| There is a quiet revolution going on in the way | | | | said, "Hi, h're ya?" ('how are you' changed to 'how're |
| people learn languages. Formal education in colleges | | | | ya?', further shortened to 'h're ya?') |
| and universities is being by-passed by lower cost | | | | It is the same with Spanish, except more so. There |
| interactive audio learning courses, most of which are | | | | is a world of difference between formal university |
| available for download from the Internet. | | | | Spanish and the more informal Spanish that is |
| Speaking a language requires more than just | | | | commonly spoken and used in conversational Spanish |
| academic knowledge. Fluency is more than just | | | | 'on the street'. The good learning courses teach the |
| vocabulary and grammar; it is an acquired skill. It's a | | | | popular, more usable form of Spanish. |
| skill like driving a car, flying a plane or playing a musical | | | | The format of the best interactive audio courses, like |
| instrument is a skill. There are elements of factual | | | | Mauricio Evlampieff's Rocket Spanish download, is |
| instruction, but it is more than just mental data | | | | that of adult education. It differs from academic |
| acquisition. | | | | courses in that it is not focussed on a distant degree |
| The essence of learning a skill is in the doing, getting | | | | program. It focuses instead on giving the student |
| the 'feel' for it and becoming able to produce the | | | | specifically what he or she wants and needs, right |
| desired results. You are going to learn to drive or fly, | | | | now. |
| not in the classroom but in the driver's seat or | | | | Courses must produce visible results and be |
| cockpit. When they hire musicians they do not ask | | | | interesting and fun to keep students' attention. |
| for copies of their college diplomas, they ask to hear | | | | All courses present more or less the same material to |
| them play! | | | | teach the same language. It is the presentation and |
| And when you apply for a job that requires a | | | | delivery that distinguishes the leaders from the |
| bi-lingual person, they won't be much interested in | | | | "also-rans". When it is interesting, fun and entertaining, |
| your academic credits. Parts of the job interview will | | | | you learn faster and remember more. When it is |
| be carried out in both languages you claim to speak. | | | | tedious and boring, students lose interest and head |
| In each part you will find yourself conversing with a | | | | for the exits. |
| native speaker of that language. | | | | The digitally downloadable aspect of these courses |
| Modern interactive-audio language-learning courses | | | | means that you can take the text and the mp3 |
| start with basic conversation. You learn a few basic | | | | digital audio portions of the materials anywhere. You |
| words and how to use them, then gradually expand | | | | can study at your own pace, repeat as often as you |
| your knowledge, always speaking, listening and | | | | like and have the exact materials including |
| interacting. You learn to speak, to understand and to | | | | pronunciation and accent available for instant review. |
| make yourself understood. | | | | The net result of this revolution in learning is that |
| The best learning courses for conversational Latin | | | | instead of having to spend $500 to $3,000 or more in |
| American Spanish are offered by Rocket Spanish, | | | | language training tuition, you can get better training, |
| Learning Spanish Like Crazy and Fsi Spanish (in | | | | such as a Rocket Spanish download, for $100 or so. |
| descending order of quality). Pimsleur Spanish and | | | | Also you can buy a learning program, download it and |
| Rosetta Stone Spanish are also good, but are more | | | | start lessons in 10 minutes time, from anywhere and |
| formal learning and less conversational. | | | | at any hour. |
| A Latino friend once complained to me that when he | | | | This means that many more people are learning |
| learned English where he went to school, they taught | | | | Spanish (the second language of preference for |
| him to say, "Hello. How are you?". But when he got | | | | North Americans). Furthermore, they are learning it |
| to the U.S. for the first time, no one said that! They | | | | fast and enjoying the process. |