5 habits of successful language learners!
1. Short but regular study sessions
People who make the most progress when learning another language stick to a regular routine of spending part of each day learning a language. This could be listening to a podcast, reading an article, learning vocabulary, doing grammar exercises. If you get into the habit of setting aside half an hour first thing in the morning or half an hour after dinner you are more like to stick to this than if you do no studying Monday to Friday and then force yourself to do a full 3-hour session on a Sunday. Continue reading
GCSE Spanish tips!
How to avoid over-using “bueno” when describing
It is so easy to fall into the trap of using the same small set of adjectives to describe things in your speaking and writing. e.g. la pelcula fue buena, (The film was good). Here is a list of adjectives to learn and have at your fingertips to include in your speaking or writing tasks:
agradable – pleasant
amable – kind / friendly / nice
asombroso – astonishing / amazing
bonito – pretty
deslumbrante – dazzling
emocionante – exciting
encantador/a – charming
Continue reading
Why We Need to Learn Languages Post-Brexit
There is already a shortage of language skills in the UK which according to the Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), “is costing the UK economy £48 billion a year”, however with Brexit looming we will no longer be able to rely on EU nationals to help fill this gap. According to the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Modern Languages, “We will need more UK officials with foreign language skills.”
“Language skills are vital for our exports, education, public services and diplomacy.” Continue reading
Different ways to say “no” in Spanish
As well as just a simple, “No” there are several different ways you can say “no” in Spanish. Here are a few easy to remember phrases to say “no” in Spanish in a friendly way:
¡Ni hablar! – No way! / Don’t even talk about it!
¡En absoluto! – Absolutely not! [This looks like you are saying “Absolutely” but in fact it is negative, you are completely disagreeing!]
¡En la vida! – Never in my life! Continue reading
2 Useful Spanish phrases
(1) Acabar de + infinitive (To have just …)
(2) Estar a punto de + infinitive (To be about to …)
(1) Acabar de + infinitive
This is the structure in Spanish to talk about the very recent past, to say what has just happened. You can use this in various tenses:
Present tense:
Acabo de comer. I have just eaten. (a few minutes ago) Continue reading
7 tips for learning a language easily!
Choose the right language for you
Choose a language you like and one that will be useful to you in the future. If you plan to work in South America or the US pick Spanish, as this is the second language in the US. Trade is opening up in Latin America with many UK businesses now trading with countries like Chile and Argentina. Continue reading
Ways to enjoy learning a language!
Although learning a language is difficult for most people, there are many ways to make sure you enjoy it! If you choose ways to enjoy the language learning process, you will progress much more quickly. As one polyglot, Steve Kaufman once said: “You don’t have to learn a language in ways that you hate! Simply study the things you want to study, in the way you want to study them, so you can enjoy the process!”
Here are some tried and tested ways to enjoy learning any language: Continue reading
El Gordo (The Fat One) – Spain’s Christmas lottery
Spain’s Christmas lottery, “El Gordo” is not only the biggest lottery in the world but also one of the oldest, having started in 1812. It works differently to most lotteries. This year the total prize pool amounts to £1.95 billion being distributed around the country. There is a 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize, plus over a thousand small prizes to be won which is why the draw, held every 22nd December takes three and a half hours.
This year the draw is taking place in the Teatro Real Opera House in Madrid. Many people attend the live lottery draw wearing fancy-dress costumes (disfraces), armed with good-luck charms (amuletos), and holding placards (pancartas) with slogans on them. Find out how Spain’s Christmas lottery is drawn and how the winnings are divided here: Continue reading
Spanish nouns that can be masculine or feminine
… each with a different meaning
When you start learning Spanish you learn that all nouns are classed as either masculine or feminine, however in reality there are exceptions when you can use a word with either gender, each with a different meaning.
Normally this relates to someone’s occupation, for example, el policía = the policeman, la policía = la policía. El periodista = the (male) journalist, la periodista = the (female) journalist. Other words can be used with either gender but be careful as their meaning changes. There is no reason for this so you just have to learn the gender with the noun and try to remember the following:
boleto/a: el boleto = ticket (travel) / la boleta = ticket (fine/penalty)
bolso/a: el bolso = handbag / la bolsa = larger bag/sack Continue reading
11 tips for improving your conversational Spanish!
Want to get better at speaking your target language? There’s no way around it: you need to practice speaking it! Chatting with others — whether it’s with native speakers, friends, or classmates — will help you learn new vocabulary, understand those words in context, and also improve your listening skills.
So, where do you start? TakeLessons.com has put together a great infographic sharing a few tips for how to improve your conversational Spanish. Check it out below! Not learning Spanish? The tips can also be applied to French, Japanese, or any other language you’re learning. Continue reading
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