OT- Learning Spanish

[Rusty]

With the diverse group we have here I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with learning Spanish as an adult?

We're like everywhere else or maybe more so in that we have many Mexican families in our area. We pick up a lot of the kids on our church bus but we have trouble communicating with the parents. does anyone know of a class? I've heard of the Rosetta Stone stuff but they're pretty pricey.

Thanks,
Rusty <><

[JerryB]

Rusty I know you are talking about a course of instruction but I think you could do pretty good by learning from one of the local Mexicans. You would be learning their speech instead of the High Castillian Spanish that most courses teach.
Sure hope that storm has finally left ya'll alone now.

[Andrew]

Good luck to you. I have had trouble sticking with learning a second language. You should have a better time if you get help from another that speaks the lingo instead of just reading a book/listening to CD's. That's how I am anyway.

[Comal Forge]

Rosetta Stone is good but it's better to combine it with conversation and of course, the best is immersion. I used to work with a guy who spoke no Spanish growing up and decided on a wild hair to go to college in Madrid, Spain. After 3 years, he was - and still is, as fluent as any native speaker. I took 3 years of German and 5 years of Spanish in middle and high school but am not fluent - although most of the people I work with are Mexican so I do try to converse. In any case, continued practice makes perfect.

[KT-45]

And just why the Hell should I have to 'press one for English'?

[Griff]

Rusty,
The advice to learn conversational Spanish is good. Learning from a native speaker will be best for conversing with locals. I had 6 years of Spanish in grade school & 4 years during college; and, I still have trouble in conversations. I do well in reading and writing, but conversation with most native speakers is difficult. I don't practice enough, nor need to use it enough to really get my ideas across, I spend too much time translating, know few idiomatic phrases, and now, in middle age, my hearing isn't what it used to be and miss some words.

There are some great conversational packages for the computer. I have one, but don't seem to get the time necessary to listen and get my practice in. Good luck.

[slowhandscotty]

Check your local library. They might have something like Rosetta Stone that you can use for free. I know our local library has Rosetta Stone we can use for free.

-Scott

[Rusty]

Well KT, I know I don't HAVE TO, but it's something I WANT to do. Mainly my want is related to church. Once I get a little more of the basics down there are a few locals that I have contact with that I can practice with.


The tropical storm that covered the state for the last week went all around my house for the most part. While we did get more rain and more wind than normal we didn't get a lot. The worst part was getting sent out to drive in it every day. I didn't mind delivering the loads, but driving home empty was a challenge. Several times I had to vary my route to lessen the effects of the wind.

[kimwcook]

I grew up around a lot of Mexican's and I agree, Mexican is different than high Spanish. I took three years of high Spanish in high school and I'm still not fluent. Wish I was as it would make my job a whole lot easier. Immersion is really the best way as you're forced to learn and speak the language. Having someone you can speak to on a constant basis is key also. Use it or lose it.

[Hillbilly]

I learned cowboy spanish by just having to communcate with people in my circle of association.

Having a couple of bi-lingual kids around helped a lot. these days... I am not in contact with a lot of Mexicans or other latins too much so I have sorta lost my ear for things

Por Favor amigo
Jeff

[Rusty]

I understand a lot more than I can speak anyway. that only helps a little.

[Charles]

Learning to speak a second language as an adult was the most difficult thing I have undertaken and I believe that is true for most folks. That is the reason why so few really become proficient.

I grew up on the Texas Mexico Border, where I learn a few slang phrases and how to cuss in Spanglish. I took Spanish in High School and College and still had no practical use of the language.

When I was 35 years old I became a Missionary to South American and HAD to learn the language. I had to either learn Spanish or come home in disgrace, and the latter was not an option for me.

I spent one full year at the "Instituto de Lenguaje Espanol in San Jose Costa Rica with follow up study at the Catholic University in Quito Ecuador. There were both "immersion" programs where everything was done in Spanish and it was sink or swim, because you couldn't use English as a crutch.

I only have a few observations on the subject.

1) Language learning is a skill like riding a bicycle or hammering a nail. Class room instruction will just take you so far. You must get out there and use the language.

2) You must first murder a language before you can master it. You will make thousands of mistakes before you get the hang of it, so the sooner you start making those mistakes, the sooner you will get on the other side. If you wait until you can speak it correctly before you use it, you will never learn to speak it.

Native speakers won't laugh. at you or make fun of you. They are so flattered you are expending the effort to learn their language. It is non-native speakers (like me) who learned the language and like to demonstrate their superior language skill who will make you feel about two inches tall. pee on them!

3) Folks have different language learning aptitudes.

4) You must first learn to hear a language before you can speak it. Turn your TV set to a Spanish channel and leave it there. You don't have to watch it, just listen. At first it is just a cascade of words. After a time you can begin to hear the sentences, then you can pick out the words, and then you can hear the individual syllables.

5) I strongly disagree with the advise to learn bad Spanish from the local semi-literate folks. That is like telling someone who wants to learn English to learn Ebonics, street corner hip-hop or teen speak.

You can always pick up the slang and bad Spanish later if you want to, but first learn to do it right. You might want to travel to a Spanish speaking country and not sound like an ignoramus. Once you get past the border into the interior of Mexico you will find a high grade of Spanish spoken albeit with a very distinctive accent.

Spanish like English has it various accents, vocabulary difference and quirky nouns. But an Englishman, Irishman, Scotsman, Aussie, Canadian, American and New Zelander can still talk to each other with few real problems. So it is with Spanish. Learn it right and you can go anywhere.

6) I can't speak to the value of any of the commercial language learning programs, but I suspect you would be better served with an immersion program or a tutor.

Best of luck and is worth the effort. Oh yes, once you have learned a second language, the third, fourth and so on come much, much easier. After you have Spanish, Italian and Portuguese are a snap and French is pretty easy.

[JerryB]

Hey Rusty boy, I am sure sorry that I gave that bad "semi literate" advice about learning from your local friends. Reckon you better listen Charles sounds like he knows the subject of which he speaks. But spreading the Gospel in any language is a blessing.

[Charles]

Jerry... Semi-literate was a poor choice of words and I didn't intend to give offense to anyone. It was just what came to mind at the time. I am not a snob and some of the best people I have ever known had little or no formal education. I apologize for the word choice.

Sharing the Gospel in Spanish or any language is indeed an honor and real rush. I started three churches in Quito Ecuador. I also trained and assisted Ecuadorian pastors to start churches all up and down the spine of the Ecuadorian Andes Mountains. Lots of hard work, difficult circumstances frustrations, defeats and rough living involved. But the successes are worth all of the problems and pain.

[Ray]

Deleted.

[Griff]

"Native speakers won't laugh. at you or make fun of you. They are so flattered you are expending the effort to learn their language." Truer words were never spoken. I've stumbled thru negotiations on a couple of ocassions with a native speaker, with them politely correcting my pronunciation errors, only to find out at the end of discussions that they spoke English as well as I do! But, rather than embarrass, they were very encouraging and helpful.

[2571]

If you have cable TV, consider spending the few bucks for the Spanish channel. You can learn a lot from somebody speaking clearly and it's very encouraging to learn by watching the news. You can judge your comprehension because of the content.

Luckily, I get Canadian tv radio where I live. I enjoy listeing to their news broadcasts and sometimes learn more about a current story because of their particular 'take' on an event.

Reading a bible in Spanish will help because you'll know the content of the story. Great for acquiring vocabulary.

To answer your Q, Rosetta Stone Spanish is good, but !mucho peso!

Good luck.

[piller]

I agree that you have to get in with the native speakers. When learning ASL, I found a couple of deaf people ther in town, and they taught me more than the teacher did. I learned to sign with my left hand at my new friends insistence, as they wanted me to think how to communicate if I was holding something with my right hand. I found that when I combined fun with learning, it became easier. Bowling with deaf friends is quite an experience.

[20cows]

I have used the English version of RosettaStone in my English as a a Second Language classes. It's a good product, but it still boils down to hard work.

Watching Spanish TV, RosettaStone and books can give you a place to start, but there is nothing better than finding someone to talk to in the language, a lot.

[dr walker]

Rusty, Good for you, it is important to always learn. Somebody else mentioned it already, the public library. If you spend a lot of time in a vehicle, try to find Books on Tape or CD in spanish it is hard to follow along. I have heard positive reviews of Rosetta Stone, but these were from men who studied 8-10 hours per day and then immersed them selves in non-english speaking countries.

[AmBraCol]

Rusty, Charles is spot on. I'll just reiterate that learning to hear is crucial. I learned Spanish in about six months. The hardest thing was learning to hear. Once I sorted out the sounds, the rest was easy. And six months? Shucks, spanish is just poorly spoken portuguese and I grew up speaking portuguese like a native brazilian. We have an "English Conversation Club" here and have folks with all kinds of backgrounds in learning english. There are a couple of folks who are self taught - by listening to movies and music in english and the use of a few books. Talking with folks around you will help, but careful with the spanglish speakers. I met a guy who learned "on the border" and boy was he in for a surprise when he went to an area where they spoke spanish rather than spanglish. All of a sudden his latinized english had no value at all. Now, bear in mind that the goal of speaking is to communicate - so don't be afraid of learning from the folks around you, just bear in mind that modern spanish is comprised by a wide variety of dialects. Each country has its own subset of words and uses for the same word. And within each country you'll often find variations as well. This isn't meant to dishearten you but rather to prepare you for the inevitable moment when you use a "perfectly good" word to a new acquaintance and see their jaw drop and face turn red... or the quizzical look of incomprehension as your words have no meaning to them.

There's the old joke that goes something like this.

Q. What do you call a person who speaks several languages?
A. A polyglot.

Q. What do you call someone who speaks three languages?
A. A trilingual.

Q. What do you call someone who speaks two languages?
A. A bilingual.

Q. What do you call a person who speaks one language?
A. An american.

It irritates me no end to hear the "Press 1 for English" messages - especially on our government's phones. I never hear "Marque 1 para español" down here. BUT I DO believe that we are better off when we learn to reach out to folks in their own language -especially when we want to reach out to them in the name of our Lord and I commend you for the interest you're taking in it. So listen to the radio, TV, etc and learn to hear. Reach out to the folks around you and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Like I tell folks here - to learn a language you must not be afraid of embarrassment - if you're not making mistakes you're not stretching yourself and you're not learning and you're not using what you already have.