Speaking Spanish!

[jojo]

This speaking spanish stuff is really difficult!


My daughters friend is staying with us for the night, she's nearly 15 and has lived in Spain since she was 6 and is totally bilingual. I've asked her to help Ruby, my daughter to not be so embarrassed about trying to speak Spanish and of course to learn it. So this afternoon, we've been only speaking in Spanish in the house HUH! Its so difficult, when this young lady speaks, I really cant catch any of the words, she apparently speaks spanish as the "natives" do - she has a word for it, but I couldnt even understand that.

Anyway, she's now talking to us with what she calls an english accent which is better! Heck, its gonna be a long, slow process for Ruby to be anywhere near as fluent .............and as for me??????????

Jo xxx

[owdoggy]

Originally Posted by jojo

This speaking spanish stuff is really difficult!


My daughters friend is staying with us for the night, she's nearly 15 and has lived in Spain since she was 6 and is totally bilingual. I've asked her to help Ruby, my daughter to not be so embarrassed about trying to speak Spanish and of course to learn it. So this afternoon, we've been only speaking in Spanish in the house HUH! Its so difficult, when this young lady speaks, I really cant catch any of the words, she apparently speaks spanish as the "natives" do - she has a word for it, but I couldnt even understand that.

Anyway, she's now talking to us with what she calls an english accent which is better! Heck, its gonna be a long, slow process for Ruby to be anywhere near as fluent .............and as for me??????????

Jo xxx

Aye, join the club!
We go to weekly lessons with a lovely lady called Vera who must have the patience of a saint to listen to us two geordies grinding away week after week
When we started she reckoned we'd be fluent in about two years ( one & a half now!) but I think she's being a tad optimistic there

Our bank manager reckoned that I was beginning to speak like a local which was a nice complement but it was just because they miss most of the word endings off round here (and some of the middle as well) and I just copy what I hear.

It's going to be a long job but we'll keep banging away at it until, as Vera says, it all clicks into place .............but I don't expect to hear any clicky noises any time soon


Doggy

[rioblanca]

If Ruby can get a job working with Spanish she will pick it up in no time. My son did just that and to hear him now you would think he lived here all his life not just 4 years.

[jojo]

I have lessons once a week with a lovely chap called Matthew. He deliberately teaches with an English accent so we can hear the words he is using, but it sounds nothing like the babble from "Charlotte" yesterday, she was talking "real" Spanish and it was depressing. I cant see me ever being able to hold a conversation! As for Ruby, well TBH, she isnt interested in speaking Spanish, she glazes over and doesnt want to know - which means that she wont learn it!

Jo xxx

[jojo]

BTW, "Charlotte" says the type of spanish she speaks is "cateto" ???????????????? Anyone heard of that???? Apparently its how Spanish "kids/people on the street" speak, I think ????????????? AAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHH

Jo xxx

[jimenato]

I find this site very useful. They answer your questions about Spanish. Brilliant.

Answers | Hot Questions

[lynn]

I wish the English education system had introduced languages at an earlier age, and then I think we would have more of a chance now! I was introduced to French at 11 years old and I think this is too late. For a start, I feel embarrassed to even try speaking the few phrases I have learnt in Spanish, even though I go to classes twice a week. I don't realistically stand much chance until I bite the bullet and use what I have learnt.

I also read somewhere that most people 'settle' for a level of understanding/speaking a foreign language after the first couple of years, so the more you work hard on it at the beginning, the better.

Isn't your daughter at Spanish school now Jojo? Surely with her being immersed in the language every day, she will inevitably pick it up.

[Iron Horse]

Originally Posted by lynn

I wish the English education system had introduced languages at an earlier age, and then I think we would have more of a chance now! I was introduced to French at 11 years old and I think this is too late. For a start, I feel embarrassed to even try speaking the few phrases I have learnt in Spanish, even though I go to classes twice a week. I don't realistically stand much chance until I bite the bullet and use what I have learnt.

I also read somewhere that most people 'settle' for a level of understanding/speaking a foreign language after the first couple of years, so the more you work hard on it at the beginning, the better.

Isn't your daughter at Spanish school now Jojo? Surely with her being immersed in the language every day, she will inevitably pick it up.

Truth for the USA too.

Jojo, my recommendation would be to try and think in Spanish too. As you begin to think about it in your head you'll be able to remember the words and phrases more effectively. A big help was writing and writing and writing as I sound out each word and pronounce it to myself. The best thing you can do is to turn the television to watch shows, news, movies in Spanish. Full immersion. Buena suerte.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by lynn

Isn't your daughter at Spanish school now Jojo? Surely with her being immersed in the language every day, she will inevitably pick it up.

She wont! she says she doesnt like speaking spanish and isnt gonna even try to learn it - she doesnt want to! !? How do you answer that?? I guess the bottom line is that she wants to go back to the UK or the international school, which we cant afford!

However, we're palying mind games with it all at the mo - I'm now working on the "I dont want you to learn spanish" game and trying to ignore the whole issue - apart from "accidently" buying her favourite magazine in Spanish!!? OOOOPPPSSS lol!

12 yos like to rebel dont they??


Jo xxx

[lynn]

Originally Posted by jojo

She wont! she says she doesnt like speaking spanish and isnt gonna even try to learn it - she doesnt want to! !? How do you answer that?? I guess the bottom line is that she wants to go back to the UK or the international school, which we cant afford!

However, we're palying mind games with it all at the mo - I'm now working on the "I dont want you to learn spanish" game and trying to ignore the whole issue - apart from "accidently" buying her favourite magazine in Spanish!!? OOOOPPPSSS lol!

12 yos like to rebel dont they??


Jo xxx

Ah yes, the reverse psychology trick.
Seriously though, she's going through a period of transition with changing schools from International to Spanish, and I guess you just need things to settle down a bit before getting on her case too much.