Find Spanish teachers

Hola, Spanish!

When I was a young girl, I dreamt about conversing in Spanish. This idea was contributed by Spanish’s telenovelas that was imported and aired on our local television. Each telenovela lasted more than two months. I was so hooked that every day after school I would be waiting in front of the television and watched passionately for the whole hour. It was funny how during that period, most of the kids at school also watched them. This was the era before internet hits. Local channel was the best. Plus, not everyone can afford Astro packages.

While watching the telenovelas, I didn't even have the slightest clue of what they were saying in Spanish. My savior was the subtitles in Malay. However, I always found Spanish as a very romantic language. Maybe it was because the actors were often speaking passionately on top of their good looks. Or maybe it was the storyline with a never-ending drama.

For a while I did catch some Spanish words and planted them in my head for example, “Bueno Dias” means good morning, “Adios” means goodbye, “Gracias” means thank you and “Por Favor” means please. 

So Which Part of The World Speaks Spanish?   

There are about 20 countries in the world that officially communicate in Spanish, in which their official documents are also written in that language, and it is taught in schools and even been used by their government. Some of them are Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Guatemala and many more. For some, they called these countries as the Hispanic World. 

Spanish is also quite a common language in the United States of America (USA) as there are many Latin Americans in the country especially in Central and South America, with an estimate of 50 million speakers. There are also several Latin Americans who found fame in the USA such as Salma Hayek, Penelope Cruz, Enrique Iglesias, Antonio Banderas, and Elsa Pataky. They can speak fluently in both English and Spanish.

The people speaking in Spanish can be categorized into three categories. The first is native speakers (mainly those coming from the Hispanic World area). The second one is those using Spanish as a second or third language. This type normally can converse in Spanish fluently, but they often or prefer using their own native language daily. The third category is those who learnt Spanish in courses or school.

Why Is Spanish An Important Language?

Spanish can be identified as one of the most important and useful languages in the world. There are several international organizations that use Spanish (apart from English) as the working language such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nation (UN). 

Being the second largest language used in the USA, it will be a strong privilege to be able to converse in Spanish after English. There will be more jobs and business opportunities available to Spanish speakers if you ever come into the USA. Well, you will never know where your next job offer is coming from.

Apart from that, learning Spanish expands the world to more types of media. You can start watching Spanish movies, series and learn more about their culture through Spanish documentaries. Watching telenovelas can be more memorable when you understand the language spoken.

With over 20 countries in the world speaking Spanish, that means there are a lot of opportunities to visit the country, speaking the local language, mixing around with the locals, and enjoying their cultures. Travelling will be made much easier when you speak the local language. Believe it or not, many locals are very helpful and welcoming with foreigners who tried speaking and blending into their culture. Your ability to speak Spanish enables you to gain internal insight of their culture that other visitors do not have. You can try some local Mexican delicacies as it is now easier for you to understand the food that you are ordering. And later, you can even salsa your night away.

Learning Spanish in Malaysia

In Malaysia, Spanish is not a common language, in fact, it is truly foreign that you will find it hard to find any Spanish speakers in Malaysia. But that does not mean you cannot learn the language. If you are passionate and motivated to learn Spanish, just go for it!

There are a few tips that can be followed to learn Spanish. Firstly, identify the reason why you want to learn Spanish. The reason will be your motivation throughout your learning and will make the process much easier for you. For example, you would love to speak Spanish fluently to travel around the world. Hence, putting this as your motivation, you will create a timeline to learn Spanish in the span of two years before the date of your said travel.  

Secondly, do a lot of listening comprehension practices. You should start finding your surroundings to be Spanish oriented. The best way is to start watching Spanish movies, Tv Series/ telenovelas, game shows, listening to Spanish songs and eating Spanish cuisines. This way, you will feel surrounded with Spanish speakers and will help you to observe the way the language is spoken. Hence, giving you the familiarity of the language to ease your learning.

Thirdly, find a Spanish teacher online. The reason being is to have a conversation partner on top of learning the language. Malaysia is not a country that has many Spanish speakers. Therefore, practicing the language daily may seem impossible. However, finding the right teacher can also be quite a challenge. But the good thing is, here in Superprof, you can find a Spanish tutor with a click of a button. 

Currently in Superprof Malaysia, we have 6 tutors (and counting) who are offering their services in teaching Spanish. The tutoring takes place online hence you should not worry about scammers. Online tutoring reduces the risk of getting infections compared to face-to-face tutoring which is a crucial factor during this pandemic season. Free tuitions are also available during the first trial. Sounds like a steal, right?

I hope you find this information hopeful. Adios!