Spanish Learning and Pen Pals

Question

I have seriously been studying spanish for about 2 - 3 months. I use Rosetta Stone and a tutor I see twice a month. However I need some practice speaking and forming sentences. I can read Spanish and decipher what is on a page but I stumble when trying to speak it. Am I over-thinking it too much?

Anyway. So, I wonder if any of you experienced Spanish speakers could recommend a good website to pick up a pen-pal so I can practice writing the language. I did a google search and there was a number of Spanish pen-pal websites.

Thanks!

Answer 1

For the speaking practice, you can check your local Barnes & Noble bookstore or join a Meet-up group. As for over-thinking, it's perfectly normal to be stumbling as you get the right word. Over time, and with practice, it will become more automatic. You'll still find yourself searching for the right word/s to use, but it's not the same as interiorly translating. It becomes more like looking for the right word in English, except with not as large of a vocabulary to draw from.

Others can address the pen pal website part of your question better than I can. But you might write to a school or orphanage in Mexico and ask if anyone there would like a pen pal. I'm sure someone would love it!

I like this answer, good job. And I've been studying spanish for like 3 years in a High School course. Speaking is still tough for me, and it just takes time to know the language well enough to organize your thoughts in spanish. (: - weinerrr, ENE 4, 2010