Link to learn.

This site is for elementary and intermediate learners of English.You can study grammar or vocabulary topics and try one of the 400 exercises and language games.
http://www.learnenglish.be

Funny Stories.
http://dict.longdo.com/popthai-url.php?service=popthai&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.short-funny-stories.com%2F

English School Club is a club for English Language Schools, and its purpose is to allow students from schools from the world to communicate with each other.
http://www.esclub.gr/default_main.asp?rr=38188389

Online TESL/TEFL Training.
http://www.icalweb.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

Examples of use in English.
http://www.dicts.info/examples.php

Two words are homophones if they are pronounced the same way but differ in meaning or spelling or both (e.g. bare and bear).
http://www.firstschoolyears.com/literacy/word/other/homonyms/resources/Homophones.pdf
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=intitle%3Ahomophones&btnG=Search
http://www.wordwebonline.com/

Two words are homographs if they are spelled the same way but differ in meaning (e.g. fair).
http://www.johnsesl.com/templates/vocab/homographs.php
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=intitle%3Ahomographs&btnG=Search

Two words are homonyms if they are pronounced or spelled the same way but have different meanings.
http://a4esl.org/q/h/homonyms.html
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=intitle%3Ahomonyms&btnG=Google+Search

English learn Online Free Link

Create a Crossword Puzzle by youself
http://www.crosswordpuzzlegames.com/create.html

English ESL Grammar & Vocabulary Portal
http://www.esltower.com/

Learn English Online Free
http://www.kinglishschool.com/

EFL / ESL Lesson Plans for Current Events
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/

SITES FOR TEACHERS
http://www.sitesforteachers.com/

Common Errors in English
http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html

The Blue Book Of Grammar And Punctuation
http://www.grammarbook.com/

English lessons and tests
http://www.englishlearner.com/tests/test.html

Owl Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/index2.html

The ESL Guide To The Internet
http://towerofenglish.com/

English as 2nd Language
http://esl.about.com/

A fun study site for learners of English as a Second Language
http://www.manythings.org/

Hundreds of free english exercises
http://www.agendaweb.org/

Welcome to English Forum
http://www.englishforum.com/00/

English as a Second Language
http://www.rong-chang.com/

BBC Learning English
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/

Free online English lessons & ESL / EFL resources
http://www.englishpage.com/

The Cool Way to Learn English
http://www.eslpartyland.com/

English-Learner's site on the net!
http://english-zone.com/index.php

Free English teaching and learning resources
http://www.eslgold.com/

Activities for ESL Students
http://a4esl.org/

English for Education
http://www.nonstopenglish.com/

ESL Vocabulary Quizzes for Listerning Activities
http://www.esl-lab.com/

Because people speak English
http://www.englishclub.com/

Selected Links for ESL & EFL Students
http://iteslj.org/ESL.html

TESL/TEFL/TESOL/ESL/EFL/ESOL Links
http://iteslj.org/links/

Link to English
http://ict.moph.go.th/English/content/links.htm

Learn English Online Free Link

Make your own Quiz.
http://www.quizabout.com/

Reading Signs in English
http://www.manythings.org/signs/

Anagrams in Dictionary
http://define.com/

Listening news skill (slowly)
http://www.literacynet.org/cnnsf/week.html
http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/index.cfm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/index.shtml
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/
http://www.englishclub.com/listening/news.htm
http://edition.cnn.com/

Interesting Things for ESL Students
http://www.manythings.org/e/abc.html

Exam English
Free practice tests for learners of English
http://www.examenglish.com/

The Sounds Of Spoken Language
http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/#

The Sounds Of English
http://www.stuff.co.uk/calcul_nd.htm

Free ESL Downloads
http://www.englishmedialab.com/downloads.html

Read Books Online, for Free
http://www.awesomelibrary.org

Elementary Literature
http://www.awesomelibrary.org/Classroom/English/Literature/Elementary_Literature.html

Slang of the Day!
http://www.peakenglish.com/slang/dailySlang.jsp

Idiom of the Day
http://www.peakenglish.com/slang/dailybiz.jsp

Idiom
http://www.goenglish.com/TheBiggerTheyAreTheHarderTheyFall.asp

Learning English with BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/words/grammar/

ESL For kids
http://www.english-4kids.com/

Survival English for Travelers & False Beginners
http://www.esl-galaxy.com/survival.html

The most popular ESL website in the world!
http://www.eslcafe.com/

Funny English Joke
http://www.kinglishschool.com/fun.htm

English language game
http://www.kinglishschool.com/game_eng.htm

Jokes in English for the ESL/EFL Classroom
http://iteslj.org/c/jokes.html

Audio for ESL/EFL
http://www.manythings.org/jokes/

Grammar
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/

Seven Ways To Improve You ESL Business Vocabulary

Improving your business vocabulary is very important. A recent survey pointed out that the average size of top business executives is much larger than the average employees. Now, that doesn't mean to say that you will automatically receive a promotion this week if you learn a hundred new words.But if you want to improve your speaking skills to become a more fluent and proficient English speaker, than you will definitely need to increase your vocabulary and learn how to use it. And you just may be surprised at the changes in store for you. Just think of all the benefits you will receive even if you don't get your desired promotion or raise this month. You will definitely be a better speaker.This is especially true if you are learning English as a second language. Your native co-workers have a head start on you, and you will need to develop your skills to compete with them. But it really isn't that difficult because the average native speaker only learns an approximately fifty new words a year. By just learning two new words a day, you can learn more than that in a single month. That means you can learn about ten times more than the average native speaker in a year. So, let's get the show on the road. I want to share seven, easy ways to begin improving your speaking skills today.

Number One: Read A LotYes, I can hear you groaning. But this is one really simple way to increase your vocabulary and improve your skills. Not only will you learn new words and what they mean, but you will also learn exactly how they are used within the context. You will learn how phrases are structured in the language and how to use them correctly.So, read! Read a lot. Read everything you can get your hands on. Start off reading easy material, like children's book and short magazine articles. Work your way up to increasingly difficult levels of vocabulary. You will eventually find that you are able to comprehend material you never would have thought possible. You may even discover you enjoy reading technical manuals, as well as understanding them. Okay, maybe you won't go that far, but you will definitely see your word power increase.

Number Two: Watch Movies And VideosHey, why not have fun increasing your vocabulary and honing your skills. Sit down with a good movie and relax as the new words sink in. You will be learning new words without even noticing that this is part of your study time. Make sure to put the subtitles in English so that you can see how the words are written. If you have trouble with the meaning, just go back and put the subtitles in your mother-tongue. Then go back and watch it again in English. Not only will you be seeing the words as they are written, but you will also hear them being spoken by natives. You will learn to pronounce the words correctly. Take a short section of the dialogue and mimic the actor's speech. Pause each sentence as you go. Go over it a few times until you learn the words and can repeat the phrases without stumbling.

Number Three: Use Your DictionaryYes, I know this is a rather boring exercises, but go get your dusty, old dictionary off that shelf in the dark corner. Clean it up a bit and get to work. You can also find some good, online dictionaries to use when you are surfing the web. You can double-check the meanings of new words you see while reading or watching T.V.If the text is fairly simple and you understand eighty to ninety percent of it, simply try to figure out what the word means within the context. If it is an important part of the vocabulary it will reappear in the text. Just take note of them, and then double-check your comprehension once you finish reading the text. If the text is more complex, however, you will have to slow down and learn the words as you go. When you come across a new word, pause to see how it is being used. Look it up right away in your dictionary. Then, move on a little and learn a new word. After learning several new words, you will begin to discover what the writer is trying to say. You will quickly begin to recognize words when you see them later.

Number Four: Keep A Vocabulary Book Of Words And ExpressionsThis a very useful tool that every English student needs to have. You need to keep a small notebook handy to write your new words down. That way you can review them often and really integrate them into your active vocabulary so that you don't forget them. Another useful thing to do, is highlight the words in your dictionary that you have already learned. This way you will find them easier if you want to review them from time to time. You will be able to track your progression on daily basis by simply doing these two things. If you do learn new words faithfully, you will look back and be amazed at how your vocabulary is rapidly expanding and increasing.

Number Five: Sign Up For 'Word Of The Day Lists'You can find several websites that will send you a new word each day. They normally include the meaning of the word, as well as some sample sentences. All you have to do is sign up by giving them your name and e-mail address. This is a quick and easy way to learn at least one new word each day.

Number Six: Play Word GamesYes, it is true. You can learn English and have fun while doing it. You can improve your vocabulary by playing any of the several word games available. Some options are Boggle or Scrabble. You can pick them up in a good retail store to play with your friends and family. You can also find many these games online, as well as many others that are readily available. Just do a quick search in your favorite engine like Google or Yahoo. Hey, and don't forget about crossword puzzles or the like, which can be great fun as well.

Number Seven: Find People You Can Talk English WithSo, once you learn all this new vocabulary, you will need to begin using it. Find people you can talk with, like other English students or your co-workers. You can make friends with native speakers online and practice with them too. They will also teach you many new words as well.

Now you have seven new ways to begin developing your skills and increasing your English vocabulary. Soon, you will be talking like a native, or maybe even better. Just keep on studying and little by little you will progress to the point of fluency and proficiency that you are hoping to achieve. And who knows, maybe even get that new promotion or raise you were looking for?
By: davidbailey

Why Pay Tuition When You Can Learn English Free

With an online site for learning a second language, you now have the opportunity to learn English and not have to pay a dime for the course. This is welcome news for those who are trying to meet the language qualification to be able to live and work in an English-speaking country and for those who want to learn English to help them advance in their careers. It means that you won't have to take time off work to attend classes or leave the country to enroll in a language school in another country. When you learn English free from an online site, you can set your own class schedule and study at home at your own pace.Taking an online course in English gives you all the tools and resources that you need to succeed. The only thing you need is a computer with an Internet connection and speakers so that you can hear the audio components of the program. You can also have your own notebook so that you can take notes on the lessons and if you wish to print off any of the lessons or practice exercises, you will need to have a printer.That being said, you do have to take your time when learning English. Look through the list of lessons and set small goals for yourself. It would be too overwhelming to try to take on too much at once. It takes years for even native speakers to learn all the rules of grammar, so you shouldn't expect to accomplish this overnight. Even adults have to start at the beginning with simple words and phrases and will really benefit from playing the children's games, such as Memory games with Flash cards, that the site offers.All the lessons and audio components are completely free. Even if you already have some language skills, it is best to start at the beginning with the Starter course. Then you can run through the lessons and the exercises quite quickly as a refresher. This will also help boost your confidence when you realize how much you do know. As you complete one lesson and achieve the score on the exercises you wish to attain, you can move on to the next one and so on. If you do find one lesson difficult and not get as many questions correct as you would like, you can repeat the lesson as often as you wish. If you do run into difficulty and require the aid of a tutor, you can have a personal tutor, but this is a paid part of the program. It is not expensive, though, as one hour of personal tutoring geared to your problem area will only cost you $35. You don't have to make any commitment for a further number of hours once your hour is up, but there are several choices in the numbers of hours. The more hours you choose the cheaper the rate charged per hour becomes.
By:

What's Involved In Taking An English Course?

When you take an English course to help you learn the language, no matter how old you are, you have to start at the beginning. As an adult, you may think that it is silly to learn rhymes and songs in English, but this is a very effective way of learning the language. If you look at what taking a free online course entails, you will see that there are flash cards, practice sheets for grammar and quizzes, word games and more. These techniques will help you improve your grasp of the language.Listening is one of the most important ways of learning the language because it is not enough just to be able to read and write the language. Through listening exercises you can learn the correct pronunciation of the words, how accents on different parts of the words change the meaning and how to string words and phrases together to make sentences. Then you can practice saying these words so that you improve your pronunciation and be able to speak the language more fluently.On language learning sites, there are resources for people of many different languages to help them learn English. For example, there may be a section devoted to Chinese people learning the language, online activities for native Korean speakers and an American audio course. Through the online dictionary, you can translate words from your own language into English so that you have specific words and phrases that you want to learn.While it is essential for language learners to start at the beginning, they also need instruction in other areas so that they do not become bored with the course. For this reason, there are news articles that you can listen to in English that use simple words and phrases that will help you to understand the meaning of the articles much better. By reading these articles on your own and listening to them being read by a native speaker, you will be able to recognize the different forms of punctuation. For example, many languages place a question mark at the beginning of the sentence, while in English this comes at the end. Knowing the use of quotation marks is also important so that you will know when an article is quoting the exact words of a speaker.A course should take you through all the basic rules of grammar. This involves using short conversations you will use when speaking. The conversations are printed on the screen and you can listen to them as well. Then you can read the phrases out loud and try repeating them without looking at the screen. Each lesson has a key objective, such as learning the use of subject pronouns: I, you, me, we, as well as other important words. Then there is instruction regarding the various components of the topic under study, just as if you were attending a live class. Finally there are exercise you complete on the lesson where you type in the correct answer and the site corrects it for you telling you how well you scored.
By:

The Dutch Language - A Languages of the World Primer

Dutch began to develop in the fifth century AD from old Frankish, a Germanic tribal language. At around that time, the southern dialects of old Frankish (including the forerunner of modern German) underwent significant phonetic changes (known as the High German shift) whereas the northern dialects (including the forerunner of modern Dutch) did not. As a result, Dutch has more in common in this regard with English and the Scandinavian languages than it does with German. That said, it is grammatically similar to German in terms of syntax and verb usage although its vocabulary is particularly rich and contains an enormous amount of loanwords from the Romance languages, in particular French.There is a common misconception that the Dutch spoken in Belgium, known locally as Vlaams or Flemish, is either a dialect of Dutch or somehow inferior. To start with, Algemeen Nederlands (Common Dutch, abbreviated to AN) is the standard language taught in schools across the Netherlands and Belgian Dutch-speaking areas. Indeed, both countries share the same language regulator, the Nederlandse Taalunie (Dutch Language Union), together with Suriname. In point of fact, there is no officially recognised Flemish language. That is not to say that there are no differences between the various variants spoken in Belgium and AN, but the same is true of the various dialects found in the Netherlands.As regards the dialect argument, it is interesting to note that Dutch underwent a process of standardisation in the middle ages, under the influence of the Court of the Duke of Burgundy which was located in Brussels from the late 15th century. During this phase, the "Belgian" dialects of Flanders and Brabant were the most influential. The "Belgian" influence increased after 1585 when Antwerp fell to the Spanish and many inhabitants fled to the Netherlands bringing their local dialect with them.Related languagesDutch is closely related to other West Germanic languages such as English, West Frisian and German although it is by no means a dialect of German as is sometimes wrongly believed. Its closest relative, however, is Afrikaans, an official language in South Africa, of which it is the parent language. Dutch and Afrikaans are highly mutually intelligible, although the ease of understanding depends on the speaker's local dialect. Indeed it was only in 1925 that the Dutch colonists in South Africa decided to break away from Dutch spelling and thus written texts can generally be readily understood.Status todayDutch is an official language of the European Union and the Union of South American Nations. In addition to the Netherlands and Belgium, Dutch is an official language in Suriname, Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles. It is also spoken by small minorities along the French-Belgian border and in northwest Germany. In total, and excluding Afrikaans speakers who are sometimes included in Dutch statistics, there are around 23 million Dutch speakers worldwide with an additional 4 to 5 million non-native speakers.
By: TJ Leary

Are We There Yet? 3 Easy Things To Keep You Motivated To Learn German Fluently

Move me momma! Just to jump right in and say it like it is. We all know that there are many different types of motivation, but the type that we are concerned with is intrinsic verses extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation refers to the desire to do something that pleases you and makes you pat yourself on the back. Most studies have shown it to be much more effective in long-term language learning than extrinsic motivation (for an external reward such as impressing the boss or your peers). Unfortunately, most of us are not lucky enough to hire a personal pep squad or self-improvement coach to keep us motivated. Yup, you are going to have to find the power within yourself. It seems that to become fluent in German will take time and perseverance, so how can you stay motivated?1. Fraternal Twins Separated At BirthYes, the process of learning German can be very stressful but keep in mind the cool thing about German is that modern German and modern English both originated from the common Germanic ancestor language and despite their distinct differences, the two languages share many similarities in both vocabulary and grammar. Also, German is spelled phonetically. This means that once you learn the system of sounds, it is easy to predict how the spoken word is written and how the written word is pronounced. Know your German ABCs.2. Oktoberfest Anyone?If your ultimate goal is to learn to speak German fluently, then it is important to know that you will become more fluent quickly if you maximize your language exposure. You can start by simply practicing the language with a classmate outside of class. You can befriend native speakers in your community or attend a local foreign language conversation hour, if one exists. Rent a German DVD, or listen to authentic German audio or video online.3. The Gift Of The GabWhenever possible, speak German aloud rather than reciting it silently to yourself. Say vocabulary words out loud, read passages in the text aloud, and do pronunciation activities orally. Transferring language from your mind to your mouth is a skill that requires a great deal of practice. And you should practice German actively frequently.The process of learning German can be very stressful, and the impact of your own positive or negative attitudes can be critical to your learning. Self-motivation is the key to staying on track and achieving fluency. Because German and English have similarities, you have a head start when learning German. Ultimately, to learn to speak German online or otherwise is all about you. Therefore, you must play an active role in your learning by jumping at the opportunities to speak, listen and comprehend German. You'll meet new people, make new friends and most importantly, learn German fluently.
By: Paul W. Brown

Tips And Benefits Of Learning A Second Language

Knowing a second language provides a lot of benefits. This elevates your power in communications by expanding the number of individuals you can proficiently converse. But how can you effectively learn a second language? Here are some tips:* Give enough time to study. Promise yourself you will study for a specific amount of time per day. If you are a student, or if you work, do not put too much pressure on yourself by thinking you will be able to study more than you actually find comfortable. This will be counter productive because you will not enjoy it and you will become stressed * See to it you enjoy it. Have fun on it. It will make the learning process simpler for your brain.* Learn with someone. It will be easier if you have a buddy because you can be monitored and helped in the learning process.* Take control of your studies. Wanting to learn a new language makes you more receptive to learning and remembering. Immerse yourself in your selected new language. Try to learn a little of the culture, the country and how the language have grown.*Try and work out how you would say each day occurrences in the new language. For instance, you have to phone and ask for an appointment at the doctors. When finished, try and work out how you would have said it in the second language you are studying. Find out, write it down, then teach your practice buddy. Teaching is the best way to absorb learnings*Do not get stressed out if you cannot remember words or phrases. Slowly it will all begin to fall into place.* Listen to your lessons each day without fail. It will keep everything firmly in your memory. If you do have an MP3 player, utilize it to assist. Listening just before you fall asleep is a powerful technique.Some More Benefits Of Learning New LanguageIn studying a new language, you will gain new horizons, but at the same time you reinforce your own identity, and, therefore, your confidence. Foreign language does contribute for you to become a stronger person.It is an undeniable truth that define a culture through the language. Foreign language provides you access to different culture. This gives you an great chances to communicate and share ideas with people all over the world that you would otherwise not have the chance to know.Study of a foreign language brings a whole new dimension. It has a positive effect on intellectual development, and it enriches and enhances personal development.
By: Stephen Campbell

4 Tips When Working With An Interpreter

With people from all over the world taking part in business conferences and events, the demand for professional interpreter is getting more and more popular. During these events, language barrier can be a very tough hurdle to get over. In order to communicate effectively, you will need to have an interpreter by your side when attending these business conferences and meetings.Nowadays with the help of Internet, getting a professional interpreter is not hard at all. You can visit some of the translation agencies to look for the right interpreter for your business trips. By hiring interpreters from translation agencies, you can be sure that they are professional and experienced interpreters. The agencies will also ensure that an interpreter is familiar with your subject matter. However, working with an interpreter can also bring some unforeseen challenges and problems for you. This is because the aspect of this job can be really stressful for the interpreters. Professional interpreters do not have breaks and they perform their jobs on the spot. So let me share with you what are some of the tips that you should take note of in order to facilitate your working relationship with an interpreter:1. Communicate clearly with him or her. Clear communication is essential in a good interpreter-client relationship. Make sure you communicate exactly what needs to be translated to the interpreter before the start of the job. You should give him a briefing of what will happen in the meeting. This will help prepare him of what to expect during his work.2. If you have any materials that have been pre-printed, make sure that your interpreter has time to review and read through it. This will help him to read better in front of a live audience as it will not be the first time he is reading it. 3. Be serious. Things that you find funny in a culture may be something that is offensive in another culture. Therefore, humour is a bad thing when it comes to business translations service. A professional interpreter will know to avoid humour during his or her work. 4. Speak slowly. To help your interpreter, you should speak slowly so that he or she can reiterate exactly what you are saying. If you speak too quickly, your interpreter may feel stressed and this can make the job harder for them. So try to speak slower so as to not hinder the quality of the translation in any way. These are just a few tips that you can take note of in order to work effectively and efficiently with an interpreter. If you are hiring an interpreter from a respectable translation service agency, you can expect that the interpreter that the agency provides is well-versed in all of the information above.
By: Cheow Yu Yuan

The 4-1-1 To Learn How To Speak German Online

For those of you who want to learn to speak German the good news is that you have made a wise choice; that is, only if your online course uses a variety of effective teaching strategies to help you learn. First, in order to learn German quickly, you must be self-motivated. Lack of motivation will result in wasting your time and money and guarantee failure. Second, no matter how great your German teacher/tutor, German school or online course is, if you have no desire, you will not learn German. And lastly, research has shown that with motivation and desire you need to utilize learning and communication strategies to empower you to learn to speak fluent German in the most effective way.Learning strategies are techniques used to improve learning, such as mnemonics or using a dictionary. You can implement any of the following learning strategies to further assist you to learn how to speak German:1. Find out your learning style. Ask yourself this question how do I learn or process information? Once you know how you receive and retain information, you will be able to find the learning activity that is best studied for your learning style. For example, I am a visual/tactile learner and I prefer to receive German vocabulary in the form of a picture and then write the word under the picture. In this way, I will be more inclined to remember and learn German vocabulary. There is a wealth of information on how you can use various activities geared to your learning style such as Game software, flash cards, Audio lessons, etc. which any good online German course should include.2. Find a community. If you learn German in a community with a positive attitude toward German, it can have a profound impact on your learning to speak German fluently. It is all about networking. You can find a German forum or study group or join a local social club that can give you more exposure to use and hear German. Thus a good online course should have the resources that allow you easy access to communicate with native-German speakers, fellow students and/or teachers.Communicative strategies are techniques used to get the meaning across even when you have little or no knowledge of the language. To be able to communicate in German to native-German speakers, especially verbally, is vital. · Using objects, pictures, mime are things that you can do to communicate on a basic level. This is a quick technique to build up your vocabulary, especially if you are trying to say something but unable to find/recall the German word. · Engaging in conversation is an excellent way to fine-tune your speaking, listening and comprehensive skills. You should always try to have conversation with an individual who is at a higher-level in German than you. Remember that even if you are highly motivated but remain unwilling to use these strategies, your learning and progress of German will stagnate. Having a solid footing with an excellent German course plus these two strategies will assist you to eventually learn German fluently quickly and effectively.
By: Suzanne Brown

How To Learn Spanish In The Car

It's easy to learn Spanish if you begin with the basics. You would be surprised by how much Spanish you can learn by listening to a cd while driving in your car every day. Just get down the simple verbs, some foods, and perhaps a few descriptive terms. Usually people learn Spanish by beginning to say the alphabet and rehearsing greetings such as "hello" and "goodnight," but studying the facial features will allow you to have a bit of variety and spice as you learn Spanish.A very fun basic to begin with while in the process of learning Spanish is the descriptions of the face. The face is recognized as the front part of the head. It includes the lips, nose, eyes, cheeks, eyebrows, nose, hair, teeth, lips, and chin. The face functions as a tool of expression and identity, and people's faces are the body part that is most commonly used to distinguish them. Often caricatures will overemphasize certain parts of the face in order to make them instantly recognizable to the people who may be familiar with those memorable features.If you have a bit of trouble recalling names of others, you may want to become very familiar with the features of the face. The size of someone's eyes let a mother know instantly which one of your children you are talking about.It's good to be able to speak about someone's facial features in Spanish because if you meet someone in a Spanish-speaking country you may have to describe that person to another person who speaks Spanish. Also, describing people's facial features in Spanish will help you to learn Spanish in a fun a creative way.To begin with, if you meet someone who has a thin face, you would say "una cara delgada". Translated into English, this means "She has a thin face." If you meet someone who has a chubby face, you would say "una cara regordete." If you meet someone you would like to describe as having had a face lift you would say un lifting or un "estiramiento facial." If someone has wrinkles you would say "arugas." If someone's face is happy, you would say "una cara alegre." If someone has a big nose you would say "una nariz grande." If someone has sunken eyes you would say "ojos hundidos." In the event that you meet someone with shifty eyes you would say "ojos furtivos."Those are just some Spanish words that you can you use to describe people's faces as you continue to learn Spanish. Now, you will not be at a loss for words when you meet people on the street. See how fun it can be to learn Spanish?In order to avoid the typical method of beginning to learn Spanish such as getting down the alphabet and, "What's your name?" you may want to consider learning the physical anatomy in Spanish or learning how to say the different parts of a typical suburban neighborhood. When you deviate from the norm, it not only can be fun to learn Spanish, but it also can be very exciting.
By: Alex Miller

Learn To Speak Spanish For Business

Due to the cultural diversity in today's world, learning to speak Spanish is an excellent decision. When a person learns Spanish, they gain the ability to obtain a better cultural understanding and create more job opportunities.Many people of different cultural origins are constantly migrating to the United States, and the increase of people of Spanish speaking origin has created a lot of diversity in the country. However, with an increase of Spanish speaking people comes an increase in the amount of people who do not know English. Therefore, it helps with team communication if people entering the work force learn to speak Spanish.When a person looking for a job knows two more languages, such as English and Spanish, he or she becomes more valuable to the job market. Being able to speak Spanish will be a valuable asset to put on a resume, and will be considered needed by some employers. A person who has learned to speak Spanish can make an employer's life much easier. For instance, some industries thrive on attracting all members of the community to buy their products, including those who don't know English. For instance, an industry that needs a large market is the insurance industry. Everyone needs car insurance, health insurance, and life insurance. The only way to tell a person who only speaks Spanish about insurance is to speak Spanish. For this reason, many professionals who work in the insurance industry in the U.S are discovering that they need to learn Spanish on their own or employee someone who is willing to learn Spanish.Furthermore, often people who work generally in sales need to learn some way to increase and enhance their communication abilities. Sales is all about communicating with people. The best way to communicate is to make sure that everyone is able to understand one's message. For these reasons, many companies offer to pay for classes that might help one learn Spanish. These classes can be taken at night, and may be completed in about a year to two years.Once a person has learned Spanish, and is able to bring their ability to their place of employment, many opportunities may open up. For instance, learning Spanish creates job opportunities in the medical and customer service related fields. Also, management may offer travel opportunities to employees who have learned to speak Spanish, and a person who has learned Spanish may find themselves getting promoted to positions that require them to use their new Spanish speaking skill. Employees could become ambassadors or key speakers at meetings.To learn Spanish is to gain many opportunities in the world of work. In a nutshell, learning Spanish can be a way for a person to increase their income and likelihood of having constant opportunities for employment. With the right amount of tenacity and dedication, it can become easy to learn Spanish. It merely takes listening skills, attention to detail, patience, and diligence. These are all skills that can be transferred to the work environment and make a successful employee.
By: Alex Miller

4 Tips When Working With An Interpreter

With people from all over the world taking part in business conferences and events, the demand for professional interpreter is getting more and more popular. During these events, language barrier can be a very tough hurdle to get over. In order to communicate effectively, you will need to have an interpreter by your side when attending these business conferences and meetings.Nowadays with the help of Internet, getting a professional interpreter is not hard at all. You can visit some of the translation agencies to look for the right interpreter for your business trips. By hiring interpreters from translation agencies, you can be sure that they are professional and experienced interpreters. The agencies will also ensure that an interpreter is familiar with your subject matter. However, working with an interpreter can also bring some unforeseen challenges and problems for you. This is because the aspect of this job can be really stressful for the interpreters. Professional interpreters do not have breaks and they perform their jobs on the spot. So let me share with you what are some of the tips that you should take note of in order to facilitate your working relationship with an interpreter:1. Communicate clearly with him or her. Clear communication is essential in a good interpreter-client relationship. Make sure you communicate exactly what needs to be translated to the interpreter before the start of the job. You should give him a briefing of what will happen in the meeting. This will help prepare him of what to expect during his work.2. If you have any materials that have been pre-printed, make sure that your interpreter has time to review and read through it. This will help him to read better in front of a live audience as it will not be the first time he is reading it. 3. Be serious. Things that you find funny in a culture may be something that is offensive in another culture. Therefore, humour is a bad thing when it comes to business translations service. A professional interpreter will know to avoid humour during his or her work. 4. Speak slowly. To help your interpreter, you should speak slowly so that he or she can reiterate exactly what you are saying. If you speak too quickly, your interpreter may feel stressed and this can make the job harder for them. So try to speak slower so as to not hinder the quality of the translation in any way. These are just a few tips that you can take note of in order to work effectively and efficiently with an interpreter. If you are hiring an interpreter from a respectable translation service agency, you can expect that the interpreter that the agency provides is well-versed in all of the information above.
By: Cheow Yu Yuan

What Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton Have To Do With Your Need To Learn To Speak Spanish

Recently the media reported a study by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, which found that Barack Obama is related to Brad Pitt and Hillary Clinton to Angelina Jolie. Distant cousins, yes, but who would have thought that? However, if we stop and think about it, we realize that despite our differences we are not as different as we think. We are truly only separated by 6 degrees as we all are members of the human race. That being said, why would any North American Anglophone want or need to learn to speak Spanish fluently. Well let us look at our geographic proximity to South America, Central America, Mexico and Latin America all of which primarily speak Spanish (with the exception of Brazil). Would you not want to be able to communicate with your neighbors if they were Spanish-speaking? We are all connected and to learn to speak fluent Spanish would be a step in the right direction. Then there is the numbers game. You should seriously consider learning to speak Spanish fluently because over 400 million people worldwide speak Spanish and that includes countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Morocco and Gibraltar. That's about half of the population in the Western Hemisphere! In addition, within the United States, Spanish is the second most widely spoken language after English. This has opened up more employment opportunities for individuals who speak both English and Spanish and the ability to speak both languages will continue to become increasingly valuable for people who live in the U.S. with each passing year putting them in the advantage. Spanish is a romance language and hence knowing Spanish is a stepping-stone to understanding many millions of other people who speak one of the other romance languages such as Italian, Portuguese or French and also can strengthen your ties with the European continent as well. Because of the similarities in grammar structure and vocabulary, once you acquire fluency in Spanish, you can become fluent in other languages in a shorter time than it would take someone who is learning their first romance language.Lastly, if you have been living as a desert monk in complete solitude and isolation (which, I may add, is not such a bad thing to do from time to time), thanks to technology and the information highway, our world is no longer that big. Economic globalization is the main driving force behind the increasing importance of being able to communicate with those from other countries. For obvious reasons, the modern trend now shows that more Americans are studying Spanish in record numbers due to many factors, but most importantly, education in an international setting is becoming a top mandate for the American government because people need to be economically competitive. Therefore, it would be a worthwhile and wise personal investment to learn to speak Spanish fluently and to have Spanish as your instrument of connection to re-connect with the Human Network.
By: Suzanne Brown

Learn French Fluently In Less Than 8 Weeks And Exercise Your Brain

In today's competitive world, it is not a surprise to see the marketplace inundated with self-improvement products. But did you know that learning a foreign language, such as French, is one of the most overlooked means to improve oneself in North America. And the interesting thing about this is that learning a language has so many benefits that it boggles the mind as to how we fail to see the obvious. We all have our reasons to learn how to speak French online but why not remind you of the obvious and the not so obvious reasons so that you can improve yourself by learning French and go beyond the workplace to enrich your life experiences and join our global community.The first "obvious" is that second language learning is more of a cognitive than linguistic activity. Research shows that children who learn French, or any foreign language, out perform their non-foreign language-learning peers in verbal skills and in problem solving activities such as math. It also increases a child's critical thinking skills, creativity and flexibility of mind. Most of the people that speak more than one language, have acquired fluency from childhood. And haven't you noticed that their pronunciation is native-like pronunciation and intonation? But anyone, regardless of his or her age, can learn a language such as French and improve their cognitive skills because we all know that the single-most determining factors in achieving fluency in are desire and drive.The second "obvious" is that learning French opens the doors to a new culture and hence new experiences. Yes, you can get a promotion or an increase in income if you speak French, not to mention, the admiration of your peers, friends and family. If you learn to speak French fluently, you will have the freedom to travel abroad and not feel imprisoned or alienated by your inability to communicate with the native French speakers. In this way you will be breaking the stereotype of a typical Anglophone tourist in Paris, for example, and be a welcomed citizen of the world.The last "obvious" is not so obvious. Recent studies suggest that individuals who speak more that one language have a lower incidence of senility compared to individuals who speak only one language. Also one of the preventive measures for Alzheimer's is mental stimulation. What better way to exercise your brain than to learn French online at your convenience and on your own terms?Thus, in whatever way you are improving yourself, whether it is mind, body or soul. You should remember to bring your iPod with you and learn French on your way to Yoga class or while you are going for a run or a walk with the dog and exercise your brain. It will not only be your brain that benefits but the 'whole' YOU and your life experiences. Do not forget the obvious. Learn to speak French fluently. Exercise your brain and change your life.
By: Suzanne Brown

3 Creative Ways to Learn a Foreign Language Using the Internet

Most people think of the internet as a place to learn. You can find language learning materials for every conceivable level.Free ways to conjugate verbs, new vocabulary lists and explanations of all grammar points are just some of the things you can do right now. But, as with many things, there are more interesting and creative ways to use the internet to learn a foreign language.And the more creative the better because boredom is guaranteed to kill your desire. There is nothing worse than repeating the same exercises over and over. Keeping things fresh is the surest way to maintain interest and motivation.It doesn't matter if you're learning Spanish, Chinese or Swahili. Once you begin changing your routine and thinking "outside-the-lines" you'll be on your way to fluency. Here are three creative ways to learn a foreign language that you can start to use right now.Tip #1 - Enter a forum where the language is used. - Forums are places where you can get information on any topic imaginable. If you love finger-painting, decorating garbage cans or the study of fingernails, there is a forum that has other people who share the same interest.All you have to do is decide on a topic you already like, perhaps gardening, and look for a forum in the target language. If you're learning Spanish, you can begin to learn Spanish vocabulary terms and expressions about gardening.Your job, depending on your level, is to read the comments of others and get a feel for the group. Then, get busy adding comments of your own. This way, you can learn new words and enter discussions of topics that interest you.Tip #2 - Find a friend in the same forum and begin an email exchange. - Once you're in the group and you're comfortable adding comments, ask if anyone in the group is learning English. (Don't be surprised by the large number of responses). Once you find someone that seems responsible and motivated, ask them if they'd like to practice with you via email. You could begin using Instant Messenger to communicate back and forth. And since you have a common interest, you'd have a lot to talk about. The best way to handle this relationship is to have a set time to communicate in the language you want to learn, and then have the same amount of time in English so that your partner can practice.Tip #3 - Find websites that you like in the target language and sign up for their newsletters. - First, you need to access pages in the target language. You do this by going to Google and looking for a link called preferences. It's right next to the search box. Find the language you want to learn and save it. Then enter a topic you like and go to some web pages. Find one you like and sign up for their newsletter. This way, you'll have emails sent to your address in the target language that can be used to study.Make sure you find a site that you like. And while you're at it, take a close look at the web site itself. What words do they use to attract their readers? What expressions can you pick up that spice up your own conversations?All right now. With one of these ideas you can re-charge your language learning batteries and begin learning faster and easier than ever. So it's time to get to it.
By: Jim Sarris

Learn Spanish Quickly - Incredible Ideas Of Fast Learning

There are tons of people who want to start speaking Spanish now. There's one problem...They don't know where to begin. If you fit in this group, you are probably planning on taking lessons - however, you may want to teach yourself how to speak Spanish without lessons!In order to learn Spanish, you have to overcome your second language learning anxiety! This is an emotional problem that hampers the abilities of many potential Spanish speakers around the world! Becoming motivated and overcoming this can, in fact, be the first step for you to be a fluent Spanish speaker!May Believe that The older You Get, the Harder to Learn a Language - There is a common belief that advancement in age may actually hamper the ability to learn Spanish. There is no doubt that you may have to adjust when learning a different language - however, Adults are actually more than capable of learning a language.The reason why children are believed to be better at learning languages is the simple fact that they haven't developed any mono-language habits. Their minds are open, so they are open to change. However, you can easily break these habits and learn the language you need to!People do not believe they are capable - When people do something such as trying to learn Spanish, they have to envision themselves doing it, otherwise, they'll be absolutely discouraged.The simple fact is; most people simply do not believe that they are mentally capable of learning a second language. If people simply believe in themselves - they'll be well on their way to learning how to speak fluent Spanish!Watching Latino TV and listening to radio stations that speak Spanish is something that practically anybody can do. You do not need even the most basic of cable to receive the Spanish speaking stations - all you need is an antenna that can pick up television signals. When you do this, you will be giving yourself the opportunity to grow accustom to the style of the language. This includes the "speed", "pronunciation", and even certain phrases and sayings. You will begin to observe trends, etc.When you perform one of these tasks, you may want to consider sitting down with a dictionary and trying to decipher some words that may come through the radio. When you observe that a specific word is spoken often, you may want to look that word up and translate it using your dictionary. You will be able to put sentences, paragraphs, and even full essays together by practicing on a daily basis. You may also want to combine this method with either a Spanish class, or a commercially available product that teaches you Spanish.Self image is an extremely huge problem when it comes to trying to learn Spanish with many aspiring Spanish speakers. When you are trying to learn Spanish, you may want to consider trying a commercially available product in which you can perform at your own pace.You also want to try to motivate yourself, as the average person has tons of daily tasks to do. You will want to use your free-time to focus on building your self image. Also you want to keep in mind the Spanish is related to other languages as well!If you quickly learn languages such as Spanish, you may have an easier time learning other languages such as Italian and French!
By: Johny Rider

The German Language - A Languages of the World Primer

German is a West-Germanic language that began to develop around the 6th century AD. At around that time, the southern dialects of old Frankish (including the forerunner of modern German) underwent significant phonetic changes (known as the High German shift). There was, however, little unifying force driving the development of the language until the middle ages and this partly explains the vast array of regional variants of German still found not only in Germany but across Austria and Switzerland.This began to change in the middle ages as writers sought to be understood by as many people as possible. Luther's translation of the Bible in the early 16th century is a perfect example. Whilst using a language that would be likely to be understood by a maximum of people, the Bibles initially came with glossaries translating unknown terms into the regional dialects. Translations by the Roman Catholic Church followed largely similar lines to Luther (despite themselves). It took, however, until the late 18th century before it was possible to say that there was a widely accepted standard. Widely accepted, however, did not mean that people actually spoke standard German in daily life. Indeed, until the 19th century the language remained a largely written one and the development of formal schooling systems undoubtedly helped spur its use in daily life.Related languagesThere are a host of so-called "German" languages and dialects with which standard German has varying degrees of similarity. Distinguishing between dialects and languages is one of the most complicated and politically sensitive areas of linguistics. The case of standard German and German dialects / sister languages is particularly complicated. Part of the confusion comes from the fact that in many instances there is no defined geographic border between one language and its neighbours, with the change between one language and the next being gradual (called a dialect continuum by linguists). In these instances, picking out one dialect and calling it a language can be a rather arbitrary affair.That said, Upper Sorbian, Lower Sorbian, North Frisian, Saterland Frisian and Low German have been officially recognised as separate languages by Germany under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages with the level of mutual intelligibility largely depending on where the speakers come from. In other instances, such as with the Swabian and Swiss German dialects, there has been no such official recognition and yet many of the dialects are scarcely mutually intelligible for standard German speakers.Much has been made of the fact that Dutch and English are "Germanic languages" but then again so are Norwegian, Danish, Swedish and Icelandic. The tag is simply a ("poorly chosen") linguistic term indicating that the languages share a certain ancient ancestry and in many instances various linguistic features. It should in no way be understood to imply any level of mutual intelligibility.Status todayIn addition to being an official language of the European Union, German has official status in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg and Switzerland. It also has varying degrees of national and local protection and recognition in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. With over 100 million native speakers, the bulk of whom are in Europe, it is the leading language of the European Union and the second most widely spoken native language in Europe after Russian.For a range of historic reasons, notably the use of German as a lingua franca in Central and Eastern Europe as a result of the Habsburg empire and the large German diaspora across the Americas (from 18th century immigrants to New England to more recent flows of refugees to Brazil and Argentina), German is also a very popular foreign language. Reckoned to be one of the most widely spoken foreign languages in the EU and the third most widely taught foreign language worldwide, estimates for the number of non-native speakers cannot be established with any real certainty but are certainly in the tens of millions.The only cloud on the horizon, from a purist's perspective, is the growing influence of English. Many academics have argued that German is on the decline even within Germany as the increasing use of English in popular culture and education continues unabated. This view was, however, severely dented by the recent work of Austrian linguist Alexander Onysko. In his Article "Anglicisms in German" (Anglicism he defined as "any instance of an English lexical, structural, and phonological element in German that can be [linguistically traced] to English") Onysko searched through all the articles published in Der Spiegel since 2000. His findings? Under 6 percent of the vocabulary (i.e. list of words not total number of words) were "anglicisms". His conclusion? The German language will continue to bloom.
By: TJ Leary

Do You Want To Learn French Quickly? These Five Tips Will Accelerate The Learning Curve

Learn French Quickly and EasilyLearning French takes dedication and persistence but there are ways to speed up the process. The people that immerse themselves in the French language are the people that learn French the quickest. We are all busy and find it hard to set time aside to study French. The key to learning French quickly is to incorporate studying into your everyday routine. Once studying French is a part of your daily routine you can set aside less time for study in your free time. When you are actually studying in your free time you want to stay completely focused and have no distractions.Below are five specific ways to accelerate learning the French language.1. Incorporating studying into your daily routine means taking advantage of all the time you spend not working during your busy day. This could be your drive to work, a walk to work, all your breaks, your lunch hour, your bathroom breaks, your morning routine before leaving for work. Take advantage of all the time during your work day you are not actively working. Start by picking up a disc man or I pod of some kind. You want to have your French learning audio CDs and downloads ready for use throughout the day. Calculate all the time during your daily routine where you are not working and write down the number of hours per week. You would be surprised. During this non active working time, plug in and start listening to your French study courses.2. Make sure the materials you are using for study are effective. You can study all you want during your downtime but if the method of study is poor you will not learn a thing. When choosing a good audio course on French you want to make sure it is an audio course that allows you to immerse yourself in the language. This does not mean just learning nouns. Try to stay away from courses that are excessively heavy on teaching nouns. Learning nouns in French is necessary but make sure it has a good mix of nouns, verb conjugation, grammar and conversational French. The immersion method offers the best way to learn the language quickly.3. When learning French words you can always have a stack of index cards and use them when you have some downtime. But when you are learning words be sure to use your imagination. For example you may want to group certain words together and imagine a scenario that is particularly memorable. Be creative and make your own scenarios. This is much more effective than just memorizing words with no creative thought.4. Power studying is important when you study during your free time. So you have had a great day immersing yourself in the French language. To really accelerate the process all you need is 15-30 minutes of power studying in the evening. Power studying means absolutely no distractions with a specific goal in mind. Do not allow yourself to listen to music, watch TV, talk on the phone or get up from your study area. The more disciplined you are with your power studying the less time you will need to master French.5. Language Exchange is the icing on the cake. Once you have immersed yourself in study you need to learn how to use it in conversation. Language exchange is an activity that should be fun! During Language Exchange you spend one hour teaching your language and one hour learning their language. This is what will bring you to fluency without actually moving to France.Remember that consistency and discipline is key. Before you start following any of these steps you should write down your daily schedule. It is also a good idea to have a checklist. The checklist could be a way of tracking your daily activities. This will keep you accountable for your actions.Above all though make sure you have fun with this. Be proud of yourself and take a moment to pat yourself on the back. There will be days where it will seem like a huge pain to study. But with time you will realize you are really starting to absorb the language. During these moments of realization be sure to take a moment and feel good about what you have accomplished to that point.When you are learning French be sure to learn as much as you can about the culture. All of the idiomatic expressions alone can give you tremendous insight into the French culture. The more you study the culture the more interesting the language becomes.
By: Nick C.