Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
- Benjamin Franklin
I sure wish this was the mindset when I was a kid. I view truly bi-lingual people fluent in English and Spanish with a special kind of wonder/admiration/jealous rage LOL
Those who can jump effortlessly between the two have a specially wired brain. I think that the only reliable way to get this, is learning at a young age. And the most amazing part of this is that once that brain connection is made, it's much easier to add more languages. I also can get a bit "ragey" when I reflect over my choice to study Latin in school for years.
I had visited the DR several times in my early 40's and knew nothing past 'hola' more or less. I decided to take a night class at the local community college to start learning. 8 weeks, one night a week, and a second course a bit later.......and it started simply.
Living here now definitely accelerated my ability to speak a bit more fluently, although I like to say at about the third grade level. I've had a few locals tell me I speak it very well for a gringo. That strokes the ego a bit, but the speed at which they blurt it out is definitely a challenge. Same for them when we speak English, as I've learned.
Take me the first steps and at least basic communication will improve. Trust me......it's worth it.
Last edited by Irie; 08-25-2018 at 06:52 PM.
Vida es buena....
If time is an issue get a book explaining spanish verbs and learn the basics.....to want, to need, to eat, to drink, to go, to say; well you get the idea. Once you know 10-15 verbs and a few other simple tricks you'll be surprised how much you can actually communicate to someone.
Enjoy it while you can.
Immersion helps tremendously, but for about two years prior to moving here it was steadily getting a bit better. Probably Kindergarten, but hey......it was better than nothing. I also listened to a lot of Spanish music when in the states. Definitely helps reinforce what is already learned.
As as we all know, the benefits are priceless.
I couldnt agree more. 10-15 or even around 7. This is key. My night class teacher was so focused on this, yet I didn't understand at the time. Later on it made perfect sense.
Forget Rosetta Stone or similar in the initial stages. You need to be able to describe what action, feeling, etc first. Cervezas, tetas, toto, etc will fall into place later.
Have you actually tried Rosetta Stone? It's the only thing that helped me break through the barrier and begin to retain a working vocabulary and structure. I had beat my head on other courses but this one was the only course I tried where there was zero English conversation or instruction. It's pictures and words. You learn to understand, then speak, then write each lesson and you are graded on pronunciation, comprehension and writing.
I still forget a shit load when I don't get to speak for a while and by the time I get my legs back under me in Spanish, it's time to go home but at least it helped me to understand the structure of the language. Only immersion in the language can solidify what is learned.
Yes, actually.......company sponsored and it was for about a year plus iirc. Everyone learns their own way, but I found it great for nouns and a few other things. To me, verb conjugation wasn't their strongpoint.....and that can be key imo. I hear some here who have no clue how that works. I still give them credit though for trying.
Either way, good luck minky.
I don't know of a more powerful motivational force than a fine ass, buck nekid 22 year old especially back when I 1st started frequenting the D.R. over a dozen years ago. It only took a little baby Spanish to free me from the casas and send me out into the shops, markets and clubs shopping for free-range Punani. No more salidas, no more clock watching and best of all, everything became negotiable.
I really believe that when they heard me trying to speak Spanish they felt sorry for me, drawing me to their bosom for comfort.
When I was in high school, '78-'82, it was mandatory to take 2 years of foreign language study and have a passing grade on my transcripts in order to be accepted into a state school in California. My choices were Spanish, French and German. I chose Spanish.
The first year during the basic introductory level, I did well, getting a B+ on my report card in each semester. But when I took the more advanced 2nd year, it was much more challenging and after a while, I kind of was going through the motions, figuring I would never have any use for Spanish, lost interest and faded to a D+ grade, which was heavily to blame for my whopping 1.6 GPA during my sophomore year.
An "F" in geometry did me in as well.
If only my teacher back then had told me that 30 years later, I would be banging Dominican ho's and that learning Spanish would be very beneficial to me, I know I would have been a much better student!
But I'll be damned if I haven't had a single use for geometry all these years later though!
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