Learning Spanish?

[scrooge]

Hoping to take a month in Nicaragua next May and would like to do what I can to get a Spanish base before then. I have a year of college Spanish--about fifteen years ago--but that's it. I don't expect to be fluent--but would like to at least catch a few bits of conversation and communicate on some very basic level. Don't think I can fit community college into my schedule. Anyone done Rosetta Stone or something similar with good results? Any other suggestions?

[false_aesthetic]

The thing about Rosetta stone or Pimsleur or anything else is making sure that you practice daily, religiously.

Putting it in your head is one thing. Spitting it out is another.

I hear better things about Rosetta than Pimsleur.

[holliscx]

I recommend Notes in Spanish

You can download audio podcasts for free - Ben is a Brit who's been living in Madrid for awhile. His partner, Marina, and he have conversations about everything from Radiohead to where they should go on vacation to bitching about traffic congestion in Madrid. They're informal yet educational and you will learn a lot of colloquial phrases etc. You really can't get more authentic as far as a listening comprehension exercise and at least in my case it felt more like peer-level Spanish than anything derived from a text book.

[steve garro]

OK - this may seem wacky, but it works really well, and is really fun - your favourite children's books.
Dr. Suess has many titles in Spanish - I have "Huevos Verde con Jamon" around still......

Me no gusta, Juan Ramon, Me no gusta huevos verdes con jamon
It's awesome!

It's how my mom taught my 2nd mom how to speak english when she moved from Nogales, Son. when I was young.

Highly recomended, the Lonely Planet pocket guide to Latin American Spanish, grouped by task, like aeroport, customs, shopping, menu decoder, ect - Garro.

[billrick]

Are you driving down? Stop in Antigua, Guatemala and sign up for a week of one-on-one immersion spanish classes. Stay with a local family. You will get more out of that one week than any CD or podcast.

[-HvA-]

OK - this may seem wacky, but it works really well, and is really fun - your favourite children's books.
Dr. Suess has many titles in Spanish - I have "Huevos Verde con Jamon" around still......

Me no gusta, Juan Ramon, Me no gusta huevos verdes con jamon
It's awesome!

It's how my mom taught my 2nd mom how to speak english when she moved from Nogales, Son. when I was young.

Highly recomended, the Lonely Planet pocket guide to Latin American Spanish, grouped by task, like aeroport, customs, shopping, menu decoder, ect - Garro.

This is how I learned spanish (granted I was 7). Most Spanish speaking people I've met (and from when I lived in Spain) are extremely welcoming and we'll try to communicate as long as you try a bit. Make some local friends and get drunk together, fastest way to learn.

[Ben]

I used Pimsleur to learn Italian. I thought it was pretty good, although I'm not sure how you'd determine where you "fit in" with Pimsleur or Rosetta, given that the basic is probably too basic for you.

I listened to (and repeated) the Italian lessons on a spin bike at the gym when no one else was around. With eyes closed, it was a good way to pretend I was Cipo.

[0nelove]

I'd just like to add to learn South American Spanish, not Spain Spanish (Castellano). The accents are obviously quite different, but so is the verb use and vocab to a certain extent.

If your aim is to speak in Nicaragua, try to find something that offers that dialect. It will make everything much easier once in country.

[dashDustin]

Como se dice

[Joel Benjamin L]

Create a DVD with dubbed versions of your favorite TV show (fopirst time I really learned a foreign language it was the Simpsons for me). As you are going through the class or language program watch the same episodes over and over again. It will give you a Wally good sense of the rhythm and idiosyncrasies of the language.

[Eddie]

Look around. I'm confident that you encounter native Spanish speakers, everyday, in your daily life. Speak to them, and learn from them, in Spanish.

In a prior gig I was able to arrive to work late, leave late, thereby avoid traffic, and as a result, I saw a lot of the late night cleaning crew at work. Many of them happened to be from Guatemala, Peru, Chile, etc. Lili, the amazing woman from Lima who took my trash out every night, would speak to me in Spanish and help me expand my vocabulary. Some nights a passing hello, some nights twenty or more minutes about my life, hers, her children, etc. My fluency increased dramatically.

In re: JBLANDE's suggesting above: I once performed a college application interview for a student who immigrated from Latin America and learned to speak English, in large part, by watching episodes of Crocodile Hunter. No she didn't speak with an Aussie accent, but it did inspire her to wish to become a Veterinarian. Awesome stuff.

[billrick]

Excellent tip above from EB above. I've started many great conversations with "Hola, habla usted espanol? De donde viene?" Hi, do you speak spanish? Where are you from? If you have visited their country before, "Me encanta su pais." And I do start with the more formal "usted" verb form. Break out the "tu" in the second chat.

And I recommend this school for immersion Spanish class and a great vacation:

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