quote:

Originally posted by Blue Dog:
C

K?

quote:

Originally posted by techguy:
What’s the easiest way for a dumbass to learn Spanish?

Move to central Florida.

Several people have mentioned Duolingo as a learning app with varying degrees of success. I’ve been using it for over nine years, initially on the computer and later on the app. By being active on their app in whatever form and by having long streaks, I’ve gained some perks that make it more effective (no hearts limitation, extra streak freezes that I’ve never used).

The Spanish course has grown and improved tremendously since I started, with new coursework added regularly, semi-humorous to outright silly stories have been added to help with reading, and listening and speaking exercises have been added to help with conversation. It’s been pretty effective with helping me learn to read Spanish (I’d give it a B), somewhat effective on writing (C), but the speech and conversation side is definitely lacking (D+/D). “Habla lentamente, por favor” (speak slowly, please) becomes as useful as “Mucho gusto” (translated nice to meet you).

In summary, Duolingo can help but immersion and conversation must be practiced with a fluent Spanish speaker for one to be really conversant in the language.

Good luck!

I tried Duolingo. Didn't care for it. I've found Memrise much more effective.

I had good luck with a CD set I used to play in the car. Wasn't as easy around town driving, but on road trips I made very good progress.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

quote:

Originally posted by Blue Dog:
C

K?

Couldn't resist.

I agree, immersion is the best way. A lot of my coworkers speak Spanish, and I've slowly been picking it up by osmosis.

Todo 'stá bien chevrolet!!

Find a course(s) on line that gets you to repeat phrases with them. Buy some 3x5 index cards, pick out out a few verbs you will constantly use, write the verb on one side, and conjugate it on the other.
Or go work on a golf course maintenance crew and you'll pick up quite a bit too.

quote:

Originally posted by Keystoner:

The same way you get to Carnegie Hall.

I used to take the subway.

You got the first step right: wanting is much betterthan needing.
Did the other way around learning english mostly by myself.

Immersion is the best way but the practical alternative is also the natural way. LISTEN and grab what you can. Never worry and make all the mistakes and then some more. LOOK BEYOND the learning process. You want to communicate so the important thing is to get the message across regardless of imperfections.
Bunch of different types of spanish but we understand each other, no problem. Same with English and who’s complaining?

Watch a lot of TV in spanish, subtitled first in english, then in spanish so you grab some written words and associate them with their sounds.
Speaking comes last (as with children). If you manage to listen and understand parts of a conversation in spanish you are on the right path.


More later, am on a taxi.

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Don't immerse yourself in Puerto Rico. What I learn and what I hear are 2 very different things. Even the locals laugh about how fast and bad their Spanish is.


I started with the Pimsleur CD sets with decent success. I bought the lifetime Rosetta Stone that has Caribbean Spanish and while it's nice to see the words and they use the mic to gauge my pronunciation, I don't feel like I'm retaining as much as the CDs. YMMV

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by Keystoner:

The same way you get to Carnegie Hall.

I used to take the subway.

The subway's undoubtedly a great place to learn Spanish.

Another thing that helps: if you cook, watch Spanish language cooking videos. Since you already follow what they are doing it helps put the words to it.

I don’t know, I’ve been working on my Spanish for years. I was foreman of a race horse breeding and training farm for a couple of years and worked with a lot of Spanish speakers. That kindled my interest, because I came to understand quite a lot, even if I couldn’t form a coherent sentence. I went to the University of Arizona later and picked up some more, then after graduation, became a USFS Range conservationist and did my best to communicate with Spanish speaking sheep herders (mostly Peruvians). I’ll bet I have about 10 books, some specific to farm/ranch Spanish.

I took two semesters of CC Spanish, and wanted to keep going, but the college only had two semesters at that time. I’ve been using Duolingo for more than 3 years now. I watch some Spanish television and documentaries and subscribe to a couple Spanish language pages.

With all that, am I fluent? Far from it. I find verb tenses difficult. That said, I think, like playing guitar, it’s good for me to keep at it. I can read basic Spanish pretty well, and can get the jist of more advanced writing. I can communicate in phrases and present tense sentences pretty well, and can do things like order pizzas on the phone in Mexico pretty easily.

I always thought it was a beautiful language and I’ll keep plugging away ‘til it’s time to leave. Just grab onto something and go. Buena suerte

This message has been edited. Last edited by: TMats,

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by Keystoner:

The same way you get to Carnegie Hall.

I used to take the subway.

The subway's undoubtedly a great place to learn Spanish.

Si. "Por favor, no me golpes."

MEANS TO AN END and not the end by itself.
If you aim to learn ANY subject you like and are slightly familiar with in english, learning about it in spanish will make it easier. You won’t be completely list, your previous knowledge will help and make your learning more swift and less of an obstacle.
Pick any of your hobbies and follow tutorials or comments on YT for example.
Acquiring vocabulary is the key.
Doesn’t matter much if you learn how to read but don’t know pronunciation. It will come in due time. Learn as many words as possible. Context makes a difference.

Take it easy and you’ll be proud of yourself.

Find a good use of your new skill or it will rub off.

Since my mid teens i started reading in English and pretty much stopped reading in other languages (mine included).
Way before the internet, i started with Comics, magazines, pocket books…..
TV movies with subtitles in your language and later in the original language so you can match spoken and written words.
Many people like me turned to computer manuals in English when the PC became popular. Learned techie lingo in a foreign language moved by curiosity and interest. Find your way.

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I had a year of Spanish in high school which did little to help me actually communicate in the language.

Later, when I went to work for INS, I did the "Spanish Immersion" module at the academy and learned basic phrases/vocabulary/rules of construction, got a little more comfortable with conversational Spanish, but still wasn't especially confident. A tip from dad (three languages courtesy of the U.S. Army) was to convince classmates to go Spanish Only outside of class. Create our own "immersion."

Hilarity ensued but it actually helped. It is the only way to develop conversational skills quickly, IMHO.

Follow Spanish-language TV shows. Be ready to pause and repeat. News broadcasters surprisingly seem to speak at a more measured pace and enunciate more clearly. Try to follow/repeat the colloquial phrases.

Best advice I ever heard-- sadly not an option, based on my wife's objection-- was to get a native-fluent girlfriend.