03-30-2004, 09:09 PM
Hi,
I don't know if you have any significant Spanish speaking population where you live, but it seems that the most effective way to learn a language is to try to communicate in it. There may be schools in your area that could use a volunteer to work with the Spanish speaking children or their families. You don't need to be fluent to be helpful in that area! Any Spanish would be useful.
If there's a University in your area, they may have some sort of program to help international students become proficient in English before attending University classes, or a support program for students who are already considered fluent, but would like to brush up on their English skills. You may be able to work out some sort of deal where you learned Spanish from the students, while they were learning English from you.
Many towns also have a "conversational" language group. These groups are generally people who are trying to maintain their native language, or develop a second language. They generally meet for lunch or something like that every week or two, and try to only communicate in the "target" language during their meetings. If there isn't one in your area and you have the time, you may be able to start a group like that.
If you speak even very basic Spanish, put it on your resume! Don't claim to be fluent if you're not, but advertising yourself as having "beginning" or "intermediate" Spanish language skills might just make the difference between you and a similar job applicant. The nice thing about that is, if it does make a difference, you may end up in a position where you have the opportunity to work with Spanish speakers in some capacity.
Some community colleges (not sure if they go by a different name in Canada, basically two-year colleges that are inexpensive and open to everyone) offer low-cost foreign language courses. However, although colleges and other courses will teach you the rules of grammar, it can be very difficult to understand, apply, and maintain them unless you have some excuse to practice actually communicating in that language. A course in addition to, rather than instead of, one of the above would probably be best, but requires a significant time commitment.
Of corse, I am only fluent in English myself. I took seven years of French, but have forgotten most of that. I work with Spanish speakers just about every day, though, and my daughter is enrolled in a Spanish-immersion program at school. I find that even though I have more formal training in French, my Spanish is already much better than my French (which is not to say that it's all that good, but it is getting better). Now that I'm using Spanish in my daily life, I plan to start taking Spanish courses this summer. Since I would be able to apply what I learn, I think it's more likely to "stick" than all of those French courses (of course, knowing the French was very helpful to me as I am learning Spanish).
-Griselda
I don't know if you have any significant Spanish speaking population where you live, but it seems that the most effective way to learn a language is to try to communicate in it. There may be schools in your area that could use a volunteer to work with the Spanish speaking children or their families. You don't need to be fluent to be helpful in that area! Any Spanish would be useful.
If there's a University in your area, they may have some sort of program to help international students become proficient in English before attending University classes, or a support program for students who are already considered fluent, but would like to brush up on their English skills. You may be able to work out some sort of deal where you learned Spanish from the students, while they were learning English from you.
Many towns also have a "conversational" language group. These groups are generally people who are trying to maintain their native language, or develop a second language. They generally meet for lunch or something like that every week or two, and try to only communicate in the "target" language during their meetings. If there isn't one in your area and you have the time, you may be able to start a group like that.
If you speak even very basic Spanish, put it on your resume! Don't claim to be fluent if you're not, but advertising yourself as having "beginning" or "intermediate" Spanish language skills might just make the difference between you and a similar job applicant. The nice thing about that is, if it does make a difference, you may end up in a position where you have the opportunity to work with Spanish speakers in some capacity.
Some community colleges (not sure if they go by a different name in Canada, basically two-year colleges that are inexpensive and open to everyone) offer low-cost foreign language courses. However, although colleges and other courses will teach you the rules of grammar, it can be very difficult to understand, apply, and maintain them unless you have some excuse to practice actually communicating in that language. A course in addition to, rather than instead of, one of the above would probably be best, but requires a significant time commitment.
Of corse, I am only fluent in English myself. I took seven years of French, but have forgotten most of that. I work with Spanish speakers just about every day, though, and my daughter is enrolled in a Spanish-immersion program at school. I find that even though I have more formal training in French, my Spanish is already much better than my French (which is not to say that it's all that good, but it is getting better). Now that I'm using Spanish in my daily life, I plan to start taking Spanish courses this summer. Since I would be able to apply what I learn, I think it's more likely to "stick" than all of those French courses (of course, knowing the French was very helpful to me as I am learning Spanish).
-Griselda
Why can't we all just get along
--Pete
--Pete