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Want to know how to speak Spanish quickly? Of course it can help to learn how to ask for the bathroom, and to say hello. Here are a few of those basic phrases, with the phonetic pronunciations:

Hola. (oh-la) Hello or hi.

Buenos dias. (bway-nos dee-ahs) Good day.

Cul es su nombre? (kwahl ays soo nohm-bray) What is your name?

Mi nombre es Jose. (mee nohm-bray ays ho-say) My name is Jose.

Dnde est el bao? (dohn-day ays-tah el bahn-yoh) Where is the bathroom?

Muchas gracias. (moo-chahs grah-see-ahs) Thank you very much.

Learn How To Speak Spanish Quickly

To really accelerate your learning though, you need to know the basic phrases that will get the native speakers to be your teachers.

“Cmo se dice…” (co-mo say dee-say) - How do you say… and “Cul es la palabra para esto?” (kwahl ays la pah-la-brah pah-rah ays-toh) What is the word for that? are great phrases to know. You can say “Cmo se dice…” or “Cul es la palabra para esto?” and point at something, or use the English word, if the person you’re speaking to knows a little English.

“Por favor, habla mas despacio.” (Poor fah-voor, ah-blah mahs day-spa-see-oh) Please, speak more slowly. “Yo no entiendo.” (yo no ayn-tee-en-doh) I don’t understand. “Cmo se escribe?” (co-mo say ays-cree-bay) How do you write it?

Yo deseo aprender espaol” (yo day-say-oh ah-prayn-dair ays-spahn-yohl) I want to learn Spanish.

You’ll need to learn grammar, and vocabulary, of course, but speaking a language is the best way to learn it. Spanish speakers are generally very tolerant, and love to help you learn. Here are four keys to quickly learn to speak Spanish:

1. Learn the basic phrases to ask for help.

2. Carry and use an English-Spanish dictionary.

3. Spend time with native Spanish speakers.

4. Start talking.

This is a sure formula to learn how to speak Spanish.

Steve Gillman has been working on his Spanish with his wife Ana Blum, a native of Ecuador. Together they have built a website where you can get free lessons in Spanish. Visit: http://www.TheSpanishLesson.com

Spanish for Kids, Spanish for Children, Teach Kids Spanish

Kids Can Learn Spanish! Spanish for Children

I just got a call from my two year old granddaughter. She wanted to sing “Los Pollitos” to me. You can find this children’s classic in most of the collections of songs that we are recommending.

It is perfect for hand gestures. These gestures are ideal for language learning because they imprint the sense of the words as the child recites.

The text is: (translation follows)

Los pollitos dicen po, po, po
cuando tienen hambre,
y cuando tienen fro.

(the kids make gesture of shivering)

La gallina busca el maz y el trigo;
Le da su comida,
Y le presta abrigo

(the kids make the gesture of Mom hugging her kids.)

Po, po, po

(the kids should ham it up, making a little chick face!)

Translation:

The little chicks say peep, peep, peep
when they are hungry
and when they are cold.

The chicken looks for corn and wheat;
she feeds them,
and she keeps them warmn

There are many reasons for wanting your children to learn Spanish. We want to help you find resources that will help you with Spanish for Kids.

Some parents are interested in preparing their children for life in today’s world where it is important to know more than one language. This is even more important in our hemisphere where it becomes increasingly valuable to know Spanish.

Other people think of the intellectual stimulation that learning a language provides. They think that they can give their children a an additional intellectual challenge in a painless way. Researcher in London, England have determined that learning a second language boosts brain power which remains throughout life.

Learning a language can be a source of pride and self esteem for the child who is fortunate enough to be exposed to learning outside of the classroom.

There are some parents who are concerned that their children grow up respecting the different heritages that surround them. Concerned that the nativist tradition of United States history is always present, many parents, not of a Spanish Speaking background, choose to prepare their children to accept and embrace the Hispanic culture they live alongside of.

Their reason to encourage their children to speak Spanish is based in part on the history of a previous group of Latin immigrants to the United States, the Italians.

“Some social critics were aware of the consequences of sudden assimilation. Mary McDowell, a social worker, wrote en 1904:

‘The contempt for the experiences and languages of their parents which foreign children sometimes exhibit… is doubtless due in part to the overestimation which the school places upon speaking English. This cutting into his family loyalty takes away one of the most conspicuous and valuable traits of the Italian child.’ She attributed the lawlessness of some of the immigrant children to their disrespect for their parents and therefore for all authority.”

(La Storia: Five Centuries of the Italian American Experience, Mangione and Morreale, p. 222)

Reflection on this same national history, and often more importantly personal experience, moves many Hispanic parents to keep their language alive in their children. They want to preserve their heritage for their children by giving them its most evocative and powerful manifestation, the language of their forebears.

Whatever your reason for wanting your children to learn Spanish, this site will provide resources to help you. You will find suggestions and experiences of others who share your interest; you will find songs and stories in Spanish that will enthuse your children with their learning task. A list of links to related sites will lead you to other resources. And you will find that the books you need for yourself and your children have been located and placed at your disposition.

Buena Suerte y adelante con su cometido!

Do the Parents Know Spanish?

Although most of us agree that it is a good thing for our kids to speak Spanish, most kids in the US whose parents were born in Latin American countries do not speak Spanish well.

Even if both parents speak Spanish at home, quite often the kids answer their parents in English. Look around at your Latin friends and relatives and you will see that most give up on teaching their kids to speak

Spanish. Chicano and Puerto Rican families seem to have a little better luck than Latinos from other countries with keeping Spanish alive in their barrios but even their younger generation is losing fluency in Spanish.

However, parents who want their children to speak Spanish can go against the current and set the stage for their children to grow up speaking Spanish. It is not easy. Most families fail in their resolve but it CAN be done. Take a look at our bilingual study. How to Get Your Children to Speak Your Language/Cmo Lograr que Sus Hijos Hablen Su Idioma? You can find it in http://www.leerespoder.com/comoeng.htm. This report will give some hints on how to improve your chances.

But it is most important for you to get your kids reading Spanish BEFORE they learn to read in English.

Don’t be afraid that it will hurt their English. Unless they are living in a closed Spanish Speaking Barrio,

their English will be perfect. They will absorb it on the playground and in the school. Your job is to keep the Spanish up!

Take a look at the fuller argument presented below for the importance of your kids learning to read FIRST in Spanish.

Finally, another idea for native speakers of Spanish: You may want to review (or study it for the first time) your Spanish. I found one reference for you. Sorry it is expensive; that’s because it is used as a textbook. But that will make it easy to use and will surely be complete. Take a look at Nuevos Mundos, Spanish for Native Speakers 2nd Edition, Workbook : Curso de espanol para estudiantes bilingues”

Whether or not the parents know Spanish will determine their strategy for exposing their children to the language. Obviously, parents who do not know the language well will not have native pronunciation.

If their children learn to read Spanish, they may not have the proper pronunciation. This is a tough issue. Some might say that pronunciation is not important for children. However, why not try to expose them to the correct values of the Spanish sounds. Parents should work on their own pronunciation to model as correctly as possible for their kids.

Nevertheless, the value of the parents’ involvement in reading and singing in Spanish with their children more than outweighs the disadvantage of the child hearing their poor pronunciation. Much of the damage can be remedied by having the child listen to as much Spanish spoken by native speakers as possible.

So, in general terms parents can fall into one of three groups:
1. those who know NO Spanish;
2. those who know enough to read, even poorly;
3. and those who can model correct pronunciation for their children. All these parents should make sure their children HEAR a lot of good Spanish but obviously those parents who know no Spanish will be more dependent on recordings for their children to listen to. Try to find some good audio resources. Besides the tapes and CDs you might buy or take out of the library don’t forget the radio and TV. All parents should expose their children to ask much passive listening of Spanish that they can. In most places there are Spanish language radio stations. TV programs from the Univision network are very widespread.

All of the above boils down to three tactics that are valid for all kinds of parents and all kinds of kids of all ages and level of Spanish………

1. Passive Listening: Everyone should keep the Spanish radio on as much as possible. Keep the radio or TV on while the childis doing other things. It has to be the sea of sound that they swim in while they are beginning their study of Spanish. The child doesn’t have to concentrate on it; they will not be listening to try to understand. After a while they won’t even hear the radio but it will be affecting them. Little by little they will begin to anticipate the rhythm of the language, even before they understand they words. They will also begin to recognize certain words.

2. Pattern Response Drills: Those parents who know some Spanish can try to run through all the permutations of the new expressions that the child learns. For example, suppose your child just learned to say. “Pedro tiene cuatro aos” rather than translating from the English incorrectly, “Pedro es cuatro”. Now to make this new element of the language stick, you should go on substituting different ages and the names of different people. The child will soon be able to say comfortably, “Mara tiene cuatro aos.” “Juan tiene ocho aos.” “Yo tengo tres aos.” “Cuntos aos tienes t?” There are many examples of these drills in most language courses but the parent can generate them herself.

3. Encouragement: Don’t correct their Spanish when they speak. Don’t interrupt the flow of their conversation. Don’t make their speaking Spanish to be another homework assignment. It should be something special, even something “secret” in your family. Kids like the mystery and intrigue of having something special of their own. Their speaking Spanish should be a joyful, non-threatening experience. If they make mistakes in their grammar, correct their errors by using the same expression correctly a few minutes after. Don’t come right back at them with the correct form or they will begin to feel conscious of their expression and choke off their freedom of expression.

also………..

The Alphabet: If your child is coming up on kindergarten age,
you have a wonderful opportunity to teach him or her how to read in Spanish BEFORE they learn the alphabet in English! Why? I will be brief, hoping that you will catch the direction of my thought (and my practice, with both my children and my grandson!)

Spanish is completely regular. They can learn the vowels in one sitting.This is how Spanish Speaking kids learn: from “abecedarios”, the same as English Speaking children used to learn from primers. If your child learns to read (even if only simple words) Spanish first, in effect you are giving them a
great head start.

You can start the child reading the simple words like Mami, comida, mesa, Papi, mueca, carro, etc. Basically you are giving them phonics without having to buy any expensive program.
You can do them no harm because, they will have a basis of the sounds that DO hold up for English; they will have achieved the satisfaction and boost to their confidence by your enthusisastic affirmation of the achievement when they read “Mami y Papi” and other simple phrases.

As they progress in English they will still have to deal with the irregularities of this language. However, they will have learned the consonants by applying them to completely foolproof regular vowels.

I said I would be brief. I am very convinced of the value of this method. I have no scientific proof, just intuition and my own experience. To work, you have to teach the child to read the alphabet in Spanish BEFORE they begin to learn in English. If they are already learning in English, it will confuse them. But if you get there FIRST, you will do them a great favor! to see a bunch of alphabet resources for you to choose from.

Toys and Games: Of lesser importance but still a possible beakthrough for certain children could be the use of toys and games (board games and others) as a way to sneak in some fun and variety into the learning process. See if Spanish Educational Toys would be useful for your child.

Computer Programs for kids If you or your child is computer savvy or if you want to combine math or science with Spanish you may want to check out the Educational Software for Children in Spanish: Reader Rabbit, Disney, Jump Start and many more…

Some First Recitations

A long time, universal, traditional favorite is “Pinpn”

Pinpn es un mueco,
muy guapo y de cartn

(the kids smile for “muy guapo”,
and act stiff for “de cartn”)

se lava la carita
(the kids make the gesture of washing their face)

con agua y con jabn.

Pinpn dame la mano,
(the kids reach out their hand)

que quiero ser tu amigo
(the kids make the gesture of shaking hands)

Pinpn, Pinpn, Pinpn!

Translation:

Pinpn is a doll,
a handsome cardboard doll.
He washes his face
with soap and water.

Pinpn give me your hand,
I want to be your friend.
Pinpn, Pinpn, Pinpn!

Another favorite of our kids was “La Mar Estaba Serena”
Kids like this one because it is easy to follow. The repetition helps them learn the relation between noun and adjective as well as the vowels in Spanish.

The same verse is repeated by using all of the vowels in turn. It begins by the parent singing, “La mar estaba serena; serena estaba la mar”. (The sea was calm; calm was the sea.) Then either the parent or one of several children taking turns shouts out, “con A!”, meaning, “Let’s sing it with all “a” sounds”! And you sing, “La mar astaba sarana; sarana astaba la mar.”

“con e”! “Le mer estebe serene; serene estebe le mer”.

“con i”! “Li mir istibi sirini; sirini istibi li mir”.

“con o”! “Lo mor ostobo sorono; sorono ostobo lo mor”.

“con u”! “Lu mur ustubu surunu; surunu estubu lu mur.

You’ll find the kids really like this one.

English (sic!) As A Second Language

It might be interesting to do some “reverse engineering” and look at the world of those Spanish Speakers who want to learn English. Check out http:www.leerespoder.com

Reading in Spanish for the Parents

If you want to keep up your Spanish. Try to keep reading books in Spanish on a wide range of topics, la familia, la salud, los negocios, el nio, el adolescente, etc. A good source is http://www.bookslibros.com/LibrosEnEspanol.php

Good Luck! Your Kids will thank you!

Frank Gerace Ph.D has lived and worked in Latin America on Educational and Communication Projects. He currently teaches English in New York City at La Guardia College/CUNY. He invites parents interested in helping their kids learn Spanish to visit him at: www.bookslibros.com/SpanishForNinos.htm

What’s in a word?
Apparently more than we might want.

For others, the ability to express yourself in the most meaningful way.

I have written articles before on how bizarre the English language can be and for that matter; many languages have special challenges with interpreting meanings.

There is one word in China that I heard has about 40 different meanings, (one source said the two words have over 80 meanings) depending on usage and emphasis. That word is Wu Li.
Gary Zukav (author of “The Seat of the Soul”) talks about it in his book “The Dancing Wu Li Masters.

For the book “The Dancing Wu Li Masters”, it means patterns of organic energy or physics.
Other more popular meanings are:

My Way
Nonsense
I clutch my ideas
Enlightened

For those who study both metaphysics and quantum physics, like myself, I find it interesting that it carries physics and enlightened as meanings.

In English, we have many words that people will interchange yet have different meanings, which can further confuse the receiver of your message.

Two such words are, effective and efficient.
Effective is doing the right thing, that which you set out to do.
Efficiency is doing whatever you set out to do well.

You can have one without necessarily having the other. Most people understand doing the right thing but not well, yet they get caught up on understanding how you can do the wrong thing well, efficiency without effectiveness.

Imagine you are on a sailboat traveling across the Pacific when you are informed:

We have some good news and bad news. First, we have picked up a great wind and can get back on our time schedule; however, our compass broke and we haven’t the slightest idea where we are.

So, they are traveling very efficiently, but not very effectively.

Even the spelling of words can cause grief and misunderstandings. I remember when I was in elementary school and the teacher would just say, sound it out. However, that doesn’t always work. There is the whole issue of synonyms and homonyms, as well as the issue that we have this habit if breaking the rules in order to have more expression and growth in our language. (Growth by the way is important).

Yet, one of the most enforced rules that I had to remember in schools was:

Use i before e (from here on it gets complicated)
except after c
or when sounded as ‘a’ as in neighbour and weigh.

But does it stop there, noooo.

Some more exceptions that don’t seem to follow any of the above are:

Counterfeit

either

foreign

forfeit

Height

seize

leisure

efficient

(and ironically or suitably) weird

Many more words can be spelling traps for people. They sound similar and many people are not sure where to put them.

Some common ones are:

Affect -a verb -to influence
Effect- a noun - a result, a verb- bring to pass

Allude -refer indirectly to
Elude - slip away

Can -ability
May- permission

Farther -physical distance
Further - abstract relationships of degree

Imply - A speaker implies

Infer - A hearer infers

Such as- examples
Like - resemblances

You can see why good communicators are in a high demand for many corporations and businesses. It is never too late to invest the time and effort into your self and master your ability to communicate on a higher level.

All the Best!
Maria Boomhower
The Master Communicator
To get a free report on Communication Mastery, go to:
http://www.falconfreedom.com
http://www.mariaboomhower.blogspot.com

P.S. If you like what you’re reading in this ezine, you’ll
love the book, “Overcoming Barriers to Communication.”
It’s a manual that helps you overcome the challengers that start with
Intrapersonal to Interpersonal and on to Mass Communication.
Overcoming Barriers to Communication

Once again, Scuola Leonardo da Vinci, one of Italy’s largest provider of in-country Italian courses in Italy, is announcing the new programs for the year 2006 presenting innovative plans to promote the learning of the Italian language. Now, universities, colleges, community colleges, high schools and students worldwide are invited to read about our wide choice of Italian language and cultural courses.

This year following the great success of the inaugural Academic School Year in 2005, Scuola Leonardo da Vinci will feature the Academy School Year course in Italy in all its school centers (Florence, Milan, Rome and Siena).

The “Academic Year” is a 32 week language and culture course for students who wish to experience living and studying in Italy. The course combines not only language courses with Italian culture classes at the Scuola Leonardo da Vinci but the syllabus also incorporates the fundamental elements of level C2 of the European Language Portfolio. “All in all, the course offers students the opportunity to see at first hand the various aspects of Italy’s rich history and culture”, said Chiara Poggi, the Head of Studies of the Italian School in Florence.

Needless to say, lessons are taught only in Italian from the very start. “At the end of the course, the student is ready to write a final dissertation on a topic related to Italian culture (art, history and business Italian)”, said Wolfango Poggi, director of the Italian language school Leonardo da Vinci in Milan.

Created to provide an opportunity for motivated and deserving students to experience the magic of study abroad one year, the Academic Year Program in Italy aims to:

• progress from the Beginner and/or the Elementary level to the Intermediate stages, working on the basics of Italian grammar (articles, prepositions, present and past tenses) to more complex subjects such as the subjunctive.
  
• develop speaking and listening skills through daily conversation classes.
• give an introduction to the everlasting beauty and charm of Italian art.
• take you through the world of business and current affairs and the world of fashion: a sector where Italian artists are at the leading edge, where we aim to reveal some of the secrets behind the “Made in Italy” label.
• allow you to understand the mixture of tradition and change which characterizes contemporary Italy.

When asked about her experience, Sanda S., who studied in Milan with Scuola Leonardo da Vinci last year, commented: “I was delighted at the chance to travel to Italy and attend Scuola Leonardo da Vinci for 32 weeks. I believe the programme helped me to improve my Italian in a friendly and supportive environment. I really enjoyed meeting people from around the world. Being able to study in Italy also helped me gain an understanding of the Italian culture. It was certainly an experience I will never forget and intend to repeat in the future.”

Program details and supporting information, including students opinions and histories on the Academic Year Experince in Italy, may be found on the Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Web site at http://www.scuolaleonardo.com/gap-year-in-italy.php. Next Starting dates, as written on the Web Site, are 02 January, 08 May and 25 September 2006.

For 29 years, Scuola Leonardo da Vinci, the market leader in in-country Italian language courses, has been exclusively dedicated to the teaching of Italian to foreigners. Each year the company welcomes students from 60 countries to its schools in Florence, Milan, Rome and Siena. The company’s Web site, http://www.scuolaleonardo.com, an Italian language portal offering informations and pages of Italian language courses, culture and resources on 12 languages, receives more than 3,000 visits daily.

For general business-related questions, contact the Marketing Office of Scuola Leonardo da Vinci.

Information and Registration Center (Florence, Italy)
Tel.: +39-055-29.03.05 - Fax: +39-055-290396
http://www.scuolaleonardo.com - scuolaleonardo@scuolaleonardo.com

Scuola Leonardo da Vinci is one of Italy’s largest provider of in-country Italian courses in Italy since 1977. It is present in the most beautiful cities of Italy (Florence, Milan, Rome and Siena). Each year the company welcomes students from 60 countries to its schools.

Now, you decide to learn how to speak English. There are many online resources that can help you improve and practice you English. Now if you are like most other ESL students reading this article then you already have a fairly good notion of the English language. You most likely are looking for a place to practice and enhance your English skills. So, here are four easy steps to do just that.

1. Preparation
There is no need to start from the beginning, since you already a fairly good notion of English. Take stock of your current skills and find out where you are weak. Once you know what you need to learn…all you have to do is learn it.

So, pick out something from your list of things that you know you need/want to learn. Take a few minutes to analyze why you want learn this information, and make sure you focus on that particular point while studying. It is super easy to get side-tracked onto other topics.

If you do see something of interest while you are on your search for information…make sure to take note of it so you can come back at a later time. But for now…FOCUS on the task at hand!

2. Practice
Now that you know what you know what you want to learn, jump over to Google or Yahoo and do a quick search on your chosen topic of interest. From there you should be able to find sites that will provide you with tools and resources such as audio files, video files, exercises, and tests to practice what you want to learn.

3. Use
Alright! You are ripping, raring, and ready-to-go! You studied what it was you wanted to learn, and now you need to put it into use in real life situations. Use what you just learned on your friends and acquaintances. Hit the forums and try out what you now know. Try to use it at least thirty times to really assimilate it well and make it a part of you.

4. Evaluate
Once you are done for the day, sit down for a few minutes and evaluate how you did. Did you learn everything that is required? Are you still weak in certain areas of this topic?

If you have a strong determination to learn English, take note of these things. Start making plan now and start practice it tomorrow. Make sure to do these four steps everyday, and you will steadily see your skills progressing. So now…just go do it!

George Williams maintains many translator websites, including Language Translator, Latin Translator ,and Online Translator.

The Hawaiian language is an Austronesian (or Polynesian) language that is the ancestral tongue of the Hawaiian Islands, which lie in the Pacific Ocean. The Hawaiian language is the official language of the State of Hawaii. It is an endangered language, meaning that it is no longer spoken officially on any of the populated Hawaiian Islands. The native language was supplanted by English many years ago. There is one Hawaiian Island, Ni’ihau, where the Hawaiian language is still predominantly spoken. This island is privately owned, and tourism there is rejected in favor of a traditional way of life for its inhabitants. Though English is spoken by Hawaiians in order to conduct business and for political and educational purposes, the Hawaiian language remains in the souls and memories of all native Hawaiians, and connects them to their heritage.

Thousands of people travel to the island paradise of Hawaii every year. It’s beautiful beaches, terrific surfing, and breathtaking vistas make Hawaii one of the most common vacation spots on the Earth. The residents of the islands share a real sense of history and community, and consider themselves to be ‘ohana, or family, with one another. Hawaiians love to share their interesting history, vibrant culture, and the beautiful poetry of the Hawaiian language with visitors. When visitors arrive on the Islands, they are often greeted by native Hawaiian ladies who present new guests with a kiss on each cheek, a friendly “aloha!” and a beautiful and fragrant lei, or garland of indigenous flowers from the Islands.

Today, there are many words from the Hawaiian language that are still used conversationally and informally by the Islands’ inhabitants. We all know the word “aloha”, which has a myriad of meanings including hello, goodbye, and love. There is also hula, which is a very common Hawaiian dance that you often see at lu’aus, or traditional Hawaiian feasts, where ukulele music is played along to meles (traditional songs and chants), and tradition Hawaiian foods such as poi are served.

Today, the Hawaiian language is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Native Hawaiians looking to reconnect with their ancestral pasts are learning the traditional native tongue. And children are also being educated in the Hawaiian language, as a means of teaching them the history and legacy of their people. The Hawaiian language is being taught in public schools on the Islands as a second language alongside English.

For tourists, there are Hawaiian language books available that can provide lessons in the basic Hawaiian language. Also, computer software can provide a fun and interactive experience for a person who is interested in learning the native tongue of the Hawaiian Islands before embarking on a vacation there. There are also websites available that offer free, accelerated lessons in Hawaiian. Learning the basics of a language like Hawaiian will provide tourists with an opportunity to gain more understanding of a fascinating culture that thrives still today. Though there will not be any real language barriers for tourists when they visit Hawaii, learning some of the ancestral language will also serve as a history lesson, which will allow tourists to appreciate the culture that they are being exposed to so much more.
Traveling to the tropical paradise that is the Hawaiian Islands is a chance of a lifetime. Experiencing the sights, the sounds, the people, and the exotic surroundings is likely to broaden anyone’s scope of the world.

Though the Hawaiian language is not widely spoken any longer, its concepts remain in the hearts and souls of the people who inhabit the idyllic and ancient oasis, and they relish the opportunity to welcome their visitors in the true spirit of ‘ohana. www.foreign-languages-school.com

Find the essential information on where and how to learn a new or second language at Hawaiian Language

John is a director of numerous Internet companies and is a published author. Many articles have been produced on a variety of subjects with excellent content and depth. All his articles may be reproduced provided that an active link is included to www.foreign-languages-school.com

Language Schools

Pimsleur Czech I Part 3 by Dr. Paul Pimsleur is sure enough great reading, but today’s busy schedules often make getting some time hard to achieve. Sometimes we do not notice that long journeys to work and other daily tasks take up large chunks of our precious time. Working, dealing with kids or even looking after your house can all cut down the free time available to spend on your hobbies. If you enjoy reading and are finding it troublesome to fit it in, time in the car may provide a chance for catching up. With user-friendly download technology, you can relish Storming Las Vegas by John Huddy available from Download Audio Book Online, or audiobooks narrated beautifully by Dan Brown without even flipping a single page. Multi-tasking is becoming an essential in today’s frantic world. Audio-books such as Pimsleur Ingles - English for Spanish Speakers I Part 1 by Dr. Paul Pimsleur available from Download Audio Book Online make greater use of of the dead moments in our lives, it might be waiting at the dentist’s surgery or taking the kids to soccer practise. Audio books are now obtainable to download as mp3 data files for example Approval Addiction by Joyce Meyer, so if you’ve got an iPod or other mp3 player and use the opportunity to listen to the current biography, for instance audiobooks by Christo Botes without dragging heavy books around.

The advantages of audio-books include the ability to rent or purchase many titles and listen to them at your leisure. Need to study another language? Try audiobooks! You can review current business trends, you can even find out about the paranormal. A sizable choice of literary genres and titles exist. It really doesn’t matter if you’re a natural history fan, or if you are crazy over politics even if your interested in self-help, many are available through online downloads. Options are wide open; you can subscribe to a rental plan or purchase what interests you.

Make sure you review our awesome resource for Portuguese language course suggestions

Reading will always have its place, nevertheless audiobooks offer a wonderful alternative. Numerous stories, such as audio-books recounted by Paulo Coelho, are even better when recounted by the author or an actor. Just reading a title isn’t the same as listening to an audio title narrated by John Hagee, including the additional nuances of an real rendition. Your enjoyment of the book can be enhanced when you listen to an audio book such as Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen and often will mean a great deal more to you than the written word.

So next time in future should you consider buying the hard copy of a book you will in all likelihood never find time to read, think of audio books as a better choice.

There are several reasons to learn a foreign language. Firstly, it is a well-known fact that by learning a new foreign language we get acquainted a new culture. So this is a way to become more intelligent and get to know more interesting facts about other countries and societies. This may be a poser if you are not interested in learning new cultures but still, if to get a closer look at the problem, you may find more reasons to do it. For example, you travel abroad to have a nice rest, let’s say to Paris, and you don’t know even a single word in French. You can’t expect every Frenchman to know English; you’ll for sure meet a person that is not familiar with it. Then, just think about possibilities for your career growth if you are a free foreign language user.

Some people earn pretty good money translating different books, english essays and articles into their native language. If your company is involved in international affairs, you must know at least the basis of the language of a partner to find a common ground with your foreign co-workers. English is an international language, no doubt about that. Native-speakers don’t have to worry about being misunderstood at the airport, but what to do if your native language is for example Chinese or Arabian, that is extremely difficult to learn. But they, betraying their folkways, learn English and visit foreign English speaking countries to find success in their future business. Learning a foreign language has become an obligatory part of school program and now we can see some miraculous results. The english essay of the foreign school child may be more literate and well-structured than the one of the native-speaker.

As we can see, there are many advantages of learning a foreign language. But don’t start learning it just because you need, that will bring no result and get you frustrated in no time. Think carefully about the schedule and materials you are going to use. Also you may want to choose a teacher among the best and the most qualified to do it. Communication with the native-speaker may be a plus and a visit to a foreign country will bring you not only practice but joy and pleasure. But before doing all the above-mentioned, you are to consider, what language you are going to learn. If you passionately want to learn Icelandic and know that there is no way of using it in practice, what’s the point in starting to study it? An easy question may turn out to be difficult so good luck in your future studies!

Tyler Benson is a senior writer of BestEssays.com - Custom Research Paper writing service. Tyler Benson has been providing competent assistance to students in writing english essays during all his remarkable teaching experience. His guide on how to write a proper english essay is used by many students at universities.

Many people hesitate to try and speak in a foreign language . This might be because they don’t want to feel foolish, are worried about how they will sound, are scared of sounding silly and so on. As a result they remain resolutely monolingual during any trip abroad, preferring to speak loudly in English. These are the same people who are clever, articulate and never lost for words when speaking in English. The same people who are achievers in other areas of life.

But why ? It may be because many people stop learning (or never start) languages when leaving school and when they travel abroad have only haunting memories of having to learn lists of words or conjugate verbs. Yuk. It could also be because many foreign language courses are detailed, promise a lot and require to much time. Anyway, let’s cut to the chase. Who has the time or inclination to spend months learning Spanish/French/German or any other language when planning a three day visit ?

Well, maybe things have moved on or maybe not as regards language learning when still at school. I don’t know, but I do know that it is fun and possible to learn some basic language for when you travel.

By basic, I mean basic. How to start ? Learn a few key words. For example, ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’, ‘please’, ‘thankyou’. These are words that you will hear all the time and be able to use all the time. Learn them and say them as often as possible. It is a great confidence booster to do this, and once you can do this you have cleared the first hurdle.

I’m suggesting that it is always worth learning these key words because you will almost certainly have a better holiday. Try them out. Taxi drivers and waiters are great and will almost always respond positively. The moment you attempt to speak in another language you stop being a number to them and become a human being.

Almost always you will receive a positive reaction. In some cases, especially with shop-keepers it takes longer, (a few days) but most will crack eventually and reward you with some recognition that you are not just another tourist.

So, here we are, you can now speak ten or so words fluently. A good start but perhaps it might be fun to learn a few more and so how about some numbers. Start with ‘one’, ‘two’, ‘three’. Remember that the goal is not fluency, or obsessing about finishing what you start (like having to count to ten) but to have a little fun and communicate.

Everyone buys drinks on holiday. This is an ideal occasion to use the numbers you know. It doesn’t matter if you ask for the drinks in English. The important thing is to use the opportunity to ask for the number of drinks in the foreign language, or to confirm the number of drinks ordered.

Feeling inspired move onto a few phrases. A good one is ‘that was delicious’, assuming of course that you have chosen a good restaurant, and it is amazing how appreciative and surprised the owners will be.

Decide in advance what you are going to say. If you are getting a bus or if you are going to take a taxi learn ‘one ticket’ or whatever you will need, but keep it simple.

Start with the simplest phrase you can imagine. A common mistake is to make sentences in a foreign language more complicated than necessary. For example, instead of saying ‘could you tell me where the beach is ?’, it is easier to say ‘where is the beach?’. In other words skip out the non-essential.

So, don’t be shy, learn ten, twenty or thirty words and a few phrases and make sure you use them.

Frank M. Jones is a freelance author and writes occasionally for Veneficium Ltd. Visit http://www.downloadalanguage.com for language learning software and articles.

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This article is for those who plan their visit to Russia. Let’s talk about interpreters today.

If your future bride graduated from the Institute of foreign languages and can speak 2-3 languages fluently, then, obviously, you don’t need an interpreter. In all other case sooner or later you will have to resort to the help of this intermediary. For instance, during the first date, when your girl is so confused that all the English words she learnt so hard by your visit, have slipped her mind. Or during the important talks while forming some official documents when mistakes because of misunderstanding are inadmissible. So, in a word, some couples need an interpreter all the time, others - from time to time. Here is one sad story with a good end and some conclusions.

William and Lena met in Kazan. Lena spoke some English, but just in case she still invited a interpreter that she had found among her acquaintances. (It was their first mistake, but they don’t know about it so far).

However, let me tell you this story from the end! When it was about time for William to go back, this couple came to our agency. They told us about their adventures vying with each other. The matter of fact is that they offered an old lady with bad character to interpret for them.

William: “She constantly touched me, linked her arm through my arm, stroked me. First I thought that it was a Russian tradition, but Lena assured me it is not!”

Lena: “I was really indignant that the interpreter didn’t regard me as his fiancée. For instance, when we visited her place, she constantly found excuses for me to go to another room, and meanwhile she showed William the photos of her nieces offering them as brides!!!”

William: “She talked nonstop! However, we agreed to pay by the hour. It appeared I paid for her chattering. She didn’t let us to put in a word! Have you ever tried to stop women like these?”

Lena: “On top of it all, she offered us her service for correspondence, though she knew that we use the agency for this. She started reducing prices, but the thought, that we will have to communicate with her often, horrifies me!!! We write letters each other every day! Please, translate to William: “I can’t correspond through her!”

William: “That’s out of the question! I don’t want to do anything with this horrible woman. I even paid her in advance so that she would leave us alone!”

After this Lena had a sigh of relief and we wonder again: why do people look for difficult and complicated ways? Nevertheless, as I said before, this story has a happy end. William and Lena have a good sense of humor and difficulties only made them closer. Now they are busy with making a fiancée visa.

Well, and we will analyze this situation not to repeat mistakes.

Do you remember my words that they made the first mistake when they took an acquaintance as an interpreter. Here is the rule number one: between “acquaintances” and professionals ALWAYS CHOOSE PROFESSIONALS. And here is the reason:

Even if she speaks good English, she has no work experience in particular for a couple. And it is very important! The translator for those, who date, should have special skills:

- she should be very tactful;

- she should be unnoticeable: the main are He and She;

- she should be able to smooth uncomfortable situations, and it requires experience;

- since she often communicates with foreigners, who are looking for brides, she can interpret correctly things connected with mentality, peculiarities of traditions. If your acquaintance has been teaching English at school all her life and has never or rarely communicated with “real” foreigners, how will she make it out?

- if you and your lady are embarrassed and don’t know what to ask about, such kind of interpreter can always suggest a good idea. She helped so many couples and she knows well what a man and a woman are usually interested in.

Besides, it is difficult for just “a familiar woman” to feel she is “at work”. As she is simply talking with friends! This is why this absurd situation arises when an interpreter chatters unceasingly and what is more gets money for this!

Well, and here is an advice in case of emergency, but useful for all. You must choose a man who not only knows the language well, but who SHOWED HIMSELF well. Ask those who used the service of this man already. Collect more information about him. Because, sad though, but a bad job of an interpreter can cross your relations. Especially at the first stages.

I understand that it may sound as an advertisement, but for the sake of objectivity, I must day that such a story that happened to William and Lena is simply impossible at our agency. Because we have professionals who have experience of translation for couples. Here the advertisement ends! It was the information for those who seek the easiest and simplest way. If by some reasons you can’t hire an interpreter at the agency, here are some things you should pay attention to:

1. Sex.

No other answer is possible: it is better if your interpreter is a woman:

- It will be more difficult for your lady to open herself before two men. She will have to think not only about how to build up relations with a fiancée but how to behave herself with an interpreter!

- As a rule, while working, an interpreter gets very close with his “charges”. Will it be Ok for you if your fiancée will get close with a male interpreter?

- It is difficult for a woman to open her heart before an unfamiliar man, but it is much easier to do before a woman!

2. Age.

Age doesn’t matter. A very young interpreter, unfortunately, has no necessary life experience. Old interpreters have too much experience, that’s why they “talk nonstop”, like teaching, instructing and expressing their own opinion. Besides, it will be physically hard for an old interpreter to endure endless sightseeing, going to restaurants and night clubs. And then, imagine, you have a dating in your mom’s presence. Will you feel easy?

3. Marital status.

When I prepared this article, one of our clients told me the following story. Her friend - interpreter from German - was offered work by an agency. Their client - German man - chose five most beautiful girls and decided to meet with them in Moscow. And since their personnel don’t speak German, they took an interpreter outside. In this way the interpreter with girls found themselves in Moscow. You should have seen this company! Five smart women and who visited beauty salons, had their hair done and a short, plain girl-interpreter. I think you guess already who left for Germany finally! These five pretty women paid her money, but got a rival that took away their potential fiancée. No wonder it happened. The interpreter spent a lot of time with him. Women changed, but she was always beside! She understood him, knew his country, was interesting to him!

So, it will be better for all if marital status of an interpreter will be: “married” :))

4. Light character.

It is very important for an interpreter to be sociable and flexible. If she has problems at home, no one must see it. As it is not a couple’s fault. They must get the high-level service.

5. Psychology.

An interpreter should be a psychologist by nature. Do you agree? Sabina often tells me stories when only her frank private conversation helped to solve problems. Sometimes absurd ones, but able to break relations. For instance, once one of our clients came to us in tears and asked us to “entertain” further on the man who came to her, as she didn’t want to know him. The reason was that he constantly shouted at her. Sabina calmed her down as well as she could and then talked with a man in private. It appeared that he is a bit deaf, that’s why he speaks loudly! And he didn’t want to shout at her at all. Their relations didn’t go right. It always happens when men conceal during correspondence such important things as diseases, invalidity, too big disparity in years, etc..

6. Mental outlook

An interpreter should be broad-minded to fulfill his job professionally. If she doesn’t know anything about the country, a foreigner is from, probably, it will be difficult for her to understand him correctly, taking into account mentality and traditions.

7. Education

We have noticed at our agency that girls going to English lessons, are inclined to give too high mark to their knowledge, while professional interpreters never put the highest mark to theirs. Because the more they get into the language, the further the horizon moves. Nevertheless, make certain about an interpreter’s education while choosing an interpreter. It is desirable she graduated from the Institute of Foreign languages.

8. Nice appearance

It is purely psychological aspect of communication. If an interpreter’s appearance is unpleasant, neither you nor your girlfriend will be able to open in her presence.

And still, interpreters from the agency have extra advantages.

- She is in the know of the correspondence, you don’t need to explain everything to her from the beginning.

- She is a representative of not only a woman but also a man. A man has a chance to be in contact with her before the trip, consult, ask questions.

- It is always easier to work with a person familiar to you a little.

And the last advice. Don’t take an interpreter for the whole day! If a woman speak at least some English, it will be helpful for her to practice. With an interpreter she relaxes and doesn’t try to speak English! It is tried.

Don’t be afraid that you will not understand each other. Certainly, unless it concerns important things, like documents, visa, registration and so on. We saw many times how couples communicate when a girl has poor English. Patience, love and dictionaries help them! As William told to Lena when he presented her a digital translator: “When you put a word into this translator, your mechanical, visual and intellectual memories work. This translator will help you to learn English”. By the way, you can order this kind of translator at our site. For instance, as a present for Christmas! You will become her husband, she must get used to your speech, to understand you and to communicate with you.

Irina Chernova

I am 28 years old Russian female, working in dating field for almost 7 years and my specialty is dating articles for ChanceForlove Russian Dating Services