About.com: Learning Spanish for Business Travel

       The world is becoming ever more Spanish, so smart business travelers who frequent Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and U.S. cities where Spanish is commonly spoken will want to acquire or brush up on their Spanish language skills. Even rudimentary skills open doors and win friends because relatively few English speakers take the time to learn Spanish.

• Don’t Be Afraid to Try: In general, Spanish speakers are very encouraging of adults trying to learn their language. Those speakers who are studying English appreciate the opportunity to trade a few vocabulary words and language tips. The more you travel to Spanish-language destinations the more proficient in Spanish you’ll want to become. Don’t let age deter you from seeking to master the language as determined adults become more fluent with practice.

• The Fastest Way: If you have money enough and time, the fastest way to learn Spanish or any language is through an immersion study course. Berlitz and other companies offer total and partial immersion courses that are available domestically or on location in Spanish-speaking countries. Such courses work well, but can cost thousands of dollars.

• Inexpensive, Easy First Steps: A more affordable way to start to learn Spanish in your spare time is to purchase a common Spanish phrase book, such as Barron’s Spanish at a Glance. Such guides, available for less than $10, have easy pronunciation keys and include basic phrases like “Take me to the airport, please.” If you keep the guide handy you can practice when you’re at traffic lights, lines at the grocery store, etc. Don’t panic if you don’t remember what you’ve studied. Keep drilling and you will absorb the basics.
            It’s good to enhance the value of such a book with a beginning Spanish language CD, available for $20 or less. You might even choose to download Spanish basics from Audible.com onto your PDA or Ipod. Listen, listen, listen and mimic the pronunciations over and over again.
            Instructional DVDs are also helpful. The Rosetta Stone series, for example, is the Cadillac of DVD language instruction, and is based on immersion and repetition concepts. For the budget-minded, other types of Spanish instruction DVDs can be rented. Netflix, for example, offers numerous beginner-to-advanced Spanish DVDs.

• Freebies: The Internet, including the Spanish language section of About.com, offers a plethora of helpful Spanish language instruction and reference. The Word Reference site is indispensable. Watching Spanish language television, including the news and telenovellas (soap operas) will give you a better sense of the language. Turn on the Spanish captioning for the deaf on your TV, you will be able to build vocabulary and grammar skills.

• If You’re Serious: Read reference books to learn grammar rules, and frequently look up words you don’t know in a Spanish language dictionary. After you master the basics, begin reading, writing and conversing in Spanish on a regular basis. Join a Spanish Club and/or trade language lessons with a Spanish speaker.

     As the Hispanic population worldwide increases, Spanish is increasingly becoming a language of business. Business travelers who travel internationally may find themselves in need of Spanish-speaking skills. Don’t let concerns about your accent or skill level keep you from improving your Spanish. Just work on it, or as they say in Mexico “ĦEchele ganas!”