Spanish Facts
Spanish people refer to their language as Espanol ('espa駉l') when contrasting it with languages of other countries, but call it Castilian ('castellano') if comparing it with other languages and dialects of Spain
Up until 1987, Spanish was the official language of the Philippines
Spanish syntax is generally Subject-Verb-Object, and usually places adjectives after nouns
Get audio
El Museo del Prado es una de las referencias art铆sticas m谩s importantes y representativas de la cultura de Espa帽a. En las salas que lo componen, se pueden encontrar excepcionales ejemplos de la obra pict贸rica de autores espa帽oles (Goya, Vel谩zquez, Zurbar谩n), y tambi茅n obras de grandes maestros de todo el mundo (Tiziano, Rubens o El Bosco, por ejemplo), as铆 como muestras de esculturas de gran calidad.
La primera iniciativa seria y oficial de fundar un museo similar al Museo del Louvre de Par铆s en Madrid, fue del rey Jos茅 I Bonaparte. Pero la idea no comenz贸 a hacerse realidad hasta el reinado de Fernando VII. La primera vez que se inaugura fue el 19 de Noviembre de 1819 y se llam贸 Museo Real de Pintura y Escultura.
Al principio en el museo se guardaban las obras de arte de las colecciones reales y se conservaban otras de la Academia de Bellas Artes. Las visitas necesitaban un permiso especial de la Corte y estaban muy restringidas.
Al fallecer Fernando VII, las piezas del Museo deb铆an repartirse como parte de su herencia. Pero con la expulsi贸n de Isabel II (1868) y el cese de la monarqu铆a borb贸nica, el Museo se nacionaliz贸 como otros bienes reales, y pas贸 a llamarse Museo Nacional del Prado.
Desde sus primeros momentos el museo recibi贸 importantes donaciones y proyectos para la recuperaci贸n de otras obras, hasta que el espacio disponible fue insuficiente.
Poco antes del centenario, el Museo recibi贸 una nueva organizaci贸n legal, lo que le permiti贸, con una acertada pol铆tica de importantes exposiciones, ponerse a la cabeza de los museos europeos y americanos.
La Guerra Civil marc贸, como en toda Espa帽a, un frenazo brusco a este progreso. Se cerr贸 al p煤blico a poco de iniciarse el enfrentamiento, e intentaron protegerse las obras de los bombardeos. Gracias a la recomendaci贸n de la Sociedad de Naciones, se sacaron las piezas m谩s importantes.
Despu茅s de la posguerra, el comienzo del turismo supuso un renacer del Museo y un asombroso aumento de sus visitantes.
En 2004 llego a tener dos millones de visitantes, gracias a la celebraci贸n de las exposiciones de Vel谩zquez, El Greco, Picasso y Manet.
Spanish links
Our native-speaking qualified Spanish teachers can guide you and your group at your work or at home, at a time convenient to you. Classes can take place on any day of the week - even weekends - morning, afternoon or evening. If needs be, if meeting at your office or home is not suitable, you can take your lessons at the trainer's office. Study materials are supplied for you.
Book now / EnquiryThose who would benefit the most from these Spanish tutorials are those who feel they need to learn Spanish to help them out in their business lives. For starters, learning salutations and business etiquette is integral; once these have been practiced then reading and writing courses can start. Typical studiers have been those involved in international import/export, negotiations and acquisitions, those in multinational companies requiring another language, and those working in any way with international governments and relevant administration. Just our simplest course for beginners will have students finishing the lessons with basic telephone and e-mail Spanish, as well as survival Spanish should a visit to the country be necessary.
Book now / EnquirySpanish courses of this type are broader and are aimed towards students with a variety of requirements. While all beginner level students will cover survival Spanish - needed for short visits to countries where English isn't widely spoken, or if you wish to 'go local'; those studying Spanish usually go in different directions at this point, depending on what they need. Those who have benefitted from these Spanish classes have been those investing in or buying property overseas, those married to overseas nationals, people setting off on a round-the-world trip, enthusiasts in Spanish culture, and those enthusiastic to pass a specific exam in Spanish.
Book now / EnquiryCourses in Spanish are also accessible for 2 or more studying in tandem (Two-to-One Spanish Course or Small Group In-Company Spanish Course). All those involved must have around the same experience of the language, similar needs of areas of proficiency, and must be able to work at the same time and place. Bookings must be made for all students at the same time. Listen & Learn do not advise classes of more than 6-8 people, although In-Company Taster Spanish sessions can be run with as many as 12 people.
Book now / Enquiry
Hull
A large town in North Yorkshire, Harrogate forms a conurbation with Knaresborough, the population of the combined urban area being around 85,000. Historically Harrogate was primarily a hub for agriculture and the woollen industry. Nowadays the town is used as a commercial, conference and exhibition centre, owing mainly to the vast array of hotels built during the period before the First World War when Harrogate was a popular getaway for the English 茅lite. Harrogate also acts as a dormitory town for commuters working in Leeds and Bradford, and is also the site of regionally renowned traditional eateries, Betty's Tea Rooms.
Spanish Testimonials
"I have been very happy to learn Spanish with Paloma. She makes the lessons interesting and relevant to my needs. A mixture of teaching/learning styles keeps the lessons varied, and is happy to vary the pace as required. She is always well prepared and punctual for the classes, and also flexible for my changing schedule."