Alejo_NIN

iTrader: (2)

lol wut?

i learned how to speak enlgish..very basic english, on my own at the age of 8 in colombia...all i had to learn was some random books and i would memorize the words.

what i am syaing is that if you truly love the language or have a necessity you'll pick it up, specially in miami where you can atcually practice it...i love the german language but i took 2 yrs in highschool and the lack of being able to practice it killed it...and another thing would be hanging out at the german chats, but they figure out pretty quickly that you are using google translate and kick you outl.

petrolmed

iTrader: (8)

You guys should check out duolingo.com, it is free and pretty intuitive to get the basics down quickly. It lets you read/type as well as listen/speak with a mic. Then the fluency practice of watching/listening to programming or talking to locals will be more efficient.

Plus, everyone can friend each other and compete.

y8s

iTrader: (8)

MIT for the free.

Spanish I | Foreign Languages and Literatures | MIT OpenCourseWare

Monk

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, I guess I should have explained where I'm coming from on that one.
I tagged along with my wife on an assignment for which she had to experience another culture through some sort of social event.
We found some random church in a Mexican community and tried to sit in the back quietly and observe.
We ended up being escorted to the front, and they actually translated the entire service just for us.
They were so excited that we spoke a little Spanish that they asked us to come onstage and give a little introduction.
I guess my point is that most of the Hispanic communities that I have experienced are very accommodating to non-spanish speakers,
and some sort of community event is a great way get out of your comfort zone and immerse yourself in the language.

Alejo_NIN

iTrader: (2)

yes, i see that too.
unlike american's when they hear someone barely speaking english become pissed off. cna't they see we love the language so much we actually took our time to at least try to learn it?
i find it so stupid, i've been living here 15 yrs and my english is not perfect..i try my best but always get the americans mocking my accent... sigh...have them try to speak mine!

FRT_Fun

iTrader: (19)

The ignorance in this post would offend me if I cared.

Right, all American's get pissed off when we hear someone barely speaking English. And all Americans can't see that you love the language so much you actually took your time to at least try to learn it. All Americans mock your accent.

You should generalize more with your statements. Or maybe that is just the poorly written jumbled mess of English that made it sound like that.

Alejo_NIN

iTrader: (2)

oh, i'm sorry..i meant ALL AMERICANS.

thanks for clarifying that.
not all americans

all americans.
americans.

TalkingPie

This. I was amazed by how welcoming the people were when I visited Peru (twice). I had family of a coworker treat me like their own, and when I was lost in a bad neighbourhood in Arequipa, an older lady stopped, without my asking, to give me directions and advice. This was all with my extremely limited list of phrases I could speak in Spanish, and the help of a dictionary. I was amazed by how much I was able to pick up in a couple of weeks (It really wasn't that much, but I was learning enough simple phrases that with some gesticulating I could generally get across what I needed). It surely helped that I already spoke some French, but immersing yourself in a language really is the only way to learn.

I'm frequently in Germany, and the Germans in general - at least in the Frankfurt area - have a really nice attitude towards language, as well. You almost have to force them to speak German with you, because they're usually willing, and proud, to speak English. If you do happen to speak German, they'll politely correct you when you make mistakes, not with the intention of embarrassing you, but to help you improve.

Honestly, the cultures with the shittiest attitudes I've experienced are the English and French-speakers. We English are just as bad of offenders - if not worse - but we at least get away with it because English really is widely spoken throughout the world. On the other hand, I've seen too many French-speakers, be it Swiss, French, or French Canadian, who go to other places and pretend that it's normal that everyone should speak French. Don't get me started about the language laws in my own home province which do everything they can to make speaking or writing English in public illegal, despite being completely surrounded by 300 million people who all speak it. And yes, there are dedicated language police, who have the right to walk into private businesses and start rifling through documents.

For those saying that immersion is impractical, check around in your city of what might be available to you. Around me, I know of at least two separate groups which get together one night every week to speak German. They meet at bars, and the scene is very relaxed, with people of all skill levels attending, including German and Swiss immigrants who are obviously fluent. It's a great way to practice the language, have some beers, and meet a variety of different people.

fooger03

iTrader: (2)

Try not to learn with english -> spanish flash cards or a similar translative method. The best way to ensure that you'll forever be translating the language in your head is to learn the language by memorizing the translation.

calteg

iTrader: (18)

Bad News: If you're out of your teens, there's a really, really high chance that you will ALWAYS be translating it in your head.

Good News: All of the romance languages (Spanish/French/Italian) are very similar. Once you get the syntax down, you just need to learn the verbs and conjugation to pick up the other languages...and there's a ton of carryover there too.

Costco has a Rosetta Stone knockoff for $30. It's not meant to be all-encompassing, but it's a decent start.

Cheekanuble

iTrader: (4)

it may sound stupid, but listen to spanish music and try to learn and pronunciate the lyrics.
and immersion to me is the biggest thing.
Put your facebook in spanish, spanish radio, spanish tv, spanish everything.
youre gonna have pupusas for the next month and you'll be able to make killer guacamoles.

enjoy broski, new languages are awesome

Alejo_NIN

iTrader: (2)

that's how i learned english and how to cook burgers and hotdogs
i do bbq's, celebrate thanks giving and 4th of july

pusha

iTrader: (5)

I already eat my girl's papusa every day and the only thing I've learned is how to make her toes curl

JasonC SBB

OK I admit I LOLed and coughed out my calamansgarita.

Monk

iTrader: (3)

Next time try saying the alphabet in Spanish. You get better at Spanish and oral sex.

pusha

iTrader: (5)

I learned what culo means.

EO2K

iTrader: (37)

Context generally makes that one self explanatory

gearhead_318

iTrader: (1)

I read the title of the thread. I read who started the thread. My first thought was "Pusha is going to try to learn English."

I'm fluent in Redneck and Ebonics myself, and I'm currently learning whatever they speak over here in California.

EO2K

iTrader: (37)

Why in the hell did you come here? Did your boss send you to Pendleton or something?

pusha

iTrader: (5)

Gimme a break