6 Ways to Use the 80/20 Rule with Language Learning
The 80/20 rule also known as the Pareto Principle states that 80% of your results are produced by only 20% of your efforts.
This means that if 80% of your efforts will not have a big effect on improving your language level then it is clear that you need to identify the 20% that will have the biggest impact on your progress.
Only a small fraction of your efforts will bring in the greatest results.
This is a really important concept because if you apply this rule, it will make you a much more efficient language learner and will help you to make the most progress with the minimum amount of time and effort.
In this blog post we will look at ways to make sure you are concentrating your efforts on the 20% that will have the biggest effect on your language learning. Continue reading
9 Simple Steps to Learn Spanish Grammar
When it comes to learning grammar people often panic and are put off from learning languages. They often think that learning grammar is boring and you don’t need to learn silly grammar rules to be able to speak a foreign language. You couldn’t be further from the truth! Everything we say is made up of some sort of a grammar rule.
In this blog post we will give you some tips to help you get to grips with learning Spanish grammar. Continue reading
Día de los Santos Inocentes – “Day of the Holy Saints” (Spain’s “April Fool’s Day”)
December 28th is a religious holiday in Spanish-speaking countries. During this day they play practical jokes similar to those on April Fool’s Day on 1st April. It originates from the killing of innocent children by King Herod around the time of the birth of Jesus, hence the name “Santos Inocentes”, (Holy Innocents) as they were too young and innocent to have done anything wrong. Although it stems from a religious festival on the Catholic calendar, nowadays the religious meaning has almost been forgotten and it is more widely known as a day of pranks and practical jokes. Continue reading
Chatting about the weather in Spanish – a great icebreaker!
A great way to strike up conversation in Spanish with a local is to ask a question about the weather or say something about the weather at the time. Weather is something that we all talk about either with people we know well or complete strangers therefore it is the ideal topic area to learn in Spanish to chat to anyone you meet.
What a nice day!
How hot it is!
Do you know if it’s going to rain tomorrow?
The key tenses you need to know are present, future and maybe past.
In this blog post we will look at some key phrases you could learn so that you can use them on your next holiday to chat with native Spanish speakers. Continue reading
Black Friday Offers!
This week is the time to take advantage of some special Black Friday deals for language learners. This could be a unique Christmas present for a friend or relative who is learning a language or a great starting point for someone who has been thinking about starting to learn a language.
For “Black Friday” week you can download any of our online self-study Spanish courses with a 30% discount.
Don’t miss out! These offers are only valid until 30th November!
How to say that you don’t understand or are unsure in Spanish
When you are a beginner language learner you are often unsure about what you are saying and whether a) it is correct and b) if you are pronouncing it correctly. It is probably the first time you have actually spoken the words that you have learnt to a native speaker. It is only natural for language learners to have these doubts when they first start speaking in the target language.
Similarly, when you listen to their reply you may think you’ve understood what they’ve just said to you, however you may not be 100% sure. You will probably find it difficult to keep up with what they are saying – as we all know how quickly Spanish people speak!
In this blog post we will go through some useful expressions for you to say that you don’t understand or are unsure of what someone has said to you. If you learn some of these phrases they will help you keep the conversation going. There is nothing to be embarrassed about when saying that you don’t understand or asking for clarity – Spanish people like helping learners improve their Spanish! Continue reading
8 Ways Learning Another Language is Beneficial for Business
Learning a new language for a holiday or extended travel abroad is clearly a good idea and helps you get more out of your trip and make it stress-free, however, can learning another language help you in a business environment? In this blog post we will look at how learning a foreign language can help you do better at work or benefit your business. Continue reading
Most popular language exchange websites
When you are learning a language it is important to be able to practise with a native speaker of that language. A great way to do this is by using a language exchange website where you can find people who speak the language you are learning to chat with over email, Skype or even meet up with later on. It can be a good way to make friends in other countries and to find out more about their language and culture.
Here are some of the most popular sites to find a language exchange partner: Continue reading
4 Tricks to help you speak Spanish faster!
As all learners of Spanish know, Spanish people speak incredibly fast. Spanish is the fastest speaking language in Europe. This is why when in a group of Spanish speakers you also need to speak quickly to keep up with the conversation. This post will give you a few handy tips to help you speak more quickly in Spanish. Continue reading
6 Benefits of Obtaining the Spanish DELE Certificate
There are over 437 million native Spanish speakers and a total of 572 million people who speak it as either a first or second language. It is estimated that there are around 21 million people studying Spanish worldwide.`If you can speak Spanish this will open up many opportunities for you both professionally and personally. For people learning Spanish, the DELE certificated is one of the best ways to make your ability to speak Spanish fluently officially recognised worldwide. I am currently helping to prepare several of my adult clients to pass the DELE exams.
Let’s look at what the DELE diploma involves and the benefits it offers you: Continue reading
Follow Us
