The 4 Easiest Things About Learning Spanish

Declaring which languages are easier to learn and which are more difficult to learn is a tricky subject. Whether you speak a single language or ten, you may have a strong opinion on the matter. Naturally, there are many factors that affect the level of ease with which any one person can learn any one language. Things like age, previous experience with languages, and level of immersion can all play a role.

If you’re interested in learning Spanish, we have some good news for you. While every language learner’s journey is different, there are certainly some aspects of the Spanish language that make the process easier for many people. Here are some of our favorites:

1) It’s a Romance language

There are more than 800 million people around the world who speak Romance languages, and the most widely spoken are Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, and Romanian. The Romance languages have many things in common, so if you have experience with any of them, you’ll have a leg up on learning Spanish. Even better, many people who speak Portuguese or Italian can understand conversational Spanish, which means you’ll be able to communicate with even more people–at a basic level–after mastering the language!

2) Some words are very similar–or even identical–to their English counterparts 

English speakers will recognize some words instantly as they grow their Spanish vocabulary. Many words that end in “tion” in English end in “ción” in Spanish. A few examples are estación for “station,” exaggeración for “exaggeration,” and confución for “confusion.” Other words are spelled identically, but, of course, pronounced a different way. “Eclipse,” “rectangular,” “detective,” and “debate” all fall within this category.

3) It’s a phonetic language

For the most part, Spanish words are pronounced just like they look like they should be pronounced. Once you’ve learned the sounds associated with every letter in the alphabet, you’ll be able to read and pronounce even complex words, like otorrinolaringología and independientemente.

4) Emphasis in pronunciation is consistent

The emphasis in Spanish words is on the second-to-last vowel in words that do not have an accent mark. In those words which do have an accent mark over a vowel, emphasis is placed on that vowel. Simple as pie!

There are so many reasons to learn Spanish. It is the official language of Spain and 20 countries in Central and South America. Being able to speak it will better equip you to communicate with millions of Spanish speakers throughout the Western Hemisphere and Europe. And having a solid grasp on the language will also make travel to these places much more rewarding. Being fluent in the language can pay off tremendously on a professional level as more and more workplaces are looking for multilingual employees.

We invite you to contact us at Listen & Learn to discover the variety of language classes we offer our students. From online lessons to small group lessons, and even one-on-one intensive classes, we offer many options to ensure you’re able to reach your linguistic goals. Don’t hesitate to call or email us today.