Learning Spanish

CBear1993

Thanks for all the replies. I’m someone who struggles with sticking at something unless I structure it into a routine.

Any advice on how much time to commit to it per week / day?

bilbot79

I started from scratch on Duolingo and now I'm at the point where I can pretty much read newspaper articles. Can't speak a word of it though as zero conversation practice.

Woke Hogan

CBear1993 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies. I’m someone who struggles with sticking at something unless I structure it into a routine.

Any advice on how much time to commit to it per week / day?

Do at least a little bit of study every day, even if it's just five-ten minutes, until it sticks and you can do more and more. If you set out to do an hour a day or five hours a week or whatever you'll burn yourself out after a few days.

EagererBeaver

Ipso wrote: »

Move to Barcelona or Bilbao for a while.

While clearly tongue in cheek, you could absolutely move to Barcelona or Bilbao to learn Spanish. It is widely spoken as the daily language in Bilbao which is certainly not the most "Basque" of cities in the Basque country.

mistersifter wrote: »

Argentinians use the word vos instead of tu, which has implications for verbs forms. Its distinctive but certainly not incomprehensible to people from other countries.

While they can use vos, the conjugated forms of the verbs do not change.

Upforthematch wrote: »

If the Op wants to go to Mexico though it's wasting their time learning Castilian.

This is nonsense. The Spanish they speak in Mexico is the Spanish they speak in Spain. There are of course differences in vocabulary (along with some minor grammatical differences) due to the separate evolution of the language and geographic influence of other proximate languages. It would be like saying someone wanting to learn English couldn't go to London if they planned to live in the US.

Castellano is the base/language for all "Spanish" spoken throughout the world. Master it and you'll be fine conversing with any Spanish speaker the world over.

YFlyer

Don't get rid of the lisp.

EagererBeaver

Oh and to answer the OPs question, the best way would be to do a course somewhere along with some study of vocab and basic grammar to get you to a point where you can have a very basic conversation with someone. Then find yourself a Spaniard learning English to do an "intercambio" with. There's a mountain of them in Dublin!

EagererBeaver

CBear1993 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies. I’m someone who struggles with sticking at something unless I structure it into a routine.

Any advice on how much time to commit to it per week / day?

Entirely depends on how much time you have to commit. I started learning in school at 11 and spent an hour a week on it. Of course I had 7 years of school to get me up to scratch after that...

For an adult beginner, a basic course you'd find would be something like three hours a week. If you go with a structured online learning platform (not something like Duolingo) I would suggest the same three hours would be suitable, along with maybe an hour's study on vocab and another on grammar.

The important thing though is to be able to find a way to use it outside the formal learning environment. This is where something like Duolingo might come in useful if you don't have any Spaniards to talk to

maestroamado

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsLYD1Jyf3A

I would suggest you have a look at this as the Spanish pronounce all letters with the exception of (h) which is not pronounced at all in some cases. Then the (J) is pronounced as (h)
I think if you start by looking at this every day for a week or so and when she says the letter say it out loud yourself may be a help.

I only just seen this myself now as when i saw your post i google and this is what came up, i will have a look at it a few times myself as unfortunately i need to study abit myself.

good luck

mirrormatrix

CBear1993 wrote: »

Class thanks!! Would you spend much time per week / day on these?

Depends, what's your goal? How long are you setting yourself to achieve it? What is your starting point?

I've been learning Spanish on and off for 10 years now and have become relatively fluent. Some resources I found that helped me:

DuoLingo (good for grammar at the beginning, useless for vocab)
StudySpanish.com (again, good for grammar)
https://www.notesinspanish.com/ (fantastic resource for listening comprehension. Highly recommended. Ben and Marina are really quite charming)
Radioambulante (NPR channel. This is for more advanced learners, but is great for giving you really interesting stories, while hearing lots of different accents from central and south america. Full transcriptions of all podcasts available on the website)
Lupa.app (runs in conjunction with radioambulante. Paid service. Gives you the option to slow down all podccasts, while visualising some, none or all of the words in real time)
Netflix (all netflix own shows allow changing the language to spanish. Start with something you enjoy and have watched before)
RTVE app (can watch live channels in Spain)

Best of luck with it!

ILoveYourVibes

I've been to Bilbao ...its lovely! Its one of the faster speaking parts of spain tho. There is a lot of Arab architecture.

And yes they do speak spanish. Its all you will ever need.

There is also Euskara. It sounds NOTHING like its written. ...but it sounds like someone speaking a crazy language with a spanish accent. Its written crazy lots of x's ..but none of them sound like that. Its totally unlike any language i have ever heard.

But you won't hear it in Bilbao. People are reluctant to speak it. Im told small towns way outside of Bilbao still speak a little.


Here is a song. In Euskara.

When i first read the lyrics i was like OMG i can understand Euskara! Then i realized i was reading the spanish translation underneath

It just says we are Euskal We are Euskal we have to push on.. rise etc

I never heard it in Bilbao. I only heard it when i got back on records etc songs and youtube.

Weather is nice in summer ...winter just rains ..think france lashing rain

CBear1993

CBear1993 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies. I’m someone who struggles with sticking at something unless I structure it into a routine.

Any advice on how much time to commit to it per week / day?

Routines come from habits, and habits are formed from repetition. Do a small amount every day, at the same time. As you progress, you'll increase/decrease the amount due to how busy you are, but the important part, is to always do it a little at that time. But don't hold yourself to an hour or a large chunk of time... you'll grow to hate giving up that period, and that will transfer to your language learning.

After a while, it'll bother you not to be doing Spanish at that time (or whatever learning experience). I'm improving my Chinese vocab and self-learning Korean... I do 15 minutes every morning at 7am, and again at 11pm. Having the two times helps with retention. It's a minimum of 15 minutes every day regardless of how I feel, and with language learning, listening/practicing can be combined with other basic activities.

It's also useful to do your 15 minutes before you have a shower in the morning. Showers help with memory and the association with something physical (and considered necessary for most of us), will help you to remember. (the act, and the information)

Ted_YNWA

Moving from AH

KevRossi

bilbot79 wrote: »

I started from scratch on Duolingo and now I'm at the point where I can pretty much read newspaper articles. Can't speak a word of it though as zero conversation practice.

I have fluent German and very good French, so I'll give you my tip on conversation practice; Practice with yourself.

Start speaking to yourself in Spanish, so instead of thinking; "I'm hungry, I'll see if there's anything to eat in the fridge", just think the same to yourself in Spanish. When it does come to speaking the language you won't have to go looking for words and phrases, you'll already have a fair few of them off.

The poster above who said to put Post-it notes on everything is right as well.

Look for Spanish books for kids, especially those with a lot of conversation in them, it'll be easier to read and understand than books for adults.
Try to find Spanish TV programmes online for kids, again the language they use will be a lot simpler.

Offer free language classes to Spanish people here in return for the same. Meet up for 2 hours; one hour speaking English, one hour speaking Spanish. You can do this via Zoom as well with people in Spain.

Finally, try to get a couple of weeks in Spain, do not go to a main touristed area as a good deal of people will speak English, rent a house in a smaller town and start chatting to people.

Also, if in Dublin there are conversational groups in the Central Library in the ILAC centre every week, not sure when they will kick off again after COVID.

EagererBeaver

Because of the independence question in the Basque Country and Catalunya, the "fear factor" of trying to learn Spanish there is often overplayed. Spanish is clearly the day to day language for the vast majority of Basques. Where it gets difficult for learners is that signage, labels in supermarkets etc will be primarily in Basque.

In Catalunya it's a bit different. Catalan is the daily language in the city amongst the natives (Latinos, intents from the rest of Spain, second generation Arab and Pakistanis make up a significant element of the population and will speak Spanish first) but EVERYBODY also speaks Spanish and has no problem speaking it to you. The idea that Catalans begrudge using it is a complete myth. Again however (even moreso) road signs, signs on public transport, announcements etc will always be primarily in Catalan

ILoveYourVibes

CBear1993 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies. I’m someone who struggles with sticking at something unless I structure it into a routine.

Any advice on how much time to commit to it per week / day?

Ok well when i was a kid ..i did 2 hrs a week of actual classes. Then zero and I MEAN ZERO study at home i did literally NOTHING. But whenever i went to play in my neighbors house she would speak it.

I then lived there for a year and did pretty ok. I think its diff as a kid though.

Just get into a habit that you put on a CD anytime you go into the car. Take an hr class a week then do a bit of self study. Then take a few holidays there.

Buy a few books.

ILoveYourVibes

EagererBeaver wrote: »

Because of the independence question in the Basque Country and Catalunya, the "fear factor" of trying to learn Spanish there is often overplayed. Spanish is clearly the day to day language for the vast majority of Basques. Where it gets difficult for learners is that signage, labels in supermarkets etc will be primarily in Basque.

Its looks like czech or something!

They always have spanish too tho. Either on the same sign ..or sometimes on spanish signage the other side of the street or something.

EagererBeaver

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Its looks like czech or something!

They always have spanish too tho. Either on the same sign ..or sometimes on spanish signage the other side of the street or something.

Of course, but it makes it that little bit harder and more confusing, albeit perhaps a bit richer and more rewarding.

For example, I've been living in Barcelona the last five years and umpteen words from Catalan (which I don't speak but have merely absorbed to a limited degree) have crept into my vocab when speaking Spanish. It's ok here but when I visit my brothers and their families in Madrid and talk about pastanagas instead of zanahorias it can cause confusion.

ILoveYourVibes

EagererBeaver wrote: »

Of course, but it makes it that little bit harder and more confusing, albeit perhaps a bit richer and more rewarding.

For example, I've been living in Barcelona the last five years and umpteen words from Catalan (which I don't speak but have merely absorbed to a limited degree) have crept into my vocab when speaking Spanish. It's ok here but when I visit my brothers and their families in Madrid and talk about pastanagas instead of zanahorias it can cause confusion.

I actually meant Basque/Euskara. :P


Catalan is just like spanish. If you can speak spanish you can understand most of what a catalan says like 90%. They say french speakers can understand a lot too.

Whereas Basque ..its nuts to me. Impenetrable.

EagererBeaver

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

I actually meant Basque/Euskara. :P


Catalan is just like spanish. If you can speak spanish you can understand most of what a catalan says. They say french speakers can understand a lot too.

Whereas Basque ..its nuts to me. Impenetrable.

I know what you meant, I'm talking about the principle of having two languages side by side when you're trying to learn one of them.

The bolded bit is patently untrue. If two Catalans are having a conversation and a madrileño is listening in on it, they might understand 10-15% of it, at best.

Woke Hogan

EagererBeaver wrote: »

Of course, but it makes it that little bit harder and more confusing, albeit perhaps a bit richer and more rewarding.

For example, I've been living in Barcelona the last five years and umpteen words from Catalan (which I don't speak but have merely absorbed to a limited degree) have crept into my vocab when speaking Spanish. It's ok here but when I visit my brothers and their families in Madrid and talk about pastanagas instead of zanahorias it can cause confusion.

I hope you don't mind me asking but are you Spanish?

ILoveYourVibes

EagererBeaver wrote: »

I know what you meant, I'm talking about the principle of having two languages side by side when you're trying to learn one of them.

The bolded bit is patently untrue. If two Catalans are having a conversation and a madrileño is listening in on it, they might understand 10-15% of it, at best.

Emmm nope. 70% at least.

My spanish teacher was a native catalan speaker her husband was argentinian he could understand a huge amount of it. Not having learnt.

I can get the jist of it. I am no native level speaker of spanish.
A spanish speaker never living in valencia would understand most of it. If spoken slowly with no slang.

A catalan, a french canadian and a mexican all speaking in their own languages. Catalan is like french and spanish mixed.

EagererBeaver

Woke Hogan wrote: »

I hope you don't mind me asking but are you Spanish?

Very much not. I'm from Belfast.

EagererBeaver

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Emmm nope. 70% at least.

My spanish teacher was a native catalan speaker her husband was argentinian he could understand a huge amount of it. Not having learnt.

I can get the jist of it. I am no native level speaker of spanish.
A spanish speaker never living in valencia would understand most of it. If spoken slowly with no slang.

It's a redundant way to describe it, perhaps even offensive to some, but I'd say Catalan is about a third Spanish, a third French and a third it's own language.

There is not a hope a madrileño (or any other non Catalan speaking Spaniard), with no experience or knowledge of Catalan, could follow a conversation between two native Catalans with 70% understanding. Not. A. Hope. Gallego? Yes. Catalan? Not a chance. I'll give you an example. My Basque sister-in-law (fluent Spanish, Basque and English speaker), from Donostia, did her MBA at ESADE in Barcelona. She says she could barely understand a word of it.

Reading it, they could maybe get 40-50%, but a spoken conversation would be way, way lower.

ILoveYourVibes

EagererBeaver wrote: »

It's a redundant way to describe it, perhaps even offensive to some, but I'd say Catalan is about a third Spanish, a third French and a third it's own language.

There is not a hope a madrileño (or any other non Catalan speaking Spaniard), with no experience or knowledge of Catalan, could follow a conversation between two native Catalans with 70% understanding. Not. A. Hope. Gallego? Yes. Catalan? Not a chance. I'll give you an example. My Basque sister-in-law (fluent Spanish, Basque and English speaker), from Donostia, did her MBA at ESADE in Barcelona. She says she could barely understand a word of it.

Reading it, they could maybe get 40-50%, but a spoken conversation would be way, way lower.

I don't think it would be offensive to any catalan speakers. They are pretty friendly Watch the videos ..They all speak spanish too. Its not the same political situation as Euskara. They are totally diff. Also some Euskal consider themselves totally spanish 100%.

It's absolutely impossible what you have said about your sister in law. Infact you should be able to understand 60% of it just from having spanish alone.

Spanish and catalan have a 75% lexical similarity.

I mean i can understand a good deal of it. And my spanish is not great.

EagererBeaver

Sorry mate, you're flat out wrong.

ILoveYourVibes

EagererBeaver wrote: »

Sorry mate, you're flat out wrong.

Catalan

• 1 – un.
• 2 – dos.
• 3 – tres.
• 4 – quatre.
• 5 – cinc.
• 6 – sis.
• 7 – set.
• 8 – vuit.

Catalan

Hola come estas?
Spanish
Hola como estas?




Catalan
Pus tenir une galeta?


Spanish



Puedo Tener una galleta?



Both use the verb Tene and the word galleta.



Pus /Puedo.


Catalan


Sentir to feel


Em sento I feel



Et sents millor./ You feel better




Spanish



Sentir to feel



Yo siento I feel


te sientes mejor/You feel better.



Trousers
Catalon
Pantalons
Spanish
Pantalones

To dress

Spanish.

Para Vestir

Catalan

Per Vester.

Same verb Vester/Vestir

Catalan To be

Ser

Spanish to be

Ser erstar.



To fall asleep

Catalan
admormir
He Dormit / I slept.


Spanish

Dormir

Yo Dormi / I slept


Spanish.

Yo camine/ I walked.

Catalan

Vaig camine/ I walked.

Spanish To see

Para Ver

Catalan

Veure To see

Catalan

Escultar

NOW GOOGLE SAYS ESCUCHAR for the spanish but i have DEFINITELY heard escultar in spanish.

But i remember from italian operas anyways signor ascolta ..oh signor ascolta!

Spanish admire

Admiro

Catalan

Admiro.

Butter.

catalan

Mantega

Spanish

Mantequilla.

BUT if you know Argentinian spanish ...the word for butter is Manteca ..which is even MORE similar to the catalan word


It goes on an on.

My spanish aint even good bro.

P.S sorry for my terrible awful spanish. Honestly when i can't spell something ..i just make it up! When i don't know something ..i literally make a word up!

FVP3

Catalan is clearly somewhere between Spanish and French.

EagererBeaver

Yes, it does go on and on.

Spanish - ensalada
Catalan - amanida

Spanish - zanahoria
Catalan - pastanaga

Spanish - fresa, frambuesa, naranja
Catalan - maduixa, gerd, taronja

Spanish - desayunar
Catalan - esmorzar

Spanish - te quiero
Catalan - t'estimo

Spanish - no tenemos miedo
Catalan - no tenim por

Spanish - hasta maña
Catalan - fins demà

See, I can selectively choose arguements to suit y narrative as well. It's always helpful.

Having a conversation is not the same as words in a page - it introduces pronunciation, nuance etc. A native Spanish speaker with no knowledge of catalan could not understand a conversation between two Catalans (which was my original assertion). Trust me, I live and work in Barcelona with Spaniards, Catalans and many other nationalities. This comes up a lot.

ILoveYourVibes

FVP3 wrote: »

Catalan is clearly somewhere between Spanish and French.

Bits of Italian too...and spanish people always tell me that Argentinian spanish sounds like Italian to them. Just the accent ...not that its a diff language.

ILoveYourVibes

EagererBeaver wrote: »

Yes, it does go on and on.

Spanish - ensalada
Catalan - amanida

Spanish - zanahoria
Catalan - pastanaga

Spanish - fresa, frambuesa, naranja
Catalan - maduixa, gerd, taronja

Spanish - desayunar
Catalan - esmorzar

Spanish - te quiero
Catalan - t'estimo

Spanish - no tenemos miedo
Catalan - no tenim por

Spanish - hasta maña
Catalan - fins demà

See, I can selectively choose arguements to suit y narrative as well. It's always helpful.

Having a conversation is not the same as words in a page - it introduces pronunciation, nuance etc. A native Spanish speaker with no knowledge of catalan could not understand a conversation between two Catalans (which was my original assertion. Trust me, I live and work in Barcelona wit Spaniards, Catalans and many other nationalities. This comes up a lot.

Then why can i?

I would so get naranja from taranja!

Estimo is obv. You would totally understand that.