Charlie's Chat Fun Pack (Skype - Intermediates & Advanced)
As Heidi has bestowed upon me the power to take one of the chat groups (for Intermediate & Advanced), I first wanted to make sure about a few things.
1) I'm thinking about making one on a Wednesday. Do I keep it at the same time (12 midnight [Thursday morning] Spain Time, 6 Eastern U.S.)? Or would another time be more agreeable?
2) I'm looking to keep the group to about 10-12 people (apparently bigger groups cause more technical difficulties). I would like to make sure I can get at least 2-3 native spanish speakers on the chat that would like to improve their english as well (unless your english is perfect already and still want to come to help people with their spanish, that's fine too). So for the native speakers, please post back here to see how many are interested (for a Wednesday time). If 6 is not a good time, post a more agreeable time.
2) Necesito de 2-3 nativohablantes de español en la charla que estoy planeando. Quiero saber primero 1 - Quienes son los interesados 2 - Si pueden venir el miércoles a las 6 (Eastern U.S. - y no va a ser este miércoles, sino el de la semana que viene). 3 - Si a las 6 no se puede, que me digan a qué hora sería mejor. Quiero decir que la meta es un intercambio, así que lo ideal sería tener a nativohablantes de ambos idiomas aprendiendo el otro idioma (nativohablante de inglés aprendiendo el español y vice versa), pero si hay un nativohablante de español digamos que ya sabe hablar el inglés perfectamente que todavía quiere asistir, pues..que venga, que no hay problema!
So, that's about it. I'm not planning the chat for this coming Wednesday (14th), I'm planning it for the 21st (if I get enough people). I'll post more information when I get some answers. Post on this thread or private message me.
-Charlius-
15 Answers
I was wondering about listening in on Wednesdays? I think Goyo or Ian or somebody had asked in another thread and I thought just to simply hear others speak would be beneficial. Is this a possibility? And yes Heidi, I'm getting my mic and webcam tomorrow or Wednesday of this week!! 
I am giddier than a school-girl with a new dress!! 
That's just wrong!!
Great, you are getting somewhere, charlie, maybe I will sit in and listen
Charlius,
Thanks for the information. I appreciate the help! I will look for the pre-planning information and give it a whirl. If there are people that will be active (by this I mean talking a lot more than I) and you need the space, no worries at all. I will be bumped from that group. Talk to you soon!
To FELIZ: Right, so since you're in England, and Spain is 1 hour ahead (England doesn't have multiple time zones like the U.S.?) then you only need to add 5 hours to the Eastern U.S. time that I post.
I just moved back from Spain a week ago, and so I definitely know (from the jet lag) that there is a 6 hour time difference between Florida and Spain. If what you say is true that England is 1 hour behind Spain, then as I said, just add 5 hours to the Eastern (EDT) U.S. time that I post. So I said we're looking at a 6 PM (EDT) start time: 6+5=11 PM England time. Still not sure. Waiting to see if a lot of people say that 6 PM is a bad time for them, so that may change.
Also, just go to http://www.skype.com/ and download, it's really easy. All you need are headphones, a microphone and computer with internet access.
To Jason: Yea, you can stop by and 'just listen' but I would definitely prefer to have 10 speaking people as opposed to filling the group with 10 people and have only 2-3 people talking with the rest 'only listening'. Don't worry, seriously. You can talk, it'll be fine especially since with the activity I'm thinking of, there can be some pre-planning on your part on what to say. You'll see. I'll post more later.
EDIT (To Jason): Oh just saw this, you'll be fine buying ANY external mic for your computer as long as it's external. Headset would be cool I suppose, but that's actually NOT required. Look, the inputs into your computer's sound card has one (green) hole for the sound output. That is to say, that's where you plug in the speakers/headphones. Then there's also a (red) hole for the input device, which would be the microphone in our case. The headset was mentioned because if you're listening to the conversation with your computer speakers and talking with an external mic, an echo effect will be produced similar to when people call radio talk shows and are tuned to the radio station they're calling to. So as long as you have your headphones plugged in to be able to listen to while you're talking, this will be avoided, though the headset DOES avoid the necessity of having 2 separate apparatuses.
I like the external mics because they tend to be of better quality, even better if you get some sort of USB mic as these bypass the need to be processed by your sound card (many/most computer sound cards are not designed well for live audio input and thus, the texture and tone of your voice get modified and changed, but for our purposes, a normal PC external mic you can get for 15 bucks will serve our purposes just fine, no need for the USB mic which is just overkill).
-Charlius-
Oh whoops, did NOT know about the 'lack of natives' problem. Since I learned that Spanishdict also teaches english for spanish natives, I had naturally assumed that they were in good supply.
If NO spanish native speakers come, that is definitely fine..in fact, even EASIER for what I'm planning to do. The thing was that Heidita had given me guidelines to make sure that in the chats that both parties (english and spanish) are given a chance to learn. Obviously I was thinking and planning more for a spanish only environment before, but Heidita was definitely right in that you can't just 'take advantage', one must give as well if a spanish native that wants to learn english comes.
Again, if NO spanish native comes that's interested in english, that actually will make the format that much easier and simpler. But I need to know beforehand how many spanish natives are actually coming. I have a pretty darned good activity planned, but I need some intel and need to do some recon before deploying.
Please also state if you're a native spanish speaker or english speaker in the post or private message as it will save me from clicking and searching the profile for each person that responds. Thanks!
-Charlie Tan-
Hey Charlius,
I'm not QUITE sure how your classes work, but i'm a linguist for spanish, and would be more than happy to sit in and help people learn some spanish. Just let me know what the solid plan will be, and i'll be sure to join in, if only to help. Not only that, but I also look forward to learning more about spanish to add to my own lexicon! Just let me know somehow, and we can figure something out. Thanks!
Rockdown666
Me, me, me, Wednesday's are better for me (sorry Marianne but I could try for Thurs as well). I guess 6 PM east coast is 3 PM Pacific time. I'm great with that on a Wed.
Charlius, I am very interested, on principle, in joining in with Skype Chat but I am not sure what time it would be starting for people living in England. Since it is 12pm midnight for Spain and they are 1 hour ahead of us would I be right in assuming that would be 11pm for those in UK?
( I would need to download Skype again I once had it but got used to Live messenger which I have tended to use most of the time.) Could you give me a link to the best place for Skpe that people us here, please..or at least point me in the right direction of the best website for it as searches seem to produce endless results for most things these days. link text Link to download Skype
I am only an intermediate so don't expect miracles lol
HI charlie, hey, you are completely fluent, and you are a teacher!!
What do you need natives for? And 2 or three??? O m g!!
Even on a Saturday we lack natives...only Ruben and I were there, each with one group And Marianne, with another group, no native, if she can do it...you can do it
-To Margaret:
Yup, I've got the 'black list'! See 'ya online.
-Charlius-
Wednesday, for the 21st.
First thing I said today....I think I was actually the only one listening as margaret was there, jason...lol
la pregunta es si es hoy cuando charlie lo ha organizado creo qeu no que es el miercoles que viene
Veeeeeeeeeeeees???
Definitely interested and I will be able to make it on the 21st since it will at 3pm my time. I guess Heidi will be giving you her list of contacts.
Hi! I would love to join! I am a native Spanish speaker; born and raised in Mexico. How do I apply?
Heidita, tsk tsk tsk, NOT reading the entire post, eh??
I said I was planning it for the Wednesday AFTER this coming Wednesday, for the 21st. I was just doing some pre planning information gathering first. That's just how I roll, haha.
-Charlius-
Charlie, let's see, are we doing this tomorrow???
Another suggestion: to get a native, if you are interested, just send them a PM, most of them do not participate on the forum, so they will not see the post.
lucas and ismael as well as ruben do not particpate here, but can be found on skype.
