learning 2nd language for fta

[bama1]

After modding my dtv pizza dish for 30w and rescanning the satmex sats, realized with a little help (cd/dvd) might learn a second language and be able to understand what might be some interesting shows or at least the baseball games and fights. Its been almost 50 years since jr high spanish class so am wondering if anyone else has done this? and what program did you use to learn enough to get the gist?

thanks

 

[Conky]

I watch the english movies on Cubavision and read along with the subtitles. In 1 year I've gone from no knowledge of Spanish to being able to understand the gist of a conversation

 

[Lone Gunman]

I got a copy of a Spanish language program back about 2 years ago and tried to get the Wife to join me in learning a second language but she refused and I won't do it by myself. At this point it would probably be beneficial to learn both Spanish and Chinese. At least then you'd know when they're making fun of you or calling you bad names! ;-)

 

[Bob2011]

I watch the english movies on Cubavision and read along with the subtitles. In 1 year I've gone from no knowledge of Spanish to being able to understand the gist of a conversation

I had 3 years of Spanish in school and understand a decent amount but I have to say many of the translations are not accurate IMO. They seem to use the same swear word for several English expletives. Maybe its the Cuban government softening up rough American movies.

To really watch a Spanish channel full time I would need a lot of conversational Spanish help. There are slight differences in the way words are spoken that change the meaning quite a bit. Its the reason why Americans look foolish on vacation because they use feminine words in a masculine situation or informal language in a formal encounter.

 

[toucan-man]

I study Persian, Spanish, and Japanese. This is what led me to FTA. Could work the other way around, I suspect, but language study is HARD WORK for most of us. Conky, yours is a cool story -- thanks for mentioning that!

 

[hd fan]

Bob2011, In regards of the Spanish subtitles on the US movies on Cubavision,there are 2 kinds. The ones made by the cuban translation service provided by the ICRT (every translation comprises 3 specialists , a translator, a grammar corrector, and the actual person typing the text I guess (plus the censor guy but not mentioned lol)) which IMO are way better quality that the other ones. The other ones being the spanish subtitles already embeded on the video when Cuba recorded the movie that are usually provided by other countries services or even who knows who. BTW , Cuba is among the far and few countries that can afford to have tv shows subtitled with the original foreing audio track since its population seems to be among the ones with the highest literacy rate.

I agree it is sad to see that these days most USA made movies played on Cuban TV unfortunaelly already came with spanish subtitles therefore in most cases they are even hard to understand for somenone like me who is a native spanish speaking person. Right before the movie starts , pay attention to the warning screen the cuban tv shows, advicing the tv viewer that unfortunaelly the movie was not subtitled in cuba therefore contains lots of errors.

I am also surprised to see that certain words are not even censored and are even translated as they are. As a matter of fact , in regards of the spoken language used and shown on TV in Cuba nowadays, there is a lot of debate going on , since the current cuban soap opera , very successfull BTW, is addressing this and other social issues and therefore presenting cuban reality as it is including the street spoken language as it is being used these days.

I do not think they have Spanish classes on both Canal Educativo's (I have seen English, French and even Portuguese but no Spanish classes which BTW are mandatory till 12 grade for all cubans) otherwise you could tuine to those sclases during weeknights to learn more. EWTN (at 58W) spanish audio service usually is spoken at a slow pace therefore easier to understand and maybe you can even create with manual PID a tv channel that contains the spanish audio track but with the english subtitled video service. Also try Soap operas in general but avoid news shows or other live shows since they usually speak too fast on those if you want to learn more. And even better try speaking with the local spanish speaking women on the street , at least the cubans , have not gave up their freedom to speak to strangers yet , lol. Maybe you will end up learning something more than just another language , lol.

 

[the_man_one]

lol isnt english hard enough for yall?

 

[Blindowl1234]

I wish I would've learned spanish years ago there's a lot of good shows to watch. English and the Kentucky dialect is a enough for me ya'll....Blind

 

[Pixl]

I wish I would've learned spanish years ago there's a lot of good shows to watch. English and the Kentucky dialect is a enough for me ya'll....Blind

Try speaking "Youper" when you are in The upper penninsula of Michigan. "Hey..how bout dose Pockers eh"
Makes learning Spanish look easy. Si

 

[jaytay]

I took two years of Spanish in high school. Me and several neighbors started taking a once-a-week, Spanish grammar class from Panamanian neighbor about a year ago. I'm in my early 40's now.

FTA has been a great addition to my 2nd language studies. I've been learning a lot in the class, and have been watching Galavision East/West, Telemundo East/West, Azteca 7, Azteca 13, and Univision for "conversation-listening" practice. I especially like watching the US news in Spanish.

I have also been paying attention for Spanish-language music that I like. Once I find an artist, I buy a CD, and translate the songs.

I know that I'll never be fluent, but am having a good time learning.

 

[Conky]

there are always nuances of any language that get lost in translation. you are at the mercy of the subtitle creator. I am of Czech descent but can't speak it. I'll be watching a movie with english subtitles and my dad will say "that's not what they said" there's about a dozen czech words for "pig"(they're a rural people but each have different meanings

I noticed on a Cubavision movie someone said "Russian spy" and the subtitle font changed for a sentence then went back to normal

 

[El_Viejo]

I made better grades in Spanish than I did in English. Spanish helped me understand English grammar better. I took a year in high school and have had some conversational classes along the way. When my wife and I ran a laundromat for a while, I had several hispanic customers and I would practice with them. But, I still am not fluent. They tell me it takes about 5 years working at it to become fluent. yes, some words are pronounced differently in some countries and they even use different words for the same thing. I taught beginning Spanish in a Christian school for 2 years and I noticed that some of the words in the textbook were different than the words I know for the same thing. For instance, I knew peach as durazno and the book used melacaton. The book taught waiter as camarrero and the word I had been taught was mesero (from Mexico). I told my students they probably should us mesero, because most of the waiters they would meet more than likely come from Mexico. But, I also told them that they should refer to Spanish speaking people as 'hispanic' or 'latino' rather than label them with a country. It would be like calling me an Englishman just because I speak English, but I am an American. Enuf for now. El_Viejo

 

[the_man_one]

i have yet to find a reason to learn another language... if i cant understand someone i just dont talk to em)

 

[northgeorgia]

I should probably point out that I've been teaching Spanish and ESL for 13 - 14 years now, and lived in Mexico for 3 years. For the past two years, I've been trying to start up my own business tutoring people in Spanish and English -- most of them through the Internet with teleconferencing software. Let me know if you're interested in Spanish, and I'd be glad to set something up for you and give a free sample lesson.

 

[k3n0bl]

THE best spanish learning SOFTWARE is called TELL ME MORE SPANISH.... don't buy into the Rosetta Stone hype, it's trash. Watching movies that you know forwards/backwards in English with spanish audio is always helpful, and use of subtitles always helps with translation.

Good luck!

 

[stanleyjohn]

I have been thinking about learning spanish!This way there will be a good amount more of FTA i can enjoy and when some co workers are speaking spanish i can understand them.

 

[toucan-man]

...don't buy into the Rosetta Stone hype, it's trash.

I went into a bar in La Habana and asked if there was an elephant under the airplane and the guy told me my Spanish was perfect. Then I told him the green rectangle was smaller than the yellow triangle, and then the policia whisked me off the local hospital.

(you're so right)

 

[bama1]

searched the bay and found pimsleur cd at a price I can afford to lose if I can't/don't learn. After many yrs of southern living am afraid my ears don't hear as fast they speak on the shows, either spanish or english.

 

[toucan-man]

searched the bay and found pimsleur cd at a price I can afford to lose if I can't/don't learn. After many yrs of southern living am afraid my ears don't hear as fast they speak on the shows, either spanish or english.

You can also sometimes order the Pimsleur CDs through interlibrary loan at your public library. The first few lessons will amaze you, but it takes some real determination to make your way through all 90 lessons -- Spanish is one of the languages they have a full course for. I began Persian with Pimsleur Farsi, and with a totally foreign language it is impressive how you go from zero knowledge to some basic understanding in short order. You will learn good pronunciation with Pimsleur.

Don't overlook Michel Thomas* Spanish, which is also available as audio only, and has a large base of fanatically loyal users, and frankly I think it flows better and is easier to stick with than Pimsleur, but that's not to discount Pimsleur's method, just that you may need to work hard to get through the complete Pimsleur course.

I'm using Michel Thomas Japanese and it does a pretty good job of teaching the wa and ga of it, the little particles that seem so foreign at first. I also bought Michel Thomas Mandarin Chinese -- for later use -- and may pick up their Polish course as well. I'm sold on Michel Thomas, and quite literally, because these courses I could not find at the public library so turned to eBay and Amazon to find the best prices.

By the way, all of these courses I would consider introductory. Spanish is said to be an easy language to learn, but if that were true most adult learners would speak it flawlessly, and that is so far from true. Spanish is immense, the language might be "easier" than many others, but it is still a monster, there are nuances, there is slang, and in the end, like all languages, it is a giant master level jigsaw puzzle, and that's what makes language learning -- if it is your interest -- so fascinating and rewarding. You can spend the rest of your life with it.

As for speaking Southern, I envy you. I have an actor's course that teaches Southern accents, I fell in love with a Northern Louisiana sound, and intend to learn that as I would any foreign language. I love the way they talk in that part of Louisiana.

* read the Wikipedia article about Michel Thomas and see what Senator John McCain and others did for him. This part of his story is heartwarming.

 

[rogerduncan100]

You people that want to learn other languages certainly have my admiration. I love english but that's all I can handle!