Knowledge of a second (or third) language makes for a more diverse and marketable resume. French knowledge is the obvious choice for a second language for Canadians, but the value of a solid Spanish education is on the rise.
Web Spanish classes can be taken in either a formal or informal online setting.
For adults, Spanish distance learning courses are available through colleges, universities or online public high schools. High school courses can be taken online by any adult as long as they reside in the province of the school board offering said courses. While there are registration fees, the fees are lower than those for post-secondary courses.
Online high school courses in Spanish are usually more basic, introductory-level classes. While university and colleges’ online learning centres do also offer introductory Spanish courses online, the cost is generally far higher and thus students looking to attain a beginner-level Spanish education may feel that an online high school Spanish course may be a more worthwhile investment. For more information on online high school courses, consult our article on distance learning high school courses.
If seeking a greater challenge with more tangible rewards, college and university Spanish courses are also available online. They come at a price which is usually accompanied by fairly expensive textbook requirements, but post-secondary online Spanish courses also formally structured and offer many resources to their students. For example, most post-secondary learning platforms have discussion or chat features so that students can interact on line and form study groups, go over material, and learn from one another. Many schools also assign tutors and counselors specifically for their on line learning courses. Schools such as Alberta’s Athabasca University which specialize in distance learning are especially known for this.
The biggest advantage of completing internet Spanish classes through a high school, university or college is that there are records from the school confirming that these courses have been taken, and one’s grades appear on an official transcript. Employers can be shown these transcripts as proof of one’s proficiency in Spanish.
For those who are not interested in having any certification documenting their education, there are any independently-operated websites dedicated to providing free or cheap online Spanish language education. These online “classes” can be found through Google and may help produce more conversational Spanish for its students as well as more accurate pronunciation since many operate their lessons through video and audio presentations.
Students seeking to learn conversational Spanish should not simply stick to “Spanish courses” when using search engines to find the perfect online Spanish class – many travel and tourism sites feature language and pronunciation guides to make it easy to communicate in Spanish and read signs and guides. Many bloggers also keep accounts of their own efforts to learn Spanish so that users can follow along as if they have classmates or learning partners.
Other informal Spanish classes online may require users to pay a small fee, but that small fee is often in exchange for high-quality audio files, interactive and stimulating videos and phonetic pronunciation guides.
Here are a few things one should look for in online Spanish lessons not affiliated with schools:
- Video lessons accompanied by text so that proper spelling can be learned,
- Conjugation guides,
- Phonetic pronunciation guides,
- Latin roots,
- Audio pronunciation, preferably from a real person and not a computerized robot, and
- Full sentences, not just words taught one at a time.
Though there is less stress in partaking in free or informal internet Spanish courses, some feel immensely satisfied by the feeling of accomplishment when completing assignments and tests and watching themselves improve over time.
University and college web-based Spanish courses usually require application and registration at particular times in the year, whereas high school and informal courses are far looser in their registration requirements. If time is of the essence, that may make one’s decision easier.
