Spanish, or ESPAÑOL to the natives, is one of the Romantic languages spoken by more than 300,000,000 people in Spain, the Americas, and Africa. It's the fourth language in the world in terms of numbers of speakers. Spanish is also known (particularly in Latin America) as Castilian, after the dialect from which modern standard Spanish developed. That dialect arose in the 9th century in north-central Spain (Old Castile) and, as Spain was reconquered from the North African Moors, spread southward to central Spain (New Castile) around Madrid and Toledo by the 11th century. In the late 15th century, the kingdoms of Castile and Leon merged with that of Aragon, and Castilian became the official language of all Spain.

Latin-American Spanish has a number of regional dialects; all are derived from Castilian but differ in pronunciation from European Spanish. Typical of Latin-American Spanish is the use of the s sound :Castilian has the lisp-like th sound (z or c before e or i in spelling). In most cases, you'll be learning Castillan or "regular" Spanish. However, it's becoming increasingly popular for students to travel to Latin America for an intensive course, especially in conjunction with travel. Cuba is the current hot destination, with many independent travellers heading there to travel, improve their salsa and learn Spanish.

It's true of any society, perhaps, but few nationalities have a culture that's in such close contact with present-day reality as the Spanish. The great names in Spanish arts are all evoked and modernised in the society in which they lived and portrayed. Think of Goya and Velázquez in painting, Cervantes and Quevedo in literature, Falla and Albéniz in music. Each carried on from but related to the other.

This very Spanish characteristic has bred a very Spanish culture, though this cultural heritage has been enriched by external influences; the Iberian Peninsula's geographical position has made it a natural bridge between cultures of the north and the south of Europe and Africa. Thus, move a little south of southern France and you're not far from Barcelona. Move south of Barcelona and you'll be headed to North Africa, with its Arab culture and Islamic code of life. Spanish, then, is the bridge between the continents and cultures of Europe, Africa, Islam and Christianity. A very important tongue, no question about it.

Here's a few adjectives you can try out on your mates:

Annoying
pesado

Bitchy
de mala leche

Charming
encantador

Crazy
loco

Boring
aburrido

Flirty
coqueta

Lazy
perezoso

Friendly / nice
precioso