How can I learn Spanish quickly and inexpensively?

[Anonymous]

Watch Spanish-language films with the captions on -- in Spanish. Spanish-Eng dictionary in hand. Watch, pause, translate. Watch, pause, translate. Super effective.

[Anonymous]

Take a road trip across Mexico with two teenage boys who won’t stop talking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To quickly learn conversational Spanish, hire an online tutor based in Spain or Latin America. on italki.com. The fees are much lower than they would be for a private lesson in the US.

To improve your understanding of spoken Spanish, you can watch Spanish language Netflix shows/movies with English subtitles on that you read simultaneously while listening to Spanish dialogue8. You can also get a language-learning Chrome extension like Language Reactor: "Language Reactor allows you to display two sets of subtitles at once, one in your native language, and another in the language that you’re watching in. Language Reactor also expands the functionality beyond what regular subtitles might give. With Language Reactor, you can hover over any word that you don’t know, and the extension will automatically display a translation for you on the spot."

Thanks for this suggestion. I've been watching Netflix in Spanish with English subtitles, but I don't find it that helpful. Having subtitles in both languages would be very helpful, I think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First, memorize the most used 2000 words. Then, memorize 1000 most used phrases.
Anything you say in English in every day speech, you should be able to say in Spanish fairly soon. Write down what you want to say, then look it up on google translate.
All you need is a pen, paper, google translate.

Isn't this what Duolingo does, essentially?

What is a good source for this?

[Anonymous]

This is OP.

I'm looking for suggestions for good immersion programs for adults.

Has anyone done one in Oaxaca like this

https://spanishschoolinmexico.com/index.html

[Anonymous]

In your case, I think I would try to hire some experienced native Spanish speaking tutors on a site like Preply, and book a series of sessions with them virtually. I have found virtual tutoring to be equivalent to in person tutoring for oral language, and one on one is extremely effective. The trick is, look for experienced tutors.

[Anonymous]

I recently did this and here are the things that worked for me. Once I reached low intermediate level I really immersed myself in comprehensible input. You need to expose yourself to hundreds of hours of the language to get a feel for it. It is one of the best things I did for myself in terms of personal development and pure joy I've gotten from speaking and learning another language as an adult.
--Pimsleur course (5 levels)
--Anki deck for vocabulary (digital uses spaced repetition system) I completed the 5000 word deck and then created another deck of more advanced words I found while reading and watching tv.
--Practice makes perfect workbooks (clear logical explanation of grammar and verb tenses)
--Comprehensible input--first started out with input for learners. Dreaming Spanish on Youtube was so helpful. Also lots of podcasts for learners like Coffee break spanish.
--Italki tutor (variety of price points): this was invaluable to help me to speak on a regular basis. Generally did 2 one hour sessions weekly.
--Language reactor free extension on Chrome allows you to have dual subtitles on Netflix and Youtube
--Reading. I started with readers and now I'm comfortable reading novels! Also like the BBC Mundo y NY times español site for articles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recently did this and here are the things that worked for me. Once I reached low intermediate level I really immersed myself in comprehensible input. You need to expose yourself to hundreds of hours of the language to get a feel for it. It is one of the best things I did for myself in terms of personal development and pure joy I've gotten from speaking and learning another language as an adult.
--Pimsleur course (5 levels)
--Anki deck for vocabulary (digital uses spaced repetition system) I completed the 5000 word deck and then created another deck of more advanced words I found while reading and watching tv.
--Practice makes perfect workbooks (clear logical explanation of grammar and verb tenses)
--Comprehensible input--first started out with input for learners. Dreaming Spanish on Youtube was so helpful. Also lots of podcasts for learners like Coffee break spanish.
--Italki tutor (variety of price points): this was invaluable to help me to speak on a regular basis. Generally did 2 one hour sessions weekly.
--Language reactor free extension on Chrome allows you to have dual subtitles on Netflix and Youtube
--Reading. I started with readers and now I'm comfortable reading novels! Also like the BBC Mundo y NY times español site for articles.

Thank you! This is super helpful! Thanks everyone else for all the suggestions. I've started using Duolingo (free one), and already I feel like it's reinforcing the Spanish I already know. I haven't learned much yet, but all that daily practice is helpful. I'm listening to Radio Ambulante as I type this. I can understand phrases, but not entire sentences.
News in Slow Spanish is $22.50 per month, which is too expensive for me. It does look good though.

If anyone else has any more ideas, I'd love to hear what worked for you. I can't go to Mexico until the fall, but I'm trying to immerse myself in Spanish at home, as best I can!

[Anonymous]

I'm bumping this thread, as I just got a new job that is requiring me to learn Spanish. If I'm not conversational within a year, my contract will not be renewed
I am in my late 50s, and it's really hard for me to learn Spanish for some reason. I was fluent in French years ago, but lost all my fluency from not using it.
Has anyone used Mango Languages? My library offers it for free. It seems OK and fun, but do you actually learn to speak Spanish by using it?

[Anonymous]

Netflix in Spanish as you mentioned. But start with something like Sesame Street. They speak slow and clearly and the visuals help with understanding.

[Anonymous]

Duolingo, but do it for an hour a day. You'll get to proficiency in six months. You just have to do it for an hour a day. Trust me, I've done it.

[Anonymous]

Quickly and inexpensively? Take a job as a housecleaner.

[Anonymous]

To learn a language, you have to speak it everytime you get a chance to. Just speak it. And ask for corrections.
Where? If it's Spanish, i would go to a place that serve their food. But, each country have their variety of tones and word usage but in general you get the idea. And you socialize with people who speak that language. And you have to join their events and activities so you can pick up the language.
You have to immerse yourself in their culture to pick up the language.
It's the same as if you are trying to learn English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Watch Spanish-language films with the captions on -- in Spanish. Spanish-Eng dictionary in hand. Watch, pause, translate. Watch, pause, translate. Super effective.

Agree with this but I also encourage saying phrases out loud when you pause it. It sinks in your brain differently and it helps train your tongue. I think combine that with dulpgino and do the same with forcing yourself to say all the duolingo phrases out loud.

You might also want to check Bingham young for language classes — they have a ton of online options and lots of great language classes because they need to train all the missionaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Netflix in Spanish as you mentioned. But start with something like Sesame Street. They speak slow and clearly and the visuals help with understanding.

I strongly disagree with using kids shows. It’s much harder to learn when the lips don’t match the voice and they often speak in high pitched tones that are harder to learn from. The news is great because if is very standardized (not a strong accent and not a lot of slang). Some Spanish shows I’ve watched and really enjoyed (but some have a lot of slang and swearing—casa de papel is basically a master class in Spanish wearing);
Casa de papel
Vecinos
Paquita salas
Casa de flores
La flor mas Bonita
Community squad
And for movies there is one called Tesoros I think about little kids hunting for treasure that is fabulous and one called The Great Seduction about a little Mexican town that tricks a doctor from Mexico City into moving there so that a big company will be willing to open a fishery in their village. Both of them are really funny and with a lot of heart.