Learn How to Speak Spanish

In the beginning, your attempts at communication may seem unsophisticated. This can be frustrating for adults who have been a master in the native language for years but it's part of the learning process. Let's start with a couple phrases that you might try to use that will definitely get a giggle.

You are face to face with a native Spanish speaker in which you would like to express to them of your nervousness and embarrassment. You carefully say "Estoy embarazado(a)" because you want to tell them you are embarrassed. There are several issues with this statement:

1. You tried to translate your English thought directly into Spanish.
2. You unintentionally used a false cognate, which is a word seemingly similar in English and Spanish, but actually has two very different meanings.
3. You just told the listener that you were pregnant and not embarrassed.

What you should have said was either "Me da pena" "Me da vergüenza" (It gives me shame) or "Tengo pena" "Tengo vergüenza" (I feel shame).

There is nothing worse than attempting something new only to be laughed at. This only makes us shy away from further communication. The solution is to find a program that works for you as you learn how to speak Spanish.

Confusion with "time". There are three words that mean time but are not interchangeable. "Vez" is most frequently used when referring to an "occasion." "una vez" (one time), "esta vez" (this time) or "muchas veces" (many times). "Hora" refers to clock time. "¿Qué hora es?" (What time is it?). "Tiempo" is used in most other instances.

Confusion with "date". To express "date" as in "What is the date?" use the word "fecha." To express "date" as in "an appointment with someone" use the word "cita".

Misuse of the term "American." In the United States, it is common for one to refer to himself as an "American". However, Spanish speaking people consider anyone from either North America or South America to be an "americano". If you are from the United States, use the phrase "Soy de los Estados Unidos" (I am from the United States) to avoid confusion and to avoid offending people.

Don't be tricked by false cognates. There are several words that look alike in Spanish and English. But sometimes, looks can be deceiving. For example: The word "asistir" is a false cognate. It does not mean "to assist" but rather "to attend." When you learn to speak Spanish, it is common for listening skills to develop more rapidly than speaking skills, leaving the person trying to learn in the unfortunate situation of being able to understand, but unable to respond.

Don't overuse "yo." English requires a noun or pronoun to be used for the subject of the sentence, it is common for the beginning student to think that the same is true in Spanish. In Spanish, the subject of the sentence is frequently conveyed by the ending of the verb: "quiero" means "I want" there is no need to include the subject "yo". In fact, if you were to constantly use "yo" in your speech, you would come across sounding quite self-centered. Avoid using the word "yo" as the subject of a sentence, except for emphasis: "Ella quiere ir al cine pero yo no quiero." (She wants to go to the movies but I don't.) Remember, unless you want to call attention to yourself, leave out the word "yo".

Take a look as the three programs below. Each one will help you learn to speak Spanish. Take advantage of their free lessons in order to see which one will work for you. Everyone is different and learn by different means but NEVER give up. Soon you will be able to have that conversation without embarrasement. Wishing you nothing but the best of luck in your quest as you learn how to speak Spanish.

Rocket Spanish
Price: $99.95 (download version)
Website: www.rocketlanguages.com

Includes:
* 31 Interactive Audio Lessons
* The learning guide
* 31 Grammar Lessons plus 400+ exercises, plus
grammar audio tracks
* MegaVocab software game
* MegaAudio software game
* Plus many bonuses

Rocket Spanish combines 31 audio lessons with interactive computer games. It's available in a hardcopy 25 CD pack or by instant download via mp3 and text files, which have identical content. The download version offers access to the company's Members Area, where you can download the entire package or individual components. The CD pack offers uncompressed audio sound and includes ebooks and MegaSpanish software. Some 300 pages of grammar lessons are included for those who want to excel to the next level of fluency.

Offers FREE 6 Day Course
60 Day Money Back Guarantee

Learn More Here

Learning Spanish Like Crazy
Price: $97.00 (Instant Download)
Website: www.learninglikecrazy.com

Includes:
* Level 1 - Lessons 1-30 on 15 audio CDs
* Level 2 - Lessons 31-60 on 11 audio CDs
* Levels 3 & 4 - FSI Spanish Fast Course (Foreign Service Institute, the government institute that trains diplomats for the State Department)
* Over 17 hours of recorded native Spanish audio which concentrates on teaching conversational Spanish.

Learning Spanish Like Crazy lets you learn to speak Spanish fast and easy through an all-audio course. It is developed to teach you how to speak like a native from Latin America. They speak clearly and at a normal conversational speed. This is a fun method of learning Spanish - no tedious memory drills. Repetition is the key as you learn practical spoken Spanish that you can use in everyday situations.

Offers FREE 2 Learning Spanish Like Crazy audio lessons and transcripts plus 10 Video Spanish lessons.

60 Day Money Back Guarantee

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Synergy Spanish
Price: $67.00 (download version)
Website: www.synergyspanish.com

Includes:
* Triangle Point 1-Synergy Spanish Fast Start Guide
* Triangle Point 2-Abundant Audio Lessons
* Triangle Point 3-Synergy Spanish Coaching
* 5 sections that are designed to take you from a novice to advanced user level

Synergy Spanish is based on the concept of learning 138 basic words that you will use to create sentences and phrases that you can use in everyday situations. They do this through audio lessons in which you can download to an iPod or MP3 player. Repetition is the magic ingredient of success with this program and is a fast-track way to learn to speak Spanish fast and easy.

Offers FREE lessons from Course 1

60 Day Money Back Guarantee

Learn More Here