Why learn Spanish?

This may well be a redundant question, since practically everybody in Britain seems to be learning Spanish or to have studied a bit of Spanish at some stage.

Spanish is a very attractive language that allows us to travel confidently in Spain and most countries of Central and South America, as well as the Philippines and Equatorial Guinea.

It is also a relatively easy language to learn.

First of all, the spelling - and therefore also pronunciation - is pretty straightforward. Here is a very quick overview:

Double letters are rare.

  • r is sometimes doubled, which has the effect of strengthening and prolonging the roll of the r.
  • c is sometimes doubled, to give two different sounds. In the word acción, for example, the first c is a 'k' sound and the second a 'th' sound. We have the same phenomenon in English with words like succeed.

  • l is sometimes doubled but this is almost like another "letter" or character for the Spanish. If you look at a Spanish dictionary, you will find a separate section, after l, for words beginning with ll. The sound it makes is almost a 'y', as in paella.

h is always silent

c is a 'k' sound in front of a, o, u or a consonant but a 'th' sound (in Spain; a 's' sound in South America) in front of e or i. Hence, cinco (five) is pronounced thinko

g is a 'gh' sound in front of a, o, u or a consonant but a 'hh' sound in front of e or I, similar to the 'kh' sound of j though not quite as hard. Hence, guapa (beautiful) is pronounced gwapa, while gira (tour) is hhira

ch is pronounced just as it is in English, though it is considered to be a separate entity from c, in the same way as ll is from l

j is a 'kh' sound, like in the Scottish word loch

ñ is pronounced nya, as in señor and mañana

v is pronounced like b

z is a 'th' sound (in Spain; a 's' sound in South America)

Some of this may appear a bit complicated at first glance but you soon get used to it - and the great thing is that, once you've learnt the rules, you can pronounce any word.

Another useful thing to remember is that Spanish native-speakers find it difficult to pronounce s+consonant at the beginning of a word and their solution is to put an e in front. This is why the Spanish word for Spain is not Spaña but España.


In terms of vocabulary, just speaking English is a huge advantage for learning Spanish, since so many English words also come straight from Latin and the words that came into English from Greek went into Spanish in a similar way.

Look how easy the following words are:

English Spanish
   
possible posible
music música
telephone teléfono
hypnotism hipnotismo
dentist dentista
sufficient suficiente
material material
optimistic optimismo
station estación
temperature temperatura
 

… and there are many more like this.


Add to these the number of words you know already (often from South America via North America):
amigo, hombre, adiós, por favor, gracias, de nada, buenos días,
tapas, vino, chorizo, etc, etc …

… and you see that you could learn Spanish quite quickly!


For speedy revival of an existing knowledge of Spanish or as a back-up to a course of study, SpanishPod is a useful resource. Sign up for a free account and explore what's on offer.


Recommended Reading

If you are interested in learning Spanish, have a look at the Spanish language books we recommend to accompany any course you take or for maintaining/improving your Spanish by yourself.

If you are interested in the life and culture of Spain, Latin America or The Philippines, have a look at our recommendations for books about or set in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries. These books are in English, a range of fiction and non-fiction that we have enjoyed and hope you will too.

If you are planning a trip, don't go without your Lonely Planet Guide to Spain or a Guide to Central and South America.


Some Quick Facts About Spain

Language:
Spanish. Some regions have their own official languages (Catalan in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, Galego in Galicia, Basque in parts of north-east Spain), which are not dialects of Spanish but distinct languages. However, standard (Castilian) Spanish is spoken and understood throughout the country.

Capital city:
Madrid

Regions:
Spain is divided into 19 administrative regions:
Andalucia
Aragon
Asturias
Baleares (Balearic Islands)
Ceuta
Canarias (Canary Islands)
Cantabria
Castilla-La Mancha
Castilla y Leon
Cataluña (Catalonia)
Communidad Valenciana
Extremadura
Galicia
Madrid
Melilla
Murcia
Navarra
Pais Vasco (Basque Country)
Rioja

Population:
40,341,462 (2005)

Currency:
Euro

Religion:
Roman Catholic

Government:
Monarchy (King Juan Carlos I). Bicameral parliamentary system.

Internet domain:
.es

Country calling code:
+34


If you are interested in learning more about Spain, you might also like to look at the following websites:

www.in-spain.info

Ideal Spain



If you are interested in learning Spanish with a view to visiting Mallorca, Mallorca Info is a useful site.


   

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