Spanish Language

Recognized as one of the most useful languages to learn, Spanish has only grown in importance in the past decade. With half a billion native speakers from South America, Central America, Mexico, and more, Spanish ranks as the top 3 most spoken languages. Fun fact, nearly a third of the population in the U.S. are hispanic! You’ll find a concentration of Spanish speakers in major cities like Miami, Los Angeles, and many of the southern cities in Texas.

If you’ve never learned Spanish in the past, don’t fret. Spanish is recognized as one of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers. That’s because the two languages come from similar language family roots that share common characteristics. These include grammar structures, vocabulary, cognates, and more. If you already know a language in the Romance language family – French, Italian, Portuguese, etc. – then learning Spanish will be even easier for you.

With Rype, you can learn Spanish online anywhere you are, anytime of the day. There’s no commuting involved or fixed schedules that you need to work around. Every teacher on Rype have been pre-vetted and handpicked ahead of time, allowing you to focus on what brings you the most value, learning. Best of all, compared to learning via a traditional language school, you’ll pay a fraction of the cost while saving you up several hours per day.

Why you should learn Spanish

Given the vast popularity and reach that learning Spanish can provide, the benefits are limitless. Some are more obvious, such as being able to travel to Spanish speaking countries with confidence, while others are less visible. In this section of the guide, we’ll give you the breakdown of the major ones you should know about.

• Improve your income – Research shows that learning Spanish as a second language can help you increase how much you earn. In reflection, this seems to make sense given that companies have a major incentive to reach Spanish speakers.
• Open up new career opportunities – When you learn Spanish, you’ll become more valuable to organizations around the world. This gives you the option to move to an international organization overseas or open up opportunities locally with companies that are seeking Spanish speakers.
• Expand your cultural knowledge – With the revolution of Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and other media channels, Spanish content is everywhere. Sure you can use English subtitles, but it’ll be nothing like actually understanding what the actors are saying.
• Keep your brain healthy – Studies show that learning a second language, including Spanish, can help delay Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
• Make new friends and build stronger relationships – Chances are, you’re surrounded by Spanish speakers at work, school, or in your social circles. Being able to speak Spanish will allow you to build new and stronger connections with people you would not have been able to before learning Spanish
• Traveling – This is a given, but worth mentioning twice. Everything from safety to convenience will be enhance when you can speak the local language of the foreign country you’re visiting.

Spanish for business

One of the most common reasons why people learn Spanish is for business. The main difference between business Spanish and conversation Spanish is not much different than business English and conversation English. When you’re speaking Spanish in a business setting, there are certain speaking styles and vocabulary that is more appropriate than a normal conversation. Think about how you speak English with a friend versus a business client meeting.

Learning business Spanish could be put in the same category as learning Spanish for your profession. The way to get started is to customize your learning program based on what career you’re learning it for. If you’re a doctor, then learning basic medical terminology in Spanish would be most useful. If you’re a lawyer with hispanic clients, then learning Spanish legal terms would be recommended.

We recommend gaining basic Spanish conversation skills first before you decide to specialize in business Spanish. However, it is important to set goals ahead of time and ask important questions like:

• What profession are you looking to learn Spanish for?
• What’s the timeframe that you’re willing to give yourself?
• How often are you going to be taking lessons based on your current schedule
• What specific areas of Spanish are you most focused on? (i.e. speaking, writing, reading, etc.)

Why Learn Spanish Online?

A question you may be asking is whether you should learn Spanish online or learn it in-person, such as a language school. While there are no hard rules to this answer because there are pros and cons to both options. If you’re still on the fence, we can give you some insights on the advantages and disadvantages of online learning.

Pros of Learning Spanish Online

• Learn anywhere – Since all you need is a laptop, tablet, or smartphone with you to learn Spanish online, you can practically take your learning on-the-go. On Rype, we have members that learn at their office during break while some take lessons while they’re traveling!
• Learn on your own schedule – Flexibility is one of the most important things when you’re learning a new skill. The majority of us are dedicating time outside of our regular schedule (i.e. work, school, family), having the convenience of learning around your busy schedule can make or break your commitment.
• Unlimited resources – With online learning, you have the world’s information at your fingertips. This makes it easy for you to research things like Spanish definitions, vocabulary, grammar rules, etc. on the fly. Another benefit is that if you’re learning with a private teacher, you have a global pool of options to choose from, not just those in your local zipcode.
• More affordable – Given the lowered cost that teachers face when teaching Spanish online (i.e. no commuting, no middleman), it’s also more affordable compared to in-person learning.

Now, before we sound too bias, there are some disadvantages you may or may not encounter when you learn Spanish online.

Cons of Learning Spanish Online

• Potential connection issues – When you decide to learn anything online, you are dependent on the quality of Internet you’re using to power your connection. This may not be a common issue if you have great Internet around your learning environment, but if you’re taking you lessons remotely, it could cause some inconveniences.
• Lack of personal engagement – Until we can take Spanish lessons with our teachers to the hologram level, learning digitally will likely feel less engaging versus an in-person learning experience. It may not be a big deal if you’re used to Skype video meetings or online conferences, but perhaps for first timers it could be.

How to Learn Spanish Online

OK, hopefully by now you’ve decided that learning Spanish online could be a viable option for you. Before you enjoy the benefits of online language learning, you need to choose from the many different ways you can learn.

Spanish tutors

Learning Spanish or any language with a private Spanish tutor has been around for ages. But with the modern way of taking Spanish lessons online, you can reap the benefits of learning faster while saving you time. With Rype, we introduced a simple pricing model to make it even more seamless for our members to focus on taking lessons, and less on how much they need to pay. Moreover, live immersion learning can be up to 5-10x more effective than traditional language methods. If you’re looking to improve your speaking and conversation skills in Spanish, working with a private teacher would be your best bet.

Spanish language apps

Dozens of language learning apps are out there online, mostly via mobile format. While each offer different specializations, the majority of Spanish language apps online focus on helping you grasp the basics of vocabulary, grammar, and some pronunciation. These language apps can often be complementary tools to your regular lessons with your private Spanish teachers.

Audio courses and programs

Audio CD programs can be another option if you prefer the option of listening to Spanish while you’re driving. However, it can be a high upfront cost that may go outdated after a few years.

Conversation exchange partners

Also known as tandem partners, conversation exchanges give you access to potential partners that you can practice with. More often that not, your partner will be learning your native language, and you’ll be learning their native language. This way, there’s a mutual benefit for both parties since you won’t be exchanging financial payments.

Youtube videos and podcasts in Spanish

There are many great resources that can help you learn Spanish online using Youtube and podcasts. While it may not be the comprehensive learning program that you would receive from a private teacher or language school, it can still be useful. We recommend using these free Spanish resources as a complementary method or a way to dip your feet into the pool.

Learn Spanish with Rype

Rype can help you learn Spanish faster, on your time. With research pointing to the effectiveness of learning with a private teacher, we’ve been able to retain the power of live immersion while removing the friction. As a member of Rype, you’ll be able to:

• Gain exclusive access to handpicked and pre-vetted teachers that have been interviewed live via 1-on-1 video
• Book and enjoy lessons from anywhere you are in the world (no commuting)
• Learn Spanish at anytime of the day, any day of the week
• Pay a fraction of the cost you would pay at a traditional in-person language
• Improve your Spanish speaking skills faster (and retain more information)
• Join an exclusive community of fellow language learners and ambitious go-getters
• Start with a risk-free trial

If you still have any questions about how Rype works or want to share any feedback, feel free to reach out at help@rypeapp.com. Activate your risk-free trial now and start learning Spanish online today.

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