BajaNomad

Learning Spanish

pauldavidmena - 12-9-2017 at 01:30 PM

"no hay pedo" is some uniquely Mexican slang. It means something very different to my Puerto Rican family. :o

David K - 12-9-2017 at 02:20 PM

Another poll choice:
* I speak (some) Spanish but would like to be more fluent.

rts551 - 12-9-2017 at 02:35 PM

It would be interesting to test those that say they know some Spanish. Many I talk to that say they know some Spanish are almost embarrassing with their mixture of Spanglish and English.

woody with a view - 12-9-2017 at 02:40 PM

I’m pretty much fluent.

Como estas frijoles = how you been?

:lol:

[Edited on 12-9-2017 by woody with a view]

willardguy - 12-9-2017 at 02:46 PM

I talk to mexicans every day....they all speak english!

Lee - 12-9-2017 at 02:46 PM

No hay de que.

rts551 - 12-9-2017 at 02:50 PM

Just put an "o" on the end of every word. Or one time "donde pescandoing". Cuando returno?.....or cundo finito.



[Edited on 12-9-2017 by rts551]

bajabuddha - 12-9-2017 at 03:09 PM

Quote: Originally posted by woody with a view  
I’m pretty much fluent.

Como estas frijoles = how you been?

:lol:

[Edited on 12-9-2017 by woody with a view]

Como estas frijoles tennis shoe = How you bean ked?

... actually, at every stop when asked I always answered, "Hablo poco, comprendo nada." ... always got a smile and a chuckle.

[Edited on 12-9-2017 by bajabuddha]

BajaTed - 12-9-2017 at 03:50 PM

Adjectives are easy to remember, verbs not so much.
I look through a pocket dictionary at all the verbs and the various tenses when I want to go to sleep, it helps me a lot with understanding Spanish if I dream the words being spoken to me:light:
Understanding the grammar heard helps, even if you don't know all the words spoken.
Speaking is a whole other adventure, I kinda speak "Spanglish" though

Ken Cooke - 12-9-2017 at 06:24 PM

Yo hablo mucho poquito Españo. Espero que uno dio me hablo más que un poquito hermano!

Paco Facullo - 12-10-2017 at 09:43 AM

Soy es Hombe

Yo no necesitar hablar mucho

Yo necesitar cervesa, comida's, bano, Chica's y ducha

No necesitar mas.

I'm a Man
I don't need to speak much
I need beer, food, toilet, Girls and a shower
I don't need more

ehall - 12-11-2017 at 01:14 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Paco Facullo  
Soy es Hombe

Yo no necesitar hablar mucho

Yo necesitar cervesa, comida's, bano, Chica's y ducha

No necesitar mas.

I'm a Man
I don't need to speak much
I need beer, food, toilet, Girls and a shower
I don't need more





Got it all but ducha. learned something new today.

gsbotanico - 12-11-2017 at 02:24 PM

Pues, para mi "no hay pedo."

But I would never say it that way in polite company. It's a crude way to say it's no problem. I might use around men I know very well when the conversation is very casual, especially when some drinking has been going on.

bajabuddha - 12-11-2017 at 03:09 PM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho  
Quote: Originally posted by gsbotanico  
But I would never say it that way in polite company.
Concuerdo.

You consider BN to be "polite company"? :O


Yes, and eggs. :spingrin:

bajabuddha - 12-11-2017 at 05:47 PM

I got a kick out of the survey question of "I get along OK with English and don't worry about it at this point." ...having no hits at all. Apparently a lot of Nomads don't actually live in Baja, they live on... De Nile.

My Spanish is 'bastante', I get by. I've spent most of my time being an interpreter for not only casual travelers, but a number of residents who either own or rent property for their inadequacies in the linguistics department... both on beach camps and semi-developed encampments. One such very good friend of mine who bought in to property used to say, "My Spanish consists of 'El good-o!". He would also say about learning how to cook, "The day I learn to cook something is the day my wife will stop!"

Classic curmudgeon. For those 'old tymers' at the Oasis, his last name was Skamser. I miss him dearly.

BajaBill74 - 12-11-2017 at 06:48 PM

Creo que hablo Espanol muy bien - - para un Gringo loco.

JZ - 12-12-2017 at 01:21 AM

My boat captain speaks Spanish and English. He takes care of me.

BajaBlanca - 12-12-2017 at 08:21 AM

http://qroo.us/2017/12/12/2017-lets-wrap-this-up/

I listened to the first lesson that this guy gave just for the heck of it. He is excellent and although I haven't listened to other lessons, I bet they are just as good.

I speak so well now and more importantly, I can understand so much, but to be honest: the local dialect is really difficult for me, even today 12 years after we got here!

Hablando Español o como Mexicano?

Don Jorge - 12-12-2017 at 09:28 AM

Remember these scenes from "El Norte?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o8Fx2WYvn4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xn9nvLz4eE

Ken Cooke - 12-12-2017 at 02:08 PM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho  
Quote: Originally posted by Ken Cooke  
Espero que uno dio me hablo más que un poquito hermano!
Y ¿qué pasó con tu diccionario de almohada? :light: :cool:


I was only joking. My Spanish is pretty good. It's a lot of fun to practice. I get practice at home, work, with friends, at some.of the restaurants, you name it.

freediverbrian - 12-12-2017 at 10:50 PM

Download pod casts of Spanish lessons and listen to them while driving or when you have time.

Cancamo - 12-13-2017 at 12:40 PM

Immersion in a Castilian speaking country, (most of Central America and South America, and Spain) is by far the best way to get a handle on the language. In time you will begin to think in Spanish, dream in Spanish.....
The Spanish most commonly spoken in parts of Mexico is loaded with slang and regional accents, and in Baja is often not enunciated and words can be garbled and sentences are often dropped at the end. Many bad habits can get a foot hold here.
Speak to someone from Guatemala or Ecuador, you will understand every word clearly the way it is spelled. In turn your "Choyero" dialect will be noticeable and limited.
In my opinion Guatemala has the most professional immersion schools, they've been doing it a long time. US State Department and Consulates send their folks there.

joerover - 12-13-2017 at 10:00 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Cancamo  
Immersion in a Castilian speaking country, (most of Central America and South America, )Speak to someone from Guatemala


How can I get a book or pamplet that explains how to teach spanish?
A pamplet in Spanish, I could hand it to Camilla down in Colombia. Colombiana speaks loud and clear.

[Edited on 12-14-2017 by joerover]

Cancamo - 12-14-2017 at 09:55 AM

Colombians speak a clear form of Spanish as well as most of S. America, (Argentines have a distinctive accent), Spent a couple months up and down the cordillera and the Darien region of Colombia, (incredibly diverse and beautiful country), found that even the less educated country folk spoke clearly. The Caribbean region had some accents, native dialects, with some slang mixed in.

I would look for Spanish language textbooks in Spanish in Colombia, also might try Amazon.

shari - 12-14-2017 at 10:19 AM

Quote: Originally posted by rts551  
Just put an "o" on the end of every word. Or one time "donde pescandoing". Cuando returno?.....or cundo finito.


this doesnt always work....I once laughed at the teacher accompany a spanish immersion course I gave here when he said..."Cool-o" which mean arsehole in spanish and not appropriate for a teacher to say for sure...sure did elicit laughs from the mexican kids though!

gsbotanico - 12-14-2017 at 03:34 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Cancamo  
Colombians speak a clear form of Spanish as well as most of S. America, (Argentines have a distinctive accent), Spent a couple months up and down the cordillera and the Darien region of Colombia, (incredibly diverse and beautiful country), found that even the less educated country folk spoke clearly. The Caribbean region had some accents, native dialects, with some slang mixed in.

Nothing wrong with the educated Spanish spoken in the major cities in Central Mexico. The trick is to not pick up a regional accent and too much regional vocabulary. unless living in an area, then the vocabulary becomes necessary to communicate with ordinary people.

When I've traveled in Central and South America, the more perceptive locals can pick up that I learned my Spanish in Mexico, especially from the use of aztequismos, which are mostly understood in other countries because Mexico dominates by the size of its population and production of television programs such as telenovelas.

I agree that the Caribbean and Argentinian accents should be avoided by native English speakers. It's always better to learn the standard educated accent common in Latin America.

pacificobob - 12-15-2017 at 06:41 AM

guatemala has some rather good spanish spoken. peru as well.