Learning Spanish?

[Anonymous]

I would like to learn Spanish, so that I can hopefully begin to teach it to DS, or at least use some more words around the house. Do any of you have recommendations for classes, tapes, books, or just generally what's the easiest way to learn Spanish? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

OP, the USDA graduate school offers classes for adult learners and are located either at the L'Enfant Plaza or Smithsonian metro. I found that to be a good place to start. They're oriented to adult learners.

There are also lots of Spanish lesson type podcasts on iTunes. Go to the iTunes store to the podcasts section and do a search for Spanish. They're free and you'll have to look around and see what works for you. A very simple one is Coffee Break Spanish but there are many and they often have websites with additional resources (for pay) associated with them.

There is loads of free stuff online. I think Ask.com has a Spanish lesson section.

In terms of cds, I have used the Pimsleur cds. Pimsleur focuses on learning by ear. It's not for everyone but it helps me with my pronunciation. The best known one of these now is Rosetta Stone. They have put a lot of money into advertising. I haven't used it though so I can't tell you about it.

I currently tutor online with a tutor in Nicaragua using a headset and the free Skype software. This has worked out well for me so now I don't have to be out in the evening at a class. I don't know how well it would work for a beginner but it's very inexpensive and something to keep in mind. The school I go to is http://www.1on1spanish.net/default.shtml (my tutor, Jessica Lanuza, is wonderful).

Another great free resources is the old Destinos tv program which you can find for free on the Annenberg Foundation website: http://www.learner.org/resources/series75.html. Very dated (shoulder pads and laptop computers that weigh 30 pounds!) but a great resource nevertheless.

I have bought Spanish children's books at El Tiempo on Wisconsin Ave but a lot of Borders and Barnes and Noble have Spanish books these days. And of course there's lot of local tv and newspapers (at any metro station).

It's a great time to study foreign languages. Back in the day, it took a lot of effort to find resources but with the internet the world is wide open. Good luck and enjoy!

[Anonymous]

not the OP but PP, where is that bookstore on Wisconsin? Could you please post the address if you have it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:not the OP but PP, where is that bookstore on Wisconsin? Could you please post the address if you have it?

So sorry, I have Spanish on the brain -- the book store is called Tempo, not El Tiempo, and it's at 4905 Wisconsin Ave, about a 10 minute walk south of the Friendship Heights metro. http://www.tempobookdistributors.com/ They have other languages besides Spanish and they also have a lot of English as a Second Language materials.

[Anonymous]

OP here -- Wow, so much great information. I never would've thought of iTunes or the other free resources. Thanks so much!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, the USDA graduate school offers classes for adult learners and are located either at the L'Enfant Plaza or Smithsonian metro. I found that to be a good place to start. They're oriented to adult learners.

There are also lots of Spanish lesson type podcasts on iTunes. Go to the iTunes store to the podcasts section and do a search for Spanish. They're free and you'll have to look around and see what works for you. A very simple one is Coffee Break Spanish but there are many and they often have websites with additional resources (for pay) associated with them.

There is loads of free stuff online. I think Ask.com has a Spanish lesson section.

In terms of cds, I have used the Pimsleur cds. Pimsleur focuses on learning by ear. It's not for everyone but it helps me with my pronunciation. The best known one of these now is Rosetta Stone. They have put a lot of money into advertising. I haven't used it though so I can't tell you about it.

I currently tutor online with a tutor in Nicaragua using a headset and the free Skype software. This has worked out well for me so now I don't have to be out in the evening at a class. I don't know how well it would work for a beginner but it's very inexpensive and something to keep in mind. The school I go to is http://www.1on1spanish.net/default.shtml (my tutor, Jessica Lanuza, is wonderful).

Another great free resources is the old Destinos tv program which you can find for free on the Annenberg Foundation website: http://www.learner.org/resources/series75.html. Very dated (shoulder pads and laptop computers that weigh 30 pounds!) but a great resource nevertheless.

I have bought Spanish children's books at El Tiempo on Wisconsin Ave but a lot of Borders and Barnes and Noble have Spanish books these days. And of course there's lot of local tv and newspapers (at any metro station).

It's a great time to study foreign languages. Back in the day, it took a lot of effort to find resources but with the internet the world is wide open. Good luck and enjoy!

I'm not the OP but also interested in learning Spanish. Wow, what a helpful post! Thanks!

[Anonymous]

livemocha.com is online will bunch of cool pictures.. depending on your kid's age you can do it together.

hiring a spanish speaking nanny/sitter/helper is good too, finding friends in the hispanic community is also a great ad on not only for the language but to learn more about their culture.

[Anonymous]

The Montgomery County Public Library has the Rosetta Stone software available. I'm not sure of exactly which libraries, but you can call and ask. I used it a few years ago at the Wheaton library and set up a username and pw there to dial in from home. There are also Spanish meetups where people of all levels of Spanish get together to practice. You can look them up on www.meetup.com I went to the Silver Spring meetup, and often there were native Spanish speakers who wanted to practice English. It was always a fun exchange.

[Anonymous]

http://www.spanishtutordc.com

I took lessons from Santiago a few years ago and thought he was great. It's a total immersion program.

[Anonymous]

Ditto on Rosetta Stone, Destinos, USDA, meetups. Buena suerte!