Chapter 1: Welcome
Welcome
Welcome! ¡Bienvenido! Welcome to Speed Spanish—the language course designed to
teach you español.
¡Hola! My name is Dan Mikels, and I'm happy to see that you want to learn Spanish.
Please call me Dan. My name is Dan. Me llamo Daniel. . .
Chances are you are taking this course for one or more of the following reasons:
You want to learn Spanish for business-related reasons.
You've selected this course because you're planning a trip to a Spanish-speaking
country.
You've married into a Spanish-speaking family, and you want to know what your
in-laws have been saying about you.
You want to learn Spanish just for the fun of it.
If you want to understand the culture of Spain, Mexico, or any Latin-American country,
it's an excellent idea that you learn the Spanish language. By learning the language,
you will not only become more mobile within the country, but you will come to
understand and to know perhaps the greatest attraction of all the Spanish-speaking
countries—its people!
If you've come into contact with many Spanish-speaking people, you already know how
extremely courteous they are. When invited into their home it's not uncommon to hear:
'My house is your house'—'Mi casa es su casa.'
Whether you want to travel to Pamplona, Spain to watch the Running of the Bulls, or
vacation in Mexico, you have a great adventure in store. But if you do not know any
Spanish, you are cutting yourself off from complex and interesting people who have
inherited a unique and fascinating history.
