My daughter's having a little trouble learning Spanish

[JanetRose]

Any suggestions? It also doesn't help that she doesn't have any spanish friends to talk to.

 

[dbarker]

Did she take a foreign language in High School? What area is she having problem with?

 

[JanetRose]

Yes...she tells me that it's different seeing it on paper compared to speaking it - she has trouble with the speaking part.

 

[dbarker]

Does the library have any tapes? Do they have an inter-library loan system? It sounds like she needs to hear it spoken. Ask the librarian for anything w/ Spanish on tape. Is there anyone in the community that speaks any foreign language. Spanish has similar pronunciation rules as most other Romantic languages (except English). I'm sorry I'm not much help. I'm at a loss b/c I grew up w/ it. I don't know the vocabulary, but I know the pronunciation. I took Latin in HS, not Spanish.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Does she have access to a Spanish language TV station? I've got lots of friends who've learned from watching cartoons and "Novellas" (Spanish equivalent of the Soap Operas).

 

[mkhall]

Hola Janet...I am a foreign lang and lit major, three languages: Spanish, Ital, and French...

I know lots of very helpful books and ways to make it a lot easier to retain fluency/vocab but it would help to know which level of spanish she is in. A really great book is 501 Spanish Verbs, you can find it at most book stores for around $15. It helps with basic verb conjugation: It has just about every commonly used spanish verb with its different conjugations in every tense. Its really good to use when you're writing because its a quick reference...and it has some useful sections in the back with vocab and commonly used phrases. Is she in high school? I also buy Spanish magazines (like cosmo and glamour) and it also can really help if you watch dvds in spanish. Most new dvds have a setting where you can put the language on Spanish with english subtitles...that really helps to, especially if you've seen the movie before in english. Also, there is a really good program that helps with Spanish pronounciation for beginners...Im not sure of the brand name so ill have to look it up but I have seen iit n different mall kiosks (here in de and in pa/md) If you have any more questions feel free to ask me!

 

[WonderWomanDC]

I am fluent - and I got that way by living in the country
Is there anyway she could spend a summer or even a wintersession or a semester abroad in a spanish speaking country? Total immersion really works. As an alternative to leaving the country, Middlebury College in Vermont has a highly regarded summer immersion program.

 

[FutureAshleyDukes]

I would be somewhat weary of her just trying to learn to speak spanish if this is for a class. I speak Spanish fluently (grandparents are from Spain and after a summer there it came naturally) yet I only got a C in Spanish for a big part of the grade can be more on the mechanics of the language as opposed to knowing how to speak it ... I think I just talked myself into a circle. But I hope that makes sense!

ETA: I just read the post about watching Spanish soap operas, I LOVE that idea. Also there is a Spanish edition of The Lion King.

 

[ellindea]

I am also trying to learn Spanish and am hoping to get a minor in it in college. I love learning the language and took 3 years of it in high school. Unfortunately, I'm in a situation where I cannot take a Spanish class right now. So, I'm doing my best to practice and not forget too much of what I learned. I know how she feels about it being much easier on paper. I actually do pretty well w/ speaking and pronunciation, but I do have some trouble when listening . It seems like they just talk so fast, things get slurred, and you can get a little lost ("lo siento, no entiendo! mas despacio, por favor!" ). Here's what I'm doing to practice: like mkhall said, watching movies in Spanish is a good and fun way to get used to the way things are said/pronounced; I've also been going to studyspanish.com--they have a good amount of stuff there, including all the grammar, sections of vocab. that you can listen to, and a section of pronunciation. And I also have some Spanish software that is helpful; it's called Instant Immersion Spanish and it has a lot of verbal stuff. Talking to someone who knows the language is of course ideal, but since she can't do that she might try going throughout the day, like at home, saying or thinking the Spanish equvilent of what she says. I do that pretty often, and my monolingual family has actually picked up a few phrases . 'Hope this helps.

 

[SnowWhiteProteje54]

I sugest getting a job where the clientel speek a lot of spainish. That is how I had to learn. Also, a lot of spainish is spoken the same way its written so to just sound it out from the way it is spelled out in her head is another good way.

~Ali