association
Hey!
I really want to stop associating my Spanish with English. Instead of thinking in Spanish I think in English and then translate. It takes longer that way too. How can I make Spanish, just Spanish instead of English to Spanish? All of my family speaks English. I watch shows in Spanish and even Listen to music in Spanish. But I feel as if I need to stop trying to mix the two languages together.
Do you have this problem too?
Can you help?
~Jessica
4 Answers
You can start by using a Spanish only dictionary. Also start using materials that teach you Spanish in Spanish. There are many websites that provide Spanish lessons in Spanish.
Write more in Spanish. For example, you should ask your questions here in Spanish.
Basically start doing everything you can in Spanish. Do you read the news online? Do it in Spanish from now on. Do watch the news or weather on TV in Spanish? Is your cell phone in Spanish? I even use the ATM in Spanish.
Immerse yourself as much as you can. I tell myself that Spanish is my first language, and therefore I need to do everything I possibly can in Spanish and my goal is to replace English with Spanish in every aspect of my life that I possibly can.
Although for some bizarre reason I still write mostly in English on this site.
Don't do that...you are not a kid so you are not learning how to read, write and talk. You already do that in your own language. I recommend you to translate from Spanish to English, in your case, because you know your language, that is the only way you are going to know that phrase you have translated from Spanish to English is incorrect. Were you going to do it the other way around, you couldn't possibly know if the resulting phrase in Spanish is OK or not, unless you ask.
Doing it the way I describe you have to work in order to accomplish a decent translation that is understandable in English. In the process you will have the chance to find a translation of what your read in Spanish to English, and your mind will do the rest.
Believe me... I know what I am talking about.
If you decide to do it the other way around, it will take you years in getting this right and maybe even then you'll suffer the same symptoms that many of the same people recommending you do it the wrong way (according to me).
I understand/write Spanish but I don't speak it...
I understand not much of it, but I know that sometime I will, meantime I am enjoying it.
on 'n on...
Sorry to be a bit dense about this.
My suggestion is to label things with the Spanish word either literally or in your mind. In every situation make the effort to think in Spanish as if you were explaining everything to a person who only understands Spanish.
Hago esta sugerencia. Etiqueta cosas con la palabra española o en realidad o en los pensamientos. Esfórzate en cualquier situación por pensar en español como si estuvieras explicando a alguien que no entiende nada que español.
Although my Spanish works to communicate I need a lot more improvement mostly in speaking and writing. I understand conversation and listen to TV without much problem. Vocab I don't know I understand through context and pick up new words all the time but it is hard to use them at first.
Things that have become habit for of might help you.
I think in Spanish now and at times it is difficult to talk to someone in English because Spanish comes out if I don't stop to think.
With thinking in Spanish and translating to English when I need to has helped alot.
I pray and read the bible in Spanish only occasionally I cheat and reference the English bible just to make sure I understood.
For me TV is a waste of time in English. If it is not in Spanish I don't watch it.
One of these days I will have the skills to write all this in Spanish.
