In this article I’m going to talk about what I did when I was first thinking about learning Spanish. That was about four years ago now. At the time I knew nothing of the Spanish language, so for me it was a case of starting right from the very beginning.

My concepts of how other languages worked were really very basic. I thought all I had to do was to take any English word and simply learn what the equivalent word in Spanish was. Therefore I could simply put the words together and hey presto I would have a complete sentence. It didn’t’ take me long to realise that this basic theory rarely works!

For example, “I always buy strong coffee”. In Spanish, ” siempre compro café fuerte”. In this sentence there appears to be no Spanish word for “I” and the word for “coffee (café)” comes before the word for “strong (fuerte)”. This is only a simple example but it shows how my basic theory falls down. The Spanish word for “I” is “yo”, but it is often not used in Spanish sentences because the construction of the verb it is used with already tells us that “I” is being referred to “compro = I buy”. Secondly, in Spanish, adjectives usually come after the nouns that they are used with whereas in English they usually come before them. “strong coffee = café fuerte”.

If you know nothing about Spanish as I didn’t then you might already be a little confused. At this stage it probably isn’t worth thinking too much about how the structure of the English and Spanish languages might differ. You will simply come to realise these differences as you progress through your studies. However, I think it is important to remind yourself right from the very beginning that learning Spanish won’t be as easy as simply matching English and Spanish words!

Of course if you don’t know any Spanish words then you are not going to be able to make any sentences, regardless if they are grammatically correct or not. You need to start learning some words and phrases. Try thinking about some of the most common every day phrases in English.

You could start by learning some common greetings for example – hello (hola) goodbye (adiós), good morning (buenos días), good afternoon (buenas tardes). In these examples you might have noticed that the translation of the English word used for “good” is both “buenos” and “buenas”. This is because one is masculine and the other is feminine!! If you are not sure what I am talking about then don’t worry. I will talk much more about gender in later articles.

The point here is that when learning new Spanish words or phrases you are probably going to notice differences in the way they are used that you don’t fully understand. If you are anything like me you will always be asking yourself “why?” My advice is not to get too bogged down in trying to understand these things too quickly. It will probably just frustrate you!

As well as learning useful words and phrases you of course need to make sure that you can pronounce them correctly! The only way you can do this is by hearing some examples. It is important to make sure you pronounce Spanish words correctly right from the beginning. If you don’t then you will pick up bad habits that will become more difficult to shake off later on.

Spanish pronunciation is something you will probably want to study separately during your studies. It is a good idea to do this early on. The good news is that Spanish pronunciation is far less complicated than English pronunciation. I will be discussing this in more detail in later articles.

So, you need to start learning new Spanish words and phrases whilst making sure that you pronounce them correctly. When I first started learning Spanish I bought a basic level Spanish text book. I had about a six weeks before I was about to embark on a long trip to Central and South America and my goal was to finish the book before the six weeks was up. One of the first things the book taught me was how to introduce myself by saying what my name was and where I was from. It came with CD’s so that I was able to check my pronunciation.

In the next article I will talk more about my early studies and some of the pitfalls I encountered whilst trying to plough through a basic level text book in six weeks. I will also talk about the different ways you might want to think about how learning Spanish best works for you. Buying a text book might not suit you. Maybe you would prefer to study online or entirely from audio CD’s! Whatever you choose get yourself started. Start learning some basics. Hasta luego…..

I think a lot of people believe that learning another language won’t actually be that difficult. Well, maybe it won’t be for some, but if like me you have never tried to learn a foreign language before then it may well turn out to be one of the most challenging things that you are ever likely to attempt. Of course I don’t want to put anybody off, after all, in my last article I said that anybody can do it. Well, I absolutely believe this, but I also believe that you should realistically think about how and when learning Spanish can be achieved for you.

Of course not everyone is the same. Some of us are better at doing some things than other people are. So, it stands to reason that learning Spanish might be easier for one person than it is for another. The truth is that learning a new language can be achieved by possessing any number of different skills. There is no proven formula for learning a new language that 100% works for everybody! What you need to think about is what methods work best for you.

When I first started to think about how and when I would learn Spanish I honestly thought it was going to be easier than it actually was. I think one reason was because I was comparing myself to the millions of Europeans that fluently speak English. Anyone who has been to Germany, or Scandinavia will know that pretty much everybody can speak English. I thought if so many of them can learn a new language then it couldn’t be that difficult!

Now, when I think about Europeans speaking English I realise that they are so good at it because they have been learning it practically since they started to learn their own languages. This is certainly one of the key things that you need to realise about learning Spanish. It will not happen overnight. It is a process that can literally takes years.

Some languages might be considered more difficult to learn than others but of course this is all relative. It is true however, that the structure and functionality of some languages are more similar to each other than they are to others. The structure of the French language for example more closely mimics the structure of the Spanish language than it does English.

I spent a few days on a trip to ‘El salar de Uyuni’ (a salt lake), in Bolivia with a French girl. Most of the time we spoke in English but we were able to have basic conversations in Spanish too. I didn’t realise until the end of the trip that she had only been learning Spanish for a month and yet she was almost as good as I was!!

If you can already speak another language then perhaps learning Spanish will be easier for you. Even if it isn’t then at least you will already be prepared for the learning experience that you are about to embark on.

At this stage you might well be thinking, how can I prepare myself for the learning experience that I am about to embark of if I have never tried to learn a different language before? How can I prepare myself for the challenges ahead if I don’t even know what the challenges are? The reality is that your not going to know how difficult or easy learning Spanish might be until you actually get started. All I really want to emphasise at this point is that you shouldn’t underestimate how difficult and frustrating it might turn out to be. Patience is the key!

Of course you should be very positive and excited about learning Spanish, after all if you don’t enjoy doing it then what is the point! Learning Spanish could be one of the most amazing and fulfilling experiences that you have ever had. It certainly has been for me. Believe me, learning Spanish could open new doors in your life that you had never before thought possible.

In the next article I intend to talk about some of the first steps that I took in my path to learning Spanish. I mentioned in the previous article that one of the main reasons I wanted to learn Spanish was because I was about to embark on a long trip to Central and South America. My first steps began before this trip was about to take place. I didn’t want to leave England without knowing anything!

Do you have a Latin girlfriend or boyfriend? Then you know what it feels like when they unleash their words of passion in Spanish during your private moments.

Would you like to give it back at them?

You don’t need to speak fluent Spanish. Learn to ignite the fire of your lover with some sexy and romantic phrases in their own language. Heck, you can even turn on lovers who don’t even speak Spanish with a few well timed passionate phrases.

Here are a few ways to use this hot, sexy language to your advantage.

Learn a Few Phrases

The first step is to learn some sexy or romantic Spanish words and phrases. Here’s a couple to begin with.

My love. Mi amor. (mee ah-mohr.)

I’ve never felt this way before. Nunca me he sentido así. (noon-kah meh eh sehn-tee-doh ah-sEE.)

I’ve been thinking about you. He estado pensando en ti. (eh ehs-tah-doh pehn-sahn-doh ehn tee.)

I can’t live without you. No puedo vivir sin ti. (noh pweh-doh vee-veer seen tee.)

I want you. Te deseo. (teh deh-seh-oh.)

I love you. Te amo. (teh ah-moh.)

Kiss me. Bésame. (bEH-sah-meh.)

Make love to me. Hazme el amor. (ahs-meh ehl ah-mohr.)

Pronunciation and Accent

Knowing the words and phrases is a good start. But they will be most effective if you say them the right way. Before you attempt to melt your lover with words, practice.

Number one, pronounce the word correctly. If you know someone who speaks the language, ask them to demonstrate the word or phrase for you. If you don’t know someone who speaks Spanish, find a book or website that “spells out” each word phonetically.

Also, really try to understand what each word in a phrase means. Actually knowing what you are saying when you say it, and actually meaning it, will put more power behind the words.

Spanish is one of the sexiest languages around. And, by learning a few simple words and phrases, you can begin to master the art of making love with words.

My reasons were a bantam mixed. For a high tide I had wanted to review increased speech, and for some motive I was always haggard to Spanish. I am not entirely confident why this was. I feature one motive was as the elfin I knew about Spain at the week somehow appealed to my sense of deluxe live. Sun, buff, siestas, late obscurity tailgating parties and grimy skinned delicate sexuality! Of course crack is far fresh to Spain than this, but for me, Spain and the Spanish talking answerable heavier appeal than assert French or German did.

Although I had wanted to become able Spanish for a stretched epoch I guess the main reason why I hereafter decided to wind up something about irrefutable was owing to I was formulation a lingering trip to Central and South America. I was about to pass finished in that prevalent owing to 19 mismatched countries situation the accredited public talking was Spanish. Robust that was a back significance 2002. Since whence Spanish and all things Spanish both reputation Spain and effect Latin America retain literally taken me over. I wouldn’t hold believed substantive hence but like now Spanish is a factor of my every space energy. I boundness speak, construe and recognize Spanish to the point position I don’t obtain to gather about right totally much.

When nation ask me if I can speak Spanish fluently I am always a little hesitant to say yes. The truth is that even though I can communicate in Spanish with relative ease I still don’t feel that I know enough. I am not really sure if I ever will! There are always new words and phrases to learn for example and of course these vary from country to country.

I think one of the biggest tests for me is being able to sit in front of the TV with una cerveza ( a beer ) and watch a Spanish soap opera ( una telenovela ) or a Spanish movie and completely understand everything that is going on. After all, if I can do that in English why shouldn’t I be able to do the same in Spanish? Well I have to say I am definitely not there yet but almost! I highly recommend ‘Pasion de Gavilanes’. It’s a hugely popular telenovela from Columbia. I’ll talk more that this and others in later articles.

So, how did I get from not knowing a single word of Spanish ( apart from – gracias and amigo ), to being able to read a Spanish book, speak to a Spanish – speaking friend or watch a Spanish telenovel? Well the answer to that is what I intend to write about in the coming articles. I am not going to lie to you and say that the journey was an easy one. The truth is that learning a new language takes time and requires a great deal of patience and commitment. However, what I really want to convey at this point is that anybody can do it if they rally want to.

In the next article I intend to write about preparation. By that I mean thinking about what it is you want to achieve and how you intend to go about achieving it. You are not going to learn Spanish overnight and I think it makes sense to prepare yourself for the challenges ahead. Learning a new language should be fun and there is no reason why it shouldn’t be as long as you realise your limitations.

By no means do I consider myself to be someone that has a natural flare for languages. When I went to school ( all those years ago! ) the only subject I failed in was French. For some reason I just couldn’t get my head around it. Before I started learning Spanish I knew nothing of other languages. I started right from the beginning. I guess what I’m trying to say is, is that if I can do it then believe me anybody can.