Spanish fluency

Desideria (Moderator) says on Jan 7, 2005, 10:59:

there are different approaches to fluency in Spanish. I learned it by the old-fashioned method: from not knowing a word to near-native fluency by living in Colombia, working there, studying in college in Colombia, marrying a Colombian and being part of the society there. I read the newspapers, watched tv, did my shopping, lived in Spanish.

I did lear a lot of Spanish when I was teaching English. I couldn't speak a word of Spanish then and I suspect I got the better deal in language learning in that situation.

Cheers,
Desi

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

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Mr. Hollywood says on Jan 7, 2005, 11:25:

It's a constant struggle Unless you learned a language as a kid, or maybe after several years of total immersion, achieving and maintaining fluency is a constant effort. Personally I find that it ebbs and flows. Right now I feel really relaxed and easy in Spanish but then something will snap and I'll feel like some sort of caveman trying to hack out a sentence. It seems that you advance and then plateau for a while, then often even decline before your next big advance.

Fearlessness is the key, and I wish I could always be that way.

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Miamigo says on Jan 7, 2005, 11:29:

I agree with Mr. Hollywood's comments and also would emphasize one of Desi's points about being married or in a serious relationship with a Colombian.

I don't know if it's just me but I find I become even more fluent when I have been drinking.

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utopiacowboy says on Jan 7, 2005, 12:11:

Your comment was very amusing, Maimigo, about drinking and speaking Spanish. When my youngest daughter went to my wedding in Medellin, she had a fair amount to drink at the reception and she was convinced she could speak Spanish. It was hilarious. Surprisingly enough she did manage quite a bit of communication in that state!

Fastest way to learn Spanish - marry a woman who only speaks Spanish. I would ignore the Colombians chauvinistic comments. There is nothing wrong with Mexican Spanish. In fact if you live in the United States that is probably the best Spanish to learn.

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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vladimiro says on Jan 7, 2005, 12:55:

Spanish If I remember correctly Platiquemos is a repackaging of Pimsleur or Foriegn Service Institute CDs. I used both. The dialog on FSI is much faster and more advanced than Pimsleur and trains you to listen to normal fast spoken spanish. Spanish radio in the US helped alot too as well as traveling to Colombia and reading. As far as Mexican spanish is concerned many of the trendy new words that are popular in Colombia are Mexican.

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Miguel says on Jan 7, 2005, 14:00:

"Fluency" First of all to all the posters here, I can relate to everyone's comments. My background with Spanish started with elementary school through high school, which gave me a decent grasp of nouns, but very little in verb usage. Yet, it kindled a spark and interest in Latin America. I was in Managua after the '72 earthquake as a Red Cross volunteer, and the little Spanish that I knew came in handy in order to find food and a bathroom. I spent many years in Colorado where there were many Mexicans, along with a few enterprising Colombians, if you get my drift. Now living in a part of the midwest that only has 50,000 Spanish speakers, Spanish went to the back burner. However, since I am a baseball addict/idiot, I decided to take the vacation of my dreams...to go to the Dominican Republic and watch winter ball. Six months beforehand, I got the Pimsleur cds, studied hard, and off I went. I was so satisfied with the experience, it justs fueled the fire to learn more so I could, without fear, visit the country that had intrigued me for years; Colombia. I will make my third trip of the year there soon. Yet, learning the language is an on-going process; Hollywood nailed it for me about hitting the wall, feeling stupid, and then something clicks. For me, being able to transition from present to past to future was hard, but it's getting better. I have been told that I have a good accent in Spanish, but it still is a challenge. I recently read an article by a linguist who feels that of all the people in the world who are really bilingual, maybe 1% of them are actually "fluent"; his pretext was that there are few people who can master the sublities of a language like a native speaker. That being said, I have to agree with Miamigo and UC; despues de dos rons o aguardientes, mi espanol es mejor (por lo menos YO pienso). Fortunately I have a 100% colombian girlfriend who teaches me Spanish while I teach her English.

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oldbongo says on Jan 7, 2005, 14:14:

migueloso elmo's looking for you on two sides to colombia.

mi espanol es povrecito!!ayudame!!!!

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Miguel says on Jan 7, 2005, 14:59:

Que Cosa Old Gringo Me gustaria ayudarte con tu espanol, si quieres hablar como un bebe! Bueno, cuando estas en la playa en Cartagena y un hombre dices...Hey Yankee, you want water. Solo cuesta 4 mil, tu necesitas contestar...
DE NINGUNA MANERA!
Entiendes? I thought so.

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Gator says on Jan 8, 2005, 08:50:

I Would Second Desi Our experiences and advice would be exactly the same. No really quick way to do it. The Out There School of Survival Spanish is effective. Do NOT learn the stock pharse, "I don't speak Spanish," because Colombians, and most Latin Americans, will know that fact as soon as you open your mouth. Don't worry about the nouns and adjectives that indicate gender. The person to whom you speeks generally knows wheather he is a man or a woman and can probly figure out if you are a man or wonam. MOST IMPORTANT. Always keep in mind that if you say something in Spanish there is a real possibility ypu WILL be answered in Spanish.

I was lucky before deciding to make the plunge-In the Miami area you damn sure learned Spanish as self defense. Most important use the language and don't be afraid to grab a verb and shot from the hip.

Phrase number one should be, ¿Cuánto cobra?

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

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maximus says on Jan 8, 2005, 09:42:

Thanks for all the input.. I will just keep banging away at it. I live in Tampa, Fl so being in touch with Spanish speaking people is no problem. My closest friends are a Colombian family who seem to enjoy my sporadic ramblings.

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Miguel says on Jan 8, 2005, 11:29:

Exacto, Maximus Your colombianos/friends are a valuable resource, so use it! Then, for a real challenge, find some dominicanos in Tampa and listen to the difference; it will help your ear.

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utopiacowboy says on Jan 9, 2005, 08:36:

I came close to getting in some trouble one time coming back from Monterrey. I was stopped at a checkpoint on the highway north by the Mexican military and the soldier asked me a question. I didn't understand him so I said in Spanish that I did not speak Spanish. He looked confused so then he asked me if this was true so then I again replied in Spanish. Now he's really confused. I keep saying that I can't speak Spanish but continue speaking Spanish and answering his questions in Spanish. At that time I really could not speak more than a handful of words in Spanish so I was right but in that situation I should not have even used what little Spanish I knew.

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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oldbongo says on Jan 9, 2005, 10:19:

fluency gained... or lost!!

the oldgringo finds that the better his
spanish gets, the worse his english!!!
it's ridiculous,...his perfect fluency in english
is infused with colombianaismas in proportion to
the empathy and comprehension of the utterances.

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lpdiver says on Jan 11, 2005, 02:03:

two things not mentioned You can listen to most local radio stations on the internet. As well as find people any where in the world to speak to on the internet.

Get one of the electronic calculator types of translators and a paperback as well as good dictionary sized english/spanish dictionary.

I tape my wifes spanish soap operas with the sub titles enabled. This enables me to read the words while hearing them. I then read and look up words. Then I tape a piece of paper over the subtitles and watch. (I haven't figured a way to record with the sub titles then make them go away)

I also carry a little paper notebook and pencil. You would be amazed at what you can understand in the written forms.

"cook some rice!"

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umm says on Jan 11, 2005, 02:10:

my recommendation: go to the country and mix with the people.
Listen well and immitate. Thats how children also learn their language.
You have to listen to the intonation as well otherwise everyone spots you as HP gringo.

UMM

My Forum

emero says on Jan 11, 2005, 03:02:

Immersion
I've been learning spanish now for 4 months, I really enjoy it, though my teacher is from spain and i ignore the "th" like cerbetha (cerveza)urrrghhh i pick up more tips on pronounciation from my colombian boyfriend. I read to him in spanish and he corrects me, especially the emphasis on words as i don't get that bit yet!

My spanish has come on leaps and bounds, though i'm not at a level where i can pick out words from tv....(it's so fast) the only one i hear is tambien at the moment...

My man loves it when i make an effort, i just say little phrases (at the right time)and i get lots of encouragement, which i believe helps a lot. Immersion is the key! do anything you can
hugs Diane x

hugs Diane x

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Claudis says on Jul 11, 2005, 16:48:

SHORT SPANISH CONVERSATION COURSE Hey guys!

I think the best way to get fluent in spanish or in any other language is speaking it. Thats why I am teaching a short spanish conversation course in Colombia, for native english speakers living or visiting Bogotá.

The course will be personalized according to the specific student interests and needs.

You will be able to learn not only about the language but also about the culture.

There are also many other topics that we might cover such as colombian history, cooking, dancing and even legal issues.

By the end of the course you will have learn the basics to communicate effectively in social and business environments.

If you need additional information, you may reach me at: clauhochman at hotmail.com

Best regards to all!

Claudia

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Sylvie says on Jul 11, 2005, 16:56:

....... Fluency only happens when your drunk.

My french is rusty but when I drink I can speak to Parisians without getting made fun of.

Same thing for spanish. Learn a bit and then be wasted whenever you need to speak spanish fluently. Voila!

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kiwi says on Jul 11, 2005, 17:02:

similar happened to me too, UC some miltary guys in the south bus terminal asked for my cedula, well of course us foreigners only have a passport. anyway i was not in the mood to talk to them, so i said in rapidfire spanish something "no mejo, no tengo cedula...no hablo espanol". then he asks more questions which i answer, but keep saying i don't speak spanish, which gets him more confused because i'm understanding everything. then his buddy gets in on it, wants to see my passport, drivers licence, checks every page of my visa stamps because they thought i might be one of those irish terrorists or something. just caught my bus in time! better just to talk fast english to them, they'll soon get bored of not understanding and leave you alone.

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Rubiazo says on Jul 11, 2005, 17:20:

I have the opposite effect I lose all 5 lanuages when I'm drunk, going right back to English.
Spanish was pretty easy for me because I already spoke French and Italian first, so there wasn't THAT much to get over. It was more just learning to not pause on stressed syllables, and to speak the softer consonants etc. Spanish grammar is a snap next to Italian or Portuguese, and very similar to that of French.

I got fluent in Spanish by hanging around in the Dominican Republic, mostly in areas no tourist would ever go. It also does help to go out with girls who only speak Spanish. I used to hang out with girls I really didnt even care for just to practise my Spanish :P

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terco panzone says on Jul 11, 2005, 20:08:

spanish classes I wrote this in another thread, it goes better here I think:

"I Went to panama not knowing any spanish at all. I traveled to Nicaragua, Guatemala, Peru, and finally colombia for work, and still didn't pick up a whole lot of spanish. It was not until I met my mujer here that I really began to learn, about 2 years ago. But I know it will be a long time before I can carry on a converssation with a native colombian without saying "Como?" or "Que?" every two seconds. Her family and our friends make allowances for me and tell me I'm learning well, but it's very frustrating. Even though I know the words they are using, when they talk normally it is very hard to make out."

I thinkg being drunk removes you fear of looking or sounding like an idiot, therefore you relax and let it flow.
I'm only in country about two weeks to a month at a time, then that long back in the states. Can I find spanish classes that I can leave then take up again when I return?

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Claudis says on Jul 13, 2005, 15:30:

RE: spanish classes Hi Terco,

If you are in Bogotá (Colombia), sure you can. The spanish conversation course I teach is charged per hour taken so you can get in an out depending on your timing.

The course itself is really short though, and can be arranged to last for about two weeks, according to your schedule.

Feel free to send me an email if you want additional info.

Clau

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platano says on Jul 13, 2005, 15:41:

Besides classes and speaking with others... As Desi said, I would recommend trying to read newspaper articles or news magazines. Have a dictionary at hand and look up words you can't figure out from context. Spanish has the advantage of being pronounced the way it's written so you can improve your spoken vocabulary by reading and learning new words.

Plátano, el banano verde
Oxigeno Verde ¡Libertad por Ingrid y los demás!

plátano

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Claudis says on Jul 13, 2005, 17:16:

Colombian Musc & Movies I agree with Desi and Platano. Listening to colombian music or watching a colombian movie may also help in getting familiared with the accent and the speed used when speaking spanish, as well as for learning some "colombian" slang. :)

Clau

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jadya says on Aug 8, 2005, 17:52:

the culture is very important As Claudis and Platano have said, culture plays an importat role when you are learning a foreing language. If you are here in Colombia have the possibility to practice the language in a real context and with real native speakers.

Take advantage of our Country, and have a good time in Colombia
If some of you wanna practice, contact me to my e-mail
jady_a at hotmail.com

JADYA

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CaryGrant says on Aug 8, 2005, 18:27:

Pimsleur CDs. I find the biggest problem is actually sitting down and listening to the things; I learned rapidly when I was communting to work - one lesson each way - but now...not so much. Pimsleur does give you a good accent, so I'm told. Sometimes Colombians didn't know I was a gringo even after my first sentence. Having to respond to them usually revealed me, though.

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jmb1 says on Aug 25, 2005, 19:19:

hmm I'm slightly disturbed by the advice to simply 'marry a woman who only speaks spanish.' Although I'm new to this site, I've seen other posts about American's reactions to the way Colombian's treat women, but it seems like Americans could be just as chauvenistic. This is in no way a personal attack, but I think everyone here should be careful about the way these relationships are treated and talked about. Thanks!

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ecua-colombiano en ny says on Aug 26, 2005, 17:47:

hablando while drunk i have to agree with the comment about speaking spanish while drinking... my family is from bogota and guyaquil but i took that for granted and forogt my spanish , i had to relearn it in high school....and now i speak with no accent....and i get mad fun of by all my friends and family and now my brother cause he has a colombian accent because he hung out with alot of colombians and took trips to colombia...and the only time i can get the accent out and not sound like a fool is when we are drinking especially aquardiente....i dont know what it is but it just happens.....lol

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Alice74 says on Sep 22, 2005, 10:18:

Can you recommend a university for me to study a semester in? I'm not sure where to start?

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feliz says on Apr 8, 2006, 02:33:

Spanish numbers Here is a webpage that helps with spanish numbers. Great for beginners like moi.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/lj/shopping/money/a3/index.shtml

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jenny_guzman says on Apr 22, 2006, 15:20:

Keep talking With spanish happens that is different in each country.
The same things have different names :?

And If you study by school you will probably have the perfect spanish no one who talks spanish knows.

Just have friends and learn some slangs talking "paja" with them. And what is the matter if you keep your gringo touch, is quite exotic in Colombia, isn't it

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tacoma253 says on May 8, 2006, 20:30:

HELP!!! Hi, I'm only 18 years old and i live it Tacoma, Washington. I'm new to this site and i was hoping that i would be able to get help from someone. Your post was the first one i read that really seemed like they knew what they were really talking about. Well here's my problem, my girlfriend who i've been dating for over a year now is 100% Colombian, but she does speak fluent english, the problem is that her entire family other than her mother and father live in Colombia and don't speak any english what so ever! I won't be meeting them anytime soon but her mother keeps asking me how my spanish is coming along. My girlfriend does not like to speak spanish in front of me, not even to her mom, so she won't teach me and her mom is too busy to teach me. How can I learn it if no one can teach me? Please help me out in some way if you can! Thank you

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laguerejaloka says on Nov 18, 2006, 20:11:

I learned spanish on my own and trust me you have to really want to learn it to be fluent. Here are some ways that helped me to learn it: watching spanish tv with captions listening to spanish radio read as much spanish material as possible I'm still trying to become fluent because this summer I'm going to colombia and i don't want to be struggling the whole time. I try to always think in spanish just for practice! Whenever I see or hear a word i don't know, i write it down and look it up later. btw-never trust a dictionary! I had to learn that the hard way! I learned all these words that most latinos havent even heard of! or they were korny. So now i always check with a latino friend before using a new word!! the whole talking better when drunk thing is so true! damn i just relized how old these posts are! I'm writing this for nothing huh!

~la guera~

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laguerejaloka says on Nov 18, 2006, 20:15:

btw reading spanish really helped me to figure out those confusing expressions and phrases that dont directly translate to english

~la guera~

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Colombia314159 says on Nov 18, 2006, 20:47:

Spanish fluency Hi Claudia,
I left a message for you on MSN messenger if you have that. I am looking for an electronic translator which translates not only words, but also sentences. I've searched online and many translators get bad or mixed reviews. I know there are sites online which translate (although poorly), but I cannot carry a computer around Colombia! I've been trying to communicate via MSN messenger with my daughter's birthfamily in Colombia. They speak no English and my Spanish is muy malo, so this is rather tricky! My daughter and I are heading down for another visit to Bogota in January.
Any ideas?

Sue

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goin_south says on Nov 18, 2006, 21:37:

yes; yeah.... we have ideas You don't have to carry an entire computer with you. Go to walmart or Target and buy a translater. It's about the size of a small-to-medium sized calculator. Sony, maybe. It will likely fit neatly inside of your purse.

"Tengo mucha compasión para el loro."

'what does it mean, when one of you (colombians) tell another: YOU WERE NOT/ARE NOT. 'COLOMBIAN ENOUGH'?? jejeje..a mixture, I think, of stupidity mixed with a false sense of arrogance.. How 'colombian' do you have to be? to be 'colombian enough

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