Learning a new language - cougarguard.com — unofficial BYU Cougars / LDS sports, football, basketball forum and message board

RockyBalboa · 04-04-2007, 11:35 PM

For those of who've learned new languages without the benefit of serving a mission or learning one in the military, or at a University, how did you learn?

I'd like to learn to speak Spanish fluently. Books? CD's? Suggestions?

FMCoug · 04-04-2007, 11:42 PM

Build a house.

SteelBlue · 04-05-2007, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockyBalboa

I'd like to learn to speak Spanish fluently.

So, what's her name?

RockyBalboa · 04-05-2007, 02:06 AM

No really....I'm really wanting to learn it. lol.

TheSizzle36 · 04-05-2007, 03:04 AM

I'm sure reading it a lot would help... that's how I learned Grapevine.

Archaea · 04-05-2007, 03:25 AM

Immersion is the only answer to mastery.

Most are not willing to pay the price to "fluency" whatever that is. I'm not trying to be a smart alec, but for me such a person is a person who converses with native sound and flow on all educated subjects as if they had an advanced degree from the country or language in question.

That probably is not what you want.

You may wish spoken mastery or written mastery. Most of us wish near native accent in the spoken variety. The only real way to do that is to live in country. It requires educated immersion with somebody correcting your sentence flow, grammar and accent. It requires talent. Some say, you can never sound like a native after you turn 14.

It is possible to achieve conversational mastery. Buy a 501 verbs, get a Spanish for missionaries, and get a great big Spanish dictionary. And select an accent you'd like to emulate, is it Spanish Castillian, Mexican, Cuban, Argentinian, Honduran, Peruvian. It all matters.

Mexican Spanish is the easiest accent to learn here, and it is the slowest variety which you will normally hear. I speak horrible Spanish, but I can diffferentiate accents, based on certain words and speed. Dominicans are lightening fast, and mountain people are much slower.

Detroitdad · 04-05-2007, 04:11 AM

You probably need to take some sort of very basic class to get pronunciation and grammar. Beyond that the most important thing is to find a patient conversation partner or two. If you are able to do this you will expand your vocabulary through necessity and continuous guidance.

In addition you should do what Arch recommended and get the verb book and dictionary and learn piece by piece. That way you can supplement your conversations with additional newly learned pieces of language.

Perhaps most importantly you have to do your best to lose any fear of embarrassment that you may have over your Spanish. I speak low grade Spanish with improper grammar, but I am capable of prolonged conversation, because I had very patient neighbors who helped me through conversations, and in return I helped them with anything they needed to have expertise in English for. I advanced greatly during this time. However, I had a course in lawschool "Spanish For Lawyers" in which I had the second worst Spanish because most everyone spoke with native or near native fluency. It embarassed the crap out of me and I felt like I learned far less than I otherwise would have if I was able to let go of my ego and fail, which is probably the most important part of the learning process.

MikeWaters · 04-05-2007, 04:39 AM

Only intellectuals learn a language gratuitously like that.

marsupial · 04-05-2007, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockyBalboa

I'd like to learn to speak Spanish fluently. Books? CD's? Suggestions?

Telemundo.

RockyBalboa · 04-05-2007, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marsupial

Telemundo.

FWIW I can mimic the telemundo guys voice over voice dude to perfection.

04-04-2007, 11:35 PM	#1
RockyBalboa Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Salt Lake City Posts: 7,297	Learning a new language For those of who've learned new languages without the benefit of serving a mission or learning one in the military, or at a University, how did you learn? I'd like to learn to speak Spanish fluently. Books? CD's? Suggestions? __________________ Masquerading as Cougarguards very own genius dumbass since 05'.

04-05-2007, 02:06 AM	#4
RockyBalboa Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Salt Lake City Posts: 7,297	No really....I'm really wanting to learn it. lol. __________________ Masquerading as Cougarguards very own genius dumbass since 05'.

04-05-2007, 03:25 AM	#6
Archaea Assistant to the Regional Manager Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: The Orgasmatron Posts: 24,338	Immersion is the only answer to mastery. Most are not willing to pay the price to "fluency" whatever that is. I'm not trying to be a smart alec, but for me such a person is a person who converses with native sound and flow on all educated subjects as if they had an advanced degree from the country or language in question. That probably is not what you want. You may wish spoken mastery or written mastery. Most of us wish near native accent in the spoken variety. The only real way to do that is to live in country. It requires educated immersion with somebody correcting your sentence flow, grammar and accent. It requires talent. Some say, you can never sound like a native after you turn 14. It is possible to achieve conversational mastery. Buy a 501 verbs, get a Spanish for missionaries, and get a great big Spanish dictionary. And select an accent you'd like to emulate, is it Spanish Castillian, Mexican, Cuban, Argentinian, Honduran, Peruvian. It all matters. Mexican Spanish is the easiest accent to learn here, and it is the slowest variety which you will normally hear. I speak horrible Spanish, but I can diffferentiate accents, based on certain words and speed. Dominicans are lightening fast, and mountain people are much slower. __________________ Ἓν οἶδα ὅτι οὐδὲν οἶδα

04-04-2007, 11:42 PM	#2
FMCoug Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kaysville, UT Posts: 3,151	Build a house.

04-05-2007, 03:04 AM	#5
TheSizzle36 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 3,786	I'm sure reading it a lot would help... that's how I learned Grapevine.

04-05-2007, 04:11 AM	#7
Detroitdad Resident Jackass Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Roswell, New Mexico Posts: 1,846	You probably need to take some sort of very basic class to get pronunciation and grammar. Beyond that the most important thing is to find a patient conversation partner or two. If you are able to do this you will expand your vocabulary through necessity and continuous guidance. In addition you should do what Arch recommended and get the verb book and dictionary and learn piece by piece. That way you can supplement your conversations with additional newly learned pieces of language. Perhaps most importantly you have to do your best to lose any fear of embarrassment that you may have over your Spanish. I speak low grade Spanish with improper grammar, but I am capable of prolonged conversation, because I had very patient neighbors who helped me through conversations, and in return I helped them with anything they needed to have expertise in English for. I advanced greatly during this time. However, I had a course in lawschool "Spanish For Lawyers" in which I had the second worst Spanish because most everyone spoke with native or near native fluency. It embarassed the crap out of me and I felt like I learned far less than I otherwise would have if I was able to let go of my ego and fail, which is probably the most important part of the learning process.

04-05-2007, 04:39 AM	#8
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	Only intellectuals learn a language gratuitously like that.