Span¡shD!ict vs. Spanish Classes
Hello... or should I say, hola!
I'm new around SpanishDict, however, I am not a newcomer when it comes to this Romance language. For all of you that have taken formal classes, school classes, etc., I just wanted to ask if you have learned more here than in those classes. I think this would be a great way to learn Spanish quicker than I am now.
8 Answers
Great question to ask although I disagree with the premise of looking at it as a "this versus this". Why not do both? Or better yet, do everything you can afford. Each has their own unique benefits. My philosophy is to use EVERYTHING available to learn as quickly as possible. There are some things I do that are more fun than others but not necessarily bettter or more effective. I've done it all (and continue doing it all): books, private lessons, spanish channels on tv, movies, spanish dict, other internet sites, rosetta stone, berlitz, meetup groups, magazines, newspapers, colombian girlfriend, fluent in spanish friend, podcasts intermediate to advanced, travel to Costa Rica and Colombia. All have helped futher my goal toward fluency in spanish. My advice, don't think "one v.s. the other" but use everything available to you unless you find its not effective (or has stopped being effective). My work schedule has never allowed me to take group classes. But I would take those also to see if the interaction with others in that setting would have some benefit.
I took Spanish for two years in high school and was one of the better students in the class. But I have learned far more here in a year than I ever did there.
There is a site that I have found that I really enjoy, written by a guy that moved to Mexico and worked very hard to learn Spanish.
I don't agree wholeheartedly with everything in his article, but here is one point with which I definitely agree:
Studying a language with a teacher is a passive mode, where one expects the teacher to control the process and somehow impart the language to you. The same thing applies to structured courses that are offered in various modes from on-line Internet "podcast" programs to commercial learning products sold in sets of CD's or DVD's. A good teacher or program may inspire you or provide you with external structure and discipline, but if you are a sufficiently serious and a mature student, you are better off teaching yourself a language than enrolling in a course.
That's the truth.
The only Spanish classes I have taken were 4 hours a day of individual tutoring while living in a Spanish speaking country for a month. I highly recommend doing that to anyone who has the opportunity. This site is great, but it really can't compete with immersion.
Well I am a spanish student andIi take it 1 hour 5 days a week and I learn more there than I do here.
Bienvenido! I think that it depends on how you personally learn. I have never had the priviledge of private tutors or a school setting so I have had to fight tooth and nail for every piece of knowledge, vocabulary, and grammar rule I know. Since I cannot compare classroom learning to "streets knowledge" I won't try! I can say that I wish I had formal training as I am sure there are sometimes easier ways to learn things than I have discovered. However, I have to say that discovering new words and grammar on my own has engraved these things into my memory...it is really hard for me to forget what I have learned. Also, I find myself speaking Spanish more instinctively rather than by the book which can be an advantage in certain situations. I can tell you, after my experiences, if I had the chance to learn in a classroom setting I would take advantage of the expereince and push myself harder. Thanks for the great question! See you around the forum.
Hola
Well, I think it depends on one's study habits. When learning a language I think more is better. That is to say, tap into as many resources as possible. The class room environment provides face to face interaction, new friends with like interests, etc.
Personally, I have found SpanishDict to be one of the best Spanish sites available and is almost addictive... some would say it is. I recommend SpanishDict to anyone interested in Spanish, including my kids.
Hope that helps. 
¡Buena suerte!
I find this site is excellent for vocab building but not so great for the rest of the learning process. I agree: find a tutor or someone to talk to in spanish regularly.
Good luck!
¡Primero, Bienbenidos a Spanishdict.com! Y segundo, la respuesta. Pues, en mi opinion, aprendo el español más rápido en las clases de una escuela. Pero, además, es cierto que aprendo mucho aquí, tambien. Finalmente, pienso que es mejor para aprender en una sala de clase con una profesora profesional. Esta manera es mejor que aprender en Spanishdict.com. (¡Lo siento si el español es malo, es mi lengua secundaria!) ¡Y espero que sea gran ayuda!
