where should I begin in learning how to speak spanish

Question

Where sould I begin to start learning spanish?

Hola Lela and Welcome to the Forum! :-) - Dee914, Aug 16, 2010

Answer 1

Welcome. I'll probably be pilloried for this, but it's extremely difficult to teach yourself a language. This site is great for practice, but without interacting face to face with people who speak the language, it's really, really hard. If you're still in school I'd look at taking classes. If you're out of school, I'd check to see if the local community college offered adult education classes. The lessons here are very helpful, and the forum is great for hashing out questions, but it's not the same as talking to someone in person.

Just my dos centavos. Like I say, I'm probably in the minority here, but I wouldn't rely on software or the Internet alone to learn a language. Good luck, and please keep coming here.

I'm with you on this one. I recommend the lessons to people, but they're much more useful as a supplement to a traditional Spanish class or immersion program. - MacFadden, Aug 16, 2010

Immersion programs are the best. I've taken them, and there's nothing like it. I took Japanese in a very small group Berlitz class, and could hold simple conversations in a few weeks. I've forgotten it all after 20 years, but it was impressive. - KevinB, Aug 16, 2010

I really enjoyed learning Italian via the Pimsleur method--CDs. It's based on memory and the only part I didn't like is that there is next to nothing that's written down. Still it was EXTREMELY effective and I got around Italy without having to resort - nimrod, Aug 17, 2010

Answer 2

Simple answer. Right here.

Answer 3

You began a long time ago. You know a ton of Spanish and might not realize it.

To help you start expressing it however, might just take a little effort on your part, but it will be easy effort.

Start with Lesson 1.1 at the Learn Spanish tab above.

If you ever ordered a burrito, or a taco, you spoke some Spanish.

The flashcard set you created probably has some words you don't need to learn - those that you already know! But may I offer you a tip about the flashcards?

To make them truly valuable to you, look each word up in a Spanish/English dictionary so that you can pick the definition that works best for you. The computer doesn't know your circumstances. Nor does it know what you meant. Think of the term - to give someone a hand. Do you mean applaud them? Help them? Replace a missing body part? - a little extreme, but I hope you see what I mean!

Welcome to SpanishDict! I expect to see you adding captions (simple ones to start) to the Picture of the Day, and each day take a look at the Word of the Day.

Bienvenido!

Yeah lol - Snowleopard, Aug 16, 2010

Answer 4

You have come to the right place. Start with the Learn Spanish tab above, click on Learn Spanish 1, and start with Lesson 1.1. Always take the time to watch the video! That's where the explanations are given, with lots of examples.

Once you've completed some lessons, start watching the answers forum (where we are now) for questions that interest you. The A-Z games are fun and allow you to find words to match the question with just a Spanish dictionary. If you find yourself struggling with a concept, do a search of the answers in the search box at the top of the first page - if you can't find your answer there, ask the question yourself! Just remember to say please and thank you - people will jump in to help if you're nice.

Spanish is a lot of fun, and I know you'll enjoy learning here!

Answer 5

There are plenty of flashcards and tutorials on this website. It should be fairly easy to learn.