An Impossible Question
My first class was Feb 2 2009 - on line via Skype.
I used to take classed 4 evenings a week for 1 hr but someone said that wasn't enough.
Fairly quickly I stepped it up to 5 nights per week and two hours each Saturday and Sunday.
Obviously I miss classes because of work and vacation but not too many.
That adds up to an awful lot of hours !
My classes are purely conversation we have never drilled grammar nor verbs.
We don't do exercises, we just talk.
What do you think I should know and what should I be able to do ?
Or based upon your hours of study, what can you do ?
Thank you.
7 Answers
Rogaldo, please read my blog and then let's talk on Skype so that I can explain better how to reconcile everything you know, in English and Spanish.
All this for free. Always.
I think you should be able to chat - understand and be understood. Unless you want to take exams do you want more?
Creo que deberías ser capaz de charlar - comprender y hacerse comprender. A menos que quieras tomar exámenes qué quieres más? (This may not be correct.)
That is what most of us want to achieve.
I started studying Spanish 55 years ago. I'm not fluent and I haven't been studying for hours a day all those years; however, there are several points I would like to suggest to you;
Translate something into Spanish every day (you can begin by participating in the Word of the Day forum).
Read Spanish every day. You know what resources are available to you.
If possible make friends with someone who is a native Spanish speaker or even Spanish only speaker and converse with him / her as often as possible.
Empecé a estudiar español hace cincuenta y cinco años. No lo uso con fluidez y no he estado estudiándolo por horas cada día durante esos años; sin embargo, hay algunos objetivos que te propongo:
Traduce algo en español cada día (puedes comenzar con el juego "La Palabra Del Día" en el foro).
Lee en español cada día. Ya sabes los recursos que te sirven.
Si es posible hazte amigo de alguien quien es hispanohablante o hable sólo español y charla con él / ella tan frecuentemente como posible.
Who said you weren't doing enough ? Enough for what ?
If you're studying a language for an exam, then I can understand you might need to learn a certain amount within a certain time, but otherwise I would suggest it's better to take it at your own comfortable pace.
I've been learning Spanish for just over a year. I can't understand what natives are saying among themselves around me, and I struggle to understand them in one-on-one situations and often have to ask them to repeat themselves.
There seems to be a great variation in terms of the accent & register of the individual with whom I'm trying to converse. For example, on holiday I was able to understand the pharmacist perfectly when I went to buy medicine for my wife, yet I had no clue what the hotel maintenance guy was rabbiting on about when I complained about the safety deposit box not working properly. I guess the pharmacist spoke more 'properly'.
I also find Latin American accents easier than European ones, but I guess this is because many of my learning resources have been Latin American.
I can usually think of a way to say what I want to say, even if it's slightly clumsy or ungrammatical, but 9/10 times natives can understand what I mean (even if I don't understand their reply).
Well, there are a lot of good possibilities here, but have you considered taking a Spanish class in a community college or high school?
I teach Spanish in college, and my students (most of them) after two semesters are up to what we call intermediate level. They have learned ALL the necessary grammar, ALL the verb tenses including the subjunctive tenses. All that's left for them to do now to perfect what they have learned, in the intermediate courses that follow. (103-104) In the advanced courses you study the styles of the various Spanish language writers more advanced syntax and so forth.
But the first two semesters you get the essentials to be able to go anywhere in the Spanish-speaking world and enjoy it.
I think that classes are the best way to go, but then I guess I am prejudiced. 
Hi Your profile says your English is fluent so you should have no language barriers learning Spanish. Your lessons are a huge commitment. One thing you should have is a good accent, I assume your teachers are native speakers
We all learn Spanish for different reasons and with different motivations. Are you doing some self study? Eg are you looking at some grammar and or improving your written Spanish? Reading a blog regularly or a newspaper will help. I enjoy listening to music and watching films.
You should be able to hold a conversation including giving and listening to opinions. I assume by now you will have encountered the subjunctive
Why not find an article to read or part of a book - perhaps suggested by your teacher and then discuss it with them. I couldn't imagine learning a language and not being able to write or read. Most publishers allow you to download the first chapter of a book.
Perhaps reduce your lessons to make time for some activities involving Spanish. There are lots of podcasts if you want to listen to different people. Find an article of news that interests you then read it in three different papers noting vocabulary that is new then find a video on the same subject at for example BBC Mundo or 20 minutos or daily news on RTVE
In order to learn you need to want to learn. It is a good idea to use Spanish every day I could give lots of tips but I do not know where you are based [nowadays in Europe and USA and Australia there are lots of Spanish speakers] nor what level you want to reach and why.
If you are taking formal lessons your teachers should motivate, assess and guide you. Usually they will introduce a topic that will stretch you.
I have started listening to BluRadio from Columbia when I'm in the car, but that is only 25 minutes, maximum a day. I am amazed that at times I understand. At times I don't.
I glance through bbb.co.uk/mundo.
I read newspapers with one of my teachers 4 hours a week, she corrects my pronunciation - and I ask questions on the grammar I don't understand.
How I hate lo, le, se.
I get the subjunctive and I think I can chat with people who are prepared to speak slowly and clearly so that I can understand.
What I really need is a Spanish speaking girl friend, but my wife is being a bit of a stickler about that.
