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Relearning Spanish

Longhorn_Fan68
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Longhorn_Fan68

Longhorn_Fan68 33859

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One of my biggest regrets from college was placing out of the language requirements. Cocky 18yo me thought that I since was (basically) fluent in spanish that I didn't need to take it college. Well, fast forward to now - I don't know how to speak it anymore and I want to relearn it. Does anyone have a suggestion for the best online/app course to take. I don't need to start from scratch. I can still understand a good bit, but where I fall short is the answering back. Thanks in advance.

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Helobious

Helobious 9456

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Don’t know shit about courses. Grew up in Spanglish home, but if I hadn’t I imagine Duolingo + watching lots of travel vids like this (anything where you hear a lot of conversational Spanish.. this one happens to be in venezuela ) + going to restaurants/pulgas and talking in Spanish would help. All basically $0 except ordering food & buying stuff I guess.
 

 

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Doc Daneeka

Doc Daneeka 6769

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I don’t know how you like to learn, but if you can understand a good bit, Español con Juan, both his podcast and his YouTube channel, is really good, imo. If it’s not helpful, maybe knowing why could help with better suggestions. 

Another one I like that may be more directly practical, but possibly below your level, is Spring Spanish on YouTube. They do “chunks” of language rather than just vocabulary, which is, imo, more useful. 

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SimonBolivar

SimonBolivar 10957

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39 minutes ago, Helobious said:

Don’t know shit about courses. Grew up in Spanglish home, but if I hadn’t I imagine Duolingo + watching lots of travel vids like this (anything where you hear a lot of conversational Spanish.. this one happens to be in venezuela ) + going to restaurants/pulgas and talking in Spanish would help. All basically $0 except ordering food & buying stuff I guess.
 

Pulgas are the way to go. You'll learn the language, buy a Mexican flag inspired piggy bank, and get shorted on your change by the proprietor who suddenly won't understand your Spanish.

 

It's the full cultural experience.

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beer

beer 3220

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How can you be fluent in spanish and forget it?  I learned it and really worked at it in college, and now I literally cannot forget it.  It is somewhere deep inside my brain such that it just comes out when I want it to.  I improve my fluency through practice but it is in my brain in a special place that is different from anything else I learned.  I am certain that short of a stroke it cannot be forgotten.  Chingado mentirosa puta. 

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conVINCEd

conVINCEd 21469

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11 minutes ago, beer said:

How can you be fluent in spanish and forget it?  I learned it and really worked at it in college, and now I literally cannot forget it.  It is somewhere deep inside my brain such that it just comes out when I want it to.  I improve my fluency through practice but it is in my brain in a special place that is different from anything else I learned.  I am certain that short of a stroke it cannot be forgotten.  Chingado mentirosa puta. 

I placed out at UT.  2 years in high school.  I certainly could still get around a Spanish speaking country, but I’m really fucking rusty.

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Longhorn_Fan68

Longhorn_Fan68 33859

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23 hours ago, beer said:

How can you be fluent in spanish and forget it?  I learned it and really worked at it in college, and now I literally cannot forget it.  It is somewhere deep inside my brain such that it just comes out when I want it to.  I improve my fluency through practice but it is in my brain in a special place that is different from anything else I learned.  I am certain that short of a stroke it cannot be forgotten.  Chingado mentirosa puta. 

I didn't use it. Like any skill, if you don't keep it sharp it will no longer be a skill. As I said before, I can understand a lot - what I am weak at is response.

But congrats to you for your big brain. Maybe when I grow up I can be like you. :P 🤣

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beer

beer 3220

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8 hours ago, Longhorn_Fan68 said:

I didn't use it. Like any skill, if you don't keep it sharp it will no longer be a skill. As I said before, I can understand a lot - what I am weak at is response.

But congrats to you for your big brain. Maybe when I grow up I can be like you. :P 🤣

If you knew my old smooth brain you'd laugh - and thats my point.  People who learn a language have a hard time forgetting it but if you learned it as a child I can see how that could atrophy.  

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Bevo

Bevo 13559

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On 4/10/2023 at 3:45 PM, Longhorn_Fan68 said:

One of my biggest regrets from college was placing out of the language requirements. Cocky 18yo me thought that I since was (basically) fluent in spanish that I didn't need to take it college. Well, fast forward to now - I don't know how to speak it anymore and I want to relearn it. Does anyone have a suggestion for the best online/app course to take. I don't need to start from scratch. I can still understand a good bit, but where I fall short is the answering back. Thanks in advance.

You might want to start dating a latina about 15 years younger than you. That should help.

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ztejas

ztejas 43411

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16 hours ago, Longhorn_Fan68 said:

As I said before, I can understand a lot - what I am weak at is response.

Opposite for me. My verbal has gotten a lot better - I feel like my comprehension is lagging - especially with certain accents. I think just watching Spanish language stuff with subtitles would help. 

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iodeac

iodeac 138

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I threw myself into learning Spanish about six years ago and would probably put myself around a C1 level. I think without living in a Spanish speaking country it will be almost impossible to reach native speaker fluency, but I love the language.

Duolingo is fun and user friendly but will never get you where your want to go.
For podcasts, I started with Notes in Spanish, they have tons of content for all levels.
Also a plug for Spanishland school and their podcast Españolistos, it's one of the best. Plus the owners are really good people.

If you don't have money, find a language partner through Conversation Exchange.

If you do have money, get a tutor through Italki. You can also try Baselang which is what I mostly use.
Most inportantly, don't be afraid to make mistakes. I know too many people who hold themselves back because they think people will laugh at them. Nobody cares if you make a mistake.

Also, immerse yourself in the culture. Find a Meetup group or start your own. Explore festivals and concerts, here in Charlotte we have Empanadafest and Hola Charlotte which are really good. Go to some authentic latino restaurants and bakeries and mercados. Enjoy the journey, it's very rewarding. I dream in Spanish all the time and the first time it happens it'll blow your mind.

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Bevo&Pevo

Bevo&Pevo 5120

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^^^ I hadn't thought about dreaming in Espanol.   For the record, I'm using Duo and RStone almost daily.  A couple of months ago I was at a Jack in the Box for some tiny tacos.  The man and woman in front were trying to tell the cashier what they wanted (in Spanish) and it wasn't working out.  I leaned around 'em and told the cashier what they wanted.  It felt kinda weird (and satisfying) to be honest, but it all worked out.  They were very thankful. 

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TwiceHorn

TwiceHorn 31435

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I took Spanish at various levels from 5th grade (mandatory Hola Isabel, como estas?) to 10th grade (minimum two years), at what my school called "major works" level for pre-AP.

I still have pretty good vocabulary and a reasonable grasp of conjugation/tenses so that I can read it fairly well.  But I never really had a practical sense of grammar and the ability to assemble sentences on the fly.  So, I never was very conversational.

A friend used to like to watch futbol and other incidental programming on spanish-langage channels and claimed that helped.  I never really got it.

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TexasEd

TexasEd 8066

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I've dreamt in French when I was in High School.  Maybe it was Mdme Kirkwood, my only teacher in her 20s or the girl I met at the French school I was assigned as a pen pal. I had been to France and Belgium before this happened so maybe it was that exposure (As a 9th grader I saw a woman walk down the Champs Elysee  with a clear rain coat over her bra and panties.)  Anyway I think it had to do with one of those.

Either way I speak Spanish better than French and use it as much as possible but I always say "Entiendo mucho pero hablo como un nino."

My kids are using Duo Lingo and say they like it but I have not gotten into it yet.  I need to brush up before I go to Costa Rico and could work on the French before going to Canada or Paris.

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Doc Daneeka

Doc Daneeka 6769

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On 4/25/2023 at 5:00 PM, TexasEd said:

I always say "Entiendo mucho pero hablo como un nino."

This is me. Un niño estupido. Add in that my “r” and “rr” are awful on top of a very poor accent, in general, and it’s hard to get myself to speak much. Short phrases and gestures are still my go to, and I know I need to get over that. 

My SO is a realtor and deals with a lot of Spanish-speaking clients because she’s fluent and no one else in her office is. Sometimes I go with her on showings and I can understand 98% of what they say. Probably more than I could understand a conversation among people from New Jersey or Australia.

When I was young I had a speech issue where I’d say “wake” instead of “lake,” for example. I’ve been over it for decades and no one is the wiser except fucking Rosetta Stone. Sometimes it takes ten tries to get it to accept “hola” or “la niña” or anything with an L sound that doesn’t blend well into the surroundings. I’m good to go on, say, bolígrafo, though. Yay. Anyway, I fired up RS again today because half of the point of learning the damned language is being able to communicate at a higher than “Otra cerveza, por favor” level.

Speaking of communication, one of the podcasts I listen to had a conversation about all the cool phrases they learned when they first started learning and traveling. “¿Disculpe señor. Cómo llegar al centro, por favor?” Then he saw a guy roll up on a bike, shrug his shoulders, and ask “¿El centro?” and take off in the direction the native guy pointed. So, yeah. 

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South Austin

South Austin 52439

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I'm a dumbass who took two years of Latin in college, because I took two years of Latin in high school and I really liked the teacher, and aside from the language the historical context was interesting to me.  But I had no clue that I'd eventually end up in Texas where Spanish is a second language, and no sense of the value of learning a language -- Spanish, French, whatever -- that had some practical application.  I knew I wanted to go to law school, and sometimes people would say that Latin might be good because a lot of legal terms are in Latin.  Well big fucking deal, there are a few Latin terms, but I honestly couldn't tell you the translation of those terms, I just know the legal meaning. 

If I had a do-over, I'd have taken Spanish or French. 

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Upgrayedd

Upgrayedd 5810

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8 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I'm a dumbass who took two years of Latin in college, because I took two years of Latin in high school and I really liked the teacher, and aside from the language the historical context was interesting to me.  But I had no clue that I'd eventually end up in Texas where Spanish is a second language, and no sense of the value of learning a language -- Spanish, French, whatever -- that had some practical application.  I knew I wanted to go to law school, and sometimes people would say that Latin might be good because a lot of legal terms are in Latin.  Well big fucking deal, there are a few Latin terms, but I honestly couldn't tell you the translation of those terms, I just now the legal meaning. 

If I had a do-over, I'd have taken Spanish or French. 

Romanes Eunt Domus

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fattyflattie

fattyflattie 4639

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2 hours ago, South Austin said:

If I had a do-over, I'd have taken Spanish or French. 

We’ve got our kids learning Spanish thru programs out of school (no languages yet) and I think we’ll have them far enough to do French in school when it comes time. That’s the plan anyhow.  

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Doc Daneeka

Doc Daneeka 6769

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3 hours ago, South Austin said:

I'm a dumbass who took two years of Latin in college, because I took two years of Latin in high school and I really liked the teacher, and aside from the language the historical context was interesting to me.  But I had no clue that I'd eventually end up in Texas where Spanish is a second language, and no sense of the value of learning a language -- Spanish, French, whatever -- that had some practical application.  I knew I wanted to go to law school, and sometimes people would say that Latin might be good because a lot of legal terms are in Latin.  Well big fucking deal, there are a few Latin terms, but I honestly couldn't tell you the translation of those terms, I just know the legal meaning. 

If I had a do-over, I'd have taken Spanish or French. 

IMO, Latin goes a long way toward helping with Spanish vocabulary. I also took Latin in college for the stupid law school reason — and because I hated Spanish after my high school experience — but I’m probably better off than off with that background and learning through exposure and comprehensible input than if I’d sat in a college classroom saying “hablo, habla, habla, hablamos…”

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South Austin

South Austin 52439

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1 minute ago, Doc Daneeka said:

IMO, Latin goes a long way toward helping with Spanish vocabulary. I also took Latin in college for the stupid law school reason — and because I hated Spanish after my high school experience — but I’m probably better off than off with that background and learning through exposure and comprehensible input than if I’d sat in a college classroom saying “hablo, habla, habla, hablamos…”

I forgot to mention that after taking Latin my first two years of high school, I took Spanish because the school on the Marine Corps base to which my dad was transferred before my junior year didn't offer Latin.  My Spanish teacher was a beloved figure in that school, but he absolutely sucked as a teacher, and we basically learned a few phrases and spent most of the year watching Univision.  I said "fuck Spanish" my senior year, and went back to Latin to satisfy my foreign language requirement in college.  But I do recall picking up the vocabulary my one year in Spanish fairly easy, and I'm sure it was the two years of Latin prior.

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52-80

52-80 19142

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duolingo is pretty tits.

i'm using it for multiple languages: one from scratch; one learned in hs; one learned in college; and a few others.  also had experience with private/adult classes, self-learning programs; podcasts and such.

it's extremely good because: the lessons are bite-sized, accessible anytime, and it keeps you engaged; they mix up the learning well so you're not learning blocks of grammar, vocabulary, listening, etc all in a single block. 

will it make you fluent?  probably not, but far better than self-learning alternatives if you dont have the discipline to sit through paper exercises or audio exercises.

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beer

beer 3220

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1 minute ago, Upgrayedd said:

Is this how I ask for where to score cartel bam bam when I’m down there?  Gracias!

Almost, its "dame los drogas o chingara a tus madre por segunda vez".  Thats the polite voice though, you will sound a bit like you learned it in a book. 

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conVINCEd

conVINCEd 21469

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On 7/10/2023 at 8:38 AM, South Austin said:

I'm a dumbass who took two years of Latin in college, because I took two years of Latin in high school and I really liked the teacher, and aside from the language the historical context was interesting to me.  But I had no clue that I'd eventually end up in Texas where Spanish is a second language, and no sense of the value of learning a language -- Spanish, French, whatever -- that had some practical application.  I knew I wanted to go to law school, and sometimes people would say that Latin might be good because a lot of legal terms are in Latin.  Well big fucking deal, there are a few Latin terms, but I honestly couldn't tell you the translation of those terms, I just know the legal meaning. 

If I had a do-over, I'd have taken Spanish or French. 

You take Spanish because it’s practical.  You take French because you will be the only guy in the class.

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beer

beer 3220

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5 hours ago, iodeac said:
5 hours ago, beer said:
Si yo fuera tú, me chingara a tantas madres jóvenes como pudiera. Pero esto es mi. 

*Chingaría*

Thats the shit I forget.  I sound like - You are isshol, I fuck up your salat

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Doc Daneeka

Doc Daneeka 6769

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12 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

Anyone tried Babbel for Spanish?

I used it a couple of years ago and really liked it. It had practical phrases using verb tenses that could be useful for general conversation. I had a million things going on and let my subscription expire. I tried it again about a year ago and hated it. It’s like it wasn’t even the same app. I don’t know if it changed or I did. If they have a free trial, it would probably be worth checking out to see how it fits your needs because there was a time when it was pretty helpful for me. 

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