Answers
Feb 18, 2013 - 12:00 AM
You are doing the proper thing, trying to speak, trying to understand. You must use the tools "que quiere decir" and "como se dice" more often. There is no magic way to learn a language.
Feb 18, 2013 - 06:19 PM
I have finished all 5 Levels. I am now going through all the Flashcards. Also, someone recommended EspVerbs.com. It has drills on verbs. I am having to really work on the irregular verbs. Like you, I have trouble understanding. If we were in a Spanish Speaking country, I'm sure it would help.
Feb 19, 2013 - 01:21 PM
I finished all 5 levels; when I have a trip coming up, I have been reviewing with the "write what you read" sections of levels 4 and 5. But I just recently discovered the flash cards, I think it is a much better way to review, because you also get the element of listening. For comprehension, I have enjoyed watching the episodes of "Destinos" http://www.learner.org/series/destinos/ . This is a complete Spanish program you can buy for a considerable amount of $$. But, after doing Fluenz 1-5, you can just watch the videos of the episodes of this soap opera at the web site above for free. At first, you will have a hard time understanding, but my experience is that it gradually improves. As you might expect, they use some vocab we haven't seen in Fluenz, so I keep Google Translate open to check some words from time to time. As you might expect, th grammar and vocab are simpler in the early episodes, and get more complicated later. They also introduce some tenses we haven't had, but you can pretty much figure them out.
Feb 19, 2013 - 01:33 PM
Check meetup web sites for conversation groups, I just recently started with one and so far it's been really helpful, if not a little intimidating. You just gotta get past the fear of making mistakes and you'll do fine. I found that I actually understood more than I thought I would, which helps with confidence.
Feb 21, 2013 - 09:37 PM
"Cool" is the enemy of language learning. I taught at the college level. Fear of looking foolish is the BIGGEST obstacle learning a language. Dare to look stupid. Only when you let go of that fear can you progress. I've heard of people living in Spain for months saying little to not expose their flaws or ignorance, then stopped caring what people thought and really took off. Give it a try. Be a fool and talk every chance you get. Ask to repeat and listen for context words. People are patient and often flattered that you're trying to learn their language.
Feb 26, 2013 - 01:50 PM
Both Jeff S and dxcomic are right - you really just have to get out there and overcome your fear. I recently got back from 2-1/2 weeks in Spain. I put myself there alone to force myself to speak the language, and when I came back, my pronunciation, speaking speed, and listening comprehension increased dramatically! I also made some friends who do not speak any English. Boy, that will teach you how to speak another language quickly!
Mar 06, 2013 - 04:56 PM
I am half way through Fluenz 3 and find that I have difficulty understanding the dialog when hearing it the first time. If I read as I listen, there is no problem; but I sometimes have to listen 4 or 5 times and then still have to look at the subtitles to understand everything that I am hearing. The lessons are presented so well with different reinforcements of the material that I often feel I know so much...and then I look at a magazine or book or worse yet listen to Spanish conversation and I realize just how much there is yet to learn. Nevertheless, I think this is a wonderful course and feel it gives us such a great base to work with.
I would like to thank James Putney very much for introducing Destinos. I appreciate all the help given here and would love to see links to any other study materials or programs similar to this one if others have them to share.
Another study tool that I have is a short conversational English course for Spanish speakers. It is called Rush Hour English and is 3 cds that I listen to in the car. Part of the presentation is sung--the music makes it easier to remember things. The narration and the presentation are in Spanish and then the English translations are given--so it is a reverse presentation for learning Spanish. I have listened to it many times over and know most of the words and sentences being taught but the fun is trying to understand the instructional parts, especially since there is no written guide. So if any of you have access to any English courses for Spanish speakers, they can give you some added practice.
Thanks to everyone for all the good advice and encouragement.
I would like to thank James Putney very much for introducing Destinos. I appreciate all the help given here and would love to see links to any other study materials or programs similar to this one if others have them to share.
Another study tool that I have is a short conversational English course for Spanish speakers. It is called Rush Hour English and is 3 cds that I listen to in the car. Part of the presentation is sung--the music makes it easier to remember things. The narration and the presentation are in Spanish and then the English translations are given--so it is a reverse presentation for learning Spanish. I have listened to it many times over and know most of the words and sentences being taught but the fun is trying to understand the instructional parts, especially since there is no written guide. So if any of you have access to any English courses for Spanish speakers, they can give you some added practice.
Thanks to everyone for all the good advice and encouragement.