Author Topic: Cheaper way to learn Spanish  (Read 1795 times)

jamesbond007

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Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« on: June 07, 2021, 09:46:32 AM »
I love learning new languages. I speak 4 languages fluently and I consider 3 of those to be my native languages, being from the sub-continent. I started learning Spanish on and off at my city offered community classes that used charge about $120 for a 16-hour instruction in a live setting. Due to COVID and other reasons (low enrollment) they have been cancelling all language classes and there are no online classes scheduled. So, I went to italki to continue my learning and itis getting expensive. Anyone had any luck self-learning? I read a ton of books, but the in-person interaction is how I learn the best and this is where italki and in-person classes are valuable. I am not the person who goes out and talks to random strangers when learning a language as I am an introvert, and it is difficult for me to break that shell plus, I don't know anyone that speaks Spanish in my circle.


What are your experiences learning a language?


PS: I know I am contradicting myself when I said I am introvert and I like the in-person instruction. It takes me a lot of time to open up and I feel "safe" in a classroom setting.

FIPurpose

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2021, 10:02:13 AM »
I learned a language when I went into Peace Corps. This despite being a highly introverted person myself.

I can't stress enough how much the language classes pushing me to go out and talk with people helped. Yes, it felt extremely weird, and I felt like I said a lot of dumb things, but the only way to get better at a language is to first say a bunch of things wrong, be misunderstood, use the wrong words in situations, etc.

The ability to speak and communicate at a higher level depends highly on a lot of repetition and getting the basics down so well, you can repeat them and do small-talk without even thinking about it. Practicing with real people is 100% the best way to learn a language. (And you get to meet new people to boot!) You might find a really good friend this way who would be willing to talk with you in Spanish.

dougules

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #2 on: June 07, 2021, 10:26:21 AM »
Have you tried Duolingo?  It's really popular.  It won't get you to real fluency, but it can get you to a point where you can start to use the language.  It's got several languages.

There's also Tandem.  It's a language exchange that connects people who want to learn each other's languages. 


joemandadman189

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #3 on: June 07, 2021, 10:49:33 AM »
PTF and add when i have more time,

beyond traditional classes i used a book with the most commonly used spanish words and started studying them as that should help build your necessary vocabulary instead of learning colors and seasons.  there are several lists online also

what helps the most for me is having a spanish speaking friend who is open to helping you practice and learn or being thrown in the deep end and going to a spanish speaking country, spanish tv with subtitles helps (in english or spanish) as often the subtitles are a little off.

for me the accents are the biggest hinderence to hearing comprehension, i can understand gringo spoken spanish well, but native speakers have a different cadence and speed that can make it harder to understand for me at least. reading and writing are fine, others can understand me, just following native speakers is difficult

repite lo despacio por favor

dougules

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #4 on: June 07, 2021, 11:07:05 AM »
PTF and add when i have more time,

beyond traditional classes i used a book with the most commonly used spanish words and started studying them as that should help build your necessary vocabulary instead of learning colors and seasons.  there are several lists online also

what helps the most for me is having a spanish speaking friend who is open to helping you practice and learn or being thrown in the deep end and going to a spanish speaking country, spanish tv with subtitles helps (in english or spanish) as often the subtitles are a little off.

for me the accents are the biggest hinderence to hearing comprehension, i can understand gringo spoken spanish well, but native speakers have a different cadence and speed that can make it harder to understand for me at least. reading and writing are fine, others can understand me, just following native speakers is difficult

repite lo despacio por favor

Try to watch movies, videos, and TV shows in Spanish.  Find music you like in Spanish, and learn the lyrics.  Think of whatever content you'd generally enjoy in English and try to find that same kind of content in Spanish.  You just need to hear it as much as you practically can, and the internet makes that easy. 

MrThatsDifferent

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #5 on: June 07, 2021, 02:20:21 PM »
Don’t give up on italki, it’s relatively cheap. Maybe filter for the cheapest tutors, because you need the conversational practice, that’s the key. Italki also has community forums where you can meet people and do language exchange, for free. Or, use meetup.com to try and find the closest Spanish speaking group. It’s a bit sad that you live in the US but don’t have anyone around to speak Spanish. The purpose of language is to connect with others. If you’re not connecting, you’re doing it wrong. Where will you go and use Spanish? Try to find people there to chat with. Use the internet and search for how to connect to locals. The options are endless.

jeninco

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #6 on: June 07, 2021, 08:35:11 PM »
I've been using duolingo. It's far, far from a substitute for talking with other people, but as a tool for learning grammar and vocabulary words it's OK. That plus conversation with a native speaker would probably go a fair way.

MrThatsDifferent

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #7 on: June 08, 2021, 02:01:20 AM »
I get the appeal of Duolingo, it’s cute but it doesn’t help people USE the language. People learn words but still aren’t confident to have conversations. The goal is to have conversations. There’s a good app called 50 Languages. Use that to add to your vocabulary. Focus on learning the 100 most commonly used verbs and 1000-3000 most commonly used words. That covers like 80% of spoken conversations.

Freedomin5

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #8 on: June 08, 2021, 05:58:32 AM »
When DH was learning Chinese, he used Meetup.com to find people who wanted to learn English. Then they met up for two hours - first hour in English and second hour in Chinese. He also attended interest groups run in Chinese. Immersion works really well, especially working with people who only speak the language you want to learn and who can’t speak English well.

neophyte

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #9 on: June 08, 2021, 07:55:51 AM »
Find out where the Mexicans/Puerto Ricans/Dominicans/whatever in your city or the nearest large city hang out and drink. Go there. Grab a beer or two. Start talking. I'm serious. Alcohol lowers the barriers and makes it easier to talk to people. Even if your Spanish needs some work there will be people there willing to humor you. Price wise you may not save a ton, but you'll get more bang for your buck.

Meetup groups are another option although there are probably more learners than native speakers.

jamesbond007

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #10 on: June 08, 2021, 09:58:15 AM »
Thank you. I need to put myself out there to gain more learning. I tried duolingo but I don't necessarily see it as a language learning tool. It is just a bunch of random words thrown at you.

dougules

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #11 on: June 08, 2021, 10:18:57 AM »
Thank you. I need to put myself out there to gain more learning. I tried duolingo but I don't necessarily see it as a language learning tool. It is just a bunch of random words thrown at you.

But that's how you learn a language naturally.  It could have a little more context, but you use what you learn in sentences. 

GreenSheep

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #12 on: June 16, 2021, 03:53:29 PM »
I did a bunch of stuff on my own (books, videos, went to Ecuador for a month and worked with a teacher daily, went to a Spanish school in Puerto Rico for a week), so I did have some groundwork laid before starting this, but... gospanish.com has been absolutely wonderful. My experience is with their intermediate and advanced classes. In my opinion, it's the best kept secret in the Spanish-learning world, and there's no reason it should be a secret!

They have beginner, advanced beginner, intermediate, and advanced group classes that, in my experience, have anywhere from 1 to 8 students in them (yep, sometimes (rarely) it's just me and the teacher). The teachers are in Argentina, but they're trained to use a more neutral Spanish accent. They offer 45-minute classes via Zoom at various times throughout the day, and you just jump in on whichever time works for you on any given day. You tend to come across the same students all the time, so you get to "know" them a little bit, and it's fun to see your classmates. And of course it's the same handful of teachers all the time, too. After each class, there's an optional little written assignment which they will correct and send back to you. The teacher also sends you the notes from the class so you don't have to try to scribble things down while in class. They've very positive and encouraging, and they work hard to make sure that everyone gets equal "air time" during class.

You can do a free trial for 5 days. I don't remember exactly how their pricing system goes, but it's on their website, and you pay by the month rather than by the class, so the more classes you attend, the cheaper it is. In my case, paying for a year of access and doing over 200 classes in that year has resulted in paying less than $2 per class. They also offer private lessons if you want them.

travel2020

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #13 on: June 16, 2021, 07:39:00 PM »
I don’t know if it’s cheaper (probably not), but the Primsleur program - a set of audio CDs at the time - I used worked well for me. It focuses on conversational skills (ie constructing full sentences vs duolingo which seems more vocabulary oriented) and I was able to learn enough within a couple of months to have basic conversations while traveling. I supplemented it with practice via online groups, and also used some self-study books but the audio program really brought things together for me.


jamesbond007

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #14 on: June 17, 2021, 09:00:36 AM »
I don’t know if it’s cheaper (probably not), but the Primsleur program - a set of audio CDs at the time - I used worked well for me. It focuses on conversational skills (ie constructing full sentences vs duolingo which seems more vocabulary oriented) and I was able to learn enough within a couple of months to have basic conversations while traveling. I supplemented it with practice via online groups, and also used some self-study books but the audio program really brought things together for me.

They have the CDs at my local library. I have an old CD player lying around. Will check it out.


AMandM

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #15 on: June 17, 2021, 09:14:44 AM »
Also, check your library's online offerings. Many public libraries make language-learning programs like Rosetta STone or Transparent Language available free if you have a library card. It's not the same as interactive conversation, but it's free.

salt cured

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #16 on: June 17, 2021, 09:25:00 AM »
Very useful resource to pair with Duolingo: https://www.languagetransfer.org/complete-spanish

nessness

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #17 on: June 17, 2021, 11:35:50 AM »
I don’t know if it’s cheaper (probably not), but the Primsleur program - a set of audio CDs at the time - I used worked well for me. It focuses on conversational skills (ie constructing full sentences vs duolingo which seems more vocabulary oriented) and I was able to learn enough within a couple of months to have basic conversations while traveling. I supplemented it with practice via online groups, and also used some self-study books but the audio program really brought things together for me.

They have the CDs at my local library. I have an old CD player lying around. Will check it out.

If your library offers e-audiobooks, you may be able to get them that way as well.

jamesbond007

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #18 on: June 17, 2021, 12:51:53 PM »
Very useful resource to pair with Duolingo: https://www.languagetransfer.org/complete-spanish

This is mind blowing. Thank you.

salt cured

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Re: Cheaper way to learn Spanish
« Reply #19 on: June 17, 2021, 03:00:59 PM »