Re: Learning Spanish
 

Trouble with that is your "friend" is never going to correct you, either with your grammar or your pronunciation. :confused: You'll get used to your own voice, but in all probability it won't be 100% correct. It's very easy to pronounce something incorrectly, but more difficult to get out of the habit and pronounce something correctly. Better to get a "real" Spanish friend, either locally of Skype.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

no, it's a NOUN, if you are getting picky over grammar and spelling

Re: Learning Spanish
 

if you are going to get friend then it should be a tape recorder so you can play it back and compare it with the voice you have on your selected learning system.
the voice you hear inside your head is not the voice the rest of the world hears, so you need to hear it from outside the head.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

I still talk to my imaginary friend even though I think I'm fluent.
I was suggesting it not as a way of learning, as you can't teach yourself what you already know, more as a way of breaking through the barrier of 'Oh God no, I've got to speak'.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

Interesting read... I didn't want to start a new thread so hope ok to add my bit here.

I'm new to Spanish but am about intermediate level at Portuguese. I made some errors the way I went about things when I 'learnt' Portuguese.

One possible mistake I made was learning from cds, often the accents are not what you hear in your local area.

So my thinking is to skip buying any language courses and just have lessons from a local teacher - starting with 3 hours a week and possibly increasing if I think she's good and I have time. Does that sound like a reasonable plan, anybody have any tips for a Spanish newbie?

Re: Learning Spanish
 

I am absolutely hopeless at learning foreign languages and now I'm knocking on a bit, it's not getting any easier. The weirdest thing is when I'm in Spain I suddenly find I've become fluent in French, and the reverse when I'm in France! I think I have the British disease of frankly rather starving to death than making a fool out of myself by sounding a complete tool through using the wrong word or mispronouncing something!

It doesn't entirely help then when I order in Spanish, in my neck of the woods all the waiters and waitresses speak about six languages, so they reply in fluent English. Although my proudest moment was when the waitress in one of our local restaurants asked me to translate a couple of the dishes on the menu for the benefit of a Dutch couple who spoke English but no Spanish - amazingly; the Dutch normally seem to speak every language under the sun, so I thought that was a bit of a double coup on my part!

I've also bought Rosetta Stone but I'm a bit frightened to even try it. Until I actually live there full time, it's my only hope and I don't want to fail...

A bit pathetic of me, really, but here in England the house is full to the rafters of CDs I've bought that seem to have only taught me that I'm no cunning linguist.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

Watch Hollywood movies dubbed into Spanish. Usually an infantile plot which is easy to follow. Don't translate... assimilate!

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
 

I had used some cds to begin learning some Spanish before moving here (not as diligently as I should have:o) but didn't find them very useful. I had lessons with a local teacher (1 hour per day Monday-Friday for the first month, then 2 hours per week in a small group class for 18 months (supplemented by a few one to one classes with my teacher whenever she moved me up a group, which I asked for so that I could make sure I hadn't skipped anything important. What I did find incredibly useful, once I got to the stage where I could keep a conversation going, was to have an intercambio arrangement with a Spanish person who was learning English, where we met twice a week for an hour, and talked for half the time in Spanish then switched to English, correcting each other's mistakes. I did that for the last 6 months of the 18 that I spent also going to classes, and it was invaluable.

Hard work, but you will reap the benefits.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

Thanks. I'm living in a place where I have no choice but to communicate in Spanish so haven't any choice but to assimilate... anyway I agree :)

Thanks :)

Sounds like you did things in the right way. I'd like to do things as part of a group here (and tbh preferably with mostly non-English speakers - to avoid the inevitable slipping into using English) but don't know of any group classes as yet. Meanwhile I start 1-1 lessons next week. I aso have a contact for an intercambio, so your post is a reminder I have to get in touch with her :) Anyway thanks very much for the advice Lynn.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

your not alone Ive got CDs and loads of books I think you must do whats best for you. I just plod on using every avenue I can :)

Re: Learning Spanish
 

Thank God for that!

Re: Learning Spanish
 

Personally I think that cds are useless for learning a language but very good for practicing what you already know so you don't forget anything.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

Not a huge fan either, but I certainly wouldn´t say all are useless. I used to buy Puerta del Sol, and each DVD came with a 60 page book, not cheap but an excellent product. There are loads of beginners type of courses around, but very few decent intermediate/advanced courses, this fitted the bill perfectly. But it's no longer around, I guess loads start trying to learn, but not many stay the course.:D DVD's/MP3's are good for sticking in the car to listen to whilst driving around, there's tons of free stuff to download, loads of podcasts, certainly no need nowadays to buy expensive courses.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

Its a bit different if your not living in Spain full time.
So we have to find some way of progressing without total immersion .
I agree its not the best way but your vocabulary will improve.
I learn something new everyday.
I do need practice in conversation Spanish tho badly the girls in the village supermarket always help me and are very encouraging.
They are pleased that every time I see them I can converse a little more.At least make myself understood (topics about our families and health and shopping items) But it is still more than I knew 2 years ago I only knew hola and adios.
I am convinced that one day if chip at it I will get there hopefully :D

Re: Learning Spanish
 

I find Rosetta Stone frustrating to use the voice recognition is very pedantic , although for learning words as a flash card system it is good but expensive. I quite like the Paul Noble course audio only plus booklet. Same principle as Michelle Thomas but not as tedious or boring. http://www.audible.co.uk/pd?asin=B004FTXNAQ&bp_ua=y

Re: Learning Spanish
 

I also use :D:D duolingo on line which goes through basics I am now looking at verbs ,you can also converse with others as you would with Rosetta I guess,
I dont do this as yet maybe I ought to try.
Its good for consolidating things in my long term mermory which is a free language learning programme, but as I said I do loads of different avenues as it makes learning more fun . As I get bored using the same learnig method.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

My Spanish is getting there slowly but surely - maybe it's the preggers brain:S?

Re: Learning Spanish
 

Yes boredom is the worst thing, Got to keep trying though

Re: Learning Spanish
 

To a point, but most UK areas now have Spanish there, a language exchange is not difficult. Plus with skype, it doesn't matter where you are, I bet many expats don't sit down for a solid hour speaking in Spanish. We have a weekly meeting here in UK and it's 2 hours of Spanish with a native Spanish speaker, not a word of English. Plus most of the Spanish TV channels are available on internet, there's really no excuse nowadays. :D Just need to apply ourselves, that's the hard bit!

Re: Learning Spanish
 

I found Michel Thomas tedious, boring and quite honestly pedantic with some of the poor saps he has with him

`

Re: Learning Spanish
 

I agree,:D but I have tried to find spanish classes in the Uk but none near where i live I did go to one and passed level one
How I dont know as at the time I was really hopeless
We had to put a file together of questions and answers. I did not understand a word WORTHLESS QUALIFICATION
I should never have been awarded it.
Skype is an option but I am not comfortable with it for some reason
It would be amazing to have a Spanish speaker in the locality that would help me .
But I wll not give up looking for one and taking every oppportunity to learn:D

Re: Learning Spanish
 

I think the best thing is to have a mixture: lessons from a native speaker, CDs for practice at home, online resources like Spaleon for the boring stuff like practising verb endings. Also read Spanish newspapers and magazines and listen to the radio so you get used to the sound. The main thing is perseverance and repetition. You can't expect to progress if you only spend a couple of hours a week on it.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

Also, he is WRONG about some things! According to native speakers anyway.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

I think the problem for most of us (including me!) is that although we may be living in Spain full time, we are not actually in a total immersion situation. I'm not working so don't have to communicate in Spanish all day every day, don't have children in school so don't have to communicate daily with teachers and parents of other children, I do have Spanish neighbours, but most conversations are pretty brief as I guess my conversations with neighbours in the UK used to be as well. I do have Spanish TV, but personally I don't find that too helpful as I'm sure I get more of an understanding of what is going on from the visual aspects, and if it's a news or discussion programme, from the summary points displayed in text form at the bottom of the screen, not from actually listening to the machine gun volley of sounds being uttered!

All the Brits I know who are fluent Spanish speakers have Spanish partners - but maybe too drastic a step just in order to learn the language, unless you happen to meet and fall for each other anyway!:rofl:

Re: Learning Spanish
 

I think he makes a very good cure for insomnia, but the technique he uses for getting you to string together basic sentences from the very start is actually quite good. I couldn't persevere with it for long, though.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

yes I agree Dom that,s why I find Paul Noble better

Re: Learning Spanish
 

:D

My french friend Farhida always says the best way to learn a language is on the pillow:eek: I dont think my OH would be very happy about that:rofl:

Re: Learning Spanish
 

Try "Notes in Spanish" with Ben Curtis and Marina Diez. Lots of free downloads and podcasts MP3/4 and you get a native English with a native Spanish, so it is even possible to compare pronuciation. They also send a regular newsletter. Useful for beginners through to expert.
Pete:thumbsup:

Re: Learning Spanish
 

Never was a big fan of Ben's site, tbh, but agree there is plenty of stuff there. The site has been finished for some time but the material is still available. Better off to stick with the Spanish IMHO, try Teresa's site, like Ben's it seems to have finished, but there are loads of audio/transcripts there all free. For more advanced try spanishpodcast. Both free, and much better Spanish!;)

Re: Learning Spanish
 

Yes Lynn, that is the problem, children have the advantage of living in the "fog" of verbal intercourse all day, every day. They learn as much from "situational" as anything. They see people doing things and saying things. It all becomes linked.
which is why I have said on another thread, situational learning can help the confidence enormously. Being able to go to the shops and buy the meat cuts you want, the fruit and veg, using the correct words, the numbers, the money. Situational isnt something that comes from sitting in a classroom once a week. But watching the television news and adverts and some of the less crazy programmes also helps, along with the newspapers, but they don't give you the "sound" which is the most important part - it can be quite easy to make a mistake if you don't know the correct "sound".:rofl:

The biggest problem I have found is the number of Spanish I meet who insist on trying their English with me when I want to learn their language. So they have to get used to us having a conversation in 2 languages.

`

Re: Learning Spanish
 

I don't know if you had a bad experience of "sitting in a classroom", but a good teacher will always go to a lot of trouble to avoid the lessons being boring and just writing stuff on a whiteboard and getting you to repeat it by rote. Mine used to get us to do roleplay exercises for just the kind of situational needs you mention, both with her and with each other, and also get us to play word games (she often used one called Tabu where you have to give verbal clues about the meaning of the word on the card you pick out to the other players, without using the word itself). I wouldn't like people to be put off going for lessons if they thought things hadn't moved on since Victorian days!:rofl:

You are right about many Spanish people wanting to practice their English when talking to us. We had a Spanish visitor to the house the other night, and by the time he went home after 4 hours, my head hurt after talking to him in Spanish, trying to work out what he was trying to say in English, correcting his mistakes and pronunciation (have you heard a Spaniard with not much English trying to say the word 'delivery'?:confused:), trying to explain answers to his questions about English usage, in Spanish, translating his Spanish for my OH when necessary and translating my OH's Spanish when our friend couldn't understand him. I felt like I'd been through the wringer.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

My hubby and I went for a meal to a lovely Spanish resturante in the village last week. where we try to converse in espanol.

This week they have employed a new waiter who spoke to us in english.
I did in my very poor spanish ask him speak espanol as im learning and I must eschuchar.

He was quite taken aback, and did not look too happy but it as he wanted to take every opportunity to speak english.

Sometimes I have seen lovely spanish bars/ touting for business change their image and become clones of english bars.

Its a same they lose all their charm( A personal view of course)
I hope this does not happen too this place.:( sorry for running a bit off track.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

As you are learning, I know you'll take this the right way, it's escuchar, sobra una hache!:thumbup:

Re: Learning Spanish
 

gracias :D

Re: Learning Spanish
 

I must say good spanish teachers are hard to find,so if you found a good one your lucky:D

Re: Learning Spanish
 

I'm sure the quality is variable, just like it is in all walks of life! Someone here told me about the free Spanish classes available at our local Adult Education Centre, so I put my name down. I went along to the first lesson and was so underwhelmed that I never went back, I preferred to carry on paying €50 per month for my classes at a local private language school with the teacher I had there.

Re: Learning Spanish
 

I've been lucky with Spanish teachers over the years, only really had one bad one. A young girl, fresh out of uni, all the paper qualifications but no experience whatsoever. I realise they all have to start somewhere, but after one term, several of us left and never renewed our membership. Currently we have an excellent Spanish lady, tomorrow by way of a change she's going to be cooking cocido madrileño for us, so has told us not to eat before we come. She´s young, no hang ups, will introduce all manner of subjects, sex, drugs, homosexuality, politics, slang etc. We all realise how lucky we are to have her, she´s a star. And she´s not even expensive!;)

Re: Learning Spanish
 

I agree, my husband is using this and is progressing well if nothing else it has shown him that he can learn the basics, and gives him confidence. He is doing this 2 hours a day. Then he practices with me.

I am half way through, I talk to a colleague at work only in Spanish ( she is from Madrid area. She insists that I need to learn the verbs and conjugation. Which makes for interesting conversation. If I get it wrong she corrects me and tests me the next day. She make me write a diary in Spanish and marks it!
Sometimes I know what I want to say, but I just stand there looking stupid, i can do that on my own, don't need any help:p But Its about gaining confidence and so far she is pleased with my progress. At the end of the day I suppose until you are there and living and breathing Spanish you do not know how effective it is

I considered Rosetta Stone - but at nearly £300 :eek: I will give some of the other ones on here a look though

Re: Learning Spanish
 

The verbs are difficult to remember and learn Im struggling:confused:

But will not give up ;)