Hello everyone! World Conversations is an organization that is here to encourage people to learn one or more foreign languages. As our world becomes smaller, it becomes more and more important to be able to communicate easily with those around us. Whether we need to learn a language for school, for the workplace, a trip, or even just for your community, we should have resources available to us to do that as quickly and easily as possible.

World Conversations is here to look at various programs for learning languages, and to provide resources, reviews and recommendations for people so that they can find the programs that best match their needs. We welcome any input from anyone in terms of your own experiences with various methods, products which you like, good sites you have found, etc.,  and would love to receive posts (and videos) of your success stories, and of how learning another language has impacted your life. Feel free to look around at what others think, as well as what our recommendations are. Thanks for contributing to this community!

Alan Thomas                                                                                                                                                       

www.WorldConversations.com

Technorati Tags: learn foreign languages, learn to speak french, learn to speak German, learn to speak Japanese, learn to speak spanish

     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

 

 

Technorati Tags: learn foreign languages, learn to speak spanish, spanish learning systems, Why learn Spanish

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

Technorati Tags: best way to learn Spanish, fun learning spanish, games to learn Spanish, learn a foreign language, learn spanish easy, learn to speak spanish, Learning spanish is easy, spanish lessons

Communicate in Spanish instantly! Quick Conversation Spanish is an interactive skill builder for all ages and skill levels.  For business, school or just for fun.  Whether you are traveling abroad or around town, Quick Conversation Spanish will teach you all the words you need to know for every day situations through interactive games, colorful photographs, and more. Quickly build your Spanish vocabulary and perfect your pronunciation. Comprehensive Instruction Learn over 2,200 words group into common categories. Use the multimedia glossary of Spanish and English words to find word translations and hear the word spoken. Take along a customized word printout for easy reference in any conversation. Perfect Your Pronunciation Develop a natural accent with speech recognition that “listens” and evaluates your pronunciation. Hear your own voice and compare it to a native speaker with the innovative record/playback feature, then measure your accuracy with the Pronunciation Meter. Learning Map Fun You’ll never get bored as you increase your retention while playing word and memory games. Three fun activities test how much you’ve learned, while hundreds of photographs teach your words you’ll need for any situation. Learn over 2,200 words. Select words from over 100 subject categories or start with pre-selected list of most commonly used words. Develop a natural accent speech recognition that “listens” and evaluates pronunciation. Measure accent accuracy with the Pronunciation Meter. Use the multimedia glossary to find words, translate and practice pronunciation. Play games and exercises that offer clear recordings of native speakers for a fun way to learn. Windows 98, XP or Vista DirectX Pentium 90MHz processor 16 MB of RAM 25MB of free Hard Drive Space CD-ROM drive SVGA display (640×480, 256 colors) 16-bit sound card Speakers or headphones Microphone recommended  

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Learning Is Fast, Fun and Friendly with Quickstart Spanish Immersion! Quickstart Spanish Immersion software is designed for you to start quickly and maximize the full potential of the widely accepted method of learning a language – the “Immersion” Method. The learning method is similar to the way you would acquire your own native language. Each word is introduced in a context where meaning is clear and memorable. The spoken and written words are associated with visual images, allowing you to improve your listening comprehension, reading comprehension, spelling, and speaking. You will be authentically immersed in the Spanish language with exclusive Panoramic Immersion Scenes and background sounds – mastering Spanish in no time at all! Easy and effective for beginners and travelers, a powerful learning tool for intermediate speakers, and a useful refresher course for advanced speakers! Speech Recognition & Analysis Train and improve your pronunciation! Select from over 2000 words and 1200 phrases. The Recording Session with Voice Recording and Visualized Playback Technology enables you to record your own speech and compare it to the tutor’s voice to determine your accuracy. Custom Preference Settings Customize the interface to suit your preferences. Choose a male or female narrator’s voice. Set preference of single language or dual language (your native language and the language you are learning) for on-screen text display. Choose whether to have background sounds while participating in Panoramic Scene Activities. Native Language Interface Learn to speak using your own native language! Most language software sold in the U.S. requires you to first be proficient in Spanish before you can learn another language. Not with Quickstart Immersion! Help and menus, words and phrases, games and tests can all be changed to the native language of your choice. 2000+ Number of Words 1200+ Number of Phrases 80+ Subject Categories 400+ Subject Game Activities 50+ Conversation

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Kids will get a jump start learning Spanish with friendly characters Recent child development research indicates children are most receptive to learning languages at a young age.  JumpStart Spanish gives kids the benefit of exposure to a second language while they are still learning their native tongue.  Simple, age-appropriate activities introduce Spanish basics, including words, phrases, numbers, and songs. A great way to give your child a bilingual head start in today’s multicultural world.  Spanish vocabulary words Spanish phrases Spanish numbers Spanish songs and music Spanish culture Over 200 vocabulary words Multiple levels of difficulty Interactive language activities Develop an ear for other languages while playing with friendly characters who speak in Spanish – No reading required. Sing along with new friends – a great way to remember a sound is to sing it out loud. Simple, age-appropriate introduction to Spanish   Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP Pentium II 300 MHz processor 128 MB of RAM 100 MB of free Hard Disk space 16X CD-ROM drive 16-bit color with 256 color capability Windows compatible Sound Card Macintosh OS 8.6, 9.2, Power Mac G3 233 MHz or faster processor 32 MB of RAM 100 MB Hard Disk space 16-bit color with 256 color capability 16X CD-ROM drive

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How to get the most out of Japanese Accelerator, a language learning system that teaches you using conversation simulations.

Duration : 4 min 29 sec

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Short description of Learn Spanish and Speak Espanol v2.7 Learn Spanish and Speak Espanol is a revolutionary and award winning new system for learning Spanish designed by language experts. The program contains personalized lessons that give special attention to everyday language and pronunciation.

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Learning to speak Spanish is easy with Patricia Manzananares-Gonzales by your side. She’s a worldwide traveler and renowned educator who has taught the Spanish language to students from all walks of life. Now she’s here to tutor you! Patricia Manzananares-Gonzales, renowned educator and world traveler, will guide you through the basics, teaching pronunciation, simple sentences and vocabulary. Spanish to GO! will help you understand and learn to speak Spanish like a native in no time. Plus, it’s packed with interactive exercises and games that make learning fun. Language lessons from your personal tutor Audio of native Spanish speakers Over 60 minutes of video tutorials, dialog skits and games Situational videos that incorporate vocabulary and grammar Record and playback your pronunciation Talking dictionary Computer score tests at the end of each lesson Spanish to GO! is an effective way to acquire the skills needed to speak conversational Spanish. Order today! Platform: Windows 95/98 CPU: Pentium 90 Mhz processor (133 or better recommended) RAM: 16MB RAM Hard Drive: 5MB Hard Disk CD-ROM: 4x CD ROM Video Card: Windows compatible SVGA Sound Card: Sound Blaster, Ad Lid, General Midi or compatible sound card Other: Microphone (for record/playback)

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Learning a Language Has Never Been This Much Fun! Designed Specially for Beginners.  Speak & Learn English for Spanish Speakers is the fast, fun, and easy way to start speaking with confidence! Over 700 words and phrases with strong visuals and animations that help you learn quickly.   In the Learn Mode, animations and graphics show you the meanings of words and phrases while you explore settings such as the supermarket, restaurant, and city streets.  Ready for a challenge?  Game Mode makes learning exciting and fun! Can you match the pictures to the words you hear? See how high you can score! Need a quick refresher?  Just click on “Practice.” Choose any subject to begin — Speak & Learn! Speak English for Spanish Speakers right away! Choose Learn Mode or Game Mode Over 700 everyday words and phrases Learn spoken and written Latin American English for Spanish Speakers Subjects and situations include city streets, restaurant, supermarket, classroom, doctor’s office, home, family, and more! Entertaining animations and sound effects Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista 300 MHz or faster processor 64 MB of RAM 80 MB free Hard Disk Space Windows-compatible Sound Card and speakers CD-ROM drive Mac OS OS X, 9.2 G3 300 MHz or faster processor 64 MB of RAM CD-ROM drive  

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