Posts Tagged ‘spanish’
Free Online Courses for Spanish
Whether you are traveling to a Spanish-speaking country or you had Spanish back in college and would want to take a refresher course, there are free courses for Spanish that you can find on the internet.
Whatever type of Spanish course you want to take, you will find a wide variety of Free Online Courses for Spanish that can address your requirements.
While these may not be as extensive as paid, full Spanish courses; these are enough to help you with your basic Spanish so you can communicate in the language properly.
These are likewise ideal if you are only looking to refresh your skills on the language, which you acquired a few years back when you were still in school.
On the other hand, if you are still in school and are currently studying Spanish as a required subject, the free online courses will also be helpful in a way that you can practice the language on your own while you are at home.
Online Spanish Courses
Spanish tutorials include lessons in conversational Spanish as well as grammar lessons.
There are also sites that offer Travel Spanish as well as basic Spanish for the Medical, Dental and Business fields.
What this means for you is that you will learn Spanish words that are commonly used in each of these fields to help you communicate better with Spanish-speaking doctors, dentists and business associates as well as clients.
Online Spanish Courses: Tools
Basically, what you will learn from free online courses for Spanish are proper pronunciation of words, subject-verb agreement, different forms of verbs, vocabulary and even common idiomatic expressions.
What learning tools are integrated into the free courses to help students learn easily and quickly?
Apart from audio guides that will enable you to listen to how the words are syllabicated and pronounced, fun learning tools are also used to make the lessons more interesting.
Online games such as memory and matching games, flashcards plus many other puzzles are available for learning aids to help students get a better grasp of the language.
To further assist you in learning, websites that offer Spanish courses also have online dictionaries where you can look up Spanish words and read their English translations as well as their meanings.
If you wish to keep learning Spanish via free online courses, you can simply sign-up with each of the sites that offer free Spanish lessons until you are fully confident that you can now converse in the language quite well.
Online Courses for College Credit Spanish
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Online courses for college credit Spanish can be accessed by students anywhere in the world. Many of these courses provide certificates of completion for graduates so they function like real universities.
Language Courses on the Internet
A lot of these sites are linked to state universities, but these courses are open to everyone and not just those living in the state. Before you enroll read up on the rules. Study how the enrolling process works. Take note of the requirements and what classes are available.
While all these sites teach Spanish, the way the study materials are presented differ. The ways projects are assigned also vary. If you are still looking for an online program, it has to be user friendly.
Set Up of Internet Classes
Many of the sites that teach conversational Spanish have flexible schedules. Some Internet language programs are divided into semesters though. These are scheduled on certain periods (i.e., spring, fall etc) and last a month or two. In this scenario, the classes are more traditional in terms of schedule.
In other Internet classes, you will use virtual notebooks and textbooks. Some websites have guided tours to explain how the lessons work. If you have never studied online before, these tours and explanations will help.
Features
Some courses teach only the basics of the language. Others contain progressive lessons. Often you can study the materials alone. Other sites will have instructors to help you learn Spanish. The study alone courses let you pick and choose the subjects.
In an instructor based class, you will be given exercises and tutorials. Many language websites have audio / video material. This can be a real help when it comes to pronunciation.
Variations
Courses on the web are available in different forms. There are English – Spanish, Spanish – English translations, answering test questions and filling in blanks. Sites with audio may require you to listen to a Spanish phrase and then pronounce it. Some courses will have you translating words and sentences into Spanish or English.
Other Information
Online school resources often have discussion forums and chat rooms. This is where you can interact with their professors and fellow students. While you can arrange the schedule any way you like, you have to put in the hours. To be successful, you should study at least an hour a day.
Online courses for college credit Spanish require the same amount of work you put in a university. The difference is the scheduling is often more flexible.
Online Courses for Spanish 2
Are you traveling to a Spanish-speaking country soon for your work? Do you need additional courses to help you with your Spanish classes or do you wish to take Spanish on your own so you can concentrate more?
The internet has every imaginable language course that both young and adult learners can take. Most of these are free but for credit courses, you will have to take the paid courses.
Spanish is a very popular language offered in online language courses and these are usually offered in four levels: Spanish 1 through 4.
You don’t necessarily have to start with Spanish 1 if you just wish to learn the language for your personal gains – meaning, it’s not for course credit.
Online Courses for Spanish 2
You can easily jump to online courses for Spanish 2 if you wish to do so as there are online schools that require no prerequisites in order to enroll in Spanish 2.
What this means is that even if you have no knowledge of the Spanish language, you will still be accepted for online courses for Spanish 2.
The University of South Florida St. Petersburg is one such online school that requires no prerequisite course to be able to enroll in their Beginning Spanish II online course.
The course entails nine lessons which will help students express themselves more confidently in the Spanish language. There are activities that are part of your course work and these will make up a part of your total grade upon completion of the course.
Everything that you need for the course will be made available online including audio and video lessons.
The course is similar to the one that the university offers in their campus.
University of Florida – Beginning Spanish 2
The University of Florida also offers Beginning Spanish 2 but this one requires completion of Spanish 1.
The course is offered on the internet through the university’s Distance and Continuing Education online program.
While the course may be completed online, you will need to take a total of 3 exams supervised by a proctor at a location that will be provided by the school.
For the exams, students are usually directed to take their tests at a facility that is closest to where they are.
Students are advised to buy their textbook directly from the publisher only to ensure that you will be using the most updated and accurate textbook for your course.
Note: Tuition does not cover textbook. Students must purchase this separately. Also, tuition is different for UF and non-UF students as well as Florida and non-Florida residents.
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Online Courses for Spanish for Business
Online courses for Spanish for business are just like other language study program. The only difference is the emphasis is on terms used in business, commerce and trade.
Coursework
These courses concentrate on using Spanish as it is used in the context of business. These programs also teach about proper Spanish etiquette in business. Most of these courses assume you already have knowledge of basic Spanish. But some of these courses do offer a review of the language.
Benefits
These courses will help you when doing business in Hispanic countries. These programs are useful for students and professionals. These Internet courses are also ideal for busy people. Classes online are self paced. There are no time constraints or issues with distance. Most of them allow you to finish the course in a year or so.
Coursework Features
You have the option of studying with an instructor or independently. After you finish the course, you will be given a certificate of completion. Different levels are available. You will be able to move higher after passing the lower levels. At the beginner’s level, you will take up refresher studies on Spanish.
After that you will be working on business cards, memos, resumes and business letters. Other topics include studies on culture and its relation to business. Vocabularies for business are included in the curriculum.
Advanced Courses
At this level, courses will include written and oral communication in Spanish. These exercises are done in the context of common business situations in the Hispanic / Latin culture. Lessons at this level will include studies of Spanish corporation structures, management, finance practices and customs documentation and other methods. Tests are given at the end of each level. This is to determine the level of your progress. The type of test given will vary per site though.
Requirements
It helps to have knowledge of basic Spanish. Other courses require two years of high school Spanish. You will also need an Internet connection. Audio and video are required in most sites. Many of them now use multimedia to make the lessons more accessible.
Other Information
Many programs offer continuing education. This is for those who want to keep honing their skills. These are often taken by those who want to master the language.
Online courses for Spanish for business are either tuition based or free. If you just need basic working knowledge of the language, these free courses will be sufficient. But the tuition based sites have more contents.
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Spanish Online Courses for Kids
A second language is a requisite in most schools and Spanish is oft among the choices for Foreign Language courses.
Now, if your kids have a Spanish course in school and they are having quite a hard time grasping the language, you should consider getting them extra help so they can participate in class and also pass their course.
There are Spanish online courses for kids and these are designed in much the same way as the language courses offered in various campuses.
The good thing about enrolling them in online Spanish courses is that you can supervise them as they take their classes and you all get to stay home while learning.
Learning with Kids
On the other hand, if you also wish to learn Spanish to prepare you for your trip to a Spanish-speaking country, you can enroll in an online Spanish course as well.
Since you need to first learn the basics of the language, an online course designed for kids should be just right for you.
You are actually killing two birds with one stone here: you are bonding with your kids and at the same time, all of you are learning how to speak and write in the language.
You get to help your kids pass their Spanish course and you get to learn the language for yourself as well.
Free Spanish Courses Online
Not sure if an online course will work for your kids? You should then look for free Spanish courses offered on the internet. This way, your kids will get a feel of how it is to take an online course and assess whether or not it will work for them.
While the free courses may not be designed in a way similar to actual courses offered in schools, the kids will still get an idea of how online classes go as well as develop the discipline of online learning.
Fun Spanish Games
Oftentimes, Spanish courses for kids that are offered online include games as part of the teaching and learning process. By incorporating lessons in games, the kids will have more fun studying their lessons and they may even find it easier to grasp the lessons.
You can also play online Spanish games with your kids which in turn makes learning Spanish even more fun and enjoyable for the kids.
This can very well motivate the kids to keep on taking their Spanish lessons online to help them pass their course and complete their coursework requirement for school.
Online Courses for Credit Spanish
Online courses for credit Spanish are there for students who want to accelerate their learning. Unlike in the past, there are a lot more options on the table.
Overview
Before you take a course make sure that you will earn credit for it. Some language sites are not designed for this purpose. Also keep in mind that many of these credit sites are tuition based. Make sure you check the site’s background.
Features and Course Contents
Spanish language websites are not that different from other language websites. The information about the language is arranged from basic, intermediate to advanced lessons. The basic lessons consist of the essentials. These are comprised of greetings, goodbyes, and conversational Spanish.
The latter consists of Spanish expressions used in everyday conversation. These courses will also explain how to speak Spanish in restaurants, restrooms etc. Basic expressions are accompanied by detailed explanations of Spanish grammar.
Other aspects of the language like pronunciation, alphabet, the use of tenses and prepositions are also covered in these sites. These courses also explain how to use possessive adjectives, making plural nouns and many others.
Presentation
These websites often use multimedia to enhance their presentation. On the Internet you can listen to the Spanish word being pronounced. There are also several websites which employ video. Students can listen to instructors on video explaining how to properly speak the language.
Aside from this, there are a growing number of websites which sell accompanying CDs and DVDs. These provide additional information for the student. Forums and discussion groups are also becoming commonplace. There are also sites which are aimed exclusively for children. These sites are designed so that the lessons are entertaining.
Other Information
Some of these courses are hybrid in nature. Some material is online, but to finish you may have to do work in campus. The choice of a hybrid or purely online site is up to you. However, it is definitely more convenient if you can study everything on the web.
These credit sites also have different kinds of exams and tests available. These are supervised by the site. A lot of these sites don’t just focus on speaking the language, but also how to write it.
If you are serious about Spanish idioms, phrases and the whole language, go for the complete courses. These are the ones that cover everything from the basics to the more advanced concepts. That is why it is important you understand its features.
Free Online Courses for Spanish Language
Free online courses for Spanish language are now more prevalent than ever. Anyone with Internet access now has the opportunity to learn the language at their own pace. However, the quality of these sites varies. Here are some of the things you may want to look at.
Features
The most basic site lists popular Spanish expressions, proverbs and sayings. A guide to pronunciation and dictionary are often included as well. Some are more detailed. They provide links to medical Spanish terms, grammar courses and a conversational course.
The latter feature is very important for those new to the language. Those who want to learn basic Spanish can just memorize conversational courses. Learning medical terms can also be useful, as well as emergency terms.
Going Through Lessons
Since these lessons are free, you can go through them any way you like. Beginners should commence from the start. Otherwise they won’t understand the more intricate parts. If you already know some Spanish, go through the lessons that interest you. Subjects may include “family”, “numbers and letters”, “colors”, “going to a restaurant”, “asking for directions or help” and so on.
Audio and Video
A growing number of sites are implementing audio and video. Audio helps with the pronunciation; you no longer have to decipher the pronunciation guide written down. Video is sometimes included too.
But in language courses, audio is often sufficient.
Considerations
If you are serious about studying, examine the site layout. Are the links easy to find? Does the page load quickly? Does it provide helpful links? Nothing is more frustrating than looking for links or finding that they are dead.
There are other elements that should be considered. Does it have a “printable” section? This is something you should check if you want a hard copy of the lessons. Once you have studied the basic lessons, read articles in Spanish. This is a good way to test your knowledge. In fact some sites offer this as part of the course. Free tests are also provided so you can track your progress.
Tips
Set aside several minutes or at least an hour a day studying. This will go a long way towards making you fluent in the language.
Free online courses for Spanish language are for everyone. Those who just want a bit of knowledge will find sites to their liking. There are also lessons for those who have advanced knowledge but want to learn more.
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Online Courses for Spanish High School
Online courses for Spanish high school are no longer as scarce as they used to be. These language programs used to be available in live classes, books and CDs only. But you can now access these lessons online.
Schedules
These Internet courses allow Spanish students to study at their own pace. Most of these lessons are self paced. There is no need to get up early or stay up late to finish a lesson. However, there are a few sites that are more rigidly structured. That is, classes and assignments are given out on specific dates during the week.
Degrees and Coursework
Online programs offer certifications of completion for graduates. But there are also associate’s degree Spanish programs today. Associate programs are usually more intensive than basic certification programs.
An associate degree focuses on basic Spanish, vocabulary, popular expressions and sayings. Students are trained to comprehend grammatical structures and memorize plenty of vocabulary. High school students will learn some of the most common sayings used in the language.
At the beginner and intermediate level, students will read several articles in Spanish. These articles cover subjects like Spanish culture, history, tourist spots and other facts about Spain and Spanish speaking countries. Two year degrees often offer translation courses.
Different online platforms are used, although Blackboard is very popular. Homework and assignments are submitted through the web. Audio and video are used in a lot of these sites. They make the language easier to learn. Audio plug ins are very useful especially for those who have trouble reading pronunciation guides.
Other Information
Some courses focus on just the language. Others are more specific. For instance, there are courses that center on Spanish business terms. These are intended for businessmen who need to conduct transactions in the country or with Spanish speaking people. But high school students can also take them.
Requirements
Language courses for high school usually have very light requirements. Generally speaking, high school students can take any type of Spanish language program on the web. However, you need to check the requirements. Some of them will require a high school diploma or a Bachelor of Science degree. Many universities offer
Spanish language programs for students. Their requirements differ though; some schools also ask applicants to take up other courses.
Online courses for Spanish high school do not deprive students of an instructor. Through email, chat and other messaging systems, students can interact with teachers and other students.
Online Spanish Courses for College Credit
Accredited online Spanish courses for college credit are recognized by universities across the country. These are just like traditional foreign language courses. The only difference is you can study at home.
Coursework
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These programs cover several topics. They are usually divided into vocabulary, grammar, well known expressions and other more advanced topics. Subjects are not limited to translating Spanish into English and vice versa. There are also programs wherein you are trained to read, write and listen to Spanish words. These classes also offer supplementary study materials. At the most basic levels, you will learn common phrases used in the language.
Elementary Spanish language classes explain the use of regular and irregular past tenses. They will also understand facts about the morphology of the language. The more advanced courses focus on improving oral skills and cultural awareness.
This means reading entire articles in the Spanish language. To maximize potential, students should study every day for at least a couple of hours. Most of these courses offer written exercises as well.
Intermediate and Advanced Courses
If you have basic knowledge of the language, you can take up Spanish classes at the intermediate level. At this stage you will learn about the cultural heritage of Spanish speaking countries. Advanced writing skills are also taught at this level. A few of these sites require you to attend live classes. Lab exercises may be done at campus.
Methods of Teaching
Reading materials make up most of the materials. These are supplemented by voicemail, compact discs and video (recorded and live). The latter is used extensively for pronouncing words and sentences. Instructors communicate with students by way of bulletin boards, forums and email. Voicemail is also used in some classes as well as webcasts.
Format
These courses divide their modules into chapters. Exams are given at the end of the course. Sometimes there is a quiz or review at the end of each chapter. You can use them to determine your own progress. The length of these classes differs.
Basic courses take only a few hours to finish. Full length classes take several months. Some of the classes are very specific. They focus on Spanish business terms, words used for traveling, survival phrases etc. You can choose which one to enroll in.
Online Spanish courses for college credit can be taken for personal satisfaction. You can also take them for business reasons or for those who want to travel to Spanish speaking countries.
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Online Spanish Courses for Kids
Taking online Spanish courses for kids is one of the best ways to introduce them to a new language. Spanish is rapidly becoming one of the most spoken languages in the world. Learning it can give your child an advantage later in life.
Overview
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These programs can be accessed on computers with Internet access. Some of these websites are free, but others are pay sites. Some of them allow you to use a few of the teaching materials free. This gives you a chance to determine if it is worth signing up for.
Contents of Web Courses
Since these websites are designed for kids, they tend to be more colorful and engaging than those for adult students. The interfaces are clean and easy to navigate. Many websites use videos to instruct kids. Repetition techniques are typically used to make them more interesting.
Some interactive websites use logical-mathematical, oral and musical elements to keep kids interested. Aside from online lessons, websites may also sell DVDs, CDs and other packages. Courses are often standalone, but some provide tutors. These courses are set up in different ways. All of them however, will teach children proper reading skills and pronunciation.
Children will learn basic Spanish through games, songs and other interesting activities.
These programs also immerse children in culture and history. These will include information about countries where the language is spoken.
Other Features of Internet Courses
Some programs are designed for children who already know how to read the language. These lessons use Spanish as the main language and English is secondary. This set up allows children to refer to English only if they cannot understand some parts. These programs will also teach about grammar, pronouns, adjectives, verbs and parts of a sentence. Tests are also available for those who have advanced far enough.
Internet lessons are divided into chapters. It may start with common Spanish phrases, colors, numbers, family members and survival. There are also lessons which consist of narratives, spelling activities and many others.
Considerations
Spend some time with the child when they first visit the site. Help them get familiar with the layout and where to start. This shouldn’t be a problem if the child already knows how to use the Internet.
Online Spanish courses for kids are aimed at specific age brackets, so you can find one suitable for the kid’s age. The best thing about these courses is you can supervise the child as they study.
