As an educator I’ve had many students ask me why they needed to learn to speak Spanish.  They really have a difficult time seeing past their friends, activities, problems, and fun. They tend to live in a very small world and learning to speak Spanish simply seems like it’s something that they will never need. They have a hard time seeing the big picture.

They don’t realize that many people all over the world speak more than one language and that knowing another language opens up another world to them. Think of the rich cultures in Europe where so many languages are spoken, and yet the people can travel among the various countries there very easily and are able to communicate with one another.

In the United States, we have always had one language that most of the people understood of course, so learning any others became more of an academic exercise, at least in the minds of the students. Most of them take foreign language courses because they have to. And few of them retain any ability to have conversations in that language several years after the courses are taken.

But our world is changing very fast. Each year the world get smaller due to our technologies that allow instant communication from almost anywhere to anywhere else. And one of the languages spoken by a large segment of the earth population is, of course, Spanish.

In North America, we have a very quickly growing segment of our population who speak Spanish, and these numbers are going to continue to grow in the coming years. It is becoming more and more vital that we can all communicate easily. Many people in businesses are finding a number of their customers only speak Spanish. And obviously they need to be able to talk with one another.

In our government offices with which the public continually interacts, again those who are in direct contact with the public need to learn to speak Spanish so that they will be able to communicate, especially on very important matters. And public servants like the police and fire departments and emergency personnel certainly need to be able to speak with the people they come across in their jobs. It’s often a matter of life and death!

And of course our teachers need this skill. We have more and more students in our classes who can only understand Spanish, and if the teacher has no ability to do so, then how much are these students going to actually learn. Of course it’s a two way street. These students must be learning English as we are learning Spanish. Young people will pick up the English very quickly because they will be immersed in it, but the rest of us need a little more help in learning to speak Spanish very well.

Fortunately there are a number of ways in which we can do this. There are formal classes, books, online lessons, and programs one can use at home to help learn the language. If you are in the position of needing to learn Spanish, take some time to check out the various sources and find the one that you think is easiest for you in your situation. There are several multimedia programs that allow you to learn at home or online and some include games and can help anyone at any age or on any level. Just find what works for you!

Alan Thomas                                                                                                                                  

www.WorldConversations.com

Don’t know about you, but I hate wasting loads of time and hundreds of dollars just to learn the basics of a foreign language.

I mean, look at the price of university classes. Just to take a BEGINNERS’, Level 1 Spanish class, I have to spend at LEAST $300 just on the course, then another $100+ on the software! And that’s at a public university…forget Rosetta Stone: Spanish or similar software!

Clearly, there has to be a better way. A way that will teach you Spanish quicker…and for less.

The solution I’ve found is called Rocket Spanish.

Why do I like it? I’ll give you three good reasons. It allows you to:

1) learn Spanish thoroughly and in less than 8 weeks with full money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied for any reason (no joke–you’ll get every penny back). So there’s really no risk.

2) have fun doing it

3) spend less than $100 to learn beginners’-advanced levels all in one. As it’s online, you can learn anywhere, and save yourself time going to classes, tutoring sessions, etc.

THE GOOD
Rocket Spanish gets my high marks for author, Mauricio Evarlampieff’s comprehensive coverage of everything from grammmar and writing skills, to spelling, vocabulary, and natural Spanish speaking.

Some people learn languages better through reading. Others, through listening to audio. And then there are those who need both, but in an interactive format.

Luckily, Rocket Spanish offers all three: it gives you detailed, colorful learning manuals; powerful audio lessons where you can hear a native Chilean speak proper Spanish; and through interactive games, such as flash cards, so that you can test and improve your overall command of the language.

I particularly enjoy the PERSONALITY behind the audio lessons. Mauricio has a very warm, charming personality, and a unique talent for teaching Spanish in a direct, friendly way. He interacts with his American co-narrator, Amy Waterman, to give you a fun, sometimes humorous journey through the wonder of the Spanish language. You even learn about the many Spanish-speaking cultures.

Additionally, Rocket Spanish shrewdly divides its audio, written, and interactive lessons into Beginner and Advanced segments, so that you can go at your own pace and learn what you need before jumping into advanced areas.

Overall, it’s a wonderful system for learning a fun, romantic language. And it covers all levels of learning.

THE BAD
Not many bad parts, but perhaps the Members Area could be more organized. Not a big deal because all the information is all there and accessible, but not always so obvious. A minor outcome, and still more clear than many other courses I’ve tried.

TRY IT..OR BUY IT?
Very highly recommended Buy. This is one of those rare products that eager Spnaish learners can’t afford to miss. If you’re serious about learning Spanish–while saving money–then Rocket Spanish is the right course to buy. The free course is ok to try, but it certainly won’t give you all the tools you need.

And hey, if you don’t like it before 56 days are up, you’re entitled to a full refund, for any reason at all.

What have you got to lose?

Back when I was in school, like most students, I took several years of a foreign language. Three years of Spanish to be exact. But also like most people, after getting out of school, I could no longer speak in an actual conversation, and as the years passed by, I pretty much had forgotten everthing I ever learned.

You know, the way we were taught Spanish in school is not the best way to learn. Modern developments in teaching language have come up with much easier ways to learn foreign languages, and learning Spanish is now much more fun and easy. And it’s based on actual conversations rather than on boring grammar lessons.

Learning Spanish now involves using modern technology that makes it fast and easy for our brains to pick up on the new language in a very natural way, by seeing, hearing, and speaking in normal conversations and by playing games in Spanish. It’s fun and effective!

I just wish it had been like this back in school!

Alan Thomas

www.WorldConversations.com