The Importance of learning Spanish as a Foreign language

Did you know that Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world by native speakers and the third most known language worldwide?

That is why many people decide to add Spanish as their foreign language, Spanish being the third most popular language after English and Mandarin.

You can take spanish lessons in several locations in Singapore, including the Spanish Council.

Is Spanish easy to learn?

Thanks to the similarities with the English language, learners find this language relatively easy. Spanish has many words that are similar to English for example tomato versus tomate, exam versus examen, or any words ending with -tion will become -cion like relation and relacion. 

Those are just some examples. One more factor that makes Spanish easy despite its bad reputation regarding the difficulty to make the “R” rolling sound, is that words are very straight forward to pronounce.

You will know how to pronounce any word even if you never heard of it before. The sounds of vowels unlike English, do not depend on the way you combine them or don’t change from one word to one word, so it is always straight forward to know how to read out anything. The only handicap is its grammar, which is more complicated than English.

This problem though exists in many European languages like French, German, Italian etc. So you will need to put effort into memorising all the tenses conjugations if you want to be able to master Spanish well.

What are the advantages to learn a new language like Spanish?

1. Spanish is one of the best languages to travel. Since it is spoken by 437 million people and it’s the official language of 21 countries it will open up a lot of travel opportunities. Being able to speak the language of the locals will make you a better prepared traveller, you will be able to make new friends and enrich your personal experiences.

2. Will keep your mind sharp. Knowing several languages helps the brain to resist the effects of Alzheimer according to several studies. On several tests those who were polyglots (able to speak several languages) performed much better on short and long memory tasks compared to those who were able to speak only 1 language.

3. Knowing Spanish makes it easier for you to find a job. Spanish it is the third most used language in the media and its influence as a business language is hard to argue. Being able to speak it will differentiate you from others that might be applying for a similar job and will open you more opportunities to work abroad. Make sure to read more about bilingualism and how it can help you land a better job. This skill is valued all around the world, so it will give you an advantage over others.

4. You will be able to immerse into a new world of art, literature and music. The hispanic culture is very reach. You will be able to watch movies, read famous books without losing the original meaning of the creators. Everyone has heard of Pitbull, Enrique Iglesias, Ricky martin or Shakira.  If you understand Spanish no doubt that you will be able to appreciate much more their songs.

5. It won’t take a lot of time. As mentioned before Spanish is considered one of the languages that are relatively easy to learn. This will allow you to make progress faster compared to learning other ones.

6. Get ready to fall in love. Being able to speak a language that is second world wide in terms of native speakers will open up your possibilities to bond with someone that otherwise you wouldn’t have had the chance to.

Where to learn Spanish in Singapore?

The Spanish Council of Singapore organises Spanish lessons for all ages and levels. Their Spanish classes are in a private basis or in small groups of 2-5 students to ensure an effective learning process.

At the Spanish Council you will be guided by their academic coordinators who will suggest you the best Spanish course based on your personal needs. Their Spanish teachers are all native from Spanish speaking countries, they all have a degree or master in teaching and they have at least 5 years of teaching experience.

Finally if you are aiming at preparing for several exams like the DELE, IB and IGCSE they have Spanish tutors specialised on that. Since learning a new language is a long term goal, it is essential to have a friendly environment with native teachers to learn the language effectively

What does the Spanish Council of Singapore offer?

1. Private lessons for those students who want a fast-track progress. There is no doubt the fastest way to learn a language is with a private tutor. They will be able to recommend the best teacher that matches your needs and expectations

2. Small group lessons for those learners wanting to study in a friendly and efficient environment. Learning a new language is not like attending a lecture. There has to be a lot of practise and interaction between the students and the teacher. That is why it is essential to learn on a private basis or in reduced groups

3. Regular activities and workshops related to the Spanish language. Learning a language is more fun if you can do it with other activities like learning how to prepare a basic guacamole or learning a few typical dance moves.

4 Promotion of Cultural activities from Spanish Speaking countries. Nowadays with the difficulties involved in travelling you can get to know far away cultures and learn about their traditions and story.

Take action, start learning Spanish now and open yourself to a new world of possibilities!