Major League Baseball Players are Learning Spanish to Communicate with their Latino Teammates
For a very long time, the expectation in the Major League Baseball (MLB) community was that Latino players would learn English upon arriving in the United States. This is still true, but there is now an added element to the communication game. According to an article in the Washington Post, many American baseball players are […]
The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) is Helping Supply China’s Demand for Spanish Speakers
According to an article published by ADN Cultura, there are currently about 50 thousand people studying Spanish in China. Spanish is taught at 135 universities and the Chinese government included it as an optional foreign language (along with French, German and English) in the secondary school curriculum, and in some primary schools. UNAM’s Center for […]
The Need to Learn Spanish in English-speaking Caribbean Islands
People in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago – two Caribbean nations where English is the official language – are starting to recognize the importance and practicality of learning Spanish as a foreign language. In an recent interview with JIS News, the Jamaican Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Alando […]
Two New SIELE Centers in Mexico
The SIELE continues to increase its reach. The Cervantes Institute is on the move again, signing new agreements with two institutions in order to bring them into the network of institutions that offer the SIELE exam to students who want to take this cutting edge placement exam. The latest agreement is between the Cervantes Institute […]
Spanish Instruction: It’s Needed More Than Ever
At Web Spanish, we have always believed that the best way to fight discrimination is to educate against it, focusing efforts on today’s children and youth and we feel that those who teach young people about other languages and cultures foster a more accepting and inclusive future. In today’s globalized world, it is imperative that […]
SIELE exam dates 2017 announced
SIELE, the International Service for Spanish Language Assessment, which is set to become the new standard for Spanish language proficiency has released exam dates for 2017. The SIELE is supported by the Cervantes Institute, and a coalition of universities worldwide. Offering students, the opportunity to complete exams made up of four parts (reading, writing, speaking, […]
Why are university students dropping out of Spanish?
In 2015, an MLA study showed that the number of students studying languages as a major in US universities had declined for the first time ever – why is this? And is it a reason to worry? I don’t think so, as it reflects the changes in how people want to learn languages, and the […]
TED TALK: Four Reasons to Learn a New Language
LEARNING SPANISH WITH ONLINE SPANISH LESSONS There is a worthwhile Ted Talk given by linguist and Columbia professor John McWhorter that has been making the rounds recently. In a 10 minute whirlwind of ideas, McWhorter makes the case that English is rapidly consolidating its position as the global language, and points out how this […]
Movie Starring Martin Sheen Shot in Spanish and English
A press release about a new movie shot in both Spanish and English caught my eye this morning because of its implications for online Spanish language schools like Web Spanish, and because of its potential impact on the US movie industry, which is rushing to find new ways to capture the growing market of Spanish […]
Who Owns the Spanish Language
The Argentine newspaper “Clarín” published an article on April 15th, titled Controversia: ¿de quien es la lengua castellana? (Controversy: The Spanish Language Belongs to Whom?). The article by Mauro Libertella relates how the newly minted SIELE Spanish proficiency exam is ruffling feathers in Argentina, where some academics fear the new exam will give Spain a […]