learning spanish

Professionals in learning will tell you everyone responds to different learning stimuli in different ways. Some can read a book and self-teach and some need a classroom. That said, the Rosetta Stone is the top executive language tool in the business world today. Learn on your own time and pace.

You can "atune" your ear if you watch a few soaps....You will get the cadence and some of the accents. The actors usually pronounce in a fairly standard manner.

Also, listen to f?tbol and beisbol games on TV or radio...

The idea of a lover is okay, but might bring a lot of unwanted baggage..
Rosetta Stone is proven, also.

HB

Ive done rosetta stone and im still no nearer to speaking spanish,Im notsure its worth the money, mind you I didnt pay for mine lol

Along with my daily Spanish lessons, I (as Hillbilly mentioned) have completely immersed myself in Spanish tv, radio, music( I love the novelas lol) and I am actually beginning to understand the conversations and some of the catch phrases and that has actually helped me quite a bit.

Keep doing what you are doing...

american chica said:

What is the best way to go about learning spanish. I do not have the option of moving to a spanish speaking country for instant immersion.. I have had lessons in college and have began to start lessons again on my own. Any techniques you guys/ladies can provide to make things go a little smoother..

Thanks

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I think your approach is excellent and I strongly suggest you keep doing what you are doing. Your command of the language will heavily depend on your studies. Grammar is a key aspect to understanding the fundamental concepts of the language which build your foundation to grasp the overall important principles of language learning. Please do not stray from this necessary requirement if your goal is to speak Spanish well and you will if you continue with your studies.

As you progress, incorporate other aspects of language learning so you can adjust to the spoken language, acquire vocabulary, practice speaking and acquire fluency. This can be done by reading which is something so many people omit when studying a language and simply do not do. Read out loud so you can hear yourself and notice your own pronunciation difficulties. Watching television in Spanish is an excellent opportunity to hear the spoken language at a regular pace meaning how people speak the language in the day to day world. I recommend the news and other programs of your choice. You are in the USA it seems so you should be able to tune into your local Univisi?n or Telemundo channels. They have very good news broadcasts.

On the social front join some local Latino social groups such as dance classes (salsa, merengue, etc.) if you are into that or scope out the local Latino community where you live and become a part of their world by joining in on community activities. There?s plenty that you can do.

As well, I hope you have good Spanish text books. Yes, more than one is recommended. I have quite a handful in mind that I can recommend as they all have very good aspects about language to offer. What learners, students, educators etc. usually critique is the presentation of the content and chapter format but generally speaking grammar is grammar.

I recommend these text books:

1/ ?C?mo se dice?


2/ Visi?n y voz (third edition)


3/ T? dir?s (3rd or 4th edition)



As for Rosetta Stone, anyone who has come to me for tutoring was because they were not successful with the program. I personally have never listened to the cds or browsed their teaching material however; in general I don?t foster this method of language learning although it may be successful for some.


Good luck and keep studying.


-Marianopolita.

So....

Start speaking.....at least if only with your spanish teacher and friends you can get.The more you speak....the better you become.

When l started learning spanish....l took advantage of every opportunity l had to speak the language everywhere l met someone who could speak the language,l would always initiate a discussion ,ask a question or make a remark
while some were busy laughing at my mistakes,i was busy getting better and better.

Wish you the best on your journey.
Roshe!

Check out this same thread topic for previous posts because we have discussed this issue a lot. You will be able to learn which ways have given great dividends, etc.

In a nutshell, if you want to speak relatively correctly, understand native speakers and be understood, learning to read and write and sentance structure and spelling will be very important. If you are just interested in learning tourist Spanish that can be learned relativley fast and easy.

Suerte

i can say from my experience it seems quite difficult because of the countries i visit. basic spanish works ok but local slang is another thing. i spend my vacation time between costa rica, panama, puerto rico and the dominican republic.
relating to Chip's post, is it normal to write and understand better than you speak ? i have 2 out of 3 down pretty well. (helps out on badoo.com]) :laugh:

I found and amazing spanish teacher who offers lessons online or if you live in west Toronto area you can travel to his home. He is from Peru and speaks a very clean spanish so it is easy to understand. His teaching style has worked well for me, within a few months I was understanding about 75% of what was being said and speaking in basic well formed sentences to get my point across. He has a very different teaching style to a lot of the traditional language courses. Please feel free to contact him directly, here is a link to his website. Spanish Lessons, Courses & Classes In Person and On-Line With TLC ~ Toronto, Mississauga and Oakville

His name is Cesar, he also loves to talk about the latin culture and is a great support to anyone with a latin (Dominican) novio o novia!

DR, PR, Panama, Costa Rica-

Kyle said:

i can say from my experience it seems quite difficult because of the countries i visit. basic spanish works ok but local slang is another thing. i spend my vacation time between costa rica, panama, puerto rico and the dominican republic.

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Local slang in general is not part of formal language learning anyway. In general, it's a part of language one acquires via exposure to Spanish spoken in a country, region or from speakers who are from a specific Spanish-speaking country. Slang should not be confused with idioms and fixed expressions.

It should be used when a person has a very good or strong comfort level in their second, third language etc. and not used casually because unknowingly it can be very offensive and taken the wrong way. Even though you may hear a person speak using a lot of slang words and expressions, it's not recommended to parallel that speaking pattern if you are learning Spanish. Therefore, in a nutshell don't worry about the local argot. You will pick up words and expressions along the way but I always believe that people should limit the amount of slang they use with beginners in any language. If we are referring to the tourist industry, slang should not be used at all by the locals when dealing with tourists, guests etc. even those who are native speakers from other countries. It's inappropriate and a word in one country can mean something completely different and even offensive in another.

Television shows have plenty of slang and what I have observed lately is the amount of Mexican slang being used by non-Mexican Spanish speakers. It was to the point where I had to look for a good resource (link) online to understand some of the words. Do you watch Spanish television? You will pick up local argot overnight.

Regarding the DR, slang is a vibrant part of the vernacular but once again it says a lot about the speaker. One whose main vocabulary is slang and then improper Spanish should tell you something about the speaker's command of his/ her own language. In Puerto Rico, my observation was interesting because the notion is that everyone speaks English and that's far from the case. PR Spanish reminds of when the spoken language does not evolve due to isolation. Panama City, Panama is a place where I enjoy the spoken language and their history makes it a very interesting country to examine linguistically. However, in my experience in language, research is limited on the Panamanian vernacular. Costa Rica is on my list of places to visit not only to get to know CR but also to remark on certain aspects of language.


-Marianopolita.

Kyle said:

i can say from my experience it seems quite difficult because of the countries i visit. basic spanish works ok but local slang is another thing. i spend my vacation time between costa rica, panama, puerto rico and the dominican republic.
relating to Chip's post, is it normal to write and understand better than you speak ? i have 2 out of 3 down pretty well. (helps out on badoo.com]) :laugh:

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It is funny how backwards is different, I am a native spanish speaker and english is my second language and for me writing and speaking is easy, understanding is my harder specially when the other person speaks fast, I'm really better at that than a couple of years back but still have some hiccups with it.

reading is always easier because you read it to yourself the way you think it should sound,which is not necessarily how it sounds in reality.You can also see where one word ends and another begins. Comosta