need to teach myself Spanish fast....HELP!!!

Sam Salmon says on May 21, 2004, 16:31:

You can't teach yourself Spanish in a few weeks-it ain't gonna happen.I know Armenians are said to have a talent for languages but you must be reasonable.
What you need is a Private Tutor to get you started with the basics.
Verbs are very regular and pronunciation-particularly Colombian pronunciation-is easy.
Also French and Spanish don't have that much in common-it's a mistake to think otherwise.
Arabic is common in some urban areas of Colombia.




' a la orden!'

' a la orden!'

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teppar says on May 21, 2004, 20:02:

i know, but... Sam,

i know i won't be able to learn very much (though you're right we armenians are a talented bunch. hee hee! ;-) ), i'm just looking for a few basics. i would love to get a tutor but that isn't an option at this time. basically my only choice is to choose one of the 'teach yourself' series i'd mentioned. i just don't know which one and was hoping that others had experience with them.

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Desideria (Moderator) says on May 22, 2004, 01:58:

som pitfalls There are irregular verbs in Spanish, some of them very common. Some verb conjugations can be a bit tricky also, especially the subjunctive. The use of "ser" and "estar" can also be confusing. Gringos (meaning people who speak English as their first language in this context) also have trouble with the masculine/feminine genus of nouns and adjectives that take after the noun. Prepositions can be difficult to guess if you don't know. Knowing French does not help much to speak Spanish, but it gives you a certain "feel" for the language, due to their common roots in Latin.
Otherwise, Spanish has the advantage of being easily understood even when spoken poorly. You can shuffle the order of words in a sentence, you can accentuate vowels in a funny way, you can speak with unconjugated verbs (like Tonto) and still get the message through. Another advantage: Colombians are a courteous people: they give you time to try to speak your piece, how badly you may be mangling their lovely language. They make a serious effort to listen to you and try to be helpful.

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

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Gator says on May 22, 2004, 07:05:

¡No Comprendo¡ Yo Soy un Gringo Estúpido! Just kidding, but it leads me to my point.Take only what you need to survive. Too many courses offer things in Spanish like, "Will Maria watch television at her house on Wednesday?" or "José is wearing new pant." If you or we speak inanities like this the locals would be well in their rights to slap us silly. Do NOT worry about conjugating verbs. In my experience most Colombians are first-rate cryptologists. You will find, for no apparent reason, some nouns and verbs indicate gender. Look at it this way. The person you are speaking to ALREADY knows if he is a man or woman. And most, in a very, very short time, will figure out if you are a man or a woman. Do not waste time learning "I don't speak Spanish." About 99.99% of the people in Colombia will know that as soon as you open your mouth. Remember, if you say something in Spanish there is every possibility you will be answered in Spanish. So stay on your toes.

What I would do is find a basic, a very basic Spanish language tape and learn what is needed for survival. Basic expression should include: yes, no, please, thank you, your wellcome. Basic greetings like good morning, good afternoon, good-bye, how are you, etc. Most important, learn the questions like where, when, how, what, why, who where is, how much, does anyone here speak English. I think most important for you is, "Por favor, señale la palabra en el libre or Un momento. Veré si lo puedo encontrar en este libro." (If you please, point to the word in the book (or) Just a moment. I'll see if I can find it in this book.) The is a good little pocket sized book out called "Latin-american Spanish for Travellers," by Berlitz ISBN 2-8315-0752-9.

Here is a little help with the airport taxies: "¿Cuánto cobra?" How much do you charge?; "Negociamos el precio antes de que me llave las maletas." Let us set the price before you take my luggage; "El hotel de su tío debe ser muy lindo, pero tengo reservaciones en el Hilton." Your uncle's hotel sounds very nice but I have reservations at the Hilton. "Más despacio, por favor.", Please slow down; and when you get to the hotel, "Quisiera la habitación más barata." I would like your least expensive room. "Quisiera una major habitación." I would like a better room. Just in case you get the tropical trots, Ëstoy enfermo." I am sick. "Todo funcionaba bien cuando me salí de Miami." Everything was working fine when I left Miami. "Si tiene la medicina, tengo el plata." If you've got the medicine, I've got the cash.

Seriously, forget getting tied up with verbs, gender and tense. If a latino came up to you and said "Where beach?" could you help him? Sure you could.

Go! Have fun! Let us know how the trip turned out. Believe me, you will have fun. BUT, be sure and have some one write down the nam, address and telephone number of your hotel in Spanish. Any problem just whip out your note.

A la orden,

Gator

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

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teppar says on May 22, 2004, 07:19:

'teach yourself' series.... gator you completely scared me with the phrases you've written!!
:-/ i thought that after a lifetime of listening to latin music and a year of listening to my boyfriend that i was at least a bit ok with the spanish basics but as i read through your phrases i realized i really do know nothing! oh well...in 2.5 weeks i'll not learn much, and that i know. really all i'm looking for is to give my 'in-laws' (my boyfriend's parents and the rest of the family) a good laugh at my attempts. my question here more is about the 'teach yourself' series of language tapes and books as that is the only thing available for me to learn from before i go (i live in the middle east and we don't always have a wide variety of options to choose from).

i would still love to know if anyone has any experience with this series. i can't decide between instant spanish, beginners spanish, or spanish starter kit. they all seem so similar and yet really different. anyway....if anyone knows anything about this series then please let me know.

in the meantime, keep the phrases coming gator! i'll be staying with my partner's family so i'm not too worried about having to catch a cab on my own or anything as i doubt they'll let me wander around on my own. the biggest thing i'm worried about is getting through the airport on my own (they'll be outside to pick me up) as i've heard the process can take hours and i don't want to get myself into the wrong place or anything.

thanks for all your help everyone and i will let you know how the trip goes. i'll be mainly in bogota, but also travelling to cartagena, boyaca, and villa leyva over the month i'll be in colombia. i'm really excited (and admittedly a little scared) but more than anything i'm falling in love with this country before i even step foot there. it seems like an amazing place with amazing people and i have a feeling that its going to be very hard for me to leave once i truly experience it.

now i have diverged far too much from this topic, and i thank you all for indulging me....

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Desideria (Moderator) says on May 22, 2004, 08:17:

necessaries when staying at in-laws Donde queda el baño? (Where's the bathroom), you might need it as soon as you rush in through the door. Papel higienico, por favor! (Toilet paper, please!) Remember the silent h and the g that's pronounced like h. Muy rica la sopa! (Very good soup!), the sancocho or whatever is in your bowl might not be sooo appealing at first, but you'd expected to eat up and compliment the cook. Es agua de botella? (Is this bottled water?) Tap water, when usually very safe to drink, might cause some further trouble for your stomach and send you back to phrase 1 "donde queda el baño" and phrase 2 "mas papel higienico por favor!, and do not forget your h's and your g's!

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

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villdkatta says on May 22, 2004, 15:36:

Don't be so sure people will laugh at you... I go to restaurants to practice my bad Spanish and have never once been laughed at. The only time people are uncomfortable is when they are tempted to finish my sentences for me because sometimes I get nervous and have to think of what I want to say midsentence. As a generalization, I think the Latin American population is very kind and willing and helpful to help you learn what you need to.

There is some good advice above - I think basic phrases (maybe the "instant" Spanish that you mentioned) are the best. I got a CD from the library where I say the sentence, click on the sentence, and then the native speaker says it so I can check pronounciation. Sadly, I do not know the title, sorry.

I think the most important thing is that if you know at least a few sentences (especially some key phrases to compliment the hostess at mealtimes), it shows a respect and an interest in their culture. Learn what you can but do not stress!

Good luck!

Kim

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villdkatta says on May 22, 2004, 15:37:

PS My favorite Spanish phrase is, "Hable mas despacio, por favor", which I think Gator also mentioned up above.

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rca_rodrigo says on May 22, 2004, 20:51:

Try to watch some mexican soap operas

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teppar says on May 22, 2004, 23:05:

thank you... thanks everyone for all the advice. i ended up buying the beginnger spanish cd and book from the 'teach yourself' series i'd mentioned. i'm not sure if it was the right choice, but now i'm stuck with it so what can i do.

i love rca_rodgrigo's suggestion to watch mexican soap operas, except that while we get a huge number of them here, since i live in the middle east they are dubbed into arabic and kind of no longer help with learning spanish! my grandmother, however, loves to watch them :-)

and kim, i never suggested that i would be laughed at in a negative way about my attempts at spanish. i was being a bit sarcastic really. i know that the few attempts i have made at saying things in spanish have brought smiles to the faces of the colombians i've spoken to. but they are sweet smiles at my attempts to not butcher their language.

desideria, i hadn't thought about the water being an issue in colombia. have most people had problems when drinking tap water? i'm staying with my boyfriend's family, so i don't want to be rude and suggest i need bottled water if the family drinks from the tap. any comments on the likelihood of the water causing me to need the bano excessively would be appreciated.

cheers

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Desideria (Moderator) says on May 23, 2004, 00:47:

bottled water I would recommend you drink only bottled water when in Colombia. Tap water is considered safe in larger cities, like Bogotá, Medellín or Cali, but I wouldn't want to take the risk of getting a bad case of amoebas or other "runny" diseases during a short stay. When I lived in Colombia I drank tap water all the time, but now, when I visit I drink only bottled or filtered water. I stay at my in-laws or other relatives and they filter all drinking water or buy bottled, in Cali.
From what I hear, people still get stomach trouble when visiting Colombia, especially the warmer, more tropical cities, and Cartagena would be one of them. So, take your usual "tropical tourist" precautions.
About inoculations: I really don't know what they recommend at this time. I don't get any shots at all, but I don't go into the jungle either. If you're planning to stay in cities you'd probably be fine without any. Otherwise, yellow fever is endemic in the region and malaria prophylaxis necessary if you are planning to go Chocó or the Pacific Coast.
Oh, and in case if you hadn't already heard, don't forget to bring your bullet-proof vest if you're planning a trip to certain areas east of the mountains.

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

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Christinalkc says on May 23, 2004, 09:14:

How about spanish for dummies well teppar,

I am learning spanish as well... and i am tryin out this "spanish for dummies" and i guess it is quite useful for hopeless beginners like us. the books incorporates the pronunciations as well as it comes with a CD to improve on our listening.

i agree with ya that being with a colombian is kinda hard to actually learn the language.. i used to date a colombian for almost a year and now i am livin with a couple of colombians, and believe me, the only thing i learn from them are bad words which is really common in their speech.

if u have the time, join some chatrooms online, preferably colombians chat rooms and get hang of their language and stuff... it may help a bit!

luck, chao,
christina

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AngelGabriel says on May 23, 2004, 09:47:

Question, Desi... Desi, correct me if I'm wrong, I think you're Norwegian.
An educated Spanish person can read & understand Brazilian/Portuguese quite good, although, the same can't be said when it comes to fully understanding & applying the grammar.

Don't believe everything you read, but I read about "Scandinavian languages" being very, very similar. The best approach is to learn Norwegian first, and that it'll be easier understanding & communicating with the Swedish & the Danish. Is that so? Spanish & Portuguse speakers can ask & understand each other when they ask for the bathroom, or shopping at the mall, w/o prior studies of the language(s). In that context, is this the same for a Norwegian speaker in Sweden & Denmark, and viceversa?
Thanks!

Siente el Mambo YoYo

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Desideria (Moderator) says on May 23, 2004, 10:05:

Scandinavian languages/Spanish/Portuguese Angel,
I'm Finnish/Swedish. Yes, you're basically right about the Scandinavian languages. They have all developed from the old Norse language of the Vikings. However, since Sweden dominated for a long time on the political scene (Norway and Denmark have been part of the Swedish kingdom) it would be best to learn Swedish first and then you could easily learn Danish and/or Norwegian. As a Swedish speaker I can communicate on a rudimentary level with a Dane or Norwegian, just very basic things. It's about the same thing between Finnish and Estonian, which are not Germanic languages at all, but closely related.
Yes, I noticed that the Portuguese they speak in Brazil is fairly easy to understand for a Spanish speaker. A Brazilian explained to me once that it's not only because of the similarities and common roots, but also because when a Brazilian speaks with a, say, Colombian, for example, he automatically reverts to "Portuñol" using all the words that he knows in Spanish and choosing only the words that mean the same or are close enough.

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

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AngelGabriel says on May 23, 2004, 10:26:

Understanding Either Language(s) Desi, thanks for the insight

1. Would a Danish have a hard time understanding a Swedish & viceversa?

2. Would a Norwegian understand both (even barely, 40% or so) just fine?

3. Would a Swedish understand both Danish & Norgewians?

4. Does Sweden has more political & social importance & presence in Scandinavia now, or ever since...? This is in regards to the countries that considered, or care about being labeled or part of "Scandinavia"

5. For the sake of undertanding this question, the native americans were the "first" in the Americas. I think the the scandivanian countries have or had a "native" "ethnic" people, right? If so, do you know what they're called?

Thanks again

Siente el Mambo YoYo

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Desideria (Moderator) says on May 23, 2004, 10:59:

Scandinavian languages 1- a Dane can understand about 50% of spoken Swedish, about 70% of written Swedish. A Swede can understand about 30-40% of spoken Danish, about 50% of written Danish.
2- a Norwegian would understand...maybe 30 to 40 % of spoken Danish, but about 40-to 50% of spoken Swedish. About written Swedish the estimate would be higher, since it's the pronunciation that differs most.
3- a Swede would understand about 30-to 40 % of spoken Danish and/or Norwegian, again higher for written Danish and Norwegian.

These are just very rough estimates, and it's extremely individual. People from the southernmost province of Sweden, Skåne, speak a dialect similar to Danish and sometimes I have to make an effort to understand them also! People fromthe province of Jämtland bordering Norway speak a dialect closer to Norwegian and have easier time understanding Norwegian than an average Swede.

I'd say that Sweden historically have been the leading Scandinavian country both politically and economically. There was a time when the Swedish kingdom extended from the Arctic Ocean to include northern provinces of Germany, Denmark, Norway and Finland, plus the smaller countries by the Baltic Sea (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) were also part of the kingdom. Those times are long gone now, and Norway has been gaining economically due to all the oil in the Northern Sea.

Your third question, yes: FennoScandinavia was sparcely populated at the time of the arrival of the Germanic tribes. These people are called Sami or the Lapps. They are the last remains of much older folk that has inhabited these regions from the time when the Ice Age ended. There's still a remnant of that people living in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Koala Peninsula in Russia. They were nomads until the turn of the century, and still move their stocks of reindeer from pasture to pasture according to the change of seasons.

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

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AngelGabriel says on May 23, 2004, 11:02:

Series Teppar, try the Pimsleur 6 CD for understanding & speaking some Spanish ( not writing or reading). I've used it for German & it's actually pretty good. They have the 10 CD & the 20 CD series sets. 20 minutes daily should give you consistency. I think dover publications has a good Spanish grammar book, those are like $5.95 I think,very good, although a little bit advanced.
Usborne publications has a title book, Easy Spanish. Once again, I've used the Easy German book, and can say it's good. Like you mentioned, Instant Spanish by TY, the ones that says INSTANT SPANISH in big letters in the cover, not the one with some picture or painting by the same publisher, is recommended.

Siente el Mambo YoYo

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utopiacowboy says on May 24, 2004, 07:24:

I must agree with the poster who noted very little similarity between French and Spanish. My French did not help me at all. So often the words are completely different mot/palabra, boite/caja etc. but even when the words are the same or similar, many syllables are silent in French whereas everything is pronounced in Spanish. If anything, I found my French to be a hindrance.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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AngelGabriel says on May 24, 2004, 13:42:

Latinos in Scandinavia Desi,

Thanks for your reply, interesting.

Latin men in Scandinavia: What are our chances in the nordic lands?

We can create a new thread for this one.

Thanks again!

PS. Learn Spanish and you'll get portuguese on sale, very similar.

Siente el Mambo YoYo

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goldentoes3 says on Jun 13, 2004, 14:46:

Just a word on the french/spanish connection:
Of course there are any number of words that are completely different, but then again consider the following: espagnol/espanol, education/educacion, triste/triste, etc... Having studied spanish for a year, I've learned more than I did during four long years studying french in high school. The similarity in the grammar structures is invaluable for native english speakers, who otherwise have terrible problems putting sentences into some kind of comprehensible order.

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