There are many rewards for the person who has the patience and perseverance to learn Spanish. These must be kept in mind as motivation. Though some people are talented when it comes to acquiring a new language, most people need to make a concerted effort.
People who acquire a language out of necessity do not need self motivation, but learn without thinking about it very much. As a consequence their vocabulary may be rather limited to the sphere of their daily lives, and mistakes may become permanent features of their usage. This is possibly how new varieties and dialects develop.
Children who are required to learn a second language at school but have no interest in it are good example of how instruction without interest is utterly futile. Many learners spend twelve years receiving instructions and are utterly incompetent at the end of it. Teaching is as futile as knocking a head against a stone wall. However, if a student is interested in learning, perhaps because he has an interest in playing the classical guitar, he will learn naturally.
Interest is an intellectual characteristic but attitude has more to do with emotions. A person who hates the very notion of bull fighting may associate this with Spanish. Even though he might be interested in many aspects of the language this negative attitude might well create difficulties.
A person who knows Spanish is able to communicate with a great number of people, worldwide. An English speaker will be able to communicate with an even larger number of people, since he will know two of the world’s main languages. Only Chinese has more users, but they are concentrated in one country.
The original inhabitants of Spain spoke an indigenous tongue of Celtic origins. When the Romans invaded they introduced Latin and this mixed with the indigenous expressions of traders and workers to become known as ‘vulgar Latin’. The Moors from North Africa later conquered the area and introduced Arabic influences that are still present. However, when the Moors were repulsed the influence of Latin on this romantic language was asserted yet again.
Spanish became a dominant language in South America because it was the language of conquest. It was at first necessary for people to learn the language and later it became entrenched. Interestingly, the same situation did not pertain in the Philippines which was also a colony for a while. There the indigenous language, Tagalong, persisted. Regional influences and the fact that there is a large Muslim influence in the Philippines may account for the difference.
There are many varieties and dialects of the language. This is true of most widespread languages with rich cultural and historical roots. The dominant dialects are probably Castilian and Andalusian. Linguists will always refuse to accept that one is better than another. An individual is entitled to use the version that suits him or her best and can be used effectively. A person who wishes to learn Spanish and has a choice would find the Castilian dialect widely known and can learn it by using a language course.
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