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Learning Spanish
Also buy a good spanish english dictionary with a CD and load it onto your laptop (buy a laptop)
Then, every morning, read Listin Diario, look up every word you do not know and write it down in a notebook along with the translation. Soon you will at least have the vocabulary of Listin.
Then, every morning, read Listin Diario, look up every word you do not know and write it down in a notebook along with the translation. Soon you will at least have the vocabulary of Listin.
Try the search function as I'm sure this must have been discussed on DR1 previously.
As a Spanish professor for 40 years, your learning Spanish will depend on YOU to memorize vocabulary and practice speaking, listening and conversing with Spanish speakers in the real world. There are no magic methods, it takes effort. The original Paul Pimsleur (who has been dead for decades) was an excellent instructor, but the courses sold under his name (like Berlitz before him) are overpriced. The cheapo CDs and tapes are barely a teensy intro to the language. If you know how to ask the questions, it is not much help if you cannot understand the answer. A cheap translation gizmo will be far more helpful.
There are a lot of decent courses available online as well as used and new from Amazon for under $70 or so.
There are a lot of decent courses available online as well as used and new from Amazon for under $70 or so.
http://entrenainc.com/images/pdf/Program_Information.pdf
While learning on the internet may work for some, the OP may need some one to one teaching as well.
It is certainly a good investment as language fluency makes all the difference between feeling comfortable here or feeling like a frightened alien.
Language schools are expensive here. I studied in both Mexico and Guatemala, which are cheaper. But then when I came here, I could not understand a word of what they were saying for about a year!
The other thing to do, if you have SOME Spanish is to watch telenovelas.. And to watch US movies with Spanish subtitles. Many of the TV shows here have Spanish subtitles.
I have pretty bad hearing loss.. 70% in one ear, 30% in another, the result of a small squid from Las Terrenas who loved me to much that he tried to take up residence in my ear canal along with his 7 or 8 grains of sand.. I thought it was just swimmers' ear and so did not go the hospital for two weeks, just kept trying to flush out the ear. Anyway, I have found that I have come to depend on the Spanish subtitles as I often miss words in the TV broadcast.
I first started with kids cartoons but I have no interest in kids' cartoons, even in English. Law and Order works better for me.
But the investment in a month or even two week course at Entrena, followed by private tutoring as your pocket allows, will really improve your enjoyment of living here.
While learning on the internet may work for some, the OP may need some one to one teaching as well.
It is certainly a good investment as language fluency makes all the difference between feeling comfortable here or feeling like a frightened alien.
Language schools are expensive here. I studied in both Mexico and Guatemala, which are cheaper. But then when I came here, I could not understand a word of what they were saying for about a year!
The other thing to do, if you have SOME Spanish is to watch telenovelas.. And to watch US movies with Spanish subtitles. Many of the TV shows here have Spanish subtitles.
I have pretty bad hearing loss.. 70% in one ear, 30% in another, the result of a small squid from Las Terrenas who loved me to much that he tried to take up residence in my ear canal along with his 7 or 8 grains of sand.. I thought it was just swimmers' ear and so did not go the hospital for two weeks, just kept trying to flush out the ear. Anyway, I have found that I have come to depend on the Spanish subtitles as I often miss words in the TV broadcast.
I first started with kids cartoons but I have no interest in kids' cartoons, even in English. Law and Order works better for me.
But the investment in a month or even two week course at Entrena, followed by private tutoring as your pocket allows, will really improve your enjoyment of living here.
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I certainly agree that some people really do need a teacher. There is a book I have mentioned before in this forum called "Spanish Grammar for English Speakers" that will explain many differences and subtleties between the two languages that many teachers do not know. It is an inexpensive paperback and will prove useful to any Anglophone trying to master Spanish.
You are right about Dominican Spanish. They slur and elide words and use words never found in dictionaries and although everyone understands ME, I do not always understand THEM. Children are particularly hard to understand, especially when they talk while chewing or with their fingers in their mouths.
I suggest a good DVD player which can be rewound and frozen in scene, especially for learning various accents. Dominican films help a lot with Dominican Spanish. Telenovelas are mostly Mexican, Colombian or dubbed Brazilian, and the Spanish is usually clear and easy to understand. The plots are bloody awful, the acting reminds me of Master Thespian, but they are a good tool for learning a language.
The voices they have given the Simpsons in Spanish are just awful. It is like having someone else chew your food. Ugh. I love the Simpsons, but in Spanish, ugh.
Programs rather than internet courses are better. Rosetta Stone is Okay, but pricy. The Pimsleur programs come in two sizes, inadequate and cheap and expensive and not worth it. Amazon has many for under $80 that are as good or better.
I am sorry to hear about the squid in your ear. I would never have thought that a squid would have the habits of a hermit crab.
I find even English films better when I can read the subtitles. Occasionally the soundtrack drowns out the actors. I can't say that I am hard of hearing, but I do not hear tones I used to: I used to hear a high pitched sound from refrigerators and even neighbors' TVs. Now I can't.
Last they mentioned, OP was (unhappily) living in Santo Domingo. Hopefully this is an effort to finally embrace the culture.
Cabarete Language Istitute CLI rooms at kite camp as low as 25/night. ALPI in Santiago - first class!
My Spanish is poor but I study., I live like a gringo but I still enjoy being here. Culturally aware - yes. Cultural embrace - no ****ing way!
My Spanish is poor but I study., I live like a gringo but I still enjoy being here. Culturally aware - yes. Cultural embrace - no ****ing way!
Try any country where they can Read, Write, and Speak SPANISH!!!!!
This Ain't IT!
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This Ain't IT!
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Read this the other day.....(don't bother if you are not used to Whatsapp-, Facebook- and SMS-spanish...)
"vendo mi motocroos HONDA CR 2TIEMPO a?o 2004 solo al ke kanbiale la biela pero el motor esta bien como lo be en la fato nitido el precio es 95ooo pero yo soy nego ciante al ke le in teresADO me puede yamar al XXX XXXXXX y XXX XXXXXX si el motor te in teresa ikiere aser al guna pregunta mepuede yamar i el precio no se preokupen no lo estoy biendiendo porke aya ke canbiale la biela es porke tengo otro negocio ke aser pero como tu be en la foto el motor axi mismo esta meyamo pedro el motor esta en las terrenas de samana para monteo o para corer esta supre tiene todo reicin cloche factori tapa todo reicin yamame i sera tuyo porel precio no te preo cupe soi el due?o iyo negoseo yamame"
"vendo mi motocroos HONDA CR 2TIEMPO a?o 2004 solo al ke kanbiale la biela pero el motor esta bien como lo be en la fato nitido el precio es 95ooo pero yo soy nego ciante al ke le in teresADO me puede yamar al XXX XXXXXX y XXX XXXXXX si el motor te in teresa ikiere aser al guna pregunta mepuede yamar i el precio no se preokupen no lo estoy biendiendo porke aya ke canbiale la biela es porke tengo otro negocio ke aser pero como tu be en la foto el motor axi mismo esta meyamo pedro el motor esta en las terrenas de samana para monteo o para corer esta supre tiene todo reicin cloche factori tapa todo reicin yamame i sera tuyo porel precio no te preo cupe soi el due?o iyo negoseo yamame"
I found that learning song lyrics helped me. It is so much easier now with internet and itunes.
Pick your favorite artist. Download the lyrics and sing along.
I find it helps with idioms.
Many of the american standards, jazz classics, not to mention pop and rock have been covered by latino artists.
If you like jazz, may i recommend Nat King Cole (at least one album in spanish), and a guy called Isaac Delgado, who has reinterpreted many of the classics.
Mexican lady Paquita del Barrio.
Go anywhere people do karaoke in Spanish.
Pick your favorite artist. Download the lyrics and sing along.
I find it helps with idioms.
Many of the american standards, jazz classics, not to mention pop and rock have been covered by latino artists.
If you like jazz, may i recommend Nat King Cole (at least one album in spanish), and a guy called Isaac Delgado, who has reinterpreted many of the classics.
Mexican lady Paquita del Barrio.
Go anywhere people do karaoke in Spanish.
"TOTAL IMMERSION"!!!!!!!
Speak, read, write, listen to radio, watch TV, Movies,Music, live with Dominicans!!!!!
That way you "Teach" both sides of your brain!
I "sang" the lyrics to dominican songs, way before I knew what I was saying.
That's how babies learn, so it MUST WORK!
You have to forget about "Sounding Stupid" and TALK!
Dominicans like to see you TRYING, even if you have trouble at first!
And "Several" Dominican girlfriends DOES HELP!!!!
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Speak, read, write, listen to radio, watch TV, Movies,Music, live with Dominicans!!!!!
That way you "Teach" both sides of your brain!
I "sang" the lyrics to dominican songs, way before I knew what I was saying.
That's how babies learn, so it MUST WORK!
You have to forget about "Sounding Stupid" and TALK!
Dominicans like to see you TRYING, even if you have trouble at first!
And "Several" Dominican girlfriends DOES HELP!!!!
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