking to enter the global arena.

Arabic is the Language of the Qur’an, the Holy Book of Islam

Arabic is the language of the Islamic Faith. The Qur’an is written in Arabic and as part of their faith are required to pray towards Mecca in Arabic fives times a day.

There are Scholarship Opportunities for Arabic Studies

Scholarship Opportunities with a New Language

Because of the higher demand for people speaking Arabic, many of the world’s governments and agencies have been offering scholarships and other opportunities for individuals who are interested in Arabic studies and learning Arabic.

A Growing Arabic Minority in Worldwide

Language for Minorities

Like the rest of the world, the United States as a growing minority of Arabic speakers. The estimated percent of Arabic according to recent census data is around four to five million. Even just a basic knowledge of the Arabic language and culture can improve understanding and acceptance of this often misunderstood and misrepresented a group of Americans.

You Plan to Visit an Arabic Speaking Country

Visit new countries by learning languages

This one I’m sure you have the gist of already. If you plan to travel a lot to Middle Eastern countries then learning the Arabic language will come in handy when trying to find your way around and talking to the local people.

Business Opportunities in Arabic Speaking Countries

Improve Business Opportunities by Learning New Languages

Learn Arabic because the company you work for wants to branch out into the Middle East. The Arabic economy is one of the biggest in the world and doesn’t show signs of slowing down any time soon. This makes the Arabic world a great place to expand any business into.

Learn Arabic as a Hobby/Love of Learning Languages

Love of Language Learning

Maybe you are just one of those people that just enjoy learning languages for the fun of it! Once you’ve mastered the urge to learn more becomes pretty strong. Contrary to popular opinion, not much confusion happens between languages.

Rich Cultural History of Arabic on the World

Learn Cultural History With Languages

Arabic is one of the oldest in the world with a wealth of knowledge that Archeologists to this day are still trying to uncover.

Arabic has roots going back as far as the sixth century. The Middle East has a rich storytelling history and has produced some of the most memorable stories such as the Arabian Nights, Ali Baba, and Aladdin.

Arabs have also made significant contributions in:

  • Literature
  • Mathematics,
  • Navigation,
  • Architecture.

Help Intercultural Understanding When Knowing Arabic

Learning Languages Intercultural Understanding

Arabic-speaking people have been demonized with one-dimensional negative stereotypes through most of the media and other outlets. This disconnect from reality is caused by a lot of miscommunication, and the inability to separate fact from fiction.

Understanding the Arabic world to help bring the cultural and linguistic gap to halt to avoid intercultural conflicts.

Arabic is truly an amazing language to learn. I hope you find this article helpful in narrowing and strengthening your reasons to learn Arabic.null

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Learning Language Software

Rocket Languages Review [2024]

Rocket Languages is the latest in language learning software. Learning languages at home with computer software has been very popular, especially after the rise of such programs as Rosetta Stone. I choose Rocket Spanish by Mauricio Evlampieff.

What Is Rocket Language?

Rocket Languages is a new, simple way to learn an additional language. Once you’ve purchased the software, you have the choice between downloading it or purchasing a shipped version. I tried the download version because I didn’t need extra packaging floating around my computer.

The download version of Rocket Languages contains a 31-track audio course, 31 language and culture lessons, quizzes/tests to track your progress, software games, certificate tests and more. I tested the Spanish software, but the other languages also come with these things.

Purchasing the Rocket Languages software also lets you have access to the language learners’ online forum for your language. This lets you interact with different people who are all trying to learn the same language you are.

Using the language forum was a huge help for me when I was studying Spanish because I had other people who supported me. If I needed tips or tricks to learn the language, I was always able to find them on the forum.

Overall, you get a lot when you purchase this software. Rocket Languages is there to guide you through the whole process of learning a new language.

Does Age Matter In Learning A Language?

Being a middle-aged woman myself, I was worried that I was simply too old to learn a new language. I’d seen my children study and learn languages in school, but I thought I was simply too old to start learning a second language.

It turns out my ideas about language learning were wrong. I recently read an article that say learning a second language helps to prevent Alzheimer’s, and speaking multiple languages can actually be easier as an adult! With my confidence ready, I started my language learning program.

How Well Does Rocket Languages Work?

The software was intuitive and easy to use. By combining several different types of learning styles, I found myself picking up Spanish in weeks! After only a few days of using Rocket Languages in my spare time, I was able to have a conversation in Spanish. I was conversing fluently in Spanish three months later.

The focus of Rocket Languages is teaching you how to speak a language confidently like a native, and I think they succeeded. The software tracked my progress and showed me what my strengths and weaknesses were in learning a language. The audio lessons also helped my pronunciation. Rocket Languages also contains culture lessons. There isn’t a single area of language learning they forgot!

How well it works it probably best measured by my results.  After a month, I was ordering from Mexican restaurants in Spanish and asking the waiter about menu options. After two months, I was watching Spanish movies and able to follow everything that was going on. I was speaking fluently after only three months of using the Rocket Languages software! I can’t complain about how well it worked.

Is Rocket Languages w The Cost?

The most important factor to me when choosing language software was cost. I didn’t have hundreds of dollars to spend on college classes or expensive software. I needed results fast at a price I could afford.

Trying out the free language course let me sample Rocket Languages before I paid for the Rocket Languages Spanish software. Instead of jumping into their system without any knowledge of what to expect, I had a clear understanding of how their system worked and if it would be effective to me.

In addition to the Rocket Languages software, you also get lifetime updates, audio lessons you can download, 24/7 support and more. I was relieved to know I didn’t have to worry about my software becoming obsolete with a month of my purchase!

Most importantly, doing those Rocket Languages Spanish verbs activities enabled me to learn the language quickly and find a new job. Instead of worrying about my next paycheck or when my unemployment will run out, I found the best job of my life. I now use my Spanish on a daily basis when dealing with customers.

If you aren’t happy with the results of Rocket Languages, you can get a simple refund within 60 days. I thought I would try the software and return it if it didn’t work, but fortunately I had the success I hoped for and kept the program.

Rocket Languages Conclusion

If you are considering learning a language at home using computer software, look no further than Rocket Languages. Whether you use Rocket Languages Spanish (like I did), Rocket Languages Japanese or even Rocket Languages ASL, you’ll be speaking your new language within weeks. When you consider cost, results and time, there isn’t really a choice between Rocket Languages or Rosetta Stone: Rocket Languages is the better deal.

my Rocket Languages review has shown you anyone can learn a new language at any age. Now go out and learn that language you’ve always wanted to learn!

Go to RocketLanguages.com

Categories
Languages

History Of Languages Guide [2024]

History Of Languages Tree
History Of Languages Tree

Language is thought to have originated when early humans started gradually changing their primate communication systems, acquiring the ability to form a theory of other minds and a shared intentionality.

This development is sometimes thought to have coincided with an increase in brain volume, and many linguists see the structures of language as having evolved to serve specific communicative and social functions.

Humans acquire language through social interaction in early childhood, and children generally speak fluently when they are approximately three years old.

The history of language has been shaped by major thinkers like:

  • Plato
  • Rousseau
  • Kant
  • Ferdinand de Saussure
  • Noam Chomsky

Debates about the nature and origin of language go back to the ancient world. Greek philosophers such as Gorgias and Plato debated the relationship between words, concepts and reality.

Gorgias argued that language could represent neither objective experience nor human experience and that communication and truth were therefore impossible.

Plato maintained that communication is possible because language represents ideas and concepts that exist independently of, and prior to, language.

During the Enlightenment and its debates about human origins, it became fashionable to speculate about the origin of language. Thinkers such as Rousseau and Herder argued that language had originated in the instinctive expression of emotions and that it was originally closer to music and poetry than to the logical expression of rational thought.

Rationalist philosophers such as Kant and Descartes held the opposite view. Around the turn of the 20th century, thinkers began to wonder about the role of language in shaping our experiences of the world – asking whether language simply reflects the objective structure of the world, or whether it creates concepts that it, in turn, imposes on our experience of the objective world. This led to the question of whether philosophical problems are really firstly linguistic problems.

The Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, who defined the modern discipline of linguistics, first explicitly formulated the distinction using the French word language for language as a concept, langue as a specific instance of a language system, and parole for the concrete usage of speech in a particular language.

The resurgence of the view that language plays a significant role in the creation and circulation of concepts, and that the study of philosophy is essentially the study of language, is associated with what has been called the linguistic turn and philosophers such as Wittgenstein in 20th-century philosophy. These debates about language in relation to meaning and reference, cognition and consciousness remain active today.

Why Language Developed?

Importance of languages development

Language is not the creation of one person or of one period but it is an institution, on which hundreds of generations and countless individual workers have worked. Language is thought to have originated 10,000 BC.

Languages evolve and diversify over time, and the history of their evolution can be reconstructed by comparing modern languages to determine which traits their ancestral languages must have had in order for the later developmental stages to occur.

The production of language is a continuous process; it varies in rate and kind with the circumstances and habits of the speaking community, but it never ceases; there was never a time when it was more truly going than at present.

Language is one of the most marked, conspicuous, as well as fundamentally characteristic of the faculties of Humankind

It raised humans from a savage state to the plane which he was capable of reaching. Humans could not become Humans except by language. An essential point in which man differs from animals is that man alone is the sole possessor of language.

Language is a constituent element of civilization.

Therefore, the importance of language for society cannot be minimised. The importance of language is essential to every aspect and interaction in our everyday lives and for wider society.

Categories
Learning Language Software

6 Myths About Language Software [2024]

Myth 1: Software-based lessons aren’t as good as classroom ones.

A decade ago, I may have agreed vehemently with this.  Since a couple years ago, though, I have to disagree.  The evolution of language training software is among the most impressive I’ve seen for any type of educational software.  I’ve been to beginner-level training in both software and classrooms.  In terms of material, they’re just as good.  In terms of helping you learn quickly, the flexibility of software tools edge out classroom instruction easily.

Myth 2: Software-based language learning isn’t for serious learners.

On the contrary, I’ve met a lot of serious language learners who use software. In fact, the few times I’ve enrolled in classroom training, almost half the class were bored professionals who were there because their company required them to.  Seldom have I seen people training with a language software do so begrudgingly.

Myth 3: Software-based learners don’t get enough practice.

While this could be true to some extend, it could be equally true for classroom learners.  Practice is seldom integrated in classroom teaching, most of which is spent teaching vocabulary and pronunciation.  For the most part, students will be responsible for their own practice, which is why we encourage people to either join or form a language club.

Myth 4: Language software only teach grammar and vocabulary.

This was true of early efforts in language training software.  These days, however, there is plenty of variety in the kinds of approaches language learning title .   Regardless of your learning preferences, we guarantee you will find something that suits it.

Myth 5: Software-based language lessons not as good

If software-based learning is so inferior to classroom instruction, we would have seen it die off after the first few training materials came out. Instead, more and more people are opting for language training software, instead of classroom instruction. If that’s not a good indication of their comparative effectiveness, I don’t know what is.

Myth 6 – Learning from a language software will make you sound mechanical.

Fortunately for you, modern language programs have progressed far from the days of robotic instruction. If someone mentions this as fact, remind them how much technology has advanced over the last ten years.

Language software is “easier” than classroom training. Don’t expect to cruise through language software lessons. Learning, regardless of the medium, will never work like magic. You’ll have to work your ass off acquiring language just like everybody else who now speaks your target language fluently.

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Learning Language Software

Using Language Learning Tools on Your Browser

If you’re trying to learn a second language, you should absolutely take advantage of the large selection of language-based plugins and extensions. While most of them are designed to facilitate easier browsing of international content, the tools can just as easily be useful for your language learning efforts.

Extensions, plug-ins and apps have become a standard feature when it comes to internet browsers. And they have become valuable features, too, with the added functionalities extending the browser’s usefulness well past just being a tool to monitor your favorite blog, read Facebook updates or watch YouTube videos.

Kinds of Browser-Based Language Tools

Almost any kind of language learning tool (especially software variants) can be converted into a browser plug-in or extension. As a result, there’s a wealth of them available for the most popular browsers. While I don’t have much experience using IE or Opera, I do know there’s a lot of these tools available for both Firefox and Chrome. I’ve also seen a few for mobile browsers like Dolphin although it’s probably best to focus your efforts in the meantime to standard desktop browsers for Macs and PCs.

1. Language Dictionaries.

There are dozens of dictionaries that can be integrated into the browser: some will show a pop-up of the definition when you double-click on any word in a page; some can be accessed from a window that pops up from the toolbar; and so on. In particular, you will want to install a dictionary of your target language and a dual-dictionary (e.g. English-to-French), so you can quickly look up any new word you discover and find the equivalent of an English word in your target language.

2. Language Image Pairs.

One of the most helpful toolbar extensions I’ve seen is an image pairing tool. What it does is when you double click on a word in the target language, it brings up an image of the item in question, instead of a translation or a definition. A picture, after all, is worth a thousand words, so it’s extremely helpful to your language learning efforts. And while you can do this in Google Images, too, the convenience of never having to leave whichever page (and tab) you’re currently on is enough to warrant an install.

3. Language Script translators.

This is a tool for helping you train in reading and writing in the target language. What it does is convert the Roman words on a page to the corresponding phonetic words in the language, making it especially useful for extended training on a language with an unfamiliar script like Korean or Urdu.

4. Language Translators.

Browser translators generally do one thing: convert the text on an entire webpage into the target language. Some of the more advanced ones allow you to highlight sections of text and pop that up into its translated version. Granted, automated translators will often expose you to horrible grammar and nonsensical phrases, so always keep in mind that you’ll need to use better judgment when using these types of — the last thing you want is to fossilize some bad information into your skillset.

5. Language flash cards.

While you can always create your own for memorizing vocabulary, there are plenty of browser extensions that offer pre-created ones you can use to learn and review words in the target language. That way, you can take a break from your computer work (or game) and check a couple of flashcards to brush up on your language skills every now and again. I’ve also seen you can design your own if you prefer that customized route.

6. Language Alphabet training.

For beginners to a target language, learning the alphabet can be a good idea and I’ve seen several browser tools that do just that. Implementations vary from toolbar popups to full page instructions, so you can choose which ones you like best.

7. Language Vocabulary builders.

One of my favorite extensions is a toolbar popup which shows a random word in my target language (currently German) every time I click on the icon. While this isn’t quite as organized as taking a structured vocabulary lesson, it’s a nice way to pick up new words throughout the day, even while you work on a spreadsheet, check email or catch updates on Facebook.

8. Language Website shortcuts.

Some plug-ins are marketed as “apps,” although they really are just website shortcuts. When you click on them, the browser opens a new tab and takes you to the corresponding website. While you can always bookmark your favorite language learning sites, having these “apps” available makes new sites easier to find compared to searching for language resources on Google or Bing.

9. Language Others.

When I open the Chrome Web Store and go to the Language Education category, I’m always amazed at how much plug-ins and extensions there are available. Chances are, there are a lot more types of tools I haven’t tried out, so make sure to take a spin for yourself. You never know — you just might find something amazing that way.

Language Secondary Resources

Can you use these plug-ins and extensions as your primary language learning tools?

For the most part, I doubt it, since most of them are focused on singular tasks. They’re a good way to supplement your primary resources, though, giving you an outlet to brush up on the language even while at work. If you’re still on the fence about learning a new language, they can also offer a nice first step to try it out. Do note that you’ll likely have to invest in a full course (whether in school or via language training software) to really get a proper language education.

Additionally, these resources will only be useful if you spend a good amount of your day in front of a computer. People who work with a computer in their jobs, for instance, will get a lot out of these; those, on the other hand, who use their computers two hours a day to check Facebook and email (yes, these people do exist) probably won’t find them of much value.

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Learn Languages

Top 5 Language Vocabulary Building Techniques

Like all language learners, some memorization techniques have served me better than others. As such, they’ve become my default resort when the need to memorize chunks of new vocabulary presents itself. If you’ve been looking for memory techniques you can use, maybe you’ll find this short list of my favorites helpful in your own language learning efforts.

1. Language Diglot Weave

I like using Diglot Weave for memorizing individual words and short phrases in a target language. While it’s far from the most efficient technique for committing large amounts of new vocabulary to memory, I’ve found it very effective for getting acquainted with short lists of words and phrases.

In this technique, you memorize foreign words by inserting them into sentences formed in a language you already know. For example, if you’re learning Spanish:

“Let me tell you un cuento about a beautiful girl”

In this sentence, we replaced “a story” with the Spanish “un cuento.” As you can tell, it’s a lot easier to work with “un cuento” when put in the context of a language you actually understand. A sentence that incorporates both a foreign language and your native language is easier to memorize, easier to recall and easier to repeat. Plus, you can use it in actual conversation with your friends without causing much confusion (it’s just one foreign word out of a whole sentence, so they could fill in the blanks easily). You can also combine this with rhyming and visual techniques built into the sentence if you think those additional elements can help you.

Some people use this process to learn the translation of full sentences, replacing words with their equivalent in the target language one by one. That, however, is a discussion for another time. Suffice to say, the Diglot Weave can be extremely useful for memorizing isolated words and phrases at a faster than normal pace.

2. Language Elaborative Processing

The best example of elaborative processing are actors memorizing their lines. While there are actors who memorize lines by rehearsing them repeatedly, studies have found that most actually commit lines to memory using a different technique altogether.

Instead of simply reading through their lines over and over, these actors first focus their attention on the underlying context that sits beneath the words. They work on fleshing out the meaning of each line, the corresponding motivations of the character saying them and other related information. Basically, they elaborate on the context surrounding the lines, making it more meaningful than just a bunch of lines whipped up by a screenwriter.

In language learning, you can use this by really understanding what the phrases you memorize actually mean and, if you can, making up situations in your mind where they apply completely. A lot of language learners already do this when they study vocabulary in related groups — that way, all the vocabulary items can be linked to each other with concrete and specific contexts. In elaborative processing, you go deeper by creating scenarios in which you can imagine using this item appropriately.

3. Language Mnemonics

There are tons of mnemonic techniques available out there. In fact, a quick search on Amazon will turn out dozens upon dozens of books dedicated to specific mnemonic techniques that you can use to aid your memorization tasks.

While I can appreciate the value in a lot of mnemonic techniques out there, the one that I’ve always used for language learning is the Town Language Mnemonic. I’ve found it extremely efficient and helpful for keeping track of large chunks of words. Maybe, it can serve you the same way.

In this technique, you create a literal town in your mind, assigning different groups of words to different parts of the town. For instance, I use the street I live in (this is in my imagined world, by the way) to assign nouns and pronouns that refer to people; I use the local mall to memorize nouns that refer to objects; I use the large park just outside the mall to memorize adjectives; I use a basketball game being held in the park to memorize adverbs; and so on.

The idea is to create a virtual world in your head where each item is associated with a word or phrase in the target language. That way, all you have to do is visualize this mental construct whenever you need to recall specific vocabulary items.

4. Language Retrieval Practice

Testing yourself on information you’ve memorized is one of the best ways to enhance retention. We’ve all experienced this first-hand from our early days in school and it’s one of the reasons why practice exercises are always a regular part of any language learning curriculum.

If you can find pre-made tests in books and websites, you should definitely make use of them to practice your retention of vocabulary items in the language. If you can’t, what I’ve regularly done is to find comic book drawings online, copy and paste the image to a software like GIMP, and then label each item I can identify with the word describing it in the target language. I’ve opted for comic book drawings, rather than actual pictures, since they’re a lot more fun to look at with a lot of the objects prominently drawn (compared to pictures, which will often focus on a single subject). Plus, many comic book scenes can be memorable or funny, further aiding retention. Oh yeah, I’ve also made a habit of finding full-color drawings rather than black and white ones — they’re just a lot more fun to work on.

5. Create Language Flash Cards

I will forever be a huge fan of flash cards, even though I don’t actually use those small index cards anymore like I used to. Instead, I’ve replaced it with a smartphone app that, pretty much, does the exact same thing.

Flash cards have been a consistent favorite because they’re, literally, something you can pull out whenever you have downtime (even a short one, like 3 minutes) to quiz yourself on your retention of a word or phrase. With flash cards moving to smartphones, they’ve become even more efficient (you can hold as many cards as your phone storage will allow) as a repetitive memorization technique.

Categories
Learning Language Software

What To Look for When Buying a Language Software?

When shopping for language software, it’s important to get an accounting of the program’s available features. The content and features of each software vary a good degree. As such, you’re bound to get something different with every package. And what works for one person may not necessarily be what works out as a strong fit for you.

Before you can compare language programs, you’ll need to know what exactly to look for.

Here are some ideas to get you started on your research language software.

What All Language Software Share?

All language learning programs, of course, will have things in common. For the most part, they’ll all have audio courses (because it’s important to hear new words), vocabulary builders and built-in basic tools (like , translator and thesaurus). Those are the bare essentials, after all. Beyond that, titles can vary immensely.

What Language Skills Are You Looking to Develop?

Most language programs restrict their instruction to speaking and listening. That’s because reading and writing can be particularly difficult, especially for people raised in Romanic languages.

Unless you intend to read and write a new Language, then focus on software that on building your speaking and listening skills. That’s all you need, after all. They will be cheaper and less bloated with unnecessary features, making them ideal for your goals.

For those interested in reading and writing, there are some resources out there available to you. From my investigation of language software offerings, though, they’re severely limited. While I haven’t tried those software-based reading and writing training, I’m guessing the learning curve will be a tad steep, too. Make sure to consider the kind of time you’ll invest in this compared to classroom training with a qualified instructor. If you have unlimited time to learn reading and writing (i.e. it’s an optional skill), then will be fine; if you’re under time pressure, though, having a real-life instructor might prove more helpful, especially for speeding you through the process.

What Do You Need Out of the Language Course?

Do you want basic conversational skills for next year’s business trip to Tianjin? Are you looking for enough language skills to be able to haggle with merchants in Shenzen? Do you want to get as fluent as possible for your planned permanent move to Guangzhou? Or do you just want enough survival language skills for finding your way from the airport to your company’s staff offices in Beijing?

The software you want to get will depend on your answer to the above. Different language software can prepare you for different levels of fluency. designed to teach your survival language skills, for instance, won’t be the best for those looking to learn Languages for business meetings next year. After all, doing business in any country — especially an exotic culture like China — entails customs and behaviors that a survival language software just won’t prepare you for. Remember: a big part of learning a language involves learning the culture and choosing a program built for specific purposes (e.g. business, school) will often cover that.

What Language software Features Do You Want?

Language Video Learning

Do you prefer seeing people’s actions while they speak a new Language? I do. I especially prefer video for phrases and sentences I memorize for practice. Physical gestures and facial expressions help me figure out exactly what’s going on, making the learning process just a tad more complete than just hearing the words. If you’re the same way, you will want to make sure that your language software offers video lectures, on top of the audio option. Chinese, in particular, is a tricky language to learn, so visual cues can help immensely.

Language Audio

It was a surprise, but there are, apparently, still language software with audio that don’t automatically let you transfer the audio lessons to your mobile player. There’s not a lot of them (I only found two so far), but this is probably one feature you’d like to make sure exists, especially if you plan to listen to lessons while on the road on your smartphone.

Language Smartphone App.

If you spend most of your screen time on a smartphone, you might want to get a software with an accompanying smartphone app on top of porting audio to mobile. So far, though, I haven’t seen anything substantial. Given that I’ve seen that feature in software for languages like Italian and French before, I’m sure there’s probably one out there with exactly that option.

Language Audio/Video Lessons

Yep, there are some software that offer actual remote tutoring as part of the course. There are limits, of course, but having a trained bilingual tutor to bounce questions off against (even for limited periods) can be very helpful to your learning efforts. There are also courses that offer chat tutoring as the primary mode of lecture, with the software components acting as supplementary resources. While these are obviously great, you might want to watch out for the costs (even live online tutors aren’t cheap, of course).

Language Speech Recognition

This is a very common feature in many language software. That’s why I’m surprised to see quite a few of the Language training programs I’ve looked at not have this feature. Maybe incorporating the technology for
Language speaking isn’t quite as easy. Still, I’d recommend you get one with speech recognition support — that’s the only way you can really practice with a computer and know that your pronunciation is on the right track.

Language Tests and Quizzes

Aside from in-field interactions, nothing can help measure your ability to measure what you’ve learned so far than tests and quizzes. That’s why I find some form of testing feature (even a simple pre-made flashcard system) a necessity in almost any language software. Not all titles will have them, though, so make sure you check the features list for them.

Language Games and Interactive Exercises

This is an optional feature that could be valuable, depending on the implementation. I’ve seen them offered in several language titles and I actually found them useful for the most part.

Language User Forums.

While this isn’t directly a part of the software, having a user forum allows the customers of a Language training program to have a hub where they can discuss their progress. It’s immensely helpful and has been one of the most significant value-added features a company can provide its customer base.

Language Software Checklist: Does It Cover What You Need?

If you’re going to pay for language software, it’s a good idea to figure out if it’s exactly what you will need.  Here are things you want to know to make sure.

What level is it aimed at? 

If you’re a beginner, you wouldn’t want software that assumes some amount of basic familiarity with the language.  Those who have a foundation, on the other hand, will probably not be served by more 101 lessons.  You want to know the level of speaking ability the software is designed to work with.

What applications is it best for? 

Some language software is geared towards general use, while others are aimed for more specialized applications.  If you want to use the target language for business, then one whose material covers mostly language for tourists probably won’t serve you as well as you’d like.

Does it cover reading and writing? 

Most language software are aimed towards speaking and oral comprehension.  As such, if you intend to learn reading and writing as well, you have to invest in a software that’s designed to cover those areas.

Do you want to memorize phrases or do you want a deep understanding of the language? 

If you want a deeper grasp of the language beyond memorized vocabulary, then a software that goes heavy on grammar lessons might be more along your lines.

Different people require different approaches to learning.  Chances are, you’ve been clued in to this long ago, after spending loads of time taking standardized lessons through many years in school.  If you want to maximize the benefits you reap from your language software, you better make sure it takes the kind of approach that plays well to your strengths.

How is the material presented? 

Some language software favor interactive exchanges, while others will have you sitting down for a lesson that’s followed by exercises.   Neither of those approaches is better than the other, but you’ll probably work best with one, depending on your personal preferences.

How is the pace? 

If you’re a slow learner, a software that aims to rush the student through fluency probably isn’t the best match.  On the other hand, a slow-paced learning program can end up boring you if you’re the type to pick things up at a faster rate.

What kinds of learning mediums do you work with best? 

Is it video, audio, text or a combination of all three?  Some people work best with video, while others can find it distracting.  Make sure you try the software first and see how the presentation works for you.

Language Software Checklist: Cost-Effectiveness

In an ideal world, all of us will have dedicated language tutors walking us through the intricacies of a language.  Suffice it to say, though, that a scenario like that will probably be out of reach for majority of people.

One of the biggest issues for many language learners is cost: how much money will they need to spend in order to adequately learn a language?  Not everyone has bottomless pockets, after all, so finding the balance between cost and results is something you should concern yourself with.

Cost-effectiveness is one of the reasons students cite when they choose language learning software over other mediums.   You pay once and you get yourself a tool that you can use many times over.  Plus, not only are most current language software comprehensive, they’re usually optimized for really learning a language, given how flexible software can be.

Before you commit to a language program, factor in the cost and the likely results you can glean each offering.   The most expensive language training software isn’t always going to be the most effective for you, so do your research and take trial offers whenever they’re available.

How about settling for the cheapest?  Well, that’s your call.  Most of the time, though, you’re trading in effectiveness for cost, considering the amount of effort that’s likely been put in low-cost language programs.

Is It Ok to Use More Than One Language Software?

One thing I’ve seen among over-eager language learners is the tendency to pay for multiple software and online services when first embarking on a language learning journey. If you’re the same way, you may want to hold on to your credit card a little and begin rethinking this strategy.

No, I’m not going to knock you for your zest to learn. Instead, I’ll point you towards the unnecessarily messy start you’re getting yourself into. Say, you bought two language software, a membership to a web-based program and two books. Do you realistically believe you can cover them all and still have time to practice?

Instead of trying to consume everything, we actually suggest focusing on one (at most two) of your materials. Why? Because they can end up confusing you. Since these are separate programs, they like come with different lesson structures and learning plans, so it’s possible that one will just end up messing with what you’re learning from the other.

Additionally, most language learning software tend to progress by what it assumes is your advancement using their learning program. If, since you’re using three or four materials, you’re actually learning differently, you might up either getting bored or confused the next time you jump from one to another.

If you go this route, you’ll likely end up getting overloaded by vocabulary, since different programs tend to introduce different things. While nothing’s wrong with a larger stock of words, it could be the last thing you need, especially since language learning requires more than memorizing vocabulary.

Interactive Features In Modern Language Software

The idea of learning a language using software can seem overwhelming. You’ll be going it alone, after all, with no one to ask for help. Because of this lack of other people to exchange ideas with, plenty of modern language software are designed to be interactive.

Different software titles have different ways of injecting interactivity into their process. That’s why it’s important to survey the field a little before committing to a specific title. What works for one of your friends may not work the same way for you, after all. If you want to get an overview of what to expect, here are some ways modern language software are integrating interactive elements:

Interactive practice.  Traditional lessons involve sitting through lectures. Practice-based software, on the other hand, put practice sessions as the single core priority. You learn a phrase, then the software drills you on it multiple times; then you move on to a new related one and so on. This approach actually recreates the feeling of interacting with a speaker, which makes it effective for a lot of people.

Engagement-based.  In this approach, the software engages multiple senses using a variety of media to teach the language, such as live video, animation, sound and more. I’m, personally, not that big on it (I find the amount of things going on confusing), but a lot of people I know have found it very effective.

Games and modular approaches. While these types of language software can cause linear thinkers to zone out, non-linear types tend to gravitate to it. With clever games and unorthodox teaching styles, it can be a fun experience if you’re the type to appreciate those.

Getting Rid of Unrealistic Expectations with Your Language Software

Everybody has expectations when they first use a language software. It’s only natural. Make sure you keep your expectations in line with what learning software can actually, though. Otherwise, you can end up disappointed or, worse, unmotivated to pursue learning any further.

  1. Expect to work. You won’t magically learn the language just because you’re using the best learning software money can buy — you’ll have to work to develop your abilities, just like when learning martial arts or calculus or some other new skill.
  2. Expect to practice. Sitting through hours of lessons will help you absorb the knowledge. Fluency, however, comes with practice, so you’ll have to use the language if you want to really internalize the skill.
  3. Expect to reap what you sow. The more effort you put in, the more skills you’ll acquire. While the amount of time you devote to learning will matter, so do other things like planning, using tools (e.g. journals and flashcards) and sustained practice.
  4. Expect gradual improvement. No matter what anyone promises, you’re not going to gain fluency in 10 hours of lessons. Stay realistic — expect gradual improvement and you won’t be disappointed. As long as you’re better now than you were yesterday, you’re doing fine.

Are There Any Free Language Learning Software?

“How come when I look up to find language learning software online, all I keep finding are paid resources? Isn’t there anything free?”

Actually, you probably just didn’t look hard enough. Fact is, there are dozens upon dozens of free software that you can use to learn languages. Sure, some of the very best will probably require you to pay up, but a lot will be willing to help you out at absolutely no cost too. So how should you go about finding them?

Trial Versions. You probably aren’t going to find a complete language learning software for free. After all, developing those teaching modules and programming them costs a lot of money. However, many of them do offer free trial versions, especially ones that give the first two to three lessons for free, complete with audio, video and practice modules. If all you’re looking to get is a head start in language learning, these “trial” lessons will probably be very worth your while.

Vocabulary software. Similar to full language software, you can also get some of the more full-featured paid vocabulary software with trial versions. With so many good and free vocabulary software in many languages, though, we suggest trying to exhaust them first before looking to buy one. At the least, I would look for flashcard-style software and a multiple-choice testing vocabulary tool.

Word translators. Not only are many of these types of software free, you can find free online-based alternatives too.
Multilingual dictionaries. Like word translators, you can usually get this for free, unless it’s one of the less-popular languages out there.

Are free tools considerably inferior compared to paid ones? In the case of language software, free tools usually aren’t inferior – they’re just less featured and less comprehensive. For some people, that will be enough, though, so I suggest trying it out.

Language Learning Software Reviews

Should you trust website reviews when it comes to language software? My personal opinion is, yes, you should. But only to a certain degree.

Not all the information you will find on the internet is accurate. Literally anyone can put up a website at minimal cost, not to mention practically anyone can register to post reviews on Amazon. Chances are, some reviews you find will be honest and real, while others will fall either as marketing fodder, affiliates trying to make a buck, jokers with nothing better than do, or severely misinformed individuals.

If you really want to know if a language software is what you want, your best shot is to field test it. That’s why we appreciate language programs that offer trial and “freemium” versions — being able to work with the software will give you a better idea than any number of reviews would.

To save you time when choosing which software to field-test, you can use the reviews as guide by filtering them with these three questions:

  1. Is the website trustworthy? If it isn’t (or it’s unclear), you might want to look for reviews somewhere else.
  2. Does the review sound fair? We all have a good sense of when a review is legit — it sounds objective, professional and fair. Fake ones tend to show their true colors by being too focused on one side of the scale or being so poorly written you’re wondering whether some dude put it together while in a drunken stupor.
  3. Can you find information that backs it up? Look at multiple reviews and see whether they say the same thing. If they line up, there’s a good chance the reviews are legit. If they don’t, then something shady is likely going on.

Categories
Learn Languages

Guide to Learning a New Language Gradually

When learning a language, we normally recommend focused and sustained daily lessons, paired with regular practice. That’s the best way to learn, after all. For some people, however, it may not be what’s necessary.

If you don’t have a pressing need for a target language (e.g. you’re only learning for fun or for challenge), you can skip the intense study and learn peripherally instead. By that, we mean doing away with the structure of formal lessons and just following whatever it is about the language that interests you.

Some people call this process “grazing” — basically, letting your gut and your interests lead you to what you’ll learn next. Me and my friends like to call it “follow the shiny object” because you pursue whatever piques your interest, which is typically something “shiny” (in this context, we mean that to be “attention-grabbing”).

Language Learning Materials

When you learn this way, language materials are secondary. Sure, you can pick up a language software and study whatever lesson drives your interest.

For the most part, though, you can use any resource you want

  • Language blogs
  • Phrasebook
  • Subscription language learning website
  • YouTube videos

It’s all about finding something that interests you in the language and then pursuing that with a singular mind, whether it be a 3-minute spiel you saw in a movie, language you can use when shopping or, everyone’s favorite default, all the cuss words in the target language.

You Can Do This Free

For the most part, you can do this for free. The internet is a veritable playground for this unstructured type of language learning, allowing you to get the information you need without any additional expense than what you already spend on your existing connection.

Say, you think it would be fun to learn how to talk to cab drivers in Paris. You can go to Google to look up websites with survival phrases for that situation or search YouTube for videos of similar interactions. Same when you suddenly have it in mind to learn Spanish pronunciation. You just go to YouTube or DailyMotion, then search for language learning videos that cover that subject.

The Path to Language Fluency

Can you ever get fluent doing this? Probably not in a long time. What it will do with a good likelihood of success, however, is make you conversant on things that actually interest you. For many adult learners who aren’t studying a language for a pressing need, that might actually end up being more effective than traditional modes of learning, like memorizing vocabulary from the ground up, studying grammar and working on comprehension.

Language Learning Is Often Boring

Unless you find it particularly thrilling to memorize long lists of vocabulary items and grammar rules, you’ll probably find traditional lessons boring. That’s because most language lessons are structured to teach you the same way you were taught in school. And we all know how you felt about sitting through those numerous hours of lecture at the time.

A lot of language learning is really just boring. You sit through an instructor blabbing in front; you park in front of a computer reading text and listening to audio; you sit with a book and read through gobs of paragraphs about how to form proper sentences. If you’re the type of person who isn’t too thrilled with those, you’ll probably love this approach, since it strips all the structure away. Instead of coming across a big lump of information that you have no control over, you pick up one thing at a time with no pressure to follow a prescribed path towards a goal.

Oh yeah — goals. That might be the biggest casualty here. It’s tough to set goals when you don’t work with a structure. Since you don’t know what you’ll be studying from day to day, it’s hard to be working towards a single goal. That’s the big trade off. Basically, you’re relying on gut to let you know whether you like how you’re doing, rather than having an external metric to base success from.

Exposure To the Language

Even if you plan to take formal language classes or software lessons, this type of learning can be very helpful as a way to acquaint yourself with the target language. If you haven’t quite gotten around to picking up that French training software or signing up at the Alliance Francaise, this could work as an effective introduction even when done within a short period of time.

This exposure, unstructured as it is, gives you plenty of context for experiencing and understanding the language. You’ll be surprised, in fact, at how much easier language concepts during formal lessons will become after you’ve gone through a pace of just chasing language elements as you feel like it.

You Manage Anxiety Much Easier

It’s much easier to manage anxiety and pressure when you learn in this manner. Since you aren’t striving for any concrete goals, you’re free to just enjoy the process. There are no lessons to finish, no tests to pass and no lists to exhaust — you just learn at your own pace whatever element of the language piques your interest at any given time.

The result is you’re able to learn without any pressure (whether from external sources or from yourself). As such, you might actually be able to pick up some amount of the language without actually (gasp) giving yourself unnecessary stress.

You Will Notice Patterns Organically

Through frequent exposure, you’ll begin to notice the patterns: how certain words are used, when specific inflections are made and so on. As a result, you learn how to use various language elements much more organically — a far cry from the heavy memorizing that more structured language lessons often rely on.

Again, we’re not bashing on structured learning. If you need (“need” being the operative word) to be conversant in Chinese or Italian within four months, in fact, we’d highly urge you to pick up a language software and work through it, fighting through boredom, stress and whatever other negative emotions you conjure about studying. This is for those whom a pressing need isn’t in the discussion — these are the type of folks who could truly benefit from this pressure-free type of learning.

Spaced-Repetition Language Learning

“Spaced-repetition” may sound like a daunting name for a system of learning.  It’s implementations are a lot less scary, though.  In fact, you’ve probably used one of the most popular spaced-repetition tools many times in the past: the good, old flash card.

For rote memorization, there are few tools that offer better convenience/effectiveness ratio than a simple flashcard.  Whether in physical or software forms, you can rely on it to commit many elements of language to memory.

The basic modus operandi for using flashcards to learn a language is:

  1. One side of the flash card has a question (e.g. an English phrase), the other side has the answer (e.g. the French equivalent).
  2. You read the question side.
  3. You recall the answer from memory.
  4. You check the answer side to verify if your recollection is correct.

If you can manage it, we highly recommend going with software-based flashcards for a variety of reasons:

  1. They’re more convenient.  Unlike physical cards, you can’t lose question and answer pairs you’ve made once.  Unless you wipe them off the database, they’ll simply sit there for future use.
  2. They offer a better scoring system.  Some flashcard software I’ve seen can rate your guesses from a range of 1 to 5, with “1″ being totally off-mark and “5″ being perfectly on-point.  Your recollection can be almost perfect (“4″) or barely missed (“2″), after all.
  3. They can track your progress.  A software program can easily monitor how well you’re memorizing specific flash cards.  That allows you to invest more time working with the phrases you’re struggling with.
Categories
Languages

How To Nearly Guarantee Language Learning Success?

Almost every language course being sold talk about their “guaranteed successful” methods. While we understand the need to hype a product in the prospect’s eyes, you should take such claims with a grain of salt. There are no guarantees when studying anything — we’ve seen people speak impressively in six months and others struggle after years of study, all while using the same language program.

So, You Want To Succeed

If you want to guarantee success, the material you use is only one part of the equation. Your environment will also affect you, as well as the experiences you end up having. The bigger chunk, however, rests upon you: the extent of your natural ability to pick up new languages, the attention you’re able to give to the endeavor and the effort you eventually end up putting in.

Real talk: it’s going to be difficult to guarantee success even if your heart is 100% into it. There are just way too many variables that play into your results. However, there are ways you can stack the odds in your favor, maximizing your chances of seeing positive gains in language learning.

Stacking The Deck

1. Use the best Language materials available

While good language learning material is key to learning, using the consensus best software or enrolling in the most highly-recommended school won’t always guarantee your success. What they do is further increase your odds of successfully learning the foreign language, though, so choosing language resources that suit your requirements is very important.

2. Stick to your Language material

Whether you bought that Language software or enrolled in a course, make a point of sticking to your material. Too many heads can literally spoil the pot in this case, especially when those different resources have different ideas about how you can best learn. Instead of hastening your progress, going that route will likely impede it.

3. Study Language Materials everyday

We can’t stress this enough. You see those guys in the gym with ripped bodies, six pack abs and muscles where you didn’t think people can have muscles in? Those aren’t the guys who go to the gym three times a week for a 45-minute workout like you see mentioned in every other fitness article. In reality, those guys are the gym rats who spend upwards of three hours in the gym six days a week all year round. Seriously.

Language learning is the same way. If you confine your lessons to twice a week classes or thrice a week sitdowns with a language software, you’ll get some results, but they’ll be nowhere near the fluency that you’re hoping for.

We’re not telling you to make language learning the center of your day. However, be prepared to give it a good chunk of your time every single day if you really want to guarantee success.

4. Review Language Materials regularly

Take notes during your lessons and review them. Set aside some time every day for this purpose alone, preferably separate from your daily lessons. Going over your past lessons, even just by reading through them, will help etch concepts in your mind, maximizing your chances of absorbing the information.

This will be especially important once you’ve gone over a big chunk of material. You’ll likely forget a lot of things, so these review sessions can be your only chance of restoring the knowledge bank.

5. Learn passive Language skills first

Before jumping into the pool, try lingering around the poolside a bit. That is, don’t dive directly into language lessons your first time. Instead, devote one or two weeks before that to developing your passive skills.

Listen to the language being used in songs, movies and other readily available content (the internet is your best friend). Pick up a magazine in the target language and flick through the ads, acquainting yourself with the written words. While you may feel like you’re gaining no useful skills in doing these, you’re actually picking up bits and pieces of the language that will come in handy later on.

Doing this makes the transition to learning a foreign language a little less drastic, since you have a bit of exposure to it. You’ll have some idea of how sounds are pronounced, how people pace their sentences and other important elements that will make actual lessons a lot less troublesome.

6. Start from the Language basics

Don’t rush it. The basics create the foundation of your skills in the new language, so take the time to learn them properly. The stronger your foundation, the easier it will be to build upon it further down the line. Do all the early lessons and perform all the suggested exercises. Try to avoid going forward without completing lessons in their entirety — that’s the best way to ensure your basics are tight.

7. Set Language Goals

Goals give you a target to work towards, allowing you to turn your focus towards something that’s tangible and specific. Without goals, it’s like walking without a specific destination — you could end up going around in circles just wasting time.

When you have goals, your activities gain some structure. You immediately have a filter when deciding whether to do something or not. If it will further your goals, then go for it. If it won’t, then why bother?

8. Find ways to keep encouraging yourself

There will be points during the process that you’ll question your own progress. Sometimes, your growth will be rapid. Other times, it take on a tortoise-like pace. That latter one is crucial — find ways to keep encouraging yourself during those down times, so you don’t end up throwing in the towel.

9. Practice the Language Materials a lot

Devote lots of time for practice. If you’re not in a foreign country, use the internet to meet and chat with people who speak the language. Many times, you’ll be able to find people who will practice with you in language learning forums, often as an exchange deal — help them practice their English and they’ll help you practice on your target language. Take advantage of these situations.

The more practice time you can get, the faster your progress will be. Count on it. People who sit through lessons all day without applying what they learned will have a hard time truly integrating it into their available skills, so consider practice a required course, rather than an elective.

Categories
Learn Spanish Language

How to Learn Spanish Language Fast? (6 Tips)

Here are 6 tips to help you learn Spanish quickly. In a nutshell, they are: Create a habit… select a program… and listen to Spanish in the background. Now for the details:

1. Create space in your life for the habit of practicing Spanish. 

Fifteen minutes every day is a better start than an hour once a week, because you are more likely to do it! Spend a little time right now to reflect on how to include learning Spanish in your life.

Here are some possible times to study Spanish:

  • Before doing your email
  • During one of your breaks at work, or during lunchtimes
  • Right after dinner
  • With your first cup of coffee… hey, that gets it done early!

If none of those work for you, you get the idea… tie in your time to learn Spanish with something else you do every day. If you try a time and you find that you don’t do it then, no problem, just choose a different time.

We tend to do things that have become habitual, and this one simple tip could easily make the difference between success and failure in your learning Spanish!

2. Select a Spanish Language Program

The point here is that you need a systematic way to learn.

The programs I have rated highly emphasize conversation and let the grammar come along with it naturally. This is way more fun, and more effective for learning, than hitting the grammar right away. Some community classes are okay but many are not really going to help you learn to speak Spanish.

3. Listen to Spanish Language Audio in the background.

This helps you learn Spanish faster because you’ll be immersing yourself in the language to a degree and picking up little bits. It can also help keep you motivated.

When you’re at home, there might be Spanish television programs, or see what you can find on YouTube.

You could listen to Spanish when you’re out and about by listening to parts of the program you are using or to Spanish music in your car.

4. Use your English to learn Spanish Language. 

This approach draws on the most current linguistics research into how adults learn foreign languages. Around 12 or 13 years of age, our brains shift and we are no longer “hard-wired” to learn in the way children are. (By the way, this seems to be part of why it is harder for adults than kids to learn new languages without an accent.) 

You may have read that the best way to learn Spanish or any foreign language is to put yourself in a situation that is entirely in Spanish. Chances are, reader, that you are past the age where this is true for beginners.

Nonetheless, one of the programs I review on this website, the famous Rosetta Stone program, is set up this way.

Of course, once you are getting to be at home in Spanish, then it can make sense again to speak only Spanish at times.

One benefit of learning Spanish when you already know English is that you can draw on your vocabulary and on the fact that you know how your own language is constructed.

I find this point to be true all the time in Mexico, regarding vocabulary. Often, I don’t know the exact word I want but if I say, “In English we say…” and then use the word, the Mexican person often recognizes it.

5. Review what you have Spanish Language learned

When you are learning something new, it takes some repetition to become familiar with it. The best of the Spanish-language programs builds a lot of repetition into each lesson. They also construct subsequent lessons to use what you learned before.

Reviewing what you have learned, ideally the same day you learn it, will help move that material from short-term memory to long-term memory. Even then, more review later is called for.

6. Use mental rehearsal to learn Spanish Language

This method kind of grows out of reviewing the material, but takes it a step further.

Mental rehearsal means practicing in your mind. You can do it while sitting quietly but you can also make use of many times during the day, such as when you are waiting or doing things like cooking that may not require a lot of attention.

You can learn to speak Spanish much faster by incorporating mental rehearsal (sometimes also called visualization) into your habits.

For example, you could be making up an imaginary conversation — taking both parts — where you are buying some fruit in a street market, asking how much it costs, and getting much more comfortable with using numbers in conversation.

¡Buena Suerte! (Good Luck!)

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