I’m fluent in English, semi-fluent in Tagalog, and I know some French (although I’m rusty). I’ve been thinking of buying a Spanish book to learn the language. I assume that since I’m Filipino, the accent won’t be too hard for me, and because I have some French language background, the grammar will at least be a little familiar. The vocabulary in the three languages have many similarities as well.
Should I buy a book or will I get nowhere? Would I be wasting my time? My only other option really is to wait until I graduate from university and take Spanish courses (I really have no time to take on any extra courses right now).
And oh, can someone also suggest a good Spanish book for English speakers?
You could easily learn Spanish from a book. But, you’ll want to find someone to converse with, who is at least capable, if not fluent with the language. Books rarely have the “slang” forms, which is what you’d encounter in everyday conversation with someone who is native to that language. By all means though, get the book. Learning to read and write it is the first, big step, speaking it won’t be too hard if you can find someone to practice with. Good Luck.
I think it depends on what you mean by “learn.” I have many years of school Spanish but never had the opportunity to travel and immerse myself in a country where it was spoken. So I can read Spanish but I can’t understand it much. I can read People en Espanol but I can’t follow Univision.
Books are a good way to get started, but they are lacking in pronunciation, slang, and local dialect. As you are starting to learn the language, you should look around for a community college or enrichment course that would help to suppliment what you are learning as well as help to give you good feedback.
