OT: How to learn Spanish ? Babel is not working out

DDoug · Mar 14, 2019

I would like to learn some basic Spanish, for a trip to South America.

I tried Babel, and a book "Spanish for dummies"

Both were not good at all, acted more like a H.S. english teacher, rules
and whatnot.

There isn't a night school class available locally.

lucky7 · Mar 14, 2019

Roseta worked better for me. I retain info best by interaction. Depends how you learn.

Lucky7

kevlevrone · Mar 14, 2019

Hi everyone. I am learning Spanish too. I use different apps to learn it and usually watch some videos on YouTube.

gustafson · Mar 14, 2019

Fly to Mexico City with 8 dollars in your pocket

you'll pick it up....

Seriously immersion is the best way, get some vocabulary and start listening

DDoug · Mar 14, 2019

gustafson said:
Fly to Mexico City with 8 dollars in your pocket

you'll pick it up....

Seriously immersion is the best way, get some vocabulary and start listening

Sorry, BTDT, spanish at 90 mph I can't even understand what is being said.

gustafson · Mar 14, 2019

wait you flew to Mexico with 8 dollars in your pocket?
There has got to be a story there

fish123 · Mar 14, 2019

With no night school available, plan “B” could be to make friends with some folks from S.A.
There might be some local social clubs/church groups that are mostly Central/ South American.
I was lucky to work with folks from Colombia and Cuba, they helped me.

SteveF · Mar 14, 2019

Check out a website called Meetup.com

It's a web site where people can organize events for a like minded group of people. Put in your location and see if there are any Spanish language groups nearby.

I've used the Berlitz tapes and CDs in the past. Looks like a fair number of them used on eBay.

Steve

Mtndew · Mar 14, 2019

Maybe tutor.com?
Online Spanish Tutors | Online Spanish Homework Help - Tutor.com

BoxcarPete · Mar 14, 2019

There will be a "night school" available as long as there's at least one mexican restaurant in the area looking for part-time help.

Honestly though, if you find a bilingual person who is willing to help you, the best way to make progress is to simply converse back and forth in Spanish. You'll need to know "como se dice ... [en ingles]?" (how do you say ... [in english]?) which will work for something you want to say to them, or something they said that you don't understand. Then talk about something you're both interested in, in Spanish only, and it will slowly become less broken and interrupted.

Larry Dickman · Mar 14, 2019

here's a start for ya

YouTube

DDoug · Mar 14, 2019

gustafson said:
wait you flew to Mexico with 8 dollars in your pocket?
There has got to be a story there

No, I went to Patagonia.

lazz · Mar 14, 2019

As a poor, yet functioning spanish speaker I can offer the suggestion I was given dozens of times over the years when I wanted to learn more..Sleep with a dictionary... My wife vetoed that idea...

There is a word "munde" It is pronounced in english just like Monday. The translation is a polite "huh". It can be a reply to almost any statement. :sulk:

Anytime I have been in a Spanish only environment trying to speak spanish was welcomed and the errors forgiven...And seldom there wasnt someone that spoke some english.

Good luck... Enjoy the trip...

Ohh yeah you might try the Google translate app on your phone. Triplingo might even be a better app better It claims you can speak in english to your and the phone translate to spanish.

WizardOfBoz · Mar 14, 2019

My brother (pretty much an amateur linquist - he has passing understanding of eight languages including Hellenistic Greek, Hebrew, a Philippino dialect (Kankaney) and others) recommended Pimsleur lessons to me. I think that they're pretty good.

DDoug · Mar 14, 2019

lazz said:
As a poor, yet functioning spanish speaker I can offer the suggestion I was given dozens of times over the years when I wanted to learn more..Sleep with a dictionary... My wife vetoed that idea...

There is a word "munde" It is pronounced in english just like Monday. The translation is a polite "huh". It can be a reply to almost any statement.

Anytime I have been in a Spanish only environment trying to speak spanish was welcomed and the errors forgiven...And seldom there wasnt someone that spoke some english.

Good luck... Enjoy the trip...

Ohh yeah you might try the Google translate app on your phone. Triplingo might even be a better app better It claims you can speak in english to your and the phone translate to spanish.

Yes,
I found this out the first trip, but I didn't even try spanish, they would simply find me the designated english speaker.

Re; the phone app.
I don't own a phone, and thought it would be offensive to them, they were very nice people, and I would like to at least try to speak spanish. I don't want to be seen as
an "Ignorant American", I tried hard to blend in by dressing plain.

GregSY · Mar 14, 2019

Is there any chance you could enter into a tempestuous yet strangely satisfying relationship with a 22 year old Latina? At least then you would learn how to swear, order beer, and purchase personal lubricants in Spanish. Hell, I might just try to do that and I'm not even going anywhere.

DDoug · Mar 14, 2019

GregSY said:
Is there any chance you could enter into a tempestuous yet strangely satisfying relationship with a 22 year old Latina? At least then you would learn how to swear, order beer, and purchase personal lubricants in Spanish. Hell, I might just try to do that and I'm not even going anywhere.

I was waiting for this to appear....took 16 post's to get there.....

Has been suggested locally, and my answer is "I'm not wired for 2 20 year olds"

cg285 · Mar 14, 2019

having had my share of pueto rican and cuban employees (central florida) i can say that what you learn is not what they speak. i took some spanish in my younger days.
for example when i said "bano" (baun-yo) to my cuban i just got a dumb look. when i showed him the word in print he said something like "munubogaho". it was the same with every word but si or no. seriously. the only way we communicated was in print or sign language to which they always shook their head yes no matter what you said.

i did get by in spain with one phrase "uno mas cerveza budweiser por favor"

munruh · Mar 14, 2019

Duolingo is a decent free app that is cross platform. I learned Spanish, but lived in Mexico for 5 years. Try to find some groups or friends that speak Spanish to be involved with. Listen to Spanish recordings and such. In the end immersion and living in a Spanish speaking country is the best, but not possible for many.

SND · Mar 14, 2019

About 15+ years ago a friend(french) went to Arizona for a year to learn English.
Came back speaking better in Spanish than English. Perhaps in part because Spanish has similarities to French though.

I learned English after moving to where I had no choice to, first few months aren't easy but ear gets used to it.
Bring an English/Spanish dictionary...

OT: How to learn Spanish ? Babel is not working out

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