5 Difficulties When Learning English for Spanish Speakers

English is the most commonly used language in the world. So you might have an interest in learning this international language. As a foreign language, you may face difficulties in learning English. If your first language is Spanish, the pronunciation, meaning, and grammatical points may seem a little difficult to you. Though having a good command of English is not difficult.

To overcome all these difficulties and get 1-on-1 tutoring from native teachers, be sure to check out AmazingTalker’s English Tutors. If you are an English speaker looking to learn Spanish they also have Spanish Tutors.

 

Introduction

Learning a foreign language is always a bit challenging, but not impossible at all. As a language consisting of many grammatical rules, English learners face some difficulties. Good guidance will help you overcome these. Also, your first language can have a beneficial influence on your learning process. Knowing the meanings and translations of words is an effective way to start.

People all around the world show an interest in learning English, as it is a widely used international language. We can identify some common problems while a Spanish speaker learns English. Having Spanish as your first language may not help you as much in learning English as it would in other Romance languages like Italian, Portuguese, and French.

 

Body

 

1. Pronunciation

Pronunciation is one of the most significant issues a Spanish speaker faces while learning English. It is important to master pronunciation skills to learn English perfectly. Spanish and English have different phonetics. Also, Spanish speakers tend to pronounce things as they are written. Dropping consonants is a common problem. Spanish doesn’t contain consonant clusters. As a result, Spanish speakers may drop the last consonants in a word. For example, “text” may be pronounced as “tex” and “worked” as “work”. Spanish users may also get puzzled about pronouncing ‘B’ and ‘V’. Adding extra vowel sounds, in the beginning, is also a common issue. Being a stress-timed language English seems difficult to Spanish speakers as theirs is a syllable-timed language.

 

2. Words with Multiple Meanings

English is a language with diverse uses. In English, a single word can carry multiple meanings, which makes it complex to learn. Almost all words have more than one meaning. Words with the same spelling and pronunciation are called homonyms. Spanish speakers will face difficulties in understanding this. For example, the word “fair” indicates a carnival or an event. But it may also mean behaving rightly or having light skin. Just like this, the word “bow” bears the meaning of “greeting,” “a tie knot,” or “a weapon.” Thus, a word can create confusion among learners. Taking guidance from expert English tutors will help you out of this very problem.

 

3. Literal Translations

The term “Literal Translation” simply means direct translation from one language to another. It is actually translating a sentence or a passage word for word. Knowing the meaning of words is necessary, but the literal translation may create problems for new learners in understanding the sense of the sentence. So it is a must to get the inner sense conveyed in the sentence along with its literal translation to properly learn it. Professional Spanish Tutors can help you get this right.

 

4. Words that Look Similar But Mean Totally Different Things (False Friends)

Similar-looking words in two different languages with different meanings are mostly known as “false friends.” It is a common problem while learning a new language. If you are a Spanish speaker and are learning English, you will also face the same issue. As an example, you can get confused between English embarrassment and embarazada, which is a Spanish word that means pregnant. Constipated and constipado are also examples of this, where constipado means to catch a cold. So keep these in mind as you learn English, as a native Spanish speaker or as a native English speaker.

 

5. Grammar Differences

Grammatical differences are also one of the most faced problems. Both Spanish and English have many differences in grammar. The placement of adjectives is a noticeable one. Spanish speakers are likely to use descriptive adjectives after nouns. On the other hand, it is used before nouns in English. Conjugation is also a significant example. In English, you will generally see slight changes in verbs like adding “s,” “es,” “ed,” etc. depending on the situation. But Spanish modifies verbs differently. They convey the sense of mood, person, and tense through conjugation. Also, word order is less valued in Spanish. Adjectives are seen both after and before nouns; verbs are seen to be used as nouns.

You may already be aware of the difficulties that Spanish speakers face when learning English. Most learners face problems with pronunciation. Secondly, there are word meaning issues. Multiple-meaning words make them puzzled. Literal translation or direct translation is also one of the major problems. Also, there are ‘false friends’ that even confuse some native English speakers. Last but not the least, you need to be conscious of grammatical points.

 

Conclusion

Be it English or any other language, learning a new one is always difficult and challenging. Throughout the article, we tried to give you an idea of what problems you may face while learning English as a second language. Also, we tried to show you how you can overcome them.

You will always find Amazing Talkers by your side to help you learn new languages. They are well-equipped with expert tutors and offer instruction in 46 different languages. Moreover, they provide budget-friendly courses. So what’s the thought for? Contact Amazing Talkers and grab the opportunity to master your skills in new languages.