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Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in General Chat
Okay, didn't really know where to put this so here will do.
Anyway, i want to try and improve my Spanish abit but its not just a matter of learning the basics and all that.
My mum is South American and has been speaking Spanish to me since i can remember, so i pretty much understand Spanish fine it's just when it comes to the speaking part i'm useless at.
I guess its just been the usual English lazyness part of me that has never tried to improve it, plus my mum understands english so i've always just been used to doing that.
I mean, i'm not that bad at speaking Spanish, its very broken and simple and if i had to i could just about get something out. I understand the majortiy of the Spanish words and its all in my head, but when it comes to saying it my mind goes blank.
Its really weird and annoying at the same time. Like, just for examples sake, i dunno, the word "tree", i would know and recognise that word if it was spoken to me but when it comes to me trying to say that word in a conversation my mind goes blank.
So any tips, ideas that could help me improve on this? Things i can do on my own, for now
Anyway, i want to try and improve my Spanish abit but its not just a matter of learning the basics and all that.
My mum is South American and has been speaking Spanish to me since i can remember, so i pretty much understand Spanish fine it's just when it comes to the speaking part i'm useless at.
I guess its just been the usual English lazyness part of me that has never tried to improve it, plus my mum understands english so i've always just been used to doing that.
I mean, i'm not that bad at speaking Spanish, its very broken and simple and if i had to i could just about get something out. I understand the majortiy of the Spanish words and its all in my head, but when it comes to saying it my mind goes blank.
Its really weird and annoying at the same time. Like, just for examples sake, i dunno, the word "tree", i would know and recognise that word if it was spoken to me but when it comes to me trying to say that word in a conversation my mind goes blank.
So any tips, ideas that could help me improve on this? Things i can do on my own, for now
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Comments
The "everything you need to know series" is quite good. I have the french one and it consolidated a lot of stuff for me, although might be too basic for you
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=everything+spanish&x=0&y=0
Cant hurt though.
The only other thing is maybe taking a spanish holiday alone where youre fully immersed and just HAVE to use the language.
I guess i could do the speak on the phone to my mum thing, could work. I dont live close to home at the moment so unfortunately can't go and speak to her face to face that easily.
Its an audio lesson system and works on repeating things and outright teaching you, it taught me to understand Danish better after ten days and that was a very basic course, spanish will go deeper.
http://www.pimsleurapproach.com/learn-spanish.asp - if you take this course you will not regret it for a moment!
I have exactly the same thing with french... Cos I was bilingual when I was younger... Infact I conversed in French more than I did English until we moved back to England and then I stopped talking it so now all I have left is the understanding it bit.
I always figured it'd come back to me if I lived there... But failing that I should really just make the effort to talk to my french friend in french... I'd say talking to your mum in spanish'd be a good idea.