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Spanish Sense

admin — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:43:34 +0000

For somebody who had studied Spanish seven years in High School and a few years in college, I needed an interactive approach to help me apply my vocabulary and help build my confidence again enough to speak the language so I signed up for a free, 15-day account so see how effective I could learn this lyrical language again through a site known as SpanishSense.

Subscribing to the free podcast seemed to be the most convenient way to listen to the daily conversations. The lessons evolve around using specific language structures around specific scenarios. They are taught using a deductive model of language learning experience – that is, first hearing the dialogues, then isolating the grammatical forms, special verbal and repeated them much more slowly with special emphasis on the grammatical structures and vocabulary lexis. For the visual learner, there is a PDF file for each corresponding lesson and you can browse through the archive of lessons and add them to your custom feed allowing for easier accessibility.

Navigating from the site to the content material is relatively simple but be prepared for some language adjustments especially, if you have not learned Spanish in quite a while, like me. I love Spanish and I find I can pretty much connect with any program. But as an ESL, there were specific pedagogical issues that made the learning element difficult.

There wasn’t enough material in writing. The exercises and vocabulary review were aimed at a high audience and it would have been helpful to receive some grammatical explanations about the grammatical usage behind ‘estar’ which tend to confuse many non-speaking Spanish learners. The speakers are engaged in a rapidamente – rapidly dialogue and the pace and accents take time to adjust to and do not quite legitimize a learner’s desire to improve his speech because it’s quick but the good news is that it does slow down eventually.

It is not quite clear to the learner how the podcast lessons will be organized and this information is not presented effectively up front neither in some brief introduction nor on the home page. The explanations for grammatical usage are not so clear during the podcasts. For somebody who comes with an average plus level of understanding, I felt the explanations were satisfactory but definitely not suitable for a beginner.

This language learning program is definitely not for the beginner; most probably for the intermediate plus, like me.

Back on the home page, there is an interactive opportunity to understand the linguistic nuances behind words. Usually the commenters write in English making it easier to relate to the subject and comment. Since the focus is production and making yourself effectively understood, the lessons appeal to a general language threshold of understanding. Additionally, there is a feature of ranking lessons which would be helpful for the first time lurker to get a feeling of community as there are quite a few commenters.

After fifteen days, are required to make a decision on your account. I might print the vocabulary and grammatical exercises, but I seriously doubt I would pay to upgrade my account in order to receive additional language lessons.

This article was contributed by Dorit Sasson.

How to Speak Spanish

admin — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:21:43 +0000

First look at why you’re learning Spanish and how much time you have. If it’s for a vacation, a few key phrases you study for ten minutes a day may suffice. Even knowing just a few words will help you communicate, and understand what others are saying to you.

Read more…

Learn a foreign language on the cheap

admin — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:26:05 +0000

The No Thick Manuals wiki details how to learn a language efficiently using two free, open source applications. The first is jVLT (java Vocabulary Learning Tool), a completely cross platform flash card application.

What is the best way to study a foreign language?

admin — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:09:04 +0000

There are a number of different ways to study a language, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. You may find a combination of these is best for you.

* Taught courses
* Teaching yourself
* Language exchange
* Picking it up by osmosis

5 Great Reasons to Learn a Foreign Language

admin — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 19:36:56 +0000

1. Improve your English - I know this might not make sense at first but hear me out. As a person who speaks only one language you have no basis for comparison; all you know is English. In different languages the same idea is often expressed in different ways. Knowing another language gives you a great measuring stick.

How to Teach Yourself a Foreign Language

admin — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 19:30:08 +0000

The first step is acquiring the materials you will use to teach yourself. The first thing you need is an audio language course. This is essential for developing your basic vocabulary and, more importantly, your pronunciation.

Learn Spanish @ Spanicity

admin — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 19:25:14 +0000

Spanish Audio Lessons - Basic of the Spanish Language, Speak Spanish Phrases (with Audio!), Learn Spanish Grammar Lessons (with Audio!) and more.

Learn a Foreign Language with Mango

admin — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:40:04 +0000

Webapp Mango offers 11 free foreign language courses in Spanish, Russian, Greek, German, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Italian and Polish. Simply sign up with your email address and you’re ready to go. Choose any of the available courses and view slideshow presentations instantly.

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Foreign Language Lesson Podcast Collection

admin — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 23:34:08 +0000

Open Culture has collected a pretty extensive list of foreign language lesson podcasts. You can find them here.

Learn a language with podcasts

admin — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 23:23:39 +0000

If you’re interested in learning a language in ‘07, iTunes has a whole section of podcasts devoted to language.

To get there, just head to the iTunes Music Store, then go to Podcast -> Education -> Language Courses.