A little help please

Hola , To introduce myself I am Dusty ( real name David ) ....i get asked Alot if it's my real name lol ....anyway I live in England with a strong regional accent they call scouse ( liverpool ) I decided to learn spanish but have only just realised this teaches Latin American spanish, my desire was to hopefully learn the language to be used in Spain mainly on the Mediterranean side of Spain which would be east to south East ...I am enjoying the course but my main question is am I learning the wrong spanish as it's doubtful I will get to visit Latin America and hopefully wish to move to Spain eventually ? Sorry if it's been asked before I also apologise in advance if my grammar is poor I'm using an old mobile phone ( cell ) to write. Also is there people that have Skype conversations to learn faster ? I don't know anyone who speaks a word of Spanish and to be honest were i live we would probably not sound English either due to our accents . Anyhow thanks in advance any info much appreciated. Regards Dusty

Hola Dusty,

I am getting pretty fluent in Spanish now in good part due to Rocket Spanish. The only native speakers I talk with (via Skype*) are from Spain and I have no difficulty (at least relative to your question) understanding them. There are regional accents in Spanish which I find difficult (Andalucia, Canary Islands...) but, then again, I might find your regional accent in English difficult. :-)

Saludos,

Steven

p.s. I did purchase some materials from the Cervantes Center (Spain). I found them a bit pricey and I didn't care for them as much. I would recommend putting the accent on course materials that will keep you motivated.

* I found my language partners through www.conversationexchange.com. 

Hi Steven Thanks for reply how do you find language exchange ? Obviously I am a complete beginner and doubt I am ready for it but be good to hear your views, What do you mean putting my accent on course materials ? I realise Spain is a diverse place and accents will differ especailly Slang as no doubt my accent would sound completely different than the Queens English Am hoping by learning rocket spanish it will be the Base or hopefully the most common used Maybe my best bet would be to learn through this program and try have language exchange with a local to were i aim to live or spend more time at unfortunately one just place could well be andalucia lol .......but my expectations are realistic language, communication is fascinating Dusty

Dusty - Click on the above web link and it will take you directly to the web site where you will need to fill out your profile - the whole process takes just a few minutes. The one thing I regret personally is not practicing with native speakers earlier on (practice what you learn!). Regarding how to go about language learning, I have found that keeping motivated is by far the most important thing. So following a course which keeps you motivated (like Rocket Spanish for me) takes precedence over a specific dialect (i.e., Latin America vs. Spain). ¡Buena suerte con tu aprendizaje del español!
 

Thanks steven Yes I've had a look at the link. Wires crossed as I meant how did you rate the conversation exchange I would be quite nervous to chat with a stranger who probably couldn't understand a word of my Spanish or English lol... I will keep plugging away at rocket spanish I've begun to watch conversational spanish program it's a little dated but may help Thanks again Dusty

Hola Dusty,
 
¡Bienvenido al foro!  Rocket Spanish opened the door for me and provided an invaluable foundation for learning.  I have used additional resources and later went through all three levels of Learning Spanish Like Crazy, which would have been confusing and frustrating without having started with RS.  Below is a link to Destinos   which  is great for listening comprehension etc. Also a link to LightSpeed Spanish which is taught by a couple. Gordon is from the north of England and Cynthia is from Madrid, he's fluent in Spanish and Cynthia's command of English is amazing . They are great teachers, informative and  highly entertaining. Both links are free.

Saludos,

Ricardo


https://learner.org/series/destinos/

http://www.lightspeedspanish.co.uk/

Thanks Ricardo . I've begun watching destinos and could actually follow what was happening even though Alot of words were alien to me. I am after all only into my second week of learning but can mostly understand the gestures and situation. I shall try the other link also thanks for the time to reply Dusty

dusty: To echo Ricardo, welcome to the forum. We need more participants here!

In answer to your question about conversation exchange.com, it has been a valuable resource for me. I have spoken with English-language learners from Spain, Moscow (a Cuban) Venezuela, Colombia, and other places. The thing to remember is, yes, you can be nervous by showing your lack of command of Spanish, but they are just as nervous showing their lack of command of your language. You help one another learn, and I have found that by listening to native Spanish speakers talking in English, it has helped me understand Spanish grammar better, because they sometimes construct their English sentences following Spanish grammar rules. I know I do the same thing in reverse sometimes.

Destinos is great for training your ear. I watched the entire series once a year or so ago with Spanish captions, now I'm "working without a wire" and rewatching it without captions. I know the plot now, so I can follow the narrative better.

Another resource I have found very helpful is a book entitled "Fluent Forever" by Gabriel Wyner (that I learned of from a user here.) He has a very effective learning strategy that I wish I had begun following 3 years ago; I think I would be farther ahead now. It is based on the use of the Anki flashcard program.

Saludos,
Dan 

Dusty,
you might want to try this online language learning website as well: https://www.duolingo.com/
It is a free language learning website, and I have found it quite helpful in getting me past the points were I've gotten stuck. It is a slightly different dialect than Rocket Languages, but so similar that it is easy to switch back and forth between them.
I hope that this helps!
Brittany

Hi Brittany Thanks for advise it was the 1st app I used on my phone and yes it is slightly different . I think I have the determination to succeed I've just ordered fluent forever that was recommended also subscribed to lightening spanish on you tube ...I am trying at least ..lol I learn fast but unfortunately do have a terrible memory so hopefully the book I've ordered along with other helpful tips and obviously you guys and girls I can make great strides into becoming a Spaniard with a scouse accent ...( for people that don't know, scouse or scouser is a person from Liverpool UK . And have a very unique accent ...one that often brings Alot of smiles to foreign visitors . Thanks Dusty