No doubt you have noticed the increase of Spanish being spoken in cities from coast to coast. It’s a fact that you cannot ignore. Another fact, many do ignore or may not know, is that Spanish predated English in arriving on the shores of America; for the last four centuries, the two languages have co-existed.

How many Spanish-speakers live in the U.S.?

There are over twenty primarily Spanish-speaking countries in the world, yet America is the largest Spanish-speaking community besides Mexico. According to the US Census Bureau, there are over 35 million people (age 5 and over) who use Spanish at home and over 45 million people who speak Spanish as their first or second language. It is currently the most common non-English language spoken in elementary schools, colleges, and universities in the U.S.

Why so many Spanish-speakers?

There are many reasons for the relatively recent and immense influx of Spanish-speakers; roughly 400,000 legally immigrate to America ever year.  To begin with, much of the latest immigration started because of political instability in various countries, such as Cuba and Nicaragua. The U.S has developed programs to help these people immigrate to America in order to escape political oppression.

Since Puerto Rico officially became a common wealth and its people became citizens of the U.S. in 1952, there are millions of Puerto Ricans (fluent in Spanish) who have migrated to the U.S. mainland, especially New York City. Interestingly, there is also a large population of Puerto Rican farm laborers and Mexican ranchers who have settled in Hawaii. They make up seven percent of the islands’ population.

Obviously, our proximity to Mexico is a contributing factor as to why so many Mexicans immigrate to America. Additionally, the North American Free Trade Agreement has contributed to the increased business dealings between the U.S. and Mexico, further accentuating the need for American businesses and their employees to know and use the Spanish language to attract customers.

What is the future of Spanish in America?

There are continuous debates regarding the future of Spanish in the U.S. (and its threat to English as the country’s primary language), but there are some facts and historical examples we can use to hypothesis the language’s fate.

In 1751, Benjamin Franklin wrote an essay called Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries. He wrote the essay to address the growing concern that German-Americans were not assimilating to the colony’s culture and learning English. At the time, German-speaking immigrants outnumbered English-speakers three to one. Obviously, the Germans did assimilate and German did not become our primary language.

Moreover, studies show that the large numbers of Spanish-speaking people in the U.S. is due to recent immigration (mid-late 1900s). The children and/or grandchildren of these immigrants will speak English. Most immigrant languages are lost by the third generation. We may see a large decrease in the use of the Spanish language in years to come.

In the meantime…

Spanish-speakers of all ages must continue their efforts to learn English at school, work and in their community. They knowledge of English will help them and their children to assimilate and ultimately achieve their American dream.

English-speakers must continue to learn Spanish at school, work and in their community, as well. It will help them to communicate better with their fellow citizens and in many cases, allow them to achieve their American dream by expanding their knowledge and acquiring the asset of being bilingual.

Remember, English and Spanish have co-existed in our country for more than for four hundred years. It’s part of what makes this diverse country so great!

It’s only natural to make mistakes when learning a new language. It’s not only natural, it’s essential for improving your Spanish. You should consider that mistakes are opportunities to learn. They allow you to gain knowledge and accelerate your learning (in any circumstances). The important thing is to view mistakes as a useful stepping stone to speaking and understanding Spanish better. Be proud of yourself for embarking on something new, challenging and rewarding!

“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” Unknown

Fortunately, after more than a decade of teaching Spanish to children and adults, I’ve recognized many of the same mistakes occurring again and again. This list of the most common pitfalls for English-speakers learning Spanish should be very helpful for your learning process. Read through the many errors below and keep a mental or written note to help give you a boost to communicating like a native speaker.

Gender Confusion of Nouns

All Spanish nouns are either feminine (la casa – the house) or masculine (el sombrero – the hat). English nouns don’t have a gender, so it’s confusing for English-speakers to assign an object with a masculine or feminine quality. The standard rule in Spanish is that nouns that end in “a” are feminine and the rest are masculine. If only it were that simple. Just like in English, there are exceptions to the rules of grammar. For example, many words that end in “ma” are usually masculine despite ending in the letter a.

Unnecessary Pronouns

In Spanish, the verb form tells listeners about whom they’re speaking; so actually saying the pronoun (yo, tú, él, nosotros, etc) isn’t necessary. In fact, using pronouns often gives away that you’re not a native speaker and you’ll also sound too formal. It’s understandable, because in English a sentence wouldn’t make sense without the pronoun, i.e. wants to learn to play piano. Who wants to learn to play piano? But in Spanish, the verb tells you the who.

Backwards Adjectives

Basically Spanish is “backwards” from English with regards to where adjectives are placed. In English, we put most adjectives before the noun. For example, we would say “the black bird”, but in Spanish, many adjectives come after the noun. The correct way to say the black bird in Spanish would be: el pájaro negro (the bird black).

Adjective/Noun Non-Agreement

In English, adjectives do not agree (masculine or feminine) with the nouns. This makes it difficult for English-speakers to automatically think of matching the adjective to the noun, as in Spanish (you also need to agree with the noun with singular or plural). For example, las casas blancas (the white houses) matches the noun gender (a) and number (s) with the adjective.

Using “False Friends” (False Cognates)

Cognates are words that sound and look similar in Spanish and English, i.e. clase and class. There are many cognates, but some are “false friends”; they seem to mean the same thing, but they actually don’t. For example, you may think that asistir means to assist, but it actually means to attend (as in to attend a college). Be careful of false cognates because you could say something you really don’t want to, i.e.: estoy embarazada sounds like – I’m embarrassed, but it really means – I’m pregnant.

Pronunciation Errors

Spanish vowels are easy for English-speakers because they’re the same sound in English and they never change. Consonants are another story. Most are similar, but some are completely different in Spanish. For example, with words that begin with the letter “h”, the “h” is not pronounced (it’s silent). When you see “ll” it’s pronounced like a “y” (in most countries). Also the “j” is said like the “h”. There are many more like this, so make sure you practice the correct pronunciation!

Forgetting to be Respectful

The cultural influence of Spanish-speakers is built into their language usage. Hispanics show respect for elders and people in authority with the language they use to communicate with them. For example, in Latin America they use the tú form of a verb (informal) to speak with an “equal” or the usted form (formal) to show respect to another person. English-speakers may become confused on when to use which form and might unknowingly insult elders or be too formal with friends.

Confusing Ser and Estar

This is probably the most confusing aspect for English-speakers because ser and estar mean exactly the same: to be, but they are used in different circumstances. In general, ser is used for permanent states of being, like how someone looks, their career, their personality traits, etc. while estar refers to temporary states of being, like a location or a feeling. There’s much more to learn about ser and estar, so you’ll just have to learn the rules and do your best.

Remember to keep note of these common errors in hopes of avoiding them. And never feel embarrassed that you’ve made a mistake. Learning Spanish is a process that takes time, patience and persistence. If you learn from your mistakes, they can be your best teachers. Mistakes will propel you forward on your language learning journey. Be patient and gentle with yourself and you’ll surely get to your Spanish-speaking destination!

I believe it’s important that people aren’t fooled by myths to keep themselves or others from obtaining a skill that can so greatly improve their lives. Here are some of the myths I’ve heard about language learning over the years:

In the Past, Immigrants Learned English with the “Sink or Swim” Method

Many people argue that we shouldn’t give any special treatment for immigrants to learn English in America. They believe that, in the past, immigrants learned the language quickly and without any help, so current immigrants should do the same. This theory has some flaws.

It’s highly possible that many adult immigrants of the past did not learn English well, for quite some time, if at all. People moved into ethnic neighborhoods, socialized with each other and worked in entry level jobs where little English was needed.  Think about how multilingual the country must have been during the European immigration years. For example, there were newspapers in many different languages in all the major cities.

In addition, immigrants of the past had fewer reasons to learn English than they do today. Today many jobs require at least a high school degree. You’ll need more than that, if you want to actually support a family. Not to mention, the myriad of forms you’ll have to fill out (in English) to get a job, deal with insurance issues, government papers, enroll your children in school, etc.

It may have been possible to “get by” without English a hundred years ago, but this is not true today. We need to help immigrants learn English, so that they can have a better life for themselves and their families and contribute to the society as a whole.

Children Learn Languages Quicker & Easier than Adults

A child is exposed to a language for at least a full year before he ever utters a word. Then when he does, it’s very elementary. He may start with one word at a time and then add others, but without using the correct grammar. We don’t even start teaching grammar formally until the second grade; after a child’s been exposed to the language for about seven years with parents helping his progress along the way. I wouldn’t say this is considered “learning a language quickly and easily”.

Then, when we start teaching a child a second language, we do it more naturally than we do for adults. We teach children simple vocabulary and phrases, with pictures, short stories and fun activities. Conversely, we typically start teaching older students with grammar first. This is the complete opposite of how we learned our first language. It’s much harder than gradually being exposed to the language naturally. This is another reason why we think it’s easier for children to learn, but it’s definitely not true.

The Best Way to Learn a Foreign Language is to Live in another Country

Living in a foreign country for a substantial period of time, will help you to understand the everyday language of the country and learn basic speaking skills. But, you’ll have to support your learning with formal instruction or independent study. Otherwise, you will just learn what you need, in order to survive.

By living in a country where you don’t know the language, you’ll be forced into a position where it’s inevitable that you’ll make many mistakes, because you’ll have to speak. Natives won’t correct you, because they’ll try to be nice and understand you, even if your grammar or pronunciation is horrendous. Then, your mistakes can turn into bad habits, which are hard to break.

Learning in your own country may be a better option, if you can find a good language school, can motivate yourself and can find opportunities to practice the language you’re learning. After you’re confidently fluent in the target language, then going to another country can help to improve your language proficiency. Not to mention, it will be great fun, to be able to speak well to the natives.

Unfortunately, these and many more myths surrounding language learning keep people from embarking on an exciting adventure of learning a new language and culture. Now that you know some of the truths, I hope you won’t let any myths stop you from benefiting from all the great assets you could obtain from being bilingual!

The video reminded me of how people judge others who speak another language without even thinking about the struggles that person may be going through.  What if there were ‘magic’ glasses that translated the thoughts of others? When you put on these glasses with non-English speakers, you might see: “feeling insecure because I can’t speak English well”, “wish I could talk to them”, “trying to get a job so I can support my family”, “miss my family in my native country”, etc.

Millions of people in the U.S. speak more than one language and approximately 337 different languages are spoken in the United States. It’s inevitable that everyone in this country has come across someone who may not speak English well. What do you think when you see or meet someone who has difficulty speaking English? Do you speak a little slower, so they can understand you? Are you patient with them, as they try to think of and pronounce the words they want to say to you? Do you realize how insecure they feel speaking in their second language? Do you think about how hard it is for them to find a good job or get promoted?

From a human perspective, we all want to be understood; whether we speak another language or not. We all have similar worries, dreams and hopes swimming around in our minds. No one lives their lives without joys and struggles. Moreover, our lives and the difficulties we experience are not any more or less important than the people we meet. Neither is there a time when we should consider ourselves better or less than any other human being. It’s a shame to see examples of times when people don’t realize this and put themselves on an exalted level at the suffering of someone else.

Unfortunately, I experienced an example of this when I was standing at the end of a line at an airport fast food establishment. A gentleman was placing his order and the counter person (being from India) had difficulty understanding what he was saying, because her English skills were poor. He loudly and angrily repeated the order. The poor woman behind the counter was so shaken by his yelling and obvious aggressive nature she ended up giving him the wrong order. He kept yelling at her and he finally said: “You dumb $%#@! You can’t even speak English! Go back to your country!” Believe it or not, things turned worse from there.

The people behind him in the line started to get aggravated that they had to wait, (it was only a few minutes that had passed). They started saying things, like: “Come on!” “Hurry Up!” “What’s taking so long?” Now, with everyone making the matter worse, it was as if the woman behind the counter was faced with an angry mob, all because of a lousy cheeseburger and fries.

Everything happened so fast, I felt I was almost in a state of shock. Looking back, I wish I had reacted faster to help this woman. Just as I started to go up to the counter and defend the woman, another worker came to her rescue. The Indian woman retreated through a back door. I imagined she went somewhere and cried or went straight home. Who knows how that experience affected her life?

I was so distraught after seeing this happen. I couldn’t believe that people could be so cruel, just because someone had a little difficulty understanding the language. If the counter person was having trouble understanding because of her language difficulties, the customer could have spoken slower or wrote down what he wanted. Instead, he automatically felt he was better than the worker and used his false sense of superiority to abuse the woman.

In reality, she may be fluent in more languages than the man at the counter and may even have an advanced degree from her country; but has to take an entry level job because she is still learning English. Maybe she fled her country due to violence or poverty. Maybe she works two jobs and studies English every day, so she can provide a better life for her child. Without the ‘magic’ translation glasses we never know what struggles someone may be going through (without asking).

What if everyone had these ‘magic’ translation glasses? Wouldn’t it be nice if we all had empathy or sympathy for others? Whether it’s how we look, how we speak or what we say. There would no language or other barriers between us. We would never judge others or be judged. It seems it would be a kinder world in which to live.

When people are beginning to learn a new language, they usually try to listen to every single sound in every single word that a speaker says. Then they translate each word they hear. When they’ve finally translated the word in their head, they’re already many words behind. It can certainly be frustrating for beginning learners, but if they keep practicing, it won’t be so difficult.

Eventually, listening to Spanish becomes just like listening to English; you hear the whole sentence and you understand everything that was said, naturally, without translating. When you have a strong grasp of the language, you no longer have to focus on each word individually. You understand the language in chunks instead of separate words.

I also suggest to those with the concern about Spanish-speakers talking too quickly, to pay attention to their own rate of speech and realize how fast English must sound to a non-native English-speaker. If you say a few sentences out loud, you’ll notice how the words sometimes blend together as you say them. It’s the same as when you’re listening to a Spanish-speaker. It seems fast, but it’s just a natural rate of speech.

Besides the above mentioned reasons why Spanish may seem faster to English-speakers, there are some other factors to consider. I’ve noticed that there are definite variations in the pronunciation of words and the rate of speech among native Spanish-speakers. The differences I’ve observed depend on gender, the country of origin and the topic being discussed.

As far as gender affecting a person’s language, in my experience, sometimes women seem to pronounce words more completely from the first syllable to the last. Their pronunciation of words appears to be clearer and at a slower pace. On the contrary, men seem to cut off the endings of words and blend them together more often. I can’t say that I’ve read research on this topic; it’s just something I’ve observed personally.

Another factor to consider is that Spanish-speakers may come from an array of countries and that may also affect how fast they talk. Culture influences the language of people, so it seems only natural that those from different countries may speak differently. Next time you’re listening to a Spanish-speaker, pay attention to how they pronounce their words and how quickly they are speaking. Take note of the country where they were born and see if you can find a correlation with others from the same country.

A final aspect that I’ve noticed affects a person’s rate of speech is the particular topic the speaker is discussing. If it is a casual conversation, the speaker has a relaxed, slower pace to their communication. If it is a sensitive or volatile subject being discussed, the speaker increases the speed at which they speak. This probably happens no matter what language is being spoken.

Overall, I believe that a Spanish-speaker may sound like he or she is speaking faster, but there are many reasons why this may seem true to a beginning language learner.  After much practice with the new language, it won’t matter how fast they are speaking. When you internalize the language, understanding it becomes natural to you, no matter how fast they talk. It just takes lots of practice with the language, but you’ll get there!

An example of ‘Spanglish” is when a Spanish-speaker says troca for truck instead of the true Spanish word camion, or carpeta for carpet which is actually alfombra in Spanish. Another instance is when a sentence contains both Spanish and English words, i.e. Voy a pagar con cash. (I’m going to pay with cash.)

‘Spanglish’ originated in the late 1960s, within the Latino community in the U.S. and it is generally positively regarded as a bi-cultural means of communicating that reflects the bi-cultural identity of Latino-Americans. Many academics believe that ‘Spanglish’ is just a bastardization of both languages.

However, one could argue that it is a new language that is evolving in order for Spanish and English-speakers to be able to communicate with each other. Isn’t that what language is all about? The goal of language is to communicate thoughts and ideas. As long the speaker and the listener know the words being spoken then there is communication.

Of course there are other considerations besides the mere act of communicating. Some fear that it isolates Hispanics in America from the rest of the Hispanic world because they no longer speak the “pure” Spanish. ‘Spanglish’ also elicits disapproval from many, because it implies that a person is uneducated in their native language or that they are not honoring their ancestors or origin of birth.

Regardless of how we may feel about it, ‘Spanglish’ is a reality in America. It is used by millions of Hispanics, studied by scholars and taught in universities. There is even an official ‘Spanglish’ dictionary with over 300 words and phrases that aren’t exactly Spanish or English.

The majority of Hispanics are completely bilingual; talking to both Spanish and English-speakers on a regular basis. It seems only natural that the two languages they know are going to blend together occasionally. Moreover, throwing in a little ‘Spanglish’ is a great way to bring people who speak English into the conversation. Everyone can communicate a little with each other.

Not knowing another’s language creates a great divide among people. How can you connect with someone if you can’t communicate? We have so many other things that divide us for different reasons; why not bend the language a bit so we can connect?

Simply connecting through communication is what has driven my company for the last ten years. It is the basis of how we design our language learning programs. Not that we teach ‘Spanglish”, but our programs are created in a way that let people immediately communicate with each other. No worries about perfect grammar, perfect pronunciation or syntax; just learn what you need to facilitate communication. That’s it!

KAMMS’ programs teach essential Spanish and teach essential English. Our vision is that each person will learn a little, communication will occur and ultimately a connection will be made. We hope to help build the bridge of communication that brings people together.

‘Spanglish’ seems to do the same thing in another way. Some Hispanics have developed their own manner of communication where everyone can be included in the conversation. In the big picture, the essence of humanity is connecting with other humans on some level. ‘Spanglish’ is just another way to do it.

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There was an interesting article about whether or not our language affects how we think, in the New York Times a couple weeks ago. What their researched showed was that fundamentally all cultures think the same way, but there are many differences in how our language influences our thoughts. The meanings and feelings we attach to words can be much different between languages.

For example, in Spanish, everything is either feminine or masculine.  When talking about a friend, they must be described as either “el amigo” (masculine) or “la amiga” (feminine). But in English, if I said I went to the movies with my friend, you wouldn’t know if it was a male or female. So, the word in Spanish has a lot more meaning. Maybe we English-speakers don’t like to “tell all”.

To examine if attaching a gender to words makes a person think differently, they did various experiments. One test asked speakers to assign characteristics to things, like bridges, clocks and the world. Depending on which gender the language applied to that word, determined the characteristics that the speaker thought the object had. For instance, bridges (a masculine word in Spanish) were considered “manly” to Spanish-speakers and “elegant and slender” to Germans (a female word in German).  It would be interesting to know if these differences have affected the design of bridges around the world.

Another experiment further proved that our language can influence how we think about things, by asking participants to give voices to inanimate objects in a cartoon. People who spoke “gendered” languages applied female voices to feminine things (like spoon in Spanish -“la cuchara”) and male voices to masculine things (like fork -“el tenedor”).

Another area of difference in speech is when talking about location and directions. In English, we use right, left, in front, behind, etc. We only use geographical terms when we’re reading a map or out hiking with a compass. Yet, an Australian aboriginal language (and many others across the globe) only uses north, south, east and west when talking about location or directions. They would say: “My wallet is in my southern pocket.” Unless we are standing there with our trusty compass, we’re going to have some trouble understanding which one he’s talking about.

All of these differences in language can also be attributed to our culture; as language and culture are intertwined. The meanings and feelings attached to words, how we communicate and also our beliefs have been instilled in us since we were born. The thoughts just come naturally to us, because it’s all we’ve ever known. Just as the people who think in a geographical language can’t explain how they instantly know which way is north, a Spanish-speaker can’t explain how they instinctively know a word is feminine.

It’s difficult to know exactly how significantly these differences affect our decision making, our opinions, misunderstandings with others, etc. But we do know that there are hidden and visible differences among languages of which we need to be cognizant. Until we know more, the best way to understand another language is to first take a look at our own.

What do you say so naturally, that you may be misunderstood by someone who speaks another language? Do you attach meanings or feelings to words that could be completely different to someone else? Maybe you even have differences in the language of your own “family” culture. It’s interesting to explore if your language affects how you think.

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If you want a good job and live in the US, you need to know English! If you already have a good job, you better start learning English before you possibly lose it!

Learning English will allow you to write “excellent knowledge of English” on your résumé. Knowing English is essential for many jobs. You’ll be able to communicate with customers, employees, co-workers, vendors and your supervisor. Knowing English will give you that something special that stands out on a résumé.

Additionally, all else being equal on resumes, knowing more than one language gives you an edge over monolingual applicants competing for the same job. You’ll have an asset that employers are looking for.

Knowing English also makes you indispensible at work and because of this, you may be able to command a greater salary. You will be the one who interprets for your co-workers, customers and supervisors. You’ll be crucial to the successful daily operations at work. You’ll have an asset the boss won’t want to do without! This creates great job security for you!

You could even become a world-class business person.  Many businesses today are international and international business is done in English. So if you want to do well in business, you have to know English — to contact other businesspeople, meet them at conferences, read international business newspapers and magazines, and obtain information for your business on the internet.

One of the most important benefits to knowing English is simply improving communication at work; you’ll be able to speak with your clients, customers, employees or co-workers. Plus if everyone at your job speaks English you’ll be more productive and possibly even safer if everyone can understand each other clearly. Besides it being essential to speak English at work- it’s just plain fun to communicate with someone in their language! Check out www.ingleseneltrabajo.com for programs that help you learn English for your particular job.

As far as excelling in your career and making more money: Knowing English is simply the best way to increase your chances of obtaining your dream job and earning more money. And this could give you and your family a better life!

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Research shows that knowledge of other languages boosts our understanding of languages in general and enables us to use our native language more effectively. Second language learners have stronger vocabulary skills, a better understanding of the language, and improved literacy in general.

People who learn a second language also gain enhanced listening skills and memory abilities. They show greater ability in areas such as creativity, and higher order thinking skills, such as problem-solving, conceptualizing, and reasoning.

Additionally, learning another language exposes you to unfamiliar cultural ideas, so you’ll be much better equipped to adapt and cope in a fast-changing world. You’ll learn to effectively handle new situations and it will improve your ability to understand and communicate with people from different walks of life.

If you have children, you can help them learn another language. Children who have studied a language at the elementary level score higher on tests in reading, language arts, and math. By you learning a second language, you can help your children improve their lives as well!

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