Explore Spanish
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Spanish Courses
The variety of Spanish courses delves into the foundation of grammar, sentence structure, and conversation in Spanish. In Study.com courses, learners will embrace a new culture while studying new vocabulary and practicing speaking with everything from basic questions to discussing social life and relationships.
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What is Spanish?
Spanish is one of several languages that stems from Latin, and is hence known as a Romance language. The Spanish language established itself in Spain, and from there, it expanded into other countries around the world. Spanish is a language that is used in over eighteen countries and spoken in places extending from Spain to North and South America. Some of these countries include Mexico, Columbia, Paraguay, Venezuela, Chile, Costa Rica, and the United States.
Many basic Spanish words are frequently used and recognized even if one does not take a formal Spanish class. However, learning to speak, read, and write in Spanish are valuable skills. Spanish is considered a global language, with over 400 million native Spanish speakers. Thirty-one million of them live in the United States. Proficiency in Spanish opens doors for job and career opportunities and provides a foundation for learning other languages. Unlike some languages, Spanish has strict grammar rules and is a language that has several cognates or words that sound like English words and have the same meaning. When learning a second language, students will often learn more about their native language.
As with any language, each part overlaps with the other areas, so practicing only vocabulary or grammar would not be as beneficial or allow fluency. All areas of the language should be learned and practiced simultaneously. Embracing the challenge of learning a new language, such as Spanish, requires dedication to learning new vocabulary, studying the grammar rules, and practicing speaking and pronunciation.
Spanish Test Prep
Whether test-takers are interested in earning college credit for their Spanish knowledge via test or are preparing to teach others how to speak Spanish, they can use Study.com's study guides and test prep courses to prepare for these important exams. Those wishing to take the CLEP test for college credit can study with the CLEP Spanish Language Study Guide, which covers Spanish vocabulary, parts of speech, verb tenses, and everyday communication skills. Future teachers can take advantage of the Praxis Spanish Test Practice to review Spanish conversational topics, verbs, literary terms, and skills for reading Spanish texts. Several other study guides are also available to help test-takers succeed on Spanish language exams.