| There is a quiet revolution going on in the | | | | 'how're ya?', further shortened to 'h're |
| way people learn languages. Formal education | | | | ya?') |
| in colleges and universities is being | | | | |
| by-passed by lower cost interactive audio | | | | It is the same with Spanish, except more so. |
| learning courses, most of which are available | | | | There is a world of difference between formal |
| for download from the Internet. | | | | university Spanish and the more informal |
| | | | Spanish that is commonly spoken and used in |
| Speaking a language requires more than just | | | | conversational Spanish 'on the street'. The |
| academic knowledge. Fluency is more than just | | | | good learning courses teach the popular, more |
| vocabulary and grammar; it is an acquired | | | | usable form of Spanish. |
| skill. It's a skill like driving a car, | | | | |
| flying a plane or playing a musical | | | | The format of the best interactive audio |
| instrument is a skill. There are elements of | | | | courses, like Mauricio Evlampieff's Rocket |
| factual instruction, but it is more than just | | | | Spanish download, is that of adult education. |
| mental data acquisition. | | | | It differs from academic courses in that it |
| | | | is not focussed on a distant degree program. |
| The essence of learning a skill is in the | | | | It focuses instead on giving the student |
| doing, getting the 'feel' for it and becoming | | | | specifically what he or she wants and needs, |
| able to produce the desired results. You are | | | | right now. |
| going to learn to drive or fly, not in the | | | | |
| classroom but in the driver's seat or | | | | Courses must produce visible results and be |
| cockpit. When they hire musicians they do not | | | | interesting and fun to keep students' |
| ask for copies of their college diplomas, | | | | attention. |
| they ask to hear them play! | | | | |
| | | | All courses present more or less the same |
| And when you apply for a job that requires a | | | | material to teach the same language. It is |
| bi-lingual person, they won't be much | | | | the presentation and delivery that |
| interested in your academic credits. Parts of | | | | distinguishes the leaders from the |
| the job interview will be carried out in both | | | | "also-rans". When it is interesting, fun and |
| languages you claim to speak. In each part | | | | entertaining, you learn faster and remember |
| you will find yourself conversing with a | | | | more. When it is tedious and boring, students |
| native speaker of that language. | | | | lose interest and head for the exits. |
| | | | |
| Modern interactive-audio language-learning | | | | The digitally downloadable aspect of these |
| courses start with basic conversation. You | | | | courses means that you can take the text and |
| learn a few basic words and how to use them, | | | | the mp3 digital audio portions of the |
| then gradually expand your knowledge, always | | | | materials anywhere. You can study at your own |
| speaking, listening and interacting. You | | | | pace, repeat as often as you like and have |
| learn to speak, to understand and to make | | | | the exact materials including pronunciation |
| yourself understood. | | | | and accent available for instant review. |
| | | | |
| The best learning courses for conversational | | | | The net result of this revolution in learning |
| Latin American Spanish are offered by Rocket | | | | is that instead of having to spend $500 to |
| Spanish, Learning Spanish Like Crazy and Fsi | | | | $3,000 or more in language training tuition, |
| Spanish (in descending order of quality). | | | | you can get better training, such as a Rocket |
| Pimsleur Spanish and Rosetta Stone Spanish | | | | Spanish download, for $100 or so. Also you |
| are also good, but are more formal learning | | | | can buy a learning program, download it and |
| and less conversational. | | | | start lessons in 10 minutes time, from |
| | | | anywhere and at any hour. |
| A Latino friend once complained to me that | | | | |
| when he learned English where he went to | | | | This means that many more people are learning |
| school, they taught him to say, "Hello. How | | | | Spanish (the second language of preference |
| are you?". But when he got to the U.S. for | | | | for North Americans). Furthermore, they are |
| the first time, no one said that! They said, | | | | learning it fast and enjoying the process. |
| "Hi, h're ya?" ('how are you' changed to | | | | |