How would I go about learning a new language?

[njswift10141980]

Hey everybody I was wondering what is the best way to learn a new language to be specific spanish?


Thanks

 

[jagec]

"best" way? Live in a Spanish-speaking country, and don't just hang out with other ex-pats.

But that's not the answer you were looking for, is it.

 

[gamepad]

Join the military as a linguist.

 

[Scouzer]

Rosetta Stone

 

[njswift10141980]

the first 2 replies are good but are not suited for me, and to scouzer have you used rosetta stone or are you just saying it because of word of mouth.

 

[esun]

Take a class. A local community college would be your best bet. Or you can try learning it on your own, but few people have that kind of dedication.

 

[DangerAardvark]

First navigate way from ATOT.

 

[mooglemania85]

Originally posted by: njswift10141980
Hey everybody I was wondering what is the best way to learn a new language to be specific spanish?


Thanks

get a gf to be specific a spanish-speaking gf

 

[novasatori]

Originally posted by: esun
Take a class. A local community college would be your best bet. Or you can try learning it on your own, but few people have that kind of dedication.

QFT
That's how I started when I wanted to learn Japanese. It was really cheap, and I took 4 classes. I could have taken more, but decided I didn't really want to continue that path.

I learned way more than I ever would have on my own IMO - especially since the teacher is generally a native speaker.

 

[vital]

Originally posted by: Scouzer
Rosetta Stone

That is the worst software ever for learning a new language!! Pimsleur is much better

 

[Juno]

Originally posted by: mooglemania85

Originally posted by: njswift10141980
Hey everybody I was wondering what is the best way to learn a new language to be specific spanish?


Thanks

get a gf to be specific a spanish-speaking gf

i knew it. i'm deaf and my mom begs me to marry a girl to be specific a speaking woman. it irritates me a lot. :|

 

[GTaudiophile]

Full immersion.

Take some basic classes here then go live in a Spanish-speaking country for 6-12 months. Done.

 

[Farang]

Option number one: Take a class in a location that has a high population of Spanish-only speakers.

Option number two: Take a class where you are right now, if you can't make it to said location.

My experience with language, learning Thai, was that the foundation built by a course helped but that I wouldn't remember half of what I knew until I was sorrounded by Thai-only speakers and had to communicate to them. Suddenly it all comes back and I'm speaking a lot more than I thought I knew.

Really if you want to learn to speak fluently you need to be immersed. I've met Thai people with masters in English, from prestigious universities, who still struggle with their accent and to find words, because they learned in Asia. In constrast, Thai people who've studied in America often have no accent and I've even had to ask some of them whether they were American or Thai.

 

[mrkun]

Take some classes and watch a lot of movies/TV in Spanish.

Edit: Get movies from a lot of different countries just to get exposed to the different accents and vocabularies. Chilean Spanish is especially funky.

 

[Casawi]

I would start by going to the library and get some CDs with video if possible. Then look for some simple class to teach you what you can't learn from a CD. Watch TV and movies you already watched in English, in Spanish. Listen to spanish music, and try to talk spanish whenever you can. That is how I learned English, after 3 months I scored the minimum to get into college.

Good luck

 

[LS20]

im trying to enroll in some CC languages classes, too. unfortunately all the local ones dont offer the breath or depth of what i want ... or scheduling

 

[AMCRambler]

You could go to my grocery store. I spent 30 minutes waiting for this crazy hispanic lady to get checked out. It wasn't entirely her fault, the checker wasn't exactly on the ball either. The Hispanic woman had all fresh produce to be checked out. Squash, radishes, parsley, cabbage, turnips you name it she had it. She also had a whole crap load of exotic stuff that they sell there that the checker had no clue what it was called. The woman couldn't tell her though because she spoke very little english and her accent was pretty intense. Finally the checker puts aside the stuff she can't find in the system and gets the manager to come identify it for her. But good lord it took forever. What the heck does one do with Yucca roots anyway???? Argh.
I wish my girlfriend had been there. She's a Spanish teacher. And yeah, the best way to learn a language is to live in the country. Next best way, get a good book and find someone fluent to practice with.

 

[krunchykrome]

I wanted to learn Korean, so I enrolled in a beginer's Korean non-credit course at my local community college. I didnt learn much conversational skills, but I did get familiar with writing out words and pronunciation.

 

[Xavier434]

The only way to learn it and retain that knowledge is to use it and use it regularly. Classes and books are fine. You need that to understand the rules of grammar and vocabulary, but if you do not use it then you will lose it.

 

[njswift10141980]

Thanks for all your replies, looks like I have some stuff to figure out because my one friend who is spanish moved to miami and I promissed that would learn some spanish and they would expand their english.

 

[mrkun]

Do you live in Miami as well?

 

[ElFenix]

watch nothing but univision all day. it helps that they have hot women.

 

[mrkun]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
watch nothing but univision all day. it helps that they have hot women.

:thumbsup:

 

[gorcorps]

Classes are good, but useless unless you use the language regularly. After my classes I worked in a restaurant with a bunch of Hispanics and learned a ton talking to them... much more than just classes. Haven't worked there or used any spanish in a couple years and now it's damn near all gone.

 

[Jadow]

I recommend you learn C##