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CET Connect and Cincinnati Spanish Academy welcome you to our series "Naturally Spanish". Before you start using the series, we would like to give you some information and tips you should consider when learning Spanish.
Learning a second (or third) language is a time commitment.
While it will be faster than learning your first language, a second language will take time and practice before you become proficient at understanding and speaking it. The process will be similar to learning the first language.
Vocabulary comes first
Young children learn to point at things and call them by their name. So when a child wants to say "Mom, I would like to have some water" they say, "Mommy, water." Most mothers will respond…"-You say: Mommy, may I have some water?". Eventually, after repeating this process, the child will begin learning the correct grammatical form.
Communication is the most important part of learning a second language and possibly the most efficient way to fluency.
The foundation to any language is a good vocabulary base. If you know the name of things, you can point or signal while you say the word and most people will more or less understand what it is you want to say. From there, you learn commonly used pronouns and some verbs. Pick up some verbs and use them with your nouns. If you have a good vocabulary base, verbs and pronouns may be able to sustain a conversation even though it may not be grammatically correct. The correct grammar and sentence structure will come along with use and experience.
| Seek out ways to practice. |
- Make a friend who speaks Spanish and talk with one another to practice.
- Watch movies in Spanish or with Spanish subtitles. Be aware that many translations are less than accurate and many phrases don’t make sense when translated verbatim.
- Attend cultural events. Understanding the culture of Spanish speaking countries will motivate you and help you in the process of learning the language.
- Try to read Spanish-language materials. Newspapers, food labels, ads, and children’s books are examples of targeted written messages that will often have illustrations or other information to help you figure out the words or meaning.
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Alma Barton kicks off the series by teaching us how to count from 1 to 10 in Spanish!
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Learn the names of colors in Spanish. See the colors and the words on the screen.
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Learn the Spanish names of many basic shapes including circle, square and rectangle. The shape and the word in Spanish appear on the screen.
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| Add three new words to your vocabulary every few days. Pick commonly-used words like dinner, work and car. Focus on learning them by using them. Build up your vocabulary with practice. |
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| Label items in Spanish around the house and use the Spanish word when talking about them with your family. Remove the labels and reward yourself when you use the Spanish word without looking at the label. |
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| Take notes. Build your own notebook with divisions for nouns, adjectives, verbs, pronouns and phrases. Try not to write down translations, but, to the best of your ability, try to determine the meaning from the context of the message. Phrases should be phrases you are able to put together on your own and know are accurate. |
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| Uncertain about teaching your child another language? Check out the benefits in this article from ALL ABOUT KIDS Magazine. |
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