Learning Spanish

Terrarenee

New Member
I’m a non Spanish speaking American that will be moving to rocky point in a month. I’ve very interested in learning Spanish. I’m not having much luck on google for any programs/advise . Does anyone have any suggestions?
 

Queen of Kings

Well Known Member
we are having a good time..not miserable at all.
Miserable is subjective. All the things we enjoy doing in RP are now either forbidden or heavily restricted right now. Dealing with the heat and humidity this time of year while not being able to have fun is my definition of miserable. Your definition is probably different. Different strokes.
 

fatboyharley

Well Known Member
Miserable is subjective. All the things we enjoy doing in RP are now either forbidden or heavily restricted right now. Dealing with the heat and humidity this time of year while not being able to have fun is my definition of miserable. Your definition is probably different. Different strokes.
so may I ask why are you there if you are miserable? I would love to be back at my house there than stuck here in Phoenix I must wait until July as a homeowner but then must return as I still work. You at least are breathing sea air and not smoke filled air from the fires and pollution. You hear the sea and not traffic. Look for the good , if not then leave.
 

brokenwave

Well Known Member
Misery:
There are many people who can see the sun shine even on a cloudy day
and then there are those who don't even bother to look.
It's all about how you approach life. BW101
 

Roberto

Well Known Member
Primero déjame disculparme por interrumpir tu tema.

I think more useful and maybe in addition to classes, than formal classes is to hire one person who is a pretty good English speaker but local Spanish, to go with you for part of a day, couple days a week, just doing what you do.

Go shopping. Clean the house. Cook some food. Learn a new local recipe. Sing a song. Tell a story. Keep your sentences simple. Hire a woman with a small child 2-4. they will jabber, you can listen then ask "Como se dice"Struggle with it. Get over the uncomfortable embarrassment, laugh at yourself. Pick up a couple of words every day. soon you will be telling the child to sit down and be quiet in Spanish !!!!

Make or get a list of most frequently used words in Spanish and learn them first. Try to use them every chance you get. When trying to speak Spanish to a Spanish speaker, ask for help in Spanish. "Como se dice", "How do you say" when you need a word or want a description of something. I found that prefacing my attempts with " Lo siento pero mis Espanol is malo" I am sorry but my Spanish is bad" makes people smile and want to help you. Repeat out loud every word. Speak into a recorder (your phone) a word then have a native speaker repeat the word and you listen and compare and practice. Always make it clear that you blame your lack of understanding rather than their pronunciation.

The verbs will drive you nuts. Use a simple form , people will understand you and maybe help out with a correction, but I guarantee if you use one of the obscure forms of a common verb they will not understand you either !! same with feminine and masculine. the correct form comes along with use of high frequency words.

When trying to talk with someone do not get frustrated and rattle on in English explaining things.. You will find many locals who have a little English but are embarrassed to try to speak with you. You will often notice that they understand some of what you say but but will not try to speak a word. Just go with the flow.

The most difficult thing when learning informally is that the locals tend to speak very rapidly which is frustrating when you want to understand. I often say "Whutta whutta whutta" very rapidly, " Habla despacio por favor, gracias". that usually gets a laugh. If they understand fair english speak to them very rapidly then slowly to illustrate. they get the message quickly as they are frustrated by English speakers. Never, never talk down to your helper, correcting their english, etc. Just repeat. "Please speak slowly and simply." is another good phrase to learn.

You can use one of the electronic translators like Google just be aware they might not be accurate. the little pocket ones are good to find one word.

I say you are not learning Spanish, you are learning to communicate. Now Joe and the Dog will point out that the little Spanish I used here is garbled. but all I can say is that's the way I do it and people understand. Many locals will not understand pure academic Spanish any better than you so forget that. There are lots of people from all over Mexico living in Penasco so I think they have developed their own version of the language mixing in the local words.].

Tell yourself you are not learning to speak Spanish but you are learning to communicate with the people in Penasco in Spanish. I met a native first language Spanish speaker who was an ESL teacher with flawless english who told me it would take 20 years for a non native to become completely fluent in the new language. All you want to do is to order one pound of hamburger not 10 pounds, at the carniceria.
 
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brokenwave

Well Known Member
Berto, I've been getting by with my limited amount of Spanish fine for many years in Mexico.
As you found just trying will get you there most of the time.
 

Queen of Kings

Well Known Member
so may I ask why are you there if you are miserable? I would love to be back at my house there than stuck here in Phoenix I must wait until July as a homeowner but then must return as I still work. You at least are breathing sea air and not smoke filled air from the fires and pollution. You hear the sea and not traffic. Look for the good , if not then leave.
Why I am where? I am not in RP. I am in another house in the States. You could not glean that from the context? The whole point was that it is not worth traveling to RP now because 95% of the fun is not available yet Kiko wants stupid gringos to pay premium prices for a poverty vacation. Open things up closer to normal and we will reconsider.
 

AZRob

Well Known Member
I’m a non Spanish speaking American that will be moving to rocky point in a month. I’ve very interested in learning Spanish. I’m not having much luck on google for any programs/advise . Does anyone have any suggestions?
Look on you tube, there are a lot of learn Spanish teachers on there for free. You watch the video and start learning. Good thing is you can pause it and start right where you left off. Go back and review a tougher part.
 

CheddarBob

Well Known Member
Let’s keep in mind these people offering to teach for $8 a class are only trying to carve out a living. I for sure along with my wife will be taking some Spanish class when we get back. We all need to eat.
 

Mexico Joe

Cholla Bay 4 Life
I’m a non Spanish speaking American that will be moving to rocky point in a month. I’ve very interested in learning Spanish. I’m not having much luck on google for any programs/advise . Does anyone have any suggestions?
Which verbs do you want to learn first? Do you have any pre knowledge of the alphabet, how to pronounce vowels A E I O U ???? You'll want to learn verbs first as you can practically talk in full sentences with just verbs... EX. I want to go eat. Quiero ir a comer. Quiero is the yo form of the verb QUERER, IR is the verb TO GO and COMER is the verb TO EAT.

Want to learn present tense one verb at a time? Easy. Create a T chart. This is what you would do in high school or college.

TENER = TO HAVE
I - YO TENGOWe - Nosotros (nos) tenemos
You - TU TIENES You or You All (informal Spain) - Vosotros (vos) teneis
Him/Her - EL, ELLA TIENEThey - Ellos, Ellas tienen

So you want to ask the farmacia if they have something.

You could say, tiene or tienes.

The he, she, it tense is the formal tense. Respect tense. If you don't know someone personally tense. Nobody is going to falt you for saying TIENES but that is more informal, not out of respect or if you already personally know that person.

So you want to ask the farmacia if they have something.

Holla, que tal? Tiene las pastillas de dolor? Do you have pain pills? Si, caul typa que te gustas? Yes, what type would you like?
 

Mexico Joe

Cholla Bay 4 Life
COMER - TO EAT
I - YO COMO We - NOSOTROS COMEMOS
You - TU COMESYou, You All (Spain, Central America) - VOSOTROS COMEIS
He, She - EL, ELLA COMEThey - ELLOS ELLAS COMEN
 

Mexico Joe

Cholla Bay 4 Life
Those are two easy ER verbs. There are AR verbs as well. Most verbs follow the same conjugation pattern as other ER/IR or AR ending verbs. There are other ER/IR and AR ending verbs that do NOT follow the standard conjugation pattern. Also known as IRREGULAR verbs. Once you remember the standard pattern for conjugating ER/IR ending regular verbs they all conjugate the same. Same with AR regular ending verbs. Then you'll need to memorize the IRREGULAR ER/IR and AR conjugation pattern for irregular verbs.

Do this all in present tense.

Practice writing sentences. I'm going shopping. I want to eat. Do you want to eat now? Are you driving?

Now we can move on to FUTURE AND PAST TENSE

Did you eat already?

Ya comiste tu?

You can drop the tu if you want but if you learned spanish out of a book and or college you would write it exactly as such. It's pry more common to just say, ya comiste? YA = ALREADY and COMISTE = YOU ATE past tense.


COMER - TO EAT (past tense)​
I - YO COMI We - NOSOTROS COMIMOS
You - TU COMISTEYou, You All (Spain Central America) - VOSOTROS COMISTEIS
He, She - EL, ELLA COMOThey - ELLOS, ELLAS COMIERON
 

Mexico Joe

Cholla Bay 4 Life
Past tense example

Talking to your wife at a family get together.

Ya comieron tus padres?

Did your parents already eat?

Subject always goes last in a question.

Another one.

You're asking your friend that you know what they ate last night.

Que comiste anoche por la cena?

What did you eat last night for dinner?
 
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