Getting back to Mexico topics on this blog reminds me how much I need to get done before I make the trip south. But first on my list is to set up a regular schedule to practice my spanish. I have two computer programs to assist me. The best one -- from The Learnables -- is fun. It literally attempts to teach in the same manner a child learns -- hearing, looking, listening.
My problem is exactly the same as anyone's who tries to learn anything new: applying enough discipline to keep the learning consistent. I have now completed lesson one on 20 separate sessions. I get doing fine and allow myself to be distracted.
Here is what I hope to do between now and next April.
My problem is exactly the same as anyone's who tries to learn anything new: applying enough discipline to keep the learning consistent. I have now completed lesson one on 20 separate sessions. I get doing fine and allow myself to be distracted.
Here is what I hope to do between now and next April.
1. Each evening I will spend at least one hour reviewing the Learnable lessons.
2. I will read at least one Psalm in spanish each evening.
3. If I watch one of the movies in my DVD collection, I will turn on the spanish translation along with the spanish subtitles.
4. I will set aside my pride and attempt to converse with my spanish-speaking friends at every opportunity.
I know I need to do other thing to get ready for the move, but I have read enough blogs and heard enough from many readers to know that the best possession I can take to Mexico is a working knowledge of spanish.
And like every American, I will be looking for the shortcut -- knowing that it does not exist. It did not exist when I learned german or russian or greek. I don't need to learn that lesson again.
I know I need to do other thing to get ready for the move, but I have read enough blogs and heard enough from many readers to know that the best possession I can take to Mexico is a working knowledge of spanish.
And like every American, I will be looking for the shortcut -- knowing that it does not exist. It did not exist when I learned german or russian or greek. I don't need to learn that lesson again.
4 comments:
Hmmm, interesting title. I wonder, did the plumafuente azul get stuck in the pollo asado before or after your 20th attempt at Lesson number one? ;-)
Alee' Robbins
geez steve, if you learned german, russian and greek, you should have no problem with spanish. however, i would like to make one recommendation. you said that you are going to study spanish every night. i would say give yourself a break, maybe on the weekends. or maybe you could study more during the weekends and take some time off during the work week. the point is, if you try to do it every night, you are going to get tired of it and maybe give up for a while. i'm sure you will do great if you are consistent, just don't burn yourself out.
by the way, where did you get that picture? "the fountain pen is jammed in the roasted chicken?" is that something like when they find a foreign object (no pun intended) in a piece of some restaurant meal here-i dare not name any. i'm really curious!
have a great weekend and God bless.
it's nice that you're reaading the psalms in spanish ;-)
I stole the title from an old comedy routine about the uselessness of most foreign language classes. I wish I could remember the comedian. Better yet, I am waiting for the opportunity to use the phrase in Mexico. I can hear it now:
Has anyone seen my fountain pen?
Which one?
The blue fountain pen.
Where is the chicken?
Which chicken?
The roasted chicken.
Here it is. The blue fountain pen is stuck in the roasted chicken.
Steve, You are so smart, the single most important thing you can do is learn Spanish, but don't make it oppressive. Try different things, learn some children's songs, singing uses a different part of the brain. Today, Husband and I were singing "Un Elefante se balanceaba sobre una tela de araña..." it was silly fun. As you probably know the moment you start thinking in Spanish it will become easier. I love to watch movies with Spanish subtitles, it gives me new ways to say things and sometimes it's also funny to read how things are translated.
regards,
Theresa
ps I am so impressed when people speak several languages.
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