Hi all, I am trying to learn Spanish & have subscribed to the Spanish version of Duolingo. It's free. It's on my smart phone, so very portable. Every day I review 1 or 2 past lessons before moving on to the new material. I am beginning to learn the language. Can't say that I can speak it yet but I have begun recognizing words when others speak it. Anybody else try this?
Hi Carolyn, It is an app that is available on smart phones. Probably also available for laptops too, I don't know. I spend 5-15 minutes a day with it. It's actually been fun. Initially it worried me because I am used to learning a language in school in a more methodical way, by studying the verb conjugations, etc. This method is more through absorption. It is fun and I am very gradually learning. I recommend it if/when you have the time & inclination.
I took two years of Spanish in high school. They also offered Latin but not knowing then what I know now I never figured to ever use Latin for anything ever. I never use my Spanish but could sure use more knowledge of Latin in the gardening world. Does that program teach Castilian Spanish or the more common version spoken in this part of the world? Our's taught Castilian and that gets you laughed at down here when you speak it around people who are from Mexico.
Toni, I don't know but I am guessing it must be Castilian. But frankly I am betting what gets the laughter is your gringo accent more than Castilian VS Mexican accent! Duolingo has a speaking portion that let's you know if you have the accent at least 1/2 right. Despite my best efforts I keep getting dinged on certain words. I can't even hear what I am mispronouncing. I have some Spanish speaking relatives (Cuba) and I will be very shy to speak in front of them. I haven't even told them I sm trying to learn Spanish!
Yeah, that was one of the problems with the Spanish we were taught in high school, the teacher learned it in college and never learned the proper accent. I did look it up one time and back in the 60's Castilian was the chosen form of Spanish taught in schools because it is the most common form in northern and central Spain, which meant that most of us couldn't converse with someone from Mexico if our lives depended on it. Spanish is the number one foreign language class in Texas but the Spanish spoken in Texas is just as varied as it is from Spain to Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries. I had three friends through my public school years who were from Mexico and one, Luis, kept trying to correct mine pronunciation but my teacher always fussed at me for not doing it her way. So basically I stopped trying to speak it and have forgotten most of it over the years.
I took two years of Spanish in high school, and found that I had a facility for spoken languages (I had two previous years of Latin, but couldn't find any Latin speakers . . . .). Then I majored in Spanish in college, spent a year in Spain speaking Castilian, and after graduation spent several frustrating years trying to teach Spanish to students who could barely speak their native language--English. Now in Texas I find that Spanish as spoken in Mexico has as many variations as English (think of someone from Boston conversing with someone from the delta in Mississippi). I can make myself understood (in pristine Castillano) but have to take two or three tries to understand what is being said to me. Fortunately, my Hispanic acquaintances are very kind and very patient. My friend Juani says I talk like a book. Spanish, in any form, is such a rich and beautiful language. Cayuga, you will find that it gets easier as you progress.
MG, thanks for the encouragement! I am enjoying it, so that is good. Speaking of regional accents, years ago I was in Cambridge, MA waiting in line at a convenient store. The guy ahead of me was looking for ice, but the way he pronounced it no one could understand him. He stretched it out to, like 5 syllables: I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-S-S-E. The clerk asked him to repeat it....several times, then the clerk looked quizzically at me & I asked him to repeat it....several times. Finally the guy behind me say "ICE! He wants ICE!" I kid you not. We were all saying "Oh! ICE!" I had never heard such a strong southern accent like that before. I took French in high school & I have been surprised to find so many Spanish words sound like the French. And a bunch of them sound like English words! So the nouns & adjectives aren't so bad. Now the verbs, that is a different story. I am totally lost in all the verb conjugations. I'm just trying not to worry about it.
I followed Duolinga for well over a year. For me it was really good in giving me all the common words.
Cayuga, aah yes, "ice". We had come to Texas for a job interview, and were staying at a hotel. As I was walking down a hallway, two ladies stopped me and asked where the "ass" machine was. I thought they were looking for the gym until one held up her little bucket and asked me if I knew where the "ass" was. I refrained from saying on most folks it was about three feet from the head. Verb shortcut: just say "habia" and the rest of the sentence. Habia is "there is" or "there are". No conjugation, no subjunctive, and none of those cute little irregular verbs to deal with!
MG, chuckle!! Yes! That is how the man in the convinience store was pronouncing it!!! I have forgotten! It was a-a-a-s-s-s-s. On the flip side, my very Boston mother was in Alabama during the war (WW2) while my dad was stationed there. She had such trouble being understood. The worst was trying to get "c-o-v's" liver from the meat market.
I have never heard of duolingo, but I speak English, French, German, Afrikaans, some Spanish and some Dutch. I know I am boasting now I Know a bit of czech and some Swahili and setswana.
I learned English and Swahili first. I spent my first 5 years in Uganda. My family is Scottish and English extraction.
