Need Advise In Learning The Lingo

[Desde2008]

I have been in Argentina for a few years and still struggle with Castellano. I have gone from intense classes to tutoring with little success. I was wondering if anyone would like to share what worked for them in learning to communicate in Castellano. I am really interested what you do to remember and reinforce the different conjugations of the verbs.

Thanks

 

[johnw100]

Be interested to know aswell. Been here a few years and likewise am still struggling. I`m taking skype lessons now 3 times a week as I find I just cant study myself and better to use a local. But the verbs kill me and it really puts me off trying to learn. But my Argentine wife says dont stress over verbs too much, if you dont get the tense correct people will still understand you. Learn the few most used verbs and concentrate on the everyday words. Also, I try and read the newspaper with the help of my phone that I can photograph the print with google translate and it translates it into English. Handy for picking up locally used words and whats going on in the world.

 

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

I dragged myself along to a level where I can work and communicate after 18 months. Things that helped:

1. No English at home unless essential. Certainly get your wife to speak as much Spanish as possible. She'll need to be patient too as you ask her a million times what she meant !

2. Watch as much local tv and movies as possible with subtitles. If you can move from English to Spanish subtitles even better. Drive around with Spanish music or radio on.

3. "I find I can't study" - you can. Stop making excuses and set an hour aside and get it done!

4. Most of all just speak, make mistakes but don't stop unless someone stops you. Have a drink, relax and speak. Maybe go to a language exchange group, nothing like speaking and listening to learn.

5. Read the paper everyday. Don't stop yourself to translate every word. You just need the context or the gist of it and you'll pick up words.

After 2 yrs of immersion and sustained effort you really should be at a level where you can communucate frequently. You need to want to learn of course, it's part pyschology. Do you want to learn and engage with the city or build up a barrier. I feel much more comfortable knowing that I can go to the theatre, movies , concerts etc. At least doubles your quality of life.

ps...verbs, just get maybe 4 basic tenses correct, forget about the subjunctive for now, a good teacher should get you comfortable quickly enough with 4 tenses with which you'll be able to make yourself more or less understood.

 

[mmoon]

I agree with both posts above...focus on getting comfortable with the present, simple past, imperfect and future (I'm also a big gerund user, but that one's pretty easy). The subjunctive, conditional, etc etc tenses really stressed me out to the point that I learned mostly to speak around them. Reading the paper, or local political/celebrity magazines helps with the Argentine way of speaking, along with movies in English with Spanish subtitles and Spanish movies (preferably Argentine ones) with English subtitles. It's old school, but the radio is a more relaxed and passive way to get familiar with the particulars of the language. Also, it's hard, so cut yourself some slack! Most English-speaking people never bother to learn another language, so bravo to you for making the effort to get it right.

 

[Rich One]

IMO To Learn the Lingo suggest you read The Espectaculos section of Clarin from cover to cover and letters to the Editor

 

[EricLovesBA]

Make sure you put some people in your circle of regular communication who don't speak English at all.

 

[GS_Dirtboy]

If you don't know and fully understand all the parts of speech in English you'll never get Spanish. Beyond that, what worked for me was writing writing writing writing and more writing in Spanish. That will discipline your language skills.

 

[Gringoboy]

Insist on talking to your girl/boyfiend, husband or wife in Spanish, which could get tricky if in fact they are not Argentine, but you get the drift.

 

[Meri]

I had a teacher who totally pushed the subjunctive way too soon and it was really detrimental. I still don't use that damn tense! I'm not a great speaker but once I gave up caring as much about making mistakes it helped a lot. Too much stress definitey kills everything....

 

[Gringoboy]

Agreed about the subjunctive; it can be tricky.
For example, after doing a nice asado for the in-laws, I always struggled with:
'Espero que les haya gustado',