Just finishing up the semester (in two more weeks) of wonderfully fun, stimulating and useful Spanish classes at UABC in Ensenada. Yes, it's a time
commitment (2 hours/per, 5 days/week) but, as adults, we can go or not go as we wish. I chose to go and have learned so much (except on my occasional
"mi mente se fue" days). It's a great opportunity for us to expand our language skills and cultural awareness and to better know our neighbors.
While there are language schools all over Mexico and Latin America, UABC is close to home, inexpensive and provides the stimulation of being on a
college campus.gnukid - 11-12-2008 at 06:35 PM
Orale, I took it too, was a little frustrating finding out that no one speaks Spanish in Mexico? In Mexico they speak Mexican which is quite a
different dialect-try telling that to UABCS who has no desire to teach Mexican language or linguistics? Good luck getting your point across with your
16 Spanish tenses and variations of conjugation for some negatives. Might as well forget everything you learned and refocus on learning vocabulary
like me puche, verbs like parqar, and sing-song accents without moving your mouth so you can be understood in Baja ya guey.gnukid - 11-12-2008 at 06:38 PM
kuchi muchi puchi tuchitjBill - 11-12-2008 at 06:51 PM
Is this a special program for foreigners?
How much does it cost?gnukid - 11-12-2008 at 08:29 PM
For me, I registered as a student and paid the course fee, the total was about $70-80, something like $50/course and $25 for student registration but
I think you can forgo the student reg and pay a one class fee which is about equal $70-80.
The course I took was for anyone, students, foreigners etc... my course was mostly foreigners studying biology and there were a few visiting
tourists. They offer level, 1, 2, 3 etc... but depending on your timing, the course may be moving along with few students interested in level 1-2. It
depends. The teacher will interview you and try to place you and work with you in the existing group of available students.
Even if you don't have time for a whole semester and leave part way, its still a far better value than the other options which can charge hundreds for
a week, except that the other courses seem more accepting of local dialect whereas the UABCS course seems overly focused on formal Spanish. The
further you get the less people understand you???shari - 11-12-2008 at 09:22 PM
wow, that is wonderful...good for you for making the effort. Which UABC campus are you on? Nomad Sirenita is in marine sciences at the Sauzal
campus...U2U her..and she can help you with some immersion!!! I taught English for many years at UABCS and loved it...so much fun...good luck with
your course.LOSARIPES - 11-13-2008 at 03:07 AM
Baja Sur's Spanish is like Alabama's English ....dorbaja - 11-13-2008 at 09:42 AM
I paid $2,450 MXN for my course at UABC (Ensenada), a total bargain (especially considering the value of the peso nowadays...). The other students
are gringos, Chinese, German, Austrian, and Korean. Yes, we have a text (costing $400 MXN), with more formal language and grammar, but we also learn
slang and often-used colloquial expressions. We're invited to speak to the English language classes, participate in festivals on campus, and MORE.
It's a fantastic experience!!Eugenio - 11-13-2008 at 12:27 PM
Some thoughts on learning spanish....
Stick to the formal castilian spanish as it seems is taught in this UABC course series. Take notes on colloquial regional stuff as you go about in
the real world - but develop that good castilian base first.
I've run in to too many people - foreigners to Mexico - who say..." I don't speak spanish - I speak mexican..." - what they really speak is garbage
- imho. I doubt they even know how bad they sound.
With a decent base in castilian you can branch out in to other dialects for other spanish speaking countries pretty easily - it's mostly just a matter
of leaning some new vocabulary.
You also might consider buying elementary school text books that are used by mexican kids - they run about 10 bucks for the year - all subjects are in
the same book - they're pretty easy reading - and will give you a view of history, culture etc from a mexican perspective.bajaboolie - 11-13-2008 at 07:29 PM
Sounds like fun, dorbaja. I always like to be in a classroom environment with others who are learning the language. I attempted to take a Spanish
class online (in California) this semester but the workload was really daunting...plus I didn't get the speaking time I'd like...
I agree with Eugenio in the respect that it's good to have a solid base of a language.greybaby - 11-13-2008 at 10:38 PM
Prior to moving to Ensenada in 1999, my husband and I both studied formally and informally (several semesters at the local university for me,
conversational classes with native speakers for both of us). Once we got to Ensenada, and knowing we would be surrounding ourselves with only
Mexicanos (by choice), we knew we needed more. We both enrolled at the UABC there and benefitted from it. Interestingly, some of my classmates were
from Russia and Poland. Our common language was Spanish. So very cool. I agree with getting a base in solid Spanish grammar which I received at the
university level and then take every opportunity available and affordable to improve those skills once in the country. It took us about two years
living the life there to feel comfortable and to be considered fluent by our native friends. And the hard work really pays off. Even though we are
back in the states full-time (work sucks!!), being bilingual and bicultural has allowed me to work in a community health center and use it on a daily
basis. What an enriching experience. Wish I was there taking classes with some of you.gnukid - 11-14-2008 at 01:12 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Eugenio
Some thoughts on learning spanish....
Stick to the formal castilian spanish as it seems is taught in this UABC course series. Take notes on colloquial regional stuff as you go about in
the real world - but develop that good castilian base first. ...
Gringos always say that, castillion is the accent we have from UABCS, but I don't know what you mean. Can you describe anything about the style or
accent that makes it castilion? Is it the 'sound' or accent?
[Edited on 11-14-2008 by gnukid]Eugenio - 11-14-2008 at 10:59 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by gnukid
Quote:
Originally posted by Eugenio
Some thoughts on learning spanish....
Stick to the formal castilian spanish as it seems is taught in this UABC course series. Take notes on colloquial regional stuff as you go about in
the real world - but develop that good castilian base first. ...
Gringos always say that, castillion is the accent we have from UABCS, but I don't know what you mean. Can you describe anything about the style or
accent that makes it castilion? Is it the 'sound' or accent?
[Edited on 11-14-2008 by gnukid]
It's not just gringos - apparently they're saying that at UABC Ensenada - and the primary/secondary schools in Mexico. Or at least that's how they're
choosing to teach their students.
I don't know what you mean by castillion or castilion.
If you mean to say castilian or castellano - I would describe it as formal spanish. I would suggest that newcomers to spanish learn the basic grammar
of castilian or formal spanish the same way that it is taught to primary school students in Mexico. We're talking reading and writing. I would stick
to mexican pronounciacion - again - same as primaries in Mexico.
None of this should preclude learning the mexican dialect along the way. The transition isn't as difficult as some make it out to be.
speaking very generally
sylens - 11-14-2008 at 12:04 PM
castellano is to mexican spanish as
the queen's english is to american english
the accent/pronunciation is quite different; the words are basically the same (with notable exceptions like the brits' use of lorry for truck and
bonnet for hood {of a car}, etc.).dorbaja - 11-14-2008 at 06:06 PM
I think Castilian is the Spanish of Spain!!!fishbuck - 11-14-2008 at 10:37 PM
Originally posted by dorbaja
I think Castilian is the Spanish of Spain!!!
There are different accents in Spain---Castilian is just one . Zs and Cs sound like th.
We worked with a woman from Spain when we were in Honduras. She had also lived in Mexico City for a year. In Mexico, she said it was like they spoke
a totally different language. It also irritated her that they told her she spoke Spanish with an accent!.
In Honduras, they loved her Spanish.PovertyBay - 11-15-2008 at 06:17 PM
Eugenio,
As a novice student of Spanish, it had occurred to me that it would be very helpful to have access to educational materials used in Mexico or other
Spanish speaking countries, so I find it interesting that you would recommend this approach. On a recent trip to Panama, I stumbled across an entire
12-grade series of Spanish language texts, but didn't seize on the opportunity to acquire them at the time. Where I live (in the Pacific Northwest)
such resources are not readily available. How might one obtain the materials used in Mexican schools? As an aside, I have also tried to obtain
chidren's literature in Spanish, but have had little luck in the commercial bookstores. I have managed to find a few dual-language children's books
that are very helpful, but very expensive. Now, if I could just master the English language ....
Regards,
PoveryBaybajaboolie - 11-15-2008 at 07:35 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by PovertyBay
I have managed to find a few dual-language children's books that are very helpful, but very expensive. Now, if I could just master the English
language ....
Regards,
PoveryBay
Check out your public library. They have great resources on books in Spanish (children's books, too) and learning the Spanish language. Most likely
your public library has a website you can check online. Good luck!Eugenio - 11-17-2008 at 10:31 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by PovertyBay
Eugenio,
. How might one obtain the materials used in Mexican schools?
Regards,
PoveryBay
Pretty much any bookstore in Mexico will handle textbooks for the present school year. I know they have huge stacks when the school year begins - I
imagine they keep some inventory during the year. If you're not in Mexico, if you post a request here I'm sure some kind hearted Nomad will be happy
to pick them up for you and ship them to wherever you are. Or maybe someone has some left over from their kids. I'd probably start with grades 3,4,5
if you have some rudimentary spanish.
