When Your ESL Students Don't Approve of Halloween

By Jane Wangersky

Halloween is a new and confusing holiday for most ESL learners - and for some, it's also controversial.

A few years ago, as I was teaching a class of adults about Halloween, one student said that he and his wife and children wanted no part of the holiday, because their church taught that it was (in his words) "devil day".

Many people, including ESL students, sincerely feel that their beliefs won't let them celebrate Halloween - and will tell you so. What does an ESL teacher do when confronted with a statement like this? Argue that Halloween is harmless fun? Drop the subject and switch to irregular verbs for the rest of the class?

We don't have to do either. I think we all know better than to get into what would end up as a religious argument with students. Avoiding the subject isn't the way to go, either. Halloween is a reality of North American life that touches people whether they like it or not.

That's the best place to begin. Tell the students they need to know what to expect on the night of October 31st - trick-or-treating, firecrackers, pumpkins and all. Next, get into why these things happen: the pagan and Christian roots of the celebration. Explain the ancient Celtic new year and the All Saints' Day custom of beggars asking for food in exchange for their prayers. Explain, also, that Halloween celebrations began in Britain died out there, but lived on in the U.S. and Canada (as one of my TESL instructors said, it's the colonies that preserve the old traditions). In other words, give the class information rather than advocacy for either side. Even students who don't celebrate Halloween may find its background interesting.

You'll probably want to avoid Halloween crafts, or anything else that would make the class feel as if they were involved in getting ready for the holiday - or have an alternate activity ready. Halloween activities could also be optional take-home work.

Handle this potential controversy with respect for all involved, and you'll be demonstrating a little bit of what makes our society great.

Jane Wangersky is an ESL teacher and author. To get a reading for your ESL class right now, visit her site, The ESL Dollar Store.

Here's 4 Criteria to Become a Professional Translator

By Cheow Yu Yuan

Due to globalization, more businesses are expanding into overseas markets. Some markets such as China and Thailand are non-English speaking countries. Therefore, the need for professional translation service is at the highest demand than ever. These businesses will need to translate their professional business documents such as business and marketing plans to the native language. And as a professional translator, you can definitely make money from them.

If you wish to be a translator, you need to know foreign languages well. Other than knowing various foreign languages, you still need to possess the skill to make the right analysis of the meaning of the target language. Therefore, someone who only knows many foreign languages may not be a good translator. Additionally, it will be good if you are a native speaker of the target language as you will tend to understand more about the dialect and culture of the way they speak.

If your dream is to become a professional translator, this article can help you in your quest. Let me share with you 4 criteria that you need to fulfil first before you can become a professional translator:

1. Must know how to read and speak different languages. Knowing how to read and speak different languages is a must if you want to become a translator. If you cannot read foreign languages, there is no way you will be able to translate one language to another accurately. To pick up other languages, you can start attending language classes or reading useful sources such as bilingual dictionaries.

2. Must know how to write well. In order to be a translator, you need to write well. Copywriting skill is something that you cannot afford not to have. When it comes to copywriting, there are different styles of writing based on the type of language that you are writing for. Also, do take note on the punctuation and paragraphing. Proper punctuation and paragraphing will increase the readability and value of the translated materials.

3. Be a good listener. When you are listening to what your client is saying, you need to grasp key notes and specific vocabulary in order to translate a speech accurately. With regular exercises, this skill can be developed over time.

4. Get yourself bilingual dictionaries and utilize them. A bilingual dictionary is a great resource for you to master foreign languages. Do not just leave them on your book shelf. Utilise them and take action. Take note and practise speaking. With more practice, the better you will become.

These are the 4 criteria you must have in order to become a professional translator. Do remember that a good translator is not born overnight. A translator is good because of the amount of hard work and due diligence he or she has put in.

For language translation service, visit WhizWordz now: Click Here --> Japanese Translator and other language services at http://www.WhizWordz.com Feel free to publish this article on your website, or send it to your friends, as long as you keep the resource box and the content of the article intact.

Why Spanish Audio Books?

By Richard Coppin

Spanish audio books are fast gaining popularity. There is little doubt that Spanish is a wonderful language with a long history with rich culture and tradition. The mere mention of this language evokes thoughts of splendor and class.

The producers of these books took advantage of this fact to bring more of these Spanish audio book titles into the market today.

The Spanish-speaking and reading market is a huge one that is full of potential for growth. Since audio books is a fast growing market today, more titles are being produced and made available. Not only are these titles available in abundance, they usually are produced with good quality.

These Spanish audio books are sometimes recorded with accompanying background music or other sound-effects. These music and effects increase the overall enjoyment of the audio books . Some have termed it as a "Journey through the books" due to the excitement derived from those books.

Spanish audio books not only cater to those that already know the language well. It also proves to be useful for those learning the language. These Spanish audio books are usually recorded in clear, concise voices. The pronunciation is precise as they usually use native Spanish speakers to 'read' these books. This can prove to be a big help for language learners to learn even quicker.

Spanish audio books can prove to be an effective teaching tool for parents or teachers of young children.

Young children are usually very sensitive and emotional. Their attention span is also very short, always losing focus on a subject. Parents often find themselves unable to make their children read because of this. Spanish audio books can help children as these audio books are recorded in an interesting manner. With the music and sound-effects, children tend to enjoy 'reading' these books even more. It can also help to control children's tempers and anxiety.

The best thing about this is parents and/or teachers often find themselves not having to do anything, other than to assist the younger children to play the audio books. These children often find themselves lost in the soothing and exciting voices and spend hours and hours listening to these audio books, anticipating page after page.

It isn't hard to see why these Spanish audio books are so popular today. All the factors mentioned above illustrate that. With a majority of the consumer market having less time for conventional reading, will books become obsolete in the near future? It is a freaky thought but one that is not without basis for concern.

My name is Richard Coppin and I am a webmaster who enjoys writing on a varied number of topics - Why not take a look at our sites. Spanish audio books and European skiing holidays

How Spanish Audio Books Benefit Students

By Richard Coppin

There are so many audio book titles available out there in the market today, produced by many different companies in many different forms (mp3, wma etc). In fact, audio books have generally been used in schools by teachers of second-language schools, struggling students with reading difficulties or visually-impaired students. How do these Spanish audio books help students?

Audio books, and Spanish audio books specifically, can benefit children and young people. Parents who find themselves too busy to be able to assist their children personally can get one of these audio books for them.

These books can come in the form of great gifts as they generally are products of exceptional quality these days.

Children and young people can listen to these books and learn anywhere in a fun manner. No more will children need to learn Spanish through conventional classes. Children and young people today often find themselves losing interest as there are just so many distraction out there. With these Spanish audio books however, learning can be done while relaxing. They can listen to it while commuting from the bus to home, while relaxing on their favorite chair or even play it on the laptop while surfing the net.

While generally the interest and acceptance levels are high, my enthusiasm for Spanish audio books in general have been met with some objections from different quarters on several occasions. I have been asked if these audio books can be considered as books and if listening to these Spanish books are to be considered as reading? Some even claimed it as cheating and do not consider them as reading!

Before I can answer that question, just what exactly is the definition of reading? If it is to gain knowledge amicably, and if reading is to understand the content story or theme then I would have to say that audio books succeed 100%.

Let's just assume that Spanish is the mother-tongue of the students we are going to discuss. They might know the basic language and can read to a certain degree. These Spanish books can assist students to learn beyond their reading ability. Not only that, it can actually help students to pronounce the words properly and it can help one to improve on their vocabulary. Most of these Spanish audio books are recorded by native-speakers with soothing, professional voices and sounds. This motivate students to a better learning experience overall.

There are many other ways students benefit from audio books in general and Spanish audio books specifically. I have not even warmed up but I will save it for some other time.

My name is Richard Coppin and I am a webmasterwho enjoys writing on a varied number of topics - Why not take a look at our sites. Spanish audio books and European Skiing Holidays.

The Difficulty of Teaching Yourself Chinese

By Praveen Sequira

Sure, the spirit may be willing, but the reality involved in teaching yourself Chinese is a little more complicated. The Chinese language is one that is produced by a variety of tones and sounds that are very unfamiliar to American speech patterns. The desire to speak Chinese, or to learn the Chinese language and writing style is an admirable endeavor for many. However, anyone wanting to learn how to speak Chinese Mandarin should be prepared to purchase a wide variety of books, CD-ROMs, and other formats that may help you along the way.

Of course, there are a wealth of basic courses on beginner's Chinese, and let's not forget a massive number of Chinese phrases and Chinese language dictionaries. The problem with these is that many of the books fail to produce a format that is user-friendly enough and inexpensive enough to be of adequate value.

Every book on how to learn Chinese offers its own method for doing so. Authors explain terms like high, middle high, middle, middle low, and low tones. They offer warnings that tone can drastically alter the meaning of a word. For example, one comment Chinese word can mean mother, hemp, scold, or horse, depending on the tone that is used. Thereafter, the race is on to understand what all this means, and how to apply it to a self-taught study of the language.

Chinese language lessons often contain a word that describes the pinyin system, which is a term used to describe the romanticized (translated 'readable') Chinese language to facilitate English-speaking people who wish to learn Chinese. Unfortunately, many different Chinese language-learning books offer their own spelling versions of many common words.

Beyond that, many CD-ROMs and audio materials that help facilitate self-teaching the Chinese language utilize native Chinese speakers who speak too fast or in over-long sentences that are almost impossible to wrap the tongue around. Many books and audios proclaim ease-of-use, steady pace, and confidence building language exercises; however the reality that is found between the pages is more than a little intimidating.

Many people who have spent hundreds of dollars on multiple Chinese language learning materials often wish they could utilize the services and expertise of a private tutor to help them grasp the many nuances and rules involved in speaking Chinese. Many people think that private language tutors are way beyond their budgets. In addition, some wishing to learn to speak Chinese live in rural areas, where Chinese language tutors are not to be found.

Searching online resources is one way to get around this, but finding an excellent online learning environment for learning to speak Chinese Mandarin dialects is also a little more difficult than one would think. The ideal way to learn any language is to be able to communicate with someone who speaks that language. Mando Mandarin is an online, one-on-one tutoring program that helps students learn Chinese from native Chinese language speakers.

Finally, that box of books can be put away, along with the audiotapes and CD-ROMs, after a brief experience with the experienced experts and teachers that are found on the Mando Mandarin website. Live lessons offer the best one-on-one language learning method than many other methods out there today. If you want to learn how to speak Chinese the right way, and to be understood after all your effort and practice, do yourself a favor and click on to http://www.mandomandarin.com for more information.

Recession-Proof Your Lifestyle by Learning a Second Language

By Neil Breakwell

There is no doubt that the global economy has taken a downturn of the like that has not been seen for many years, with entire countries on the verge of economic collapse and even the strongest countries heading inexorably into recession. These times are the most uncertain for business and employment alike as trade and jobs hang in the balance. Companies will go under, small businesses will go bankrupt and many people will lose their jobs--this is often unavoidable and is a sour outcome of the economic crash. There are, however, ways in which individuals and businesses can give themselves an added boost against the competition to ensure their business, or their job, is less likely to be found on the executioners block. One of these ways, which is available to everyone, is to learn a foreign language. It doesn't matter how rich, smart or busy you are, everybody can learn a foreign language, and doing so gives your business and employment prospects a boost like you wouldn't believe.

Today's world is a global environment, no country or economy is an island--If nothing else, the current economic crisis has shown us how true this is: If one country falls, they all fall. This is partly due to the fact that the majority of economy today is created through trade and a large portion of that trade is international: Venezuela sells oil to America, America exports goods to Russia, and China sells everything to everyone. International trade is the way of business today and most certainly the way of business in the future, and yet many companies continue to trade in solely domestic circles. If you are a business owner, there is one way to make your economic trade with foreign countries a reality and cement relationships with your foreign counterparts: Learn their language. Maybe they can speak English already so you feel there is no need to learn a new language, but what if your company is one choice of a possible 5 similar companies all vying for the same contract? What could tip their favour in your direction? I bet taking the time and effort to learn their language would do it. Apart from making communications infinitely easier between you and all of their staff, it would show your prospective clients your intentions for the deal. They could see that you put time and effort into learning their language so they would know you would put time and effort into the partnership. Your business could only improve from doing such a simple thing as learning a new language.

What about if you are an employee? You must be thinking, how can learning a language help me? Well I am glad you at least asked, because it can...immensely. If you have been following the above, i hope you can see the importance of business owners learning the language of their clients. This does not, however, stop with the business owners, especially in big companies. Very few of the CEOs of big companies do the day to day dealings with everyday clients--they have managers and sales teams to deal with that. Becoming an international sales executive usually depends on one thing: What languages can you speak? If you speak the same language as a client of the company, you are more likely to be moved to international sales and more likely to be promoted. If a company has international clients it will be searching for employees who can speak the native language of their clients to keep the business strong and secure against economical difficulty. If you are bilingual, you will be among the last names to be placed on any forced retirement list, you will be in demand for many years to come. Most native English speaking countries are notoriously bad at learning second languages, so at the moment the advantages of doing so are enormous.

Even if you are in a company that does not have so many international clients, the chances are good that you have some non-native speaking employees at the same company as you. Again, if you are able to speak reliably to the staff in their own tongue, you are less likely to find yourself relieved of duty than the guy who thinks speaking English slowly is as effective as speaking a foreign language.

Overall, there are never any downsides to learning a second language. There are intellectual and personal advantages that I won't go into here, but as far as business and employment goes, learning a second language, especially a strategically chosen foreign language, can mean the difference between success and failure, employment or the job office.

A second language is not particularly difficult to learn either: There are many great products that can help you learn quickly with only 30 minutes per day of study, and there are even free products that can help you learn if money is a problem. Basically nobody should have an excuse as to why they do not learn a foreign language and with the enormous benefits associated with it, learning a second language is the smartest thing anyone can do.

Learn a second language and improve your life.

Neil Breakwell is a teacher in Thailand and has lived in Asia for 9 years. He is the creator of a language learning website that gives advice on the best ways to learn new languages and gives honest, in-depth reviews of the best language learning products. If you are looking to learn a new language to protect yourself from the current economic climate and improve your life then visit http://www.lingualogue.com

Choosing a Translation Services Company Or Machine Translation

By Mark Kieran

As we are all aware the translation industry is awash with translation tools such Spell checkers, translation memories and automated glossaries. But is the feasibility of machine translation a reality in this day and age? By explaining the doubts and limitations of machine translation I hope to clarify to clarify some of the preconceived notions that the general public may have about the field and aid them in deciding on Machine translation or a translation services company.

The notion of computer translation is not new. In fact shortly after World War II the American Government had already began investing considerable resources in the field without the slightest doubt that the concept was not a reality.

Some common terms in this field indicate the some of the difficulties that those pioneers of machine translation were to encounter, for example the difference between machine translation (MT) which is the translation of text by a machine and Computer Aided translation (CAT) which is the translation of texts by a translator with the aid of translation tools. Under Machine translation there are three types of system namely Batch, Interactive, and Interlingual Approaches. A Batch method has coded rules to "decide" on the best translation. There is no need for a translator.

With an Interactive system the translator is present and decides on the translation options provided by the translation system. With an Interlingual approach the source translation is translated to an intermediate language that is used to translate back and forth between the source and target languages.

CAT and MT software these days use either the Batch or interlingual approach.

With MT translation most texts tend to have a 70% accuracy e.g Google translate. Most experts now concede that 100% accuracy is not possible. Three terms that crop up are Fully Automatic High Quality Translation which is in my view is impossible to achieve, Fully Automatic Low Quality Translation and Partly Automatic Medium Quality Translation. The percentage accuracy claims of Machine translation is open to debate as there is no universal standard to measure this and accuracy claims tend to be very subjective.

When to use Machine Translation or Translation Services companies

There are five important criteria when choosing whether to use machine translation or translation Service companies

1. Subject matter. Here the computer can have an immense advantage especially in regard to technical texts. In the case of a field like Life sciences where the vocabulary is very specific and comprehensive, the Machine Translation system can have a terminology Database built up over years which is impossible for a Translation Service company to compete with. Of course the quality depends on the amount of work and quality of the work put into the Machine translation's dictionary.

2. Speed. Speed is an area where the computer reigns supreme considering that the average translator translates at a rate of 2,500 words per day.

3. Level of accuracy. We already discussed the levels of accuracy. If a text is solely for information then a fully automated translation is feasible but if we need 100% accurate translation the amount of time spent post-editing the MT system can often outweigh the benefits of using this system.

4. Consistency of vocabulary. Again the computer is excellent when it comes to consistency. One centralized MT system ensures consistency as opposed to a Translation vendor outsourcing a large job or different jobs over time to different translators. It is often the case that no two translators translate a sentence in the same way. Of course, the success of the MT depends on the preprogramming done beforehand.

5. Cost. Bearing in mind that the computer can tick all the right boxes for speed, consistency, level of accuracy and subject matter one has to bear in mind that successful Machine translation systems require substantial investment to populate them with high quality and a high volume of content which, of course, has to be passed onto to the client of a Translation Services company

It's pretty evident from the above points that the computer can yield impressive results but what we must realize is that current MT systems will not give 100% accurate translations. If this level of accuracy is required it's always best to hire the services of a translation company.

Mark Kieran © 2008

Mark Kieran is the director of a multiple language vendor in Madrid, Spain. In addition to translation services in over 141 languages, the company provides localization, globalization and interpreting services. One Stop Shop Translations S.L. http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com (Madrid) 0034 91 365 9608

Why is There a Need to Learn Another Language

By Larisa Callaghan

Most people are afraid to learn another language because it takes a lot of time and dedication. There are approximately 8000 different languages spoken in the world. Language is critical to life. It is the main key to social interaction. It helps to identify us as individual. Without the existent of different type of languages, we will have no history and culture. Language proves to us that humans are a very intelligent creature.

The most common spoken languages that we know are English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Norweigian, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese etc. At present, majority of people other than people from English speaking country, learn English as their second language because English language is the centre of economics and politics. What will be the next main language? Look at China and India now, they are the emerging countries. China is really going ahead in the past few years. They really spent big, buying mining material from around the world. Many countries buy and manufacture product in China. Everywhere you go and anything you buy is always "Made in China". India is also emerging with many countries outsource their call centre put to India. Have a good guess what will be the next popular or main economic language.

Most school in the world has a second language program in their curriculum. Some countries even had third or fourth languages as a compulsory subject in their school program. And if you miss out in your school days, maybe it is time to learn. Start today, it is never too late to learn. Learning another language is not expensive at all. Look around, you should be able to buy a suitable learning material according to your own need and budget. Whatever languages you choose to learn, it does enable you to see the world in a different perspective.

The world is beautiful with all different languages and races. Speaking another language allows one to work successfully with many different nationalities. Knowing more than one languages improve your chances for job opportunities. It also helps you to build your trust and friendship with people whose language you speak. Speaking another language helps to communicate with the world and bring them closer together. Majority of people learn another language for the following reason such as relocation to another country, business or work related, to learn and understand other people's culture, to become a linguist, to make travel more enjoyable, interest in foreign country and language, engage in international trade and diplomacy work, promote national security and world peace, improve life skill and knowledge, bring peace to the world etc.

How do you get started to learn a new language?

There are many books and audio language courses around, so go to your local bookshop or online. I am sure you can find one that is suitable for your level. Audio course can be helpful because you can listen to the right pronunciation by the native speaker. If you do manage to find a suitable one, download it to your MP3, which you can listen to frequently. Initially, it may seem strange and foreign, but after a period of time you should get use to the language. Reading or listening an hour daily is more effective than many hours of learning. Do not be too concern about your inability to remember, understand or speak the language. There is no such thing as learning a language overnight. Patient and the right mindset is the way to learn as with most things in life. Remember starting out is always the hardest.

The more time you spend learning and practicing another language, the faster you excel. Daily practice is the key to success. Listen, write, read, study words and phrases on a regular basis also greatly enhance your language skill. Build your vocabulary because there are heaps to absorb. Reading aloud helps to improve speech, memory and thinking in another language. Read slowly and repeat the same topic until you understand. Get yourself a dictionary or search online. Most important is, you must have a great passion to want to learn the language, otherwise, it is going to be a slow process.

Another great way to learn another language is to live in the country itself. This way, you will have no other choice but to speak the language of that country. For example, as an English speaker, if I want to learn Japanese language, I will travel to Japan and live there for say three to twelve months. A good way is to go to the target country (not English speaking country) to teach English. This way you will not only make money but learn another language. Most Japanese learn English in school but they lack communication skill and also most elderly people may have difficulty understanding English. Once there, I will have to speak Japanese on a daily basis, eat Japanese food, learn Japanese cooking, culture, eat and live like the local, explore the country, attend their festival etc. All this greatly helps me to learn, understand the language and the people, and also it makes learning the language far more interesting.

But not everyone can afford to learn another language using this method. And if you are in the workforce, you can't really afford to learn and live in another country unless it is work related. Fortunately, there are many home study courses which you can learn at your own time and in the comfort of your own home. Some courses over the internet even allow you to try the course for free. You should be able to find one which teaches you grammar, writing, listening and culture by native speaker. Library is another place to go to look for language books and audio courses.

To greatly improve your language skill, you should have your targeted language book and a book about the country. An interesting book to learn about a country is to buy a travel guide book such as one by lonely planet or any other publisher.

The best time to start is now!

Larisa is the web owner of http://www.clixaholiday.com Feel free to surf my web while you are there. Compare hotels worldwide before booking and also bid cheap holiday for family. I have extensive travel experiences to Asia, US, United Kingdom, Canada and Europe. Go to "Learn a Language" and grab a free 6 days language course now!. Sign up for one or all the languages. Learn the chosen language at your own time and speed. It is 100% free. To get the same program (Build a Niche Store) I use to set up my store, scroll down to the bottom of my home page.

Are Women Better at Learning a Language?

By Kenneth Leong

A recent article in Scientific American outlined results from a study showing that girls completing a linguistic abilities task showed greater activity in brain areas implicated specifically in language encoding. Boys, on the other hand, showed a lot of activity in regions tied to visual and auditory functions.

The implications are numerous. It appears that boys need to be taught language both visually (with a textbook) and orally (through a lecture) to get a full grasp of the subject, whereas a girl may be able to pick up the concepts by either method.

From our experience, we've observed over the years that there are consistently more girls (OK, women) than boys in our classes. On average, women make up about 60%-70% of the client base, and it's not surprising to see all-female classes at times. There may be a number of reasons why this is the case. Perhaps language learning is simply more appealing to women. Others would say that girls like the romance associated with learning a second language. It seems like now we have some more compelling biological reasons behind this phenomenon.

However, it has also been interesting to observe the guys who come along for language classes. Maybe it's not politically correct to say so, but it also appears that the guys who tend to want to learn a second language (in spite of being supposedly biologically inferior in this respect) are more sophisticated, confident, urbane and adventurous. If guys are indeed behind the proverbial eight-ball, perhaps those who choose to learn a language need these qualities in order to succeed. Either that or simply because they wish to be in the presence of beautiful, intelligent women. There's certainly nothing wrong with that!

Kenneth Leong is Director of Euroasia Language Academy in Auckland, New Zealand. They offer European and Asian language courses to native English speakers. Visit their site at: http://www.euroasia.co.nz/

Helpful Tips to Speak Learn Spanish

By Justin Grant

Learning Spanish can be a very exciting time in your life as it gives you many chances to widen your scope so to speak. If you think about the many new opportunities such as making new friends, exploring new business ventures or simply going on holiday and knowing how to speak the language. You could use this line of thinking as motivation to speak learn Spanish as soon as possible

The great thing nowadays is the vast options you have when choosing how to go about it. There are a lot of learning facilities that have classes on on languages, CD's and books are also widely available, and of course, you can learn almost any language online. For most, the last option seems to be the best and easiest solution to your needs.

Some of the advantages of learning online would be that you can do it at your own pace and not feel pressure from a class environment if you aren't as quick at getting some of the words. You can fit it in whenever you have free time and the comfort factor always plays a role. Many find that sitting in their own living rooms is more relaxing and therefore get more work done instead of going out in bad weather or rushing to meet the specific times of a class. With that said, it is also vital to shop around before and see which course best fits your needs. Don't just settle on the first one that you find.

Once all the research has been done and you have found your desired course, start right from the beginning. Why am I telling you this? It's only common sense to start from the beginning. I am saying this as I have known quite a few people who give the starting section a quick once over and try to tackle the advanced sections first in an attempt to speed things up. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way, and you are only going to get frustrated.

In order to speak learn Spanish, the basics have to be mastered first, then you will find it easier to go onto the harder phrases and pronunciation.

One or two extra tips would be to find articles or news on the internet that is written in Spanish or listen to some Spanish music and try to pick up some words or phrases that you understand. Be patient, you are not going to be fluent in the language a week from now and finally, do not be afraid to slip up. Mistakes are part of learning, especially when just starting out.

So, by getting a good online product, surrounding yourself with all things Spanish, mastering the basics first and never worry about mistakes, you are on track to speak learn Spanish.

I hope you found this article on learning the language helpful. If you are interested in more about Spanish and various other languages, please go to http://onlinelanguagetraining.wordpress.com

Teaching ESL Effectively to Adult Refugees and Immigrants

By Joan Pougiales

For adult refugees, progress in ESL classes is often excruciatingly slow because it is so difficult for them to retain information from one day to the next. There are a couple of reasons for this. One is that their education has often been "interrupted" by war or other civil unrest, resulting in low education levels and study skills; they simply do not know how to study on their own and are completely dependent on teacher instruction. Another reason for their slow progress is that the war or civil unrest in their native countries has left most of them traumatized to some extent, and trauma has a negative impact on short-term memory.

What this means for ESL instruction is that the need for review is constant and ongoing and needs to be woven into every aspect of classroom planning and instruction.

Here are some simple rules to effectively teach adult refugees and immigrants:

Rule #1: Keep the information load down. As a Cambodian student once told me, "You teach just a little, but I learn a lot."

To keep the information load down:

Rule #2: When you introduce new vocabulary, use old, familiar grammatical structures.

Rule #3: When you introduce a new grammatical structure, use old, familiar vocabulary.

Rule #4: Review, review, review. Every day should contain a review of the previous day, and the previous week, and the previous month. Vocabulary and grammatical structures should be constantly recycled, and should spiral to reinforce learning and keep information fresh in your students' minds.

Rule #5: Application is important to set new information into memory, so allow students to get plenty of oral and written practice, and minimize teacher talk.

Joan Pougiales, Ph.D. has taught English as a Second Language for over 30 years to college-bound students in the U.S., as well as to adult immigrants and refugees. Her web site is devoted to helping refugees and immigrants, beginning and intermediate students, to learn English and succeed in their new lives in the U.S. Visit her at http://www.growenglish.com

Enjoy Learning Spanish Online With Your Kids

By Ingrid Grzeskowiak

The benefits of learning Spanish online can't be denied; mastering another language not only makes you aware of other cultures, more marketable as an employee, and more aware of the world, but learning a second language can actually be fun! If you decide to take up a second language, one option is to take Spanish online lessons, which are readily available for you and your family to learn another language together.

While the traditional methods of teaching a second language has been in a classroom setting with textbooks, how many of us can remember much from our high school coursework? The best method for learning a second language is immersion. While this isn't practical for most of us, Spanish online lessons use games to learn Spanish. Many also have Spanish lessons for kids, geared for the younger audience. With this method, you get the benefits of learning a second language through a combination of text and immersion techniques. How? Because you can visually see the words and practice talking at home, without the embarrassment of messing up in front of a class.

When searching for Spanish online lessons, make sure that they meet your criteria for mastery. Listen to sample lessons, if available, and make sure that it can take you to the level you want to attain. Some programs may be aimed more at tourism, some for work, and others for general use. If you are including your family, make sure the Spanish lessons for kids are going to help you learn together. Using games to learn Spanish with your children can be a fun and rewarding activity, and you might accidently learn some too!

When you do include your children in your online Spanish lessons, it is a great bonding activity for you and your family. Imagine the fun of being able to play games to learn Spanish with your kids, and the laughter you can have with the silly pronunciations you will inevitably make before mastery. This second language can also be "code language" for your family when you want to play in public. It will make your children more confident in speaking with people from Hispanic origins if you can all practice together at restaurants or stores.

Sitting down at the computer to take Spanish online lessons does not have to be a chore for you. Make it a fun family activity that you can share. When you include your children in it, you are holding yourself more accountable for studying and practicing your second language, so your chance of success goes up. Make it a priority to start today!

What are you waiting for, when you can offer so much to your children and yourself by using games to learn Spanish so you can work towards a better future? Increase your family's cultural sensitivity, awareness while becoming globally conscious. Spanish is an extremely useful language, spoken in many parts of the world... so by using Spanish online lessons, you are broadening horizons not just for home use, but so you can travel and enjoy other cultures. Now that is something you just can't find in a textbook.

Ingrid Grzeskowiak has years of experience in language teaching with children and adults. She invites the reader to check out her Learning Spanish Online Blog and get a few tips on Spanish Lessons for Kids

How to Learn Any Language

By Erik Nitsu

Learning a language is easy. Yes, this is contrary to what many people believe. But, for many people, their only exposure to learning a language has been in grade-school, one of the worst environments for learning any language.

Do you think you might need a university degree, tutor, or language school to learn the language of your choice? Nope. You don't need a university degree. You don't need a personal tutor. And you definitely don't need to sign-up for any expensive language schools. Why would you ever want to put yourself in a classroom environment when learning languages anyway? It just doesn't work well -- ask anyone who has ever taken language classes if they can speak the language they supposedly learned.

It's true that there are some people who are terrible at learning languages. I would make a bet that you're not one of them, just like a I would make a bet that you're not tone-deaf. Studies have shown that only four percent of people are actually tone-deaf. I haven't come across a study showing numbers for terrible language learners, but I would bet that it's close to the number of tone-deaf people in this world: four percent. If you're reading this article, I bet you're in the other 96% of the population -- fully capable of learning any language you desire.

You don't need any special skills to learn a language. No, you didn't miss your chance at learning a foreign language as a child. While it's true that children have a natural tendency towards learning languages, it isn't true that they have an edge over adults -- it's actually the opposite. The only advantages children have over adults are an abundance of time for cartoons and not caring whether or not they make mistakes as they speak.

Adults can learn faster than children, but they need an efficient method for learning to do so. It is true that some languages are more difficult than others to master. It is also true that mastering a language takes a considerable amount of time.

If you can speak your native tongue and read this article, then you most likely have the skills necessary to learn a foreign language. There are a few tricks that make this easier, but all you really need is an efficient method for learning the language you want to learn. So if there is an efficient language learning method for adults, what is it?

The efficient method comes from a man named Barry Farber, fluent in over 14 languages. After years of experience learning languages for both needs and wants, he authored a book titled "How to Learn Any Language; Quickly, Easily, Inexpensively, Enjoyably, and on Your Own."

Farber describes the majority of his method in two chapters titled "Gathering Your Tools" and "The Multiple-Track Attack." In "Gathering Your Tools," Farber describes the tools you need for each language. Farber then describes how to use these tools in "The Multiple-Track Attack." The basic tools consist of the following:

* Basic textbook

* Dictionary

* Phrase book

* Newspaper or magazine

* Student reader

* Audio course

* Flash cards

The wonderful thing about this list is that you have a great chance of finding what you're looking for, especially when looking for the materials on the Internet. To start learning the language you want to learn, I would advise picking up a copy of "How to Learn Any Language" by Barry Farber, whether new or used from the Internet or your local bookstore, or borrowed from your local library. After that, you need the tools for your language of choice and time to study.

Lucky for you, I've spent countless hours researching the best materials for learning a number of different languages. You can find my picks for the best language learning tools in the language section of JustAJot at www.justajot.com/language/.

Remember: the more exposure you have to a language, the better. Immerse yourself in the language you want to learn as much as possible and reap the rewards.

Erik Nitsu has an interest in many things, language learning being one of them. For more information on how to learn any language, as well as researched tool lists for specific languages (and where to get them), visit the language section of JustAJot at http://www.justajot.com/language/

Do You Know These Important Japanese Words? 10 Most Important Japanese Words Everyone Should Know

By David T. Johnson

Anyone who plans to visit Japan should have a nodding acquaintance with the vocabulary to make communicating the locals a little bearable. It was found out that 75% of the tourists who frequent Japan have no knowledge of the Japanese dictionary -- even the simple ones used everyday by the locals. These visitors often find it hard to interact with the native folks, especially when they're lost or if they want something done.

If you want to enjoy a memorable visit in this amazing region, then you need to know a little bit of their vocabulary to effectively interact with the locals.

Top 10 Japanese Words Used By The Locals

1. Yes and No

The most basic words you can learn in Japan are "hai", which means yes; and "iie" for no. Since most of the locals will be asking you things that requires a close answer, nodding or shaking your head might be disrespectful. It's better to give them a straight yes or no when the flow of the conversation demands it.

2. Greetings

Japan is well known for its polite greeting. If you are in the region, it would be best to give the appropriate greeting stay on their good sides.

• "Ohayou Gozaimasu" -- good morning

• "Kon-nichiwa" -- good afternoon

• "Konbanwa" -- good evening

• "Oyasuminasai" -- good night (used for people who are going to sleep for the night)

3. Arigato or Arigato Gozaimasu

"Arigato" is short for thank you. The complete form is "Arigato Gozaimasu". Some of the locals use the slang "domo" when they are in a hurry.

4."Sumimasen"

If you want to catch the attention of a Japanese local to ask directions or if you need their help, then you need to say "Sumimasen", or excuse me in English. This is can also be used when you accidentally bumped into someone as an apology.

5. Asking

If it's your first time to visit Japan, then there might come a time that you need to ask the locals some questions about things that you don't know about. Some of these are:

• Korewa nan desuka? -- asking what a certain object is

• Wa doko desuka? -- asking for direction

• Nanji desuka? -- asking for the current time

• Ikura desuka -- how much is the item/service? (monetary)

6. "Sayonara"

This is the equivalent of goodbye in Japanese. This is considered to be a polite gesture when you tell someone that you will be leaving or to see some of the locals off.

7. "Tasukete"

When you are in need of help or if you want to catch the attention of the locals that you are in trouble, then you only need to say "tasukete" (tas-soo-keh-teh).

8. Please

Please is a universal language for politeness and respect, especially in the case of the Japanese locals. When you offer them something then say "Dozo". If you want to ask for something then you need to say "Onegai Shimasu".

9. "Wakarimasen"

When a local is starting to talk to you in Japanese fast and hard, then you say "Wakarimasen", which simple means "I don't understand".

10. Bathroom

It would be a waste of time doing charade in front of the locals when you need to go to the bathroom. To avoid wasting any more time in this scenario, ask them for directions to the nearest bathroom by saying "Toire wa doko desuka?"

Discover The Best Way To quickly start speaking Japanese Words With An Astonishing Guarantee. You Really Can Amaze Your Friends or That Special Someone when You Start speaking Japanese Words Fast. See details at the Free Review on http://www.SpeakForeignLanguagesCenter.com/speakjapanese

Can You Really Start Speaking Chinese Without Stumbling Using These 10 Tips and Tricks?

By David T. Johnson

If you try to imitate how real Chinese people speak, more or less you would find yourself stammering over your words. However, this should not hinder you from continuing your venture on learning a new language. To help you out, here are 10 tips and trick on how you can speak Chinese without stumbling.

Tip #1: Get A Tutor

Learning this language by the book can be pretty hard. This is because the whole language system is based on the intonation of each syllable. Hence, you should be able to hear how each syllable should be pronounced. Merely reading cannot guarantee that you have the right pronunciation for that syllable or word that you are saying.

Tip #2: Watch Chinese Movies

Chinese movies that have English subtitles are one great way to practice the language. Here you can sharpen your listening skills, so that you can learn to discriminate more of the differences in syllable pronunciation.

Tip #3: Listen To Chinese Music

Try listening to Chinese music. If you feel that you are having a hard time pronouncing Chinese statements, then try singing them. If you can, try learning one Chinese song. Pick out a piece that is quite upbeat and not boring. In this way the tunes can be your guide in remembering the words.

Tip #4: Talk To A Friend

It would be a lot easier if you will learn a new language with a friend. In this way you can practice with each other. If you already have a partner to learn the language with, then keep on practicing with him/her.

Tip #5: Greet Everyone!

If you try greeting someone 'Hello' or 'Hi', then why not greet them by saying 'Ni Hao' instead? Try substituting your constant greetings like 'good morning', 'good evening', 'good bye' and 'thank you' with their Chinese counterparts. This can be a good practice too.

Tip #6: Teach Someone

When you learn a new word, phrase or sentence, teach it to someone else. Try teaching it to your younger sibling or other family member. Teaching new information that you just acquired is one way to effectively retain it.

Tip #7: Talk To Yourself

If you do not have anyone to practice with, it is all right. Go and find a mirror then talk to yourself in Chinese. Do it just like how you would when you will be practicing a speech in front of a mirror. This also helps in improving your comfort in speaking the language.

Tip #8: Label Your Surroundings

If possible, place labels with the Chinese names of different objects in your house. You can also do this for specific rooms. In this way, it's not only you who can learn but also other people in the house. You can then practice some basic statements in which you can use the labels in.

Tip #9: Imitate!

Imitation is one way for you to adapt easily to a non-native tongue. If you expect to be watching Chinese movies, try imitating one of the actors/actress' lines. Imitate how they say it. Be sure that you catch the correct accent and pronunciation for the statement.

Tip #10: Don't Be Shy

The biggest problem faced by majority of non-native students learning Chinese is shyness. Do not be shy when speaking out the words. Chinese is a very nasal language. Hence, it is okay to sound a bit nasal if you are speaking it. Do not be too conscious of the people around you.

I hope you take these tips and use them and soon you will be speaking Chinese in no time at all.

Discover The Best Way To quickly start speaking Chinese That Includes An Astonishing Guarantee. You Really Can Amaze Your Friends or That Special Someone when You Start Speaking Chinese Fast. See details at the Free Review on http://www.SpeakForeignLanguagesCenter.com/speakchinese

Here's How to Make Sure That You Hire the Right Translator

By Cheow Yu Yuan

Due to globalization, more businesses are moving their operations to other countries. Naturally, it makes sense to translate all business documents and website to the native language if you are expanding into a non-English speaking country. Moreover, when you attend business conferences overseas, you will also need to hire a professional translator. With a translator around, you can then communicate effectively with the people over there. With so many translators in the market, how can you ensure that you find the right one?

When you are looking for a translator, there are few things that you should take note. The first thing is to get a list of candidates so that you can select the right one for your business. Just go online and do a search on translator or translation agency in Google and you should be able to shortlist a few. Now as you have a list of candidates, let me share with you some tips to hire the right translator:

First of all, you need to choose someone who grew up speaking the language you need. This is very important because some countries have their own dialects. You need a native speaker who speaks it as first language to ensure the accuracy of communication. However, in any case that you want to hire a non-native translator, it is fine too. But you need to make sure that the non-native speaker has at least lived in the country for a minimum of ten years.

Next you need to get someone that has at least 3 years of experience as a professional translator. I will strongly advise you to get a translator from a reputable translation agency. Those translation agencies should have a pool of translators and you can be sure that they have the experience that you are looking for. A strong translation agency will have a system to regulate the quality of the translation work. Remember to look at the clientele and credential of a translation agency before deciding on one. Do take your time to screen through every agency and choose the best one for the job.

Last but not least, you need to check the privacy policy of the translation agency. All translation agencies should have their own privacy policy. So if you are hiring a translator from an agency, you should not be worrying too much. However, if you intend to hire a freelance translator, make sure that you trust the person. This is because a freelance translator is not bounded by an agency and if he or she violates the privacy agreement, you have no one to hold accountable for. So my advice to you is to hire a translator from an agency. At least if there is any problem, you can drop by their office and resolve the problem.

For language translation service, visit WhizWordz now: Click Here --> Japanese Translator and other language services at http://www.WhizWordz.com Feel free to publish this article on your website, or send it to your friends, as long as you keep the resource box and the content of the article intact.

Learn Spanish Software Reviews - Top 5 Reviews in 2008

By Xavier Vivas

Ever wanted to roll your R's like a true Latino and have the salsa dance from off your lips?

Those are the linguistics of the Spanish language and here you can learn the best techniques!

This research was done to help aspiring Spanish students embrace the challenge of proper learning with top notch tools available in today's market. Many Spanish Learning Software packages claim to be the best but more often than not, they are not what they advertise to be.

Here, I have selected two products considering the rest were much more expensive and did not provide the extensive material as promised. If you are serious about learning this beautiful and diverse language, you are encouraged to check out the following recommendations from an experienced Spanish Tutor!

Here is an overview of each of the selected programs and what they offer. Don't forget to read the conclusions at the end of this article for more information.

RocketSpanish

This software is part of Rocket Languages; a highly recognized and experienced languages software developer.

After initially reviewing their website, it was nice to see that the audio demos are free of charge. Even the additional 6-day trial Spanish course offer! This just solidifies the authenticity of the website and the product.

The method used in this software is incredibly practical and the quality of the audio materials is very good as well. Basically, the whole learning process is very simple, step-by-step instructions which are easy to follow. There are also many real-life situations that you can relate to.

The tutors are not only experienced, they are native Latin American Spanish speakers who have an understanding for the difficulties most English speaking students might have. Their approach is friendly, fun and simple.

Another remarkable feature I liked was the price/product ratio since this is indeed one of the most economical programs you can purchase in today's market.

This method is good for those of you who are new to learning Spanish or even those of you who are at an intermediate level. The 210 pages of basic grammar and 160 pages of advanced grammar included in the package are a good reference you can always use.

Unfortunately, the CD version does not include the extra bonus MegaCards which is a helpful tool for beginners and advanced students because it contains words and key phrases to remember.

For additional info don't forget to read my conclusion at the end...

Learn Spanish Like Crazy

For starters, I have to admit that at first I was not impressed with their website. I considered it to be one of those so-called "Spanish Courses Websites" with impractical techniques that even I would avoid as a teacher.

However, because my only objective was to discover new techniques to improve the learning of Spanish while using interactive software and finally get some real facts, I decided to give it a try.

I must say, I was quite surprised with the features and resources included in LSLC. The slogan of the website is "you would try to mimic the words until they became ingrained in your head. This is a natural way to learn to speak any language!" and that is indeed what they do.

The whole package is great and includes a wide range of useful information. This learning technique is based on practical methods and easy exercises which enable the student to advance rapidly. I can attest to the fact that this works since I have practiced this way of learning myself; as a Spanish tutor and also as a student of other languages.

Nevertheless, by reviewing LSLC and comparing it with RocketSpanish, I discovered some important details that can make a difference in the approach they choose for their clientele.

First of all, the downloadable version does not include any of the FSI Learning tutorials, so as a result you only get 21% of the package.

Secondly, if you get the CD version, (which costs 2 times more) you will obtain tons of audio tracks with valuable information for basic and advanced students.

This method as well as RocketSpanish offers a Money Back Guarantee of approximately 8 weeks and they both have online forums to help resolve tricky questions you may have.

Conclusion

These two products are good enough to get you started with Spanish. It is even there to solidify your knowledge if you are an intermediate student. However, if you want a simple, practical and economical system then RocketSpanish is certainly the one for you.

Don't get me wrong, LearnSpanishLikeCrazy is also a great method and you can gain a lot of knowledge and also improve rapidly with it. If you are serious in learning Spanish and wish to do so at your own pace by being your very own instructor, this method is made for you at only a couple of hundred dollars more.

So that is all for now! Keep reviewing my articles for more Spanish learning tips and if you want to get more information and see all the statistics, graphics and final remarks for these two products just go to : http://www.spanishland.net Xavier Vivas is the founder of SpanishLand.net, a Spanish Resources Website. Also, he is a Spanish Tutor teaching this beautiful language since 9 years ago. "In my career as an instructor, I have had many different kind of students; fast learners, beginners, advanced, from different backgrounds and nationalities, etc. I have tried many different methods to facilitate the learning of Spanish and I have gained a lot of experience with various approaches, too. That is why I have done this research to help aspiring Spanish students reach their finest potential with the best tools available online." Hasta pronto! 2008 SpanishLand. All Rights Reserved

Polish Translation - Breaking Language Barriers

By Wain Roy

As businesses thrive and communities mingle to share mutual interests, there crops up one problem. The problem of understanding each other's language. Most of us would suggest that use of English as the formal language is the answer. But there are few nations who believe in using their mother language for all informal and formal dealings. Poland is one such country where the Polish language is used for interactions of all kinds. The language barrier in Poland is evaded by translation, a process by which the meaning of a text or document from an unknown language is conveyed to another language.

It is estimated that there are nearly 7000 languages in the world, out which English, Arabic, Portuguese, Mexican, Spanish, French are a few popular names. Language forms a vital mode of communication and is subjected to change with changing times. When different nations and cultures meet, the language barrier is broken down by translators, who communicate the meaning to respective parties.

Translators play a vital role to forge a relationship between nations. Their talent and skill set can set the right mood between the two parties. Translators should be versatile and should have excellent communication skills in both the languages. His translation should be crisp and concise to enable comprehensibility. Translators can never afford to misinterpret as this can lead to misunderstanding on both sides. Translators thus bear immense responsibility towards the building up of new relationships between two diverse nations or cultures.

Countries like Portugal, Poland, Japan, Korea, and China use their mother tongue for all talks and business dealings. Portuguese is the sixth most popular spoken language in the world, reiterating that Polish translation is indispensable. Thus translation plays a major part to reach the local citizens.

Polish translation does not signify translation of the words from the originating language to its equivalent with Portuguese. There are quite a number of online tools providing instant Polish translation from any language. However, these translations are not accurate as they simply translate words from the originating language to its equivalent in Portuguese. Herein arises the need of a translator who will not only correct these errors but also convey the proper meaning of the language.

A good number of websites nowadays offers Polish translation as part of their services. Polish translators who are not well versed in Portuguese cannot be efficient in their jobs as they might succumb to grammatical errors. Thus it is always prudent to have a Polish translator who is either a native speaker or has been a Portuguese or a citizen of Portuguese dominating nations as they are familiar with the style of conversation and appropriate usage of the language.

The demand for Polish translators has been on the rise with their requirements in the fields of art, engineering, medical, law, business, science, advertising and public relations. With the expansion of the Internet, Polish translation is gaining further grounds and creating greater scope for businesses to thrive.

Wain Roy is an internet marketing professional expert in various industries like real estate, web design, finance, medical tourism and Polish translation

How to Pass Your Foreign Language Class

By Tom Tessin

Are you currently taking a foreign language class in college? If you aren't yet you most likely will need to take a few foreign language classes to get your major in college. There are many general education classes that are needed when in college, and foreign language is one of them. Foreign languages can be very difficult for some people to learn. When in college, it is even harder to learn a language because you learn the language at such a fast pace. Read below for some tips on how to pass your college foreign language class.

Professor - Your professors are supposed to be your friends so make sure you can ask them questions. If ever you have a question be sure to always ask until you understand. Whether you ask in class, or after class be sure you find out the answers.

Be there - College is expensive and if you don't show up you're going to only be wasting money. You want to make sure you go to every class when you have a foreign language. If you miss one day you will most likely be missing out on a lot. It's like math you have to learn the basics before you can go any further.

Textbook - Any kind of book in college costs an arm and a leg these days so you want to make sure you read it. Go through the textbook and go page by page and chapter by chapter. If you keep up with reading the textbook you will go much further than you think.

Sounds - You want to make sure you get a feel for the sounds. When learning a foreign language we often get confused at first with the different sounds. Try to pick them up and speak with the accents. It will take some time but it will flow much nicer and make you feel a whole lot better.

Verbs - To create good sentences in a foreign language you need to make yourself aware of a lot of verbs. Take a few days a week and just study verbs for 20 minutes each time. The more verbs you know the better your speaking will get.

Tenses - Be sure that you familiarize all the tenses. You want to make sure you know the past, present and future tense. If you don't learn these properly your sentences won't make sense. Once you get the feel for the tenses you will be on a roll.

Conjunctions - Learn all the conjunctions of the foreign language. Be sure you understand the subordinating, coordinating, and verb conjunctions. Once you know these a foreign language will make much more sense to you.

There is a lot to know about learning a foreign language. The most important thing is to have patience, have fun with it and have motivation. Foreign languages can be very frustrating but once you get the gist of it you'll be glad you took the time to learn it.

Find articles like these and more of Tom's work all on his student blog.

Easy Spanish

By Steven Magill

Everyone who is starting out learning the language looks for some easy Spanish to try and get to grips with it. Often they are amazed to discover that it can be a lot easier that they ever imagined.

Spanish and English share common roots with Latin in particular, and to a lesser degree, Greek as well. This means that many of the words simply need a different ending from English to become Spanish - and they will mean exactly the same thing too! Does that sound like easy Spanish? It does and it is.

Take "plastic," for example. That word becomes "plastico" in Spanish. Well, you wanted easy Spanish, and it surely can't get any easier than this. When English-speaking people think about learning Spanish they start to see it as one big problem. No hay problema, and if you can't work out what that Spanish phrase means, then you do have one.

The best way to get to grips with easy Spanish is to learn all the easy words first. The grammar is a little different, but that will follow naturally. Take the phrase mentioned above: "no hay problema." It literally means, "not there is problem." It won't take long for anyone to adjust to this way of thinking and make that, "there's no problem," its English equivalent.

However, let's stick with the easy Spanish words first. It's the endings that change in many cases, and it tends to be a regular thing too. As in the example of "plastic" becoming "plastico," many other words ending in "ic" change to "ico" in Spanish. Clásico, cómico, histérico, metódico, técnico are all examples where you should have little difficulty in guessing what the English equivalent terms are.

It's not just the "ic" ending words either. Easy Spanish get's even easier when you bring in all the other groups, such as "abundant" becoming "abundante" in Spanish, "monument" becomes "monumento," "pianist" becomes "pianista," "indication" becomes "indicación," "patent" becomes "patente," "religious" becomes "religioso."

There are even better ones too. Easy Spanish can be very easy at times. How do you spell, "central"? You spell it quite simply as, "central." The pronunciation is different from the English (you emphasize the "a" and not the "n"), but it's delightfully similar and certainly a good example of easy Spanish.

There are others too. Examples include words like, "animal," "noble," "admirable," and "director." Usually these kind of words have the same meaning as in English, but sometimes they are a little bit different. The English word, "conductor" applied to a person usually conjures up a picture of someone leading an orchestra. In Spanish it means the driver of a car or other vehicle.

Sometimes easy Spanish needs a little bit of lateral thinking. A car is "coche" in Spanish. You may think at first glance that it's nothing like the English, but think back to the days of highwaymen roaming the English countryside looking to hold up a coach. Coaches were the cars of those days, and the Spanish word, "coche" is just the modern equivalent.

There certainly are Spanish words that bear no resemblance to their English counterparts, but that's to be expected; otherwise they would be the same language. Easy Spanish certainly exists, and it's easy to learn too. Go on, try it!

At last! For men and women who want quick, simple http://learnspanishquickly.org/easy-spanish.html and effective Spanish language help .... http://www.learnspanishquickly.org/

The Best Way to Learn Spanish - An Alternative to Immersion Program

By Rob Mathews

The basic idea of a Spanish language immersion program is to expose learners to the language as a tool of communication on a daily basis. In schools, this translates to having subjects like math, social studies, and history, as well as outside class activities such as meals or everyday tasks, in Spanish. This will allow learners to be "immersed" in the language and pick up the language fast, since it has become the default tool of communication. As a matter of fact, this is how we all learned our first language when we were babies. And look at how well we speak in our first language!

So Spanish immersion program does work effectively. The thing is, as you probably already know, not such program is quite costly, both in terms of cash as well as time. Courses that offer Spanish immersion programs demand you to come everyday for a significant period of time--usually one or two hours. The fee may make a hole in your pocket. So you can see how some people feel that the cost of participating in Spanish immersion programs outweigh its benefits.

So is there an alternative? Well yes there is!

You can take the basic idea of the Spanish language immersion program and apply it yourself by using a Spanish learning software program. Spanish learning software programs like Rosetta Stone or Rocket Spanish provide highly interactive methods for you to learn the language and use it in a daily conversation style. These programs are equipped with audio and visual tools that will significantly help you understand and master the language in a short time. Now the best thing about using such software programs is that you can expose yourself to the language on a daily basis! Some software programs claim that all you need is to use the software for about 15 minutes everyday; I would recommend at least 30 minutes during the weekdays and 1 hour during the weekends.

After about two weeks of using the Spanish learning software programs on a daily basis, you can combine those daily "courses" with other ways of exposing yourself further to the language. If you have colleagues at work or friends who speak Spanish, ask them to keep speaking the language with you every time you converse. Watch Spanish movies and use English subtitles to help you understand (I'd highly recommend any movie by Pedro Almodóvar). Pick up your favorite Spanish songs, download the lyrics, and sing along.

As you can well see, this will give you a similar effect of a Spanish language immersion program. You will be highly exposed to the language on a daily basis. And it should be noted that most software programs are designed to help you speak Spanish in a conversational fashion, which is exactly what you need. You don't want to be an expert on Spanish grammar; you want to be able to carry a decent conversation in Spanish confidently. So conversing with a friend in Spanish, watching movies, and listening to songs will be effectively compliment your learning.

This method has been proven to allow a complete beginner to be able to carry a conversation in Spanish confidently in less than 8 weeks! And at a much affordable cost than a real immersion program--or even any Spanish course for that matter. Try it and you can prove it yourself.

Rob Mathews is currently working as a consultant for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). He is a language enthusiast and speaks English, Spanish, French, Malay and Indonesian. His review on Spanish language learning software can be seen at Spanish Review

How Spanish Audio Books Help Struggling Students

By Richard Coppin

Learning to read is a process and value that should be instilled from a very young age. Easier than it might sound, the fact remains that learning to read proves to be a challenge for almost 40 percent of kids. The plus side is that most reading problems have solutions or even better, can be evaded. The down side is that most of the parents who notice these problems in their kids wait more than a year before taking any action.

It is a sad fact that the older a child gets, the more difficult it will be to teach him or her to read. If a child can't read well by say, third grade, chances are very likely that he or she will never catch up. The effects of failure are devastating and can be long-term.

Spanish Audio books can help these struggling kids start to learn from a very young age. It is a common fact that even as a baby, sound proves to be a more sensitive medium. Babies react to the sounds of parents and other sounds of music, toys etc.

The same idea applies to children. These Spanish audio books can be played to them from a very young age.

These days, so many titles are available. From favourite nursery rhymes, fairy tales, novels, best-sellers and countless others available in many different formats. All these titles, available from a variety of source enable children to 'read' their favourite Spanish audio books anywhere and anytime they desire. They can play it on their MP3 player or portable CD player while travelling on family trips, or while having their favourite ice-cream and so on.

While conventional books are getting to be obsolete, Spanish audio books are fast becoming more popular. Children are often fascinated by the way the books are read aloud by voices that are often prominent and dominating, akin a father-figure.

These audio books are sometimes enhanced with background music to further give it life. With these exciting voices and sounds, children's imagination are often stirred. They often feel as if they are in those books - beautiful worlds with amazing people and animals, magical kingdoms and so on.

Spanish audio books are becoming even more popular today and it can help struggling kids to overcome their reading problems. It also helps them to enjoy reading even more compared to conventional reading methods which are becoming obsolete.

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How Spanish Audio Books Came Into Existence

By Richard Coppin

There was a time when the mention of books meant that they were either paperbacks or hardcovers and these books were available in bookstores (the obvious), libraries and newsagents. With the advent of technology, these conventional books have been replaced by audio books, of which a huge proportion of it are made up of Spanish Audio books.

Spanish audio books were first made for the visually impaired; people who couldn't read by conventional methods. We are of course putting aside books that are in Braille. Braille was a handy method in helping the visually impaired read but was quite troublesome as not many were available and the cost of making them was high.

That was when audio books first came into the market. Since the advancement of technology today has brought down the costs of producing CDs and DVDs, it meant that the prices of audio books have become much more cheaper and much more easily accessible to the public.

Spanish Audio books or also called 'talking books' at times can be played on any CD players or DVD players. There are other forms these days to speak but these are the most common forms. While it was first produced to cater for the visually impaired, it has since grown in both acceptance towards it as well as consumer market in terms of sales.

The reason why it is much more popular today is probably due to the hectic lifestyles and busy schedules of individuals caught in the Rat race. Individuals, especially the reading market, find themselves having less time for conventional reading. Spanish audio books can be played in the car while commuting from home to work. These talking books have often proved to be a good companion for lonely travelers. It not only provides companionship, but it also proves to help in lowering stress.

Since its first existence in the market, Spanish audio books have evolved quite a bit. There are more titles available today in most genres today. There are titles in Science-Fiction, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Crime, Mystery, Horror, Children's titles and many of today's popular titles. More places are offering these titles compared to the time it was first in the market. There are audio books that cater to every market. Even if a specific Spanish audio book is not readily available, orders are more than welcomed. Orders can be placed with a small fee to be paid for the service.

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What to Look For the Best Spanish Software Program - What Spanish Software Programs Are the Best

By Peter O'Reilly

Ohayo Gozaimasu! Good Morning! Buenas Dias! Magandang Umaga! - These are the usual greetings that you will hear every morning in different nations. Hearing these morning greetings in foreign tongue seems to be fascinating for some. Perhaps that is because of the numerous things that hide behind the simple foreign language.

In America, Spanish-speaking countries are just within their boundaries. No wonder why many tourists or immigrants who speak Spanish come to the land of milk and honey. And maybe that is one of the reasons why some of the Americans wish to master the Spanish language. And since most of them are into online learning, perhaps they have to know what Spanish software programs are the best.

What Spanish software programs are the best?

In choosing what Spanish software programs are the best, you have to consider the following:

• They must deliver the lessons through a unique technique such as providing games.

• They must provide the basic conversation on a common scenario such as asking for directions.

• They must provide detailed explanations on why a sentence is constructed in a certain manner.

• They must be able to answer the common questions regarding this language learning procedure,

• They must be able to show the learner's honest progress to help him or her keep track of the learning development.

These are only some of the guidelines to identify what Spanish software programs are the best. In additional, to select the what Spanish software programs are the best, also consider if they have the basic must-haves of a program such the pronunciation and vocabulary enhancer.

Best Spanish courses that you can use to learn Spanish at home reviewed. These courses come with software programs to make your learning process easier. 4 from 5 people that use these courses learn and master Spanish in less than 8 weeks. Do you know that Spanish can be one of the hardest language to learn, if you don't have the right resources? Best Spanish at home courses reviewed. These courses even have tests of what you've learned.

Spanish Language - It is More Than Just Learning the Words - How to Learn Spanish Words

By Peter O'Reilly

Learning foreign language is more than just a skill. It likewise shows the passionate desire of a person towards a certain culture. Words are not mere letters grouped together. The etymological meaning of a word is always attached to a more cultural essence. That alone could lead you to a broader sense of understanding of a certain nation.

Spanish language is among the numerous languages that are often used by foreigners. Perhaps for instance, many Spanish-speaking people migrate to other countries, that is why the receiving countries would want to know on how to learn Spanish words instantly.

Getting acquainted to a foreign language is challenging yet exciting. Furthermore, methods on how to learn Spanish words will be truly beneficial on your part. You will learn more about their culture aside the Spanish grammar and vocabulary. You can enjoyably meet the challenge without you knowing that you are entering the threshold of the fundamental nature of Spanish.

This scene will only be made possible if, aside form the learner's desire to study Spanish language, there is also something vibrant to look forward to as they manage on how to learn Spanish words. Most of the language schools nowadays are exerting effort to come up with strategies on how to learn Spanish words in a unique way.

On the other hand, online teachings on how to learn Spanish words also become available. Some have also developed software especially designed for a better Spanish learning. And as we all know, this method comes so practical because of the convenience it could give you. So give it a shot and widen your Spanish understanding.

Best Spanish courses that you can use to learn Spanish at home reviewed. These courses come with software programs to make your learning process easier. 4 from 5 people that use these courses learn and master Spanish in less than 8 weeks. Do you know that Spanish can be one of the hardest language to learn, if you don't have the right resources? Best Spanish at home courses reviewed. These courses even have tests of what you've learned.

Buying Rocket Spanish Will Pay You Back With Good Spanish Ability - Where to Buy Rocket Spanish

By Peter O'Reilly

Hoy, tu vas a aprendir el lenguahe de Espanol. (Today, you are going to study the Spanish language.) - Spanish language seems to be amazing. Not only that it is necessary when making business transaction, it is also good tool to impress others of your linguistic ability.

There are a lot of options on how to learn Spanish. The most common is for you to enroll in a Spanish class, buy a book and have a preliminary self-study, or study at home through your computer. Perhaps the last one is the most appealing to you. The only thing that you need is a medium that will lead you to proper Spanish lesson.

A Rocket Spanish is a software program especially designed for this category. It is the best software nowadays that is why it is not that hard to find where to buy Rocket Spanish. There are also some available reviews regarding this software to give you a glimpse of what to expect form it. At least you will have an idea how it works before you buy it.

Where to buy Rocket Spanish? Well, just simply find the Rocket Spanish through the search engine and you will find a way on where to buy Rocket Spanish. Almost most of the results will lead you to the software's website.

Once you are in the software's website, you will find the link on where to buy Rocket Spanish. You can see there that you can either download it or have it delivered to your hose, although the where to buy Rocket Spanish link that leads to downloading the software is less costly.

Whatever method you choose, it doesn't matter anyway because it will only give you the same quality of Spanish learning experience.

Best Spanish courses that you can use to learn Spanish at home reviewed. These courses come with software programs to make your learning process easier. 4 from 5 people that use these courses learn and master Spanish in less than 8 weeks. Do you know that Spanish can be one of the hardest language to learn, if you don't have the right resources? Best Spanish at home courses reviewed. These courses even have tests of what you've learned.

Good and Bad Translators

By Lieselotte Schwarzenberg

A professional is defined as a person who exercises a certain profession, that allows him or her to make a living. This definition is very ample and does not distinguish between a veterinarian, a teacher, a handyman, and a translator.

A translator must be a professional, cannot be an amateur or an improviser, and this applies especially to literary translators. He is required to be very rigorous in his work to guarantee a true version of an author's book and neither to defraud that author nor the reader. This, combined with a special talent, a profound knowledge and mastery of both the source as well as the target language, in addition to complete dedication to the task and plenty of time to do it right, make a good translator.

Very frequently one hears the comment "traduttore - traditore", which means that a translator is necessarily a traitor. This might be true very often when some people think that, just because they speak English or Spanish or German at home since their families are of such extraction, they will be able to perform good translations. Thus, they just go ahead and translate books written by important authors without really having the ability to do it. Most often their work is amateurish, not to say of very poor quality.

In such cases the publisher himself frequently may be at fault, because he does not thoroughly revise the work he gets and publishes it without subjecting it to a rigorous control.

Very renowned writers have said that to write a book is difficult and requires long and dedicated hours of work, but that to translate a book is even more difficult, maybe the most difficult of all endeavors.

But the inept tanslator thinks otherwise: he or she is convinced that to translate is very easy. He simply translates word by word instead of expressing complete ideas. Thus, the translated text is not easily understood by the reader who has to interpret the author's concepts very often falsified by the bad translator.

As already said above: a good translator, especially a good literary translator is a real professional and artist who not only masters his own language, but also the one from which he translates, who has a profound knowledge of the people and the country he is dealing with when translating a foreign author, and whose educational and cultural background is such that he has the real ability to interpret every concept the original author expresses.

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Improve French Speaking - How to Sound More Polished

By Franck Silvestre

Improving your French speaking is a worthwhile goal.

So many of us learned a second language in school but never really had the opportunity to use it and now it is very rusty. While you may remember the odd word or phrase here and there, you probably couldn't hold a conversation if you needed to.

Well it's never too late and achieving that polish to your French doesn't have to be a major financial commitment.

You can improve quickly, effectively and for much less than you may have thought.

With the various options open to us it is not the lengthy undertaking that it once was and you can advance your language skills immeasurably in a few short weeks. If you have already learned the basics, whether you remember it all or not, you are ahead of the game and improving your French speaking is an easy step to take.

You can purchase audio language courses at the bookstore or online, which would enable you to work at your own pace and at your convenience. You could listen on your way to work, or as you move around the house doing housework. There is also the option of using CD-ROM's on your personal computer that give you visual cues as well as audio. Internet based courses are yet another route you may wish to consider. Listening to a native speaker speak in French is probably the best way to achieve your goal.

Whichever method you decide to choose it is worth noting that there are a few top names that have proved themselves in the arena of language tuition and both the cost and effectiveness are points you will want to consider.

In no order of preference, the following courses would be ideal to use if you are hoping to enhance your French:

1. Rocket French

2. Rosetta Stone

3. Power Glide

4. Transparent

5. Pimsleur

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