LIFE-TOOL: SECOND LANGUAGE: Why learn Spanish?

Posted: 9/22/12

1.  Purpose

a.  To help facilitate California (and national) living, by suggesting and justifying that the ability to speak Spanish will increase social productivity and happiness.

b.  To make it more convenient for people to learn Spanish by accumulating, here, possible resources for doing so.   Suggestions and comments are welcome below this article.

c.  And then, as an after thought, I would like to express my further reasoning as to why multilingualism, and even bilingualism, will yield a much better world for us -- and so, therefore, should even be universally embraced.  The better we can understand one another, the better off we'll all be -- beyond all reasonable doubt.

2.  Rationale

IN MY OPINION --

a.  After all, we are closely interwoven, as permanent neighbors, with a great Spanish-speaking nation next door and, perhaps less so, with other similar nations within our hemisphere and around the larger world.  We share a common history and bond.

• For example, consider the celebration of "Cinco de Mayo," and it's meaning in our nation's development.  Perhaps you'll consider this blog article link.

b.  A sizable number of fellow North American Spanish-speaking residents have not yet mastered English, for all sorts of plausible, difficult-to-overcome reasons -- else they would already be speaking our somewhat complicated national language.

• Can't we meet them half-way?  Roll out the "welcome mat," in such a mutually pleasing and highly respectful way?

• Aren't there already enough barriers to human understanding to allow this one to remain, unchecked?

c.  Words and language help us think.  The more words we have in our vocabularies, the more things we can think about -- and the more concepts we can absorb and handle.

• The more languages we can speak, the more access we WILL SURELY HAVE TO ALL THE WORLD'S WISDOM.

d.  Because English is the world's lingua franca, it's main working language, those who are born to be native speakers hold an advantage and a dilemma.

• The advantage is that you can probably function, almost anywhere, if you speak English.  

• The dilemma is, that while the rest of the world is almost forced to be bi-lingual (with English being the primary second language), English-speakers have a world of languages from which to choose  -- or can function quite well, doing nothing about it at all.  So many choices based on English.

• THEREFORE:  Multi-lingualism, being such an enormous advantage in personal thinking-power, gives the rest of the world "an edge" over the mono-lingual.

e.  The following is a further set of reasons to consider learning Spanish for the good of individuals and families, the local and regional environment, California, the Nation, and the world.  This reasoning was lifted directly from the marketing material of the Pimsleur Approach, linked in Section 3, below.  This list is, by no means, comprehensive:

Pimsleur's Reasoning for Learning Spanish

1. By the year 2050, ten percent of the world's population will speak Spanish. It is also projected that at that time, the United States will be the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world.   [This information backed by this source: Fox News - Latino] Not knowing the language will be severely limiting as more and more people become bilingual. 
2. Because its roots are in Latin, Spanish is a gateway to learning other Romance languages, and even languages from other parts of the world. French, Italian, Portuguese, and other languages become easier to pick up once you've learned Spanish. And you may be surprised to know Spanish shares many cognates with unrelated languages such as Russian, German, and even English.
3. Spanish is one of the most phonetic languages in the world. Knowing how a word is spelled makes it very easy to know how to pronounce it. This also makes it one of the easiest languages to learn quickly.
4. It's a small world after all. Though there are differences in vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation between Spanish spoken in Spain and Latin American Spanish, there are still enough similarities to facilitate communication

3.  Spanish-Learning Resources

General

• Techniques for Learning a Foreign Language  (Google search)
• Check out this Learning Strategy (MindTools.com) -- I really like this.
• Foreign Language Learning Strategies  (Google search)

• General Discussion of the Spanish Language  (Wikipedia discussion)

Self-Teaching Programs

• Free:  Spanish Language Tutorials (Google search)
• Free:  Spanish Language Tutorials - Video (YouTube)

• Low cost:  The Pimsleur Approach
• Low cost:  Spanish for Dummies (books & CD's) (Google search)

• High cost:  Rosetta Stone

Attended Learning Programs

• School classes in 94565:   (Google search)
• School classes in Contra Costa County:   (Google search)
• School classes in San Francisco Bay Area:   (Google search)

Other

• Tip:  Use handy "translation" features of Google and other providers, as often as possible (and now, available on this blog)
• Tip:  Watch and listen to Spanish language broadcasts -- radio and TV
• Tip:  Practice language CD's during travel and casual time
• Tip:  Strike up conversations with Spanish speakers
• Tip:  Get to know Spanish-speaking neighbors  (and all the rest, too)

4.  HUMAN COMMUNICATIONS, IN GENERAL

WHY I THINK BI-LINGUALISM WILL YIELD A MUCH BETTER WORLD FOR US

1. GOOD COMMUNICATIONS is THE INDISPENSABLE tool in creating and sustaining personal and collective well-being -- when MORE THAN ONE other human being is involved -- and, THERE ALMOST ALWAYS IS MORE THAN ONE PERSON INVOLVED -- often, many more.

2. EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM AMONG HUMANS IS ROOTED IN OR AGGRAVATED BY COMMUNICATION FAILURES. How could this not be so, when the ONLY way we can possibly exist together is by exchanging information and ideas -- the trait that makes us human?

3. If we can't accurately plant that which is in our minds and hearts, into the minds of others, how are they to understand, rather than misunderstand us? How are we to do life-operations together? How are they to assist us in detecting and fixing our errors, (and vice versa) in our pursuit of that which is true -- and in our shunning of that which is not?

4. One ESSENTIAL component of a durable "fix for this problem" has to do with being able to link across national borders, AS WELL AS reaching out to those within our own.

5. To truly survive, prosper, and flourish, we all need other humans -- many of them.

6. And, not just to look at them, but TO TALK with them.

7. We are all integral parts of the "great human communications network."

8. Therefore, we MUST communicate -- and the more thoroughly and efficiently we can engage in effective communications processes, the better off we WILL ALL undeniably become

9. ESPECIALLY, IF WE USE THEM TO EXCHANGE GOOD WILL

10. THUS: WE HAVE YET ANOTHER KEY REASON THAT THE INTERNET IS SUCH A MARVELOUS ACHIEVEMENT -- for, we have never, ever had a better chance to optimize our communication-power!

11.  AND LANGUAGE IS HOW WE USE THAT POWER


Respectfully,
David Nelson

P.S.  If I am mistaken or incomplete in my rationale (always a risk), I would appreciate knowing so.  The goal is not perfection, just the pursuit of it.  Please comment, below, if so moved.  I am listening with an eager and open mind.


All Original Content © 2012 , The MENTOR Enterprises / ELMS, All Rights Reserved -- BUT, I hereby suspend those rights, to this extent: You may freely copy and pass this along, if you think it will do some good -- as long as it's free of charge, unchanged, and you include this statement.