Apprender espanol
 

I was wondering what methods of learning individuals found best:confused:
I have tried many methods private tutors, Rosetta stone , and Michael Thomas CDs Numerous BBC lessons
And many others ,still on going learning.
I know the best way to learn is to be put in the deep end and speak.
Which I try to do when Im resident for about 4 months of the year.

Do you think that maybe Im to old to learn being a pensioner now.???????
As youngsters seem to pick it up so very fast.

I know I am starting to read and am able to understand a little and my vocabulary has improved , but my recall when put in a conversational situation is tooo slow.
Then afterwards I think I should have said:unsure:and kick myself for not answering properly.AS I actually knew what to say!!!!!!

I also feel I have learnt to much to give up, I have found it quite challenging, frustrating, and adictive If that makes sense.

I meet many people from the Uk and they tell me why bother as I dont need it really .As Im not working in espana and if you dont understand something you can always get an interpreter or go to solicitor to sort it
But I would really like to be able to sort things myself is this toooo much to ask ??
Has anyone else been in my position and can give me any advise and how long does it take to become able to speak confidently

Thanks Denise:)

Re: Apprender espanol
 

They reckon there are only about 100 words regularly spoken in Spain, Try learning one word a day, watch Spanish news with the sub titles and have google translator on and translate any you can catch that you don't know, you soon pick it up.

I thought I would never get it but it's quite easy actually, it doesn't take too long if you keep at it.

Re: Apprender espanol
 

you're never too old to learn - but it's true it does get harder as you get older

just expose yourself to Spanish as much as you can - listen to Spanish music, radio, put Spanish TV on in the background & your ear will tune in

say something in Spanish to someone every day - even if it's just ¡Que calor! on a hot day, you will grow in confidence........... even if you don't always get it quite right - they will understand you most of the time & you will want to say more every day

I can't say how long it takes to speak confidently - it creeps up on you & one day you'll be chatting to someone & realise you're speaking Spanish!!

Re: Apprender espanol
 

Well lets hope it creeps sooner than later or Ill be to B old to remember my name:rofl:

Re: Apprender espanol
 

you could try Spanish dict, it's a learning site with flashcards which is good and free. or I also have Visual Link Spanish which I paid for but is also very good as it teaches you sentences as opposed to just words.. then there is Rosetta Stone, which is easy for the basics but harder the more the course progessed..I am approaching retirement and also finding it harder to retain the info but as you have said... my brain knows what it wants to say but when I put my mouth in gear it comes out all jumbled and then when I've walked on I know where I went wrong...so I now tell people immediately that I am English then they know to either wait or ignore... most wait and try to understand me..

Re: Apprender espanol
 

:rofl::rofl::lol::lol::lol::rofl::rofl:

Re: Apprender espanol
 

I would love to be fluent and thought that one day I would be, but, I have come to the conclusion that I never will be but always try, try, try. I even dream in Spanish, unfortunately in my dream I am no better than in daily life.

Re: Apprender espanol
 

That is what one internet course states, I am just a messenger:p

Re: Apprender espanol
 

A spanish friend of mine told me when she was learning english her teacher told her when you dream in english is when you have know you have thoroughly learned the language. So things are looking good for you ;)

Re: Apprender espanol
 

I can endorse the above. If you can, immerse yourself in Spanish. Ban English from your surroundings for a while and have Spanish books and newspapers around your home, even if you can't read them.

And it's a funny thing about giving up - after doing all I could to learn and thinking I had failed, I stopped bothering to learn anything else and reverted to being an expat only speaking English, I even refused to say the most basic Spanish words when out and about, I had somehow gotten angry with myself for being a failure.

I don't know what happened then, or how it happened, but suddenly I found myself speaking Spanish, almost every day.

I don't want to put anyone off by saying how long it took, but it did take a wee while.

I'm off to switch on the Spanish news.

Re: Apprender espanol
 

Having Spanish books and TV on is useless, it will always mean bugger all if you haven't learnt the basics. There isn't an easy way.

Re: Apprender espanol
 

Funny you say that, i find myself thinking in Spanish all the time! I even forget words in english and can only say them in spanish!

For me, the best way was total immersion. I came here with not 1 word of spanish, and 1 year later I can speak fairly well and understand absolutely everything. Watching tv really helped!! Pick a program that you find interesting (for me it was that dire reality show Quien quiere casarse con mi hjio and also Alaska y Mario on MTV...yes, i am a reality show addict!! :p )

Re: Apprender espanol
 

also, it depends on the type of person you are. If you like to learn a language by learning the rules of grammar and rattling off vocab then fine....but im the type of person who learns by listening. My moto is "if it sounds right, then it generally is right!"

Re: Apprender espanol
 

Yes, but very useful when you get to the intermediate stage

imo, the following timeline is good for the first 6 months of studying Spanish seriously:
1. Learn how to pronounce. Yes do this first, it is crucial! It only takes a few hours
2. Build up some basic vocab with some situational conversations. Maybe the first month or two. btw, most people never get beyond this point...
3. Grammar. For those who know how to study then learn the grammar back to front. Study it every day for an hour until you understand. In 3-6 months you'll know it back to front. Grammar scares some people so you can miss this step but your progress will be much slower
4. Practice and more practice e.g. learn the vocab and grammar needed to go to the market. Then do it. Repeat and repeat, each time it gets easier. As it gets easier then try saying more complicated things

Then submerse yourself. i.e. read Spanish newspapers, TV etc. A rule I had (and still have) was to never speak English in the street in Spain. From now on its just a case of gradual improvement.

Re: Apprender espanol
 

Has anyone tried the Coffee Break Spanish podcasts?? I listened to them for a while and despite the guy having a thick scottish accent, found them very helpful! They are for complete beginners, so you just learn a few helpful phrases and how to pronunciate!

Re: Apprender espanol
 

Agree, there is no easy way, it takes a lot of time and a lot of effort. Forget the adverts, "Learn Spanish in 3 months" etc. it ain't going to happen.;) It also depends on what level you want to take your Spanish to, if you're content to just be able to order a beer, you won't need all the grammar, if you want to have a decent level, you will. And learning all the various verb tenses, irregulars, subjunctive especially, is not easy. Anyone that tells you it is easy is either an incredibly gifted linguist, or more likely, has a very poor command of the language.

Re: Apprender espanol
 

you're right , there IS no easy way


however, all you have to do to become confident is to keep practising

it doesn't matter if your level isn't great, if it's good enough for what you need - it's having the confidence to actually speak that matters


teaching my group this morning, some friends of one of my students walked in the bar &, not realising at first that he was interrupting a Spanish class,one of them came over & started chatting

when he did realise, he said 'lo siento para les mumblemumblemumble' (no idea what the mumble bit was & he was standing right next to me)

now, he wasn't really speaking Spanish (would have been better just to stop at 'lo siento' ) but he was confident & we all knew what he meant

he's clearly comfortable with his level - he's making an effort to speak - and even speaking as a Spanish teacher I reckon that's more important than getting your bragas in a bunch about being correct & never saying anything!


eventually you WILL get it right if you want to

Re: Apprender espanol
 

I know it's an intensely personal thing and I'm probably wrong, but for me a book called something like 5,000 Spanish verbs (it might even have been 50K) held me back for a while until I binned it.

I remember the first phone calls, I used to say, 'Lo siento, no hablo espanol,' but then I got braver and added, 'Pero . . . hablo un poco . . . quien es?'

Now I prattle on regardless, I don't even bother with 'despacio' any more, the best way to slow down a rapid Spanish speaker is to wait until they finish and then calmly say, 'Repito,' it winds them up no end.

Re: Apprender espanol
 

yes 501 Spanish Verbs.......... useful for reference, but I use loads of verbs that aren't in it & don't use a lot that are!

that's how you're meant to do it HBG - just try a bit more each day, don't worry about making a prat of yourself.....that's pretty inevitable

but better a prat who gradually improves than one who never opens his mouth ;)

Re: Apprender espanol
 

I was the same...bought a series of books on amazon until I realised the best way to learn was to throw yourself in at the deep end! I had to learn quick because no one in my daughters school speaks any english, so I didnt want to be lost at all the meetings/school events. She also has health issues and no one in the hospital we attend speaks any english!

I haven't quite mastered the phone calls yet though....absolutely dread them! It's so much easier to understand someone when they are speaking to your face rather than down the phone...

Re: Apprender espanol
 

Or, Es mejor estar callado y parecer tonto, que hablar y despejar las dudas definitivamente. :rofl: Bit like saying repito (I repeat) when you want them to repeat something, probably gives them a good laugh.;)

Re: Apprender espanol
 

I chose not to correct him.....



I don't agree that it's better to be silent & look like a fool

the true fool never tries

the vast majority of Spanish people I know would prefer that you try at least - & most would laugh with you when you inevitably make a mistake - it breaks the ice

One must be a god to be able to tell successes from failures without making a mistake. ~Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

Re: Apprender espanol
 

Agree, we learn from our mistakes, I always asked to be corrected, (Las correcciones siempre son bienvenidas) I would much prefer that to people ignoring my mistakes, otherwise I'll never know. However if you're trying to belittle people, it sounds much better if you're talking sense.

Re: Apprender espanol
 

Definitely agree with that. One of my greatest friends here is a 70yr old lady who speaks with me everyday and is very impressed with my improvements week by week. And yes, she does laugh with me... and then corrects me :)

Being silent helps no one....the Spanish dont want you standing there with your mouth hanging open, they would rather you make the effort to TRY!

Re: Apprender espanol
 

thank you - I was beginning to think it was just me :)

Re: Apprender espanol
 

I am at the moment trying to learn the tenses, and now the penny is starting to drop.
At first I found it ssssooooo confusing with my poor memory issue.:D

The more I learn the more I realise, I dont know, if that makes sense, but I remain determined to continue.

I went to bed last night and i as dreaming that I was telling the waiter in spanish.
it was my aunts birthday and she was 80.
What meat have you got on the menu as my friend does not like fish .
Ordered a bottle of red house wine and sparkling water.
To finish off telling the waiter to thank the lady in the kitchen for an excellent meal.( probably was all wrong ) But I do agree that one can feel a failure sometimes as I do try so very hard.
I did not sleep well tossing and turning all night.
As I read the thread replies before I went to bed and as Im back in Spain soon getting excited I suppose.:rofl:

Re: Apprender espanol
 

It's not easy, is it? :D The problem is when we start learning relatively late in life, it's a long time since we have done any serious studying, even in our own language. The young kids seem to pick it up naturally, as they would English, but we have to make a lot more of an effort, it's certainly harder as you get older. As the Spanish say la vejez no viene sola, old age doesn't come alone!:rofl: By the way, aprender only has one "P".

Re: Apprender espanol
 

If I can make one person smile a day, I'm happy. Yo repito, 'If I can . . . .'

I went to a Spanish birthday party earlier, well, Colombianos, they speak Spanish don't they? Spanish without the lisp. It was actually a lady, a Colombiana, but there were men present, so maybe Colombianos was correct.

They were ancianos, and I was there with my marida, mujer if you prefer, she prefers mujer as well - she's an interpreter and frequently ticks me off for my Campo Spanish, as she calls it.

The other day she got angry and called me a guiri. Coming from a lady born in Stratford, the London one, I should have been angry, but I wasn't. I like being a guiri. Even with my Spanish driving licence, I'm still a guiri.

Re: Apprender espanol
 

Thanks for the correction, I will not forget now as I have been pulled up on line:rofl:

Re: Apprender espanol
 

Not "pulled up", it was meant in the nicest possible way, as Kenny Everett would say, but hopefully you will remember, otherwise you'd always be writing it with 2 P's. Two of us have a weekly get together with a Spanish lady, and we've had grammar until it's coming out our ears in the past, so we've asked for just conversation, but she still tells us when me make a mistake, after all that's what we are paying her for.;)

Re: Apprender espanol
 

This is where I gave up. Just could not get my head around past tense, future etc. Now I just talk in present, most of it comes out as rubbish but I seem to get understood or else everybody is very polite to me. What I don´t like is when an English person then talks down to me and sneers. There is nothing that stops someone trying as this.

Re: Apprender espanol
 

I knew an English lady that ran a successful business in Spain, and I always saw her talking to Spanish friends of ours about business. What I didn't know was she did it all in the present tense, no idea how she managed it, but she did! I wouldn't recommend it, but it's doable. ;)

Re: Apprender espanol
 

The future tense is easy! You just add an "e" on the end of the full verb...eg. comprar"e" (i will buy), tener"e" (i will have), andar"e" (i will walk), hablar"e" (i will talk)...works for the majority of verbs! I prefer talking in future tense than anything else :rofl: It's the past tense that I hate....so I don't talk about my past alot :P

Re: Apprender espanol
 

it is isn't it?


except that I went around for about a year saying teneré until a kind Spanish friend told me that it was irregular......... tendré ;)


even easier is voy a hablar I'm going to talk :)

Re: Apprender espanol
 

The easiest way of all is to use the present tense! (obviously not in all situations)
Te lo pago mañana..

Re: Apprender espanol
 

:thumbsup:

Re: Apprender espanol
 

Oops, you are so right! :lol: Do you know, my spanish friend JUST corrected me on this a few days ago and i am STILL saying it wrong! Guess thats the one bad thing about not learning off your grammar :p

Re: Apprender espanol
 

Dont worry Im glad of all the help I can get:D Im so glad that so many of you on here are or have been in the same boat as myself, as I do feel so stupid sometimes and cant understand why I cant learn it more quickly.
I have found this thread most informative,interesting and encouraging:)

Re: Apprender espanol
 

Yes fui and era estaba can get very confusing this is what im trying to absorb at the moment:eek:

Re: Apprender espanol
 

fui is used as the past tense of ir, when describing where you went eg. ayer, fuimos a la playa...yesterday we went to the beach.

Era is past tense of ser (to be). Yo soy una chica...i am a girl, Yo era una chica...i was a girl. Not sure why anyone would want to say that though, but you get the message :rofl:

Estaba confuses me too....because I always use it in place of estuve. Maybe Lynnxa can help clarify that one!?

Hope that helps somewhat...and that I haven't made a mistake! :p