Hola! Cómo estás?

Hello everyone,

I signed up for rocket languages today.  I start a new job in Spain exactly 3 months to the day so I am looking to achieve perhaps a basic communication level between now and then.  I would really like a vibrant community on here so I do not feel like I am on my own.  Please say hello/reply if you get the chance to read this.

Gracias,

Ben

Hello, Ben

RobertC106 has some very good advice for someone who's trying to learn a foreign language in quite a short time span, his commentary is in the “Lessons or tutor for Rocket Spanish users?” thread.

Some people you'll run across are those who'll get all wound up about whether one learns castilian or latin american spanish.

One native castilian speaker said something like “they're going to know you're a foreigner anyway.”

It's the same grammer with most of the same vocabulary, just like american english, british english and austrailian english.

Rocket Spanish seems to me to be a very neutral spanish. It's not throwing composite language on you, like nahuatl in mexican spanish, quechua in peruvian spanish, and Italian in argentina. Nor will the difference between Rocket Spanish and Castilian Spanish be like the “what the hell?” that would most likely ensue if spanish / spanglish speaking children of mexicans in the US were to be suddenly thrown together with spanish / spanglish speaking Puerto Rican islanders, both residing in US territory.

I've worked with a couple of puerto ricans on a specialty job. They didn't know english, didn't want to learn english by any means and demanded an interpreter.

So, the company hired a kid who learned at least minimal to effectively communicate mexican spanish from his parents in his urban socal home, along with all the greater LA region spanglish from the kids he was around.

It was a tough 2 or 3 weeks of confusion before they caught on to one another.

Learn vosotros. I think spaniards say “vale” like anglo canadians say “eih," it seems there is a lot of “venga” thrown around too.

After you learn enough spanish “español con juan” can teach you a lot. He will venture into explaining castilian coloquialisms, sometimes he does hilarious skits, occasionally involving his fictional free loading “brother” “pepe.” He's repetitious for a reason. All of his material is in spanish, no english. Originaly from granada, spain, he is a former, long time professor of spanish of a university in london.

His “Soy un giri” and “la mejor lección de mi vida” videos explore culture change and recent spanish history in his lifetime from franco's dictatorship to now, and “they” have never taught any of this in american schools.

“Extr@ en español” is slowed down, british originated, easy to to understand castilian spanish. It's cheesy enough I can't watch the first three cringy episodes anymore - the plot would appeal most to junior high kids - but the actors are talented far beyond the cheese they are smeared with and the spanish is good for learners. Plus, the actor playing “Pablo” is generally a very funny guy - even with all the cheese. 

I believe there is an incogruity in that the castilian spanish dialect speaking program is set in what I think is a catalan (northeastern spanish dialect) speaking area.

Northwest gallego spanish tends towards portugal, I believe catalan tends towards french, and that andalucia has some differences with northern castilian.

All of these dialects have influenced different regions of latin america, and a bit of the indian languages came back to the home dialects.

An interesting article:

https://higherlanguage.com/languages-similar-to-catalan/

Galician - gallego

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Galician-language

“For Spanish learners, it is important to be aware of the differences between Castilian and Andalusian Spanish, as well as the other regional varieties of Spanish. While Castilian Spanish is the most widely taught variety, it is useful to be familiar with the other varieties in order to better understand and communicate with Spanish speakers from different regions.”

https://petreader.net/comparing-castilian-and-andalusian-spanish-a-linguistic-insight/

¡Hola Ben!

Congrats on the new job. Most of Level 1 is not that hard (direct and indirect object pronouns, I am looking at you!) but I would concentrate on vocabulary as much as the grammar. Level 1 grammar will get you through basic situations you will encounter, but you need the vocabulary to talk. 

Once you get to Spain, the immersion will be your best teacher and you can use lessons (maybe even with someone local) to strengthen your grammar, etc. 

Good luck!

Suggestion for you guys listening to podcasts. I use radio.garden which let's you pick from radio stations from all over the world. Very simple to use (drag the map under the circle) as long as you know to click on the little tab to expand the box in the lower left corner for more choices. I'm fortunate in that I've found a couple of stations that are very talk-oriented in France (France Culture and France Info 105.7). Your results may vary looking for Spanish-language chat.

Anyway, I suggest the following exercise that I call “the next word”. The idea is to only listen for the next word. Don't let anything distract you from hearing the next word. If you give any thought to what you've already heard you'll almost certainly miss the next word(s). I'm amazed at how many more words I hear, and as a consequence, how much more sense I'm able to make of what's being said without really trying - simply on the basis of hearing so many more words. It puts me into a trance (bonus).

Dear All,

First of all let me say a big thankyou (gracias!) for your replies.  I was not expecting to hear from anyone, let alone those of you who have wished me luck on my journey, and those of you who have written recommendations/long explanations etc. I really am grateful.  Estoy feliz!

I really am motivated to learn and you have given me more energy to do this.

A couple of questions - Is Espanol con Juan a websitE/YouTube? as you mention videos. Just so I can find this.  What about Extr@ an español? 

I am actually going to be a teacher in Spain, at a British school.  However, it is important to me that I fully immerse myself in the country I will be working in.  They are going to provide me with free Spanish lessons (however, the children are international and the expectation is that you speak in English with the children).

I researched quite a few different language programs before deciding on rocket.  The only thing which made me unsure on rocket was the Latin America side of the program but I think I can get passed that.  Also, if I am not happy, people on trustpilot say customer service is very good and you can get a refund if it is not what you want.

I do actually own Rosetta Stone, and I did start on that a couple of years ago but seem to have lost my motivation at the moment.

The other program I seriously considered buying was storylearning.com - I find it a really interesting way to learn, through the power of story and I was torn.  However, it doesn't have an App, and I have listen to 1.3/1.4 today whilst walking to and from work.  I did think the conversation was a little odd in 1.4 - basically a man insisting to a woman that he took a picture of her.  Sounded a little creepy to me!

I managed to get a good deal on the rocket language, including cash back so all good.

Thanks for reading, I really appreciated you taking time out of your day to formulate a response.

Hasta la próxima vez!

Ben

Did you search the internet? First hit is Español con Juan". https://www.youtube.com/@espanolconjuan

Definitely take advantage of the lessons offered when you get to Spain. That with immersion (it is embarrasing at first, but try to speak Spanish when you are interacting with local residents - you will get better the more you do it).

Yea, some of the scenarios are bit odd or forced, but remember, it was written by a Spanish speaker who comes from a different culture, so there are bound to be some situations that seem strange to us native English speakers.

Agree Extra is great for listening as the Spanish is somewhat basic and they definitely repeat things, which helps you. But it isn't for absolute beginners. I am a more advanced beginner (IMO) and I typically get the gist of what they are saying in Extra, but I definitely don't understand exactly what they are saying (without subtitles).

Yes I am indeed British! Well, English.

Hi Alme,

I was born in Manchester but lived in London for 20 years. I currently reside in Chester, which is North Wales, about 45 minutes from Liverpool.

Hey Alme,

Wow - I think you know a lot more about the history of the United Kingdom than I do.  

If I think of all the friends/family members I have and you asked them ‘Where do you come from?’ I'm pretty sure that on the whole they would all say ‘I come from England, or Scotland, or Wales".  They would not say Britain.  There is a perception that the Scottish and English don't get on, and I would not know whether that i true or not.  When it comes to football it's a huge rivalry and it is billed as ‘THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN’ whenever we play Scotland at football, especially in an international tournament.

I am currently on holiday in Gran Canaria.  The weather is not nice.  “No hace sol”

I have just completed 2.2 and been introduced to the phrase Tal Vez, which is useful to know.

I couldn't tell much difference as I cannot speak much Spanish yet, however I was able to ask for things, understand directions and I think one of the most important phrases I have picked up is Estoy aprendiendo… because they are really pleased when I say that and how I am moving to Spain for work so I want to learn.  They appreciate that.

Hmm what to tell?  There's a storm called Oscar at the moment so for over half the holiday I didn't see sun.  That was a killer. My boat trip(s) were cancelled because of this.

Major shopping centre called the Yumbo Center.  Tired, dated from the 70s but comes alive at nighttime 2200-0400.

I did the module one certification but did not pass.  I was quite happy with the grammar element of my attempt but I had not done modules 1.7-1.9 as they were based on grammar and introduced new vocabulary (e.g. rotten/behaviour/pencils) which I didn't know.  It is because I practised a lot in Spain without speaking into the microphone.  I did not want to disturb other holiday makers.

Also - what is ‘I don’t need a receipt' in Spanish?  There were other phrases I wanted to know whilst in Spain, I can't remember at the moment but if they come back to me I'll add them here.

Thanks

PS The best words/phrases I have learnt so far and can use in Spain are (these are just from Rocket and no other program)

Estoy aprendiendo

Me gustaria

Es muy amable

Suficiente

Tal vez

Hable mas desapacio por favor

Hi Team,

I hope you're doing well. I've seen your previous messages, and I'm glad to hear that you're motivated to learn Spanish. I wanted to answer your question about "Español con Juan" and "Extr@ en español".

"Español con Juan" is a YouTube channel where Juan shares videos in Spanish to help students learn the language. You can easily find it by searching for his name on YouTube.

"Extr@ en español" is a television series in Spanish designed for language learners. The plot may seem a bit odd, but it's a good option for practicing listening and improving your understanding of Spanish. You can search for the series online to watch the episodes.

Regarding your question about how to say "I don't need a receipt" in Spanish, the translation would be "No necesito un recibo". You can use this phrase in situations where you don't need a proof of purchase.

It's great that you're using your time in Gran Canaria to practice Spanish.