Spanish Language Software Reviews

Beginning with basic greeting words and phrases is not complicated by complex syntax. As in the English greeting, “Hello”, you also simply say a single word in Spanish, “Hola” (the “H” is silent and not pronounced).

“Hola” is used when speaking to someone, in person, either a stranger or an acquaintance. However,if you are answering the phone, you usually would say “bueno” or “diga”.

After first greeting someone, you will eventually depart and the Spanish equivalent of “goodbye” is “adios.”

The Romance languages (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, and Romanian|Romanian, French, Portuguese, Italian and Spanish|Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Romanian|French, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, and Portuguese|Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, and Romanian) generally have two forms of verbs for addressing people. There is what is generally known as the formal form (commonly used when addressing strangers, older people (who are not relatives or close friends) or people of higher status or position and the informal form generally used when addressing friends, relatives, younger people or people of lower position.

After initially greeting someone, you might say “Como esta?” (formal) or “Como estas?” (informal) for “How are you?” or “Como se va?” (formal) or “Como te vas?” (informal) for “How is it going?” (literally “How is it going with you?”). Another frequently used phrase is “Que passa?” for “What’s happening?”

When saying “Good afternoon” “Buenas tardes” is the Spanish phrase. If you want to say “Good morning, Good day, etc” “Buenos dias” is the same thing in Spanish. “Good night” is “Buenos noches.”

When meeting someone new you might ask their name by saying “Como te llamas?” (informal) or the more formal form, “Como se llama?” which literally translates as “How do you call yourself?”

These greeting words and phrases provide the basics of Spanish greetings. As you continue to learn Spanish, you will learn harder and more complex phrases, but these will go along way in starting your ability to speak Spanish.

Simple every day expressions such as these greetings are some of the most frequently used in Spanish and regular use will help build your comfort with the language.

If you live in certain areas of the US, you’ve probably noticed that there are more and more signs and stores in Spanish, and more ads targeted to people who speak Spanish. This is all for good reason - nearly 10 percent of the residents of this country - 35 million people - speak Spanish, according to the US Census Bureau.

The large amount of people who speak Spanish isn’t just in the United States - there are as many as 350 million people around the world who speak Spanish. This vast population means that there are a lot of opportunities for those people who do speak Spanish that don’t exist there otherwise for the people who don’t. If you haven’t thought about learning Spanish before, here are 3 reasons why you should consider learning it:

1) Spanish is spoken throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America, meaning there are a lot of places you can visit. Spanish is, of course, spoken in Spain, too, but don’t forget that their Spanish (which is called Castillian) isn’t the same as the Spanish spoken in the western hemisphere. There are so many places where Spanish is spoken, in fact, that it’s the fourth most common language in the world. Only Mandarin, English, and Hindi are spoken more than Spanish.

Knowing Spanish will allow you experiences that you’re unlikely to have on a trip to any of these destinations if you only speak English. Your English is going to be okay in large cities and resort towns, but once you leave those areas and venture further into the country, the ability to speak Spanish will be vital.

2) Increased employment chances. In these troubled economic times, there are a lot of people competing for a few jobs. Having the right skills for the job market can make the difference between hearing “You’re hired!” and hearing “Thank you for applying, but”

If you live in an area where some of those 35 million Spanish speakers live, speaking Spanish might be that skill that makes the difference. Many occupations - including nursing, teaching, and sales - are places where there is a high demand for people who speak Spanish and English. Plus, with the number of Spanish speakers in this country increasing every day, this job skill is one that can be useful for years to come.

3) Learning Spanish can help with your English. It sounds funny, but it’s true! Spanish is what is known as a Romance language, derived from Latin. English is, itself, also partially derived from Latin, meaning that many of the grammar rules that apply to English apply to Spanish as well. As you learn Spanish, you’ll also find that your understanding of English - from grammar rules to similar words derived from Latin - may also increase.

Best of all, Spanish isn’t that difficult to learn - you can pick up basic skills in the language very quickly, because of these similarities. So even if you don’t figure you’ll use it anytime soon, perhaps you should learn it anyway!

Since the ability to speak Spanish enables more effective communication between employees, co-workers, clients and customers, speaking Spanish is becoming more important in business and career development. Bilingual speakers of English and Spanish are finding an increasing demand for their skills.

Since the ability to speak Spanish enables more effective communication between employees, co-workers, clients and customers, speaking Spanish is becoming more important in business and career development. Bilingual speakers of English and Spanish are finding an increasing demand for their skills.

According to recent marketing studies, the Hispanic population is the fastest growing segment of the market in North America, and many companies find themselves scrambling to catch up with the new changing market place. This increases the demand for bilingual English/Spanish speakers enhancing the value of learning to speak Spanish.

This translates into improved career opportunities. Learning Spanish can help you gain promotions in your job or it can pave the way for you to move into a different career that might be more interesting to you. Just having a notation on your resume that you speak Spanish can often mean the difference between your resume ending up in the round file or getting the all-important interview. Speaking Spanish will serve you particularly well if you happen to be involved in the building trades, in the educational field or in healthcare, especially in the US.

The increase in free-trade between the US and the countries of Central and South America brought about by the increase in globalization has led to an increased demand for bilingual English and Spanish speakers. It is clear that those who take the time and make the effort to become bilingual will soon have a clear advantage over those who don’t. Even without the increased free-trade, the demand for bilingual speakers is growing along with the changes in the demographics of the US population. It is estimated that over 40 percent of the increase in the US population is from within the Hispanic community currently yielding over thirty-five million Spanish speaking US citizens. This is a sizable segment of the population that US businesses cannot ignore.

The popularity of learning Spanish as a second language is growing not only in the US but also in many other countries of the world. As a second language, Spanish is the second most studied language, after English, in Europe. Native Spanish speakers exceed 400 million people worldwide making it the third most widely spoken native language, following Mandarin and Hindi. Considering the widespread use of Spanish and the rapid growth rate of the Hispanic sector of the population in the US, one can readily see that learning Spanish as a second language could be a wise choice

With the growth of the Hispanic population in the US, your daily interactions with native Spanish speakers, will continue to increase. For example, you might have Hispanic employers or employees that you have to interface with daily. If you wish to be able to clearly communicate with the world around you today, knowing how to speak Spanish certainly has its benefits.

For example, as my son did, you or a close family member may marry into a Spanish speaking family, or you might have Spanish speaking families in your neighborhood as my wife and I do. Also, if you don’t already, you might also find yourself with Spanish speaking employees or employers. Your interactions with the Spanish speaking community are increasing daily, whether you realize it or not. Just look at the signs sprouting up everywhere these days.

If you are interested in having a fuller understanding of the unique and rich heritage of the Hispanic people, learning Spanish is an excellent way to do that. World culture has been greatly enriched by the contributions of artists, writers, architects, musicians and others over the centuries who herald from Hispanic roots. Add to that the wonders of the rich and flavorful food that come to us from Spanish speaking communities, and there is even more reason to embrace the Spanish language and culture.