If yes, and your primary educational tool was a CD-based 'learning Spanish" program, would you please tell us its title, how you rate it, where others might buy it?
What other aids did you use?
Please feel free to elaborate on your experience -
How did you attack the project?
Did you meet your expectations?
Did you enjoy the ride?
Etc.
I doubt any language software is sufficient to grant fluency. Sorry. Becoming fluent is quite a task, and I’ve yet to find computer software that’s even helpful.
What’s your time frame? What are you using it for (business or travel)?
I would say that a CD couldn’t hurt. A community college course wouldn’t either. I learned spanish primarily through conversation, and I have a huge problem conjugating verbs. Once I could follow, I’d ask about the word or words that stumped me. Listen to latin TV/music will help you too. The TV might be a little fast to follow though. I would say if you have the opportunity through friends to immerse yourself, do so, and force yourself to speak replies in spanish.
Good Luck.
Hit reply too soon. If you have DVDs turn the subtitles on to spanish. You’ll learn a ton of words/phrases that way.
I’ve taken five years of Spanish, and I’m not totally fluent. I am, however, able to decently hold a conversation and get around in a Spanish speaking country without much trouble, and sometimes think in Spanish. Although classes help with the grammar stuff, the only way I’ve even begun to approach anything near fluency is through conversation, both with my mother (a Spanish teacher- we practice with each other) and by spending a month in Spain. I plan on returning in college with a study abroad program there in order to improve my language skills to fluency.
My mother has said that one of the things she has the hardest time with with her students is that they don’t have a good grasp on English grammar, and thus can’t understand it in Spanish.
Since you’re looking for advice and personal experiences more than straight facts, I’ll move this thread to the IMHO forum.
bibliophage
moderator GQ
Just for the hell of it, a snippet of “Beavis and Butt-head” wherein the boys demonstrate their fluency:
Teacher: Senor Butt-head, como es Juan??
Butt-head: Uh-huh, Uh-huh, burritos?
T: No, no! Como es Juan? Como es Juan??
BH: Uh-huh, guacamole?
T: No, no. Senor Beavis, Como es Juan??
Beavis: Uh … spaghetti!!!
BH: Huh-huh, spaghetti.
T: Spaghetti? That’s Italian, you moron! Dammit, you two idiots have been in this
class for almost an entire school year, and the only Spanish you know is what
you’ve learned at Taco Bell! And Beavis can’t even get that right! I’m gonna give you little bastards just 10 seconds to come up with a sentence in Spanish, and
if you can’t, you’re both going to the principal’s office and you’re both flunking!
… Well, I’m waiting!
BH: Uh-huh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh, rendo plararahg neninig blahblah, blahblah Rico
Suave!
T: Principal’s office now!
B: Um … taco supreme!
T: Get out! Now!
I’m in the process of becoming fluent. I took two Spanish classes, and because I’ve spent a lot of time in areas of the US where Hispanic is the primary culture, I’ve managed to absorb a fair amount. The problem I’m having is that, because I’ve been such a passive recipient, I can read Spanish fairly fluently, but I can’t speak it worth a darn.
That said, you need to find a class with actual humans. Interaction is important, and you need feedback.
Robin
That’s how it is for me, but I’ve got a long way to go before I’ll be fluent!
I took Spanish in High School, tried again on my own a few years later, but since then have dropped it. I thought I’d start up again. I mainly read Spanish, and I’ve gotten—eh, okay, I guess—at that. I have a collection of Spanish books (inexpensive pulp novels, mostly) and I’m going through them.
Reading really helps. I don’t feel like I’m learning at such a slow pace. Even though I’ve got a long way to go, realizing that I can read a book in a different language—well, it’s a rush! (Even if I didn’t understand every bit of these books, I understand enough to re-tell the plots fairly accurately.) The more I read, the more vocabulary I pick up. And because reading gives me a feeling of accomplishment, I want to do more of it. It all helps.
I’ve also joined a few Spanish language mailing lists, and that’s helped too. Forces me to communicate. (Which I still do pretty badly, but the people in the groups claim that they can understand me!) I still have some gaps in my understanding of grammar, but I’m gradually improving on that. Gradually.
I don’t know of anyone here with whom I can converse—I would if I were back home in L.A., but I’m not. I’d love to have some long-suffering soul to talk to in Spanish!
I’ve heard that Rosetta Stone or Plimseur (sp?) software is some of the best for learning a new language, but they’re kind of pricey for me right now. The two books I have are a book from Barron’s (called “Spanish the Easy Way” I think) and a book by Margarita Madrigal (with illustrations by Andy Warhol). Both are nice in their own way. I think I am more fond of the Madrigal book, though. But I’m glad I have both. I also have some inexpensive software programs, and I’m sure that I’ll eventually get some benefit from them. But right now I’m mostly studying my books, reading a lot, and trying to communicate on the mailing lists. It’s helping. Faster than I thought. I think the reading of the books is helping speed my progess.
Here’s an idea for those who have some extra time to give and want to practice speaking Spanish with a native. Check out your local adult literacy center (sometimes offered through the library, sometimes through the K-12 school system or a community college). They can ALWAYS use tutors to help people improve their English, and I would imagine they would probably have some native Spanish speakers for you to work with. You could spend some time helping them with their English and they can in turn help you with your Spanish. Having a tutor who knows even a little Spanish is a lifesaver with a very beginning ESL learner.
In fact, this would work with many other languages, depending on where you are living. Here in the Twin Cities, you could find conversation partners for Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Hmong, Oromo, Somali, and Russian, just to name a few.
take care,
hill
(an adult ESL teacher who would love to have some more volunteers…)
Truly wonderful responses, and I thank all of you for your suggestions and comments.
Yosemite
I went to the local library and they have the 5-CD Pimsleur Spanish (Latin American) Short Course. The intro (he calls, “User’s Manual”) is on one disc, followed by 8 lessons on the remaining 4 CDs. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the disc with the first 2 lessons is missing! Oy. (The library is trying to chase it down.)
In addition to being a linguist, Paul Pimsleur is also a memory expert, and his approach is unusual. In the introduction the narrator tells you in no uncertain terms: there are no visual inputs whatever. So, when the CD played lesson 3, all I saw was the Windows Media Player screen.
What’s more, Pimsleur (pronounced PIMS ler) doesn’t even want to you to use pencil, pad, dictionaries or other books. Honest. So this method will require the average person to make a considerable adjustment in learning. Might turn out well, for all I know.
I tried lesson 2, but my damned computer has audio problems…I can talk and listen with my “Instant Immersion” (see below) program, With Pimsleur, I can only listen. The program can’t hear me respond. Which, I expect is a minor and eminently fixable glitch.
At any rate, if I opt for a high priced program, I think I’ll go for the other one you have in mind: Rosetta Stone.
Excalibre
Maybe you’re right – that a CD program won’t develop fluency - but some of the suggestions by the others should help a helluva lot. For esample…
hill o beans, you had a superb tip, and I quote:
“Here’s an idea for those who have some extra time to give and want to practice speaking Spanish with a native. Check out your local adult literacy center (sometimes offered through the library, sometimes through the K-12 school system or a community college). They can ALWAYS use tutors to help people improve their English, and I would imagine they would probably have some native Spanish speakers for you to work with. You could spend some time helping them with their English and they can in turn help you with your Spanish. Having a tutor who knows even a little Spanish is a lifesaver with a very beginning ESL learner.”
I think I’ll do it, Hill. Thank you.
Miamouse
I don’t have a timetable. I just want to learn the language. I think it’d be great if I could tune in our Spanish language TV channel, and follow the dialogues in the shows, the soccer games, sing-along with the music, etc.
At Costco, the other day, I bought the 5 CD version of Instant Immersion Spanish. It’s pretty good – for openers. (For $15.99, how could I go wrong.)
Your idea of immersing myself with friends is excellent which is what this tutorial advocates. But I have no Spanish-speaking friends.
Ah, but taking a course at the local college? That’s is a very strong maybe.
And your idea of watching movies with Spanish subtitles is dynamite! I’ll do it!!
Monica
Your mother knows what she’s talking about. For the most part, kids today don’t read much at all, nor have they learned grammar.
Snooooopy
You cracked me up. I loved it. 
Everyone else, as well, I’ll bet.
Robin
I hope you do enroll in a Spanish class. Like you said, interaction and feedback are
vital.
Once again, thank you all.
Skip.