brewer
Nomad
Posts: 419
Registered: 1-4-2011
Location: BCS
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Mood: Grateful
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Language zen
Anyone using it? I'm liking it so far.
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pauldavidmena
Super Nomad
Posts: 1723
Registered: 5-23-2013
Location: Centerville, MA, USA
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I just read this review of Language Zen by a Canadian couple who used it during their travels through Latin America. What do you like about it? I've tried Notes in Spanish and SpanishPod 101 but have plateaued with both. I'm stuck somewhere around "Advanced Beginner".
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brewer
Nomad
Posts: 419
Registered: 1-4-2011
Location: BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Grateful
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It's different than Duolingo. I feel I'm learning more, faster.
You can try it for free.
I like it so far...
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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it seems like after being SOB for more than 24 hours my Spanglish is pretty damn good. after you learn all of the food groups and most of the good
cuss words the rest just comes naturally! oh, and beer helps.....
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pauldavidmena
Super Nomad
Posts: 1723
Registered: 5-23-2013
Location: Centerville, MA, USA
Member Is Offline
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I learn much more visiting for a week and avoiding the tourist spots than I do after countless hours of podcasts, classes and online courses. If only
my current job would let me transfer to Baja! 
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Alm
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2731
Registered: 5-10-2011
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Same here. At the level of 5-7 year old child - can talk some, can ask/answer, and only understand "adults" when they are talking about something
meant for me.
Notes in Spanish are composed and presented un-professionally. I like Coffee Brake Spanish better. Some things, like Subjunctive, I found easier to
understand in Spanishdict.com - those are videocasts but their visual material is static and generic, consider it "podcasts with pictures".
What sucks is a poor retention rate after the age of 50 - whatever grammar and vocabulary you learn, you forget few months later.
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pauldavidmena
Super Nomad
Posts: 1723
Registered: 5-23-2013
Location: Centerville, MA, USA
Member Is Offline
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I'll definitely check out Coffee Break Spanish. Notes in Spanish sounded like a good idea - a husband and wife, one a native speaker and the other
born in the U.K. using "every day Spanish" - but I agree that it was fairly limited in its effectiveness. Plus they spoke strictly in Castilian, which
wasn't what I was looking for. And their explanation of the Subjunctive left me more confused than ever!
I hear you about learning a language after 50. I grew up hearing my grandparents speak Spanish, but my parents spoke only English in the house,
leaving me and my siblings monolingual. So while I have an ear for the language - and sport a pretty convincing accent - I lack the practice and
confidence to hold my own in conversation.
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Alm
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2731
Registered: 5-10-2011
Member Is Offline
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Practice is the key. But studies have to go first - grammar, vocabulary, all the boring stuff. Then - practice. There is no easy way around, - not
after you've grown up. People think sometimes that they found a magic solution, and then the knowledge is gone again.
"Spain Spanish" in NIS is annoying, difficult to listen with all those Th sounds (nonexistent in Latin America), and their idioms are useless in
Mexico. Besides, they are lacking teacher's skills.
Coffee Break Spanish: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/coffee-break-spanish/id2... I downloaded it to listen offline, and renamed some lessons, ex. Past, Health,
Por-Para etc. They speak both Spain and Latin American versions, giving you both, though his Scottish English is distracting at times.
Subjunctive in CBS pods is still confusing, Spanishdict.com have managed to present it better - https://youtu.be/QqMjnvY1RBE it starts here and goes for 6 or 10 lessons. Again, download to PC or smartphone, downloader will skip the
commercials. Comments on Yutube are m.oronic, as usual - nothing new here.
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