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learning spanish

stelrey

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
CF - March/April 2014
I'd like to pick up some basic Spanish before next spring. I'm fluent in French, so I expect that that will help me learn.

What's the best way to learn (both in terms of efficiency and price) if in-person lessons are not an option? I live in the middle of nowhere and there are no classes or even spanish-speaking tutors available.

Rosetta stone? Online tutoring (but how to choose a reputable site)? Free online course (but it would have to have sequential lessons for me to follow)? Thanks for any advice!
 
Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
http://www.bbcactivelanguages.com/

I picked up an interactive 'Get into Spanish' course here and have found it useful for basic spanish. Combines a cd, book and audio tape. You also get access to further on-line assistance. Pretty good value at £30 (Feb this year)

I managed to get by with very little spanish last year when I walked the Camino Frances but I thought it would be more rewarding (and respectful to the hard working albergue staff, bar staff etc) if I put a bit more effort into learning the basics for my next walk in September.

Enjoy your Camino.
 
Learning Spanish is a great idea, always better to try and struggle through with the local lingua instead of the hilarious attempts of many at mime or hand signs or mumbling and indeed, you will meet many people who speak only Spanish so some Spanish is a good thing and even a courtesy. Having said that, you will meet pilgrims from Japan, Korea, China, Australia, New Zealand, India, Poland, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, France, Ireland, England, Spain, America, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and many more - would you like to guess what is the Lingua Franca? Right, English.
 
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We're using both Rosetta Stone and Coffeebreak Spanish. If I had to chose one I'd go for the latter, because it's more communicative (unless you need to say "The man is falling off the horse") and it's free! Just google it.
 
Well, yes, it's better to know at least a few phrases when you come to a certain country. But I can assure you that you'll learn sufficient of Spanish very fast. Just use some pre-learned words or even phrases and along the way you'll learned the rest that you need. It's not that hard at all. Even 2 years after Camino I can (yes - in my mind) ask for the location of the store (if any at all ) in the village, how many inhabitants there are etc, not to mention the usual phrases about asking for a free bed. I would recommend not to learn phrases too much as you'll get stiff when locals will get talkative :lol: You'll get it on the way, no worry!

Ultreia!
 
Thanks for the suggestions! I've checked out Coffeebreak Spanish, and it looks promising.

While I realize that I don't "NEED" Spanish to get by, I do want to try as best I can to pick up some of the language before going!
 
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Currently on CF in Pamplona on rest day. Knowing some key phrases in Spanish has been very helpful, although gesturing and pointing will get you far as well. I have also found knowing simple words in Basque (hi, bye, yes,no is what I know) will get you so much respect from local basque shopkeepers who take pride in their unique identity. Perhaps this will only be helpful up north, but it brings up some great conversations with locals.
Burn Camino
 
BBC Radio has a Spanish language section including an excellent video / interactive set of lessons. The Spanish section is here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/

The interactive lesson is Mi Vida Loca. I highly recommend it. It covers most tourist situations (buses, cafes, hotels) and augmented by a phrasebook and this forum should get you through most basic situations.
 
I have both Rosetta Stone and Pimseuler programs, but I have been using almost exclusively Pimseuler over the last 12 months. I am at the end of Level 4 now, and plan to go back to repeat old lessons because I already forgot a lot of them. The reason I use Pimseuler more is that Rosetta Stone requires a computer while Pimseuler CDs can be played in the car. I learn and practice Spanish whenever I am in my car alone. Also I have both Duo Lingo(free) and Cat Spanish ($1) on my iPad.

This is my two cents ( because I am still a beginner):
Rosetta Stone : Requires a computer to load software and headphone/microphone - requires staying home to use. Almost no grammar. Good pictures to assist your memory.

Pimsuler : Audio on CDs. No visual help. You repeat what you hear. No tests to see if your pronounciation is correct. Repeats important phrases periodically to make sure you remember them. No grammars. I like it because I can use the program while I drive, and it focuses on conversation. Total 4 levels, each level has 30 lessons with approximately 30 minutes in each lesson.

Duo Lingo : Some grammars. Can be used with iPad or laptop or desktop as long as there is internet connection. Excellent for free program. But I feel it is not very good for learning conversation ( at least compared to Pimseuler) although it requires speaking practice. You can learn a lot of Spanish if you want.

Cat Spanish : Just started using it acouple of months ago. Has some grammar. Improves listening skill ( phrases) but does not require speaking practice.

I will try Coffeebreak Spanish.
 
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I used Pimsleur to learn Polish and Turkish. Good systems but (maybe just me) I found it didn't "stick". A few months later I cant remember much Turkish and a couple of years on no Polish. Same thing with the very similar Michel Thomas series (Dutch and Russian). Very good for building vocab and phrases very quick though.

I find I learn best when there is something to cement the learning. Doing grammar and more "thinking" exercises really helps me. I combined the two with Dutch and made better long term progress (Michel Thomas & a teach yourself traditional text book).
 
I have tried several in the past, but am now using Fluencia - http://www.fluencia.com/
It has great visual cues and tests very frequently. I find my retention much better than the other programs.
It's free. (EDIT: The first 15 lessons are free and then there are three different plans from which to chose.). Yes, I just finished lesson 15, and that's how I found out! I still like it though - it's a learning model that seems to work for me.
 
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