Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

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DannyandJosie
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Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby DannyandJosie » Sun Jul 31, 2016 12:53 pm

Do you want to begin learning Spanish but are not sure how to start ?

Futurelearn offers hundreds of FREE online courses from Universities and Cultural Institutions around the world.

I have taken a number of their course over the years, from archaeology to cyber security, and have found them to be an enjoyable, social experience.
They are starting a brand new Spanish for beginners course on 8th August . It is FREE and designed for learners with no prior knowledge of Spanish.

There is a link from my Facebook page of you want to find out more.

Hope you are having a great Sunday :)

http://www.facebook.com/onefootinthecave
"When you judge others, you do not define them, you define yourself" Earl Nightingale

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chrissiehope
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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby chrissiehope » Sun Jul 31, 2016 1:23 pm

I started my Spanish journey with an online course from Manchester Uni - as they were trialling it, it was free. I found it very helpful in understanding the grammar etc, and helped give me confidence to carry on. I'm by no means fluent, just 'get by' level, and one day, I'll start studying again :-)
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IreneD
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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby IreneD » Sun Jul 31, 2016 2:41 pm

My OH has done several Futurelearn courses, he really enjoys them. He is going to do the Spanish language one, he isn't strictly speaking a beginner but thinks it will help him.

jogger
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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby jogger » Sun Jul 31, 2016 10:46 pm

Myself and herself have booked on the course and are looking forward to it........

Great FB page/ blog btw D&J

DannyandJosie
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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby DannyandJosie » Tue Aug 02, 2016 10:12 pm

Thanks Jogger,

Glad you enjoyed them :)
"When you judge others, you do not define them, you define yourself" Earl Nightingale

niraig
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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby niraig » Sat Aug 06, 2016 7:59 pm

Hi, thank you so much. My husband and I have just signed up for this course, so excited. We are planning to make the big move in 2018. This will be our first step to learning Spanish.

DannyandJosie
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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby DannyandJosie » Sat Aug 06, 2016 10:23 pm

Glad it was of help to you both and good luck with learning Spanish and your planning preperations for moving to Spain.

We bought our place last year and I ended up writing about the whole process in a blog, which I have linked for you below. Some of the content may be of use/interest to you. Good luck :)

http://www.onefootinthecave.net

Danny
"When you judge others, you do not define them, you define yourself" Earl Nightingale

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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby TracyD » Fri Aug 12, 2016 11:26 pm

Sweet - is sharing blog posts allowed here then? I thought it wasn't, but if it is okay to share, I've a post with language learning links that might be helpful to some. (Also info. about cognitive benefits of language learning - delayed onset of dementia for one!)

http://dreamdolove.com/learning-another ... wellbeing/

Lavanda
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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby Lavanda » Sat Aug 13, 2016 7:59 am

To be totally honest, I did two years of evening class in England before we moved here permanently. The teacher was English but had lived and worked in Madrid for over 20 years. I did three hours of class a week plus three hours homework plus exams. I did it all and passed the exams. I bought every book and CD I could to supplement my learning. Boring things, mostly, intensely non-practical and full of obscure stuff.

When I came here I couldn't understand anyone and they couldn't understand me. :shock: :( With confidence shattered and stumbling and stuttering words I began attempts at communication. People were kind, patient and helped me. I repeated words over and over and learned something every day. Nine years on (languages DO NOT just 'happen'. Sorry but you cannot speak 1000 words in two hours) I am over 95% fluent in speaking, reading and writing — without the dictionary. I even do live TV and radio interviews here in the sticks.

My point is if you want to speak Spanish, go to the cafés, markets, bars and into the street and open your mouth and your ears. It will be great, enjoyable and, ultimately, successful. Good luck but toss the books, CDs and internet links in the bin and just go out and do it. :D (Only my experience, of course).

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IreneD
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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby IreneD » Sat Aug 13, 2016 12:19 pm

Lavanda - I have done so much studying on-line and taken lessons and have come to the conclusion you are right. Or of course, I could be incredibly thick :think: No, I don't think it's that - my vocabulary is good and I'm not too bad with the basic verb tenses although I still can't get my head around which past tense to use and when.....as for the subjunctive! Yikes!

I have done intercambio (stopped at the moment as my intercambio pal isn't around) but maybe even that isn't enough. I do find I am very nervous attempting to use my Spanish and that doesn't help, as my brain seizes up. I will have to be brave and take your advice.

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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby Lavanda » Sat Aug 13, 2016 2:35 pm

What you really need to learn a language is to have a great sense of the ridiculous and just make mistakes, sound like an imbecile (not you specifically, Irene, but you get my drift) and just smile. Remember you will end up speaking both English and Spanish. Most people can't even speak one language properly and you'll be doing two. That makes you better than any idiot that laughs at you — but the Spanish certainly won't laugh. They'll be proud and happy you are making the effort to get to grips with their language and they'll help.

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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby elusive » Sun Aug 14, 2016 7:54 am

Alot of it is confidence. I dunno maybe its a british thing of being reserved. I know non brit friends who will just start chatting about anything when they go in the local shop etc just to practice.i feel daft doing that. I find watching the spanish news helps alot with learning new words and more importantly learning how to pronounce. I've had free local lessons for the last couple of years. They arent the greatest as alot gets repeated for the newcomers.you feel like you want to move onto the next stage. but they are free so i cant complain! I also had a grounding in the basics as i had done spanish at school a few years ago!! So that helped. It may also sound daft but another problem is the lack of actually using it .i could do with moving somewhere where no one speaks a word of english! A spaniard answers me in english to practice i return in spanish to practice.i love going to places where little english is spoken so i can practice. I find all the different verbs abit confusing and wonder why people say english is difficult but i guess i view it as aslong as they can understand what im saying and if i can get at least 60% of what they are saying to be able to guess the rest then im getting there. Poco a poco! Mind you trying to understand a word the old people in frigiliana say is beyond me. Is that even spanish! Even my spanish hairdresser from nerja who has family in the village doesnt understand them :crazy:
Last edited by elusive on Sun Aug 14, 2016 9:47 am, edited 2 times in total.

Lavanda
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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby Lavanda » Sun Aug 14, 2016 8:07 am

What a lovely post, elusive, and so true. You've captured the whole thing exactly right as far as my own experience goes.

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IreneD
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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby IreneD » Sun Aug 14, 2016 1:05 pm

Absolutely - me to a T, elusive. Down to not understanding a word the elderly Spanish say. I have a wonderful Spanish neighbour, she was so kind, often knocking my door to ask how my OH was (he was in hospital for a month a while ago) and those 'conversations' were so difficult! She's just about given up trying to talk to me now, which I really find a shame. She's still very pleasant to me but lots of nodding and smiling these days. Ah well, I will persevere.

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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby truebrit » Sun Aug 14, 2016 6:13 pm

I know people who have been here years and still only mix with the ex pat community. Trouble with the Brits is that when it comes to languages they are lazy and expect everyone to speak English. I've heard them no attempt to even try.

elusive
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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby elusive » Sun Aug 14, 2016 9:41 pm

Alot are like that. I think brits are in a unique situation.one having such a crap education system that does very little to teach children diff languages so when you try to learn as an older person its like doing rocket science! and two the "problem" that so many people from different countries speak English. It takes a heck of a long time to go from never or been taught very little to being able to communicate. Some people have a nack for it and some can struggle forever. the brits are at a huge disadvantage to all the other countries where they seem to ve fluent in several languages ie the scandanavians

My only issue is those who dont even try. Theres so many thigs like duolingo etc you dont even need to go to a class if you dont want. In our class we had people who would start and do a couple of weeks of lessons if that and just give up. Of course its going to be hard but you have to give yourself at least a few months to get past that initial stage. If then you are still struggling fair enough at least you gave it ago.it helps if you are inquizative (sp) i like reading signs,billboards etc trying to work out what it says or just seeing how things are spelt etc. I worked with someone who had lived here ten years and i couldnt believe how little they knew how can you not pick things up in all that time. Words like church they asked me what it was once ontop of many other things like car insurance.things that you see advertised.

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chrissiehope
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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby chrissiehope » Sun Aug 14, 2016 10:56 pm

Very true elusive - I lived in the Philippines for 4 years & I too wanted to know what the signs (& even graffiti ;-) ) said. So I bought a couple of grammar books & a very comprehensive dictionary and got stuck in ! I only mastered the simple stuff like 'Hello, what's your name' etc, and the way the grammar worked, but it was enought to understand signs & the graffiti (very informative !!). Most of the other expat wives couldn't understand why I wanted to learn - 'but you can't use it anywhere else [that you might be posted to]' but for me it helped me feel more immersed in the culture (I can still remember most of the words to their National Anthem, and this was nearly 30 years ago :-)
Nowadays, I am reduced to surprising Filipina nurses by asking them how they are in Tagalog (not quite the National language as there are a lot of them, but close to the Official Pilipino) !
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Enrique
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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby Enrique » Mon Aug 15, 2016 7:13 am

Hi elusive,
Depending on which Browser you are using, one could add a Dictionary Add-on

In Firefox........British English Dictionary (Updated) and Spanish (Spain) Dictionary....

Will help when writing Spanish too............. :)

Then you can do away with .......... :idea:

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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby Lavanda » Mon Aug 15, 2016 7:36 am

All those adverts about 'learn 1000 words in x minutes' do have a grain of truth for some lucky people who did Latin at school, can do joined-up thinking and are good at puzzles and guessing games. Learning a language always sound like an academic discipline but it can be a detective game of Cluedo, Scrabble, Charades and Snakes and Ladders. For me, the fun element is vital otherwise I get bored, demoralised and give up. Once I discovered that a Spanish word with 'mente' on the end was equivalent to an English word with 'ly' on the end I was well away. Plus the similarity with hundreds of Spanish words with the English meant that I could start making guesses — and being right. When people say, "Tranquillo" they mean calm but it's just really "Tranquil" isn't it, and so that's how I remember it. It's blindingly obvious but the more you do, the easier it gets. One day you will know you have crossed the magic bridge when you listen to Spanish and no longer translate, when you speak without first thinking in English and then translating. You no longer translate as the words have gradually become intelligible sounds and sights in their own right, exactly like English words.

However, pronunciation is vital. Spanish do not guess at meanings the way English people do when someone pronounces an English word wrongly. We guess the word because of the context of the sentence. I do that in Spanish as well. Spanish people do not do that and that's a shame.

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Re: Not yet started to learn Spanish but want to ?

Postby Pamela1 » Mon Aug 15, 2016 9:13 pm

Learning a new language is difficult..i found it easier in my early years..but it's not impossible with time and perseverance..i pick up words from my grandsons who have a Japanese mother but to learn that language at my age is another story....


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