The Spanish Language

Most of us have made at least some attempt to learn Spanish, with more or less success. One of the things that might make this challenge a little easier, is understanding more about the language itself, why it is the way it is, and how best to approach it.

Language families

Nearly all languages belong to language families, that is groups of languages, usually spoken in neighbouring countries, that come from the same ancestor language and have many similar features. Spanish belongs to the “romance” family of languages. These are direct descendants from Latin, and were born during the centuries when the Roman Empire dominated southern Europe. The “cousins” of the Spanish language include Portuguese, French and Italian.

One of the most important differences between Romance languages and English is that they are “inflected”. This means that words carry information by changing their endings, so we can find one root word with dozens of different endings. English has very few of these “inflections” – it has an “s” for plurals, an “ed” for past tenses and so on, but most of the time we explain ourselves in English by adding and taking away new words.

For example we say “I speak” “you speak”, “we speak”, whereas the Spanish say “hablo”, “hablas”, “hablamos”. This can be tricky for English speakers to come to terms with. In other ways however, the fact that Spanish comes from Latin is an advantage to us. Many of our longer, more technical and intellectual words come from Latin, so literally thousands of Spanish words look familiar to us, such as “ventilador”, “medicina”, “posible”.

Spanish regions

Spain is divided into seventeen autonomous regions, each with its own cultural identity, local government and, in some cases, dialect. Standard Spanish (an equivalent of Oxford or BBC English) is also called Castilian or Castellano as it originates from the region to the north west of Madrid called Castilla y Leon. During the time of Franco’s dictatorship, which ended in 1975, all other dialects were suppressed along with separate regional identities, but in modern Spain they have become increasingly important and many now have the status of official regional languages alongside Castilian Spanish.

Amongst the most important dialects are catalán in Catalonia, and Valenciano in the Valencian Community. Catalonia borders with France and a French influence can be detected in Catalan. Valenciano which belongs to the next region south along the Mediterranean, has many similarities with Catalan. Another important dialect is Galician or gallego which belongs to the north west region of Galicia on the Atlantic coast. Galician has a strong Portuguese influence, as it borders on that country.

Very different from these “romance” dialects is Basque or vasco, the language of the Basque country bordering on south west France, also on the Atlantic side of Spain. This language is one of the few in the whole world which cannot be linked to any other language family. It is utterly unique and completely incomprehensible to Castilian Spanish speakers.

Reasons for Learning Spanish

Although it represents a major challenge for many people, the need to gain some knowledge of Castilian Spanish is unquestionable if you are going to make a success of living in Spain. However anglicised the community you live in might be, there are scores of situations in which Spanish is needed, from shopping and ordering in a restaurant, to dealing with workmen and Spanish officialdom, and communicating in a wide range of unpredictable situations such as medical emergencies, theft, traffic incidents and insurance claims.

You will receive bills, bank statements and other communications through the post, and will have to cope with cooking instructions and operating manuals for the products you buy.

Apart from these practical considerations, you will undoubtedly feel less isolated in a country if you understand some of its language. If you have no knowledge of local language and customs everything can seem alien and unwelcoming. Once you start tuning into the life around you, things can start to make sense and you will feel more relaxed and at home.

Spanish people can often seem serious and straight-faced on first encounter – remember that they too are regarding you as a stranger whom they are fearful of not understanding. If you break the ice with a few pleasantries, and make some attempt to speak Spanish properly, you will often find a warm and appreciative response and this will make you feel more at ease.

¿Habla español?

So you’re considering buying property in Spain? Or you may already be here. Great! The sun shines, the prices are good and the natives are friendly. However as friends ‘back home’ voice concerns about your decisions, there will be one question asked which may point little daggers towards your nicely inflated balloon – “So how’s your Spanish then?” “No problemo”, you jest. “We’ll pick it up when we get there. No time for lessons now but once we’ve settled in, we’ll probably look for classes or something. Maybe do a couple of hours a week, get some tapes, and buy a phrase book. It’ll be easier when we’re actually living there.” – Heard it or even said it? Well you’re not alone in having those expectations of learning a foreign language. But oh how we change our minds when reality hits us. Arrgghhhhh! Not that easy, is it?

So how do you prepare for learning this strange sounding babble they speak here? And why should you even attempt it in the first place?

Well here are some reasons and I’m sure you can think of some more:

  • It WILL add value to your life here whether permanent or short term.
  • It WILL give an amazing sense of fulfilment and satisfaction when you can make conversation in Spanish.
  • It WILL impress family and friends when they visit. “Wow, listen to you, chatting like a native!”
  • It WILL help you gain valuable insights into the fascinating culture here.
  • And it WILL help with a smoother integration in your new country.

And if you like statistics’¦ around the globe, more people speak Mandarin Chinese — 885 million — than any other language. Spanish is second, the first language of 332 million. About 322 million worldwide speak English as a first language. Hard to ignore, eh?

And, for Heaven’s, sake why shouldn’t we make every effort to understand and be understood!? ¡Vale la pena! (It’s worth the trouble!)

OK – convinced? Well here are some tips to help you;

  1. If possible take classes before you arrive. If time and budget allow for an intensive course in Spain then go for that. It will help give you the basics to kick start you.
  2. Go for a variety of learning approaches, as everyone has their own best way to absorb information. For example, regular group classes; one-to-one tuition; do the homework and then do MORE – after all it’s all for your own benefit; practise with the language tapes; listen to Spanish radio; watch Spanish TV; read information on food packaging, adverts, posters, leaflets, etc; read magazines and newspapers – you’ll be surprised at how many familiar words jump out at you and how you can get the gist quite easily.
  3. Carry a notebook and pen everywhere and use them to jot down new words and expressions.
  4. Have a small dictionary with you too and a more comprehensive one at home.
  5. Eavesdrop on conversations in bars, shops and street.
  6. Aim to ‘think’ in Spanish, even if it’s just a few words at first.
  7. Imagine potential conversations and plan out how to say them in advance.
  8. Make Spanish friends. How? Get involved with local events, show enthusiasm for the culture, and be interested in them and their lives. Perhaps there’s a neighbour willing to spend some time chatting to you or someone wishing to exchange Spanish/English. Organise a regular Intercambio/language exchange group in your town*.
  9. Just do it!
  10. Regularly go over your notes and you will be assured how much you have absorbed…really!

When choosing a teacher, look for someone with recommendations and qualifications in teaching foreigners this language. A good teacher should be prepared and use a variety of teaching methods (written/oral exercises, tapes, videos, discussion, games, etc). He/she should ensure everyone gets involved and provides a relaxed, fun atmosphere which is conducive to learning. However at the end of the day, the responsibility for improvement lies with the learner.

If all of this seems like a lot of work – then you’re right – it does take commitment. However if we keep in mind the benefits and focus on the pleasure to be had from an “Ahhhhh I understand” moment then the learning should be exciting! Give yourself a pat on the back for the progress you have made too.

And if we think learning Spanish is tough (!), ponder on these’¦ bough, dough, through, sew, cough, draught, draft, ruff, rough’¦and the list goes on! If you’re getting frustrated and just about to give up, think of the poor foreigners getting to grips with English phrasal verbs e.g. to bring’¦ up/down/in/out/ around/to/with/. Now surely Spanish can’t be THAT difficult, eh?

Wilma Taggart

Oliva Orange Apartments (short or long term rent)

How to go about it

So the need is clear, but how are we to go about learning Spanish? Many people buy language courses and phrasebooks and enrol on Spanish courses, only to end up feeling defeated. There are no tricks or short cuts to successful learning, but some hints may help.

For all but a few gifted people, the need for personal contact with the language is essential. If social contact with Spanish people is limited, the only other answer is a Spanish class. Make sure that the approach adopted in the class is practical and relevant.

It is perfectly possible to gain a working knowledge of the language without having to memorise endless grammar rules, which most people find difficult, if not impossible to cope with. Make sure too that you are being taught spoken Spanish and are given plenty of practice in speaking it. If you only learn to read and write the language you will be none the wiser when trying to communicate in real situations.

Another decision is whether to learn Spanish over a long term period or on a short intensive course. As a general rule intensive courses are useful for getting a “kick-start” in the language, especially if you need to learn quickly for a specific reason. Otherwise it is generally advisable to learn at a more measured pace over a longer period of time.

Apart from this basic requirement, they are many other ways of exposing yourself to the Spanish language. Probably the easiest and most obvious way is to watch Spanish television. Although the quality is often criticised, it is an enormously rich source of language, with even the most inane quiz shows and adverts being fruitful from a language learner’s point of view.

Along with this there is listening to the radio, watching videos of familiar films, reading gossip magazines, tuning into conversations in the street, reading signs and billboards, in other words, opening your ears and eyes to the language that is all around you. As a supplement to these things, there are many learning aids available.

Amongst many courses on offer on the Internet, you might want to try www.skillkit.com and www.studyspanish.com

Another possibility is the CD Rom “Urban Spanish” produced by the Tower of Babel in the U.K. which is an interactive introduction to situational Spanish based on locations in a typical Spanish town.

If you are a complete beginner and want a basic guide to essential survival Spanish you will certainly benefit from “Spanish from the Roots” a tremendous resource which includes a huge number of easy-to-follow and free-to-watch videos. This is the Spanish of the street, you will quickly learn the most important vocabulary. You will learn the numbers you really need and the vocabulary that will help you on transport, in a shop or to get you to the hospital or stadium. The team are also online every day with tips, hints, jokes, news about Spain etc. All the good stuff! If you saw the video about the football stadium and did not quite understand about entrance tickets (entrada or billete or taquilla or or ….) you can ask on their Facebook page. No cost, although they will appreciate a “gracias”, “muy amable” or “entendido.”

Which one should you start on? I could say, “All of them.” If you put me up against a wall (pared, muro or muralla????) I’d start with Spanish from the Roots simply because it is the Spanish you will need getting off a plane! If you are a linguist and “need” to learn the imperfect subjunctive then there are more advanced courses but if you want to order a coffee or buy some or some apples (manzanas) or oranges (naranjas) that mode can come later.

If you are interested in learning Spanish please have a look at these links:

Spanish Word of TodayEmbrollo

Word: Embrollo
(em-BRO-llo), sustantivo masculino.
English:Muddle, mess, fix, jam
Pronunciation: Click Here to hear the word
Etimology: De embrollar
Meaning 1.- Enredo, confusión, maraña.
Topic: Sinónimos de problema
Example: A la vista del tema y no sabiendo qué hacer con ellas de momento, decidí guardarlas en una caja fuerte, donde se hallan ahora a la espera de aclarar este embrollo.

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