While there’s clear advantages to speaking a second language, native Spanish speakers looking to master English as a foreign language may find the task more daunting than they’d initially hoped, due to the language’s notorious inconsistencies. Still, there’s certainly hope: out of the world’s 7.8 billion people about 1/3rd of those (about 2.5 billion), are speakers of (or in the process of learning) English. So they’re in good company!
English is a “lingua franca,” which means that it’s often the go-to language when participants in a conversation have two different native tongues. English’s global presence is part of what incentivizes adult Spanish speakers to pick it up as a foreign language. So whether you’re looking to enhance your portfolio or travel abroad, English lessons for Spanish speakers by private online tutors can be a great first step.
English Lessons: Challenges and Benefits
While there are innumerable benefits of speaking English, it’s also a language that presents unique challenges, particularly for an adult learner. The orthography of English, the writing system that dictates spoken English, presents a myriad of challenges from silent letters, double consonants, and irregular spellings with multiple pronunciations.
While other languages, like French or German follow fairly regular rules, English’s background is a patchwork of languages like Latin, Celtic, and Norman. English’s Great Vowel Shift, saw the rise of irregular “ea” pronunciations and has contributed to the creation of a landscape where English spelling often misrepresents oral sounds.
For example, the “ai” sounds like “I.” Words like: “I”, “sigh”, “buy”, and “either” all utilize this “ai” sound despite the orthography misrepresenting this. English’s nuances continue into homophones, words with the same pronunciation but different meanings. On top of these nuanes, a beginning English student must learn around 50 unique sounds with over 200 distinct pronunciations. This far surpasses other languages and makes Englishs orthography and pronunciation one of the most difficult for a learner to master. However, with the assistance of a private online tutor, you can reduce the chances for burnout while learning to navigate these complexities seamlessly.
English Fluency: An Essential Next Step
English fluency is a highly desirable skill in today’s job market. No matter the job or its location, English has become the main language utilized in international business discourse, known colloquially as “the language of business.” If you’re looking to study or find job opportunities abroad, adding English to your resume is a logical next step. Additionally, internationally based domestic companies are choosing to work in English, regardless of the nationals official language. By prioritizing your ability to communicate clearly and effectively, you’ll demonstrate personal drive and a willingness to adapt that will set you apart.
While English can be a valuable asset to further your career, it can also open new avenues for you to experience and appreciate other cultures. As a “Lingua Franca,” English mastery allows you to share a common language with many others as you travel, enabling better integration into communities, and increasing your independence abroad. You’ll unlock English’s rich cultural history for you to read texts in the language they were written, listen to new music by English speakers, and experience movies and plays in their original form. While translations can be great resources, the art of an original work is often lost in translation and learning English lets you experience the works firsthand. When you’re ready to get started, connect with experienced, professional tutors on Eurekly.com
Online Tutoring: The Future of Linguistics
If you’re a native Spanish speaker looking to hone your English speaking skills, it’s essential to make an informed choice about how you’ll be approaching your learning journey. A beginning student should also consider the TOEFL, Test of English as a Foreign Language, when approaching their studies. The TOEFL test is used as a qualification for many jobs, schools, or abroad programs. As a standardized test, it’ll require studying and preparation designed specifically for the test itself, outside of your general linguistic proficiency.
If you select private online tutoring, you’ll be able to progress in an optimal manner, according to your learning needs. While it may be tempting to find an in-person tutor, return to the standard classroom environment, or turn to online apps, online tutoring provides clear advantages. These other methods are often expensive, time consuming, or simply inefficient. By choosing one-on-one online tutoring you’ll gain access to an accessible and effective learning environment. One-on-one online tutoring can provide you with cultural insights to the language while honing your pronunciation, if you choose a native speaker. Alternatively you can seek out a bilingual tutor, who will have hands-on experience having learned English themselves.
Choose a Private Online Tutor Today!
Start your journey towards English fluency today with Eurekly, a cutting-edge tutoring site that offers you both Spanish-English bilingual and native-English-speaking tutors to choose from. Some tutors even offer a free trial period, so you can ensure the two of you are a good fit. For adults, time is precious, and with Eurekly, you’ll ensure that you’ll be getting the best value for money while picking up the language in a timely fashion. Eurekly’s tutors are qualified, experienced professionals, and with prices as low as 5$, you can take the first steps towards fluency today!
Article by Born Realist