[rozwado1]

I just went out and bought this:
Living Language - Spanish for Beginners

Before I crack the seal, I'd like to know if any of you have any recommendations on books/CDs/etc. I'd like to stay in the sub-$100 range.

[paully dub]

Hey if you end up learning to speak a language from a book you'll be the first I've ever known. If it's just for reading, well..

Tip: Something 100% en espa�ol, that starts slow, but works.

And find someone to speak with.

I know, doesn't sound so useful but since I ended up learning a couple foreign languages myself, I thought it needed to be said.

[Patrick]

Try watching whatever Spanish TV channels you get. They may speak so fast you won't understand anything at first, but once you start to get the hang of the language, you'll start recognizing more and more. And their football announcers are fun to hear.

I've used one of those Living Language book/tape sets before, for Portuguese. Worked great for me� so go ahead and crack the seal on that bad boy.

[Millennium]

Watching stuff in Spanish unsubbed is good. If you can get stuff spoken in Spanish and subtitled into another language you speak (by "another" I mean "anything except your native tongue"), you may find it even more helpful. At any rate, you need more than a book. This isn't to say that books don't have their place -they're excellent for teaching how the language works, and you've picked a good series to help you. But if you want to learn to speak a language, you need to listen to it actually being spoken, and books can't help you there..

By the way, keep in mind that there will probably be some differences between what you see in the book and what you see on TV. Most books teach the castellano dialect of Spanish, which is spoken in central Spain (including Madrid). By contrast, most Spanish-language TV in the US will be in a Latin American dialect, of which there are many. The grammar is pretty much the same, but the vocabulary and pronunciation differ in places, and this can catch you off guard.

[SafariX]

Proceed to undress and cover yourself in warm tortillas then dress up like a REAL spaniard.

With the little red cape and all.


SPANYARD. SPAN. YARD. spanyard? Its fun to say slow. SPUH ANNE YUH ARD UH.

[Nai no Kami]

Originally posted by rozwado1:
I just went out and bought this:

Before I crack the seal, I'd like to know if any of you have any recommendations on books/CDs/etc. I'd like to stay in the sub-$100 range.

Bear in mind the purpose of your Spanish lectures. If your Spanish knowledge needs to have some depth, I would hire a professor or a native speaker with some grammar idea.
On the other hand, If you previously know other latin languages, such as Italian, Portuguese or French, you could eventually learn sonething using books (and more will than Schopenauer).
Voodoo here is learning Spanish (and for more than fair reasons). Ask him about learning the language.
On the other hand, if you like to practice, you can chat with me on AIM/iChat (as imandwa), or at MSN Messenger (as [email protected]). I must warn you that I log on really really once in a while (I owe Mr. Voodoo some conversation because of this).

Very good luck

[ajprice]

Don't listen to Bono's count in at the start of Vertigo

Uno, dos, tres, catorce

One, two, three, fourteen!

Try it here: http://www.jvlnet.com/~liliana/Spanish_Numbers.html

[GORDYmac]

I recall my college spanish classes. We watched a spanish soap opera. Destinos. There was a book too, but we didn't use it.

Hmm, it worked.

Watch Telemundo.

[Weezer]

I see this advertised all the time, anyone ever use it?

http://www.rosettastone.com/home

[Millennium]

Originally posted by GORDYmac:
I recall my college spanish classes. We watched a spanish soap opera. Destinos. There was a book too, but we didn't use it.

Hmm, it worked.

Watch Telemundo.

Destinos is a popular one; we used it in my college Spanish classes too.

[Psychonaut]

Originally posted by Weezer:
I see this advertised all the time, anyone ever use it?

http://www.rosettastone.com/home

I actually bought the German version of this, thinking that it would prove valuable. I realised though that I spend enough time infront of the computer and I don't have the patience for a programme. Immersion is by far the best way to go (on which RosettaStone is based -- you'll find no English in it.) I'm thankfully still in school, which means I'll continue with my classes in Spanish and German, though I have encountered some difficulty learning Italian on my own.

Here's an idea to help: place brightly-coloured labels on every possible object in your home (up to the point that it's not unsightly.) Write on them 'la puerta', 'el equipo estereof�nico', 'el cesto de la ropa sucia' etc.

Make sure that any books you buy have oodles of practise exercises in them (translating sentences, verb drills, etc.)

Master the difference between preterite and imperfect. And never pass up a chance to use what you've learnt. ('M�s despacio, por favor.')

[MacmanX]

What about a cheap night class at the local Community College? Depending on your local, the classes are University quality, dirt cheap, and easy to get into. Our local CC offers a certificate in Spanish which I completed in five semesters.

Cheers!

[rozwado1]

Thanks for the replies. I forgot to add that I can speak basic French and I'm also living with part of a Spanish family. My cousin's wife is from Honduras, so they're raising their son as bilingual. I constantly watch Telemudo/Univision on my free time, but always on mute (Spanish women are hot), so maybe I'll have to turn it up. Also, my cousin's father-in-law is here on a work visa and he speaks no English at all. He's been trying to teach me dirty phrases.... I think....

[SafariX]

Originally posted by rozwado1:
Thanks for the replies. I forgot to add that I can speak basic French and I'm also living with part of a Spanish family. My cousin's wife is from Honduras, so they're raising their son as bilingual. I constantly watch Telemudo/Univision on my free time, but always on mute (Spanish women are hot), so maybe I'll have to turn it up. Also, my cousin's father-in-law is here on a work visa and he speaks no English at all. He's been trying to teach me dirty phrases.... I think....

So what I'm hearing is that the tortilla idea is a no go....Just want to make sure I understand.

[rozwado1]

Originally posted by SafariX:
So what I'm hearing is that the tortilla idea is a no go....Just want to make sure I understand.

I'm going to Publix on saturday. I'll keep you posted.

[SafariX]

Originally posted by rozwado1:
I'm going to Publix on saturday. I'll keep you posted.

Qu'est ce que c'est? Je ne sais pas "Publix."

THATS SPANISH FOR ALL YOU MURICANS.

[rozwado1]

Originally posted by SafariX:
Qu'est ce que c'est? Je ne sais pas "Publix."

Il est un supermarket du Sud.

[SafariX]

Originally posted by rozwado1:
Il est un supermarket du Sud.

Oh. Bien sur! Comment dit-on "waffles" en Francais?

[MacLone]

The best way to learn is not only a book but write and speak too. Your best bet is to get an spanish spoken person and have a nice talk and let him correct you always you need it. that's the way i learned your language..
Si tienen alguna duda en cuanto a nuestro lenguaje, estamos a tus �rdenes; aclaramos tus dudas para que empieces a aprender lo b�sico.
Saludos.

[rozwado1]

Originally posted by SafariX:
Oh. Bien sur! Comment dit-on "waffles" en Francais?

Les Gaufres. J'aime les delici�ux gaufres.


edit: Dans mon classe du Fran�ais nous parlerions des contes du bouquetin puissant. Nous avons pens� que le nom �tait si sourd-muet.

[SafariX]

Originally posted by rozwado1:
Les Gaufres. J'aime les delici�ux gaufres.

Is that a gaggle of Jesuses in your sig?

[aberdeenwriter]

I met a beautiful Colombian who spoke no English and I no Spanish. We began dating with dictionaries in hand and always went to places where the employees were bi-lingual.

I became VERY motivated to learn Spanish.

The only thing (as far as the language instruction was concerned) I'd have done differently would have been to augment my 'homework' with a bit of formal instruction.

Most of my verbal facility is now gone and I never had the ability to read or write it.

Find a pretty girl in need of a green card, lol. (jk)

[rozwado1]

Originally posted by SafariX:
Is that a gaggle of Jesuses in your sig?

C'etait le Spree du Polyphonique. Nous sommes dans le iTMS.

[MacMan4000]

Start working at a McDonalds that also has Spanish speaking employees. My friend did this and he learned more talking to the Mexicans at work then he did in school.

[SamuraiDL]

seriously, I learned enough spanish to get by, working in a deli in New Haven for six weeks.

[MilkmanDan]

Originally posted by MacMan4000:
Start working at a McDonalds that also has Spanish speaking employees. My friend did this and he learned more talking to the Mexicans at work then he did in school.

I completely agree. I know several people who learned more from coworkers on smoke breaks then from 4 years of college spanish.

[Oisín]

Originally posted by rozwado1:
Les Gaufres. J'aime les delici�ux gaufres.


edit: Dans mon classe du Fran�ais nous parlerions des contes du bouquetin puissant. Nous avons pens� que le nom �tait si sourd-muet.

No offense here, Nick, but that's some fairly whack French. What exactly are you trying to say? You talked about the tales of the powerful ibex and found the name deaf and dumb?

Anyway... yeah... I agree with what most of the others have said; make sure you expose yourself as much as possible to the language. Learn the grammar from the books you bought, and then, when you feel like the grammar is working pretty well for you, start building your vocabulary and fluency by speaking to that whole Spanish-speaking family-in-law of yours.

[Krusty]

Originally posted by rozwado1:
Before I crack the seal, I'd like to know if any of you have any recommendations on books/CDs/etc. I'd like to stay in the sub-$100 range.

I'll have to admit, when I signed on to the forums this morning, I didn't expect a Spanish Inquisition.

[Gankdawg]

Immersion.

[rozwado1]

Originally posted by Ois�n:
No offense here, Nick, but that's some fairly whack French. What exactly are you trying to say?

Oh yeah, my French sucks now. Haven't tried to speak it since high school (5 years ago). I'll admit I used a little BabelFish to cheat. I can speak basic french ok - enough to pick up a french girl.

I was trying to say: "In my French class we'd talk about the tales of the mighty bouquetin. We thought that it's name was really stupid." (just trying to add more stupidity to the SafariX arsenal)

Our french prof always talked about the 'bouquetin' bc he was a hunter, but he refused to call it a ram for some odd reason. Our jackass class would always get interrupted with someone trying to make the sounds of the mighty bouquetin, and since no one knew what kinds of sounds it made it was usually a free for all. (Catholic all guys high school - lots of stupidity involved)

[rozwado1]

Originally posted by Krusty:
I'll have to admit, when I signed on to the forums this morning, I didn't expect a Spanish Inquisition.

*cue applause.gif*

[historylme]

make sure that you make it fun.

I learned English and French through Immersion.... English as a kid, and French a year ago.

For any new language, if you don't have fun, you will get burn out on it. Making it fun (like talking to co-workers, e.g. the Deli example) makes learning so much better.

HAVE FUN!

Edit: for the French speakers. I just learned this yesterday. Je chie dans mon froc === "I am freaking out"

In Spanish: Me estoy volbiendo loco... o, hijo de puta, estoy loco. So many ways of saying things.

[Oisín]

Originally posted by history1me:
For any new language, if you don't have fun, you will get burn out on it. Making it fun (like talking to co-workers, e.g. the Deli example) makes learning so much better.

Correctissimus! Having fun, or at least feeling like you like learning this language and you get a certain feeling of satisfaction from it, is pivotal!

Also, having a brain that is naturally dispositioned towards languages is a huge help. Some people are just simply not meant for learning languages, they find it tedious, unlogical, and just straight out boring; others find it the most fascinating thing in the world. Obviously, people from the second group have the advantage here.

In Spanish: Me estoy volbiendo loco... o, hijo de puta, estoy loco. So many ways of saying things.

�Volviendo?

[historylme]

Originally posted by Ois�n:

�Volviendo?

Yeah, I get those confused, along with the LL and Y, and I forgot the rules of using the H, i.e, Haqui or aqui... and I have given up on the accent usuage in Spanish, and then, the French writen language has four!

[SafariX]

Originally posted by rozwado1:

I was trying to say: "In my French class we'd talk about the tales of the mighty bouquetin. We thought that it's name was really stupid." (just trying to add more stupidity to the SafariX arsenal)

HEY NOW! play nice!

[Patrick]

Originally posted by history1me:
Yeah, I get those confused, along with the LL and Y, and I forgot the rules of using the H, i.e, Haqui or aqui... and I have given up on the accent usuage in Spanish, and then, the French writen language has four!

Se lo escribe "aqui." I never learned any rules for using those letters; instead, I just memorize the spelling of each word. Accents are easier to remember - by default emphasis usually falls on the second to last syllable; if the emphasis is somewhere else (e.g., simp�tico), you need to write an accent.

[urbatronik]

just try this good method:

http://www.class.udg.mx/~pmazarie/sp4engsp.html

[Oisín]

Originally posted by Patrick:
Accents are easier to remember - by default emphasis usually falls on the second to last syllable; if the emphasis is somewhere else (e.g., simp�tico), you need to write an accent.

Not quite. Stress normally falls on the second-to-last syllable if the word ends in a vowel, n, or s. Otherwise, the stress falls on the last syllable. If the stress has to fall somewhere that doesn't follow these two rules, you put an accent over the vowel that's supposed to be stressed.

his1me: How do you mean "French written language has four"? You mean in written French there are four diatrical marks used, �, `, ^ and �? If so, then you forgot the fifth, the cedille.

But it's different in French (and yes, I agree, more difficult), because none of the accents in French have anything to do with stress, which invariably falls on the last syllable. Instead, they have something to do with the pronunciation of the letter they're attached to.

And for fairness' sake, � is used in Spanish as well, with the same function as in French, to break up diphthongs (as in verg�enza).

[Patrick]

oh yeah, that's right� wasn't thinking of enough examples when I posted that. Like most verbs in their infinitive form are accented on the last syllable. It's been long enough since I've studied Spanish that I know it, but have forgotten the rules with which I learned it.

[agentz]

Originally posted by Krusty:
I'll have to admit, when I signed on to the forums this morning, I didn't expect a Spanish Inquisition.

I really respect people who can speak more than one language well, I think it's a great skill to have.

I used to be able to speak high school German but it's been over 10 years since I left HS so there's very little of it left in my mind, although I can still remember the very first things I learnt, the usual my name is, I am x years of age and I live in Scotland! Like that'd get me far.

I've been thinking a bit recently about learning a second language properly, don't think I'd go back to German though, probably French or Spanish to start with, although I'd really like to learn one of the Eastern European languages. The problem is trying to get enough practice at it round here - where I live is very much english language only.

[maxintosh]

I was more or less fluent in French by the end of high school -- I spent some time over a couple summers there learning the language in addition to the regular classes, literature, APs, movies, etc.

I moved on to German -- pretty complicated gramatically but a great and fun language. But the only problem is my German seems to be taking over my French! When I try to speak French now, I have to be in the right mood.... otherwise, I put in German conjunctions and expressions.

I don't think it's going to help when I spend a semester in Berlin.

I hope I could pick up French again quickly... I mean, the base is there, right?

Even worse, I feel a bit of pressure to learn Spanish even though I have no interest in it as a language... living in NY, I feel as if more people speak it than English! Ugh..

C'est la vie.... So ist das Leben.

[Oisín]

Originally posted by maxintosh:
I hope I could pick up French again quickly... I mean, the base is there, right?

Yes. Once you've got all the basics and are at a certain level of fluency in a language, it comes back quite easily if you get immersed in it again (ie. if you spend some time in France again).

I feel the same thing with Chinese as you feel with German now: it's taking over everything else in my brain, leaving nothing but cinders and ruins in its wake. It's even starting to destroy my English - I'm finding myself looking for (and not finding) the simplest of words, words that I know I know. Most annoying.

But, as you say, c'est la vie. So ist das Leben. S�dan er livet. 生活就是这样过的。

[paully dub]

Originally posted by maxintosh:

I hope I could pick up French again quickly... I mean, the base is there, right?

Look, for an English speaker French isn't all that hard. The pronuciation is a bit tough at times, and little mistakes just seem more ...glaring. I always feel self conscious about my French even though I speak it very well, having lived in France for the better part of 8 years. I enjoy it a lot when I'm in NYC though, speaking with West Africans and Haitians.

The thing is, the French spoken by French speakers and what you learn at school or see in some movies can be quite different. Kids in the urban ares, like here in Paris have the ugliest French, that's positively filled with slang and quite far from the beautiful language of Flaubert or Moliere. So watch La Haine (Kassovitz really captured the argot) without subtitles, for example. But yeah, re-immersion is the key.

After having learned French, Spanish, Italian, some German and Dutch, I'd really, really like to learn a non indo-European language. I've learned a little Arabic, but I found it overly religious for my taste. I'm tired of constantly thanking god, or saying god willing when I don't really mean it.

What's a cool language?

[maxintosh]

Originally posted by paully dub:
What's a cool language?

I've wanted to learn Japanese for a long time, but I don't have that kind of time right now (or maybe ever, really).

But yeah, I learned a lot of French slang because I hung out mostly with French teenagers. Back in the classroom I kept good French

German is similar in that there is High German and Regional/Dialectic German. High German is what we learn in classrooms, and thankfully most German speakers can use and understand it.

[bzImage]

just ichat with me.. bzImage9 (aim). I live in mexico (and as far as i know i can speak spanish).

[Oisín]

Originally posted by paully dub:
After having learned French, Spanish, Italian, some German and Dutch, I'd really, really like to learn a non indo-European language. I've learned a little Arabic, but I found it overly religious for my taste. I'm tired of constantly thanking god, or saying god willing when I don't really mean it.

What's a cool language?

Chinese. No (or very few) references to God.

I was in pretty much the exact same position as you two years ago, feeling like I wanted to learn something not Indo-European. I never really considered Arabic, though; don't like it too much. I turned to Asian instead. Over the next few years (or decade perhaps), I plan on learning at least Chinese (well on my way there), Japanese, Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese. In other words, take up Japanese and South-East Asian Studies when I get back to my own university.

[macintologist]

The best way to learn Spanish is to find a pretty Spanish girl who knows little or no English and hook up with her.

When you are motivated to learn, you will learn. Sex sells.

[brickcam]

For the record, Spanish is much easier to pronounce than French. The former has a grand total of 5 vowel noises ( a e i o u ), while English for example has 14 (e.g. cough, through, bough, enough, etc.). Spanish being phonetic makes it much easier to learn out of a book. I tutor Spanish locally, and it seems one can always find a fairly cheap tutor, so my advice would be book learning + structured conversation/excercised.

Immersion is by far superior but usually requires enough lifestyle compromises to be off-putting.

Oh, and just for my two cents, I find Spain Spanish and Latin American Spanish way more similar than most people say. The accent differs, every region has it's own slang, but the grammar itself is almost identical.