Got any advice on learning the language ?

heather doran

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Jan 20, 2008
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Am thinking of moving to the DR and one of the main barriers is I cant speak spanish! I was just wondering if anyone out there had any advice.And if anyone else had the same problem in the past and how they overcame it. Im not asking much at all am I ;)
 

SKY

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Apr 11, 2004
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Find a Dominican girlfriend that speaks no English and live with her. You will learn fast, especially when her mother is sick.
 

Rocky

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Find a Dominican girlfriend that speaks no English and live with her. You will learn fast, especially when her mother is sick.
I'm just guessing, but as the OP's name is Heather, perhaps a boyfriend would be more suitable.
 

samanasuenos

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Oct 5, 2005
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I would move my post to the Language Forum.

My 2 cents:
spanish language TV
CDS/tapes in car
flash cards
practice with native speakers
try multiple ways of learning - we do not all learn the same way!
 

Matilda

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Sep 13, 2006
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I started off learning the present tense of 6 verbs. To go, want, be, come, have,take. Then listen and learn 10 word of vocab each day. Once a week learn 10 little words like: up, down, left right, before, because etc. I cooked for a colombian girl once a week and we spoke spanish all night. The main thing is confidence. Don't be scared of speaking.

matilda
 
A

apostropheman

Guest
exactly!

listen to Spanish music and internet radio

get Pimsleur Spanish and Spanish Plus,
Michel Thomas Spanish and Advanced Spanish,
Rosetta Stone Latin American Spanish,
Learning Spanish Like Crazy,
Learn Spanish in Your Car, etc...

Take a Spanish night class at a local Community College.

I would move my post to the Language Forum.

My 2 cents:
spanish language TV
CDS/tapes in car
flash cards
practice with native speakers
try multiple ways of learning - we do not all learn the same way!
 
Feb 7, 2007
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Everything samanasuenos said, plus:
children books in spanish (not Harry Potter) - simple storybook in spanish
(e.g. books for 1st or 2nd graders) or comic books, etc.

Once you progress you can add longer stories, newspaper, magazines, and finally novels in spanish

It is very important to read in the language, from the very beginning, as you will intuitively learn many words.

As far as TV in Spanish, start with the news and novelas.
Good choice is Telemundo, where you can put CC in Spanish on, or even in English, so you can a) either listen spanish and read spanish while watching novela, or b) listen spanish and read english while watching the novela
 

Janin

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Jul 31, 2007
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It All Depends

Am thinking of moving to the DR...
Why?

....and one of the main barriers is I cant speak spanish!
Well, it all depends whether you want to learn proper Spanish or the local idiom... ;)
For the latter a limited phraseology and a vocabulary of about 1,500 words would be sufficient for everyday life.
Again, it all depends whom you want to communicate with and in what circumstances you'll be living.

Janin
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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Enrole In A "Spanish Language" Course At a University

Start "There",then continue at a Univ.here!
Learn "Proper Spanish" first,which you will NOT learn from a "Boyfriend" here! "Dominican Street Spanish" will mark you as a "Chopo" here!
I believe in the "Total Immestion" method,BUT it can take you a long time to "Un-Learn" "DUMBinican Spanish" if you start speaking like a "Chopo"!
When I first came to the DR,I thought it was "Cool" to talk like a "Ghetto Rat"! Not so!
You will be respected by "ALL DOMINICANS" if you speak correct Spanish!
You can "Interject" some "Ghettoeeeezzzzzz" for a bit of "Irony/humor" once- in-a-while if you like,but don't talk like a"Looser"!
Cris Colon
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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I, the HB, heartedly endorse the above suggestions....they all work well, and the suggestion to learn "good" Spanish is well taken.

Once fluent, you can dot your talk with a few "ismos" but most of your friends will not appreciate local low-life speech...

I am wondering which Doran your are???

HB
 

2LeftFeet

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Dec 1, 2006
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Learn a few key phrases /words.... Hay...... Tengo.... Quiero..... Me gusta..... Me gusteria..... and build from there.

You have to speak or at least listen to Spanish to learn it. I learned a lot from being in the DR on my few trips there. If you don't stay at AI's you will have NO CHOICE but to practice. but..... you will learn a lot of bad Spanish. When I started studying formally... my teacher almost fell off of her chair with some of the things I came out with.

Every so often I come out with a "winner". I forget or I just don't know or I think that it's proper. I've lived in NYC my whole life and this is the Spanish I have always heard.... She's from Argentina. I'm sure it's nails to the blackboard for her.

I started speaking with her a year ago and my Spansh has improved immensely.

Practice! Practice! Practice with someone reliable.
 

BF1

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As many people said, practice is the key. In my case a lot of reading helped me much. For starters, dominican newspaper are fine, they are written with a plain, easy vocabulary.
 

Criss Colon

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I almost Forget!(A "SENIOR" Moment!)

You need to "Teach" both the right AND left brain. So you must read,write,hear,and speak!
Good Luck!
Cris Colon
 

heather doran

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Jan 20, 2008
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Thanks for the ideas everyone!
SKY a boyfriend would definitely be more suitable!

HILLBILLY, What do you mean ? Which doran you are ?

Heather
 

Kat1144

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Nov 23, 2007
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As with any foreign language.. practice, practice, practice... and once you learn it "use it or lose it".. Moving to a foreign country will help you learn quickly..
Best of Luck =)
 

samanasuenos

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Oct 5, 2005
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I forgot to add that your friends who learned Spanish as children in latin america will tell you different. They will recommend an interesting little booklet that their teachers used to teach them. It is called an Ah-Bay-Say-Dah_ree-yah.

I have one, for El Salvador, and made in Chile (!?!?!?):

"SILIBARIO Hispano Americano" is the title.

It breaks it down phonetically (metodo fonico-sensorial-objetivo-sintetico-deductivo). Wow that sounds scientific!

Mine was copyright in 1948, by the way.

Good luck!
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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I would recommend taking a Spanish class whevere you are at now for at least two semesters if possible. If that is not possible, you should buy a grammar book and do all of the exercises until you learn the basics.

This will establish a firm foundation in understanding the language structure and also reading and writing. The listening part will take some time(maybe a couple of years living here) but the basics will help you on your way immensly.

Also, my advice is based on the assumption that you desire to speak the language enough so that you potentially could work here in the DR and only speak Spanish and also have Dominican friends and be able to carry on complex conversations about all aspects of life etc.

Of course, if you are just interested in being able to go to the store and ask for bread, etc, just take an immersion course for a short period of time to learn all of the catchy phrases and move to a touristy area where a lot of people speak a version of English. Also, you should be able to be understood by some Domincans, but don't expect to be able to understand a whole lot of what they will say to you. Remember, nothing that is good in this life is easy, but the reward is usually worth it.
 

Ben

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Feb 2, 2004
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My wife has done very well with the Rosetta Stone CDs. Nothing beats being here and having to speak Spanish all day long.
 

mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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Go to Guatemala!

I may get some flack for this but I recommend that you go to an immersion school in Antiqua, Guatemala. The best one is called Franciso Marroquin - but when you get off the plane in Guatemala City all the cab drivers will assume that you are going to Antigua - since it is full of language schools. I was there years ago -- but I know that they are still around. Do an internet search on Spanish Language Travel and check it out. I have a Dutch friend, who lives here, and books people all over Latin America -- alas, not here in the DR as she has visited all the other countries and found that, really, the instruction here just isn't up to par with the other countries. For years, Antiqua was the place where all the Latin American peace corps workers were sent to learn Spanish. There is an immersion school here -- that the peace corps uses - but it is very expensive for individuals - $400 a week without room and board -- where in other countries, it is about that INCLUDING room and board...

But 4 weeks of that will certainly give you a really good grounding.