The Countries of the World

Have Fun While Learning Spanish

2011-03-13T18:29:00.000-05:00

Learning Spanish doesn’t have to be a boring experience. Yes, it takes some work to learn the vocabulary and rules of grammar of a language, but there are also more enjoyable ways to learn Spanish that can help you to get more from the hours you spend studying.

One of the best ways to have fun and refine your skills is to enjoy the art of Spain, Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries. This helps you to pick up on the nuances of the language and provides greater insight into the culture. When you begin to learn how Spanish speakers think, you will find it easier understand the language and get greater enjoyment from learning it.

There is a lot of fine literature in the Spanish language. You can find this at the library or online. In the beginning, you might enjoy reading simpler children’s books and then gradually progress to more advanced books and even read some of the classics of the Spanish language.

Spanish language movies are another great way to become aquainted with the language and the culture. If they movie has subtitles, this can be a great help and even a source of amusement. As you progress in your abilities, you will likely find that the subtitles don’t always match the Spanish words very well. They are usually just approximations and can occasionally be very different. This could be because of translator error or because of a joke or play on words that just doesn’t translate well. This reinforces the importance of learning about the culture in addition to just the rules of thee language.

Spanish TV is also very valuable for helping you learn the language. There are many entertaining varieties of shows available. This can be somewhat overwhelming, especially if there aren’t subtitles and they speak very fast, but it does help you to pick up the patterns and rhythms of the language.

Spanish music is also very helpful, especially if you enjoy singing or play an instrument. I suggest picking a song with easy to understand words and become acquainted with the meaning by using a dictionary or friend who speaks Spanish. Then learn to actually sing the song. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a good singing voice. You can do this and private. Once you learn the song you can sing it whenever you want or even just play it in your head. It’s amazing how the vocabulary and sentence structure will stick with you when you learn it in a song.

Be sure to have some fun when learning Spanish by immersing yourself in the arts and culture of Spanish speaking countries. It’s not just enjoyable, it will also help you to refine you language skills.

Italian Language and Culture

2011-02-11T18:26:00.000-06:00

Italian has existed for centuries, and is used by many millions of people around the world. It is spoken in Italy and other nearby areas such as parts of San Marino, Switzerland, Slovenia and Croatia.

Italian comes from Latin and represents an unique and vibrant culture of people. Italian heritage is very common in many American cities, especially in the eastern United States.

Italian culture has been very influential throughout the world and has been responsible for great men such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Italian culture played an especially crucial role during the Renaissance with its magnificent artistic and architectural achievements.

Many Italian words come from Greek and Etruscan. Almost all the nouns in Italian are either masculine or feminine which results in an inflected language where changing the endings of words can change their meanings. Learning these rules and patterns of the Italian language can greatly help the student to become fluent.

Beautiful Thailand

2011-01-04T18:30:00.002-06:00

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London, England

2010-12-11T18:20:00.001-06:00

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Swiss Mountains

2010-11-13T18:15:00.000-06:00

Swiss Mountains Bergwelt

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Whales in Argentina

2010-10-18T18:05:00.002-05:00

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2010-09-08T18:03:00.000-05:00

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Russia Slideshow

2010-08-05T18:01:00.001-05:00

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The Nature of Austria

2010-07-18T17:58:00.000-05:00

The nature of Austria.

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Landscapes of Vietnam

2010-06-07T17:57:00.000-05:00

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Spain Slideshow

2010-05-02T17:55:00.000-05:00

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Amazing Thailand

2010-04-18T17:51:00.001-05:00

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The Taj Mahal

2010-01-30T13:04:00.003-06:00

The Taj Mahal is just a three hour trip from New Delhi, India. It is one of the most attractive and famous tourist destinations in India. It stands on the bank of river Jamuna at Agra, in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

The Taj Mahal was built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in 1631 in the memory of his second wife, Arjumand Banu who was later known as Mumtaz Mahal, (The word Mumtaz Mahal means the Distinguished of the Palace).

The dome rests on a huge white marble terrace rising from a high red sandstone base (186x186 feet) and is flanked by four tapering minarets. Shahjahan consulted experts from the Middle East and Europe as he planned the construction project. It took twenty thousand people over twenty-two years to build.

Three names come up as designers of the Taj Mahal, Geronimo Veroneo an Italian, silversmith Austin de Bordeaux a Frenchman and Ustad Ahmad a Persian Engineer. It is said that materials were collected from many parts of the world, including the hills of Markana, Chinese Turkestan, Tibet, Burma, Afghanistan, Egypt and the Himalayas.

The Taj Mahal is said to express the different moods of a woman. It looks pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines. It remains an unmissable site for anyone who visits India.