Lol, that is great. I love those types of stories. I can't wait to embarrass myself LOL!!! Anyone ever really offend someone by mistake because of mixing up up the language?
- Thread starter torreylee
- Start date
Learning the language stories...
Lol, that is great. I love those types of stories. I can't wait to embarrass myself LOL!!! Anyone ever really offend someone by mistake because of mixing up up the language?
I started studying Spanish in the year 2000. I had a teach-yourself-Spanish textbook, i got through to the Lesson 12 (I think). Then I opened only the grammar section to check on grammar.
Everything else was immersion. I traveled a lot on business throughout LatAm and was always practicing. For some time I even had a novia/friend in Argentina. When i check back those emails from early 2000's I have to laugh... but it was as going step by step, laying brick upon brick, the language skills grew... When I lived back in the USA I watched Univision a lot, at least one novela per day. When I was not home, TiVo was a good friend. I also read Spanish books - John Grisham. First I read in Spanish the book I already had read in English before. Then, brand-new-never-read-before novels in Spanish. And speaking, speaking, speaking. We had several Latino maintenance guys in apartment complex I used to live in, so I practiced Spanish with them. When I traveled on business within LatAm, I always spoke Spanish. Sometimes it was funny, having a small-talk conversation there, Mexicans speaking English to me practicing it, and I speaking Spanish to them practicing Spanish. Now, I am 99.9% proficient in Spanish. I even write my own Spanish contracts, to which local lawyers make very very few corrections. I draft and design my own promotional materials, brochures and presentations in Spanish. Again, very few corrections made during proofreading by the native speaker (who studied journalism btw., so has very high --above-population-average-- language skills).
What I want to say, the same way I learned English, I learned Spanish. You have to keep practicing the language. For example, I lived 6 years in the US. I almost did not have accent. Now, I have some accent, because I am no longer in the environment. To keep English up, I watch TV, read books, and speak on the phone ... for Spanish, I live in the Environment, but still watch TV, read books in Spanish as well (last one - Las Munecas de La Mafia!! I recommend it 1000%!!! then the whole Zobeida and Agosto thing will make much more sense,a nd also El Cartel de los Sapos - not the TV version, the book!).
My aunt who was a language teacher in Prague once told me to read the books in foreign language (you have to have some vocabulary level for that) but do not stop on unknown words to consult with the dictionary. Keep on reading. Sooner or later, the word will become "known" to you from various context-use throughout the text. If, after you "almost" think-you-know what an unknown word means, then double check the dictionary to get it 100% right. When I started to take my English-language skills on the "next level" I read "Birds of Prey" (my very first book read in English) in about week's time, and consulted the dictionary about 10 times. First half of the book I was understanding maybe half of what I read. By the end of the book, I got 95%. On my second book, I practically understood the whole novel without any problems.
To add to that, I watched TV in English (in my country the broadcast channels had dual language tracks) so I watched some US series with their original language track.
Then I moved to the US, and the immersion helped to "nail it down".
The same went on with my Spanish. Reading books, watching TV, carrying conversations in Spanish. As I said, it did not come overnight (February was a 10-year anniversary since I first took the Spanish textbook in my hands).
Also, important in the whole "language studies" is how "attracted" you are to the particular language in question. I studied German for 6 years when I was a very little kid (which should have made it very easy) but I do NOT speak German (I can understand SOME written text, but not much). I studied French for 4 years at high school, but cannot even "blink" in French... simply, those languages were quite "foreign" to me.
P.S. I found out that reading a few novels in a foreign language (after you have built up a sufficient vocabulary, of course) makes so much difference. It absolutely takes your language skills on the next level. In other words, after you read and understand a novel in a foreign language, you are "advanced". Then you may start dreaming in foreign language, and that means you "made it". That means, you are "thinking" in the foreign language, and not translating back-and-forth.
Everything else was immersion. I traveled a lot on business throughout LatAm and was always practicing. For some time I even had a novia/friend in Argentina. When i check back those emails from early 2000's I have to laugh... but it was as going step by step, laying brick upon brick, the language skills grew... When I lived back in the USA I watched Univision a lot, at least one novela per day. When I was not home, TiVo was a good friend. I also read Spanish books - John Grisham. First I read in Spanish the book I already had read in English before. Then, brand-new-never-read-before novels in Spanish. And speaking, speaking, speaking. We had several Latino maintenance guys in apartment complex I used to live in, so I practiced Spanish with them. When I traveled on business within LatAm, I always spoke Spanish. Sometimes it was funny, having a small-talk conversation there, Mexicans speaking English to me practicing it, and I speaking Spanish to them practicing Spanish. Now, I am 99.9% proficient in Spanish. I even write my own Spanish contracts, to which local lawyers make very very few corrections. I draft and design my own promotional materials, brochures and presentations in Spanish. Again, very few corrections made during proofreading by the native speaker (who studied journalism btw., so has very high --above-population-average-- language skills).
What I want to say, the same way I learned English, I learned Spanish. You have to keep practicing the language. For example, I lived 6 years in the US. I almost did not have accent. Now, I have some accent, because I am no longer in the environment. To keep English up, I watch TV, read books, and speak on the phone ... for Spanish, I live in the Environment, but still watch TV, read books in Spanish as well (last one - Las Munecas de La Mafia!! I recommend it 1000%!!! then the whole Zobeida and Agosto thing will make much more sense,a nd also El Cartel de los Sapos - not the TV version, the book!).
My aunt who was a language teacher in Prague once told me to read the books in foreign language (you have to have some vocabulary level for that) but do not stop on unknown words to consult with the dictionary. Keep on reading. Sooner or later, the word will become "known" to you from various context-use throughout the text. If, after you "almost" think-you-know what an unknown word means, then double check the dictionary to get it 100% right. When I started to take my English-language skills on the "next level" I read "Birds of Prey" (my very first book read in English) in about week's time, and consulted the dictionary about 10 times. First half of the book I was understanding maybe half of what I read. By the end of the book, I got 95%. On my second book, I practically understood the whole novel without any problems.
To add to that, I watched TV in English (in my country the broadcast channels had dual language tracks) so I watched some US series with their original language track.
Then I moved to the US, and the immersion helped to "nail it down".
The same went on with my Spanish. Reading books, watching TV, carrying conversations in Spanish. As I said, it did not come overnight (February was a 10-year anniversary since I first took the Spanish textbook in my hands).
Also, important in the whole "language studies" is how "attracted" you are to the particular language in question. I studied German for 6 years when I was a very little kid (which should have made it very easy) but I do NOT speak German (I can understand SOME written text, but not much). I studied French for 4 years at high school, but cannot even "blink" in French... simply, those languages were quite "foreign" to me.
P.S. I found out that reading a few novels in a foreign language (after you have built up a sufficient vocabulary, of course) makes so much difference. It absolutely takes your language skills on the next level. In other words, after you read and understand a novel in a foreign language, you are "advanced". Then you may start dreaming in foreign language, and that means you "made it". That means, you are "thinking" in the foreign language, and not translating back-and-forth.
magazines are probably a better way to start reading, where someone is being interviewed, so its more like a conversation -also better to pick something you are remotely interested in lol
Reading a book is not easy if you dont know 6 words in each sentence
Reading a book is not easy if you dont know 6 words in each sentence
Not easy, but works miracles. Obviously, you do not start reading a novel if your vocabulary is on beginner's level. But two years' worth of vocabulary is enough. And it helps if the novel you read is light, from an author you like, and preferably the same one you read in native language (or other language you are super proficient in).
There comes this phenomena: ?noticing?, ?guessing ability?, ?guessing-retention link?, ?cumulative gain?.
There are scholars who challenge the assumption that reading is the most important source of vocabulary acquisition. But it certainly is a major source and a big booster. Certainly I know it played a major role for me, but COMBINED with other factors and sources, such as TV, conversations, etc.
You obviously have a flair for languages but you are also truly inspirational in your ability to aquire language skills.
drloca, I was just about to say!
I can't claim much credit for the standard of my Spanish because I had a head start (mother's mother tongue is Spanish, lived in a semi-Spanish speaking environment for part of my childhood/youth, have many Spanish-speaking relatives, etc.), but with learning languages generally I would suggest reading a simple book you are already familiar with in your first language, like "The Little Prince" or something like that.
In the DR the best newspapers to start with would be Diario Libre or El D?a because their articles are usually quite short and concise.
I can't claim much credit for the standard of my Spanish because I had a head start (mother's mother tongue is Spanish, lived in a semi-Spanish speaking environment for part of my childhood/youth, have many Spanish-speaking relatives, etc.), but with learning languages generally I would suggest reading a simple book you are already familiar with in your first language, like "The Little Prince" or something like that.
In the DR the best newspapers to start with would be Diario Libre or El D?a because their articles are usually quite short and concise.
I learned via immersion but it was literature that helped me pass my exams for teaching Spanish.
Having never taken formal coursework, I needed a good way to learn a lot of vocabulary and grammar structure--after years of French--so I started reading.
The first book and I recommend it to all here:
El Alquimista por Paolo Coelho.
From there I went on to read a lot of different authors.
I passed both national exams to prove I didn't need classes in order to teach Spanish to Maine kids.
Having never taken formal coursework, I needed a good way to learn a lot of vocabulary and grammar structure--after years of French--so I started reading.
The first book and I recommend it to all here:
El Alquimista por Paolo Coelho.
From there I went on to read a lot of different authors.
I passed both national exams to prove I didn't need classes in order to teach Spanish to Maine kids.
I would like to add to my post, that during my first few years of learning Spanish, I did consult the grammar section of the textbook quite often. So it was not like that it "just came down on me from heaven" ... I read, watched and listened, and then I consulted with the grammar book those things I observed. I checked and rechecked. Because of no official schooling, I still think there may be "some hidden areas "of Spanish grammar I am not 100% proficient at.
My English was a different thing, there I got 8 years of formal studies, grades 4-8 in primary school, and 4 grades in high school. The grammar was a big part of regular exams (and I hated that English teacher in primary school! oh how much I hated her, she pushed us so hard ..
good thing, I would give her million thanks today!)
My English was a different thing, there I got 8 years of formal studies, grades 4-8 in primary school, and 4 grades in high school. The grammar was a big part of regular exams (and I hated that English teacher in primary school! oh how much I hated her, she pushed us so hard ..
good thing, I would give her million thanks today!)I speak Portugues and some Spanish is similar but when I started watching Spanish telenovela's I picked up a lot more Spanish and began understanding a lot more, it does help seriously!
I learned by total immersion but I was a youngster and it came quickly to me, and yet I still cannot do much math....I'd say seven months in my case, but again I was very young and like a sponge.
I am consistently amazed by Dominicans who speak English well and when I ask how,the answer is "tv".
Don't understestimate the power of tv....start watching Spanish tv asap. I remember hours of telenovelas on long hot lazy afternoons in Venezuela. Who knew they were helping me so much???
As HB said it is VERY tiring even AFTER you learn, if you don't keep it fresh, every re-entry is taxing....