What Are Realistic Expectations.

Question

I have started having one on one lessons on the intenet via Skype.

I generally have 4 or 5 lessons of 50 minutes from Monday to Friday and then 1 or 2 hours on a Saturday morning.

I have been doing these classes since the beginning of February so that is 5 months.

Realistically what standard should my Spanish be at, and realistically what standard should I expect to achieve after 1 year, which is my goal.

Answer 1

So how long have you been studying . Harry Potter in Spanish sounds pretty flippin' advanced to me.

I took some Spanish classes back in 2006 but I forgot a lot of it because I never spoke to anyone. Last November I picked up a regular study schedule of about 5 hours a week. So, currently I've been studying for 8 months. I just started the online Skype lessons a few weeks ago and it's helped a great deal with my communications skills.

As for my level, I think it's intermediate. I can understand 90% of what's said to me face-to-face, including present, preterit, imperfect past, future verbs. I can also understand almost all of the stories on podcasts and all of the dialog in movies that have been dubbed in Spanish. There are a few words that I'll have to look up because it's new vocabulary.

However, I still only understand about 60% of what is being said on the news; I get what the story is about and I know most of the words being used, but the tempo is just too fast for me to catch everything.

Answer 2

So how long have you been studying . Harry Potter in Spanish sounds pretty flippin' advanced to me.

I took some Spanish classes back in 2006 but I forgot a lot of it because I never spoke to anyone. Last November I picked up a regular study schedule of about 5 hours a week. So, currently I've been studying for 8 months. I just started the online Skype lessons a few weeks ago and it's helped a great deal with my communications skills.

As for my level, I think it's intermediate. I can understand 90% of what's said to me face-to-face, including present, preterit, imperfect past, future verbs. I can also understand almost all of the stories on podcasts and all of the dialog in movies that have been dubbed in Spanish. There are a few words that I'll have to look up because it's new vocabulary.

However, I still only understand about 60% of what is being said on the news; I get what the story is about and I know most of the words being used, but the tempo is just too fast for me to catch everything.

That's excellent for only 8 months, especially not being immersed. The "ear" is usually the hardest part to master. I have heard, though, that those who have an ear for music also have a natural ear for language. Based on my subsequent observations, I must say that it seems to be true.

Do you use/plan to use your Spanish in the legal profession? I'm curious, as I work as (among other things) an interpreter in the court system, and know a few Spanish-speaking attorneys, only a couple of which are not native speakers.

Answer 3

Do you use/plan to use your Spanish in the legal profession? I'm curious, as I work as (among other things) an interpreter in the court system...

I'm currently working with the elderly in my small town in Massachusetts, but I'd love to branch out to a non-profit in Boston. The non-profit is Neighborhood Legal Services and they have quite a few Spanish-speaking clients from the city.

Nevertheless, my main reason for learning Spanish is simply because I love the language and I'd like to travel with some real communication skills.

I'm impressed that you are an interpreter; I can only imagine the level of Spanish/English expertise you need for that position!

Answer 4

Do you use/plan to use your Spanish in the legal profession? I'm curious, as I work as (among other things) an interpreter in the court system...

I'm currently working with the elderly in my small town in Massachusetts, but I'd love to branch out to a non-profit in Boston. The non-profit is Neighborhood Legal Services and they have quite a few Spanish-speaking clients from the city.

Nevertheless, my main reason for learning Spanish is simply because I love the language and I'd like to travel with some real communication skills.

I'm impressed that you are an interpreter; I can only imagine the level of Spanish/English expertise you need for that position!

Need, and seeking to improve!

If I can ever be of assistance to you in your work, feel free to contact me through this site.

Answer 5

Yeah the do speak fast.

Answer 6

If I can ever be of assistance to you in your work, feel free to contact me through this site.

Thanks so much, Rocco. I really appreciate all the help I can get.
'''''''

Roger,
What's your motivation for studying Spanish? Do you plan on traveling and/or doing some immersion programs'

Answer 7

I went to Panama a year ago, and picked up the local paper at breakfast and was surprised that I could get the general gist of the main story, so I thought - why not try and learn some more. So I got Pimsleur's spanish and did course 1 and 2. It is 60 lessons, an hour a day so should take 2 months. It took me a year !! A lesson would take me a week.

I figured that was too slow, so I searched the internet found what I think are unbelevably priced one on one Spanish lessons; 50 minutes one on one for the cost of less than 2 beers, and have been doing it 5 times a week for 5 months. It keeps me out of the bar, somewhat, I'm not bored, just frustrated at how poor and forgetful I am, and one day I will stop. I will probably never use it, so to some extent it is a waste of time, or it could be seen as a harmless hobby. I committed to myself that I would do it for a year, and I probably will, and we will see where it goes from thre.

They say education is never wasted so why not ?

Unfortunately I don't have a better reason.

Answer 8

I will probably never use it, so to some extent it is a waste of time, or it could be seen as a harmless hobby.

They say education is never wasted so why not ?

Unfortunately I don't have a better reason.

I agree 100% with this! I will probably never use my Spanish for anything but traveling once a year to Mexico (there are few, if any, Spanish-speaking people here in my small town). I just love to learn and I have nothing better to do, so it's a "harmless hobby" for me too.

Answer 9

I took Spanish in high school just so I could graduate. I never expected to spend years of my adult life living in South America. I'm glad for the classes in high school. I'm sure my teachers would be shocked to know where I wound up. I was a lousy student, but when I got here a lot of what they taught came back to.

<< Thanks Mrs. Ginsberg! >>

Answer 10

Hi Guys, I use nulengua.com for tutoring in spanish. It costs between 7 and 9 dollars for 50 minutes.