Mood:  energetic

Whether you decide to work with us or another studio, make sure you ask these 5 questions. These questions will help you determine if the investment of time and money is worth it and if you are hiring the right person!

1. Are they native speakers- ( it is better if you work with a native but not a requirement- the benefit is that your child will hear authentic pronunciation- something that no books or softwares can teach and non native teachers don't typically have perfect accents therefore your child won't get the benefit of authentic sounds and pronuncation

2. How many yrs experience do they have? -- very important because being a native speaker or being bi-lingual doesn't automaticaly ensure having talent to teach- teaching is a separate skill set and talent!

3. What type of Spanish will be taught? - there are 4 major "types" of Spanish- Latin American, carribean, Argentine, and Spaniard- It's just like English- English spoken in England, New York and the South all sound different but it's the same language, right? Same thing happens in Spanish! :-)

4. How will the lessons be structured? -- Super important!! you must know how the lessons will be structured that way you will know if you will get a healthy balance of knowledge learning.. Every curriculum must have Grammar, conversational development and auditory comprehension- if any of these are missing, then you are wasting time and money! You will not get any major results out of it!

5. How many people per class!--- if a school has more than 8 people per class, then you are getting a watered-down language instruction- the more people in a class, the less conversation you will have.

Mood:  chatty

I'm sure you have met them! People that took a foreign language in school for 2-5 yrs or took it in college or people that did both-take it in school and college. As a matter of fact, you are probably one of them! After all those years and all that studing, homeworks, tests etc.. why can't these people speak the language they have studied for years? Well, there is a powerful reason why! Many people don't even know or realize it-they just assume that they aren't smart enough, talented enough or etc... The truth is that most schools ( public and private), colleges, continuing ed. institutions etc... have a flawed curriculum! All this time you thought it was you when really it was the flawed curriculum that was being fed  to your brain that was the problem and not you!  

When you download programs or apps on a computer or phone, don't you sometimes get bugs or a foreclose option, or even an error message that says, "try again, there was a problem with the download?" What does that mean usually? Was your computer or phone at fault or was it the program or app that was the problem? Most of the time it is the program or the app ( I am not a technical genius but.. :-) ) this much I know, a lot of times it's not your computer or phone. Well, the same thing happens in school! You are asked to download information into your brain and run the program only to find that there are bugs in the information downloaded. Some people find themselves stuggling and the others mentally comprehend the information but can't input or output the info thus resulting in a person that gets "As" in tests but that can't speak or comprehend the foreign language they are "passing" in school!     

 If you have a T.V. set and decide to buy a dvd player, the only way the dvd player will work is if you connect the cables to the t.v. set, right? Same thing if you have an XBOX; it will have full functionality only when you plug in the right cables into the t.v. set. Well, the same things happens with learning a language. You need three things to be truly bi-lingual. M.A.C. just like you need three cables to connect your dvd player to your t.v. set- Audio cable, video cable and connectivity cable. For languages those cables are M for mental comprehension, A for auditory comprehension, and C stands for conversational ability. If right now you are learning a second language and you don't have these three components into your curriculum, then don't expect to be bi-lingual!

This is one of the major problems that exist right now and why so many fail at becoming a true bi-lingual citizen! This is a world-wide problem-not only a U.S. problem.  The problem isn't you but how you are being taught- what's lacking in your curriculum is what is causing you to fail ( there are a few variables; however, it is mainly the reasons explained above!)

 There is another reason why people either give up, get frustrated or find learning a second language, very difficult. The problem is that most people aren't taught what to expect when learning a second language! If you are never told what is normal and abnormal, then you will make erroneous conclusions about your own self and abilities and make your educational journey unpleasant and hellish!

MORE ON THIS LATER

Mood:  chillin'

The USA needs its working professionals and citizens to be bi-lingual now more than ever! Languages help us communicate ideas, thoughts, and needs therefore only speaking one language puts you in a huge disadvantage! Companies are now hiring professionals that are bi-lingual; as a matter of fact, they prefer to hire or promote a professional that isn't as qualified because it's much easier and cheaper for companies to train and educate  these bi-lingual candidates as opposed to hiring or promoting a mono-lingual professional and pay or wait for them to learn Spanish! Companies don't want to invest the time or money for their employees to become bi-lingual. Hence why learning Spanish is a fantastic way to enhance your marketability! Becoming bi-lingual is a skill that will improve your life and professional skills forever!

If you buy an Iphone or Droid, don't you want it to be able to download cool apps? Well, it's the same for people, companies want to hire people with desireable talents and skills- just like you want an iphone or droid to have cool gadgets and apps!! Upgrade your brain and download the app of Spanish!! It opens many doors and provides you with opportunites you wouldn't have otherwise! Aside from it being a beneficial and wise professional move, it also enhances your life in general!  It provides you with options and opportunities! You are able to bond and communicate with another culture-thus enriching your social life. Being bi-lingual is  a passport skill! It affords you the luxury of living in multiple countries if you so desire without worrying about being able to function or communicate!

Why Spanish? Learning a second language is an awesome goal to set! However, being strategic and smart about which one you learn, will give you the maximum benefit! Spanish is one of the best choices for many people in the USA right now. Why? because it is one of the world power languages! It is number 2 or 3 on the list of world languages. Approximately 330 million people speak Spanish in the world today and an extra 50 million by non-native speakers. In addition to this, North America neighbors South America which consists of all Spanish speaking countries except Brazil, Guyana and Suriname.

So what are you waiting for? Go! In your hands you have the power to shape your life and to bring success into your life. Decide to be successful and follow through with an action plan! Other languages to consider are Chinese-Mandarin, Hindi and Arabic- Remember! Don't just pick a language and start learning it; be strategic about which one you invest your time and money on before you embark on the journey!

To learn what your best options are, check back with us here at Spanish in Altanta Language Center!