Spanish from Zero

Having the ability to understand how another linguistic system works, which is developed and utilized in a particular culture, can be only achieved through years of practice and study. This allows us to experience the world through a different perspective than we are used to processing how we perceive everything. This is why deciding to learn a language is one of the most enriching and, at the same time, challenging activities for the human mind. Therefore, if you are considering the idea of studying Spanish from zero or continue taking Spanish classes in Medellin or elsewhere, but you don’t know anything about the language or how to start, this information is for you.

Before doing new things in life, it is natural you have many questions. That is why most likely you have some questions before you start learning Spanish in Medellin or elsewhere. For this reason, we have created a series of “frequently asked questions” that are common when starting this educational process. We are sure you will be able to answer some questions that you have in mind right now.

Frequently asked questions

Is Spanish an easy language to learn?

It depends. On what? On many factors, to be honest. But we will try to consider the most relevant factors to answer this question.

Spanish from Zero: What is your mother tongue?

If the answer is English, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, among others. You have a point in your favor. Which one? The alphabet. That is right. It could be basic, but it is pretty important. If you are learning Spanish from zero, you must know that Spanish uses the Latin or Roman alphabet. Therefore, if your mother tongue uses this same alphabet, it is an immeasurable advantage over languages such as Russian or Mandarin Chinese as an illustration. Well, these languages use another writing system with a different alphabet – Cyrillic alphabet in the case of Russian or a character-based writing system in the case of Mandarin Chinese.

Do you speak a Romance language?

If so, it is another point in your favor. In Romance languages, grammar and vocabulary are quite similar. Therefore, learning Spanish in Medellín can be much easier for you if your mother tongue is French or Italian, as an example because you will be able to make a comparison process during your learning steps. Many words will be almost the same in both languages, and the structure regarding grammar rules will not vary significantly. However, be careful! Do not be overconfident because Spanish is a new language, and if you are learning from Spanish zero, there will be a couple of things that will be new or different from what you already know in your own language.

Is it hard to Speak Spanish?

If you mean the pronunciation, it is not. Spanish has a great advantage over other languages – Spanish words are generally read as they are written. Unlike other languages where you have to memorize a bunch of phonetic rules. Something you should also keep in mind is that Spanish has tildes (´) in their vowels, which in turn represents the graphic accent in a word to accentuate the intensity of the pronunciation over the syllable. This is a written signal in the word, which tells you how the word should be pronounced.

If you mean the vocabulary, Spanish is a language officially spoken in 21 countries. Why is it relevant? As Spanish is a language that is present in many different countries and cultures, it is really helpful to you to decide what kind of Spanish you would like to learn. For example, if you are a person who lives in Europe and you often travel to Spain or work with Spanish people, the best alternative for you is to learn Spanish from Spain. On the other hand, if, for example, you are interested in traveling to South America and having a cultural immersion in Colombia, learning Spanish in Medellín will give you the necessary communication tools to enjoy your trip to the fullest.

What should I learn before?

Before you start learning Spanish in Medellín, it is valuable to have some previous knowledge to facilitate your learning process. Spanish, like many other languages, is a complex language, which has its own characteristics. However, this does not mean it is an impossible language to learn. For this reason, here you have some topics you should study before you take Spanish classes.

Identifying the category of words significantly helps your learning process. For this reason, it is quite useful to recognize what kind of word some Spanish words are. This lets you know, for instance, if the word is singular or plural, masculine or feminine. Therefore, we suggest you learn what a noun, verb and adjective are before you start your Spanish from zero journey.

Spanish from Zero: What is a noun?

A noun is a kind of word that is used to name an object, person, place, or concept. Basically, nouns are all the names of things. Unlike other languages, English for example, in Spanish it is important to know if the noun is masculine or feminine and singular or plural because this will be a part that will define the entire structure of the idea that you would like to express.

Gender and number of nouns

As mentioned above, nouns are masculine or feminine and singular or plural. That is what gender and number of nouns mean.

For example, if we tried to say table (mesa) in Spanish, we must consider that mesa is a feminine noun. In this sense, to say the table we should know that the has a feminine version, which is la – so we say la mesa (a feminine noun). This is different when we have mesas – a feminine plural noun. In this case, we say las mesas, as las is the feminine plural version for the. Besides, in this previous example, we can see how a noun can be singular or plural.

On the other hand, if we tried to say car (carro) in Spanish, we must consider that carro is a masculine noun. So, to say the car we should know that the has a masculine version, which is el – so we say el carro (a masculine noun). Once again, this is different when we have carros – a masculine plural noun. For this case, we say los carros, as los is the masculine plural version for the. Same as we could observe with the example of casas, we can see how a noun can be singular or plural – carro or carros.

Spanish from Zero: What is an adjective?

An adjective is a kind of word that describes the noun. The adjective, therefore, provides additional information or complements the meaning of the noun. In general, in Spanish the adjective goes after the noun, which is the opposite of English. In English, for example, we say white car. But in Spanish, we say carro blanco – blanco (white) before the noun.

Similarly, the adjective must agree with the gender and number of the noun. This means that the adjective will be masculine or feminine and singular or plural depending on the noun it is accompanying. For example:

Spanish from Zero: What is a verb?

A verb is a kind of word that describes an action, a state or a process. In Spanish, there are different types of verbs. However, if you would like to take Spanish classes in Medellin, it is important you know we have conjugated verbs or non-conjugated verbs. When they have no conjugation, it is called an infinitive verb. Infinitive verbs in Spanish have three endings: –ar, –er and –ir. For your information, each ending has a different conjugation in each verb tense (present, past and future).

It is very helpful to memorize some common verbs in Spanish. Here are some common verbs that will be quite useful for your Spanish lessons.

What else could I do?

If you have already decided to learn Spanish from zero or continue learning, the more prior exposure you have to the language, the better. Nowadays, there are different technological tools you can use in your favor to make the process easier and faster at the beginning. Give it a try to apps like Duolingo to learn vocabulary, listen to music and watch movies in Spanish to get familiar with the sounds of this language, buy a book of useful Spanish expressions and, of course, take Spanish classes with Colombia Spanish. We have different courses based on your needs and objectives.

Finally, please keep in mind that a language coexists with a certain culture. Therefore, to learn Spanish, it is essential that you have a cultural immersion that allows you to experience the language in its real context.

If you are thinking about learning Spanish Medellín, the time has come! Don’t think twice and let us guide you in your learning process. Remember that you will be hand in hand with the best professionals who will make your experience in the city something you will never forget, contact us now! Through the WhatsApp › +57 323 5042150 ‹ or our e-mail › info@myteacher.co ‹