#1626634 - 08/22/19 04:44 PM
Learning Spanish
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E Beau
Planet Artist # 6
Planeteer
Registered: 11/03/00
Posts: 3071
Loc: Houston, Texas
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My wife and I went to Colombia for ten days and loved it. So much so we would consider retiring down there. First step would be learning Spanish which I have pretty much decided to do even if we don't retire in Colombia. (we have a lot of people that speak Spanish in Texas  )
I have downloaded a couple of apps; DuoLingo which is pretty cool and MT Spanish which kind of drives me nuts because its a guy with a German accent teaching Spanish.
Have any of you tried Rosetta Stone? Is there a better alternative? Lone Star College here in Houston offers Conversational Spanish that might be cool.
¿Alguno de ustedes ha tenido éxito aprendiendo español?
Edited by E Beau (08/22/19 05:37 PM)
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#1626640 - 08/22/19 05:57 PM
Re: Learning Spanish
[Re: E Beau]
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SkyWave
Planeteer
Registered: 10/15/12
Posts: 14761
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The fastest way I have ever seen anyone learn Spanish is by spending six weeks in an immersion school in Mexico, where they go to classes all day and live with a Mexican family.
Duolingo is a good way to get started.
flatcat might know how the government gets diplomats to learn languges.
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#1626645 - 08/22/19 06:16 PM
Re: Learning Spanish
[Re: SkyWave]
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Webster
Planeteer
Registered: 02/15/07
Posts: 16993
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I've just recently considered learning Spanish from Babbel.
Any Babbel testimonials here?
_________________________
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there."
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#1626648 - 08/22/19 07:11 PM
Re: Learning Spanish
[Re: Webster]
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E Beau
Planet Artist # 6
Planeteer
Registered: 11/03/00
Posts: 3071
Loc: Houston, Texas
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I just looked at Babble. I think I would choose that over RS because they explain things in English (or native tongue) I get total immersion, but I think I would get lost and loose interest.
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#1626689 - 08/23/19 01:44 AM
Re: Learning Spanish
[Re: flatcat]
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flatcat
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 07/11/01
Posts: 29784
Loc: Westborough, MA, USA
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As for how diplomats get languages, we do have access to a couple of commercial applications (I think DuoLingo and Mango, is it called? I don't remember). But mostly, they bring us to Arlington VA to the Foreign Service Institute and try to jam it into our skulls as fast as possible. I do not recommend it - it is not for the faint of heart.
I'll be doing that starting right after Labor Day, actually. Thai this time.
_________________________
The internet, and the whole technology sector on which it floats, feels like a giant organ for bullshittery—for upscaling human access to speech and for amplifying lies. - Ian Bogost
Professor Truth T. Sweetness says,"Mind your manners!"
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#1626697 - 08/23/19 02:11 AM
Re: Learning Spanish
[Re: Eric Collins]
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E Beau
Planet Artist # 6
Planeteer
Registered: 11/03/00
Posts: 3071
Loc: Houston, Texas
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I'm still a few years from retirement so I don't have to do the immersion thing. I took Latin in high school, a total waste of time. Our little high school had one of the best Spanish programs around too. If only I knew.
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#1626698 - 08/23/19 02:15 AM
Re: Learning Spanish
[Re: E Beau]
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E Beau
Planet Artist # 6
Planeteer
Registered: 11/03/00
Posts: 3071
Loc: Houston, Texas
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I know a lot of Spanish (Texmex) profanity though, at least I got that covered pendejos. 😀
Edited by E Beau (08/23/19 02:16 AM)
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#1626712 - 08/23/19 03:24 AM
Re: Learning Spanish
[Re: E Beau]
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LarryG
Planeteer
Registered: 02/04/00
Posts: 3100
Loc: FL
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Oye pendejo, Beau. 😊
It’s important to select the version of Spanish (country specific) we wanna learn. It’s not all the same.
/L
_________________________
/LarryG
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#1626720 - 08/23/19 05:00 AM
Re: Learning Spanish
[Re: LarryG]
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Jazzooo
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 05/18/02
Posts: 55412
Loc: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico ...
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Maybe you’ve got some spanish speaking friends who would enjoy sitting and talking a couple times a week? That plus one of those apps would really do it.
_________________________
Dougrobinson.com
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#1626728 - 08/23/19 12:17 PM
Re: Learning Spanish
[Re: Jazzooo]
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Marty Gilman
Official Planet Sax Monster - Planeteer/Artist # 117
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 04/05/00
Posts: 26540
Loc: Palm Beach, Florida- U S A
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As a fluent Spanish speaker and teacher, I appreciate your interest.
Your results will be equal to your efforts, much like music.
A conversational course at the local college is a great idea, but try to learn with every opportunity you can find. The good news is that you already know about one third of the words, similar to English.
I suggest you get some children’s books in Spanish too.
Ask me any question you’d like during your learning.
-m
_________________________
Can you play that an octave louder?
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#1626742 - 08/23/19 02:52 PM
Re: Learning Spanish
[Re: Marty Gilman]
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C Jo Go
EMERITUS ~ VS Roland
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 11/05/01
Posts: 36575
Loc: carmel valley,ca
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I have tried to learn Spanish -- just from the labors we hire around the house -- but to no avail. Practice whenever I can with the locals ..but it has always been easier to speak /\ than understand languages for me.. Commands and praises in Spanish with my dogs ....French & German still come easier ..
The only phrase I remember >> from our 15 minute Spanish class, once a day >> in 8th grade :: hasta pronto ::
_________________________
Limitations make the Artist ...
**( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡° )**
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#1626765 - 08/23/19 06:52 PM
Re: Learning Spanish
[Re: C Jo Go]
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E Beau
Planet Artist # 6
Planeteer
Registered: 11/03/00
Posts: 3071
Loc: Houston, Texas
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Thanks Marty! I figure it's going to be a combination of some kind of course, maybe a textbook, and I think I'll try to find some flash cards for learning vocabulary. Seems I read somewhere that a whole newspaper only contains six or seven hundred unique words. I don't know how true this is, I won't be counting though.
I have been listening to Spanish radio on my drive time, trying to pick out words. It's funny how they weave between Spanish and English on the station I'm listening to. That might be a Texican thing.
I have a lot of Spanish speaking folks at my shop that I can drive crazy as well.
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#1626818 - 08/23/19 11:25 PM
Re: Learning Spanish
[Re: E Beau]
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Timster
Artist #'s - 130, 298, 412
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 03/06/03
Posts: 43413
Loc: Center of the Universe
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I can order beer and ask for the bathroom. I a set.
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#1626865 - 08/24/19 03:16 AM
Re: Learning Spanish
[Re: Timster]
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C Jo Go
EMERITUS ~ VS Roland
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 11/05/01
Posts: 36575
Loc: carmel valley,ca
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Much more Spanish spoken in this County ....some places I just don't go to ...will never be able to communicate.
_________________________
Limitations make the Artist ...
**( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡° )**
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