Latin American Music and Dance form a big part of Latin American culture. The ones that have got us Kiwis excited the most are Salsa, Merengue and Tango. Most Latin bands play a mixture of Salsa and Merengue when performing at Latin clubs around New Zealand. Tango seems to take a back seat and evenings usually start with Tango before the bands arrive. You will also find a bit of Cha Cha happening at the clubs, with the most popular song being “Let’s Get Loud”! Most cities in New Zealand have adopted these dances as their own with training institutes and Latin clubs emerging everywhere. On the other hand, at the events you will also see a bit of Rueda with anything from 10 to 50 dancers in the circle.

As the population of dancers taking up Latin Americal dancing is increasing, other variations such as Mambo, Bachata, Cumbia, Rumba. Every now and then, there is an event that has a Bateria followed by Samba all round. Most Brazilian events in Wellington are organised by the guys at Wellington Batucada.

Having said that, Salsa is still the crowd pleaser. Cuban Style Salsa is more popular in New Zealand clubs, although Linear style is gaining in popularity. However, the best dancers seem to save their Linear moves for competitions and performances. With more and more Kiwi dancers getting into in, it shouldn’t be long before we start seeing council organised events meant for hundreds of dancers. The new Waitangi Park in Wellington would be a perfect location for a community event of this kind.

By: Ramnish Gupta

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Why would you want to simply learn basic Spanish words? You can learn to speak Spanish online but what you’ll find is that much of what’s available is very basic and really isn’t going to do a very good job.

If you really can meet your needs by only learning basic Spanish words, you can buy a traveler’s phrase book and an English-Spanish dictionary and sit down and do some memorizing. That won’t teach you to speak Spanish and it won’t help you all that much with reading Spanish. Still, if that’s all you need it’s probably the simplest way to go. One warning, it will almost certainly be terribly boring.

In the United States, Spanish has rapidly become a very significant second language. As the economic development of Latin America continues and as the power of South America’s MercoSul grows, being able to speak Spanish is viewed as an important asset by many international businesses.

Beyond this, Latin America has a multitude of truly wonderful vacation spots that are a delight to visit. Naturally, the experience is greatly enhanced if you have learned to speak Spanish. Being able to explore freely, go shopping and ask for and understand directions without always worrying if you can find someone who can speak English is liberating.

Growing numbers of Americans and Europeans are also relocating to Latin American countries either temporarily for business reasons or in many cases permanently. As an example, many retirees find that they can have a much higher quality of life in Latin America than they could manage in the United States, Canada or Europe. Quite obviously, you’d find it much easier to live in any Latin American country if you learned to speak Spanish well.

Learning a new language opens the doors to new ways of seeing and understanding as well as providing the only real path to understand and participate in a different culture. Americans, until recently, seem to have failed to grasp the true importance of learning additional languages. While English is widespread and widely used for business, science and tourism, the heart of a country, its true culture lies within its language. To reach the best achievable level of understanding, of a person, a country or a culture, you need to understand their language.

To learn basic Spanish words may represent a beginning, but the payoff for the time and effort invested is very limited. If you need Spanish speaking skills for business or simply want to have access to the many rich cultures in Latin America and, of course, Spain, then actually learning to understand, read, and speak Spanish can enrich your life and offer new and exciting possibilities that otherwise would be beyond your reach.

By: Richard Keir

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Why learn Spanish? Well, to begin with, you need it to communicate with your neighbors! There are more than 17 million Hispanics in the U.S. who either don’t speak English very well or don’t speak it at all. You need to learn Spanish to be able to communicate with them, to understand what they are saying, to speak to them and make yourself understood.

If you are able to speak Spanish there is a new world of jobs open to you. Jobs where you need to communicate with Hispanics to deal with them as employees and/or customers. There are a lot of potential employees and potential customers amongst those 17 million people who must or prefer to speak in Spanish.

Spanish is also widely used and understood within the European Union. If you plan to travel or to vacation in Europe it could come be very useful.

The opportunity to use Spanish locally, along with its popularity internationally {contribute to making|help to make} Spanish a very popular selection of a second language to learn.

Another factor is that because of its various similarities to English, native English speakers can usually learn Spanish easy. There are many words in English that have Latin roots. After all, Latin was the official language of England up until 1252. The Magna Carta, the historic document limiting the power of Kings and establishing the jury system, was written in Latin in 1215.

Because of their Latin roots there are many common words and language usage concepts shared by both English and Spanish. Some words are identical in both languages, words like “actor” and “doctor”. Others are easily recognizable: English “tranquility” is Spanish “tranquilidad”, similarly humility – humilidad, responsibility – responsibilidad, etc.

The best way to learn Spanish is to get a good learn Spanish Program that will help you to learn conversational Spanish. You start with a few words and learn to use them in conversation. Asking and answering questions, actually using the words and speaking them.

When you stop and think about it, the conversational way is exactly the way you and almost every native speaker learned English. It’s the easy, natural way.

Look for a learn Spanish audio program that you can download in mp3 format. That way you can copy lessons over to your iPod or other portable audio device and take them with you. With the copies in hand and under your control, you can learn Spanish easy while you are driving or exercising or whatever, any time when your mind is not overly occupied.

Forget classroom drudgery; tedious verb conjugations and memorization. Language learning has gone way beyond that. With learn Spanish audio lessons you learn Spanish easy. You can study when and where you choose. With all your lessons on portable media, you control how fast or slow you go.

And you can do refresher reviews with your learn Spanish program any time you want to… even on the plane to Mexico City or Cancun! (Or in your hotel room once you are there!)

For more about learn Spanish audio programs and how to learn Spanish easy, follow the links below…

By: Jorge Chavez

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Learning Spanish can do a lot for you and improve life in a number of countless ways.

For starters, you can improve your understanding of English. Yes, that’s right! A lot of the vocabulary of English has Latin origins, much of which came to English by way of French. Since Spanish is also a Latin language, you will notice that as you study the language you will gain a better understanding of your native vocabulary. Similarly, both Spanish and English share Indo-European roots, so their grammar are similar. There probably isn’t a more effective way to learn English grammar than by studying the grammar of another language, since studying forces you to think about how your language is structured. It’s not unusual, for example, to gain an understanding of English verbs’ tenses and moods by learning how those verbs are used in Spanish.

Make Traveling Fun!

How about traveling? Sure, it is perfectly possible to visit Mexico, Spain or South America without speaking a word of Spanish. But it isn’t close to half as much fun. By having an understanding of the Spanish language, it may allow you to see and do things that many other visitors don’t get to. Also, the best way to truly understand a culture is to be able to speak the language. Sure you can learn a lot through a Lonely Planet guide, but it’s being able to communicate with the natives and the locals that will give you the experience of a lifetime. Being able to read a Latin American or Spanish newspaper, for example, can give you great insight into the places you visit and a better vision of what is going on in other parts of the world. Not to mention, Spanish offers a wealth of literature, both modern and traditional.

Learn Other Languages

Interested in learning other languages? Well, if you can learn Spanish, you’ll have an edge in learning the other Latin-based languages such as French, Italian and Portuguese. It can even help you learn Russian and German, since both also have Indo-European roots and have some characteristics that are present in Spanish but not English. In the end, learning Spanish will help you learn any language simply because by simply learning the structure of one language can give you a reference point for learning others.

In learning a foreign language, you are not going to find any easier language to learn than Spanish. Much of its vocabulary is similar to English’s, and written Spanish is almost completely phonetic. Although mastering Spanish grammar can be a challenge, the basic grammar is straightforward enough that you will be able to communicate after just a few lessons.

Improve Your Career Opportunities

Being able to speak another language can also help you in your career. Without a doubt, if you live in the United States and you work in one of the “helping” professions like healthcare and teaching, your career options and opportunities will expand by knowing Spanish. But really, wherever you live, if you’re in any occupation that involves international trade, communications, or tourism, you’ll find similar opportunities to use your new language skills. There is a limitless range of things you can do with Spanish!

Make Life More Interesting!

And finally, whether you enjoy talking, reading, or mastering challenges, you’ll find all of them in learning Spanish. There’s something about being able to successfully speak another language that makes life more interesting. Maybe that’s why children often speak Pig Latin or create secret codes of their own. Learning a language can be work, well, a lot of hard work, but the efforts pay off quickly when you finally get to use your new skills!

By: Sonny Sheth

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Anyone who has tried to play lead guitar in the style of Carlos Santana will know how difficult it is to duplicate. I am not referring to copying a Santana solo from a TAB sheet, we’re talking about understanding how Carlos creates his powerful solos.

Santana’s powerful solos are a blend of interesting harmonic textures mixed with traditional earthy scales. Of course, there’s a lot more to Carlos Santana’s music than scales and chords, Carlos is a very definite guitarist, every note he plays is packed with energy and emotion.

Guitarist’s trying to learn Santana’s guitar solos often encounter notes and chords outside the standard guitar resource material of minor pentatonic scale plus power chord combination.

Here’s 5 tips to help guitarist’s grasp the concepts behind Santana’s music.

1. Learn the Harmonic Minor scale .

Guitarist’s who already know the natural minor scale can easily create the Harmonic minor scale by sharpening the seventh note of the natural minor scale.

Let’s use the “A” natural minor scale as an example.

The notes in the “A” natural minor are as follows: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A.

By sharpening the G we create the “A” harmonic minor scale: A, B, C, D, E, F, G#, A.

The natural minor scale is also known as the Aeolian mode.

2. Study chords produced from the Harmonic minor scale.

As the name implies the Harmonic minor scale produces as interesting family of rich sounding chords.

The following chords are created from the “A” harmonic minor scale.

chord 1 = A minor (#7), chord 2 = B minor 7th flat 5, chord 3 = C major 7th sharp 5, chord 4 = D minor 7th, chord 5 = E dominant 7th, chord 6 = F major 7th, chord 7 = G sharp diminished 7th.

The “A” minor (#7) chord is also known as a minor/major seventh chord e.g., Am (MAJ7).

The B minor 7th flat 5 chord is also known as a B half diminished chord.

3. Play the standard Harmonic minor chord progressions.

The most common chord progressions are the 2-5-1, 1-4-5, 1-6-2-5, 1-6-4-5 and 1-6-5 progressions.

The following examples are given in the key of A harmonic minor, notice how the preference is for a straight minor chord for chord one instead of a minor sharpened seventh.

2-5-1 = B minor seventh flat 5, E dominant seventh, A minor./ 1-4-5 = A minor, D minor seventh, E dominant seventh. /1-6-2-5 = A minor, F major seventh, B minor seventh flat 5, E dominant
seventh. / 1-6-4-5 = A minor, F major seventh, D minor seventh,E dominant seventh. / 1-6-5 = A minor, F major seventh, E dominant seventh.

4. Blues scale played over Harmonic minor chord progressions:

Obviously the harmonic minor scale will work well over the chord progressions created from that scale. Santana often plays the blues scale over the harmonic minor chord progressions.

Here is an example, the “A” blues scale consisting of the notes A,C,D,Eb,E,G can be played over a B minor seventh flat 5, E dominant seventh and A minor chords progression.

5. Let to play the Dorian Mode:

A number of popular Santana tunes are based on the Dorian mode. The song “Evil Ways” is in “G” Dorian the notes for G Dorian are: G,A,Bb,C,D,E,F,G. Whilst the tune “Black Magic Woman” is derived
from the “D” Dorian mode: D,E,F,G,A,B,C,D.

Learning new scales and chords can be very interesting, it is vitally important to be able to “hear” these new sounds, record the chord progressions and pay close attention to how each chord sounds so you can recognize them when you hear them new time.

The Santana style of playing can add a new dimension to your guitar playing and improve your ability to play guitar by ear, take your time and enjoy these interesting sounds.

By: Mike P Hayes

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Which is the best language to learn? Which is the easiest?

Two different questions, often uttered in the same breath. But that’s okay, because there will be only one answer. Whichever language you wholeheartedly choose to study will be both the best and the easiest. However, here’s some help choosing.

The choices.

Here is the Modern Language Association’s 2002 list of the most commonly studied languages at university level in the United States. I have not included ancient languages like Latin, Biblical Hebrew, or Sanskrit, special purposes languages like American Sign Language, or U.S. heritage languages, like Hawaiian or Navajo since the choice of those languages follows a different dynamic:

1. Spanish
2. French
3. German
4. Italian
5. Japanese
6. Chinese
7. Russian
8. Arabic
9. Modern Hebrew
10. Portuguese
11. Korean
12. Vietnamese
13. Hindi/Urdu
14. Swahili

Difficulty, according to Uncle Sam

First, consider some cold facts. The U.S. State Department groups languages for the diplomatic service according to learning difficulty:

Category 1. The “easiest” languages for speakers of English, requiring 600 hours of classwork for minimal proficiency: the Latin and Germanic languages. However, German itself requires a bit more time, 750 hours, because of its complex grammar.

Category 2. Medium, requiring 1100 hours of classwork: Slavic languages, Turkic languages, other Indo-Europeans such as Persian and Hindi, and some non-Indo-Europeans such as Georgian, Hebrew and many African languages. Swahili is ranked easier than the rest, at 900 hours.

Category 3. Difficult, requiring 2200 hours of study: Arabic, Japanese, Korean and the Chinese languages.

Will you get a chance to practice this language?

Now, consider another important factor: accessibility. To be a successful learner you need the chance to hear, read and speak the language in a natural environment. Language learning takes an enormous amount of concentration and repetition, which cannot be done entirely in the classroom. Will you have access to the language where you live, work and travel?

The 14 most popular courses according to a combination of linguistic ease and accessibility.

1. Spanish. Category One. The straightforward grammar is familiar and regular. It is also ubiquitous in the Americas, the only foreign language with a major presence in the insular linguistic environment of the U.S. Chances to speak and hear it abound. It is the overwhelming favorite, accounting for more than fifty percent of language study enrollment in the MLA study.

2. French. Category One. Grammatically complex but not difficult to learn because so many of it’s words have entered English. For this vocabulary affinity, it is easy to attain an advanced level, especially in reading. It is a world language, and a motivated learner will find this language on the internet, in films and music.

3. German. Category One Plus. The syntax and grammar rules are complex with noun declensions a major problem. It is the easiest language to begin speaking, with a basic vocabulary akin to English. Abstract, advanced language differs markedly, though, where English opts for Latin terms. It values clear enunciation, so listening comprehension is not difficult.

4. Italian. Category One. It has the same simple grammar rules as Spanish, a familiar vocabulary and the clearest enunciation among Latin languages (along with Romanian). Italian skills are easily transferable to French or Spanish. You might need to go to Italy to practice it, but there are worse things that could happen to you. It is also encountered in the world of opera and classical music.

5. Russian. Category Two. This highly inflected language, with declensions, is fairly difficult to learn. The Cyrillic alphabet is not particularly difficult, however, and once you can read the language, the numerous borrowings from French and other western languages are a pleasant surprise. It is increasingly accessible.

6. Arabic. Category Three. Arabic is spoken in dozens of countries, but the many national dialects can be mutually incomprehensible. It has only three vowels, but includes some consonants that don’t exist in English. The alphabet is a formidable obstacle, and good calligraphy is highly valued and difficult to perfect. Vowels are not normally written (except in children’s books) and this can be an obstacle for reading. It is ubiquitous in the Muslim world and opportunities exist to practice it at every level of formality.

7. Portuguese. Category One. One of the most widely spoken languages in the world is often overlooked. It has a familiar Latin grammar and vocabulary, though the phonetics may take some getting used to.

8. Swahili. Category Two Minus. It includes many borrowings from Arabic, Persian, English and French. It is a Bantu language of Central Africa, but has lost the difficult Bantu “tones”. The sound system is familiar, and it is written using the Latin alphabet. One major grammatical consideration is the division of nouns into sixteen classes, each with a different prefix. However, the classes are not arbitrary, and are predictable.

9. Hindi/Urdu. Category Two. The Hindustani language, an Indo-European language, includes both Hindi and Urdu. It has an enormous number of consonants and vowels, making distinctions between phonemes that an English speaker will have difficulty hearing. Words often have clipped endings, further complicating comprehension. Hindi uses many Sanskrit loans and Urdu uses many Persian/Arabic loans, meaning that a large vocabulary must be mastered. Hindi uses the phonetically precise Devanagari script, created specifically for the language. Predictably, Urdu’s use of a borrowed Persian/Arabic script leads to some approximation in the writing system.

10. Modern Hebrew. Category Two. Revived as a living language during the nineteenth century, it has taken on characteristics of many languages of the Jewish diaspora. The resultant language has become regularized in grammar and syntax, and the vocabulary has absorbed many loan words, especially from Yiddish, English and Arabic. The alphabet has both print and script forms, with five vowels, not normally marked. Vowel marking, or pointing, is quite complex when it does occur. Sounds can be difficult to reproduce in their subtleties and a certain amount of liaison makes listening comprehension problematic. It is not very accessible outside of a religious or Israeli context.

11. Japanese. Category Three. Difficult to learn, as the vocabulary is unfamiliar, and the requirements of the sound system so strict that even the many words that have been borrowed from English, French and German will seem unrecognizable. With three different writing systems, it is forbiddingly difficult to read and write. Also, social constraints may impede useful interaction.

12. Chinese. Category Three. Whether your choice is Mandarin or Cantonese (the MLA survey does not make a distinction, oddly enough). It is the most difficult language on this list. It includes all of the most difficult aspects: unfamiliar phonemes, a large number of tones, an extremely complex writing system, and an equally unfamiliar vocabulary. Personal motivation is absolutely essential to keep the student on track. On the positive side, it is easy to find, since Chinese communities exist throughout the world, and Chinese language media, such as newspapers, films and TV, are present in all these communities.

13. Vietnamese. Category Three. This language belongs to an unfamiliar family of languages, but it does borrow much vocabulary from Chinese (helpful if you already speak Chinese!). It has six tones, and a grammar with an unfamiliar logic. It’s not all bleak, however, Vietnamese uses a Latin derived alphabet. The chances of speaking this language are not high, though there are 3 million speakers in the USA.

14. Korean. Category Three. Korean uses an alphabet of 24 symbols, which accurately represent 14 consonants and 10 vowels. However, the language also includes 2000 commonly used Chinese characters for literary writing and formal documents. Speech levels and honorifics complicate the learning of vocabulary, and there is liaison between words, making them hard to distinguish. The grammar is not overly complicated and there are no tones. It borrows many Chinese words, but the language is unrelated to other languages of Asia.

The most important factor of all: personal motivation

The third, most important factor is up to you. The easiest language to learn is the one that you are most motivated to learn, the one you enjoy speaking, the one with the culture that inspires you and the history that touches you spiritually. It is useless to try to learn a language if you are not interested in the people who speak it, since learning a language involves participating in its behaviors and identifying with its people.

So, consider all three factors: motivation, accessibility and linguistic ease, in that order, and come up with the final list yourself. The bad news is that no language is really easy to learn, but the good news is that we humans are hard wired for a great amount of linguistic flexibility, as long as we know how to turn on the learning process. If the rewards and benefits of the language are clear to you, you will be able to get those rusty language synapses sparking in your head and start the words rolling. Bonne chance!

By: Dominic Ambrose

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