Hi,
Can anyone recommend a good spanish lang book or program I can use as a self teaching tool?
I've heard something about Margarita Madragil, but don't know which book of hers to buy for self help.
ThanksMarinero - 5-19-2006 at 07:37 AM
I am a long way from bi-lingual. But I try to listen to spanish broadcast radio (talk shows are best) or even TV at least some each day. It helps
develop an ear for the language and helps with sentence structure and intonation. Also, I get anything written in spanish, newspapers, flyers, songs
off the lyrics pages on the internet and translate them. That helps with the conversational aspect of the language. Formal training is what I lack.
I hope you get some good responses that I can use.
Buena Suerte.BCSTech - 5-20-2006 at 10:39 AM
Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish, Margarita Madrigal. Illustrations by Andy Warhol (Sorry, no pictures of Campbell's soup cans in Spanish) ISBN#
0-385-41095-6 $165 pesos here.
Some other books and tips to pass along:
1) Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Pronouns And Prepositions (Paperback)
by Dorothy Richmond ISBN: 0844273112
2) Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Verb Tenses (Paperback)
by Dorothy M. Devney ISBN: 0844273341
3. A Mexican friend recommended we watch Mexican cartoons because the grammar used there is so much more simple and straightforward.
4. Our Spanish teacher is a native English speaker. Sounds counter intuitive, but her perspective and insight as a native English speaker more closely
matches our own. It has been very helpful.
By the time we learn enough Spanish that we would benefit from a native Spanish teacher's edge for nuance and culture, we probably won't need to learn
any more Spanish lessons
[Edited on 5-20-2006 by BCSTech]BCSTech - 5-20-2006 at 01:08 PM
Not saying a native speaker wouldn't help there for sure, you're absolutely right. It's just that we may never get to that point with our Spanish
needs and I suspect many others won't, either.
If I can ever manage to make myself understood, and understand what I'm hearing, that may be all I'll have time for unless someday I'm retired. Hard
enough now to carve out time just for the beginner lessons and the homework...
We took lessons from a native speaker at first. But we found our current teacher to be much better in helping us to see and understand Spanish "from
the outside in." Fortunately, she's a real stickler on pronunciation. I'm still trying to master a correct "B" sound for the Vs and a "th" sound for
the Ds...Oso - 5-20-2006 at 01:18 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by lencho
The question is how to find one that can help you at that point-- those are specialized skills that, sadly enough, are missing in many folks who claim
to be language teachers.
--Larry
Truer words never spoken. Case in point: Peggy Hill!BCSTech - 5-20-2006 at 09:16 PM
Wife of Hank Hill.Paula - 5-20-2006 at 09:30 PM
Both of the "Practice Makes Perfect" books are excellent. I personally don't care for the Madrigal book.
"The Ultimate Spanish Review and Practice" published by Passport Books is pretty good, and covers all aspects of grammar. Have you studied a
little, or are you starting from scratch?
After a little book learning, you really need to use the language. If you can go to Mexico for a few weeks and study in a language immersion school
and stay in a private home with a family who will not use any English, you'll benefit greatly. These schools run year round, and you can go at any
time for as few or many weeks as you wish. a good one in Oaxaca is Becari. There are many all over Mexico. They are very inexpensive, as are the
home stays, as little as $7.00 per day with breakfast.
If you can spend time with native speakers in an everyday setting, you will pick up the softness and the expression of the language, which is ever so
pretty and gentle.
Listen to the radio, and to as much music as possible.
Oso, I too want to know-- who IS Peggy Hill??Paula - 5-20-2006 at 09:38 PM
OK, fine !! Now just who is Hank Hill?
OOOOOHHHHH!!!! Got it! Hank-- king of the hill
Peggy-- substitute teacher of the year!
[Edited on 5-21-2006 by Paula]Pescador - 5-21-2006 at 12:03 PM
I have an 8 CD set called Instant Immersion, Spanish Deluxe V2.0 which you can see at www.topics-ent.com that is very good for practice and instruction, which you can use at your own pace. The only challenge I have had so far, is
that the pronuciation has a slight Caltillian twinge. So I can use it on my laptop and can follow my progress as I have time. It uses progressive
learning, speech recognition, phoenitic animations, word searches, crossword puzzles, riddles, and dictation. I think I paid somewhere around $30.
for the package.laurfar - 5-23-2006 at 05:30 AM
Great Info, thanks for all the replies. I just found that my local community college has an online course call "speed spanish" that I'd like to look
into. I did just buy Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish. Hope I didn't waste my money since someone here said they didn't care for it. Thanks everyone
for your thoughts.BCSTech - 5-23-2006 at 06:01 AM
Quote:
I did just buy Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish. Hope I didn't waste my money since someone here said they didn't care for it.
There is something good in all these books and tapes if you use them.
Madrigal's book uses a different approach than many by first building connections between all the words that Spanish has in common with English. More
experienced Spanish speakers may not like it but I think it's OK for beginners. I just started it a few weeks ago and have gotten some very useful
stuff from it.
You can study Spanish online one-on-one with experienced Guatemalan Spanish teachers. They use the same immersion methodologies they use at the
schools there. You are learning in real time with a real-life tutor (not a CD-ROM or book) You can choose the tutor and your schedule. Rates begin
at $5 / hour, all of which goes to the tutors directly. They'll adapt to your learning needs and learning styles.
just a suggestion
mulege marv - 5-23-2006 at 06:07 AM
when watching movies watch them in spanish and use english subtitles. or visa versa, it helps me allot !MICK - 5-23-2006 at 04:41 PM
Anybody ever use the rosetta stone cd's? I heard they were good but haven't seen them
Mick
