learning through reading

As I’ve shared in one of my previous posts, reading in your target language is one good way to get a grasp of that language. I regret not being able to go deeper on this topic on that post, so that’s what I’ll be doing here. I’ll be giving you tips on how and where to go to learn Spanish by reading.

If you like being updated on current events, then reading the newspaper is a good option to go. El Diario La Prensa is a daily newspaper in New York City covering race, & ethnic society and culture. It’s published every day, so you’ll be sure to get fresh news IN SPANISH.

For online reading practice, you can go to http://www.spanishpronto.com/spanishpronto/readingpractice.html where you would find topics on Spanish culture, with highlights on terms that you might find useful in the future. The article is written in English, but you have the option to read it in Spanish by clicking on a link. The site gives you terms to remember depending on your level (beginner, intermediate, advanced), so be sure to check this out.

You can also visit http://www.ihes.com/bcn/spanish/reading.html, where you would find a vast selection of Spanish stories, novels and articles all written in Spanish. The sites are written entirely in Spanish, so you better learn if you don’t want to get lost.

May I also suggest using bilingual books for beginners? This is the kind of book where both English and Spanish texts appear side-by-side. Excellent way to practice your comprehension, as you could easily compare English with the Spanish translation. http://www.myibros.com offers excellent bilingual books for children while http://multilingualbooks.com/spanbil.html offers great selection for adults.

I am a wide reader myself, and I believe in the power reading has. You can certainly learn a lot from reading, and learning a new language is no exception. I hope I was able to help you through this post. Good luck!

NYC Spanish Mommy and Me classes

I’m sure most, if not all of you has heard of a Mommy and Me class. Most kids are clingy to their parents. You must have seen the horror of kids screaming and shouting when their parents leave them for their first day of school. Attending a Mommy and Me (or Daddy and Me) class is an effective way to prepare your kids for school. You will have the opportunity of exposing your kids to a classroom environment, while slowly preparing them until they can attend classes on their own.   Some classes offers yoga, music, even acting. But here’s good news for Spanish learners, some schools offer Spanish classes. Yes, you can now spend quality time with your kids while learning a second language, which is sure to benefit your child in the future. Here are some Mommy and Me classes who are currently offering Spanish learning:

Hola La

Hola La offers classes through scheduled/ community classes and through daycare centers. They cater to kids as young as 1-2 ½ years old or as old as 8 years old. Enroll one child, and you’ll get 50% off the second child’s enrollment. Here’s what’s great about Hola La. They cater to families, with the parents, grandparents or caregivers getting the classes for free! You can check their website at http://www.hola-la.com/index.htm

Musica Para Mi

Enjoy traditional Spanish songs, dancing and stories with your kids. With classes held in festive environments, learning Spanish would sure be a blast. Classes are offered in 9 locations in Brooklyn Queens and Manhattan. To register or reserve for Free Trials, email musicaparami@aol.com or call 718-643-6660.

The Language Workshop for Children

Located at 888 Lexington Ave., at 66th St., The Language Workshop for Children offers Mommy and Me Spanish classes called Spanish for Tots for kids 6 months to 3 years old. Call them up at 212-396-0830.

If you have no prior experience with Spanish, then you can surely benefit learning the basics and vocabulary of Spanish words with your kids. It is a very good foundation if you are serious about learning Spanish in an advanced level in the future. Mommy and Me classes may not benefit the advanced Spanish speaker in the academic level, but it will surely give your kids the experience of having fun and learning at the same time with their parents.

One benefit of learning Spanish

We’ve heard it again and again. More and more Americans are angry at having to learn Spanish in their own country. Yes, their own English speaking country. Many people think it sounds ridiculous having to adjust to immigrants when they are the one who decided to live in our country. But we have to understand that times are changing and that we have to change along with it in order to survive.

You probably heard of a friend or a family who can’t find a decent job because they don’t know how to speak Spanish. This is actually very common in the United States, not just in New York. I know how outrageous this may seem, but we need to understand why this is happening.

Everything actually has something to do with the money. Businesses make money by reaching to people. The more people they reach, the more money they make. And one good way of making sure to reach people is by having employees who can speak different languages. If a representative can’t communicate with the customer, they would take their business elsewhere – and that’s not a good thing.

Bilingualism is becoming a fast trend around the world. English speaking countries need people who can speak Spanish, while Spanish speaking countries need people who can speak English. I guess that’s just how the world works. Be on the safe side, be bilingual.

I’m not asking you to take expensive Spanish classes, or to buy expensive software. There are a lot of options you can choose from in order to learn Spanish. You can go to community colleges, or hook up with somebody who speaks Spanish to give you a start in learning.

Please don’t get me wrong. I love my country and I love the language I’ve been speaking since I was a child but I choose to be successful. And learning Spanish is one of the steps I needed to take in order to reach success. Besides, learning is fun. And having the power to reach out to people of different race makes the learning worth it.

Tips and Tricks to Learn and Have Your Spanish going

It’s not enough that one is attending a class to learn Spanish. Sure, your teacher is great and you are learning at a great speed but learning from one source alone is not good enough and not fast enough to attain the fluency you so much wanted. For those who are living in NYC who are in the process of learning, or for those who are already done with their Spanish lessons (remember that it doesn’t stop there) and needs to get their Spanish going, these tips are for you.

READ A BOOK IN SPANISH

There is no better way to widen your vocabulary than reading a book. It doesn’t matter that you don’t understand everything, what’s important is that your brain is slowly getting familiar with the words. Looking up the word’s meaning in the dictionary every once in a while would also help with your vocabulary but don’t overdo it. Information overload is never good, and you would tend to forget everything you learned. Also one tip I could give you is to read on topics that you are interested about. If you are interested in gardening or in arts, then go for a book about these subjects. You can check out LIBRERIA CALIOPE located at 183 Dyckman St (between Sherman Ave & Vermilyea Ave). It’s a small place, but has a HUGE variety of Spanish books. It’s very popular with the neighborhood and what’s more, you could meet people here so it’s a great way to make Spanish speaking friends.  If you don’t have time to visit a bookstore, then you can have your book delivered. Borderland Bookstore [http://www.borderlandsbooks.com/index.asp] specializes in books about Spanish history but offers books about other subjects as well. They deliver anywhere in the United States for only $3.50 per book.

WATCH SPANISH TV

41 Univision and 47 Telemundo are two very popular Spanish channels in New York City. Univision has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to A.C Nielsen ratings, largely due to telenovelas and soccer while Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. Unlike Univision, which only has Spanish captions, many programs on Telemundo air with closed captions in both Spanish and English. The network produces the translations in-house with the intention to attract viewers who may not be fluent in Spanish so you’ll be sure to learn while watching. It’s not a problem if you’re really not into watching TV. You can do what I usually do. I just turn the TV on, and proceed with washing the dishes or just doing what I need to do. That way, you’re mind is subconsciously absorbing the words and you’ll get familiar with it in no time.

LISTEN TO SPANISH MUSIC

A lot of people prefer listening to music in their targeted language as a way of acquiring it. Music helps you learn and remember things faster and easier. Believe it or not, some Alzheimer’s patients cannot remember their own name but can perfectly sing an entire song. This is the power music has over your brain. The melody and the rhythm of the songs helps you remember things. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this but you tend to sing the alphabet when you can’t remember what’s next to a certain letter.

You don’t have to listen to old Spanish songs in order to enhance your learning. There are really good Spanish songs which has become popular in America such as “Bailamos” by Enrique Iglesias or Jennifer Lopez’s “Qué Hiciste”. You can also choose songs that was originally in English but has its Spanish version as well such as “Suerte” by Jason Mraz, Christina Aguillera’s “Genie in a bottle” (Spanish title: Genio Atrapado) and “Aint it funny” or “Que Ironia” by Jennifer Lopez.

The tips that I gave you on this post is just some of the numerous options that you have. Feel free to be creative. Find ways that you find fun when learning Spanish. Don’t hesitate to fuse something you love into learning that language. Go Go Go for it!