I think one of the biggest mistakes people make in learning a foreign language is to front load their study of written grammar. This is usually accompanied by the misconception that studying grammar in and of itself will somehow help them (by osmosis maybe? ) with there speaking and listening skills. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

Learning Spanish (or any other foreign language), from the beginning, should be built around 4 areas of study: Listening, speaking, reading and writing. You can look at each of these four areas as legs (for your ability with the language) to stand on. If you were to increase the length of some of the legs on a table while keeping others short, then the table wobbles; if a dogs hind legs grew disproportionately to it's forelegs, the dog would walk with a limp; developing one skill set to the detriment of others, likewise results in a noticeable and unsatisfying handicap.

I think that many people give up or put there verbal and aural studies on the back burner because in the early stages of learning, it is usually much more bewildering to hear and understand the language. This is precisely why it is important to remain consistent with listening/speaking practice from the onset.

I definately agree with what you have said!

some things I would say to myself is REALLY paying attention to accent marks. I didn't do that from the beginning, and it's killing me now :/ Also, going over vocabulary regularily. It's good to become extremely familiar with the words, and to speak them in everyday sentences, even if it is just "por favor" after asking for something.

C:

Aubrey

Your advice is spot-on. I would add that it is important to strive for not only language fluency, but cultural fluency as well--know what language to use with different people in different situations in different regions. For example, in many Latin American cultures, younger persons are expected to address their elders with the formal "you" (usted) instead of the informal tu, regardless of how long they have known each other. It is a sign of respect.

Total immersion situations, in my opinion, are the best way to learn a language--you learn really fast when you have to speak to get something to eat or find the bathroom!

I listen, listen, listen....and try not to have recourse to the printed word until I have exhausted all other possibilities for understanding what I have heard. There are some snippets which I probably heard twenty-five or thirty times before I could finally figure out what I was hearing. (By the way, I purchased almost all the materials I listen to in Germany.)

Does this work? I am not sure. But I can tell you that whatever I do understand, I really understand without translating.

Now I am studying grammar in a systematic way using a terrific book suggested by a former contributor to this forum...a very knowledgeable contributor, a very patient and helpful contributor, Lazarus: "Gramática básica del estudiante de español" This grammar is completely in Spanish. You can order it and many other good listening CDs with booklets from Difusión Centro de Investigación y Publicación de Idiomas

Lazanoni said ......:

I think one of the biggest mistakes people make in learning a foreign language is to front load there study of written grammar. This is usually accompanied by the misconception that studying grammar in and of itself will somehow help them (by osmosis maybe? ) with there speaking and listening skills. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

Right on the money -- "justo en el clavo"

My grammar is behind my speaking and listening, but I am working on the grammer.

My problem is I do not like to study grammar --- Uug yuk.

Speaking consists of two parts: the mechanics of making the sounds and knowing what to say. The first can be learned by reading aloud, but the second requires learning the grammar of conjugation and sentence construction if you want to progress beyond phrase book conversations. Being able to think about what you want to say, rather than having to struggle with what tense to use and how to construct it requires extensive drilling in conjugation and studying common sentence forms. These drills serve a second purpose of increasing vocabulary as well, so I think an early emphasis on grammar is a good thing rather than a handicap.

Listening to spoken Spanish is important, but doing it prior to developing a vocabulary or the knowledge of what verb tenses are being used is counterproductive and frustrating, although I admit I do it a lot. One thing that I have found useful is single word dictation website, where you hear a word (and can replay it) and type it into the computer and it is checked with immediate feedback. I'd like to find a site that did that with sentences rather than just words.

Yo pensar (I think) the hardest thing for me to do when learning Español is getting the word order and la gramatíca right. So yeah, my beginner advice would be don't just study the words, study the order they go in!

Welcome to the forum, anajo

Nice post, getting my vote