Learning Spanish

Books, CDs, and computer software are great tools, but learning a language requires communication.

Required Equipment

Affiliations

Learning a foreign language

Learning a language is hard work and takes time

Learning a foreign language takes a lot of time and work, but it is a skill for life. Like riding a bike, playing the piano, or learning to drive, it is an investment that sticks with you. Being able to communicate with people from other parts of the world allows you to understand culture. Language is closely tied to the people and their culture. The instructors in our Spanish Language Center in South America do more than teach vocabulary. You are actually communicating with the people who speak the language.

Accepted research about language acquisition

Acquisition of a foreign language is an area of active research

- before the age of 5 children do no distinguish between native and foreign languages

- children can speak without an accent before reaching adolescence

- Spanish speakers are the fastest growing demographic in the US

- Spanish is one of the top 5 most-spoken languages in the world

- language standards in Europe and developing countries are generally higher than the US

- language acquisition is most effective as a naturalistic experience promoting listening and reading practice and stressing involvement in life-like conversations.

Analysis of learning options

Learning options can be divided into self-study, CBT, and instructor-led

InterLingo combines the best aspects of self-study, computer-based learning, and live coaching. Many students who use Rosetta Stone for vocabulary memorization discover that practice with native-speakers is critical to mastering a language. Many people who have completed all levels of Rosetta are surprised to find they are tongue-tied when with speaking with real people.