Is anyone actually learning Spanish with this website?
All the grammar is such a headache! I remember some words, but others I don't!
26 Answers
Oh my goodness yes! I've tried things like Rosetta Stone and others but they are not worth the money. Stay here, do the lessons and flash cards, watch movies in Spanish (many great ones recommended here in other threads), read all you can in Spanish (most newspapers are online: La Opinion, in particular, is geared toward a lower reading level).
It used to drive me crazy that I had to look up every third word. Then it was every fifth, now it's a word or two every couple of pages. I still have trouble understanding spoken spanish because I'm more a visual learner but I'm way better. I can watch movies, telenovelas and the news in spanish pretty well. I go to Spanish church services now rather than english and I definitely get 80 of the words and 95% of the concepts.
Stay with it!
Hang in there, It will all come together. Reading and practicing here in the forum is excellent practice also.
Do the excercises as best you can and don't be afraid to make mistakes, most of us do, and the rest of us help by making corrections!
This appears to be more a question (or issue), not of some perceived difficulty (the difficulty exists but all relative) in learning a foreign languge (Spanish in this case), but more of the frustration any number of people experience when acquisition comes ever so slowly, if at all... we all learn at different rates and levels, but learn we do, provided the effort is expended... I appreciated the following article which I read recently:
Language acquisition vs. language learning
There is an important distinction made by linguists between language acquisition and language learning. Children acquire language through a subconscious process during which they are unaware of grammatical rules. This is similar to the way they acquire their first language. They get a feel for what is and what isn’t correct. In order to acquire language, the learner needs a source of natural communication. The emphasis is on the text of the communication and not on the form. Young students who are in the process of acquiring English (or any other tongue, mine) get plenty of “on the job” practice. They readily acquire the language to communicate with classmates.
Language learning, on the other hand, is not communicative. It is the result of direct instruction in the rules of language. And it certainly is not an age-appropriate activity for your young learners. In language learning, students have conscious knowledge of the new language and can talk about that knowledge. They can fill in the blanks on a grammar page. Research has shown, however, that knowing grammar rules does not necessarily result in good speaking or writing. A student who has memorized the rules of the language may be able to succeed on a standardized test of English language but may not be able to speak or write correctly.
Either way, keep the old nose to the grindstone and persevere... it will reap many dividends in the long run!
Absolutamente!
Keep up the good work! It takes time and effort. Don't get discouraged!
I'm only here to make sarcastic and witless commentary 
Yes. We are a real community. We come here to learn Spanish, but along the way we also find out that the real reason to learn any language is to expand your world to include people who otherwise would not have been in it due to the language barrier. SD is not only bridging the language barrier, but also every international barrier, as real, sustainable friendships have developed between people who never would have met each other if not through SD.
I'm so happy and grateful to have a home here.
You should think of this website as being a bit like a user manual. In itself, it can´t turn you into a great Spanish speaker, but if you go out and practise what you´re learning here, then you´ll start to see big improvements.
Yes I am learning a lot but I usually watch it more than once and do the flashcards several times and the recall as well until I recognise most of the vocabulary. Then I leave it and go back to it later in the day or at the start of the next study session which is often the next day. Also some days I might not feel like doing much and find that I am not taking in the new stuff because sometimes there is quite a lot, so I go back and do a previous lesson that I already know and at least I end the session on a high note.
I think the lessons are extremely well explained and well thought out. The material is all there and it is up to you to use it to practise with - a little and often and do the easy ones when you are tired. You will be surprised at how much you remember.
I am an oldie and my memory is not like it was in my younger day so I need to practise a lot!
Don't give up though! If you have reached this far it can only get better.
I do!
I am in Spanish in 8th grade at the school i am in now and this website has helped me more than anything so yes. 
Sure people are learning. I have sat in on several Skype Chats and am very impressed with how the advanced students are able to talk to the native Spanish speakers. Most of them have been studying for a year or more so it does take some time and of course it depends on how much of your time you invest and wether or not you have access to Spanish speaking people to practice with.
I frequently watch Old Western movies and TV shows and of course many have actors speaking Spanish. I used to just tune it out but now I try to listen and and finding that I do recognize and understand some of what they are saying.
I think that you have to write down the new words. So I suggest you to make an own vocabulary "notebook". It makes your learning easier.
The more you practice the same concepts and ideas, the easier it is to learn Spanish. I can remember thinking I'll never learn even the simple verbs, but now I recognize them and with more practice I'll recognize even more. Yes, this site has been a wonderful tool!
All the grammar is such a headache!
Then yes - you are at good place. Paralee's lessons are the best resource I found so far.
I remember some words, but others I don't!
Here you can look a bit more around. Flashcards are not most effective way of learning, but they will do until you find something better.
P.S. I'm all for freedom of speech, but watch your spelling, please. It's a learning site - also for English language students.
Absolutely. Between the videos and flashcards I have learn't quite a bit in the past year. Best part is that "todos es gratis" - It's all free!
