Learning Spanish in 10 weeks (hopefully)

STAGEFRIGHT - how to overcome initial shyness

2006-08-08T21:03:00.000+01:00

Stagefright is a very similar phenomenon to the anxiety attacks that strike most people when they first try to talk to somone in a new language. On a site about overcoming stagefright (yes, I read the oddest things sometimes) I found this good advice: When you get onstage, focus on something other than the audience. To relate this to myself or anyone else trying to get over this initial hurdle, a helpful suggestion might be to focus on something other than your nervousness. The other person, for example.

REVIEW - How am I faring so far?

2006-07-30T09:05:00.000+01:00

The past few weeks have seen me go from learning a lot from the vast array of Spanish sites on the Internet to trying to scrape up as much language input as possible from next to no resources. It's been a struggle, I admit, and these ten weeks could have been far more successful if I'd been able to continue in the conditions of unemployed soul with Internet access in which they started.

However, I'm one to find the best in a situation. At least this way I have a bit more money to enjoy myself with in Spain, and something more to say about myself than "I've been sat at a computer unemployed for 10 weeks!"

PASSIONATE USERS - How to enthuse yourself.

2006-07-16T11:12:00.000+01:00

The site Creating Passionate Users has a following of sycophantic converts who all know that the Passionate Users formula works for marketers, writers, people who have to give presentations, teachers - in fact anyone who wants to make someone else enthusiastic about their product, whatsoever that may be.

Seduce yourself.

Your focus of course has to be on how the language relates to you, the learner; how it will help you. You can look at it as a voyage of discovery, a challenge, a social experience, a goal to triumph in, for the sense of accomplishment, as an escape from reality - or more likely all these things at different stages of your learning. (When your brain has had too much of you thinking 'This will be useful for me', and when you've exhausted your capacity for reminding yourself that 'I enjoy this', you can try another tack.)

Expose yourself to positives as much as possible - seek out strong emotions, smiling faces, attractive people, enjoyable situations, fun (informal) language. Keep your interest by varying the things you're doing to learn. (Much easier with the 'Net or being in a country that speaks the language.) To be honest, I'd much rather read or watch an interview with Shakira (Colombian) or Eva Longoria (Mexican-American) than with some boring 'normal' character in a textbook or newpaper. It interests ME; it holds MY attention.

Finally, relax - your brain will take in more. Never let it get you down if you can't seem to say something right or the words just won't stick in your brain - being able to smile graciously through your language mistakes will win you huge respect, and a second try.

MOVE - Don't just study. Dance!

2006-07-14T16:42:00.000+01:00

As well as listening to music, learning the lyrics, following the words in my head and at times karaoke-ing along, I've noticed that something I've been neglecting to do (though I do it all the time when I listen to music for pleasure) is actually move to the music. It makes singing along feel even more enjoyable and enthusiastic. Must do it more.

RESEARCH - Can you learn without computer access?

2006-07-13T17:46:00.000+01:00

Not having a computer to myself for the last few weeks has made me realise just how reliant I'd become on the machine. Without it I've had to revert to learning from a severely limited number of Spanish CDs, webpage printouts and a sole copy of 'People en Espanol', a Latin-American Spanish version of the magazine.
I spent a significant amount of time (around 30 minutes most days) searching for what was available to read, listen to, watch... However, this search did involve me, indeed absorb me, and call on me to use my scan-reading skills to browse through search results and web links to find quality input.

DOWN-TIME - The benefits of taking breaks.

2006-07-12T17:55:00.000+01:00

Whether it's watching a DVD, reading a web discussion page, leafing through a magazine, listening to song lyrics, or whatever - take breaks.

What I find works best for me is to set an alarm to stop me after 30 minutes or so. I take a 10-minute break and my mind is noticeably refreshed when I get back to what I was doing. It seems to slow the inevitable 'language fatigue'. (That's the feeling of sudden tiredness that comes with putting so much mental energy into speaking or listening to another language. You just suddenly switch off and don't feel like doing more.) The down-time also gives your mind a chance to process what it's learnt.

ACTIVE READING - one way

2006-07-11T05:49:00.000+01:00

Something I've learnt from teaching reading classes is that reading shouldn't be a simple text-to-person transfer. It should be a dialogue. By that I mean, to get the most out of your reading, you have to ask questions of the text (Who did that? Why? Where did they get that idea?), even if not all you questions are answered. Sometimes criticising (To the best of my knowledge, that's BS. I could've written this better.) can also raise issues and help not only your critical thinking faculty but also aid in cementing the text in your mind. And the words in it.

WORK GETTING IN THE WAY

2006-07-01T11:55:00.000+01:00

Yes, with my current work responsibilities, which I didn't have when I started this project, I've found it harder to concentrate on language learning. It's got little to do with finding the time for it and everything to do with having the mental energy. My work makes it much harder to concentrate, harder to keep up my willpower.

As a morning person, I'm finding it easier not to try to struggle through anything learning-related in the evening, but instead to go to bed early, wake up 30 minutes earlier in the morning, generally feeling wholly refreshed, and do some reading or listening then.

FLIRTING - Why it's important for language learners.

2006-06-25T12:05:00.000+01:00

For me, as a language teacher, language learner and socialiser, flirting represents the epitome of human communication. It calls into play so many skills. Active listening, fast response, complex body language, tone of voice, and a whole host of other (learnable) socio-linguistic abilities. (So much so that I teach a lesson on it, based on this how-to article from about.com.)

I've recently been reading a bit about it (coquetear's the verb) in Spanish too. Just to make sure I'm ready for it in foreign climes too. (On a sidenote, the texts have been full of useful advice, mainly in imperative form (do this, don't do that) which is a fantastic way to get exposure to this kind of verb.)

EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK - Rate yourself.

2006-06-25T11:22:00.000+01:00

For a very useful self-reference tool (rigid but both useful and useable), have a look at the Common European Framwork of Reference for Languages. I find the self-assessment tables on pp. 26-29 especially practical.

STAY ORGANISED - why you need to

2006-06-21T16:20:00.000+01:00

If you can put your hand up and say you feel you're getting enough language input, you're probably having problems keeping everything organised.

I'm not sure if I am getting enough at the moment. What with suddenly not having a computer to hand, nor much in the way of listening or reading materials, it's hard to feel I'm learning. I do however, have a lot of Spanish (mainly Catalan) students who are keen to teach me rude words. Until recently I'd inundated myself with piles of papers, printouts, DVDs, CDs, computer files.

Only when you realise how much stuff you accumulate when you're learning so you realise the need to organise your materials.

READING - How I get the most from it.

2006-06-17T10:55:00.000+01:00

If I realise after a few lines that the article, say, that I'm reading is an easy piece, I read quickly, to remind myself of words I've probably seen before and how they're used. If there's a new word, I try to work out what it means, then I circle it, so it's easy to find for review. I write the phrase in English in the margin or on another piece of paper, so I can also review by translating it back into Spanish. Then I often read the piece once or twice more to help my speed of understanding. I'll then put it to one side to read again the next day and then again a about a week later.

With a difficult piece, I go slowly, trying my best to understand as I go along. I underline things I'm not sure of and double-underline anything I can't understand at all. And read on. When I get to the end of the piece, I usually have a better idea of what it's about, so I read those difficult sections again in this new light and try to figure them out. If I've still no idea, I reach for the dictionary and spend some time understanding the words and tenses. Then I re-read once or twice, for speed and as a reminder of the new words. I'll then put it to one side to read again the next day and then again a about a week later.

The most important thing for me is reading the piece(s) again the next day, and scheduling into my learning diary to read through them once or twice more in a week's time. It's not so much the repetition as the intervals between. Spreading this over a longer period means I'm more likely to meet the same words in other texts I read in the meantime, which keeps them fresh and active in my head.

SPORT - Learning vocabulary the fun way.

2006-06-14T19:26:00.000+01:00

Reading about El Mundial (The World Cup) on various webpages (namely FIFAWorldCup, Mundial2006, BBC Mundo, and the blog MundialFutbol) and listening to some of the highlights on the radio (RTVE, in sidebar), I've discovered a rich source of excited and adjectives and sporty verbs!

I've browsed through radio stations for a Spanish commentary to the matches, but in vain so far.

CONCORDANCER - These examples will help you understand.

2006-06-14T10:39:00.000+01:00

Q. If I don't have someone to check the phrases I'm making up, how can I make make sure they sound natural?
A. Google it.

Q. If I want to know how a word is commonly used, how can I find more examples in context?
A. Google it.

OK, so you learn a new word. You're not sure how it's used. Try typing it into Google or any other search engine. You'll immediately see a large number of phrases containing that word (especially if you go into 'advanced options' and change the search language to Spanish).

Yesterday I was focussing on adjectives. If I type in apasionante (~ exciting) or estupendo (~ amazing) or crédulo (~ gullible), page upon page of search results comes up, often with sentences. And it's surprising that after browsing just a handful of pages of results, I have a fairly good idea of how to use the word and what nouns it commonly collocates with.

Type in a wrong spelling, like asquero, and it will ask you if you actually meant asqueroso (disgusting), which I did.

If I'm not sure if extender tu vocabulario sounds natural, I type it in and notice there aren't many results that show this exact phrase. So I start noticing what comes before 'tu vocabulario' in the results. Most common is 'ampliar', and also 'enriquecer'. Hence it's more natural to say ampliar tu vocabulario (expand your voacbulary) or enriquecer tu vocabulario (enrich your vocabulary).

Clever, eh?

DOWN-TIME - How dreaming help you learn.

2006-06-14T09:06:00.000+01:00

I had an odd experience last night.

I was sleeping soundly when a noise half woke me up. And while I was drifting off to sleep again, I noticed that my mind was flicking between all the Spanish I'd been through in the previous few days, like nosing through a filing cabinet to make sure everything's there. A fast half-second of this or that song I've been learning, then a half-second of this or that phrase I'd been over, and another half-second of dialogue from a film or radio show.

I'm fascinated by the workings of the human mind, so I'm very curious about this. I'm guessing it's probably helpful to the learning process. If anyone can tell me more about this, I'd be very grateful.

MY GUCCI WORDS - beyond the basic words

2006-06-13T13:25:00.000+01:00

Certain people use certain words in order to show off. I call these words Gucci words. ... All in all, using these words it is not a bad thing to do, even for a non-native speaker. It is like wearing jewelry or nice clothes. It can give a good impression if done right. It can also be overdone! - Steve Kaufmann

I remember being intrigued by the 'I can eat glass Project' for this reason. The idea behind the project was that

people in a foreign country have an irresistable urge to try to say something in the indigenous tongue. In most cases, however, the best a person can do is "Where is the bathroom?" a phrase that marks them as a tourist. But, if one says "I can eat glass, it doesn't hurt me," you will be viewed as an insane native, and treated with dignity and respect.

So they translated the above phrase into pretty much every language you can think of from Latin to Klingon.

It's always nice to be able to reel off a fancy word or fairly fluent high-level phrase in the midst of an otherwise basic level conversation. It shows you have more up your sleeve than just small-talk. I think even the ever-useful Lonely Planet phrasebooks recommend you learn at least one phrase that you think you'll never need, because you might be able to alter it a bit and use it later.

GEEK - Another's view of how we learn.

2006-06-13T13:04:00.000+01:00

According to a post by EFL Geek (an much-loved English teacher in Korea) there are three process involved in successfully aquiring vocabulary.

'Noticing' that a the word or phrase you'er looking at is new and focusing on it in order to understand it better. This is the moment when your brain thinks 'Aha, I've seen that before! (Now what did it mean again?)' or maybe 'Oh, this word seems to mean something different here to how I've seen it used before.'

'Retrieval' - that is, vocabulary review, or attempting to sing that song you've just learnt the lyrics to, or acting out that scene from a film you've just enjoyed. This strengthens the meaning(s) of the word in your mind. The more you come across the word, or the more you make yourself think of it, the stronger the links that hold it in your brain. However

It is important however that the time between encounters is not too long. This is particularly important for the first two to three exposures.

And of course, you have to notice that you've seen it before.

'Creative (generative) use' of the words you know. For example, when you notice a word when you're reading or listening and it has a slightly different meaning to what you understand of the word. This creates new meaning for the word. Also, when you yourself stretch the meaning of a word in speech or writing, using your understanding of its different meanings creatively.

VOCABULARY - Where from, and how?

2006-06-12T23:33:00.000+01:00

For the most part, I'm learning vocabulary in context, from reading articles, listening to the radio (which is getting easier) and so far one film on DVD.

I'm a big fan of 'memory hooks', or 'the keyword method', an example of which is outlined in the introduction of this article. When I find a new word (for example, fofo, which means 'podgy/flabby'), I picture in my mind something that sounds like the new word (I'm thinking of 'foe, foe', like two enemies side by side), and to link that picture of the sound to a picture of the meaning, those two foes standing side by side will, in the funny picture in my mind, be decidedly podgy. The more I do this, the easier it becomes, I find.

There's no translation here. It's a direct link from the new word to its meaning (similar to the visual dictionary I saw last Sunday). And in my experience, after using the word itself regularly for a while, I don't need the memory hook any longer, it fades away and I can readily call up the word itself.

I use this selectively, of course.

KNOWING RELATED LANGUAGES - such a help

2006-06-12T22:59:00.000+01:00

Knowing French is without a doubt having an effect on the speed I'm improving my Spanish. And having learnt languages before (and teaching English) has taught me a number of fairly effective learning strategies, and that you really do 'reap what you sow'.

The same though goes for a person's knowledge of any language, in my opinion. Especially if that person can emphasise the similarities between the language and culture they use and the one they are reaching for.

When I started learning Korean 4 years ago, I was overwhelmed by how different it seemed to anything else I knew. But as I learnt more and became more comfortable using the language, I had to admit to myself that English and Korean have a lot in common. Most words have direct translations, even if they're used slightly differently in context; most people want to express the same ideas and feelings, adjectives come before nouns (ah, Spanish!); that when I follow the example of ("Strong the Force in you is, master Jedi") Yoda, it's easy to get the word order right. Couple this with the similar culture between me and Korean 20-somethings, and the world of difference I'd perceived at first just melted away.

Language, for me, is about relating.

READING - How to make the words your own.

2006-06-12T22:43:00.000+01:00

I've spent a lot of time reading and re-reading the self-introductions I printed out on Friday. At first it was a little tricky, but after a while, because the same words and tenses were repeated over and over from person to person, it got really easy.

Within two hours I'd got the knack of those supposedly tortuous verb-endings and was using them fairly readily. That shocked me. Instead of sitting down with a grammar book and practising until I was bored stupid, I'd read something I wanted to read and just picked them up. (Well, at least four anyway: the ones corresponding to the English (I/we/etc) did, (I/we) used to do, (I/we) do, and (I/we) would do. I remember a lot from French, which definitely helped.

I made a list of the common new words, or words I'd seen a lot in other contexts but was still unsure of, and sat down with my brick of a Spanish dictionary (excellent as dictionaries go) to find out what they meant.

After reviewing the words a few times I tried to formulate sentences in my head along the same lines as the self-introductions. It wasn't easy, but I felt I got quickly better at it.

ROLAND GARROS - listening practice

2006-06-11T17:48:00.000+01:00

I've just watched the last set of the final of this year's French Open tennis tournament. The post-match speech by the winner, Spaniard Rafael Nadal, was a short but welcome bit of listening practice. It was surprisingly easy to understand what he was talking about too, which was nice!

BOOKS/TEXTBOOKS - Why they're not necessary.

2006-06-11T16:10:00.000+01:00

I cycled into the city centre yesterday and spent a few mintues browsing the bookshelves of the biggest bookstore there, primarily out of curiosity. What do you think I found there?

There were Spanish dictionaries galore, plenty of dull, context-free vocabulary lists (including lists of slang), a few all-in-one language courses (textbook and audio recordings, basically), a number of 'repeat after me' audio-only courses, and not a whole lot else. Have language learning materials changed at all since the 1950s? ;-)

The only two things that really caught my eye as being at all new were these:

The DK Visual Spanish-English dictionary, which has bright photos arranged in categories and labelled in both languages. A nice idea for visual learners. I was tempted.

Something called Earworm Musical Brain Tuner (no picture) that uses Spanish over music to try to recreate the 'brain itch' that gets a song stuck in your head. Funky idea, but I reckon listening to real music is probably equally effective and more useful - karaoke or chatting about the singer, for example.

Needless to say, I didn't buy anything. The sidebar to the right here isn't just for display, you know.

DVDs / VIDEOS - Learning vocabulary the fun way.

2006-06-10T12:22:00.000+01:00

I know that watching TV - especially soaps, but also films - is a great way to practice understanding a language at full speed, and to learn useful new phrases and words. (Some films have more difficult scripts than others, so it pays to be choosy!)

To be honest, listening to people talking on the radio seems to be better for my listening skills, per se - getting me used to the sounds, the rhythm and intonation of the language. So I'm still doing that for 20 minutes a day. However, watching a TV show or a film on videos/DVDs is simply more enjoyable. And the images give you more context in which to learn the how the words are used in real life.

There are lots of ways you can use DVDs and videos, and I'm still experimenting to find what works best for me:

Usually, I watch about half the film with the subtitles on, so I know the basic plot and the relations between characters. At that point I turn off the subtitles and try to understand the next scene, rewinding as often as necessary to at least understand what's going on, if not the exact words the actors are using. (With video, you could stick something over the bottom of the screen temporarily to cover the subtitles.)

Something else I've tried is to listen very carefully to what the characters are saying and try to repeat what they've said (with my eyes closed it's easier), mimicking their accent and rhythm as best as possible. Again, I have to rewind a lot, but it really seems to help. (I used to have a student who did this, who had a great accent and admirable vocabulary considering her low level of English.)

The third way I've tried (including last night with "Todo sobre mi madre") is the following. I watched one scene at a time (or 10-15 minutes) without subtitles, trying to catch what was being said. If I couldn't understand, which was sadly more often than I'd expected, I rewound it and listened again and again, often with my eyes closed to improve my hearing. When I really couldn't understand, I rewound 30 seconds and put the subtitles on, up to just past where I'd got to, in order to fully understand what was going on and confirm my earlier understanding ready for the next section. And after each scene, I took a well-deserved break - time for my brain to process all that new information!

I watched the first hour like that and it took a long, long time. Then for the second half, I turned the subtitles on (oh, distracting!) and only rewound when someone said something I thought useful to note down. That said, even turning my head away, I could understand more in the second half, perhaps because I was used to the accents and understood the plot...

ORGANISATION - my way

2006-06-09T18:43:00.000+01:00

After a few days of jotting down notes, plans and vocabulary on various scraps of paper, I've decided I need to get organised.

Quite simply, I've created a language folder into which I put all the things I've covered in the day, all those loose sheets and scraps of paper, and which I can jump into at the start and end of the day to review.

I've also created a simple calendar for this month. The paper is divided down the middle by the numbers 1-30. The right-hand column is to record in a word or two what I've actually covered (to help me review, and decide what should come next). The left-hand column is to record what I'd like to practise over the next day or two, mainly in reference to my needs analysis.

SELF-INTRODUCTION - How to practise it.

2006-06-09T18:27:00.000+01:00

Using a search engine for 30 minutes, I browsed the web for pages containing the phrase 'sobre mi' (about me). This provided me with a wealth of personal introductions, which I will mine for ideas and alter to fit myself.

(This is similar to a EFL writing idea suggested by TEFL Smiler some months back, where learners read 4 good self-introductions and chop and change them to write about themselves.)

It also brought up so many references to Pedro Almodóvar's film "Todo sobre mi madre". I did pick up the DVD inexpensively about two months ago, but I haven't got round to watching it yet. So, there's an excellent way to pass this evening.

**A few days after I wrote this, I found out that 'All about me' should translate to 'Todo ACERCA DE mi'. The links this brought up were evn more useful.

NEEDS ANALYSIS - WEEK 1

2006-06-08T23:02:00.000+01:00

In my classes, the first thing I do with learners is a needs analysis. In my case, I ran off a quick one before I started this the first week, but two days ago (day 2) I sat down and thought through my feelings and needs concerning Spanish. I'll review this every week and alter it as my use of the language improves and my needs change.

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Feelings:

Great! I've loved Spain and Spanish people for years, and the language is one that I've come to like more and more, despite my initial experience. (When I was in my teens, I tried to learn a few words of it from a study book and a language cassette. Yet when that teenager was eventuallly confronted with the language as it is really spoken, he was bitterly disheartened to find how damn fast it was!)

Needs:

The very basics:
-to eat and drink, and to get around.
So, I'll need to be able to:
ask for things (meals, tapas, drinks, tickets, directions, help)

I strongly want:
-to talk with people, conversationally
Let's break that down into more manageable chunks. That is:
(1) to start conversations;
(2) to make comments on the situation around, in the bar or the street or the home where I'll be staying;
(3) ask people questions about themselves and their opinions, and understand and respond to what they say in reply;
(4) to talk about myself (experiences, present routines and hopes for the future) in an interesting way; and
(5) to communicate the day's events to the family I'll be staying with.)
So, I'll need to be able to:
(1) interrupt people politely;
(2) use a varied range of exuberant adjectives, with 'question tags', and possibly use metaphor too;
(3) make questions rapidly and have the vocabulary to understand the most likely answers;
(4) to use the past, present and future tense to talk about my own situation; and
(5) to use the past tense to talk about most possible recent events.

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The red lines are the most important to me as an active learner. How can I reach these goals?

Asking for things and using questions generally require fairly reuseable structures that I can learn, and go over in my while I go about my day. I don't often think conciously about these. For example, sometime if the radio is on, I'll find myself formulating a question I'd like to ask the person on the radio, in Spanish. Oftentimes I find myself talking to myself in my head, role-playing variations on a situation.

Using adjectives to comment on a situation or talk about a past event: I think of situations I encountered last time I was in Spain, and think of possible comments I could make at the time or how I would describe them after the fact.

Talking about myself: I've printed out my CV [resume, for any Americans out there] and I'm practising talking someone through it. I try to imagine I'm talking to a very bored person who I want to make interested...

RELAXATION - learning aid

2006-06-08T14:03:00.000+01:00

As I'd planned to set down in writing all useful details of my learning expereicne for these 10 weeks, I should point this out:

By far the easiest time for me to review my learning, even think a bit in Spanish, is first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Preferably with my eyes closed. Best of all, lying down. I'm relaxed and free from distractions, and I can focus without much effort.

I recognise that this is ideal for the early stages, but I should try to slowly build up to the point where I also feel comfortable using the language in a noisy, possibly even stressful, environment.

EXERCISE - learning aid

2006-06-07T23:36:00.000+01:00

Something I've been meaning to mention is exercise and how it relaxes me and helps me focus. Working out in the garage today, I was listening to music. For those of you who haven't heard, music helps atheletes train for longer. I'm not entirely sure of the science behind it, but it's proven and it works.

Likewise for listening to (non-distracting) music whilst reading a foreign language text, for example! You're more likely to stick at it that bit longer if there's music in the background.

As for my work-out, I don't need to concentrate too much just to lift weights or pedal an exercise bike. So I found myself concentrating on the music I'd put on: an easy-ish Spanish CD. I put a track I liked on loop and tried to pick up the lyrics verse by verse. Not too difficult, as the exercise was relaxing/clearing my mind and helping me focus.

I found the same when practising my Korean with friends in Australia. I'd be making something with my hands, as travellers sometimes do, maybe a friendship bracelet or the like. As I was more relaxed, it was easier for me to think and speak and concentrate.

I've just realised Steve Kauffman made a similar observation a few days ago about an even more mind-focussing activity: ironing.

LYRICS - Choosing what to listen to.

2006-06-07T23:20:00.000+01:00

I've realised the two songs I was trying to learn and sing along to were maybe a bit too... fast. I'd chosen two fairly recent pop songs from a party CD, but I although the lyrics weren't too difficult, I couldn't keep up when I tried to karaoke along with them.

I'll come back to them periodically, but in the meantime I've switched my efforts to two songs from a slower album. To be honest, the lyrics are noticeably harder, but I'm not too worried about when it comes to lyrics. (With reading texts that's a different story.)

I've found myself first listening a number of times to a song, trying to catch words and notice where the breaks between the words are. Then, with a good-sized dictionary to hand, I spend some time translating the lyrics (also jotting down the odd additional related phrase on the same page). After that, it's a simple matter of practice, with and without the CD accompaniment!

GREAT LINK SITE

2006-06-07T17:27:00.000+01:00

http://www.kiosco.net/

For diarios (papers), revistas (magazines), comics, guías y carteleras (guides and ents), televisiones, radios,...

VERY BASIC VOCABULARY - word lists

2006-06-06T13:46:00.000+01:00

For a quick review of the most basic common vocabulary, try this.

To make sure you can recognise the 100 most common Spanish verbs, and more importantly, practice the ones you don't know, look here.

Of course, you have to remember that these words are the most common because they're used in so many different combinations...

LYRICS - Learning vocabulary the fun way.

2006-06-06T13:26:00.000+01:00

I have Spanish music CDs already. I was in Bilbao for the Festival in 2001 and picked up a CD of the (pop) music that was being constantly played there. I also used to take Salsa lessons, so I have a couple of CDs of Latin American music too.

I'm going to learn the lyrics to a few Spanish-language songs I like. I reckon I can learn a song in about 2 or 3 days, and I have a list of ones I want to learn. Already I'm finding myself singing to myself, reminding myself of the words, reviewing, while I'm just going about my day. This way, I learn new words whilst also enjoying myself. That's the important thing here: it must be interesting or enjoyable, preferably fun!

You could probably also use mp3s too, but I don't have an mp3 player and don't want to fork out the money for that just yet. I know it would just turn into another distracting new toy.

LAUNCHcast also has a Spanish site where you can watch Spanish music videos. I won't be using it much, but you could listen to tracks until you find one you like, then search for the lyrics on the 'Net and learn them...

RADIO - links

2006-06-06T12:30:00.000+01:00

You can see the links on the right of the screen.

I ran a quick search for Bilbao radio first. I was hoping to get used to listening to the local accent as much as possible. But there wasn't much available.

Then I tried radio (en) español, which turned up Spanish radio from around the world but primarily from Spain. A lot of the content of these stations is music, but I imagine listening to free talk (not song scripted news shows) would be best, so when I choose one of these to listen to, I flick throguh them until I find people talking.

I'll be listening to 20 minutes or so per day of (preferably) talk radio.

ATTITUDE

2006-06-06T12:11:00.000+01:00

I'm quietly confident about this!

Looking around, there's a wide range of other learners. Some are pretty much fluent; most learners are hung up on their perceived problems in their pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary.

I'm over that (at the moment!). I don't care if I'm speaking perfectly. I just want to speak, to comunicate - with gestures and the odd sketch on a napkin if that's what it takes to get my meaning across.

I'm also noticing that the more effort I put in, the more confident I feel.

COST

2006-06-06T11:50:00.000+01:00

Zero! Nada! I don't intend to spend any money at all on this. Call me tight-fisted, but I don't believe it's necessary. I have paid-for Internet access to everything I think I need. (Hmm, I hope I'm right on that!)

LINGUISTIC RESOURCES - What I'll be learning from.

2006-06-06T11:22:00.000+01:00

Just about every language learner I've come across on-line seems to be using textbooks, language cassettes, audio CDs, grammar books and their on-line equivalents. Looking at the web, there are hundreds of links to this kind of resource. If you want to pick up linguistic knowledge of, for example, how verbs work, these are great, but...

Having worked as an English teacher for a handful of years, I'm very suspicious of all 'textbook-based learning', to coin what is often an oxymoron. No matter how good a textbook is, it should only be a brief leg up into the real world.

That said there ARE a few useful linguistic resources I've come across on the web:

A good dictionary (only for words that crop up again and again)
The Google language bar (too tempting to overuse?)
A verb conjugator (solely for emergency use, type a verb in the box)

THE INVITE - Why ten weeks?

2006-06-06T01:08:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I got an e-mail from a Spanish friend inviting me to this year's Great Week Festival, Aste Nagusia, in Bilbao in mid-August. I have just 10 weeks to get my Spanish up to a level where I can enjoy the party to the full.

This blog will succintly chart my progress in learning Spanish over the next 10 weeks. Hopefully it will serve as an example, good or bad, to other langauge learners.

I was also at the Festival in 2001. What I remember most vividly is how frustrating it was to be able to understand fairly well, but not be able to express myself because of my poor language skills... Let's hope I'm ready this time!