candapack Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Specifically, Spanish. I can see that loads of you have been going to Spain for years - indeed many of you appear to be there now! Have you just picked it up as you went, or has anyone made a concerted effort to learn it. And if you have, can you recommend an online "teacher" eg Rosetta Stone (which I've heard many conflicting opinions about). Once again I would appreciate being able to ponce off your vast combined experience! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8LEY Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Have a look here: http://www.michelthomas.com Unusual learning method! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 A phrase book works Ok, unless you are good at learning languages . We get by, no problem, with just a few words. Shop in supermarkets, so no problem there. A lot of Spanish in towns can speak some English, not the same in villages. As long as you try with a smile. I always think that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easyliving Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 I notice that Amazon sell 'Fast Spanish in a Day' by Elisabeth Smith We used the French version before our trip last year and found it very useful. All she aims to do is teach you 50 words and some useful phrases. You get a cd to listen to and a very slim booklet. Its the ideal thing if you don't want to spend ages learning grammar etc but don't want to look too stupid ordering in a restaurant or when shopping. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candapack Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 Gracias amigos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 I think it all depends on where you want to go and what sort of traveling you do. If you go to the big tourist areas and just want sunshine then you'll get by with a few phrases. But if you want to travel around the country to the more interesting places you will get a lot more out of it if you speak a reasonable amount. But this takes quite a lot of work and there are no short-cuts. If you spend 2 hours a day on study, accustom your ear by listening to Spanish radio and TV, and have pracitice in conversation with a Spanish speaker who will correct your pronunciation it will take about a year to get to be able to converse. In some ways Spanish is straightforward because the grammar is logical and pronunciation follows strict rules so when you read a word you know exactly how it should be pronounced. The problem is that the Spanish generally speak fast and all the words run into each other, so it is hard to understand. If you go to Andalucia it gets harder still because they don't pronounce some of the letters. P/S If you have a Scottish accent you have the great advantage that you will roll the r. It took me quite a long time to master the difference between pero and perro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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