Michel Thomas
#1
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Joined: Oct 2007
Location: Rugby
Posts: 290
Michel Thomas
I'm on the point of despair!
I am having too many senior moments I know but why oh why am I not a fluent Spanish speaker after the 10 to 11 hours listening to Mr T and the bright young woman and at times unbelievably slow young man.
Didn't do too bad until about lesson 6 but it was downhill all the way after that. How on earth could anyone of normal intelligence take it all in in the time Mr T says. When he gets to "I call it the w.ing tense" my wife and I just looked at each other with that "it can't be me, can it" stare that we last got listening to a Best of Prince album.
So, for anyone out there attempting to learn Spanish with Mr T or any other contender - here's confirmation - you are not thick (or!)
p.s. for those who think I seriously expected to learn in 10 or 11 hours - no I never did. At this rate though maybe I misheard and he meant years.
I am having too many senior moments I know but why oh why am I not a fluent Spanish speaker after the 10 to 11 hours listening to Mr T and the bright young woman and at times unbelievably slow young man.
Didn't do too bad until about lesson 6 but it was downhill all the way after that. How on earth could anyone of normal intelligence take it all in in the time Mr T says. When he gets to "I call it the w.ing tense" my wife and I just looked at each other with that "it can't be me, can it" stare that we last got listening to a Best of Prince album.
So, for anyone out there attempting to learn Spanish with Mr T or any other contender - here's confirmation - you are not thick (or!)
p.s. for those who think I seriously expected to learn in 10 or 11 hours - no I never did. At this rate though maybe I misheard and he meant years.
#2
Re: Michel Thomas
I'm on the point of despair!
I am having too many senior moments I know but why oh why am I not a fluent Spanish speaker after the 10 to 11 hours listening to Mr T and the bright young woman and at times unbelievably slow young man.
Didn't do too bad until about lesson 6 but it was downhill all the way after that. How on earth could anyone of normal intelligence take it all in in the time Mr T says. When he gets to "I call it the w.ing tense" my wife and I just looked at each other with that "it can't be me, can it" stare that we last got listening to a Best of Prince album.
So, for anyone out there attempting to learn Spanish with Mr T or any other contender - here's confirmation - you are not thick (or!)
p.s. for those who think I seriously expected to learn in 10 or 11 hours - no I never did. At this rate though maybe I misheard and he meant years.
I am having too many senior moments I know but why oh why am I not a fluent Spanish speaker after the 10 to 11 hours listening to Mr T and the bright young woman and at times unbelievably slow young man.
Didn't do too bad until about lesson 6 but it was downhill all the way after that. How on earth could anyone of normal intelligence take it all in in the time Mr T says. When he gets to "I call it the w.ing tense" my wife and I just looked at each other with that "it can't be me, can it" stare that we last got listening to a Best of Prince album.
So, for anyone out there attempting to learn Spanish with Mr T or any other contender - here's confirmation - you are not thick (or!)
p.s. for those who think I seriously expected to learn in 10 or 11 hours - no I never did. At this rate though maybe I misheard and he meant years.
actually I will
I have more problems with students who have used those tapes than with any others
so many bad habits to break & misunderstandings to correct!!
#3
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Joined: Nov 2007
Location: East Finchley and Javea
Posts: 133
Re: Michel Thomas
I've used the Thomas tapes along with various other teach yourself books and discs.
He certainly has some rather odd methods but I think that the main thing with his tapes/discs are that he gives you confidence to use the little that you know, well he did with me. You'll probably speak Spanish unlike any Spaniard but you will be understood. The problem comes when the Spaniard responds to you as he can't teach you to understand what is said to you, if that makes sense?
He certainly has some rather odd methods but I think that the main thing with his tapes/discs are that he gives you confidence to use the little that you know, well he did with me. You'll probably speak Spanish unlike any Spaniard but you will be understood. The problem comes when the Spaniard responds to you as he can't teach you to understand what is said to you, if that makes sense?
#4
Re: Michel Thomas
I've used the Thomas tapes along with various other teach yourself books and discs.
He certainly has some rather odd methods but I think that the main thing with his tapes/discs are that he gives you confidence to use the little that you know, well he did with me. You'll probably speak Spanish unlike any Spaniard but you will be understood. The problem comes when the Spaniard responds to you as he can't teach you to understand what is said to you, if that makes sense?
He certainly has some rather odd methods but I think that the main thing with his tapes/discs are that he gives you confidence to use the little that you know, well he did with me. You'll probably speak Spanish unlike any Spaniard but you will be understood. The problem comes when the Spaniard responds to you as he can't teach you to understand what is said to you, if that makes sense?
You`re right, for every question you need to ask, you need to learn at least two answers.
#5
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 446
Re: Michel Thomas
My husband swears by him ... I, on the other hand, swear at him, and find him hard to understand even when he is speaking in English!
#7
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Joined: May 2009
Location: Alicante province
Posts: 5,753
Re: Michel Thomas
I tried night school in the UK, classes in Spain, tapes and CDs galore, text books by the dozen, etc and finally gave up.
Having given up, I still persisted going into Spanish places and watching Spanish TV and suddenly realised, much to my surprise, that I could speak and understand the language at quite a good level. I've got the Spanish news on now and understand most of it, especially the heat wave warning for tomorrow.
I don't know when the turning point came, it sort of crept up on me, but it did take a while.
Having given up, I still persisted going into Spanish places and watching Spanish TV and suddenly realised, much to my surprise, that I could speak and understand the language at quite a good level. I've got the Spanish news on now and understand most of it, especially the heat wave warning for tomorrow.
I don't know when the turning point came, it sort of crept up on me, but it did take a while.
#8
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Joined: Nov 2007
Location: East Finchley and Javea
Posts: 133
Re: Michel Thomas
I tried night school in the UK, classes in Spain, tapes and CDs galore, text books by the dozen, etc and finally gave up.
Having given up, I still persisted going into Spanish places and watching Spanish TV and suddenly realised, much to my surprise, that I could speak and understand the language at quite a good level. I've got the Spanish news on now and understand most of it, especially the heat wave warning for tomorrow.
I don't know when the turning point came, it sort of crept up on me, but it did take a while.
Having given up, I still persisted going into Spanish places and watching Spanish TV and suddenly realised, much to my surprise, that I could speak and understand the language at quite a good level. I've got the Spanish news on now and understand most of it, especially the heat wave warning for tomorrow.
I don't know when the turning point came, it sort of crept up on me, but it did take a while.
#9
Banned
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Vejer de la Fra., Cadiz
Posts: 7,653
Re: Michel Thomas
For me, very few tapes or CDs have ever proven worth the money.
#10
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Joined: Nov 2007
Location: East Finchley and Javea
Posts: 133
Re: Michel Thomas
There are plenty of teach yourself Catalan courses but I haven't found one for Valenciano. How different are they? Is it a case of a slightly different way of pronouncing things or is it more than that. ie. If I spoke Catalan in Valencia would I be understood?
#11
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Location: Rugby
Posts: 290
Re: Michel Thomas
We will hopefully be visiting Els Poblets quite soon for just over 8 weeks and will try to avoid speaking to all the Germans who Mitzyboy says live there (kidding). We will continue with Mr T until we go and take the discs with us for more work in the day when not out and about.
Hopefully we will find a few Spaniards to speak to or at least attempt to reply to when spoken to. We will also try TV.
For extra punishment may also take the Linguaphone discs too.
As we will not be moving to Spain for more than a few months at a time this is the best we can do. No Spanish classes available locally I'm afraid.
Still, keeps the brain active - even if only in a confused state
Hopefully we will find a few Spaniards to speak to or at least attempt to reply to when spoken to. We will also try TV.
For extra punishment may also take the Linguaphone discs too.
As we will not be moving to Spain for more than a few months at a time this is the best we can do. No Spanish classes available locally I'm afraid.
Still, keeps the brain active - even if only in a confused state
#12
Banned
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Vejer de la Fra., Cadiz
Posts: 7,653
Re: Michel Thomas
How it varies from Valencian I don't know, but if asked to guess I'd assume dialectic drift as the language moved away from its core location.
The standing joke is that a language is a dialect with an army.
Read up on the subject and see just how much it varies, and whether or not it will merit the effort you will have to put into it. Catalan is IMO well worth learning in its heartland, but whether it would be worth bothering with in Valencia, only you can decide. I'd think that Valenciano in Valencia would be worth less than Calalan in Catalunya.
#13
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Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Vejer de la Fra., Cadiz
Posts: 7,653
Re: Michel Thomas
We will hopefully be visiting Els Poblets quite soon for just over 8 weeks and will try to avoid speaking to all the Germans who Mitzyboy says live there (kidding). We will continue with Mr T until we go and take the discs with us for more work in the day when not out and about.
Hopefully we will find a few Spaniards to speak to or at least attempt to reply to when spoken to. We will also try TV.
For extra punishment may also take the Linguaphone discs too.
As we will not be moving to Spain for more than a few months at a time this is the best we can do. No Spanish classes available locally I'm afraid.
Still, keeps the brain active - even if only in a confused state
Hopefully we will find a few Spaniards to speak to or at least attempt to reply to when spoken to. We will also try TV.
For extra punishment may also take the Linguaphone discs too.
As we will not be moving to Spain for more than a few months at a time this is the best we can do. No Spanish classes available locally I'm afraid.
Still, keeps the brain active - even if only in a confused state
I found El Jueves a great help. It's a funny, slightly vulgar mag that takes the p*ss out of almost everything, and has articles and comic strips that range from easy to more advanced.
It's particularly useful for 'street Spanish' and more colloquial expressions.
#14
Re: Michel Thomas
a lot of Brits do find Valenciano easier to learn than Castellano
#15
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 446
Re: Michel Thomas
We will hopefully be visiting Els Poblets quite soon for just over 8 weeks and will try to avoid speaking to all the Germans who Mitzyboy says live there (kidding). We will continue with Mr T until we go and take the discs with us for more work in the day when not out and about.
Hopefully we will find a few Spaniards to speak to or at least attempt to reply to when spoken to. We will also try TV.
For extra punishment may also take the Linguaphone discs too.
As we will not be moving to Spain for more than a few months at a time this is the best we can do. No Spanish classes available locally I'm afraid.
Still, keeps the brain active - even if only in a confused state
Hopefully we will find a few Spaniards to speak to or at least attempt to reply to when spoken to. We will also try TV.
For extra punishment may also take the Linguaphone discs too.
As we will not be moving to Spain for more than a few months at a time this is the best we can do. No Spanish classes available locally I'm afraid.
Still, keeps the brain active - even if only in a confused state