Learn Spanish

Online TEFL Courses Provide a Great Opportunity to Work in Spain

Online TEFL courses from i-to-i will provide you with the required training to become a certified English language instructor and enable you to work in Spain. You don’t have to defer your commitments to complete a TEFL course, all of the courses are provided online. To date, i-to-i have pioneered in the field of online TEFL courses, which are accredited by the Open and Distance learning council of Britain. Taking a course with i-to-i ensures the quality of your qualification and confirms a global recognition among employers. Three different online TEFL courses are provided by i-to-i to suit individual student needs.

English is considered by many as the language that unites cultures around the world. It is also one of the most widely understood. In an era of globalisation, economies are merging which has created a greater demand for English language teaching. There are many non-English speaking countries that require teachers and instructors to teach English language. In fact, there is a huge market for English teachers in schools, universities, language schools and businesses.

The basic online TEFL course will get you started as an instructor in English language. You are provided with a dedicated instructor who is not only your teacher but also acts as your mentor. This means that as a student you not only get comprehensive feedback on your assignments, but are also provided with assistance in finding a job. The online TEFL courses are delivered in your own home through video and audio instructions. The basic course is divided into modules and can be completed in 40 hours.

A further enhancement to the basic course allows the student to get a TEFL certificate in 60 hours. This option integrates 20 hours of intense grammar instruction that concludes with a specialist certificate in grammar. The 60 hour online TEFL course helps the students to brush up their grammar skills appropriately. Many employers consider grammar skills to be the most important quality of an English instructor.

The premium online TEFL course is completed in 80 hours and includes four specialist certificates that will provide you an insight into teaching English in the real world. There are six specialist options including  subjects such as Teaching Business English and English for Young Learners. The 80 hour online TEFL course also provides lifetime access the Teaching Abroad Helpdesk.

Work in Spain

Spain is among the favourite destinations for online TEFL courses graduates. Getting work in Spain has many benefits including a higher pay scale, more job opportunities and an improved quality of life. The graduates of i-to-i ‘s 100 hour TEFL course can get assisted job placements in Madrid and other cities. If you work in Spain it also means that you are not required to have a formal degree in order to teach English. Besides good pay, TEFL instructors working in Spain enjoy a low cost of living, which ultimately helps them to save on their wages.

Unlike other countries, Spain is often attractive because of the shorter teaching contracts. An average contract is anywhere from 3 to 9 months, which can often easily be extended upon completion. The TEFL industry in Spain is flourishing which means that TEFL graduates are able to work in Spain in many different institutions and in varied environments. Opportunities to work in Spain can allow you to work in 4 to 6 hours shifts. This translates into is a lot more time to relax and to travel around this beautiful country.

Spanish working conditions for English teachers are very flexible and allow TEFL graduates to experience a wide variety of teaching styles. Graduates of i-to-i’s online TEFL courses can teach children or take classes to help adult learners. They can work in Spain in private schools or multi-national organisations. There are numerous teaching resources available to enhance their learning.

In short, to work in Spain as a qualified English teacher may just be the ultimate experience which is sure to become a lifelong passion.

Save 20% on i-to-i Online TEFL Courses until 31st Aug 2008 – click here for more info.

Want to learn Spanish? Check out our Learn Spanish Resources here.

Learn Spanish with Linguaphone

To learn Spanish in the multicultural, global business world of today is a sure and exciting way to distinguish oneself from the competition. Now, with the ease and simplicity of
Linguaphone Spanish Courses, within a short time it is possible learn the basic grammatical and syntactical structure of the Spanish language. There are a number of available Linguaphone Spanish courses suitable for all levels and abilities, but all are based on clear concepts designed to foster growth and confidence in this exciting and important language.

The Linguaphone program is built with a variety of skills levels kept in mind, from beginner to expert. The Spanish courses contained within the program utilise a building block method for user development, crafting individual lessons that make use of the previous lessons knowledge. To facilitate further growth, Linguaphone Spanish courses combine books, CDs, and other media resources that are designed to improve your Spanish language skills in a fun, realistic-usage environment.

The Spanish courses offered by Linguaphone vary in intensity to suit your personal language goals, allowing the enthusiastic holiday-maker to take a few conversational Spanish courses, or, in the expert level, allowing you to develop fluency in Spanish.  As Spanish is one of the most frequently spoken languages in the world, Linguaphone Spanish courses are an unquestionably useful tool.

There are a number of Spanish courses available from Linguaphone:

We have summarised the available Linguaphone Spanish courses below, for more info and current prices click here to visit Linguaphone.

Spanish Pro:
This Linguaphone Spanish course allows users from beginner to expert to learn Spanish to degree standard. Course includes 12 audio CDs, 6 course books and a 12 month online subscription.

Spanish L21 Complete Course:
The L21 Linguaphone Spanish course is built around the concept of complete language learning and allows users to develop their skills to an A-Level standard. Course includes 12 audio CDs and 6 course books.

Daily Spanish:
An online subscription-based Spanish Course, Daily Spanish is for intermediate to advanced learners and is based on listening and reading exercises drawn from realistic sources, such as newspapers and television. Daily Spanish is perfect for keeping your Spanish Language skills current and improving your vocabulary to degree level.

Second Stage Spanish:
A program designed for the more advanced Spanish course-taker, Second Stage Spanish will allow you to improve your Spanish skills to the highest possible level. Course includes 6 audio CDs and 2 course books, vocabulary book and a further practice book.

Spanish allTalk Sixteen Hour Course:
Simply listening and comprehension, no reading or writing involved. This Spanish course will take you from beginner to proficient, and you won’t need to write a word! Course includes 16 audio CDs, a vocabulary booklet and a CD storage wallet.

Spanish PDQ:
A Spanish course for beginners based on basic Spanish phrases and important words perfect for those about to holiday in a Spanish-speaking country. Course includes 4 audio CDs and 2 course books, vocabulary book and a colour course book.

The Spanish courses offered by Linguaphone, represent a wide variety of approaches and areas of focus to cater to the needs of any aspiring Spanish language expert.

For more details on the Spanish courses listed above and for pricing information click
here to visit Linguaphone.

Right now you can save up to 40% on Linguaphone Spanish courses in the August sale!

Click here to visit our directory of learn Spanish resources.

Obama Expects Americans to Learn Spanish

United States Presidential Candidate Barack Obama recently shocked the world by proclaiming his view that learning other languages was vital. Coming in stark contrast to what is viewed elsewhere in the world as a tendency in the United States to remain intentionally ignorant of other languages and cultures, Obama’s remarks insightfully reveal what is becoming a necessity in a global marketplace: knowledge of other languages.

Although English remains the language of businesses in most instances, it is no longer a possibility to expect partners in business deals from other countries to speak English well enough to hammer out the details and complexities of a business deal. Instead, a truly competitive business person will see it as a necessity to learn as many languages as possible to as great a degree possible in order to better facilitate business transactions.

Deciding to learn Spanish is a good starting place, not only for businesses or professionals but also for holiday-makers and those just looking to expand their verbal and mental horizons. Indeed, to learn Spanish, the second most widely-spoken language in the world, can be an almost inestimable boon in many aspects of life. From having a better understanding of a different culture to being able to more effectively communicate with others, anyone attempting to learn Spanish will find a number of incredibly beneficial reasons for doing so.

When even the United States is waking from its linguistic isolationism, now is that time to recognise the steps to take to learn Spanish. Not only is it fun, it can be extremely useful.

There are many non-business reasons to learn Spanish, which range from reading Spanish literature in the original tongue to watching Spanish films without English voice-actors. For the avid literature fan, reading a work in its original language is remarkably different from reading it in translation, and reveals perhaps a more “pure” version of the authorial vision. Films, likewise, utilise certain rhythms of speech which are often lost in the different cadences of the English language. Learn Spanish, though, and you can enjoy these aspects of films and literature in the way in which they were meant to be understood.

It is not always an easy thing to learn Spanish, and in fact you will no doubt encounter rather many difficulties along the path. However, if you truly do want to learn Spanish, perseverance in your attempts will show that difficult hurdles will grow smaller and smaller as the accumulated knowledge of the language grows and interconnects. It is worthwhile to note that the Anglophiles amongst us will surely enjoy their attempts to learn Spanish, as even a precursory knowledge of another language reveals untold new ideas about our own language.

There is no better time to learn Spanish, so why not check out our Learn Spanish Resources?

Learn Spanish with Rosetta Stone Spanish Courses

The Macworld Education Product of the Year 2008, Rosetta Stone is the perfect way for one to learn Spanish from the comfort of home.  In the increasingly global business market, a knowledge of Spanish can mean the difference between finding the perfect job in an exciting career field or not, and Rosetta Stone is one of the premier means to accomplish an understanding of the basic grammatical, structural, and aural/vocal aspects of learning Spanish.

As seen on the BBC, the Rosetta Stone courses to learn Spanish are simple, easy-to-use, and fun ways to increase your knowledge of a language which is quickly becoming one of the most in-demand in the professional world, with over 300 million estimated speakers globally.  To compete for the business that the Spanish-speaking world requires, one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to learn Spanish is with Rosetta Stone. Simply purchase the product from www.rosettastone.co.uk, and begin, with your home computer, a series of exercises to quickly learn Spanish. The program offers an easy method that you can use to acclimatise yourself to the intricacies you must master in order to learn Spanish.

There are 3 levels in the Learn Spanish curriculum, (all of which are available to purchase on CD-ROM from the Rosetta Stone website, www.rosettastone.co.uk. You can progress through the levels at your own pace as your knowledge increases. Online subscriptions are also available. The program makes use of speech-recognition, realistic scenarios in which one would need to learn Spanish and make use of it, and a pattern of building-block-style learning to easily allow anyone to learn Spanish. In fact, Rosetta Stone are so confident that you’ll be completely satisfied with your purchase that they offer a 6 month 100% money back guarantee on their CD-ROM courses for your peace of mind!

For the non-business orientated mind, Spain and a variety of other perfect holiday-making destinations require you to learn Spanish in order to get around comfortably.  From Madrid to the beaches, learning Spanish is in order so as to communicate comfortably with the locals, and Rosetta Stone is a proven and effective way to do so.  Simply follow the program, and within a fortnight you will see astonishing results in your speaking and listening development.  If you would like to learn Spanish at your own pace and in your own way, purchasing a Spanish course from Rosetta Stone is a decision which you will not regret.

Why not check out our directory of learn Spanish resources.

Spanish Dictionary - An Essential Purchase for Students Learning Spanish

For anyone serious about learning Spanish, then an absolutely essential purchase is a Spanish dictionary. You will find that in the course of your language learning your Spanish Dictionary will become invaluable.  There are many free online Spanish dictionaries and translation services available, however, they are very limited and often offer incorrect or incomplete translations which can be very frustrating for Spanish language students.

You can avoid this problem by investing in a complete and unabridged Spanish dictionary. There are two well-respected market leaders in the Spanish Dictionary field, Collins Spanish Dictionary and Oxford Spanish Dictionary. You should be aware though, that these are not the sort of Spanish dictionaries that you can carry about in your pocket - with over 2000 pages they are very weighty tomes. If you are looking for a Spanish dictionary to take on holiday, or to school or college then we would recommend the Collins Pocket Spanish Dictionary or the Pocket Oxford Spanish Dictionary.

Collins Spanish Dictionary

The Collins Spanish Dictionary is the world’s leading Spanish English dictionary. It is now available in colour and has been revised to include all of the latest vocabulary from a number of fields such as the internet, computing and business. The Collins Spanish dictionary is now in its eighth edition and is ideally suited to advanced Spanish students. The Collins Spanish Dictionary utilises Collins’ unique multi-million word databases of contemporary English and Spanish, thus ensuring that the Spanish language student has the most accurate and complete picture of real language available on the market. New lexical and grammatical notes in the Collins Spanish Dictionary assist the user to tackle classic translation problems. For ease of navigation, Collins have provided a clearly structured layout for the long and complex entries which highlight all of the key phrases. Idioms and set grammatical patterns are also highlighted for the user to speed up consultation. All of this reaffirms the Collins Spanish Dictionary as the most reliable, modern and comprehensive Spanish English dictionary available.

Oxford Spanish Dictionary

The Oxford Spanish Dictionary has received international acclaim and is a key reference tool for a number of language professionals. The Oxford Spanish Dictionary includes more than 300,000 words and phrases together with half a million translations and is packed with grammatical and usage information for both Spanish and English. The Oxford Spanish Dictionary, now in its fourth edition, is said to be the most authoritative Spanish English dictionary on the market today. Working with academic advisors, the editors of the Oxford Spanish Dictionary have utilised the latest technology to search millions of words and web-based text in order to identify the most recent additions to Spanish and English as well as changes in usage. This research has led to the addition of thousands of new words and updated translations in both Spanish and English. Navigation has been improved with a clear colour layout and a new entry menu. Included with the Oxford Spanish Dictionary is a free pronunciation CD-ROM (UK and Europe) Only. The CD-ROM enables you to enter a Spanish word or Spanish phrase and hear it spoken back to you in perfect Spanish.

 If you are serious about learning Spanish buy your Spanish Dictionary today!

Why Learn Spanish?

It’s estimated that between 322 and 400 million people speak Spanish as their native language, meaning that after Mandarin Chinese, Spanish is the 2nd most spoken language by native speakers in the world! Combine those with non-native Spanish speakers and it is estimated that there are around 500 million people worldwide that can speak Spanish.

So if the ability to communicate with 500 million more people is not reason enough to learn Spanish here are some more great reasons to learn to speak Spanish:

1. Learn Spanish for more rewarding travel experiences.

A total of 21 nations, including the majority of Latin American countries speak Spanish as their native language.  By learning Spanish you are opening up a whole world of amazing travel opportunities. Locals will appreciate the effort that you’ve made to learn Spanish and you’ll find them more friendly and welcoming if you can communicate with them in their native language.

2.  Learning Spanish improves your employment opportunities.

If you learn Spanish not only will it create more employment opportunities within the UK as many employers now expect a foreign language, but it can make your dreams of working abroad finally come true. There are so many employment sectors in which learning Spanish can benefit you that you’ll be astonished at the doors it will open for you.

3.  Learn to speak Spanish to aid cultural understanding.

To truly understand Spanish or Latin American cultures you need to immerse yourself in them, and to do that you need to learn to speak Spanish. Only by reading books and newspapers in Spanish and by communicating with native Spanish speakers in their own language will you learn to appreciate a different culture to your own.

4.  Learning Spanish is a stepping stone to learning other languages.

Spanish evolved primarily from Latin and therefore shares many similarities to other Latin-derived languages such as Italian, French and Portuguese. Some estimates in fact calculate that the lexical similarity between Spanish and Portuguese is as high as 89%, and between Spanish and Italian as high as 82%. Therefore, this means that by learning Spanish you will be able to understand a great deal of Italian, French and Portuguese without ever having studied them!

Not only will learning Spanish improve your understanding of other European languages, it will also have the added benefit of enhancing your understanding of the English language. While you learn Spanish grammar you will automatically gain a better understanding of English grammar, a subject that in UK schools is often poorly taught.

5.  It is easier to learn Spanish than other languages.

It’s often said that learning Spanish is easier than learning any other language. This is because Spanish is a phonetic language, meaning that words are pronounced as they are written. This allows you to learn Spanish fairly quickly and can enable you to converse simply within just a few hours! Of course fluency takes a bit longer, but is certainly achievable within a matter of months of applied study.

So what are you waiting for?  Take your first steps to learn Spanish today!

For our Learn Spanish Resources directory click here.