NEW
YORK (Quack Media) - "Hable usted Espanol?" If your answer is "no",
then you are a minority. Spanish is the fastest growing second language
in the United States. Even if you've never formally studied Spanish,
you likely know the important phrases, like Aye Chihuahua, La Vida
Loca, and Yo quiero Taco Bell. Can you say "Carmen Diaz"? This
blue-eyed, fair-skinned blonde beauty is, among other nationalities, of
Cuban descent. And Ricky
Martin really brought the Latin culture to the
foreground with his gyrating, hip-grinding
Latino musica. These are
just a few examples of how prevalent Spanish culture and language is,
in the U.S. We've all grown up with Hispanic "pop" phrases and Latino
superstars.
Here's a few fast Census facts: according to the
U.S. Census, the estimated Hispanic population of the U.S. as of July
1, 2003 was 39.9 million, making people of Hispanic origin the nation's
largest race or ethnic minority. Projections indicate that the Hispanic
population will increase to 102.6 million by July 1, 2050. 29 million
U.S. residents, reports the U.S. Census, speak Spanish at home.
Statistics aside, it just makes good sense to know Spanish.
In
a recent story posted online
Laura Azze reports "With the greatly
increasing number of Latinos in the U.S., it is highly likely that we
will all (at some point) encounter a Spanish speaking person. Perhaps
your job might send you to a Spanish-speaking country, or your
co-worker might be Latino. It is almost inevitable that an instance
will come up in which speaking Spanish will not only be useful, but
highly beneficial."
Quack Media, a young, upstart mixed media
company based in Ann Arbor, Michigan knows the value of learning
Spanish in a fun and entertaining way. They've developed what they
promise will be the next "cliff notes" of language study "What we've
done," says Al McWilliams, CEO for Quack Media, "is to take snatches of
really funny, vintage and contemporary film clips, added voiceovers (in
Spanish, of course), great music, and put it all together in a DVD
package designed for all ages and income brackets." McWilliams has a
team of college students, recent grads, and musicians who perform in
the Spanish Success film. Previous successful "cliff-style" DVDS
include "SAT Success", which is also based on the same entertaining,
hilarious film/voiceover format.
McWilliams continues, "It's no
secret that people learn and retain information easier and faster if
they relate the subject to a familiar tune or image." A fine example is
the Taco Bell jingle � Yo guiero Taco Bell. "We developed these with
numerous learning techniques incorporated into the different modules to
assure great retention and recall capabilities. Have fun, learn, and be
prepared to communicate in Spanish easier than anything every put
together on the subject."
It's increasingly difficult to
ignore the spread of Spanish in the United States. From magazines to
music, Spanish-language media have exploded. Who IS prepared? People
are streaming to Amazon.com to get the newest, most enjoyable way of
preparing to communicate well in Spanish with the Quack! Spanish
Success process.
