Ottakee Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 Today dh and I took the kids to a local Spanish church where they had a bilingual service (combined with a small congregation we had been attending). We loved it. The kids were not quite as sure but they have never been to a bilingual service. We had a great potluck afterwards and we sat with 2 young men that spoke very very little English and we know even less Spanish. I would like to change that. Dh and 1 dd speak some German but that is not helpful in this setting. Are there any good online programs to start some very basic conversational Spanish? My goal would be to start there and then hopefully be able to meet up with one of the women from the church to converse once a week or so for an hour to help me out. This makes me REALLY wish that I had taken Spanish in highschool. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 You can start free with duolingo and it will teach sentences and words -- some will not be useful and some will be. It is very easy to use and figure out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 You can start free with duolingo and it will teach sentences and words -- some will not be useful and some will be. It is very easy to use and figure out. I second Duolingo. If you want to spend some $$ I think Fluenz is one of the best programs out there. If you want to spend even more money, and live in an awesome state, move to Texas and you can learn it naturally everyday! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 If you want to spend even more money, and live in an awesome state, move to Texas and you can learn it naturally everyday! :) That's what I was going to suggest. Come be my neighbor! I'm only <20 miles from the border! I'd love to have you close by! 😆 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted April 16, 2017 Author Share Posted April 16, 2017 That's what I was going to suggest. Come be my neighbor! I'm only <20 miles from the border! I'd love to have you close by! 😆 But by the time we got there you would move..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted April 16, 2017 Author Share Posted April 16, 2017 I second Duolingo. If you want to spend some $$ I think Fluenz is one of the best programs out there. If you want to spend even more money, and live in an awesome state, move to Texas and you can learn it naturally everyday! :) We actually live in an area with a fairly high Hispanic population. Not quite like Texas but our local schools have migrant and ESL programs for Spanish speakers and many local businesses post things in Spanish as well as English. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 But by the time we got there you would move..... You speak truth... lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 Does your library offer mango languages for free? That might be an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabeline Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 Could you offer to trade English conversation for Spanish conversation to a Spanish speaker? It would benefit both of you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 Start with Duolingo. It's free and awesome. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 (edited) GSWL was a great introduction to Latin. I think there is a version for Spanish? YouTube had a billion "learn how to speak" video series. See if you can find somebody you like. Focus, focus, focus on increasing vocabulary. Ankiapp is free for Android devices and i highly recommend it for spaced flashcard review. Get one or two picture dictionaries and study a page a week, trying to incorporate the words into daily life. Maybe a Workbook like Spanish Now! would be useful. It would introduce you to grammar basics that would be helpful in conversation, like regular, present tense verb conjugation. If you tell your stories in present tense, people will figure out actual tense from context. (grin) The BBC has a nice, free series called Mi Vida Loca that might be helpful after you get a bit of vocabulary and grammar under your belt. Check your local library, too. Mine has a bunch of learning Spanish programs and also random Spanish language things in addition to the bookshelf of kids' books and board books. Immerse yourself, you have nothing to lose! Edited April 17, 2017 by SusanC 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bibiche Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 (edited) Memrise is another free program that could help. There are lots of different choices there. I like it better than Duolingo, which I find has some weird quirks. Oh, and Spanish TV (especially soap operas!) with subtitles is another fun and easy way to learn the language. Edited April 17, 2017 by bibiche 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted April 17, 2017 Author Share Posted April 17, 2017 Has anyone tried Pronouncier? Our library has that as a free option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 Don't beat yourself up over not taking it in high school. All I remember from high school is pretty much "close the door" and "where is the bathroom?" lol. I had a vocabulary test weekly and those didn't stick with me. I think one week the vocab. was stuff about the circus. How often am I going to ask about the lion? So I have very mixed feelings about pushing lots of vocab. I did 3 levels of Spanish in high school 3 levels of Spanish in college 14 audio lessons of Pimsleur 12 levels of Duolingo tried a lesson of Michel thomas I am NOT an audio learner. I need visuals and examples. I do own Getting Started with Spanish, but I have been doing it at a snail pace with ds. I should just do it myself at my own pace. I do think it is a good resource. I think I have a problem retaining info. I always second guess myself on tenses. I am scared to practice with real people. I once told a Spanish speaking woman at a church function that she speaks a little Spanish. I realized it after the fact. In college I had to learn every form including Castilian Spanish (vosotros). Maybe it was information overload for me. We sometimes have bilingual services at a church near me. I have even gone to the nights where Spanish speakers are learning English. I liked the idea of working on my Spanish and helping them with English, but that wasn't the reality. The reality was I was supposed to sit there and help them with their Rosetta Stone lesson. I tried to translate things with my phone app but that didn't always help. The people I met knew very little English. I just felt helpless. The whole thing is really embarrassing for me because I'm half Mexican. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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