Learning Spanish
 

Hi

I have recently moved to near Fuengirola and want to learn Spanish. Can anyone recommend a good tutor. I would prefer a private tutor as opposed to group lessons. I have a car and can travel if necessary. Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Re: Learning Spanish
 

Bonanova were excellent when I was a beginner. You can get individual lessons if you prefer. They are located just off the main square, if they still exist...

With great respect to lynxxa, if you want to get any good, get taught by a Spaniard or Latin American who is a qualified teacher! Group lessons are also best

I once had a lesson with an English woman in Fuengirola who said she had students who had been learning Spanish for 15 years who werent at my level (I had started learning one month previously). And I am not a language genius. The problem was this woman was very nice and would not correct anything her students said. Enough said, I didnt go back

If you dont want to get particularly good then go with who you feel most comfortable with, but beware, getting good at a language is all about being comfortable with being out of your comfort zone!

Re: Learning Spanish
 

The dowside of this is if the native can't speak good enough English to explain things to you. I have had both and preferred the English lady.
I had an horrific time trying to understand a Spaniard explain the countless uses of the subjunctive.

One idea for the OP may be to advertise for a 'language buddy' a lot more social but it may not meet their needs.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

And/Or get a skype buddy, it's free, you don't have to travel anywhere. ;)I've had an excellent English Spanish teacher, and a couple of native Spanish speakers, and for me although the English guy was extremely good, a native speaker every time. All too often though some Spanish see it as an easy way to make a few bob and don't know a verb from an adverb (well not quite that bad!) and they certainly aren't teachers.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Re: Learning Spanish
 

A Spanish teacher shouldnt be speaking any English at all :thumbdown:

No course I have ever been on has even one word of English been spoken. Learning that way is a fast track to nowhere

And if you were being talk the subjunctive when you were a beginner then the teacher was useless. No need to even touch that until you can at least understand the teacher! Maybe you misunderstood :)

Re: Learning Spanish
 

Bollox

Re: Learning Spanish
 

My wife sells language courses, to Spaniards. Not one of these courses advertises that the teacher can speak Spanish

You think the English teachers to all the Chinese students in London can speak a word of Chinese?

There is no need to speak the native language of the student, it just gets in the way. None of the courses I've been on has the teacher spoken a word of English, even though they could. I knew zero Spanish at my first course and got along fine

Re: Learning Spanish
 

I would bet that my level of Engish is higher than any other posters level of Spanish, and I had to learn quickly.

So I do know what I am talking about.

I could not take 15 years doing one hour a day.

The only way to achieve this in a short time is to have lessons where things are explained in your own language, ie ING = ANDO/IENDO.

If the teacher cannot explain grammar rules in your own language, then you spend ages on the "my name is and how are you" bits, that are learnt parrot fashion, which does nobody any good at all.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

I agree about doing it intensively, but in Spanish

You need to learn some basic vocab before you do grammar rules anyway.

Thats the way language teaching is done the world over, only speaking the language being taught

Re: Learning Spanish
 

Bollox

Ain't it just! He should concentrate on mastering English first!

Re: Learning Spanish
 

I agree for beginners classes being in both languages, as you progress a bit, then of course the classes can be held in your target language. I had a few weeks in Spain in language schools, but at the level they put us in we needed to be reasonably comfortable with Spanish and all classes were Spanish only. I've no idea if the complete beginners are done in Spanish only.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

You know that for a fact do you?

Well I can assure you that I know people who are learning English right now, and the teacher explains things in Spanish and not in the finger pointing "Me Tarzan/ You Jane" method.

Also while we are on the subject of language teachers, very often they really have no interest in teaching in the most efficient manner, as the longer the pupil goes to their classes, the more spondulicks are earned every month.

So many pupils take so long to get to the "KAY TAL?" stage as they see their class as a social group and an outing.

Quite often the classes give a taster of Local food, this is mainly to slow the learning process down, and keep them coming.

Totally different when learning language is a must and needs to be done in a reasonable amount of time, unlike a lot of expats who come to Spain and they can spend the rest of their lives learning a few basics.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

a few basics ?...you mean there are more spanish words than grande and cerveza ? eeek!

Re: Learning Spanish
 

There's something to be said for non-native teachers.

An English teacher of Spanish knows where the common pitfalls and misunderstandings are and at least can make explanations clear to you. I'm sure that the very early stages, the getting started part, MUST be quicker with a teacher you can understand.....

Then of course, once you have the basics, by all means go for a native teacher to improve fluency and vocabulary.