If you already speak a Romance language or have studied Latin, it will be relatively easy for you to get the hang of Spanish. About 85% of Spanish vocabulary comes from Latin, and Spanish’s grammatical structure also comes from Latin.

Spanish Vocabulary:

If you only speak English, you still have a head start since about 60% of all English vocabulary is derived from Latin or Romance languages. You’ll see many similarities with English vocabulary as you build your Spanish vocabulary. These similar words are called cognates. Here are a few cognates to get you started:

clase… class
museo… museum
policía… police
dentista… dentist
agente… agent

However, don’t make the mistake of thinking that English words ‘become’ Spanish words by adding a vowel at the end! Also, beware of false cognates, or as Spanish speakers often call them, amigos falsos (false friends).

False cognates look like familiar English words, but actually mean something very different. Here are a few false cognates to remember:
éxito… success
largo… long
pie… foot

Gender of Nouns

When English speakers think of gender, they think of male and female people and animals. Inanimate objects and other intangible ‘things’ (feelings or states of being) are considered neuter in English: they have no gender.

In Spanish, there is no concept of neuter. Instead, all nouns, including objects and other “things,” are considered masculine or feminine. When using a pronoun instead of a masculine noun, the object is referred to as ‘he’ or ‘him’; use ’she’ or ‘her’ for a feminine noun.

Masculine Nouns and Feminine Nouns

el hombre man… la mujer woman
el niño boy… la niña girl
el chico boy (informal)… la chica girl (informal)
el muchacho boy, young man… la muchacha girl, young woman
el museo museum… la clase class or type
el pueblo town… la cuidad city
el mercado market… la escuela school
el libro book… la playa beach

Can you see a pattern in the Spanish nouns?

Typically, nouns ending in –o are usually masculine, and nouns ending in –a are usually feminine. Other endings are less predictable, especially –e.

Any idea what el and la mean? El is always masculine and la is always feminine. They are two of the four ways to say ‘the’. El and la can help you determine the gender of nouns.

There are a few nouns that change meaning altogether according to their gender.
Here are some examples:

el capital capital (money)… la capital capital (city)
el coma coma… la coma comma
el corte cut… la corte court
el cura priest… la cura cure
el orden order (sequence, arrangement)… la orden order (command, religious order)
el papa Pope… la papa potato
el policía police officer… la policía police department

See how important it truly is to pay attention to the gender of Spanish nouns!

I first ran across the audio course, ‘Learning Spanish Like Crazy‘ about three year ago. I was planning a trip to Ecuador with my husband, and although I’d gone to some Continuing Education Spanish classes at our local university, my grasp of Spanish was very limited…to be truthful, pretty non-existent.

So, I spent some time on line, looking for a Spanish conversational program that would include the things I felt were important:

• It had to use native Latin American speakers.
• It had to be downloadable, in mp3 format, for use on my Ipod.
• It had to be affordable.
• It had to focus on conversation.

With Google search, I found ‘Learning Spanish Like Crazy’, did some reading and listening to a sample lesson, and took the plunge and ordered it. It took a while to download, as each lesson is about 45 minutes long. Included was a series of pdf files, the transcripts of each lesson.

Each lesson is 30 to 45 minutes, the optimum time for focus and retention. The lessons follow a listen and repeat format, in Spanish and English, and each lesson builds on the last one’s vocabulary. The speakers spoke clearly and, in the beginning lessons, slowly enough so I could understand and imitate them. I used the pdf files after I’d gone through the audio lesson a couple of times to make notes on important nouns and verbs I’d learned.

There are 30 lessons in the introductory program, Level One, so you are certainly getting your money’s worth at $97. I practiced in the car, in any spare time as I did chores, and on my walks (although if you do this, be prepared for some strange looks).

If you are looking for a Spanish course that delivers all it promises, and even gives you extras, such as grammar lessons and videos, then click on the ‘Learning Spanish Like Crazy’, tab above, and download the sample lessons. I think you’ll be as pleased as I am.

Hasta Luego!

If you’re choosing a language to learn, then learning Spanish is the right choice. Spanish is spoken more than any other language except English in the U.S., and is among the top 5 spoken languages in the world. If you live in certain states, such as Texas, New Mexico or California, you’ll find a lot of Mexicans and Spanish speakers that can help you with your Spanish. By learning Spanish as a second language, you may open up new career or job opportunities. So, now that you’ve chosen to learn Spanish, here are 7 techniques or secrets that can speed up your learning.

• Immerse Yourself. Think of how you learned your native language. You heard it daily, and were among people who spoke the same language. Listen to Spanish instructional tapes instead of music CD’s in your car. Watch Spanish TV stations if possible. When exercising, walking, or just waiting for appointments, press play on your ipod or CD player, and listen to a Spanish vocabulary tape or a learning Spanish lesson. Expose yourself, and immerse yourself as much as possible in the Spanish language and culture.




• Develop the Right Learning Habits. Get in the habit of listening to Spanish TV or radio. Get in the habit of listening to Spanish on headphones when you exercise. Go to Spanish clubs and restaurants when you go for entertainment. Speak Spanish whenever possible. Make use of on-line resources such as language exchanges, where you can partner online and practice speaking with a native speaker who is learning your language.




• Learn to Speak Before Reading or Writing. When you learned English, you spoke it first. Listen to lessons with true Spanish speakers, so you know correct pronunciation. Practice your Spanish by copying the correct pronunciation.




• Relate to What You Already Know. Many Spanish words are close to the English, making them easier to remember. For example, English words ending in -tion have the same root as the Spanish, which change the ending to -cion. Examples are ambition = ambicion, description = descripcion, and so on. Here are some other similarities: crema (cream), mucho (much), tomate (tomato) and banco (bank). You’ll find thousands of these similarities. (Look for another post on this coming soon)




• Practice Makes Perfect. Take a childlike attitude toward speaking Spanish. Never be embarassed by mispronunciation. Instead, imitate and practice. If you’re not speaking it, you’re not learning.




• Believe it’s Possible. You must believe you can learn. Visualize the successful outcome of learning to speak Spanish. Map out the steps you need to follow, put them in writing, and take daily consistent action.




• Get a Latin Friend Find a signifigant other – well, not necessarily an amor, perhaps a friend – that’s a native of a Spanish speaking country. Preferable someone who speaks little English, so you’re forced to listen to and to speak Spanish daily.




Stay focused and consistently practice and learn, and you’ll soon be able to speak Spanish fluently and proficiently. Oh, yes, and check out my two favorite Learning Spanish courses (Learning Spanish Like Crazy and Rocket Spanish) that you can download and learn from interactively – both under $100, both with free lessons to try out, and both using native Latin American speakers. Hasta Luego!




Click Here! for Learning Spanish Like Crazy.




Click Here! for Rocket Spanish.

Everyone has their own reasons for learning a second language. Maybe you’re going on an extended vacation. Perhaps, your job requires it. Maybe you’ve just met that ’special someone’ but your languages are different. Whatever the reason, there are many ways to learn. Private tutoring, evening classes, buying tapes, listening to TV, or finding just the right course online.

Spanish is one of the most commonly used languages in the world and the second language of the U.S. Gaining basic fluency in Spanish can be a real advantage in the business world, and can even improve your understanding of the English language. Many Spanish words are similar to their English counterparts; for example, words ending in -tion in English are generally the same in Spanish, except the ending is -cion. Think of education and educacion. Many other similarities abound.

Heading south for the winter months? Is Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica or Ecuador on your itinerary?

Knowing Spanish is a definite benefit when you vacation in Spanish-speaking countries. It can easily mean the difference between getting what you want and just getting confused looks from the locals.

So, what are some inexpensive yet effective courses for learning basic Spanish quickly?

Here are my two favorite Spanish courses, each under $100. Each program offers free sample lessons, so you can try before you buy.

Learning Spanish Like Crazy and Rocket Spanish can both be purchased online in downloadable audio format or ordered as CD’s. Both membership sites offer audio files with transcripts, grammar lessons, and online extras, such as vocabulary games and videos with native Latin American instructors.

For more information on either program, just click above on the named tab.

Spanish is one of the most commonly used languages in the world and the second language of the U.S. Gaining basic fluency in Spanish can be a real advantage in the business world.

Heading south for the winter months? Is Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica or Ecuador on your itinerary? Knowing Spanish is a definite benefit when you vacation in Spanish-speaking countries. It can easily mean the difference between getting what you want and just getting confused looks from the locals. By speaking the local language, you’ll more easily integrate into the local culture.

Why Learn Spanish?

By learning to speak Spanish as a second language, you will develop a positive relationship with those who have Spanish as their native language, wherever you visit or live. The Hispanic population in the United States is increasing annually, and Spanish is currently the third most commonly spoken language worldwide. So, becoming fluent in Spanish will give you a number of benefits.

As an American, if you are bilingual in English and Spanish, you are much more likely to be in demand in the marketplace. You will be able to communicate with coworkers, employees, customers, and clients who speak Spanish as their native tongue.

Recent marketing studies have found that the Hispanic segment of the population is the most rapidly increasing segment of the consumer market. This means that companies are scrambling to attract and accommodate those who speak Spanish. What does this mean for you? By learning Spanish, you can enhance your career.

Spanish is the third most commonly spoken native language, behind Mandarin and Hindi. It is the first language of more than 40 million people. For this reason alone, you can understand why you should opt for it as a second language.

When you travel, if you can speak Spanish, you will be able to interact with people in more situations. If you develop friendships or a romantic relationship with someone in a Hispanic family, it will be a definite advantage to speak Spanish. My first reason to learn Spanish was because my brother married a girl from Spain. Perhaps you have Spanish-speaking families in your neighborhood, Spanish-speaking employees or employers, or just have occasions when you need to communicate in Spanish during the course of a normal day.

If you do not have the time to register for a Spanish language class, you can choose to do self study at home, learning and listening as your schedule allows. Many are downloadable as mp3 files, so you can listen and learn as you go about daily activities. Some of these courses are only available in audio, which is fine if you just need to learn to speak the language, but not read the language. Why would you limit yourself?

More likely, you will want to both learn to read and speak the language. Look at a more comprehensive program such as “>Rocket Spanish that teaches you to both speak and read the language. This interactive course provides you with the greatest retention, and you can go back to the lessons whenever you need to refresh your memory.

Learn Spanish like a ROCKET with Rocket Spanish! If you want to learn basic Spanish confidently and naturally in less than 8 weeks and take all the frustration, difficulty and headache out of your practice time then Rocket Spanish is for you.