Uncategorized Archives ⋆ CLI

How to learn Spanish at home?

mikebastin — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 19:11:01 +0000

You have probably heard people talking about language lessons not in a classroom setting or not going abroad. Yes, it’s the trend! Traditional language teaching has lost some popularity given the advantages of virtual learning. The first of these advantages is to be able to learn the language — in a relaxing environment — at home, in your office or even in your car. Other advantages involve choosing your own schedule and learning under a customized program that fits your needs. (link here with: 5 good reasons to learn Spanish online)

Self-teaching tools

In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of the internet and other technology for self-teaching purposes. Some of the most popular are: Audio/video courses and CD-ROMs, books, and unlimited resources on the internet. In the first two cases, you normally make the “investment” and work at home. The same happens with the internet; you have access to all these websites that show you the grammar and other skill-specific activities (e.g. speaking, listening, reading, writing).

You can have access to all those and wonder what to do with them, or how to use them. How often? Who can monitor or tutor me? Well, the first thing to ask is what your purpose for learning the language is… right? The common answer to this question is that you want to be able to communicate ideas, that is, to hold a fluent conversation with a native Spanish speaker or in a Spanish speaking setting… probably. There are many tips for self-language learning, such as: listen to podcasts or audio files, watch TV, read your favorite book, write notes or comments, and so on.

Conversation partner?

Most of the tools mentioned above can help you master the basics of Spanish. However, if your main goal is conversation, you definitely need to go beyond grammar and separate language skills. The key is to use the language in real situations so you feel forced to apply your learning. You need conversation practice. You need a conversation partner. That is when our teachers at CLI play a role. Not only will they help you master the language skills, but they will integrate all of them in the conversation and culture that is intrinsic to a native language speaker.

Our specialized teachers will have the pleasant task of guiding you through the development of your Spanish. They will help you with the separate language skills and also complement with opportunities for real conversation since the ultimate goal of a language learner is to be able to use the language in real contexts.

So, what are you waiting for? Put your Spanish into practice. Join us at the CLI and get ready to use your Spanish!

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How long does it take to learn Spanish?

mikebastin — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 19:09:01 +0000

There is not one answer for this question, nor magical numbers. To begin, there are many factors that influence your learning of any language, among which we can find your proficiency goals, the type of language you are learning, your motivation to learn it and the number of hours you invest on studying, the modality. Fortunately, all of them can convey in your favor to make you learn in a (relatively) fast and proficient way. Let´s describe these factors separately.

Your goals. How proficient do you want to be?

First of all, you need to know your goals when learning the language. Most learners want to reach an intermediate conversational level; that is, understanding most of what they hear or read and being understood in a conversation with a native speaker. But, how are levels divided here? According to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), language proficiency is divided on a six-point scale, from A1 to C2 (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2), where A1 is for beginner and C2 is for native-like proficiency. So, many people would be fine with a B2 level, which refers to the description above, being an independent language user. So, how long will reaching these levels take you?

Spanish. What experts say

There are some numbers already calculated for this. For example, the US Foreign Service Language Institute established that Spanish is in the group of languages that is “easier” to learn (for native English speakers) than other languages (See our article: 5 good reasons to learn Spanish online). Thus, they estimated a number of 480 classroom hours for Spanish. This means that if you study one hour a day, it will take you around 16 months to achieve an advanced level. Obviously, if you study around 3 hours a day, the number of hours will be reduced to almost half a year, and you can continue play around with time calculations. This takes us to the next factor, the time you invest studying.

Your motivation and time invested

These factors are key to language learning. If you are a motivated student, whichever the reasons are, you will find the time daily to study—or practice—Spanish. Thus you choose the number of hours at your convenience and can advance as fast as your pace dictates. There have been cases where learners take four to five weeks to reach a conversational level of Spanish, but these people dedicated at least four hours a day and also had some tutoring. So, again, it all depends on you. So, how to do it?

Your modality of studying. What do you need to reach a C level?

We all know that nowadays, foreign language learning is not limited to a classroom (Check our article: How to learn Spanish at home). The number of hours above was thought of in a regular classroom setting. Don´t you think that with the current resources on the web it could take shorter to be close to a native speaker? Probably yes. In an idealistic online learning setting—or self-study material—you need a tutor. With the correct tutoring that provides one-on-one attention, you can advance quickly through levels and be able to achieve your goal of using real language.

So let´s say that with intensive practice, meaning this that you are highly motivated, have the right tutor and invest a number of hours daily, you can be fluent at an advanced level in around a year, maybe a little less. All in all, this is only speculation, based on the information above, this is a very individual situation. You should always consider good tutoring and that is what we provide at CLI. Not only are our instructors native speakers of Spanish, but they are also well prepared; they are trained to teach the language and make it easier and more accessible to you in a relaxed and comfortable online environment.

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Which Spanish to learn?

mikebastin — Tue, 21 May 2019 07:52:09 +0000

As you know, all languages “sound” different across regions; Spanish is not the exception. Although people notice most differences in “sounds” or accents, there are differences also in grammar, vocabulary, idioms and slangs. There is a small variety of Spanishes around the world, and, of course, they are mutually intelligible, that means the one you choose will be understood in any Spanish speaking country. Below, we will review some of the differences between them. However, your choice of one will be determined by your needs.

Types of Spanish

First of all, you need to know that there is no standard Spanish, only dialects. That said, in Spanish we have two main divisions: Peninsular Spanish (from Spain) and Latin American Spanish. Each variety has other “mini-divisions”. Peninsular Spanish has three main branches: Castilian, Andalusian and Canary. Latin American Spanish has three main variations as well: Caribbean, Mexican and Argentinian. Again, there is no better Spanish than another; it is all about your interests. Let´s describe some of the main differences between both main types of Spanish.

Main differences

There are some general differences between the Spanish from both continents, such as that the Latin American Spanish has a stronger r and has a relatively clearer pronunciation than Peninsular Spanish. Let us list some of the most known ones in grammar and pronunciation.

Use of vos vs. usted vs. tú. The singular form of you is tú, usted and vos. Peninsular Spanish uses the form vos, Latin American Spanish uses the forms usted for formal and tú for less formal communication. In some parts of Latin America (i.e. Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Costa Rica and some other parts of Central America), they also take the form vos. The only difficult thing for you in the vos form is memorizing the conjugations or endings, but once you start using the language, it will come automatically to you.

Use of vosotros vs ustedes. It is the same case as above but in the plural form. However, consider that in Latin American Spanish, the plural form is always ustedes. In Peninsular Spanish, you can use both. These forms of addressing will depend on who you are addressing, which you will learn as you speak in different groups and situations.

Leísmo. It is the substitution of the direct object pronoun lo/la for le. As in A Juan no le vi ayer (instead of using lo). This normally happens in Peninsular Spanish.

Pronunciation of ce-ci. Often called seseo, refers to the pronunciation of those syllables as with the s sound (emosión). Peninsular Spanish pronounces them as the sound th in English (emothión). This might sound like a lisp to you, but it is not; it is a valid sound.

So, which Spanish will you choose?

So, the differences do not say much to you, right? It is because they are not really important, especially knowing that you can be understood in any country despite the dialectal differences. Nevertheless, here are some tips that can guide you in choosing the variety of Spanish you want to learn. Remember, they are based solely on your interests, not on the fact that one could be better than the other.

The main advice is that if you are going to use Spanish in Europe, you should learn Spanish from Spain, and the opposite for Latin America.
Some writers say that Latin American Spanish is easier for beginners, even some regions/countries within America (e.g. Central America, Colombia, Ecuador) are easier than others.
Your ultimate learning of any type of Spanish will depend on the dedication and time you put into learning the language (see our article on How long does it take to learn Spanish?)

Learning Spanish online gives you lots of advantages and provides opportunities for you to interact with people from different regions across continents, besides learning at your own pace (See our article on How to learn Spanish at home). No matter which Spanish you choose, we, at the CLI, hope that you consider learning Spanish from us keeping in mind that there is no better Spanish than the other, there are only different dialects.

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5 good reasons to learn Spanish online

mikebastin — Mon, 28 May 2018 16:11:12 +0000

There are many reasons why people might consider learning Spanish. Among those, there is the growing globalization of the language—Spanish is in the top three most spoken languages in the world—it is easy to learn and speak quickly, and it will add to your profession and boost you career. But, what is the best way to learn Spanish in a significant way?

Some people speak about immersion, that is, living in a Spanish speaking country where you can use the language and practice it every day, or taking an intensive Spanish class with a very proficient or—even better—a native speaking teacher. However, this is not the case for everyone. Not everybody has the access or the possibility to any of these programs, either due to lack of time or money. Other people talk about online lessons and this is what this article talks about.

So, why learning Spanish online?

We have searched among the reasons to learn Spanish online and have concluded that there are many advantages—besides being in the comfort of your home or office at your own schedule—for the language learner under this modality. Below, we highlight the top 5 reasons within our criteria.

Confidence. People often feel intimidated by learning a second language in front of others. One-on-one online lessons help students gain confidence through the opportunities he is given to practice at his own pace. He does not feel afraid to make mistakes because there are no other students to watch him.
Customized lessons. From using student’s background and needs to going at the student’s own pace, customized lessons is a great advantage of learning online. The teacher observes the student’s progress, plans and guides him according to his needs and goals in the language learning.
Intensive practice. All four language skills can be boosted during an online language lesson. The teacher interacts with the student in a way that provides him with enough opportunities to listen, speak, read and write in Spanish which allows him to practice non-stop and even monitor his grammar.
Access to unlimited resources. Once you are online, the access to resources is unlimited. Using authentic videos, podcasts, readings and even grammar exercises as part of the lesson motivates students and puts them into context for learning a specific topic within the language.
Familiarization with the Spanish culture. A language cannot be taught apart from its culture. Being on the internet opens a window to the Spanish speaking world anywhere. Teachers take advantage of this resource to help students become familiar with the language culture: continents, countries, people, customs, food, etc. so they feel at home when they travel to any of the Spanish speaking countries.The ultimate goal of a language teacher is to have students develop the four linguistic skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. All these—and grammar—can be developed online, making students feel comfortable, at their own pace with intensive practice and unlimited resources. In addition, learning online connects students with the Spanish speaking culture. There is no doubt online learning helps students improve their language skills.

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