The Art of Learning Languages

As English has always been the first language people decide to learn, those English-speaking people who have decided to learn other languages have been left aside. Spanish is the second most chosen by many celebrities, some of whom you may know have learned the language and shown their skills.

Did you know that Ben Affleck speaks Spanish?

Well, yes, he speaks Spanish apart from his native language. He has been using the language since he was 13, living in Mexico. He lived there while recording the TV series “The Second Voyage of the Mini.”  This was one of the reasons why he decided to learn the language. But also, it was due to the language, we may say, that he met his passional but ephemeral girlfriend, Ana de Armas, a Cuban and Spanish Actress; and what is more, Jennifer Lopez, the renowned singer, songwriter, and actress from Puerto Rico, who recently has become his beloved wife. All these have definitely and substantially contributed to him practicing his language skills and learning more, as it is said that languages are also known when we get in deep contact with them. Therefore, recommendations are that everyone willing to learn should take a Spanish class Barcelona.

Do you know anyone else?

Anya Taylor Joy, born in the United States of America and raised in the beautiful country of Argentina, acquired the language during her childhood stage. She continues to speak both languages perfectly, with the typical intonation both languages imply. Whenever she has the chance, she expresses that she misses Argentina so much and also that she loves Dulce de Leche ice cream, which she pronounces in a very Argentinian way, making her interviewers feel jealous of her pronunciation. Moreover, she lives in London, Los Angeles, and Buenos Aires. Click here to learn more.

Luka Dončić

For sports fans, Luka Dončić, a Slovenian professional basketball player, has come to the United States to play with the Dallas Maverick. What is interesting about him is that he speaks Spanish even better than English; this may be because he played on the Real Madrid Basketball team before coming to the States. Furthermore, in the team he is currently playing, he has a teammate who also speaks Spanish; and there are some interviews in which they are asked about their level of Spanish; both said that for them, it is an advantage to know the Spanish language because in the dressing room or whenever they want to, they can speak without letting the other members of the team understand what they are saying. For them, as they say in some interviews, it was helpful to know the Spanish language when they arrived in Dallas, Dallas; many Latin-American people live there. They also said that people are astonished when they hear them speaking in Spanish, because they do not expect to listen to them speaking in their language. In some cases, it is paramount to see how not knowing a specific language is disadvantageous. People would not comprehend when someone is planning to defraud them in another language.

Gwyneth Paltrow

Going back to the artist’s genre. Another very well Spanish speaker is Gwyneth Paltrow. She started studying when she was fifteen in a school in New York. Moreover, she had the opportunity to travel to Spain as an exchange student. She lived with a Spanish family in the center of Spain, near Toledo. It is adorable to hear her speaking the language. She makes some mistakes unnoticeable if you are not an expert, but she has a marked accent. Some interviews were made with her in Spanish in which she managed the language very well, and she even said that she loves Spanish Culture, Latin American culture, and its people. As was the case of Gwyneth, many people go to a country where everyone speaks a language that is not their native one; this is helpful because, in these places, you are immersed in the language, and this is the perfect way to acquire the language, listening to it, speaking it and so on.

Vigo Mortenssen

He was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. His father was Danish, and his mother was North American. When he was two years old, in 1960, his father decided that they had to go to live in Argentina because he wanted to be a businessman and make a fortune. As a result, all the family moved to Argentina, Buenos Aires. He lived in the Province of Chaco, Córdoba, and Buenos Aires, but when he was eleven years old, he left Argentina and returned to the United States with his mother and brothers. However, when he was six or seven years old, he started writing short stories, and it was at that moment and there that he learned to speak de Spanish from the Rio de la Plata River. Nowadays, he is a great and very well-known actor, director, writer, producer, musician, and multimedia artist. His first role was in the movie The Purple Rose of Cairo in 1985, and he continues to this day; he even formed part of the victorious Lord of the Rings movies in 2000; this was one of the significant mainstream breakthroughs he has achieved.

All in all, as you may see, sometimes learning a language can be seen as something impossible to reach or achieve. However, nowadays, it is easier to find the necessary information to learn and acquire the language properly. You will discover many accesses to the different institutions available for teaching any language you may want on the internet. Nevertheless, if you do not have the money or the possibility to travel to those Spanish-speaking countries, try to save, as in this way more doors will be opened for you in new worlds and new cultures, which are worth knowing.