|
Re: Michel Thomas
Originally Posted by lynnxa
(Post 8804977)
yes, I think that's why - the French influence
as far as integrating I don't think you need to worry about yet another language yes, it helps to be able to read Valenciano - I can - especially if you have kids in the state schools, but as far as speaking it I really don't think it would make that much difference in Javea - it's such a mix of people from all over Spain Castellano is definitely the way to go - not everyone in Javea speaks Valenciano - even locals - some of the pijos actually look down on those that do now if you were in Gata........................:blink: |
Re: Michel Thomas
Originally Posted by raddickle
(Post 8805047)
Well, when I'm in the lucky position to spend a bit more time out there I'll come to you for lessons in both!
I could teach you maths from a Valenciano text book though:lol: |
Re: Michel Thomas
I think it was Steven Fry who said of someone that he could speak 5 languages and read another 4.
Understanding the written word is ten times easier than the spoken, speaking isn't too bad when you have a bit of vocabulary, but as said here the bu**er is when people use words and constructions that you don't know. I think it's because the brain is struggling to process all the words coming in, and so it makes intelligent guesses as to what is coming next. Of course, in a foreign language it ha sless to make guess with. It does the same with thrown objects, as it doesn't have the time to plot the curve frame by frame, so it makes a best guess at where the ball will end up, and then backfills the details. |
Re: Michel Thomas
Originally Posted by bil
(Post 8806718)
Understanding the written word is ten times easier than the spoken, speaking isn't too bad when you have a bit of vocabulary, but as said here the bu**er is when people use words and constructions that you don't know.
It is complicated yes, there are over 50 versions of each verb, but it can be learnt somewhat like a mathematical algorithm and there are not that many exceptions (compared to English) of how the verbs are conjugated. In terms of understanding, it just takes time. A big thing is to watch Spanish TV at home, that helps me no end. You have to pay attention to understand otherwise you have one boring evening! |
Re: Michel Thomas
Originally Posted by cricketman
(Post 8806860)
.
In terms of understanding, it just takes time. A big thing is to watch Spanish TV at home, that helps me no end. You have to pay attention to understand otherwise you have one boring evening! |
Re: Michel Thomas
Originally Posted by cricketman
(Post 8806860)
The good news is that Spanish has an incredibly logical system of grammar and very simple pronunciation rules making it easy to speak and understand.
It is complicated yes, there are over 50 versions of each verb, but it can be learnt somewhat like a mathematical algorithm and there are not that many exceptions (compared to English) of how the verbs are conjugated. In terms of understanding, it just takes time. A big thing is to watch Spanish TV at home, that helps me no end. You have to pay attention to understand otherwise you have one boring evening!
Originally Posted by jackytoo
(Post 8806878)
You will have an even more boring evening if you understand.:rofl:
|
Re: Michel Thomas
What are you lot on about??????
I thought the thread was about the actor in Starsky and Hutch. |
Re: Michel Thomas
Originally Posted by bil
(Post 8804441)
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. You have really to want to learn language. You have to listen actively and you have to be prepared to be wrong, but have a go anyway. My husband never got that. Maybe it's his fault or maybe it's Michael Thomas' fault that he's unemployed;-) They say (in our village) that when he does speak, his Spanish is better than mine, But that's hardly any comfort when we're scrabbling for pennies just because my husband doesn't have the confidence to 'put himself out there'. There's loads of work in his area...after all most Spanish websites are S***t. We laughed at other people who moved to Spain without learning the language. Now we're suffering from the same thing. Back to the point. I started to learn with the Linkword method which makes you feel that you're learning right from the beginning. Then I did classes, But by far the best method is to discipline yourself to breakfast daily in front of CNN+ (or any other repetitive news channel). Like OP says. It "just sort of creeps up on you" that you're understanding more than you ever realised. But you have to have the confidence to try it out. Don't duck back into pointing and using English just when it gets uncomfortable. That's what my husband does and it's now habitual. It really holds you back. |
Re: Michel Thomas
Originally Posted by raddickle
(Post 8801864)
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? You just nead to practise telling them (nicely) that although you speak a little Spanish you don't understand the local 'dichos'. (El sentido de las palabras...si que entiendo. Pero los dichos me cuestan) Or summat like that:-) My experience with this is that they laugh, agree with you and carry on in the same way. But at least they understand when you look at them blankly, and some of them will try again. |
Re: Michel Thomas
Originally Posted by angiescarr
(Post 8808940)
I agree. 'El Jueves' Which calls itself 'the mag which comes out on wednesdays' is great fun, and informative in an anarchstic way. I can see why bil reads it!;-)
You have really to want to learn language. You have to listen actively and you have to be prepared to be wrong, but have a go anyway. My husband never got that. Maybe it's his fault or maybe it's Michael Thomas' fault that he's unemployed;-) They say (in our village) that when he does speak, his Spanish is better than mine, But that's hardly any comfort when we're scrabbling for pennies just because my husband doesn't have the confidence to 'put himself out there'. There's loads of work in his area...after all most Spanish websites are S***t. We laughed at other people who moved to Spain without learning the language. Now we're suffering from the same thing. Back to the point. I started to learn with the Linkword method which makes you feel that you're learning right from the beginning. Then I did classes, But by far the best method is to discipline yourself to breakfast daily in front of CNN+ (or any other repetitive news channel). Like OP says. It "just sort of creeps up on you" that you're understanding more than you ever realised. But you have to have the confidence to try it out. Don't duck back into pointing and using English just when it gets uncomfortable. That's what my husband does and it's now habitual. It really holds you back. As for the learning process, I know I am kind of anal about grammar, but learning it really, really helps you to clear up some of the apparant confusion. Also, it's a good idea to understand very clearly what the verb tenses actually mean, so you know what you are trying to say. For example, the three common past tenses, the perfect, imperfect and preterit all mean very different things. The preterit is mostly for a single event in the past. The imperfect for repeated events in the past and the perfect for events in the past that may be repeated in the future. ie Preterit. I ate at Joe's. imperfect I used to eat at Joe's perfect I have eaten at joe's |
Re: Michel Thomas
Originally Posted by bil
(Post 8804441)
I found El Jueves a great help. It's a funny, slightly vulgar mag that takes the p*ss out of almost everything,
http://www.eljueves.es/2010/08/27/ve...es_guiris.html |
Re: Michel Thomas
Originally Posted by agoreira
(Post 8811260)
Even guiris!:lol:
http://www.eljueves.es/2010/08/27/ve...es_guiris.html |
Re: Michel Thomas
Oh, thank goodness others feel the same way about Mr Thomas. I was beginning to think that it was a combination of my advanced years and sheer laziness. I do watch the news in Spanish all the time but wondered if it was the words and the pictures together that made sense. There is one newsreader, whose name I forget, who is extraordinarily understandable. I think that he was 'newsreader of the year' - his pronunciation is excellent and he does not read the news as if he was a machine gun in full spate. There is hope then.
|
Re: Michel Thomas
Originally Posted by St. John
(Post 8812595)
Oh, thank goodness others feel the same way about Mr Thomas. I was beginning to think that it was a combination of my advanced years and sheer laziness. I do watch the news in Spanish all the time but wondered if it was the words and the pictures together that made sense. There is one newsreader, whose name I forget, who is extraordinarily understandable. I think that he was 'newsreader of the year' - his pronunciation is excellent and he does not read the news as if he was a machine gun in full spate. There is hope then.
Watching the news is fine, but the problem is the vocabulary tends to be on certain subjects eg politics, employment, international affairs, sport etc, and you don't pick up the language used in normal conversations. There are certain newsreaders (nearly always female) who still lose me within seconds as they speak so rapidly. |
Re: Michel Thomas
|
| All times are GMT -12. The time now is 6:16 pm. |
Powered by vBulletin: ©2000 - 2026, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.