Learning a foreign language on your own can be really difficult. I have been through this experience and I can only tell that even if you feel full of energy and thoroughly prepared to take a new task, you will soon have to give it up because you will put other priorities first. Without many examples and without a person with whom you can talk, the chances of success are slim. I tried to learn basic rules in Spanish only by reading some examples, but I did not have enough exercises or a person to give me homework.

If you know that you are the kind of person that gives up a task easily, then you should look for Spanish language lessonstaught at a certain educational institution. It will be the best choice since the teacher will make you do exercises at home and you will practically throw money away if you don’t do them. Additionally, when you attend a Spanish course, you are able to talk to other students and practice your speaking abilities. The teacher can divide you into groups and make you do fun activities, that sometimes can prove to be very rewarding. I once attended a game where we had to come up with a Spanish word for each letter of the alphabet, and the winner received lots of chocolate. This is a great way of stimulation.

However, if you consider yourself the type of person that can do everything on his own, then the best Spanish courses for you are the ones on the computer. There are many computer programs that can correct your spoken language, thus it will be like talking to a real person. In my opinion, this is ideal for those who do not have enough time to physically attend Spanish courses and also don’t have enough money to pay for them. I have to work many hours a day and also take care of my family, and I know how hard it can be, after a long day of work, to go to other courses and also stay active. This is why these programs are the best for those with a busy schedule. I was able to go home, eat, see my family, and in the evening do some exercises and improve my grammar.

I know that there are not too many people who enjoy working with a computer, but if they want to learn Spanish, they can buy some great books created especially for them. I sometimes get bored of sitting in the same place all the time, especially during beautiful days. This is why I take my exercise book and go in the park, where I can enjoy the nice weather and also learn new words in peace and quiet.

I am not the lazy type of person, but when I have too much things on my plate, I simply have to give up something. Even though learning Spanish may seem hard at first, I know that if I take the best Spanish language lessons for my personality, I will be able to speak fluently in no time.

Teaching English is a fun, rewarding way of helping people, plus you get paid!

Perhaps most importantly for most people wanting to teach English, you get to travel or live in exotic countries…

Teaching English is Easy

I talk about the easiest language to learn on the home page but for a native English speaker English is obviously the easiest language to teach! Here I am presuming you wish to teach English as a second language, in fact that is so popular today that it even has its own initials – TEFL, or ‘teffle’.

Talking of initials, another set you might come across are CELTA. That stands for Cambridge/RSA Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults, which is quite a mouthful so you can see why they use the letters. That certificate in teaching English is widely recognised just about anywhere, though it is not the ONLY suitable certificate you can get.

Also of course, in many places you’ll be welcomed with open arms with ANY teaching qualification, plus being a native English speaker. Remember, compared to anyone who is not a native speaker you already have a huge advantage!

If you were to go for the CELTA course or similar, the next question is online or offline?

If you don’t live in the UK I suggest online is best, because while other courses exist I think having a certificate in teaching English, from England, has to be a good thing right?

If you are in England then life is easy, because there are a number of colleges around that can take you, either full time or part time, in this subject. Typically the cost is around 1000 UKP, maybe a bit less if outside a major city.

Teaching English as a First Language

By first language I mean teaching English to English students, or at least English speakers.

For this you’d be either dealing with youngsters, in a conventional school, and/or teaching the finer points of our great language.

You know, people always want to improve their English, in fact there is a famous advert, which a distinctive headline:“Are you making these mistakes in your English?”

Those commericals are always experimenting with different headlines and offers but that one stayed the same for many years, because even native English speakers worry if they’re doing it right!

If you want to teach English to natives you will need a degree in English, plus a teaching qualification. Also, realistically today, you might well find that as a teacher you will be called upon to teach other subjects as well as the English language.

Schools are strapped for cash now and I’m guessing (but not sure) that few people are able to teach English and nothing else. I might be wrong though.

When I decided to learn Spanish and go to Argentina, some people suggested me to take online Spanish classes. I am not the type of person who enjoys spending too much time in front of a computer, and that is why I was a little bit skeptical. However, I saw that many of my colleagues talked about how they learned other foreign languages much faster by taking online courses, and I became curious. I did not think that a program only based on a few grammar rules and some exercises could make me a pro in Spanish, and that is why I had to see it for myself.

I enrolled in an online Spanish course and the first thing I noticed was the price. It was much more affordable to buy an online course than actually attending real classes. This is quite understandable since I would not have to pay a teacher to stay with me for two hours until I learn something. I could do everything in my own rhythm, and I could also get rid of my fear of embarrassing myself in public. The material offered on the internet helped me learn better the main rules for speaking Spanish, yet my pronunciation was awful. I could not repeat the language unless someone was there to correct me, and this was only possible if I attended regular courses.

Another good thing about online classes was that I could study whenever I wanted to. No matter whether I had to work until late or I had a certain errand to make before dinner, I could also find some time to do some exercises at the end of the day. The money I paid for the course would not be lost since I could still learn on another day. This is really convenient when you have to go to work and take care of your family and the only time remaining is the weekend.

Online Spanish courses have a major disadvantage. If I weren’t such a perseverant person, I wouldn’t be able to finish the program. Just think about it, if you are lazy or very tired you won’t have enough will to get started and do many exercises. You will only try to delay and not learn anything for days. This is why a lot of people prefer to attend courses at an educational institution and have a teacher that demands them to have their homework ready. It is for their own benefit to finish the exercises given since they will feel good being praised for correct answers.

I chose online courses because I do not have time to attend normal ones. However, it also proved to be better for me since I can organize my own schedule and I can insist on certain issues that may not be very clear for me at first. I am able to learn in my own speed and not get bored by other people who do not understand the simplest rules. I am also paying less, meaning that I can save more money for Argentina.

Pull your language together

Which one seems better to you?

I love watching TV and I love going out with my friends or

Not only do I love watching TV, but I also love going out with my friends

Of course you will say “example number 2″ !

But why?

It is the same information (2 things I love)

It has the same vocabulary (verbs: love, activities: watching TV, going out)

It has the same grammar (2 present simple tenses)

So what makes this so special?

The linkers

What is a linker?

A linker is a word/ group of words that we use to join sentences together. In the example we use “not only [auxiliary] + [subject] + [verb], but [subject] also [verb]“

This is a very specific example of a linker, and it is difficult to use, but it is common.

If you hear a person start a sentence with “not only…” you know that he is saying “and”

Linkers are a quick way to sound more advanced and increase your speaking skill quickly.

A common problem many students have is that they repeat the same general linkers again and again because they think the more specific linkers are advanced grammar or too difficult to use

There are 5 general types of linkers and we’ll look at a different example each week.

Let’s look at some specific examples of “more information”.

Any situation where you want to give more information, its easy.

Moreover:

James Vaughan via Compfight

I have a degree in physics and a masters degree in chemistry.

I have a degree in physics. Moreover, I have a masters degree in chemistry.

As well as:

Rama V via Compfight

My country has a great football team and it has an amazing rugby team.

As well as having a great football team, my country has an amazing rugby team

Relative clauses: (this topic needs more explanation, but here we go)describing things Chuck Patch via Compfight

I have a brother and he is a doctor.

I have a brother who is a doctor.

Using linkers is a great way to really advance your spoken English.

Now it’s your turn.

Remember the article about ‘how to study”? (click here to read it)well, I have given you everything you need.

Can you describe your family?

I have a brother who loves playing Xbox

As well as having a brother, I have two sisters

As well as having a brother who loves playing Xbox, I have two sisters who always talk on their phones.

Easy

There are a few things like this that don’t change your meaning and make you sound better almost instantly!and now:

Linkers are incredibly useful, and when you are doing exams, like the Cambridge English exams or perhaps the IELTS exam, it’s is a requirement. Without linkers, passing the speaking exam will be hard.(in the future, I might go into detail about techniques needed for the different speaking exams)

I hope it helps

I recently discovered a fast way of learning Spanish. The secret is to use an online course that offers audio lessons and take them with you wherever you want. I’ve been using this method for quite a long time and it’s really efficient. I was forced to learn Spanish in order to obtain another position in my company and a salary raise. It felt like a daunting and time consuming task at first, but after I’ve discovered the above mentioned method, everything seemed very simple.

Learning the language during a coffee break Spanishis an innovative method way to do something productive. I obviously didn’t invent this method. I found it in my research on a discussion board. It sounded silly at first, but once I’ve started using it, the tool became quite effective.

After I’ve decided that I don’t want and don’t need a traditional course, I started the search for online classes. First of all I had to establish what exactly I wanted from my course. I needed it to be intensive, entertaining and interactive. I was also looking for a cost effective lesson and for one that could offer me those precious audio books. I must say it took me a few days to find what I was looking for, but in the end I came across the perfect online Spanish course. It had everything I wanted, plus some very funny games that helped me learn the vocabulary and the grammar in an instant. I had quite a good time with those games. Unfortunately, I couldn’t bring them with me at work. Instead, what I could bring with me were the audio books.

I must confess that in a couple of days, my MP4 player became my best friend. It accompanied me in the morning when I was jogging, on the way to work, during my coffee break, on the way back home and while I was working out in the evening. Some said I became obsessed with that MP4 player, but it was the only way to learn Spanish in such a short time.

The best thing of all was that one of my co-workers was Spanish, so every time I needed some help with my exercises all I had to do was ask him. His tips and recommendations have been very valuable for me. So, I was able to mix the coffee break Spanishmethod with the advice of a native Spanish speaker. I think this was my advantage. In only two months I learned basic Spanish and I was able to take the test for that dream position. Even though I was prepared, I was a little nervous because I was the only candidate that was self-instructed. In the end, it turned out that self instruction was better than the traditional courses. I got the job and the raise and I was very happy. Now I must make improvements, because the position requires an advanced level of Spanish. I’ll continue with the coffee break Spanishtechniqueand hopefully it will be as successful as well.

Learn Spanish Easily – With the Rocket Spanish course

After reviewing many of the big players in learning Spanish online, or #1 recommendation is the “Rocket Languages: Learn Spanish” course. We found it easy to get acquainted with, very informative and structured very well. We feel it’s better than Rosetta Stone – and beats many more expensive products.