Improved Spanish

Question

So I wanted to say this forum and it's members have been invaluable and my Spanish is muy mejorado. I wanted to ask about learning more however. I am going to write in spanglish.

I saw in another post somebody mentioned the way they learned Spanish was to just memorize synonyms and replace the translation with another synonym in their mind.

Is there a book or something that uses this method? I have seen Madrigal's magic key and I am worried to go that direction as apparently it forgets to use tú. It maybe okay as a supplementary reference however.

The other way, is just pictures for a word because of the propensity of our brain to remember pictures. Is there a place that teaches that for free? As I have seen some mighty expensive learning via pintura. I borrowed the libraries copy of a Rosetta stone program years ago and found it to be awful as it didn't let you check the words meaning.
Example: leer vs libro. Anything that shows an image should definiantly give you a translation or no recomendar please.

The last thing I wanted to say is I just started trying to use Mí Vida Loca. This is from the BBC and I think I like it as it seems to have video, English and Spanish subtitles and even breaks things down that you should learn in a lesson;(which I believe is a very complete way to go). The only problem is it is like Castillian Spanish with the crazy lisping. It makes it so hard to understand. Is there something similar with Mexican or Argentinian Spanish? Brindis ¡Chao!

Answer 1

Hi, Spindle.

I borrowed the libraries copy of a Rosetta stone program years ago and found it to be awful

I really disliked RS also. I found it both confusing and boring, not to mention expensive.

However, I really liked Pimsleur Spanish I, II; and III--it is based on Latin American Spanish and it's interesting so you don't get bored. You can probably borrow a free copy at your library. Note: the Pimsleur 10-minute Spanish is quite useless.

Answer 2

I have never had the discipline to sit in front a computer for the hours it takes to really use RS. For some, it works, but it wasn't for me. I second the comments on the Pimsleur series.

Another course you may find interesting is the Michele Thomas CD's. Not much on vocabulary, but they offer a quick way to get your head around basic Spanish grammar.

Answer 3

I bought Michel Thomas's audio lessons. I bought the Beginner's and the Advanced product. His life story is very interesting. He is Jewish and was born in Poland before World War II. The Nazis put him in several different concentration camps. He fought for the French Resistance and was awarded a silver star by the U. S. Congress. He captured and prosecuted Klaus Barbie, an infamous Nazi war criminal.

I live in the state of Iowa in the United States. I work as a volunteer at Iowa Workforce Development. It is a state agency that helps people find jobs. It also helps immigrants learn English. Iowa Workforce Development uses Rosetta Stone. If you qualify for the help of an agency like this in your state, you may be able to go to a local office and use Rosetta Stone for free.

I like Rosetta Stone, but I like Pimsleur better. You can now buy one level of Pimsleur in MP3 Format. I purchase one level, and copy it to my android smart phone. Then I can study it anytime and anywhere.

Compré lecciones audio de Michel Thomas. Compré el principiante y el producto avanzado. Su historia de vida es muy interesante. Es judía y nació en Polonia antes de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Los Nazis lo pusieron en varios campos de concentración diferentes. Luchó por la resistencia francesa y fue galardonado con una estrella de plata por el Congreso de Estados Unidos. Michel Thomas había capturado y había procesado de Klaus Barbie, un infame criminal de guerra Nazi.

Yo vivo en el estado de Iowa en los Estados Unidos. Yo trabajo como un voluntario en Iowa Workforce Development. Es un organización estatal que ayuda a las personas a encontrar trabajo. También ayuda a los inmigrantes aprender inglés. Iowa Workforce Development usa Rosetta Stone. Si usted califica para la ayuda de un organización como este en su estado, podría ir a su oficina local y utiliza Rosetta Stone gratis.

Me gusta Rosetta Stone, pero me gusta Pimsleur mejor. Usted puede comprar un nivel de Pimsleur ahora en formato MP3. Yo consigo un nivel y lo copio a mi androide teléfono inteligente. Entonces puedo estudiarlo en cualquier momento y en cualquier lugar.