Answers
Sep 24, 2015 - 02:56 PM
I am the same! Finished 4 ok, but now I'm lesson 5 of the fifth level and hit the wall too hard!! .... I did find a couple nice sites that help a bit- "Spanish Listening-Learn Real Spanish" and one called "Spanish Conversation- University of Texas- Austin"- These are FREE and have lots of native speakers that are in Beginning, Int and other levels. with Spanish subtitles too.
Sep 24, 2015 - 04:16 PM
Same here, I'm learning German. German 1 and 2 were great for me. I was doing okay on level 3 but unfortunately I hit some rough patches towards the end of German 3. Level 4 was a totally new beast, I felt so lost which caused me to hit a wall really hard (I think it's partly due to the fact that I kept doing the program for 4 months straight with occasionally breaks)
It can be tricky finding that perfect balance and pace without frying your brain but at the same time still feel like you're progressing through the language.
I know it may not be the most helpful advice but I believe just listening to music or watching Spanish movies are still great ways to use your Spanish. You may not be talking with an actual person but at least you're tuning your ears.
It's always about obtaining that 1% each and every day and before you know it, you would have mastered your end goal.
Best of luck,
~Kat
It can be tricky finding that perfect balance and pace without frying your brain but at the same time still feel like you're progressing through the language.
I know it may not be the most helpful advice but I believe just listening to music or watching Spanish movies are still great ways to use your Spanish. You may not be talking with an actual person but at least you're tuning your ears.
It's always about obtaining that 1% each and every day and before you know it, you would have mastered your end goal.
Best of luck,
~Kat
Sep 24, 2015 - 09:55 PM
I got burned out and bored with the repetition of Fluenz after the 4th level (LA Spanish). So took a break and focused on other activities like reading children's books, listening to podcasts, music, radio etc. Then I was able to return to Fluenz refreshed. I'm now on the last two lessons (yipee!!). The break was super helpful.
Sep 25, 2015 - 12:29 PM
Same here, I hit a big wall approximately at the same time. Like DYerks, I took a break (3 months for me), and when I came back, it was much much much easier! I'm actually going through this with Chinese. I'm not progressing and I probably have a brain overload because i'm preparing for a spanish exam at the same time, so i'm taking a 2-3 months break.
Sep 28, 2015 - 10:46 AM
I'm not at your level yet. I'm on Level 3, lesson 13. I hope I don't hit a wall. Have you all thought about finding a tandem? I know a ton of people from Spain that I met through language exchange programs. They are learning English and they want help from someone that is a Native Speaker.
Oct 11, 2015 - 04:20 PM
Level 4 began to get very difficult for me as well, and I've had to break for awhile and now am returning to "redo" it. I have found "meetup" groups in my area on the internet, and have met up with other Spanish speakers at different levels in libraries, dinner venues, etc. where we discuss topics the moderator chooses, like what happened last week, what food you like, etc. Each person speaks and comments about other speakers. I learned early on about some things that way, like the use of "era" when I was speaking about my old profession. I "was" an XXX. I used fui, thinking that would suffice as SER, but they corrected me. I still have trouble understanding faster speakers. I do better watching Hispanic TV commercials where they speak slowly, clearly, and have print at times too.
Nov 12, 2015 - 10:53 PM
Did you ever think about volunteer work in a Spanish-speaking environment. I volunteer as an interpreter at a county health clinic.Other opportunities exist at food banks, courts, police departments, etc. Sometimes one has to step out and find opportunities.
Dec 28, 2015 - 08:37 PM
I have the same problem. What I need is the "call & response" experience of conversation. One thing that's helpful is Duolingo.com, an internet freebie, & I do at least one lesson daily. I also checkout the CD programs by Pemsleur from my library. It is purely audio, but it is the closest thing I've found to a real conversation. I hope that helps!
Dec 31, 2015 - 05:24 PM
I think the key is to increase your number of resources. Fluenz is a good core program, but it should be supplemented by other sources such as youtube, watching movies in espanol (netflix has a ton!), and the internet is just full of great sites I have saved. I visit my local library for spanish books, and have even met people to converse with.
The other thing I would recommend is simply starting over. I'm about halfway through 3 and was struggling so I went back to disc 1. About every new "disc", I go back to the beginning. Other than that; just stay with it and know Rome wasn't built in a day. A little each day is better than a ton all at once.
The other thing I would recommend is simply starting over. I'm about halfway through 3 and was struggling so I went back to disc 1. About every new "disc", I go back to the beginning. Other than that; just stay with it and know Rome wasn't built in a day. A little each day is better than a ton all at once.
Jan 01, 2016 - 01:37 PM
Sonia says those who get the most out the program are those who do the lessons many times, so I do like that idea. But there is no substitute for interaction. I thought that when I got that far I would try to find at least one other person who is a native Spanish speaker learning English. Meet once, twice a week, whatever makes sense and each take 30 mins or so to converse in each others native language. Of course with some imagination, one could come up with plenty of variations on that idea. Depending upon where you live, I'm guessing there are many Spanish speakers who would love help with the finer points of English. You could even start a group. Get creative. Good luck. I'd like to hear back from you.