La Ñapa
In Spanish, la ñapa means a little something extra, and that’s what this page includes…things we think are of interest and worth sharing. Sometimes in English and sometimes in Spanish, we hope that you'll like what you find.
¡Que disfruten!
Why Learn Spanish? Think better, live better, earn better…
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Spanish is a beautiful, melodic language. It has a poetic flow that pleases the ear and feels good to speak.
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Spanish is an important second language in much of the U.S. and is widely spoken in other countries.
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There’s a good chance your neighbor, friend or someone in your family speaks Spanish.
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Want to travel to Spain, central or southern America? Your trip will be totally different and much more enjoyable with even some basic Spanish skills.
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Speaking Spanish opens up new career opportunities and can give you the competitive edge to land that new job.
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Learning a second language boosts brain power and achievement.
Many studies have been done on the benefits of learning a second language. Today we know that the benefits go far beyond just new linguistic abilities:
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For all of us: increased cognitive (thinking) and creative abilities.
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When we are young: young children who learn a second language demonstrate increased critical thinking skills, creativity, and flexibility of mind.
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As we get older: learning a second language keeps the brain actively engaged, delaying the onset of Alzeimers and other reductions in cognitive ability (i.e., attentiveness, memory, problem solving).
Read more about the research findings at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages website.
Spanish is one of the easiest foreign languages to learn. Much of its vocabulary is similar to English, and written Spanish is very phonetic - ‘what you see is what you say.’
See also: Top 10 reasons your should be learning a foreign language
On May 30, 2011 the New York Times published a short interview by Claudia Dreifus with cognitive neuroscientist Ellen Bialystok. This conversation reveals that bilingual children have an almost scary cognitive advantage.
On April 4, 2011, National Public Radio aired a story called Being Bilingual May Boost Your Brain Power. It is definitely worth a listen or a read, and be sure to also check out the comments from listeners. Here are two:
Being bilingual is like having another entire mind available. With new languages come new ideas of humor, aesthetics, art, culture, politics, literature, history, and so on. People who never learn another language and culture don't really come to understand English or their own culture. Perspective on yourself only happens when you step outside your "native" settings, and learning new languages is about the quickest way.
A major reason other countries have a big advantage on us economically. We're telling our schools to wait until our kids are 11 or 12 to start teaching them a foreign language. Other countries are teaching foreign languages from the first years of school.
You may also be interested in the related NPR story, Parents Begin Spanish Lessons with Toddlers.
We use the ñ (eñe) in our logo because this letter is unique to Spanish and of Spanish origin. It is pronounced like the letters ny in the word canyon.
While many believe that Spanish is indeed a romantic language, it is classified as one of the Romance language because its roots come mostly from Rome and Latin. Spanish explorers began to spread the language to Central and South America as well as some of North America in the 1400s. Today, Spanish is second only to Chinese in the total number of native speakers worldwide, numbering about 322 million. It is the official language of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Spanish is frequently spoken in the U.S. and not just by Hispanics. Aside from English, it is the most widely taught language in U.S., with more and more citizens are becoming bilingual or partly so. While there are plenty of differences between English and Spanish, there is more commonality than most people realize.
Our small class groups often become tight knit. And so it is with our Advanced 2 class. We are proud to present stories written by some of the students, as part of our study of Rosario Ferré's essay about Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein.
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Ambición Sin Fin - autor El Predicador
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Cortina de Humo - autor El Galán
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El Cazador Reducido - autor La Sensata
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El Dedo Gordo - autor La Vaquera
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La Fantasma de Túnica y Capucha - autor El Hablador
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Sin Huellas - autor El Científico
Our Advanced 1 class did such a great job on a poetry project that we will soon be sharing their poems with you. To be posted soon...
Our students have traveled to Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico and Spain. Sometimes the road less traveled is the best choice. Help us complete the list!
The Vistawide website on World Languages lists the following 10 reasons why you should be learning a foreign language. See the website for more information on each.
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To increase global understanding
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To improve employment potential
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To increase native language ability
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To sharpen cognitive and life skills
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To improve chances of entry into college or graduate school
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To appreciate international literature, music, and film
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To make travel more feasible and enjoyable
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To expand study abroad options
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To increase understanding of oneself and one's own culture
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To make lifelong friends