Learning a Language

There are many reasons for wanting to learn a language. Perhaps you are thinking of moving to a foreign country and wish to communicate with the natives or maybe you are simply passionate about a certain country and wish to know the local lingo. Many people learn the basics of a language in preparation for a holiday. Knowing how to order a coffee or ask where the nearest bus stop is, can give you a chance to practise and feel proud of your achievements! On the other hand, many jobs require additional languages or at least a basic knowledge for business purposes.

Mastering a foreign language opens the mind to a different way of thinking. A person competent in foreign languages can bridge the gap among cultures and engage in successful international relationships with foreigners. It's not as difficult as you would imagine to learn a language, Spanish for example is a very phonetic language. The spelling is an exact reflection of the pronunciation of any given word - so that is one less issue to worry about. Learn how to pronounce the vowels in Spanish and soon you will be able to construct simple sentences, and more importantly, be understood!

Listening to a native of the language you learn is almost a must if you wish to really learn how to speak a foreign language, after all, speaking is the fun bit of learning a language. The word "cuchara" (spoon) in Spanish is easily confused with "cucaracha" (cockroach) - you will laugh and remember when you ask the waiter for a cockroach for your soup instead of a spoon!

There are many methods of learning a language, CD's, online distance courses and some dubious "learn a language in seven days" methods too! Realistically speaking though, it takes time to master a language so a private tutor can be one of your best options to reach your goal. First Tutors have a sister website dedicated to languages, with a database of thousands of tutors (many natives) who are willing to help you learn the lingo.

Don't despair if you can't remember or understand, the language will gradually become clearer in your brain with time and practise so just focus on relaxing and having fun in the meantime.