Spanish Lessons

Hi, can anyone recommend a Spanish Course, preferably free, suitable to use and learn with a computer. I have tried several but they all seem to favour Latin American Spanish and I find it rather confusing!!! Any help would be appreciated. Regards and thanks. SB

Have you tried the BBC Website?

After learning the basics,  I concentrated on taking out books from the public library, children’s section  to begin with.  I spent most of every day  for 3 months wth the books and studying '501 'Spanish Verbs'. That was after I had said for a few years I was going to learn.   When I went into a shop, bar etc and I was spoken to in English I told them I was Russian and could not speak English, thus I got the practice.   Then I got a Spanish girlfriend who had no English and I started as a volunteer with the police assisting tourists who had no Spanish.  Deep end.

I would say the main thing to do is put in the hours.  Most don’t do that and thus never get there.

Good luck

Try the DUOLINGO app on a smartphone. It asks to pronounce back to it etc. Brilliant

Duolingo is excellent - web based or app available for smart phones.

As John said you have to put the time in with any method

Thanks for the DuoLingo tip both. Just reached Level 2 Spanish

Also available on the Duolingo website with additional tips

Once you have started, and it seems you have:

www.Notesinspanish.com

@johnzx

John,you have my sincere respect. Most of us like the idea of learning Spanish, but speaking for myself, are too idle.

Oh COME on..... DuoLingo is just a bit of fun.  It won't teach anyone Spanish - and it is heavily Latin America biased - so loads of words you will NEVER hear in Spain, and a very distinct accent.   My Spanish friends fall about laughing at it.

Have you investigated a local teacher?   There are plenty of people prepared to give you lessons for a small low price almost anywhere in Spain.   

To add to Notes in Spanish, which is good, try LightSpeed Spanish.    

You are never going to speak like a native or gain fluency using duolingo alone. However I have found it provides all that I need to 'get by' 

Don't know about the Spanish laughing at it, many I know use it to learn English!

Well watch for some of those saucy words that mean something different on DuoLingo and will offend the Spanish!!

Hi, thanks for all the advice - I'm getting more confused as I go on. I did try Duolingo but now I'm afraid I may pick up some bad habits and wrong words also Duo seems to be be geared for Latin Spanish - ugh!! I clicked onto the Lightspeed web page but cannot seem to get anywhere with it - I kept clicking on various things but no lessons seem to come up. The same goes for the BBC online Spanish course - lots of advice but no lessons?? As I am not a Smart phone owner or any of these new fangled things I have to rely on my computer. - oh woe is me!!!!!!!

lightspeed spanish podcasts

I have just been into the site, and the podcasts are working - you need to scroll down and click on the audio link.  

Just to clarify - Duolingo is a bit of fun.   It might back up any course you do - it is not a course - the levels do not relate to anything.   It is Latin American - I cant remember which country, but the accent is very marked.    If you just want to 'get by', you would do just as well buyiig a cheap phrase book with a CD to go with it.   

Why anyone with a smartphone would want a phrase book and cd is behond me Roly - there are some great translation apps available or even just google itself . Do people still have cd players?

Just making the point that you can get actual Spanish (and usually one or  two grammar points which would help you to progress) using an old fashioned method.     Frankly, if you are going to use the click and forget method, you might as well just have Google Translate loaded and use it everytime you want to say something.  It will also speak to you so you can get the sound more or less correct.  (not knocking Google Translate either - I do have it loaded to my iPhone and it is very useful at times).    

I am not wanting to knock the aps like Duolingo - it is a bit of fun, and MIGHT reinforce some language.   The problem I have with it is that it teaches you no grammar at all - which makes it impossible to transfer knowledge and make any progession. 

If you use an old fashioned book - if that is what you want to do - you can find your way around it much more easily than Duolingo.  And yes, people most certainly do have CD players - especially in the car, and it is a very good way of actually learning a language.  

There is another site - studyspanish.com which will explain the basic grammar you need to know, and it is free up to a point. 

Hi Roly 2, thanks for all the info. YES I too still use CD's and, you will gather, I do not have any of these 'modern' things like Smartphones - just the old fashioned mobile with no frills or ipods nor ipads etc.,  - afraid I am too set in my ways for these - just the old faithful computer for me?? I will give studyspanish a go and see what is what.Thanks again SB

I use the Michel Thomas CDs.

I use the Michel Thomas CDs. He is repetative, methodical and strightforward. Some may find him 'boring' and 'old school' but he clearly  explains the grammar and sentence structure. I do not like to learn Spanish by rote - I need to understand how the language is put together. 

Good luck SouthernBelle - and dont forget you have to enjoy it.   It takes a long time to become fluent, but in my opinion, it is worth it.  You will have a very different Spanish experience if you can communicate pretty freely.   Vale la pena (I will leave you to translate it with whatever means you prefer!!)

'It's worth it' - translated with the help of my well used Spanish dictionary?? Gracias SB

gold star!!