# Learn The Lingo



## JeanP (Sep 11, 2010)

So you want to move to Spain? Great! This forum has provided many of us with helpfull information but the positive and negatives about living here, work being the most important. I think the language is equally important but the trend seems to be that not many hopefulls speak any or much Spanish.

So a quick compilation of digital courses to help you get a firmer grasp of the language.
*Disclaimer: I am not associated with any of the programs, just some that I have used during the past few years.*

Tell More Spanish: I have only started with this course a few weeks ago and already it is the best I have come across. It covers all of the core curriculum areas to learn Spanish thoroughly, grammar, pronunciation and conversation skills are done through various excersizes but the part that really sold me is the speech recognition guide, lets say you have to pronounce "Hola", it will show you a 3D mouth and tounge image of how a native Spanish speakers pronounces it for you to replicate. I am a tech geek and that really made it fun for me.

Another great feature is the role playing games, it shows you a short movie clip of actors and you choose which character to play, after listening to the your characters script you repeat it.

Rosetta Stone: This was the first software that I purchased to learn a language. What I enjoyed most about it is that it allows you to quickly develop and understanding of Spanish. It forces you to recognise and understand the words with images, there are no English words so you are totally immersed into the language. It takes some time getting use to that but it does help oddly enough.

It is much eaasier to use than the Tell Me More alternative but it teaches Spanish words intuitively and helps you to retain what you learnt a little quicker.

Instant Immersion Spanish: I actually got this as a gift and was a little sceptical about it. For one it is much cheaper than the other two I bought and also lacked the online chat functions.

I must say though that once I played around with it I was happy I got it. It has great speech rocognition software and teaches you the fundamentals of the Spanish language. It has fun games to keep you motivated as well, I would say better than the other two, such as one where you have to "interact" with native speakers in order to solve a mystery.

Apart from the digital programs, before I left, I streamed Spanish radio stations, watched Spanish programs, read (tried) online papers and before I knew it one day I said "holy crap" I understand it.

So, we all no that preparing yourself for the move to Spain is daunting, worrying about work, kids in schools, where to live etc...but I urge you to take some time, an hour a day and learn the lingo, it just makes the move that much smoother.

Will be great to hear other sources of learning as well.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

There does seem to be the feeling that language isnt important here cos "everyone" speaks english!! Well there are areas where that maybe the case, but Spain isnt a British colony, if you really want to get on, yes you need to learn - not only before you come with the use of lessons etc, but also find out which area you'll move to, cos dialects vary hugely - andalucia for instance is in a class of its own. You need the basics, but then you need the way its done here!

I amazed a recent visitor by speaking spanish - I thought badly, but he thinks I'm fluent, I've been here three and a half years and always try to speak Spanish wherever possible. I think its only polite! But I wouldnt class myslef as good enough to say, go for a job interview or to work in a Spanish company - even British companies here need you to speak Spanish. I work in an English company here, but our support depts (front of house, accounts, IT) are spanish, so barely a day goes by when I dont have to speak to them. Then theres helping the kids with their homework if they attend a spanish school............!!!!!

Jo xxx


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## JeanP (Sep 11, 2010)

Thats correct Jo, I forgot about the various dialects spoken in different provinces. I enrolled in a Spanish class for a month in Malaga last year which also helped enormously. Sure, you do not have to be fluent but people will be amazed at how much easier living here would be if they understand more than just how to order a beer


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Some good stuff Jean. I would also recommend the Michel Thomas CDs - his accent is supremely irritating but his method is very effective. They are based on listening, so very good for long car journeys!

But I still maintain that doing a regular class with other people and a real live teacher is best. I suppose it's the Weightwatchers principle - people always seem to lose more weight when they support each other in a group.


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## xgarb (May 6, 2011)

For me

Classroom for the discipline (actually doing the work). 
The BBC's Mi Vida Loca for holding my interest (BBC - Languages - Spanish - Mi Vida Loca) not sure how much is available outside the UK.
Michel Thomas for in the car.
Busuu for feedback from native speakers - http://www.busuu.com/


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

I haven't really found much difference from area to area. Andalucia a few weeks ago I found no great difference from Asturias in northern Spain. The lady who taught me Castellano is from Argentina and the Argentinians have a different accent, but that is all.


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## chrisnation (Mar 2, 2009)

*The Michel Thomas bonehead*



Alcalaina said:


> Some good stuff Jean. I would also recommend the Michel Thomas CDs - his accent is supremely irritating but his method is very effective. They are based on listening, so very good for long car journeys!
> 
> But I still maintain that doing a regular class with other people and a real live teacher is best. I suppose it's the Weightwatchers principle - people always seem to lose more weight when they support each other in a group.


Apart from listening to a bloke teaching you Spanish in a pronounced Mittle European accent [why would you want that, instead of a Spanish native speaker?], the thing about the Thomas course that I found terminally infuriating is the male student he is teaching on disc - so you can't get rid of him.

This guy is so bad and so incapable of improving his Spanish pronunciation that well into the 3rd and 4th CD he is still unable to say 'puedo' any better than 'pwey dough' and I heard him say, on one occasion, 'kiaora' [like the orange juice] for que hora.

I did listen to all 8 discs of the first course, right through, non-stop, on a long driving gig. Mr Bonehead was no better at the end than when he started. Listening to this guy will have you longing to put him out of his misery with a heavy, blunt instrument. I threw the whole lot into the bin. I wouldn't inflict this course on anyone, not even for free.

Now, _'Speak to Me'_ and _'Tell Me More'_ are great, as described above.

One thing to bear in mind with these two - you are scored out of 7 in the pronunciation accuracy tests _not_ on the voice you hear in your cans but another, unheard voice against which your attempt is assessed. This may drive you barmy as you repeatedly try to get your score for a word to go from a 5 - the highest fail - to 6 or 7, which gets a pass. Good practice though and the graphic analysis of your version against the native speaker's version is a revelation. Highly recommend.


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## mazlester (Oct 30, 2010)

chrisnation said:


> Apart from listening to a bloke teaching you Spanish in a pronounced Mittle European accent [why would you want that, instead of a Spanish native speaker?], the thing about the Thomas course that I found terminally infuriating is the male student he is teaching on disc - so you can't get rid of him.
> 
> This guy is so bad and so incapable of improving his Spanish pronunciation that well into the 3rd and 4th CD he is still unable to say 'puedo' any better than 'pwey dough' and I heard him say, on one occasion, 'kiaora' [like the orange juice] for que hora.
> 
> ...



Hi Chris,

LOL, totally agree with your opinion on Michel Thomas, so much so that I have just sold the whole 22 CD course for £35!!!! Just glad to get my money back!

Maria :clap2:


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## Morten (Apr 20, 2011)

Very useful guide - should have bought one of the listening ones for the drive downhere.

However, Ive personally found it much more fruitful to hire a teacher - potentially because I work IT and feel quite easily demotivated from spending more time on the machine "working" once work is done ... whereas wandering downtown and actually speaking is quite pleasant and rewarding.


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## chrisnation (Mar 2, 2009)

*PC based tutors*



Morten said:


> Very useful guide - should have bought one of the listening ones for the drive downhere.
> 
> However, Ive personally found it much more fruitful to hire a teacher - potentially because I work IT and feel quite easily demotivated from spending more time on the machine "working" once work is done ... whereas wandering downtown and actually speaking is quite pleasant and rewarding.


Morten, that is an important point. I'm not in IT but like many people, I do spend time - probably a great deal more than I need to - in front of a VDU. This will get worse when I seriously get to grips with converting 30 years' worth of 35mm trannies into jpegs.

So I also find the motivation to do yet more on the PC is easily diminished. The trouble is, I also have a multi-disk course called "Blues Guitar _Unleashed_!" looming over me. 

My excuse for not geting the guitar course stuff out is that jamming along to Albert King's album "Live in San Francisco" is like having an one-to-one with a Spanish teacher.... only with the latter there's no risk of getting a bit carried away, turning the amp up to 11 and having yer brains fly out yer head thru' holes where yer ears used to be.

I would have thought that anyone seriously intending to move to Spain would budget £1k for a 8-10 week intensive pretty much as the first thing they do. Every time I do a cash-flow for my projected move, there it is, right after UK house sale costs.

Anyone had experience of the don Quixote schools - the one in Valencia in particular?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...

You can pick whichever method you like, or pick and mix, but unless you're consistent you might as well pour your money, and your time, down the drain.

Small doses, every day (or as often as is possible) and repeat,recycle and do again! 15/ 20 mins a day is better than a 2 hour class once a week.

Having a live model, otherwise known as a teacher, has got to be a good method, but not exclusively. What I mean is, having a chat with a teacher twice a week, and nothing else, will not give you much progress. In between times you've got to be doing homework, listening to the news, going over vocabulary constantly etc etc.

I liked the look of the BBC free courses a lot - La vida Loca and Spanish Steps.


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## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

I have tried several of the methods mentioned here - Michel Thomas, Rosetta Stone etc.

I also studied Spanish at school to GCE 'O' level (a long time ago ), took a 13 week, once a week, one-to-one course here in Spain when we first arrived (7 years ago) plus a Spanish neighbour talking to me to help me practice – she has since moved away.

I can now read most things in Spanish. I can talk in most non-technical situations so that I can make myself understood.

My problem is I still have difficulty understanding strangers when they speak to me. I also find speaking on the telephone almost impossible 

It is not because of regional differences it is just the speed they speak and a lot of people do not speak very clearly, dropping the ends off words and stringing words together.

When someone hears that I can speak a bit they assume they can go off at a rapid speed. I hate having to keep asking them to slow down or keep asking them to repeat.

Listening to TV and radio does not seem to help.

How do I overcome this problem? Is there any learning software where they speak just as the Spanish really speak?


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

DunWorkin said:


> How do I overcome this problem? Is there any learning software where they speak just as the Spanish really speak?


I know just what you mean, as I have had the same problem. But I don't think there is any software that can substitute for live conversation - as much of it as you can get. 

Have you tried _intercambios_ with Spanish people learning English? You chat in Spanish for half an hour then switch to English. We've made lots of Spanish friends that way and now meet socially as well, sometimes with their friends or family so all the conversation is in Spanish. 

After three years here it is gradually getting easier (we have a thick local accent to contend with, on top of everything else) and I can understand about 75% of what is said to me (90% if they don't have the accent). But I still only get about 20% of what they say to each other!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Alcalaina said:


> I know just what you mean, as I have had the same problem. But I don't think there is any software that can substitute for live conversation - as much of it as you can get.


Thats the problem I've always found. The software etc is ok for grammar etc, but it is nothing like the real conversations I have round here and quite honestly its probably more of a hindrance - cos even the grammar seems different most of the time. I blame it on the andalucian accent, but some of the things they say are just nothing like the "lessons"

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jojo said:


> Thats the problem I've always found. The software etc is ok for grammar etc, but it is nothing like the real conversations I have round here and quite honestly its probably more of a hindrance - cos even the grammar seems different most of the time. I blame it on the andalucian accent, but some of the things they say are just nothing like the "lessons"
> 
> Jo xxx


that's because they don't speak 'perfect' spanish any more than we speak 'perfect' english!!

they might know how to - but things are always different on the street


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## chrisnation (Mar 2, 2009)

*Local accents*



jojo said:


> Thats the problem I've always found. The software etc is ok for grammar etc, but it is nothing like the real conversations I have round here and quite honestly its probably more of a hindrance - cos even the grammar seems different most of the time. I blame it on the andalucian accent, but some of the things they say are just nothing like the "lessons"
> 
> Jo xxx


This is a real problem. I have had a Spanish lad lodging with me, in UK specifically to bring up his English and a French post-grad, here on an internship. Both said that they could understand me because I talked "proper English" but not the locals [Bristol]. French Franck's description of the way his colleagues in GE Capital talked was hilarious. His boss was Welsh, for a start, and all that 'dy-bach, boyo' stuff was incomprehensible. He also commented on how slovenly the delivery of most people in his office was and their vocab was poor, also.

Listening to other nationalities speaking English is illuminating. The thing that most strikes me is '_get the words out_'. Pronunciation and perfectly accurate grammar come way behind a basic delivery. Some languages - English is one - are less susceptible to incomprehensiblity due to grammatical muddle than others. 

I have had to end calls to 'customer services' of some British companies because I simply could not understand the version of English spoken by the CS person. TalkTalk's CS was bad for this. Depending on the time of day or night, the CS centres could be in Phillipines, India, S.Africa or Warrington. Heaven help me if I have to make a call to the Spanish equiv, say, Telefonica Customer Services [Bogata]

I'm shameless. I keep telling people to repeat or slow down & repeat, until I have understood or realised that I can hear the word but don't have the vocab to know what it means. On the phone from Valencia to the Jeep agent's service manager in Tarragona, I managed to get the words down on paper, though clueless as to what they meant. Later, with the help of the _very_ wonderful Duden Illustrated Spanish-English Dictionary, I was able to work out that there was _a slight leak of oil from a cranckcase seal. _And the nasty metallic noise from one wheel when going round roundabouts was _only a stone trapped in a brake disk_. Not exactly a convenient m.o. but better than complete fuddlement. 

But local accents are a real head banger. One can only take refuge in the thought, "if this person was a Geordie, I still wouldn't understand a word..."


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## JeanP (Sep 11, 2010)

chrisnation said:


> Depending on the time of day or night, the CS centres could be in Phillipines, India, S.Africa or Warrington. Heaven help me if I have to make a call to the Spanish equiv, say, Telefonica Customer Services [Bogata]


Haha, it seems that all call centres that provide services in "english" is well, not so english after all. The problem is that call centres hire on the cheap, as SA for example, its agents that answer are not native english speakers, rather zulu or another of our 11 languages.

I agree that the language software is not perfect, no such program will exist, not even having classes a few days a week will grant you the comforts of fully understanding Spanish or the way they speak. Although, what is important and not to be ignored IMO, is that it is a good basis to begin with, knowing a little is better than knowing nothing at all.

With this at the very least, it will boost your confidence up in order to attempt having conversations with the locals.


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## chrisnation (Mar 2, 2009)

*Local accents*

_SA for example, its agents that answer are not native english speakers, rather zulu or another of our 11 languages.
_

The SA people are easy, maybe the very heavy Boer accent is sometimes tricky, but the Indian English is not only accented but the syntax is very old-fashioned and convoluted. My dad, who served in India during WW2 and Partition, used to make fun of it. "To whose jacket does this coat belong?" and " At what time is it that this platform may be departing the train?"

This sort of thing in Spanish is going to fox anybody.

As I asked elsewhere, anyone had experience of the don Quixote schools? I gonna do a 20+5 hrs a week, 8-10 week course. If I'm not nailed down by a routine and timetable, I'm hopeless.


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