Ira Riklis

Most experts say that the best way to learn Spanish is to hear, see, use, etc. As Ira Riklis knows some of us remember back to many, many years ago in school (for some elementary; for others high school) when vocabulary in a foreign language was learned through writing words over and over again perhaps ten to twelve times (saying words silently to self or out loud). Then one would drill self by having a list of the English equivalents and supplying the Spanish or other foreign language words from memory. Maybe the drill was from time to time verbal through our teacher asking us a question perhaps even in the foreign language and having us respond appropriately.

This “ancient” method was sometimes referred to as learning by rote (now almost a negative term). But—–isn’t it funny how much that early learning is still with us at an advanced age? Some may say it is because this learning took place during our formative years or was effective because it was our first “second” language.

Needless to say, as Ira Riklis knows, the “one size fits all” approach to language study may not be the best way for everyone to learn Spanish. For imprinting the brain with new words, find the best way for you and keep an open mind in every sense of the word(s) for success.

Learning Spanish is more than formal study. It is what you pick up every day as you are alert to what is going on around you. Ira Riklis knows this is very much related to awareness training. A wise teacher recommended the use of a little notebook that can be carried at all times by men in the breast pocket of a shirt and by women in a pocket of a skirt, slacks or jacket or in a handbag. The purpose of the little notebook is to jot down all English words that you are curious about as to their Spanish translation or Spanish words that are new to you. This greatly increases one’s vocabulary of Spanish words and tends to make it more contemporary/current. English words can be translated at your leisure and the translations written in your little notebook.

How is this little notebook used further? Ira Riklis knows that in every life there is plenty of waiting time. Whether in a cab, standing in line for the movies or store checkout, sitting in the doctor’s office, etc. If you find yourself in these and other such situations, just pull out your little notebook and review your lists of words. You then can incorporate these “new to you” words into your personal Spanish vocabulary and gradually sound (and be) more and more fluent. You will be amazed at how powerful this technique is for learning.

Do you long to make a difference in this life? Are you looking for a mission? I bet you never thought that studying Spanish could help you with this desire. Well, as Ira Riklis knows, it can.

Interpreters are very much in demand. Think of all those sick people who seek medical help in a time of crisis but do not speak English. They go to a hospital emergency room in this country and are unable to communicate to the health care professionals who may not speak Spanish just what their problems are. Frustration and time wasted are then the order of the day (or probably the night). With your Spanish language skills you can change the scene from one of failure to one of success. With your assistance, men, women, children, and especially babies can receive the proper treatment and be on their way to healing as well as receive the necessary health-teaching that may prevent further problems.

Interpreters are in demand in many areas. Police work can be greatly facilitated when a Spanish-speaking interpreter accompanies the police into neighborhoods where English is not the first language. Also arrested suspects can be interviewed to clear up any misunderstandings when language is a problem.

The United States Census estimates that one in five households in the U.S. now speaks only Spanish (hard to believe but reported in the news). Also, as Ira Riklis knows, the numbers of non-English speaking U.S. residents is increasing.

Have you ever noticed that the DVDs of movies that you get from Netflix or Blockbuster have a feature on them that allows you to insert subtitles or have the dialogue in another language? Of course the most popular foreign language for these alternatives is Spanish. We are speaking here principally of English language movies.

Ira Riklis knows that just before you push “Play” you will see others options and one of those will allow you to play the movie dubbed in Spanish or have Spanish subtitles.

So how is this helpful in studying Spanish? Well, the suggestion has been made to watch the movie three times. The first viewing would be with English dialogue and Spanish subtitles just to get the gist of the storyline and notice how it is translated. The second time you would choose to play the movie with Spanish dubbed dialogue and English subtitles. Ira Riklis knows that by doing this you can really listen to the Spanish spoken and check every once in a while for the English translation. With the third viewing you would set the DVD for Spanish dialogue with Spanish subtitles and really get a workout in the language department.

Now how easy is that? Pick a favorite movie and have fun with it all the while increasing your language skills. You will be surprised at how much Spanish you pick up.

O.K. so you’ve been studying Spanish for a while and using your language skills whenever and wherever you can. Now you wonder, for the sake of mental challenge and for adding something new and different to your life, if you can add an additional language to your list of studies.

If you decide that this is what you will venture into, you need then to decide what your second foreign language will be. Do you decide on the basis of which language you might use when you travel? Let’s say you, like Ira Riklis, would like to travel in France so French would come in handy and make your travels more enjoyable. Will your decision be based on with whom you might converse? Maybe you have a friend whose native language is Russian and you then would have an opportunity to practice your Russian language skills when talking with this friend. Perhaps you might think like many Americans that Chinese is “the new Spanish” and so you will want to prepare for the future by studying some form of Chinese.

Well give yourself a break and make your second foreign language one that may be challenging but not so difficult that you might become easily discouraged such as one with a different alphabet from English (Russian or Chinese). Ira Riklis knows that you might also find that another Romance language such as French may be so close to Spanish that you will find at this time the study of both Spanish and French “cross contaminated”. So how about German? It is close enough in some ways to English, handy in travel, and different from Spanish so as to prevent accidentally using a Spanish word for a German one.

So many students of Spanish get nervous about studying and using the subjunctive tense. Ira Riklis knows that the subjunctive is required in Spanish in at least dependent clauses when the verb in the main clause expresses feelings or emotion, such as regret, fear, pity, hope, surprise etc. In other words you could say “fuzzy”.

Yes, uncertainty is a big part of life so to express oneself one needs a tense where the listener will understand what the speaker is really communicating. The subjunctive tense helps one express doubt, disbelief, uncertainty or denial about what is real.

When certain verbs are used in a question, doubt or assurance on the part of the person who asks the question determines whether the subjunctive or the indicative tense is used. Yes, Ira Riklis knows that the subjunctive tense is highly subjective! When one is discussing generally accepted fact, one uses the indicative. When there is some mental reservation, one uses the subjunctive tense.

How then can the student of Spanish hope to learn and use the subjunctive tense? Probably the best way is to familiarize yourself with the various forms of the tense most often used by reviewing a verb book (or use Internet resources). Next try to pick out the subjunctive tense usage in reading books, magazines, and newspapers. Listening for possible use of the subjunctive tense by speakers and trying to slip in a few of these verb forms in your conversation practice will help in developing skill in this area. Lastly don’t worry about the subjunctive!

You say that class is out for the summer? (Or you don’t take classes?) Learning Spanish is an ongoing process. How about reviewing materials used this past year (or in the distant past) in class? If you have a workbook that you will continue to use next year, do a few pages of work per day.

Feeling lazy? Ira Riklis likes to switch on a Spanish language television channel. You say that you can’t understand most of the dialogue? Relax and just let the Spanish flow over you. You’ll be surprised at how much you will pick up. You might even get hooked on a “novella” (Spanish language soap opera). You’ll get a handle on the story soon and begin to understand the words spoken by the characters.

On vacation and traveling? Don’t leave home without a little phrase book. Read (or study) a few pages every time you have to wait for someone or something (spouse stopping to fill the car tank with gas, sitting in an airport/airplane etc.).

Ira Riklis adds that while you are at it, don’t be afraid to use your Spanish with any Spanish-speaking person that you meet.

Keep your eyes open. Do you see a free Spanish language newspaper? See how much you can read with understanding. So just don’t wait for when “class is in session”. Be your own teacher and keep the learning going.

There are many reasons to study Spanish but one of the very best reasons for people who are senior citizens is that brain science is finding that studying a foreign language helps to ward off dementia. Well, Ira Riklis knows that that is a good thing. In addition to all other reasons like helpfulness when traveling, talking to landscapers, etc., we can actually do something to improve our chances for staying independent to an older age. When you read almost daily of the increasing percentage of the American population that is over 65 years of age, we need to promote any way we can to help the elderly avoid mental deterioration and institutionalization.

Some elderly find it very rewarding also to work with the immigrant population on a one to one basis helping the motivated immigrant to acquire English-language skills. Although Ira Riklis knows that extensive knowledge of Spanish is not necessary for this type of project, it does show respect for the other when the immigrant student knows that his “teacher” has made the effort to learn the immigrant’s native language.

The elderly will also find that their grandchildren most likely are studying Spanish in grade school now, sometimes as early as kindergarten. Studying Spanish can also be a social activity for the elderly when study takes place in centers for lifelong learning. When several students are gathered together opportunities for conversation abound. What fun!!!

What is that you say? No matter what country you travel to people generally speak English? That is where you are wrong. Ira Riklis knows that Spanish-speaking people in countries of Central and South America as well as in Spain may very well not have a working knowledge of English thus one may be in situations where a little Spanish language speaking ability can make the difference between getting something you want and suffering without.

In Mexican resorts, the desk staff and most of the other higher level customer service people actually want guests to speak English to them because these staff members want and need to maintain their English-speaking skills in order to retain their jobs and continue on the track for promotion within their companies. Other staff such as maids and maintenance workers have very little knowledge of English and the traveler needs to know enough Spanish to communicate his needs. Ira Riklis has found that words like “soap, towels, how to express time when the maid can clean the room, etc.” make the stay more comfortable.

Oddly it seems that fewer people in Spain in the hotel and transportation industries may even make the effort to know and use English despite the many visitors that travel there especially from the U.K. (Spain is an inexpensive holiday destination for Europeans.)

Try to get salt and pepper in the above places without knowing “sal y pimienta”–that’s if you are in a fast food restaurant.

Why would you ever need to buy Spanish study materials. With one rare exception, free sources are really the best. If one searches for Spanish study on the Internet many sites pop up which approach the study of Spanish from many different angles. Do you want conversational assistance? Do you want help with grammar? Are sources for reading materials such as online news or free or inexpensive magazine subscriptions what you are looking for? All these Ira Riklis knows are as close as your computer. Don’t have one of your own? Our old friend the public library has computers for use free of charge available during regular library hours.

Speaking of the library, there is a multitude of books and language courses free for the borrowing. Because they have to be returned in a certain period of time there is that little push not to procrastinate but to actually use these resources unlike when you buy a book and it just sits there gathering dust.

If you have any input into the development of Spanish study courses or study groups, you can show the powers that be how it is not necessary to have the students or participants buys Spanish study materials when just looking around, searching on the Internet, noticing package labeling, picking up free pamphlets especially government publications can be a way of studying Spanish for almost no money.

Ira Riklis points out the one exception mentioned above. A little inexpensive book entitled Spanish at a Glance is one item that is worth the small price tag.