English and Spanish: The Similarities and Differences: Including an Extensive Grammar and Phonics Review

A great number of similarities and differences between the English and Spanish languages exist. Learning one of these two languages from the other one is not as difficult as a person finds in learning many other foreign languages. The reason is because there are many similarities between English and Spanish. Understanding the tricky differences between the languages is well worth one's time in learning as well. Concentrating on the many similarities and confusing differences between the languages assists a language learner greatly in learning either language. This book begins with the many similarities between English and Spanish, and then it details the differences between the two languages. In recent years, language instruction involving the dual language approach has been found to be much more effective to learners than the former method of one-language immersion. This book is a tremendous asset to the dual language approach of learning English or Spanish. The author of this book taught English as a Second Language (ESL) students for a decade at the end of his four-decade teaching career. Prior to ESL instruction, he taught English with concentration on reading, writing, and speaking. In teaching his bilingual students, he found that comparing the two languages was very beneficial in helping language learners learn and understand English and its grammar faster and much more effectively than they had previously been learning by only concentrating on English as their new language. Equally, through his personal experience, he found that he could learn Spanish much easier, more effectively, and more quickly by making many comparisons of the two languages. Learning is more difficult when educators and language programs insist on total immersion of a language while ignoring the incredible advantages in making comparisons. Schools that now use dual language as opposed to language immersion are backed by research by claiming the following benefits to using two languages rather than one in learning a new language and more. The research claims that dual language learning takes advantage of the children’s capacity to learn language more quickly. These students have better mental flexibility, better conceptualization, better executive functioning skills and more diversified mental abilities. Additionally, these students perform as well as and often better than other students on standardized tests given in English. These students are said to be more aware of as well as show more positive attitudes toward other persons’ cultures and are more appreciative of other people. Finally, the students are better prepared for working in a global community and are more desirable in the job market. Therefore, to become the best possible learned speaker, reader, and writer of either language, one should study beyond the philosophies of single-language immersion. A great amount of benefit results when students concentrate on what is the same between their first language and the second language. It teaches the learner that he or she already knows much about the new language due to the many similarities. The learner already knows the elements of the new language that are integrated with his or her own language. In learning these integral or essential parts, the learner learns and understands more quickly and more efficiently. Being able to speak a new language makes one’s life better in many ways, as it greatly increases the number of people with whom a person can interact and communicate. Business people are finding the huge benefits of being able to speak English and Spanish in the United States and beyond. Enjoy learning. It does a person and his or her mind a great deal of good. Read more