Newbie Spanish learner. :D (Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies) Language Learning Forum

Newbie Spanish learner. :D
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Language Learning Forum : Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies

15 messages over 2 pages: 1 2

Serpent
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Message 9 of 15

29 February 2012 at 1:03am | IP Logged

ZeroTX wrote:

it's all about what you focus on. after a year of Finnish, I definitely wasn't 100% conversational but I read this very book, while listening to the audiobook.
And LR is something you can totally do as a beginner, as it uses a translation or a parallel text.

Edited by Serpent on 29 February 2012 at 1:06am
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dbag
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Message 10 of 15

29 February 2012 at 1:12am | IP Logged

ZeroTX wrote:

As someone with absolutely no skills you want to be ready to read the DaVinci Code in Spanish by August? That's ambitious. I've been studying for 5 years and I'm 100% conversational in Spanish with native speakers, but wouldn't venture into a novel of that depth, yet. But maybe I'm slow :P

It hasn't been mentioned here, but the Learning Spanish Like Crazy series is pretty effective and is especially great if you have a commute or a walk/run (as long as you can speak aloud while running). Each lesson is about 30 minutes in length and you MUST produce speech as well as listen. It's essentially the Pimsleuer method, but modified. I like it myself and I've never gotten bored or fallen asleep. I don't see how you could. You have to speak ... a lot, and fast.

I think you're on the right track with your thinking about pre-learning... I have taken 8 weeks of immersion Spanish in Cuernavaca, Mexico and it's definitely a great idea to show up with some basic structures in your head, or else you'll spend your 6 weeks just gaining your bearings. Prior to going, and while simultaneously doing your other study methods, you should (in my opninion) rigorously study and memorize the regular verb conjugations (minimally your present, preterite, imperfect and simple future). For me, all of the immersion in the world can't beat 15 minutes of memorizing and practicing a verb conjugation pattern. You could have 20 conversations to finally discover that "comemos" means "we eat" or you could just memorize the verb "comer" and learn that the "emos" conjugation means "we/nosotros"...and do that in 15 minutes... then when you hear/read it, you recognize it and apply it to long-term memory.

Despite what the Rosetta stone and some others say, learning a language for an adult who already has a very extensive knowledge of a first language is TOTALLY different than how a child learns a first language... in no way are they similar. You tend to apply everything to the structure in your mind, and with Spanish, that's at least 85% accurate... The other 15% is largely cultural or just a particular quirk of the language and you'll figure it out as you go.... even if you do it wrong, but use more or less the right words, you'll be understood. If you have family who knows you're learning, tell them to correct you, then you'll get it next time.

Good luck and have fun in Madrid! ¡Estoy celoso!

Excellent advice here. Learning Spanish Like Crazy is fantastic, but seldom talked about. I would liken it to a super pimsluer. However, when I was starting out I found it to have a very steep learning curve, and quickly got lost. Try it for a bit, if you get lost move on to something else for a while. This course is worth coming back to again and again though, its the only Pimsleur style program I know of that deals with advanced concepts like when to use the imperfect subjenctive etc.

Pimsleur is great and I would definetly recomend doing at least some of it, maybe 1 and 2, you get diminishing returns very quickly after that point.

Dont even think about missing out on Michel Thomas, get it under your belt as soon as you can, really, its invaluable.

The above advice about memorising conjugations is very important, if someone had told me that at the beginning, I would have probably saved about 100 hours worth of study time. Margaritas magic key to Spanish will help you with this, and is a book I would consider indespensable.

A resource I havent used much, but would if i started again, is called synergy Spanish, a course that will do things for you that Pimsleur can only dream of, and in far less time.

Assimil Spanish with ease is virtually obligatory, and will take you a lot further than anything else commercially available in the U.K that I have seen, while also being a lot more fun.

If you do some of the above, and then get stuck into fsi, you could be well on you feet by August. It may sound like a lot, but if you work for even 30 minutes a day with the above, you will be amazed at how much you will learn within a few months.

Be aware that listening needs to be worked on seperately though, Spanishpodcast.org is a great free resource.

Good luck!

Edited by dbag on 29 February 2012 at 8:50pm
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Serpent
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Message 11 of 15

29 February 2012 at 10:59am | IP Logged

Nothing of this is obligatory, especially if you do Listening-Reading.

As for the conjugations, think of whether you're comfortable with the traditional order or it seems arbitrary to you. BTW, have a look at the e-book discussed here.
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dbag
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Message 12 of 15

29 February 2012 at 8:58pm | IP Logged

Will L-R work well for everyone in the beginning stages? I havent tried it properly yet but I think it would have been a very hard method to start with. There was a log on this site in which someone started L-R for Spanish and put in something like 100 hours without much in the way of tangible benefits.

I may well be wrong but it seems like starting with LR is something of a gamble, especially if you have never learned a language before.

No nothing is really obligatory, but I think missing out on Assimil would be a big mistake.
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Serpent
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Message 13 of 15

01 March 2012 at 1:42am | IP Logged

I don't know which log you mean but this one is impressive. A real pleasure to read and highly recommended for the OP!
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razorfin
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Message 14 of 15

01 March 2012 at 11:02am | IP Logged

Dudes, thank you all for your input, I have one more question. Firstly i'm not going to use pimsleur, mostly because of the costs,it's a bit ridiculous.

I am however, going to use these in my plan:

Michel Thomas - Spanish
Learn Spanish Like Crazy
L-R Method
Assimil - Spanish with ease

also the ebook and Margarita's magic mojito, or whatever its called :D

Does the order look ok, as your all experienced with language learning, which order seems suitable to you?

Cheers RF :)
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JimC
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Message 15 of 15

01 March 2012 at 9:00pm | IP Logged

I would agree with the suggestion of Synergy Spanish. It uses some useful techniques to
get you producing Spanish for yourself in a short time.

Jim

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