# My Spanish Lessons LOL



## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

I have using some c.ds to give me a grounding in Spanish but thought I would go to the Spanish Institute which is within walking distance (always a big plus here) to have lessons . The fees are no problem, the walk is no problem crickey I even have a jotter and pen but what I didn't think off was that my teacher only speaks Arabic and Spanish lol.
I speak some Arabic but not really enough to learn a foreign language. 

Maiden


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

confusing or what!!????? I have a similar problem when I'm helping my daughter with her french homework. I can speak french, but I cant understand the Spanish questions or explanations!??

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

MaidenScotland said:


> I have using some c.ds to give me a grounding in Spanish but thought I would go to the Spanish Institute which is within walking distance (always a big plus here) to have lessons . The fees are no problem, the walk is no problem crickey I even have a jotter and pen but what I didn't think off was that my teacher only speaks Arabic and Spanish lol.
> I speak some Arabic but not really enough to learn a foreign language.
> 
> Maiden


I used to teach English to a Moroccan guy in a group of Spanish people

he had only just arrived in Spain & couldn't speak Spanish either (so we had no language in common) - he intended to study in the UK so decided to take English lessons rather than Spanish - he hoped he'd pick the Spanish up 'on the street'

he actually learned at least as quickly as the Spanish speakers, and sometimes faster - they constantly asked for translations, which he obviously couldn't!


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## Caz.I (Mar 21, 2009)

MaidenScotland said:


> I have using some c.ds to give me a grounding in Spanish but thought I would go to the Spanish Institute which is within walking distance (always a big plus here) to have lessons . The fees are no problem, the walk is no problem crickey I even have a jotter and pen but what I didn't think off was that my teacher only speaks Arabic and Spanish lol.
> I speak some Arabic but not really enough to learn a foreign language.
> 
> Maiden


I suppose it depends on how he teaches it. It can actually be to your advantage to learn a foreign language without having everything translated. This is the way that TEFL teachers are trained to teach. I used to teach English to refugees in London so you can imagine how many different languages they spoke, but they all did very well. And when I decided to learn Spanish, in London, we had a native Spanish speaker who spoke nothing but Spanish from day one. It was great. We actually picked up things a lot quicker than we would have if everything was translated. Besides, there is not always a direct translation for particular words, and they can also have several meanings anyway, so it can sometimes be more of a hindrance!
Though I appreciate if your teacher is giving explanations in Arabic and writing them up on the board, it would be extremely difficult!

Caz.I


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

MaidenScotland said:


> I have using some c.ds to give me a grounding in Spanish but thought I would go to the Spanish Institute which is within walking distance (always a big plus here) to have lessons . The fees are no problem, the walk is no problem crickey I even have a jotter and pen but what I didn't think off was that my teacher only speaks Arabic and Spanish lol.
> I speak some Arabic but not really enough to learn a foreign language.
> 
> Maiden


Hey Maiden - two for the price of one
or
BOGOF


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

MaidenScotland said:


> i
> I speak some Arabic but not really enough to learn a foreign language.
> 
> Maiden


Can you read and write it? 
If so, I am filled with admiration. Learning a new non -Germanic or non -Romance language is hard enough but a new alphabet......


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> Can you read and write it?
> If so, I am filled with admiration. Learning a new non -Germanic or non -Romance language is hard enough but a new alphabet......



I can recognise some words and I can write my name but that is it other than I can read numbers.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

MaidenScotland said:


> I can recognise some words and I can write my name but that is it other than I can read numbers.


Well, I should think that's quite an achievement.
I taught, interpreted and translated French, German and Italian so learning to communicate in Spanish wasn't so hard, especially as I was drilled in Latin at school, but when it came to learning Slavonic languages, Czech and Polish in particular, I found the complicated verb endings and noun declensions mind-numbing.
I also made a few howlers: I mistook the verb ' to look for' and the verb 'to screw' (in the vulgar sense) and shocked a surprised Czech secretary when I announced I was 'screwing' her boss. 
I also told a pedestrian in Prague who asked me for directions that I didn't know as I was an angel, instead of using the similar-sounding word for 'English'.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

All the schools here are in Spanish ,totally. the English taught to the Spanish children is by non-Spanish speaking teachers. ( unless they learn it while they are here.) I was lucky in that my teacher spoke english but she never spoke it during lessons unless it was absolutely necessary.


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## owdoggy (Jul 23, 2008)

Me & Mrs Doggy still come out of our weekly Spanish lesson more confused than when we went in
Our teacher is a lovely lady called Vera who must have the patience of a saint to put up with us two geordies destroying her native tongue week after week

The lessons put quite a dent in our finances but so be it. We both think that learning the language is so important that we're determined to keep going. After all, how can you appreciate people if you can't talk to them? Communication is everything ...........hmm........... there's a song title in there somewhere

Oh aye, a couple of weeks ago Vera announced, with what I thought was a rather evil glint in her eyes, that we'll soon be going on to past tense ....... of which there is more than one apparently..........oh god



Doggy


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Learning a new language at my age is hard, translating it in my mind from Arabic into English then repeating it in Spanish is no easy thing. Arabic is a strange language and I speak a mixture of Egyptian, Saudia and Morroc for the simple reason these are the people I work with. There are words that I know the Morroc for but not the Egyptian, confused? Well think how I am lol Homework written up on the board??? no chance.
It doesn't help that I deaf.
I will get there. I am determined to be able to hold my own in time.

Maiden


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

MaidenScotland said:


> Learning a new language at my age is hard, translating it in my mind from Arabic into English then repeating it in Spanish is no easy thing. Arabic is a strange language and I speak a mixture of Egyptian, Saudia and Morroc for the simple reason these are the people I work with. There are words that I know the Morroc for but not the Egyptian, confused? Well think how I am lol Homework written up on the board??? no chance.
> It doesn't help that I deaf.
> I will get there. I am determined to be able to hold my own in time.
> 
> Maiden


Maiden, while I admire your determination to learn Spanish, things are getting out of hand here. You're using something like 5 languages to learn a 6th!! Too complicated!!

There are some excellent sites on internet. Try these two.

BBC - Languages - Spanish - Spanish Steps

BBC - Languages - Spanish - Mi Vida Loca

A million years ago, before going to Colombia, I used the *Teach yourself Spanish *book (which has probably developed a lot over the years)and I had the huge benefit (Hahaha) of a grade 1 CSE!! But, although I couldn't really feel any progress being made, when I arrived, I found I picked up the language a lot quicker than my colleagues. The studying *had* laid some foundations. 
I quickly found myself a Spanish speaking boyfriend too, so if that's an option...:tongue1:

*How about a sticky on Recommendations on How to Learn Spanish??*


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## Taurian (Dec 12, 2009)

[ 
There are some excellent sites on internet. Try these two.

BBC - Languages - Spanish - Spanish Steps

BBC - Languages - Spanish - Mi Vida Loca


Thanks Pesky Wesky for posting these links - very interesting sites and I've just spent the last 3 hours on them. Where has the day gone!!!

Regards
Ian


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Taurian said:


> [
> There are some excellent sites on internet. Try these two.
> 
> BBC - Languages - Spanish - Spanish Steps
> ...


Yes, they are good aren't they?
There's a lot of stuff out there. Any other suggestions, or things to avoid?


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## Caz.I (Mar 21, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Yes, they are good aren't they?
> There's a lot of stuff out there. Any other suggestions, or things to avoid?


Well, I havent listened to any of them yet but you can download podcasts on learning Spanish from the Independent.
Here's the link:
Learn Spanish with The Independent - News & Advice, Travel - The Independent


Caz.I


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## nigele2 (Dec 25, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> or things to avoid?


Advice I was given and learnt by:

Know what you want to learn. If it is mainland spanish Castellano avoid all american publications. 
Always buy DVDs in Spanish and English with subtitles. If you buy them in Spain that is fairly easy.
In general translated novels are easier to read than spanish originals. I have found this to be the case but it may depend on your taste in novels.
(As sort of suggested above) learn in bed but beware using all your new volcab in other situations 
If a waiter wants a tip make him/her work for it. 5 cents a minute is my rate.
Young kids (spanish) will tolerate long conversations in exchange for sweets and ice creams but I have to excuse then for laughing when I get it wrong. (I guess be careful here, I'm lucky I have spanish nieces - thinking about it my stepdaughter learnt some good english when she was baby sitting in the UK)

and finally if as a child you did limited reading (yeah I own up ) catch up using the many childrens series in Spain.

Finally to those who speak multiple languages and find learning easy


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