Improving Spanish speaking skills
- Thread starter don
- Start date
rockyptjoe
Guest
So Jim....is that the secret of a long, successful marriage?:rofl:
You guys are funny. Don, you work at NAU, correct? Can't you take classes at a discount? The University has classes in conversational Spanish. I have a friend who took 4 semesters and is pretty fluent now. Don't bother with any lit classes or 101 type stuff if you just want to be able to converse. Trust me, you don't ever, ever want to read Don Quijote de la Mancha! Argh, it's been over 30 years and I still tremble at the memory..... If NAU doesn't have conversational Spanish, the Junior College will.
Esperanza
Guest
Hi Don, Yep, I used Rosetta Stone. Like anything, you get out of it what you put into it......and I didn't invest the needed time. There is a FREE on-line program I've used and found it helpful. www.livemocha.com. Give it a try. I liked it.
Jim
Guest
Joe, In the beginning I could talk about whatever I wanted when she was in the room. That was kind of fun when I had friends over. No longer... One thing about learning a language while living with someone is that they learn your language too. I did speak some Spanish when I met her but it was a challenge in the beginning. She understands English quite well now but is still embarrassed to speak it. All in all it has been a very great experience and 14 years (actually 14 years on St. Patty's day).
Esperanza
Guest
Jim, that sounds similar to my situation. Hubby, Rafael, is Mexican and would talk to the kids in Spanish without MY knowing what was going on. As I learned more, they found out they can't keep secrets from me anymore. I can read & write Spanish better than I can speak it. When I do, it seems I always mispronounce the word and in veritably, my NEW word always seems to have some sexual connotation to it. Go figure!
Ha Ha, Lori! When I was first learning Spanish, I thought embarazada was embarrassed! Boy I was REALLY embarrassed after that! LOL!
rockyptjoe
Guest
lagrimas85
AKA Carnac
If I could tell you anything it would be to forget practicing anything until you learn all the verbs (present, past and future tense) once you learn those you will be speaking spanish. Also many words that end in tion in engish end in cion in spanish i.e. transportation= transportacion, precaution=precaucion many words are the same but pronounced very differntly. WE have = tenemos, I have = tengo I had = tuve I will have = voy a tener. You need to practice these first every conversation depends on these more than anything else. Once you figure out how the word changes it will be very easy to learn the rest. try to learn one or 2 verbs a day and you got it made. Uncle Billy
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lagrimas85
AKA Carnac
And Please dont say you have a problemo, when you really have a problema, I hate when gringos (yes I am one) say no problemo!! Plus here is a word for you Lagrimas = tears but im not a cry baby its were I live. You may never speak as well as somebody born with a spanish speaking family, but you can learn to understand 100 % what somebody is talking about. My 1st wife was mexican and couldn't speak spanish but understood 100% what was being said. I think that goes back to understanding the verbs but not mentally being able to make the changes in her own mind.
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Actually Lagrimas, the correct phrase is no hay problema......From a fellow gringa. LOL!
lagrimas85
AKA Carnac
No problema lj. Pero si sigues jugando vas a tener un chingo de problemas conmigo.
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Guau! Que hice?
lagrimas85
AKA Carnac
Nada, tu sabes que soy un cabron bien hecho. Porque no pongas una pagina para ayudar todo nosotros hablar mejor espanol. With mi querido amigo Playa Perro as the moderator he speaks perfect spanish.
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lagrimas85
AKA Carnac
I was really lucky, my parents put in in an after school spanish program at Ingleside grade school when I was 6 and my uncle was also port director in Nogales when I was little so every summer I was in Nogales then grew up and forgot spanish, then in the 80's I got a huge customer in Mexicali for my lumber business and started really working the border hard from Nogales to Tijuana and needed to speak better spanish so I found a course at Mesa Community College called survival spanish it was really good, it was straight street language no grammer it was pretty blunt and included words that we cant write here. Uncle Billy
Esperanza
Guest
You are correct Bill. I've taken a few Spanish classes at Mesa CC. I speak only in PRESENT tense. LOL
lagrimas85
AKA Carnac
Thats allright Lori when people speak past tense they are usually bragging.
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Great Suggestions from everyone!
Thank you very much!
I'm homeless now.... my wife booted me out when I told her I needed another wife, "Spanish speaking". Hmmm, more time to go fishing and hunting always a bright side right?
Congrats on the Anniversary!
LJ, I'm looking into the conversational classes at Coconino CC. NAU does offer a discount but they don't have conversational classes.
UB, great ideas on the verbs; thank you for the beginning lessons!
Esperanza, Thank you for the link! I'll be practicing here at ... ;-)
Superb ideas, Thank you again!
I had heard the Rosetta Stone program also helped one learn the correct pronunciation or is it pronunciacion?
Thank you very much!
I'm homeless now.... my wife booted me out when I told her I needed another wife, "Spanish speaking". Hmmm, more time to go fishing and hunting always a bright side right?
Congrats on the Anniversary!
LJ, I'm looking into the conversational classes at Coconino CC. NAU does offer a discount but they don't have conversational classes.
UB, great ideas on the verbs; thank you for the beginning lessons!
Esperanza, Thank you for the link! I'll be practicing here at ... ;-)
Superb ideas, Thank you again!
I had heard the Rosetta Stone program also helped one learn the correct pronunciation or is it pronunciacion?
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