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Bolio’s Spanish Log | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| BOLIO Senior Member United States Joined 4603 days ago 253 posts - 366 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 73 of 344 03 April 2014 at 3:29pm | IP Logged |
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Crush, Thanks for the link! My work computer will not let me download the program but I am VERY excited to get home and give it a go.
4 Hours in the books yesterday. Spent a large part of the time in my book. It is getting much easier to read and I am highlighting fewer words every day. I did it for a couple of hours and picked up 71 new words that I either had no idea what the word meant or I knew the root word put was unsure about who was doing it or when. I then spent some time doing the Iversen Wordlist with my new 71 friends. I have not completed it but will during lunch today. I spent another hour with MT's Spanish and it is getting better. I should have completed it over a year ago but didn't. I am going to go through it very quickly. I think it will add value to my studies. I am recognizing more each week and that makes me feel better. ¡Adelante! Hours Done 39 Hours to go 411 Edited by BOLIO on 03 April 2014 at 3:30pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| BOLIO Senior Member United States Joined 4603 days ago 253 posts - 366 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 74 of 344 03 April 2014 at 10:13pm | IP Logged |
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Grammar Books???
I picked up Practical Spanish Grammar: A Self-Teaching Guide and it seems to be good. However, I have nothing to compare it to and I would like to see if I am on the right track or should I look somewhere else. Also, I have encountered an expression several times and would like to see if I am on the right track. "Pues Bien" seems to be saying WELL. I remember the main lady from Destinos always saying "Bueno,..." before every review of the episode. Are they interchangeable or does it only make sense in certain situations? Also, I came across "Trajera". I think it is Subjunctive and a past tense. I think this means that it was in the past but not completed. But that seems to imply that He/She brought something but is still bringing it. I am missing something on this but could use a little help. THANKS 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| nancydowns Senior Member United States Joined 3867 days ago 184 posts - 288 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, Arabic (Written) | Message 75 of 344 04 April 2014 at 2:11am | IP Logged |
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Bolio, what book are you reading? If I might ask. :-) I love to read and am looking forward to reading, but I am not sure if I'm ready because I am so committed
right now to finishing Assimil and FSI this time. I get distracted every time, so I am trying to stay focused. But I have a lineup of chapter books to read when I am finished with those formal courses. So I am definitely looking for books to put in my list. I would love to eventually read "Don Quixote." But from what I hear, it is difficult even for native Spanish speakers to read. Sounds like you are doing great! Edited by nancydowns on 04 April 2014 at 11:54am 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Crush Tetraglot Senior Member ChinaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5810 days ago 1622 posts - 2299 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, Mandarin, Esperanto Studies: Basque | Message 76 of 344 04 April 2014 at 4:45am | IP Logged |
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"Trajera" is indeed the past tense of the subjunctive. It depends on the context what it means, for example "quería que él trajera" means "I wanted him to bring...", "si trajera mi hija aquí estaría muy aburrida" means "If I brought my daughter here, she would be really bored", "quería salir antes de que mi jefe trajera más papeles a mi oficina" means "I wanted to live before my boss brought more papers to my office", etc.
And "pues bien" means something like "well then" or "well ok". A lot of times i think "bueno" and "pues bien" are interchangeable, but "bueno" seems to be a bit more flexible. When i think of "pues bien", i think of it in sentences like "You know that house over there? Well, that's the one my sister bought." Sort of a way to continue the previous sentence or expand on it, rather than just to hesitate or think before answering. I wouldn't use it in a sentence like "Did you like the movie?" "Well, I dunno, it was ok I guess." In Spanish, i would translate the first sentence as "¿Ves esa casa allá? Pues bien (or bueno), esa es la casa que ha comprado mi hermana." The second sentence i would just use bueno, not "pues bien" "¿Te gustó la peli?" "Bueno, no lo sé, supongo que estuvo bien." I know it's not a very good explanation, but i think it's something you can pick up through context fairly easily. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| BOLIO Senior Member United States Joined 4603 days ago 253 posts - 366 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 77 of 344 04 April 2014 at 3:54pm | IP Logged |
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Nancy, they are books of a religous nature and may not appeal to everyone. However, the first piece of fiction I plan on reading is La Sombra Del Viento. I was reading a blog the other day and someone mentioned finishing it (I think either DBAG or James). It looks interesting. It is funny you mention Don Quixote. I had a client ask me, three days ago, why I was learning Spanish vs her native language French. My reply was, "So I can read Don Quixote in its original form." I read "100 years of Solitude" in English and it left me disturbed for three or four days. I will try his work again in Spanish but this time I will try "Love in the time of Cholera". 60% of my goal for the level of Spanish I am wanting to attain is for the ability to be exposed to new literature in its native form. Let me know what you pick for your reading. I would suggest it because you are ahead of me and yet I find it rewarding even though it is slow going for me. The reason is that every day I find a word that I know today that I did not know before yesterday. It is constant affirmations to the point that I can see little steps of progress.
Crush, that is a perfect explanation. Thank you. Also, thanks for the help with Trajera. I will be able to understand it when I see it again in my reading but there is NO WAY I would be able to produce it...not yet. Crush, how long have you studied/spoke Spanish? Were you raised speaking it also or did you learn through school or as an adult? Thanks for the help! 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| Crush Tetraglot Senior Member ChinaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5810 days ago 1622 posts - 2299 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, Mandarin, Esperanto Studies: Basque | Message 78 of 344 05 April 2014 at 12:31am | IP Logged |
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I just finished "El amor en los tiempos del cólera", but it wasn't one of my favorite books of Garcia Márquez. I enjoyed the beginning and the end, but the middle just didn't hold my attention that well. Interestingly enough, "Cien años de soledad" was i think the first native Spanish book (not a translation of an English book into Spanish) that i read in Spanish, about a year after starting to study. I loved it and would definitely recommend it. To be honest i wouldn't mind reading it again.
And i started studying Spanish in September of 2008 at the ripe old age of 20 and created my Spanish log in November of 2008. I'd never studied Spanish before as in school i studied Latin and German. It seems like a long ways away, but slowly things will start to make sense and before you know you'll wonder how any of it ever confused you :) Edited by Crush on 05 April 2014 at 12:34am 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| BOLIO Senior Member United States Joined 4603 days ago 253 posts - 366 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 79 of 344 05 April 2014 at 12:40am | IP Logged |
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Crush, Thanks for the link! I will read it this weekend. I have read James29, LUKE and DBAG's Logs and it is amazing. It is a moving time capsule. To see people starting out where I am and move to where I want to be is exciting and I am very thankful for this site and the value that you and others add!
Have a great weekend! 42 hours done 408 to go Edited by BOLIO on 05 April 2014 at 12:40am 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| James29 Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5320 days ago 1265 posts - 2113 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: French | Message 80 of 344 05 April 2014 at 3:25am | IP Logged |
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I did not know Crush had a log. Nice to see. I was amazed at how fast he progressed, but then I saw how much he worked at it... a few of his posts said he did some FSI lessons 4+ times in ONE DAY. It really is hard work.
Some people on this forum are amazing. I am in awe that people can study for as much as they do. it is pretty cool to progress. It happens so gradually you almost don't even really notice it. It does happen. The frustrating thing can be that at the intermediate levels it happens so much slower. You are doing all the right things and if you just stick with it you will love the results you get. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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