If you live in America, chances are that you know someone who speaks Spanish—the U.S. has the second-largest population of Spanish speakers in the world. Learning Spanish can not only help you communicate with your friends and neighbors, but it can expand your career opportunities and make you a more well-rounded person. But learning Spanish on your own can be challenging—so how can you do it? Studying with a Spanish tutor online is an effective and affordable option that can help you achieve the results you want.
Let’s face it—if you set out to learn Spanish on your own, there are no guarantees you’ll get far. Many people find that when they study on their own, they lack the motivation to push themselves forward. Procrastination can also rear its ugly head and prevent you from reaching the milestones you wish to get to.
Studying with a private tutor, however, can eliminate these challenges. Tutors offer external motivation and also meet at scheduled time slots, so procrastination is not an option (in most cases). Eurekly.com is a great resource for finding Spanish tutors online to help you meet these challenges and surpass them with flying colors.
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How Prevalent is Spanish in the United States?
According to a recent Forbes article, Spanish is the most common non-English language spoken in the United States. The U.S. is also home to the second-largest Spanish-speaking population in the world, following Mexico at number one. In fact, when then-President Trump sent out letters to U.S. citizens letting them know about the COVID stimulus package, one side of the paper was written in English and the other side was written in Spanish.
Experts predict that by 2050, one in three people in the U.S. will speak Spanish. The question is, will you be one of them? Or will you be the person who stands on the sidelines, missing out on potential friends and relationships because of a language barrier?
How Can a Spanish Tutor Help You Learn Spanish?
If you don’t want to be left behind when it comes to the growing Spanish trend, choosing a Spanish tutor online is a great way to become fluent in the language and open up many doors for yourself. A private Spanish tutor can provide one-on-one attention that you wouldn’t get in a classroom setting. They can customize lessons for you based on your background, pace, and goals.
And when you have your lessons online, convenience is the name of the game. Eurekly allows you to easily search for and find tutors that fit your criteria. Once you schedule a session, you don’t need to leave your home to get started.
You can learn with as many tutors as you want—there is no limit. One tutor might specialize in Spanish grammar, while another specializes in reading and writing. You can choose tutors that have different specialties and who complement each other so that you can make progress quickly.
Online tutors on Eurekly are usually much more affordable than those you would find in-person since Eurekly is an open marketplace that fosters competition. Tutors know that if they charge too much money, you can simply find another one who charges less. Local in-person tutors don’t have the same competition and can therefore charge more.
Many Eurekly Spanish tutors also offer free trial lessons, so you can test out whether the tutor you chose is a good match for you without spending money.
Spanish Tutors Can Motivate You
In addition to the benefits of learning with a Spanish tutor mentioned above, there’s also the benefit of motivation. When learning on your own, it can be hard to fit Spanish practice into your busy schedule. Moreover, you don’t have anyone to correct you. For example, if you want to practice speaking Spanish, you can say the sentences out loud, but no one can correct you if you make a mistake. No one can offer encouragement when you get something right.
Is it Hard for English Speakers to Learn Spanish?
Spanish and English share common roots and tens of thousands of cognates. This makes it relatively easy for English speakers to learn Spanish, especially when compared to languages that don’t share any commonalities with English, like Japanese, Russian, Arabic, and more.
However, just because English and Spanish have similar roots doesn’t mean they are the same. There are some very important differences to take note of, including:
- Gender – Spanish nouns have a gender (el is masculine, la is feminine).
- Adjective placement – Adjectives come after the noun, in most cases (the opposite of English).
- Punctuation – In English, question marks and exclamation points are placed at the end of the sentence, but in Spanish, they’re placed at both the beginning and end. But the ones at the beginning of the sentence are upside down.
- Pronunciation – The “r” in Spanish, among other things, can be hard for English speakers to master.
While these differences are important to note, it’s still very possible to master them and become fluent in Spanish. With the help of an online Spanish tutor, the learning process can be smooth, fast, and even fun! If you decide that learning Spanish is the right move for you, check out Eurekly.com and find a great Spanish tutor today.