Just wondering for those of you that live in Spain already, have you found it easy to pink up the beautiful Spanish language? I have GCSE Spanish, but from many years ago and can kind of hold a converstaion but not very confidently. I am wondering whether i should do a crash course? I have bought some instant spanish cd's but feel i need more?

I would do more, the better you speak it the better you get on.

thanks rugbymatt, that's exactly the answer i thought i'd get! wheerabouts are you? ive been trying to read throught the posts to get "acquainted" with people better, but i can never remember! sorry

I'm actually in Britain but lived in Spain for years.

Habla Espanol?

Muy poco, pero espero mejorar pronto.

My problema is; I can make myself understood in Spanish reasonably well, same with written Spanish, but....I can't understand what my neighbours say to me as they speak inpenetrable Alpujarreno, which although officially Castilian has a really strong dialect like Geordie or Glaswegian. It has no consonants to speak of, especially s.

So, 'pescados' becomes 'peckow'.

We had some visitors from Madrid in the village last year. I understood them MUCH better!

[I can't understand what my neighbours say to me as they speak inpenetrable Alpujarreno, which although officially Castilian has a really strong dialect like Geordie or Glaswegian. It has no consonants to speak of, especially s.]

So, 'pescados' becomes 'peckow'.

SNAP!!
It's the same in Extremadura

Hola....I had five trips to Spain last year, and about five more over the previous year and a half while looking for then buying a house. From non existent Spanish I went to the usual stock phrases, I need, I want, do you have ? Armed with a dictionary, pen and paper, some mime skills and not being afraid to make a prat of myself I coped with having a pool built, etc etc etc.. However I then became frustrated.. I have Spanish friends who speak excellent English, but I wanted to talk in Spanish. I acquired the Michel Thomas CDs. These I found very helpful, along with a verb book. He teaches lots of trisk to use in the early stages. About a month ago I went on a basic level crash course at the Instituto de Cervantes en Londres. There are branches in the north of England and all over Spain. I feel this has been a turning point. The teachers were excellent. Yes a fair amount of grammar, but not in a dull pedantic way. Lots of interactive chat, questions and answers, written work. Understanding why certain things are said in a certain way. They then gave us free access to their online course for 15 weeks as a follow up. This is also great fun, and is available for around £60 I believe.
Yes I still have problems trying to undertand the extreme Andaluz accent, but managed a chat with the woman at Eroskis about cooking chipirones and the girl who cut my hair here in London, from Madrid with a beautiful clear accent.
On the course we did a lot of listening ( as there is in the on-line course too).
Understanding every word is impossible when we start.. one has to adopt a strategy of fishing for words..pescar para palabras. best of all.. my Spanish friends are impressed and thoug always eager to practice their English, seem to be really pleased that I am attempting to learn the language seriously. I feel empowered and feel that at even my, still very simple level, I could cope with a variety of situations.
Go for it.. I am off to spend an hour on line doing some revision.
Hasta Luego...PL

Have a look at this free on line video course. Well worth the effort.

It's basically a Telenovela (Spanish soap opera with a limited number of episodes) made by the PBS station in Boston, WGBH. It's comprised of 52 episodes that get progressively harder.

http://www.learner.org/resources/ser...96576&pid=368#

that looks really useful

that looks excellent thanks!! i will start immediately!! Soy trabajo mucho!! (am i right in thinking this means im a workaholic?)

It may not be the most correct way of saying it, but the Spanish would understand what you meant, and that is the most important thing. If we communicate what we mean, then that is the intention of language at a simple level. Far better to be awkawrd but understood, than to try speaking it correctly and probably never saying a word. Soy is genereally used for states of permanence.. presumably your workaholic state is temporary. Soy Inglese etc. Though they use it for death, which is considered a non permanent condition!! I would say me gusta trabajar muchos, though even this may not be truly correct. Learn the gustar tense. Once you have it you will use it all the time....
Anyone know a free on line typing course...my typos get worse by the day...

Thanks Derek.. it does look fun and educational.. I can see myself getting hooked.

You could try "Soy trabajolico"!! You never know, might work.

or you could try not being a workaholic, it saves the problems of the correct phrase needed and a potential heart attack.

Thanks Derek - This is very helpfull, I can actually understand some of what they are saying - not a bit like 'Chiclanero'