For those you you are fluent or are becoming fluent... I'm interested in knowing if any particular book/software/whatever was helpful to you. It's been 6 years since high school when I studied it, but I'm going to be a teacher would like at least some ability to converse in Spanish if need be.

PM suggestions, thanks.

3/24/2006 10:14:29 AM

Muzzy.

3/24/2006 10:28:30 AM

Pimsleur

3/24/2006 10:38:03 AM

I had a class in elementary school, a class in middle school, 3 classes in highschool, and 3 classes of spanish in college. once the classes are over it always seems to fade. its easier to pick back up each time, but I've never become fluent. I think you either need to be smarter than me, or live in situation where speaking spanish is a part of your everyday life. Not just reading a spanish text book, but having people you can talk to and shoot the breeze with. I've maintained some knowledge of the language with regular internet text chatting in Spanish with a friend in Miami and a few others, but I can't understand spanish when I hear it unless its slowed down and uses only the most common of words. I can pick up on themes of spanish music on the radio b/c I can understand enough words, but I can't write down the lyrics. My advice is make some spanish speaking friends that you regularly converse with.

3/24/2006 10:44:40 AM

^ exactly what i was going to suggest; maintaining my spanish fluency has been a challenge over the years, but conversing with native speakers on a regular basis helps a lot

3/24/2006 1:16:49 PM

^^ The pimsleur courses focus mainly on the spoken language and through each lesson you will be able to converse with a native speaker at the pace that the language is naturally spoken.

3/24/2006 1:52:03 PM

i got one of the pimsleur things as a gift for xmas... i haven't used it yet but i plan to.

i've always wanted to be fluent in spanish, but i don't know if i ever will be without total immersion.

3/24/2006 2:20:55 PM

Thanks for the tips guys

3/25/2006 12:40:35 PM

i also suggest Pimsleur. i've been listening to Pimsleur German for the past 2 weeks and i've learned more than I did in 3 months of one-on-one lessons at Berlitz

you can download torrents of all the CDs
http://www.mininova.org/
http://www.torrentspy.com

[Edited on March 25, 2006 at 2:01 PM. Reason : .]

3/25/2006 2:01:05 PM

hang out with some folks who speak fluent spanish and just pick up what you can little by little

or you could get a job in a restaurant

3/26/2006 12:16:18 AM

migrant workers, they need money

3/26/2006 1:22:03 AM

turn it to univision and constantly talk to the screen

3/26/2006 10:28:41 AM

^all this time i thought i was weird for doing that

3/26/2006 10:33:20 AM

btw i am downloading that program... i'd like to see if it works

[Edited on March 26, 2006 at 10:43 AM. Reason : shit, i didn't mean to double post ]

3/26/2006 10:38:38 AM

i've tried watching spanish tv... the only show i ever enjoy is trato hecho, but since people don't yell out chasco in real life... its not the best for learning conversational spanish. it seems like theres mostly talk shows which are alright, soap operas which i'm not really into, and crazy dancing and singing while in costumes (or lots little people on stage, or pie throwing) that I don't really understand.

although most of english tv isn't all that great either and if i had only 1 channel to chose from, and such a weak grasp of the language that I couldn't be more selective about finding interesting shows, then I probably wouldn't have any better review of english tv.

3/26/2006 11:45:01 AM

The absolute best way is to surround yourself with Spanish speakers. I am abroad right now learning spanish and you learn the most from people who speak absolutely no English.

The best thing you can do to learn Spanish with regards to TV is to watch commercials. commercials, believe it or not, use a ton of language that is easy to pick up on. Good luck.

3/26/2006 1:27:19 PM

bttt...

Was presented with a very attractive business opportunity by an immigration attorney friend of mine, with the only caveat that I need to become fluent in Spanish. Other than the 4 years in high school and 4 in college, my Spanish has pretty much disappeared with the exception of short conversations and comments I've had with spanish speaking kitchen guys in my restaurant days.

What's the best/quickest way to learn Spanish as an adult? I have mixed feelings about Rosetta Stone...mostly the cost. But if its guaranteed to be the best option, I'll pay the money. I just don't want to drop $500 on something when I could spent a little more time and effort and get the same result for cheaper and even free (public library).

I'm doing online research, but wanted to check for any personal experiences on t-dub. I've seen the following thrown out there at "Rosetta alternatives":

- Mango and Tell Me More are apparently available for free online through your public library
- www.byki.com
- http://fsi-language-courses.org/Content.php Apparently this is what the US government uses and is available for free
- Duolingo.com has been mentioned several times.

Anything else or any comments on any of the options above??

7/24/2013 2:54:45 PM

I always thought it would be easier to learn Spanish if you watch a TV show or episode you enjoy and you've seen enough times to know some of the lines, then re-watch in Spanish (maybe with English subtitles) to pick up on words and phrases easier.

7/24/2013 11:19:59 PM

Personally I've found Rosetta to not be that bad compared to some of the terrible shit out there, most people who don't like it are basically because of the cost (which I was, but got it as a gift) and those that just didn't learn that well with the 'immersion and figure it out on your own' technique (which I can understand). Having 4 years each of both HS and college spanish I'd think you would be able to pick up and get refreshed on a lot of the lingo and grammatics quicker than anything else. The top level they offer (6th?) is basically enough to converse in a crude format with a stranger but not exactly enough to be fluent in a daily setting. I'd recommend buying a english/spanish legal dictionary as a bare minimum if you took the job.

Rosetta definitely isn't the single perfect tool to get you fluent but it's just that, a tool and IMHO a good one. Nothing beats conversing directly with a spanish-speaker at that high of a level though. It's tough for a beginner to just start out doing that but once you can halfway throw a sentence together it's easier for the native-speaker to explain the right way to say it instead of someone just looking at you and not knowing a word of what you just tried to talk about.

7/24/2013 11:40:47 PM

Just DVR Sábado Gigante.

7/25/2013 12:11:13 PM

http://www.duolingo.com/

Duolingo gives you internet excerpts to translate for the world. You start out at whatever your skill level is and it gets harder as you go. I think this is an interesting way to learn vocabulary but, even more, to learn how to really convey ideas in another language.

Plus you're helping the world.

7/25/2013 12:25:38 PM

I was going to post the FSI link... but you already know about it... so my work is done here.

7/25/2013 1:15:05 PM

Quote :

"I think you either need to be smarter than me, or live in situation where speaking spanish is a part of your everyday life."

This is so true. If you're really serious, join the Peace Corps - if not, there are people that would love to talk to you via Skype in Spanish in exchange that you speak with them in English. There are also Spanish groups on Meetup.com or you could call some local dual language schools and ask if there are people that would be willing to speak Spanish with you like I mentioned above.

Textbook Spanish is so far from actual spoken Spanish, and it varies even more by what country you're in.

7/25/2013 2:19:55 PM

^ Plan is to have a decent understanding by the time our honeymoon rolls around and we'll be in Central America so I can at least play around with it. A buddy of mine who was getting his degree in international business did some volunteering with a local hospital where he helped translate for doctors working with hispanic patients. He said there were tons of opportunities like that around here that really helped him with his Spanish. Not quit the "immersion into a spanish speaking country"...but definitely more exposure to the natural language.

I've been fucking around with duolingo at work and I'm liking it so far. But I still know the basics pretty well so we'll see how it goes once it gets tougher. A friend just sent me a groupon for Rosetta Stone for $229...originally $449. Is it worth it at that price??

8/1/2013 7:52:17 AM

start a spanish only thread, I'd participate. I've wanted to improve my spanish, as well. Reading and then translating is bound to help (though probably not as much as conversing).

8/1/2013 8:33:01 AM

http://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-rosetta-stone-s4-language-course-4-raleigh-durham

[Edited on August 1, 2013 at 8:34 AM. Reason : oh, you already know about it. well, it's levels 1-4... if those are helpful to you...]

8/1/2013 8:33:41 AM

This thread is relevant to my interests. I know an intermediate level of Spanish, so was frequently pulled during school by other nurses to talk to the patients for simple things. I'd like to bump it up to a fluent level, especially because eventually I'd like to work in community health.

8/1/2013 10:51:56 AM