Welcome to Beginner Spanish for English Speakers

This course is designed to help you speak, read, and write Spanish quickly and easily.

It is always important when you are learning something to understand why you are learning it. There are many good reasons to learn a second language, and there are many good reasons to learn Spanish as your second language if you speak English.

Learning a Second Language Benefits

Improved Focus

According to many studies, learning a second language helps young people focus better. This might be from the fact that two sets of words require better concentration to select the right set of vocabulary, which makes the mind more disciplined and focused.

Improved Problem-Solving Skills

When you are learning a second language and using it, you are often confronted with not knowing a vocabulary word or the correct way to say something.  This means you need to be flexible and come up with a solution on how to say something with the tools you know. This improves a person's creative problem-solving skills.

Enhanced Multi-Tasking Ability

Studies have shown that people who speak more than one language are generally better at multitasking. This makes sense because switching between languages means your brain is accustomed to multi-tasking frequently.

Academic Excellence

While many colleges do not require a second language for entry today, it is still a sign of a more academically successful student to have a language in the transcripts. Students who want to go to a very good college or might want to improve their chances of getting a scholarship can benefit from studying a language. It also can help if a student is interested in spending some time studying abroad in high school or in college.

Job Opportunities

When you try to get a job, it is very rare that a prospective employer will ask you which books you have read or what math problems you can solve.  However, it is very common to include which languages you speak, because speaking another language is a skill that many employers find useful. There are also more jobs available to people who speak multiple languages.  Jobs that include working with people from different cultures and backgrounds, international jobs, tourism jobs, and service jobs are all going to value, or even require, a second language.

Reduce Risk of Dementia

As someone gets older, the risk of dementia has been seen to be less, or occur later, in people who speak more than one language regularly. Results vary when you look at different studies, but generally, older adults who speak more than one language have brain health benefits.

Cross-Cultural Appreciation

When students learn a new language, they will also be exposed to different cultures. This gives students a broader understanding and appreciation for people around the world. Students who learn a second language are often more open-minded and tolerant of people different from themselves.

Why Is Spanish a Good Choice to Study?

Easier for English Speakers

Spanish comes predominately from a Latin root, and English is also partially from a Latin root due to the influence of Latin from religion and science. This means that there are a lot of similarities when you look at vocabulary from both languages. Plus, Spanish rules and irregularities are fairly easy to understand.

Cognates

Cognates are words that are the same, or similar, in two different languages.  Luckily for English speakers learning Spanish, there are a lot of cognates and that will give you a head start in building your vocabulary.

Your Neighbor Might Speak Spanish

Spanish speakers live in many places, including in many English-speaking countries. Your country probably has many Spanish speakers. You might have Spanish speakers living very near you, or working at your favorite restaurant, or attending school with you.  Speaking some Spanish will help you get to know new people.

Common Travel Destinations Speak Spanish

Many common places for a vacation primarily speak Spanish. While people working in a hotel will frequently speak English, if you want to go outside of a resort, you will benefit from knowing some Spanish. It is also a lot of fun to speak to local people in their native language.

Many People Speak Spanish

While the most common first language is Chinese, the second most common first language is Spanish.  Many people speak English as a second language, so your combination of Spanish and English will help you communicate with many people in the world. 

Mexico has the most Spanish speakers, and the United States has the second most Spanish speakers in the world.