Brian Whittaker's Tache Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I've just started a new job and it looks like I'm going to be out in Madrid once a week for the next 5 months. My spanish is woefully inadequate (please, thank you, beers and sarnies is about my limit!) Anybody here learned this language as an adult? and what would be the quickest way to learn enough to get by? Looking at these Rosetta Stone kits but they're ?400 (works paying) but if I spend that they have to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seats Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I think I am a bit of an authority on this one as I am in the latter stages of learning Spanish. I have tried every trick in the book and now know there is only one solution - hard work! The best thing you can do is completely immerse yourself in Spanish culture with Spanish speaking people. You can read all the books, tapes, CD's, computer programmes, hypnotist thingies you like but the only way is to practice at every opportunity. By all means use other methods - I highly recommend the Michael Thomas CD's - but get yourself some basic classes for the grammatical structure, then go the pub and get hammered with Spanish folk! ?Buena suerte! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamboj Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Agree with the above poster, your best bet is to get to know some Spanish people. I've been learning for a while now, found my teacher through gumtree website and he's been decent with me. By all means give me a PM if you want his number. The upside of it all is that Spanish folk are generally pretty cool, great sense of humour and normally easy going. I know also that there are a few clubs around town for spanish learners who just get together for a beer and chat in spanish, which always helps. I teach English myself to speakers of other languages and thats given me a few other insights. First of all, dont overload yourself with info. I tried initially to learn all the tenses (theres quite a few in spanish) and all the conjugations which just numbs your mind and doesnt help. Keep it simple initially, basic tenses, basic vocab and build slowly. Its more important to be understood than to be flawless. Practice the basics and enjoy it, most people prefer speaking to learning tenses and grammar, so do that. It also helps, once you're at a certain level, to start thinking in Spanish. Try to spend an hour a day (or however long) thinking in the language. If you're wanting a coffee, think about how you'd say that in Spanish before you do it etc etc etc. Most of all though, enjoy it. I think its great fun if you do it the right way, forget the way you learned in school, that was ****e. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konrad von Carstein Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Have started Spanish lessons again after a 3 year gap...and agree with th posters above...ther main thing is to enjoy learning it...try to forget about making a tit of yourself...that's half the fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redm Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Totally agree with the other posters...once you've got the basics watch as much Spanish telly as poss, read newspapers...and take any opportunity to chatter with natives (dutch courage helps with that...). If you want something more intensive than linguaphone tapes or whatever, you could always get a couple of individual or group lessons... http://www.languagecentres.co.uk/newsedinburgh.htm http://www.inlingua-edinburgh.co.uk/ http://www.languagetrainers.co.uk Buena suerte.... EDIT: Sorry, just spotted one starting in May and seems to be a bit cheaper than the others - no excuses now.... http://www.languagecoursesuk.co.uk/book/course.php?course_id=2884&length=70&level=beginners Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boof Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 What do you need to learn Spanish for? Just speak English and if they don't understand repeat it just a bit louder, then louder still. Won't that work...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamboj Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 What do you need to learn Spanish for? Just speak English and if they don't understand repeat it just a bit louder, then louder still. Won't that work...? I know you're kidding, but there are people that behave like that abroad (mainly brits and yanks)... Its pretty embarrassing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jambo Ell Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I think I am a bit of an authority on this one as I am in the latter stages of learning Spanish. I have tried every trick in the book and now know there is only one solution - hard work! The best thing you can do is completely immerse yourself in Spanish culture with Spanish speaking people. You can read all the books, tapes, CD's, computer programmes, hypnotist thingies you like but the only way is to practice at every opportunity. By all means use other methods - I highly recommend the Michael Thomas CD's - but get yourself some basic classes for the grammatical structure, then go the pub and get hammered with Spanish folk! ?Buena suerte! Agree 100%. You couldn't ask 2 be in a better environment (ie SPAIN!!) to learn. As said above being there will bring you on lepas and bounds. All the best with learning the lingo and most of all enjoy the experience! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redm Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 For those who might be feeling a wee bit rusty, try this: http://www.languagecoursesuk.co.uk/test/spanish_test.php Struggled towards the end big style but got a final score of 61, which isn't too bad. Shows you just how much you've forgotten anyway... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Praha06 Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 If you have utorrent or similar then download michael thomas, there are 12 files containing Spanish lessons, very good for getting started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CostaJambo Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 You could try what my brother's brother-in-law did in Spain, you just add a vowel to the end of whatever you want to say. He picked up something at a market, looked at the stallholder and said "Ehhhhh, how mucho?" Agree that practising with locals is best and that it's better to be understood than to be correct all the time. Try and get out after work and force yourself to talk to people. A conversational CD on in the car while you're back in the UK should keep your interest up. Good luck, the Spaniards are generally great people and will respect you for giving it a bash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Whittaker's Tache Posted May 1, 2008 Author Share Posted May 1, 2008 Cheers Guys Got a Spanish teacher/bar mate from Gumtree now and i'll look for that Michael Thomas stuff too I just need to learn basics, I'm never going to be fluent in the next six months but I need to get by Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Barry Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 They also do courses at Telford college which is probably better than just trying to learn from a book/cd. I think they only cost about ?80 for 16 weeks (1 night a week). I went to one last year - the tutor was really good and there was a mix of Spanish students to speak with. Was out in Jerez for a month last year and most people were pretty patient when I tried some (bad) Spanish on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmeladent?rtchen Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Going to Spain next week to meet my Girlfriends Family. They dont speak English, I dont speak Spanish. Should be fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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