Best book/audio option for learning spanish?
I have always wanted to learn Spanish and now I am, darn it!
What book to get? I am not able to afford a full immersion course. Although the best option, it is financially impossible for me, so that is out of the question.
All other book/audio combos on the book shelve are so generic with what they include.
A travelers guide will only tell you what to say, with no real explanation as to why it is said that way ( I.e. conjugating, etc). A regular Spanish 1 guide tells you how to speak in a very, very formal manner that you would otherwise not use in everyday conversation.
Here is my ultimate question: what Spanish self taught book/audio is the best at teaching Spanish that you would actually use in everyday conversation, and tell you how and why the sentences are constructed the way they are?
Learning a foreign language straight from a textbook or audio course without other input, such as an instructor or a native speaker to talk to is very, very difficult. Output (you producing language) and interaction, is almost as important as input (receiving the information itself) or a list of rules.
But that being said, the best option for you would be to combine as many varieties of self-taught instruction as you can–audio, reading, and pronunciation/speaking practice. Like you said, travelers’ guides are mostly appropriate for getting around a Spanish-speaking country for short periods of time, but do not allow you to understand the logic of the language. Many books that focus on the logic of the language can be dry, hard to digest, and fail to address the conversational aspect or more practical uses. This is why a combination is the best way.
Ideally, if you had a few hundred dollars to spare (I know you don’t, but this will give you an idea of a "good" program), Rosetta Stone courses aim to present information more naturally, where you are reacting to situations with new words that you’re gradually given. This is how we behave in normal conversation.
For audio practice, there are a number of free (!) Podcasts that you can use. Even if you don’t have an iPod, you can download them and burn them onto a CD to listen in the car or anywhere else. My favorite is called Notes in Spanish, and is based on conversation. They also sell inexpensive worksheets you can download so you have the words in front of you, and a website forum for discussion. Coffee Break Spanish gives you short lessons you could listen to on, well, a coffee break. I also like Spanishpodcast.org. There are a variety, and you’ll have to look at those on your own. Look for ones that emphasize conversation.
For books, I would advise equipping yourself with a variety: a reference-style grammar book with exercises, a good English-Spanish dictionary, and one that relates to conversation and cultural norms. Most book do not contain all of this, but a couple books that I love are the following:
Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish (creative, more natural approach to book-based instruction)
The Ultimate Spanish Review and Practice (because you’ll eventually want the comprehensive, grammar book, and this one is very easy to understand)
Spanish By Association (Fun way to build vocab)
Breaking Out of Beginner’s Spanish (once you can speak the basics…this book is fantastic)
I have never used it, but the computer program My Spanish Coach ($30) seems to be pretty decent as well.
A website with lots of good resources is www.studyspanish.com. This will coach you through some of the basics of grammar and vocabulary, like you might get in a beginner course.
If you go to www.meetup.com, you can search for a Spanish conversation group in your city. Many of these are for speakers of all levels that want to practice their skills with others. Look or post an ad on www.craigslist.org to find a conversation parter, ideally, a native speaker you could meet with in exchange for equal time speaking in English.
But whatever methods you use, the absolute BEST thing you can ever get is exposure to Spanish-speakers and language. Watch Latin American movies with the subtitles on and try to catch words (switch to Spanish subtitles when you get better.) Listen to music and read/translate the lyrics. Write down things you say all the time and go home and try to figure them out in Spanish. Watch corny telenovelas.
It WILL be hard and very time consuming (it was for me!), but I promise you, learning a second language to a point that you can actually chat (even at a basic level) with native speakers is SO WORTH IT!! It has changed my life for the better, made me feel great about myself, and enhanced my travel experiences so much–I don’t have to stick to the touristy areas…I can hang out with locals in South America!
¡Buena suerte! (Good luck!
October 15th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Learning a foreign language straight from a textbook or audio course without other input, such as an instructor or a native speaker to talk to is very, very difficult. Output (you producing language) and interaction, is almost as important as input (receiving the information itself) or a list of rules.
But that being said, the best option for you would be to combine as many varieties of self-taught instruction as you can–audio, reading, and pronunciation/speaking practice. Like you said, travelers’ guides are mostly appropriate for getting around a Spanish-speaking country for short periods of time, but do not allow you to understand the logic of the language. Many books that focus on the logic of the language can be dry, hard to digest, and fail to address the conversational aspect or more practical uses. This is why a combination is the best way.
Ideally, if you had a few hundred dollars to spare (I know you don’t, but this will give you an idea of a "good" program), Rosetta Stone courses aim to present information more naturally, where you are reacting to situations with new words that you’re gradually given. This is how we behave in normal conversation.
For audio practice, there are a number of free (!) Podcasts that you can use. Even if you don’t have an iPod, you can download them and burn them onto a CD to listen in the car or anywhere else. My favorite is called Notes in Spanish, and is based on conversation. They also sell inexpensive worksheets you can download so you have the words in front of you, and a website forum for discussion. Coffee Break Spanish gives you short lessons you could listen to on, well, a coffee break. I also like Spanishpodcast.org. There are a variety, and you’ll have to look at those on your own. Look for ones that emphasize conversation.
For books, I would advise equipping yourself with a variety: a reference-style grammar book with exercises, a good English-Spanish dictionary, and one that relates to conversation and cultural norms. Most book do not contain all of this, but a couple books that I love are the following:
Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish (creative, more natural approach to book-based instruction)
The Ultimate Spanish Review and Practice (because you’ll eventually want the comprehensive, grammar book, and this one is very easy to understand)
Spanish By Association (Fun way to build vocab)
Breaking Out of Beginner’s Spanish (once you can speak the basics…this book is fantastic)
I have never used it, but the computer program My Spanish Coach ($30) seems to be pretty decent as well.
A website with lots of good resources is http://www.studyspanish.com. This will coach you through some of the basics of grammar and vocabulary, like you might get in a beginner course.
If you go to http://www.meetup.com, you can search for a Spanish conversation group in your city. Many of these are for speakers of all levels that want to practice their skills with others. Look or post an ad on http://www.craigslist.org to find a conversation parter, ideally, a native speaker you could meet with in exchange for equal time speaking in English.
But whatever methods you use, the absolute BEST thing you can ever get is exposure to Spanish-speakers and language. Watch Latin American movies with the subtitles on and try to catch words (switch to Spanish subtitles when you get better.) Listen to music and read/translate the lyrics. Write down things you say all the time and go home and try to figure them out in Spanish. Watch corny telenovelas.
It WILL be hard and very time consuming (it was for me!), but I promise you, learning a second language to a point that you can actually chat (even at a basic level) with native speakers is SO WORTH IT!! It has changed my life for the better, made me feel great about myself, and enhanced my travel experiences so much–I don’t have to stick to the touristy areas…I can hang out with locals in South America!
¡Buena suerte! (Good luck!
References :
Me, I am a Spanish teacher, and not a native speaker.
October 15th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
You can also use a Spanish text-to-speech program, like YAKiToMe! to read electronic text into an mp3 audio file you can listen to. This is useful for getting pronunciation right and for improving your language listening skills, but using self-teaching materials, which are usually the most motivating kind. Buena suerte!
References :