Archive for May, 2008
I need to learn how to speak conversational Arabic, any ideas?
Can anyone tell me where I could learn to speak Arabic besides a community college or a Masjid. The Masjid will only teach me arabic versus of the Koran. That’s fine, but I would like to learn conversational arabic. I’ve taught myself the alphabet and now learning to write it, any suggestions? please help and thank you in advance.
The Egyptian dialect of Arabic is the most widely understood colloquial dialect, so if you can find a book, you may want to make sure that it’s based on that specific dialect. I cannot think of any instructional materials for Egyptian Arabic, but there is a good book called ‘Teach Yourself Gulf Arabic’ from the renowned ‘Teach Yourself’ series.
Learning French in France – Why It’s not Necessarily the Best Way to Learn French
Learning French in France is a great thing to do and I wouldn’t want to put you off it for a second. There is perhaps no better way to improve your French than to be surrounded by the language and the sights and sounds of French life.
Paris, for example, is a beautiful city and you can imagine the joys of a French lesson followed by a walk along the Rive Gauche of the Seine, stopping at a riverside café for a coffee or a glass of something and just watching the people go by – to my mind it’s a marvellous way to pass an hour or two. What about Nice or Cannes? Places rightly renowned for their style and glamour. “Immersion Learning” is one of the current buzz-words when learning French so what better way to immerse yourself than to go to France?
If that’s the case, you might ask, why on earth would I suggest that learning French in France might not be the best way?
Well if you’ve got deep pockets then I’d thoroughly recommend it. As I said there’s probably no better way to improve your French. But the important word there is “improve”. If you haven’t got deep pockets and you’re just starting with learning French, I’d have to say there are not only much cheaper ways to learn but ones which, given your situation, are actually better for you, easier and will help you learn French faster.
The drawback with learning French in France if you’re just starting out is the pressure you’re almost certainly going to put on yourself. Many of us learn French long after we’ve left school, and we’re not all together comfortable with going back into the classroom situation. OK, you’ll be surrounded by like-minded individuals and it’s going to be a bit different to when you were fifteen, but it’s still a classroom.
On top of that, you will have travelled a long way and paid a considerable amount of money to be amongst four, six or eight people you probably haven’t met before and who almost certainly all have different levels of French language skills. It can therefore be quite difficult for the teacher to give you adequate attention and you won’t be able to get the best out of it. The result is that you might well feel dissatisfied with your progress, you’ll put more pressure on yourself and end up trying to study outside of class time when you should be enjoying the many pleasures and beauties of France!
Now if you’re thinking of going to France on vacation, don’t let me put you off in the least. You’ll get on better if you can speak a few words of French, but if you’re in one of the larger towns or cities you can probably get by just fine with English. Go, you’ll have a great time!
But if you’re thinking of learning French in France – and I mean going there specifically to study the French language – I’ll offer a small piece of advice if I may, as someone who’s been there and done it. Before you invest a thousand dollars there, invest a few dollars – and I mean around $100 – in a good home study course which gives you computer-based exercises, interactive games, written texts and MP3s that you can listen to at your PC or copy to a player to carry around with you.
Do that first, get a bit of a grasp of the basics, then go to France. Trust me, you’ll be so much better prepared and you’ll enjoy the whole experience so much more. As I said at the start, learning French in France is a great thing to do – a little work before you go can make it the trip of a lifetime.
About the Author
Get independent information about learning French in France plus six FREE French lessons at How2LearnFrench.com.
Does anyone know the start date for the intensive Spanish course at Santiago University (Spain) this summer?
I’m talking about the intensive course before an erasmus year? If anyone knows this uni (or goes there) plz help.
No, but I know of World Link Education. They offer good programs www.wle-spain.com
Will I be granted a long-stay french student visa if I have a one-month gap in my studies?
I want to study French in Paris, but I think I may need more than one semester. The Sorbonne offers classes from Feb-May, one class that lasts only the month of June, and classes from July to Sept. I was thinking about taking the Feb-Mar class, and the July-Sept, but I skip June since it’s so short. I don’t know how strict the visa process is, and just wanted to get a feel for their guidelines. Thanks.
I have an american passport.
how do you want others to answer you ? when you have omitted to add your nationality?
Spanish language – A boost to your career
Are you thinking of a change in your career? The possibilities for starting a new career in different fields are numerous. Studying foreign languages is a step forward towards improving your professional potential. Why not starting with Spanish learning courses and become fluent in Spanish?
Use your time as effectively as possible and join courses for learning Spanish language in Spain. It is a fabulous opportunity to study the language in a native speaking environment and with high quality programs. One of the most fabulous destinations where you can attend a rewarding Spanish course in Spain is Madrid, the capital of the country. The language trips to the city become more and more popular among students and tourists who want to enjoy a more fulfilling stay in the capital. In Madrid you will find the best universities and schools offering wide abundance of language programs, appropriate for long term studying abroad as well as summer courses for several weeks. If you have never been to Madrid before and wonder how to make the best choice of a school, start looking on the internet for the educational centres with great reputation and feedback from students.
The best schools have prime location in the city, work with a great staff of teachers and incorporate the most effective and modern techniques in the linguistic education. The diversity of courses and methods of education is very rich. Those who are beginners in learning Spanish start with Basic Spanish programs. Step by step they will get through the knowledge of the language and the Spanish culture. Students from all over the world who are looking for interesting, enriching and effective programs for studying abroad come to Madrid to study Spanish. The opportunities for attending short term courses for combining of summer holidays with educational programs in new destinations are great.
Even a week in Madrid will rejuvenate your spirit and will give you experiences to remember. The native speaking environment, the brilliant schools and universities and the remarkable hospitability of the Spaniards create the most fertile ambience for studying Spanish. Many schools provide additional activities for their students to insure their fun time and get them closer to the authentic Spanish culture and reality. After you finish your Spanish course in Madrid, you will feel like you have a bit of the magic of the capital in you and will get a better understanding of the captivating world of the Spaniards.
About the Author
To learn Spanish in Spain is now a lot easier. Escuelalaola.com is an expert Spanish Language schools Spain. Enjoy the beauty of Spain while learning the language.
Can a person get grants to learn Spanish?
I speak beginning to intermediate Spanish, but really need to refresh those skills. My local community college offers courses, but I’m wondering if the fed gov’t provides grants for learning a foreign language? It seems like they would. I know about Pell grants, but wonder if there’s anything specefically for this?
Also, anyone know of any good online courses for this?
You will have better luck finding scholarships than grants. Unfortunately, Spanish language ability isn’t that rare or special in the U.S.
You can get a Pell grant based on your income (not course of study). Complete the FAFSA and see what is available for you.
The main grant and funding for foreign language study is this one:
“National Security Language Initiative (NSLI), an inter-agency effort … to increase dramatically the number of Americans learning, speaking, and teaching critical-need, foreign languages. … NSLI programs target the Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Russian languages and the Indic, Persian, and Turkic language families.”