Advice for a beginner who wants to learn to *speak* Spanish and doesn't have access to immersion?
So, I'm completely new to Spanish (I'd have picked "none," for Spanish proficiency if it were an option), and basically know only snippets of Spanish that I've seen on American TV shows with the occasional Spanish-speaking characters. (Think... Breaking Bad, Burn Notice and the like - I can sling basic insults, threaten to kill someone, ask where the bathroom is, and with great concentration, say "please" and "thank you" ... and possibly complete a crystal meth deal in Spanish, but nothing more.)
Because God has a sense of humor (or hates me, not sure which), I've recently started dating a Latin woman, some of whose family members speak only Spanish (from South America). Because of where I live, there's basically no Spanish TV, classes, or options for immersion... and trying to learn Spanish from a written resource has been basically useless, as has grinning like an idiot and listening to her family speak to each other in Spanish. Likewise, trying to punch what I think they're saying into an online translator has been a complete waste of time.
I was pretty awful with languages in high school, and based on what I've read, I'm not sure if Rosetta Stone (or similar) would do much to help me. I'm really just looking for a basic spoken proficiency in Spanish so I can communicate with her family and hopefully impress her a bit.
Does anyone have any resources or advice for an adult with practically zero knowledge or experience looking to learn to speak Spanish, in an area where spoken Spanish is slim-to-non-existent?
11 Answers
Well you could start with the lessons right here mate , that is what I did when I
started and was in a worse position than you were for I perpetually grin like an idiot .
You have an opportunity for an immersion program with your girlfriends family ,
get a phrasebook and refuse all English when with them , buy the
'Big Red Book of spanish Verbs' listen to spanish radio, buy and read
newspapers and comics in Spanish .There is no easy way it is just work work and
more work , but very rewarding as probably your girlfriend has made known to you .
Best of luck , and do the lessons from us they are easy and will set you up .
Buena suerte amigo. 
Yeah ! Smileys are back . 
Does your girlfriend speak any Spanish? This would be the best and most natural way for you to learn.
If you are a Christian (I'm not exactly sure from what you wrote 
), I learned a lot of my starting Spanish from reading a parallel Spanish / English Bible. Start in John 1 and work from there. A good straightforward version to begin is the NIV / NVI version. Then again, I would say this is a good idea even if you're not a Christian, but I won't push the issue.
The operation of enthusiasm and "necessity" will help you immensely. The understanding that you must try and when you inevitably make errors; you don't beat yourself up - instead you learn and get that much better. As one of my Spanish teachers said, "Very few perfectionists learn a second language." Another teacher had this advice: Ask questions, don't be afraid (to make mistakes) and "stretchie stretchie." The last remark means to keep doing more than you think you are able - and like stretching (although it hurts) it also helps you do much more than you were able to before. Ray and Matt's advice here will serve you well, and there are a ton of free resources on YouTube [I'd recommend Memrise] - search about and find what works for you. If you want to spend a little (far less than Rosetta Stone), sign up for Fluencia which is advertised and developed by Spanishdict. I bought in on a discount earlier this year for what amounted to $7. a month for the year. ¡Buena suerte!
Hello Citizen Cane,
Welcome to the SpanishDict forum
You have certainly jumped in with both feet here...and into the deep end, too! lol
Don't worry, we will help you
You will be able to understand more than you think from the context./social situation!
Think about how a child learns to speak a new language: s/he knows nothing about words or grammar, but depends completely on the body language (eg smiles, frowns, gestures, etc...) and the behaviour of the people whoregularly care for them and socially interact with them, in order to understand how to respond, Understandably, to begin with, the infant makes loads of mistakes when learning to speak but by the age of 5 has developed quite an extensive vocabulary and makes fewer mistakes with the basic stuff!
However, the child does not set any time limits on how long s/he will take to learn the language...so relax and enjoy the experience! Yes, it could take some time but the more relaxed you are the better your chances of making rapid progress!
The child learns by immersion ...there is no other way for them and they receive correction from adults many (but not all) of whom know how to speak it well and use the correct grammar in their day to day conversations but don't hold the grammar book in front of the child saying memorize this by next week for homework! lol hahaha
Seriously, don't worry and if you can start some Spanish lesson with a native teacher and ask the teacher to keep the lessons immersion style (all in Spanish), this could also help you considerably! I could recommend some good, online Spanish Schools if you are interested but your best training ground is with your girlfriend and her family
I hope this helps
I'd like to suggest NewsInSlowSpanish.com. I've subscribed to its Latino version for several years and have found it extremely helpful as well as entertaining and often humorous. A man and a woman take turns reading current world and Latin American news to you (as you follow the printed text), and you can select the "turtle" or "rabbit" speed. Even a rank beginner can get most of the text from the context, and they give mouse-over translations of the more obscure parts. In addition, there are many tools to help you with vocabulary, grammar, and much more.
Check it out. ¡Es muy bueno!
All the advice so far is excellent. It's easy to feel overwhelmed. Getting to grips with grammar helps to build a framework of knowledge to assist your spanish conversations,so I recommend going through the grammar lessons in SD and a good verb book like 501 spanish verbs and a exercise text book with audio CDs and answer book. Pasos 1 and 2, for example. No quick fix for speaking and understanding spanish except practice and exposure. You are really lucky to have a whole bunch of native spanish speakers at your disposal. I agree with Ray, refuse to speak/respond in english and your progress will be faster. If your girlfriend and her family/friends cannot go at a pace/level you can cope with, I suggest some lessons with a native spanish speaker on skype or in person, or to attend a crash course abroad to jump start your progress. Good luck. Be brave, have fun!
I'm still stuck on the Latin girlfriend .I want one !
First of all, don't even think of going into Spanish Grammar, it will be more difficult and most people drop the learning of the language.
Second read my blog and then start as soon as possible to do what I describe there. If you need more help just contact me and I will talk to you on Skype about how to carry out my method.
I go to several weekly conversational Spanish groups and often meet people new to Spanish. I always recommend the website/app Duolingo, the telenovela for Spanish language students "Destinos", and the book "Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish". My favorite podcast for beginners is "Coffee Break Spanish" (iTunes); I don't think it makes much difference, but it teaches Spain Spanish.
What works for some doesn't work for others, so try different suggestions until you find the one that works for you. I very much like Rosetta Stone but paid less than half price for it. It's much better than it was several years ago and includes 12 group lessons. I still think it's expensive.
Like Mattvd stated, the Bible is my personal favorite because of the good words and that they are so easily obtained in any major language.
Two things you need: a recording device and the spoken word that you can replay as many times as you need (not a computerized voice).
Listen, record yourself then compare. Do this as many times as you need until you sound very similar to what you are listening to.
There is a lot of good advise, now it is just a matter of finding what works best for you.
Good Luck.
if you want to learn Spanish you can visit this website for Spanish books
http://pdfbookspot.com
