Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.

1. Do young people learn a second language faster and better than adults?
2. How do I learn to "sound" right when I speak Spanish?
3. Is the Spanish spoken in all 20 Spanish-speaking countries identical?
4. If I speak one of the other romance languages, is Spanish easier?
5. Why are classes conducted entirely in Spanish?

Do young people learn a second language faster and better than adults?

Research indicates that adults can generally be faster and more successful 
second language learners than youngsters, but it often appears otherwise 
because kids have the edge in enthusiasm and a genuine desire to learn to 
speak another language.

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How do I learn to "sound" right when I speak Spanish?

A good listener - that is to say, a person said to have a "good ear," who is 
generally an effective mimic and can virtually duplicate sounds and 
intonations not ordinarily part of his or her linguistic repertoire, makes an 
outstanding Spanish speaker. The Spanish language is composed of sounds which 
differ from those we employ in speaking English. By developing excellent 
listening skills, and by trying to duplicate the sounds one hears, one may 
gradually emerge as an "authentic-sounding" speaker of Spanish.

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Is the Spanish spoken in all 20 Spanish-speaking countries identical?

There is one Spanish language, but there are countless delightful variations. 
As in all languages, there are multiple ways of expressing the same idea. 
Each Spanish-speaking country has its own idiomatic expressions, 
characteristic words, and variations in pronunciation.

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If I speak one of the other romance languages, is Spanish easier?

All the romance languages are related. Once we speak one of those languages, 
the others are not difficult to learn. Italian and Portuguese are quite 
similar to Spanish. French, Romanian, and other romance languages also have 
similarities.

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Why are classes conducted entirely in Spanish?

This is both a Connecticut and a National standard for the teaching of 
Spanish in the public schools. By simulating a mini-visit to a Spanish 
speaking country each time they enter the classroom, students must develop 
listening/speaking skills in as authentic a context as may be provided.

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