Architectural Designs

Teach myself Spanish?

Hi folks, I'm an ethnic Chinese from Singapore who grew up speaking English and Mandarin. I'm thinking of learning another language--Spanish. However, this would be my first time learning a foreign language as an adult (I'm 20) and to be honest, it is pretty intimidating staring at a passage of Spanish words that I cannot recognize. So how should I start? Do I start from grammar first? Or shall I make use of the Pimsleur CDs? What about watching cartoons in Spanish (if there are any) online? Which accent to learn from first? What's my reason of learning Spanish? You see... Since I can read Chinese and English newspapers, it really broadens my horizon. Reading materials in these 2 different languages is like living in 2 different worlds. It trains us to think differently and understand as well as accepting differing opinions. Knowing Mandarin also enables me to get a glimpse of the East Asian cultures (eg. Japan and Korea). Confucianism...does it ring a bell? However, I don't know anything about the Hispanic culture! When I try to find English newspapers about Latin America, they are mostly from a American point of view. I've heard of this man Hugo Chavez many times, but I hardly know how people in Latin America think of him. Most newspapers in these countries are in Spanish! And I can't read them! Haha...so that's why I want to learn Spanish. And I have yet figured out why touching is very common among Hispanics. It is only recently that I've found out that many Hispanics are Catholics. Oh well, I guess I have to read more on the history about the Spanish Empire. I also have not figured out why architectural design of the churches in Russia is so different from those in the Western Europe. The Russian churches look a bit similar to the mosques. Aren't Islam and Christianity totally different? Haha, I think I have to focus on Spanish first, Russian can come later... Help to answer my questions if you can. Thanks a lot! ;)

Public Comments

1. 1) First start by learning basic Spanish words and phrases. Here's a great website that will teach you some basic words and phrases in Spanish. http://www.ielanguages.com/spanish1.html 2) One good reason for learning Spanish is because aside from English, Spanish is the most spoken language in the world! It's spoken in North America (parts of the U.S. and Mexico.), Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, etc...) South America (Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, etc...) The Caribbean (Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, etc...) and it's even spoken in Europe (Spain). Refer to the sources for more Spanish help.... and You're Welcome!