I am going to learn Spanish

[RoJoHen]

I was awesome at Spanish in high school, and one of my biggest regrets is not continuing to study it once I got to college. It's been 5 years since my last Spanish class, and I still remember quite a bit, but I'm horribly out of practice.

So tonight I went to the bookstore and browsed the Spanish novels. I'm going to attempt to re-learn (and learn more) Spanish by reading. Tonight I bought "The Old Man and the Sea" by Hemingway, which I've never read before. I figured his minimalist style of writing would be a good way to ease back into the language before attempting more complicated things.

 

[Gryffindorian]

Qué bueno. My niece is having a hard time studying it high school. It was hecka easy for me. Now I have to tutor her on grammar and such.

 

[RoJoHen]

Yeah, some people have a hard time with it. Other people don't. People are just wired differently, I guess.

 

[scotpens]

It's a fairly easy language. Of course, as with any language, the most fun is learning the curse words.

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

Para usted es muy bueno!

 

[data_lover]

pimp, i took french in high school and it has not helped me one bit, though i can still order a hamburger and fries in french, so, you know, in case im at a mcdonald's in france im covered.

 

[Goji]

I encourage the acquisition of a new language. Best of luck with it.

As a student of the California public school system, for a time, I was taught Spanish as well. But it never took. That had something to do with how terrible our school was. When my family moved here from Washington, I knew a handful of Spanish terms I learned watching Sesame Street, and THAT was enough to get me placed into the "Advanced Spanish" class.

My theory was that you had to respond in French or Italian to get placed into the basic class.

 

[tharpdevenport]

My mother tried learning spanish one time for a job (she stopped after a bit), and she pretty much -- aside from common words, got as far as two phrases, one of which being:

"Excuse me -- where are the spicy bathrooms?"



One of my aunts is fluent. I remember watching the rainforest episode of "South Park" where they were talking in spanish and there was a translation on the bottom of the screen. She blurted out, "That's not what they are saying!".

 

[RoJoHen]

^Funny.

We actually had some pretty awesome Spanish teachers in my high school, and all of them taught both regular and advanced classes. I took AP Spanish my senior year and managed to get college credit for it. I tested into 300-level Spanish my first year of college and got a B. I was so disappointed with that grade that I quit altogether!

It wasn't that I got a B. It was that I got a B in Spanish, when I had never gotten any less than an A+ all through high school. In hindsight, I should have been less impulsive. I probably could have majored in Spanish if I wanted to.

 

[JonathonWally]

I was awesome at Spanish in high school, and one of my biggest regrets is not continuing to study it once I got to college. It's been 5 years since my last Spanish class, and I still remember quite a bit, but I'm horribly out of practice.

So tonight I went to the bookstore and browsed the Spanish novels. I'm going to attempt to re-learn (and learn more) Spanish by reading. Tonight I bought "The Old Man and the Sea" by Hemingway, which I've never read before. I figured his minimalist style of writing would be a good way to ease back into the language before attempting more complicated things.

The book sucks in English, I can't imagine it being any better in Spanish.

Cool on going back relearn Spanish though. For a novel in Spanish though, I'd go with Don Quixote.

 

[RoJoHen]

The book sucks in English, I can't imagine it being any better in Spanish.

Well, Barnes and Noble didn't have a huge selection of Spanish novels. I just figured it would be simple.

Cool on going back relearn Spanish though. For a novel in Spanish though, I'd go with Don Quixote.

Yep, that's happening, but I wanted to get a little more practice before I attempt that gigantic novel!

I almost bought the Spanish version of "Twilight."

I actually wanted to get "Harry Potter," but they didn't have the first one!

 

[tharpdevenport]

That reminds me of the spanish teacher in (middle or high school -- dont' recall) who was very overweight. Kids were walking up and down the halls and for some reasons they needed them cleared or something and he stood there in the middle asking us to move to the side so we could clear the hallway. Yet he was so wide he was blocking it.

 

[Capn Flukie]

I've been trying to learn Spanish as well, but not on any regular basis.

Working in a college bookstore has given me some freebies, a couple textbooks, a few English/Spanish dictionaries, and some CDs. I also have a few children's books I got at library's book sale. I can follow along kinda by reading, but listening I have real trouble with, it's so fast. I've never taken a Spanish class.

When I had cable, I would have Telemundo (or maybe it was the other channel?) and would watch 'Sabado Gigante' with Don Fernando with the captions on.

 

[sojourner]

My mother tried learning spanish one time for a job (she stopped after a bit), and she pretty much -- aside from common words, got as far as two phrases, one of which being:

"Excuse me -- where are the spicy bathrooms?"



One of my aunts is fluent. I remember watching the rainforest episode of "South Park" where they were talking in spanish and there was a translation on the bottom of the screen. She blurted out, "That's not what they are saying!".

Donde esta muy caliente el banyo?

^The extent of my knowledge. It served me well in Cozumel!

 

[RoJoHen]

My mother tried learning spanish one time for a job (she stopped after a bit), and she pretty much -- aside from common words, got as far as two phrases, one of which being:

"Excuse me -- where are the spicy bathrooms?"



One of my aunts is fluent. I remember watching the rainforest episode of "South Park" where they were talking in spanish and there was a translation on the bottom of the screen. She blurted out, "That's not what they are saying!".

Donde esta muy caliente el banyo?

^The extent of my knowledge. It served me well in Cozumel!

Are you sure it served you well? Because that really isn't correct.

 

[JonathonWally]

My mother tried learning spanish one time for a job (she stopped after a bit), and she pretty much -- aside from common words, got as far as two phrases, one of which being:

"Excuse me -- where are the spicy bathrooms?"



One of my aunts is fluent. I remember watching the rainforest episode of "South Park" where they were talking in spanish and there was a translation on the bottom of the screen. She blurted out, "That's not what they are saying!".

Donde esta muy caliente el banyo?

^The extent of my knowledge. It served me well in Cozumel!

Where is the very hot bathroom?

 

[RoJoHen]

Plus "el" is just completely in the wrong place.

 

[RJDiogenes]

When I was running a Midwifery Service, my staff member from Ecuador tried to teach me some Spanish. We got as far as "vaso de agua, por favor?" and "relacionas intimas, por favor?"

 

[Bloodwhiner]

Despite 26 years of trying my Spanish is below level one. It all started in college, where I even hired a native speaker to tutor me. I'm still getting lessons from her and haven't improved at all.

I'd fire her except we've been married 25 years now (and I've never had a conversation with my mother in law).

 

[Yeoman Randi]

When I had cable, I would have Telemundo (or maybe it was the other channel?) and would watch 'Sabado Gigante' with Don Fernando with the captions on.

That is an excellent tip.

Despite 26 years of trying my Spanish is below level one. It all started in college, where I even hired a native speaker to tutor me. I'm still getting lessons from her and haven't improved at all.

I'd fire her except we've been married 25 years now (and I've never had a conversation with my mother in law).

^

There are probably some inexpensive computer programs you could look into. Total immersion is the best way to learn.

About 10 years ago when i did another career changing move (from teaching ASL to grunt work, which i loved btw) i asked to be moved into the growing greenhouses which were manned by Spanish speaking workers. They all spoke english but if i wasn't around they would speak in Spanish, so i asked them to continue to do so and not speak english for my benefit. I picked it up again pretty quickly. ( I HAD taken Spanish in school a million years ago. So i did have a decent working knowledge of it). It was awesome.

I did have a program at one time, but i think i sold it on ebay. If i didnt sell it and i do come across it, I'd be happy to send it to you. I'll LYK if i do find it.