How Did You Learn the Spanish You Know?


Posted on October 13, 2008 by Rosana

If you speak even a little Spanish, how did you learn to speak Spanish?

Did you study it in high school, pick it up in Mexico, take academic classes before coming to Mexico, or take lessons once in Mexico?

What’s your level of Spanish, and what are your goals? Any tips for other people?

Please comment below.. it will be interesting as this page acquires comments over time.

(Other webmasters who think they will link to their affiliate sites : don’t bother, unless you have something really worthwhile to say here.)

It’s only fair for me to answer the question: I studied French in high school and college. Then while in grad school, I fell in love with an American man who was saving up to go live in Spain. That was back in the day when the dollar went a long ways in Europe.  So I took one college semester of Spanish at that point, in preparation for joining him on his trip.

We lived for about a year in Nerja, a small village in southern Spain. We took weekly lessons from a Spanish woman who spoke English, and we chatted with people a lot. I used homemade flashcards to learn vocabulary. (Still do.)

Years later, Kelly and I traveled around Mexico quite a bit, again chatting with people. And now, for the past several years. we’ve been mostly living in Mexico and practicing our Spanish whenever we can. .. which is quite often!

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  • silvi

    hi Rosana, would like to recommend professor Jason on You tube for grammatical explanations. I think that he is very good and because one can review it, it is like re-reading the instructions over and overs. thanks.

  • Rosana

    Last night I tried a new anti-spam plugin for my blog but evidently it was too tough so I have turned it back off… here is a comment I received by email. Thanks, Kathy and Jamie!
    ====

    I couldn’t post this comment – even without the links – your anti spam stuff is tough…

    Thanks for the reference for kids! I’m looking for Spanish instruction for my 7, 9, 12 and 14yo’s and am currently employing a mixture of the following:

    Los Videos de Sr. Jordan http://srjordan.wordpress.com/los-videos/ The first few have worked will with even the youngest two.

    Rocket Spanish demo lessons 1, 2, 3 so far have worked with the 12yo and 14yo (too easy). Haven’t tried with the 7 or 9yo.

    I also downloaded the demo for Learning Spanish Like Crazy. What I’m liking so far is that this program also incorporates the FSI course. So far, none of the kids have started this one.

    Here is a link for more kid resources http://learningspanishblog.com/learning-spanish-products-for-kids/

    Lastly, Spanish for Children http://www.classicalacademicpress.com/sfc.html has a decent freebie and is VERY cheap. We’re definitely getting this one.

    Then there is Destinos, http://www.learner.org/resources/series75.html which I really enjoyed but was WAY over the heads of all 4 kids. I’m hoping we’ll do Destinos after a few more lessons of Rocket Spanish and Spanish for Children.

    Another link of free Spanish stuff http://www.seabreezecomputers.com/tips/spanish.htm

  • MCM

    I’ve lived in Mexico around ten years, am still “learning’ Spanish, and expect I always will be.
    When I arrived, I spoke almost no Spanish (some phrases/words from childhood lessons in California public schools, 40 some years back), and I could never afford classes (nor did I really want to take lessons), so I’m “self-taught”.
    I’m more of a reader than a listener, in terms of learning: I read the newspaper daily — and thoroughly– and regularly translate articles (by translating Spanish into idiomatic US English, i get a better sense of differences in how concepts are expressed in the two languages). Reading the paper has been great because it not only introduces me to greater grammatical complexity and more extensive vocabulary than I can get my head around in daily conversations, but it teaches me about local and national news, issues, opinions, etc. In other words, it gives me something to talk about when I’m speaking to neighbors and friends. The downside of focusing on written Spanish is that you’re less exposed to the sound of language.
    I generally avoid speaking Spanish around other foreigners, usually because I either feel competitive or inadequate (my problem, not theirs).
    When speaking, I basically mimic people — I put a lot of expression into speaking, and try to emulate the cadence of local speech. Most people don’t correct me, even when I make glaring mistakes, but occasionally friends do, and i appreciate that. I think that I sound as though I speak better Spanish than I actually do (though no one will ever mistake me for a native speaker).
    Most of all, I try not to worry about it — about how quickly I’m learning, etc.

  • Rosana

    Glad I asked this question. These are interesting stories, and I hope more people will add to this thread over time.

    Cancuncanuck, what a trial by fire! Readers, if you click on the word “cancuncanuck” in her post, it takes you to her very interesting blog.

    Sandia, I agree with you that something like a semester abroad is great exposure. I did it in France, and alas the French are not nearly so welcoming. I am now far more able to enjoy conversing in Spanish with Mexicans than I ever was in France with the French, even though I had my verb tenses down, could rattle off past subjunctives (if there is such a thing.. but I knew tons of verbs in all their tenses.)

    But staying with Sandia’s theme for a minute, Kelly and I have good friend, kinda like a son to us, who’s 25. He’s been in Mexico much of the past year, really hanging out with the people, and we’ve heard his Spanish go from halting to rapidfire and full of hot slang! He’s got a good blog at http://www.peterbrice.com which includes stories of his spending time in a butcher shop in the city market of Zamora, Michoacan, where he had originally gone to teach English. That’s carrying immersion a bit farther than most people would!

    Bill, I laughed out loud at your comment “learning the same Spanish over and over,” as I too have done that, though now that I am mostly in Mexico, Ive moved beyond it.

    Part of the reason I am doing this website is to do the research and find out what really works for learning Spanish. I’m actually visiting family and friends in California right now, but will be back home next week and will get back to work on the free e-course I am going to offer on how to learn Spanish. Once it’s done, there will be a sign-up form above the one I have now for Rocket Spanish.

  • Bill Owens

    I seem to learn the same spanish over and over ever since I first went to Mexico long ago – mostly from books, a couple of short conversational courses, and trips to Mexico. With the help of the Mexican people, I get by but would certainly like to learn more. I’m looking forward to exploring your ideas about how to learn. Thanks.

  • Sandia

    Interesting blog! Hubby and I hope to eventually semi-retire in Mexico. I took Spanish in high school and college but I did not learn to SPEAK Spanish fluently until I attended Instituto Fenix in Cuernavaca through a semester abroad program through the University of Connecticut in 1978. I lived with a Mexican family and by living the Spanish, I was finally able to coordinate all the vocabulary I had previously learned along with the constant lessons and exposure to Spanish. It was the best thing I ever did in my life. I always tell kids in college that they should go ANYWHERE for a semester, you not only learn another language but it gives you a wider perspective on life by being exposed to other cultures which can certainly help any young adult to mature. I still go to Mexico 3-4 times per year [usually Isla Mujeres] but will be traveling around central Mexico more now that my husband is addicted to Mexico-LOL

  • http://www.cancuncanuck.com CancunCanuck

    I’ve been living in Mexico for five years and knew no Spanish before I came. I “accidently” moved here, I simply didn’t catch my plane home after vacation so there was no plan for living here, ergo, no studying beyond “cerveza, el baño, por favor, gracias”. I fell in love with a Mexican man and voila, there I was living in Mexico without a lick of Spanish.

    I’ve learned pretty much strictly by immersion. I have never had a class, therefore my grammar is not magnificent, but I can certainly communicate just about everything I need to. I find myself searching for vocabulary for “special” things like doctor’s visits and car trouble, but for the most part I can convey my message in just about any situation.

    Four years without a car was the best medicine for me, forced to speak with taxi drivers, I quickly learned a LOT from them. My husband is a terrible teacher (I know, never try to learn anything from a spouse), so I have to rely on free websites for grammar help. We’re on an extremely limited budget so I can’t afford any of the programs you have to purchase, nor can I afford the classes that are offered here in Cancun. I teach English so I think in grammar terms, that helps quite a bit. It does not help that Mexican husband is fluent in English, we speak English or Spanglish at home as he doesn’t have the patience to help me with my Spanish. I am learning more and more with my son as he grows up (he’s three), I’m sure he’s going to be helping mommy a lot over the next few years. It’s nice that there are some things we can learn together.

    So, trial by fire I guess! Put in a situation where you must communicate to get what you need or want, it’s amazing how much you can pick up. I would say I have an intermediate level of Spanish, advanced in modismos and slang and swearing, haha.

    Great site, thanks for working so hard on this!