Friday, May 4, 2012

Good reasons to study Spanish in Denver


Spanish is not only a romantic language that has a rich history; it is thriving modern language that can be used as a tool to propel your future.  In fact it is the second most natively spoken language in the world next to Mandarin Chinese.  This means that there are approximately 400-500 million people all over the world that speak Spanish.  

Learning Spanish is beneficial to people for many different reasons including travel, business, education, and everyday life.  If you live in a place where Spanish is the second most widely spoken language, like in the United States, oftentimes knowing Spanish is a practical employment skill. Learning Spanish is also a fantastic way to meet new people and immerse yourself in a rich culture.

Spanish is one of the official Romance languages that was named for its origin in Spain.  Because Spanish is spoken in so many different countries, Spanish dialects vary from place to place. The traditional Spanish that is taught is called Castilian Spanish.  This form of Spanish teaches all the fundamentals of the language including formal and informal tenses and verb conjugation.  Castilian Spanish is the basis for all other Spanish dialects which means once you learn it you will be able to communicate with just about any Spanish speaking person on at least a formal level.

The Spanish language is an ancient language that is part of the Ibero-Romance group.  This group evolved over time from a variety of different spoken Latin dialects. The Spanish language moved in to the Americas, Africa, and the Asian Pacific due to the expansion of the Spanish Empire. Trade between nations made learning Spanish essential early on in North America. It is still a valuable resource as it connects many people with different lives living within the same community.

Knowing Spanish is absolutely essential for international business relations as it is the second most used language for international communication, third used on the internet, and most studied language in the United States.

In addition to the career benefits, knowing Spanish will help you know your neighbors better.  Building a strong community is made easier when communication barriers are broken down.

 Learning Spanish is something that anyone can do no matter what age they are. In fact, small children sometimes have an easier time picking it up than adults. With that being said Spanish is considered a fairly simple language to learn and can be practiced in a school setting or at home.

Are you interesting in taking Spanish classes in Denver? Consider Bolder Languages, a World Languages School in Denver, Colorado and can help you learn Spanish, French, Portugese, Italian and a variety of other languages.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

How Learning A Language and New Culture Can Help In International Business


There is no doubt that doing business internationally requires a thorough understanding of other cultures There is also no doubt that without learning the language, it is difficult to gain deep insights and appreciation into the cultures of other countries.  Knowing the language and understanding the culture can help you to be far more effective in your international business relationships and prevents you from being insulting or reserved without meaning to be.  Because of deep rooted differences between cultural practices, something you do with the best of intentions could turn out to be completely counterproductive.

This is best illustrated by a concrete example. We all know how important China is on the international business map and how important it is to do business with them. However, when President George Bush of the United States gave a gift to the Prime Minister of China, Li Peng, the gift was a pair of cowboy boots decorated with the flags of America and China. You may think that this is a thoughtful gift embodying the traditional culture of America but the reality of the situation was entirely different. Unfortunately, the Chinese consider the soles of the feet to be the lowliest region of the body and a gift of footwear is considered a significant faux pas. This was a significant oversight on the part of American diplomats.

Naturally, international business involves a lot more than learning another language but there’s no doubt that this facilitates the process of understanding. For instance, if you are looking to do business in the Middle East, the basis of establishing a rock solid relationship is not to look to legal language or contracts. Indeed the legal system in many countries in this region is both slow and inconsistent and there is a perception that Americans are unduly legalistic. What you need to do is to establish a rapport with your counterpart at every stage and this involves both knowledge of the language and the culture.

Modern methods of communication such as e-mail rob you of some of the traditional cues such as body language to understand how your counterpart is thinking and reacting. Language spoken face-to-face often produces valuable cues such as eye contact and intonation. For instance, if you are e-mailing a Japanese businessman, you would be wise not to use the casual language that prevails in modern communication such as greeting the recipient with “Hi”. Instead you should be extremely formal in your communication and, avoiding the use of first names, address the recipient by his last name followed by the word “San”.

If you have been looking to take Spanish Classes in Denver or learn another language, consider Bolder Languages. Our Denver language school is specifically catered to helping you learn the language of your choice in the best way possible.

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