Why Spanish?
Did you know that the Spanish language has the second-most native speakers behind Mandarin? In addition to the 483 million native Spanish speakers, there are another 75 million people who speak Spanish as a second language. Spanish is spoken as a first language on four continents, making it, along with English, one of the true global languages of the 21st century. Making the decision to learn Spanish is a wise one for those interested in travel, increasing job opportunities as well as opening up possibilities for cross-cultural learning and understanding.
Spanish Tutors in Melbourne
To find the best Spanish tutor or teacher, you may find that you need that personal touch which a language school cannot provide with the Spanish course business model. A more candid approach may be to find a private language tutor, who you contact online and who teachers you the best way to approach Spanish as a beginner. Tutors are the best because they often have the experience of having been a student of the language, as well as having taught several students how to learn Spanish in a few years. While a beginner may simply opt to open a textbook and begin learning that way, a tutor will have the experience to direct the student to the most optimal resources which will be the best use of their time, if they wish to become fluent in Spanish in a matter of just a few years.
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Melbourne boasts many tutors who can provide you with outstanding lessons to the level which a teacher might give in a recognised language school. Contact a tutor to get started with a private course today.
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Where to start?
Spanish lessons do not have to be costly or difficult. The most effective Spanish courses will involve language immersion, where Spanish learning takes place in an environment where every person is encouraged to speak Spanish all the time. Such a type of Spanish class is widely available, and give students an opportunity to build their conversational Spanish as well as learn Spanish grammar. Beginner students may be interested in Spanish classes which teach basic Spanish, such as learning how to introduce yourself and order food. Luckily, Spanish vocabulary is often very similar to English, which allows the learner to begin the Spanish learning process with some prior knowledge. For example, â-ityâ words in English often become â-dadâ words in Spanish, such as âelectricityâ to âelectricidadâ.
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Typical Spanish courses will involve a Spanish teacher facilitating a group which learns from each other, while a private one-to-one Spanish class will involve the learner practicing directly with a native Spanish speaker.
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It requires a lot of practice to build fluency in Spanish. Conjugation can be one of the most difficult aspects of Spanish lessons, especially for native English speakers. Language courses which take place in a physical classroom provide ample opportunity to practice correct grammatical form with other students in a dynamic setting. Online Spanish lessons can be very effective for all types of leaners, however in particular for advanced Spanish learners, once the nuances of conjugation, pronunciation and basic conversation have been developed.
Spanish Classes
When choosing Spanish courses, consider the following: Am I looking for an intensive Spanish course? Am I looking for an immersive language environment? Do I want to speak Spanish fluently, or am I more interested in reading and writing? Do I need more help with grammar, or sounding more like a native speaker? Answering these questions will help you narrow down your preferred Spanish learning method. You could go for a one-to-one class with a private tutor, or you could seek group classes, either face-to-face or online through institutions such as âEl Patioâ in Melbourneâs CBD.
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Some other factors to consider are budget, time frame and prior knowledge.
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If you have already achieved some level of Spanish proficiency, then you may want to take intermediate Spanish classes, or even advanced Spanish. These courses will start to use the language as a tool to explore issues within language and culture more broadly. You could even study Spanish/Latin American history entirely in Spanish! All this will help you to formulate logical ideas and express them fluently in Spanish, which will take your Spanish to the next level.
Free Spanish Courses?
So you want to learn to speak Spanish, but donât have the budget to pay for Spanish language courses. Never fear, there are many ways to learn Spanish, many of which cost no money at all.
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To get the basic vocabulary of Spanish without paying anything, you can use some of the great free language apps going around, which focus on teaching learners the most important Spanish words and how to conjugate the most used Spanish verbs. Apps like âDuolingoâ, âMemriseâ and âLingodeerâ all offer free lessons which achieve this purpose. You can also learn how to speak Spanish by utilising free trials with companies, and unsubscribing before they charge you anything. Busuu and Pimsleur both have great Spanish language courses, which you may even feel like paying for after your trial! You could also attend Spanish language exchanges to develop your skills, while also helping people learn English. These take place in every major city, and can also be done online through apps such as âHelloTalkâ and âTandemâ. Furthermore, if youâre a Netflix on the couch kind of person, download the Google Chrome extension called âLanguage Learning for Netflixâ. Then, put on your favourite Spanish speaking series and read the Spanish subtitles along with the show. When you donât understand something, just hover your mouse over the word and a translation will appear, how good is that?!
Latin American Spanish
You may find Spanish courses or tutors who are teaching âLatin American Spanishâ and ask yourself âwhatâs the difference between this and European Spanish and which should I be learning?â Truth be told, learning either style of Spanish will make you intelligible in both geographies. The differences in terms of language are subtle, like British English and US English. The most notable difference is the absence of the pronoun âvosotrosâ in Latin America. This pronoun means âyou (plural)â, however in Latin America they use âustedesâ, meaning âyou (plural/formal)â for both formal and informal situations.
Spanish in Australia
Recent migration patterns have seen students and workers from Latin America move to Australia in droves! These communities are a lot more visible in Australiaâs cosmopolitan cities such as Melbourne than 20 years ago. Just walk down the supermarket isles in any Melbourne suburb and youâre likely to hear some Spanish! This means that it has never been more practical to take a Spanish course, giving yourself the possibility to communicate with many more members of society. Itâs highly likely in the next 10 years you will have a Colombian, Peruvian or Chilean co-worker.
Marian
Spanish tutor
Marian is an excellent Spanish teacher. She quickly assessed my level, and provides a range of fun and engaging activities to improve all parts of the language (speaking, listening, reading and writing). She always brings an energetic and kind...
Paul, 4 months ago
Marta
Spanish tutor
Marta is a fantastic teacher. She is really organised and always comes to class with a plan. She is also very punctual and easy to get along with. She has been the best Spanish tutor that I have had. I would 100% recommend her as a teacher.
Anna, 3 years ago
Andrea
Spanish tutor
Andrea is extremely lovely. I would recommend her to everyone, of any level and was so happy to have her as my teacher for 3 weeks almost every second day. She is always very prepared for the lessons with material perfectly prepared and tailored to...
Kate, 3 years ago