GEEJO

I actually haven't tried this yet (mostly because I didn't have access to them until I got Hulu a few months ago). I usually listen to music to help me improve my Spanish but so many people have said good things about watching telenovelas that I think I will try this in the near future!

I decided to learn Spanish because after awhile everything else starts to look the same. Calculus became a more intense version of algebra, science always seemed to give me the same lecture and history repeats itself. Spanish was something that I could learn that would teach me something new everyday that I could never learn completely. I liked the challenge and the ability to express myself in a new way. Plus I like being able to understand Spanish music. My life would not be complete without Juanes

It took me five years and six weeks in Costa Rica to be able to roll my "r"s. It just takes time and practice. Don't give up!!! If you are still concerned about not being able to create the trill you can look up exercises online that help many people master rolling their "r"s.

I am studying to teach Spanish in KY. The reason we are so behind on language learning is funding and the fact that there is just now substantial research supporting that language learning may be the reasons that other countries are ahead of us in the education department. English literacy is the most important thing right now. Our main focus in schools is reading, writing and math. All other subjects just aren't held to as high a standard (well in my state for sure). Another factor is the availability of people who can teach these subject areas. There are very few people who are qualified to teach foreign language; language teachers are in high demand here. My personal opinion, however, is that in the next ten years we will see a huge difference in the United States in language learning. In the next two years they are planning to add it to the required curriculum here with higher standards and rules for teaching language. Hopefully we will catch up soon.

I have been studying espanol for 6 years and even spent a summer in Costa Rica with a host family. I am looking to continue improving my Spanish, as I don't speak it at home, and pick up other languages as well. Those that interest me the most right now are: French, Italian and Russian.