Reading spanish

Hola, I just began using the Rocket Spanish beginner program this weekend. Just curious how long before I can expect to start doing some easy readers. Any opinions or experiences anyone would like to share? Gracias!

I think the best answer is the wishy-washy "it depends." For example, how much experience do you have in learning other languages, especially related languages such as French, Italian, Portuguese, and Latin? How much time are you spending each day on learning Spanish? These and other factors can make a big difference in how soon you'll be able to handle easy Spanish readers. Then again, if you've simply got a real talent for languages, you may be ready very quickly even if you've never studied any other language. It depends. :)

Gracias, Nohablo. I knew you'd say that :) I studied German a couple years in high school and then took a couple more semesters in college. While I could read some, I never was able to speak a lick. Funny thing is, I made all A's. How about this-- anybody care to share how long it took them before they began reading any Spanish newspapers, magazines, or books/easy readers?

Larry - I got easy readers right away, and I plug away at them. I'm fortunate in that I live in Florida, and with it's large Hispanic population comes a plethora of Spanish-language newspapers... and some of them are free. I sometimes grab one on my way home from the gym, and will pick apart an article or two. I start with the words and phrases that I KNOW, and then hit the dictionary from there. Sometimes I can figure out soem of it on my own by process of elimination. It's different for everyone. Just do what you can, as you can. Make like a Nike ad and HAZLO!!!

Gracias, Loriann. Knowing you jumped right in let's me know I'm not crazy for wanting to add this to my studies. I wasn't sure whether or not I was putting the cart before the horse. Well, actually I know it is, but it shows it can be helpful and help to keep the motivation. Looking around more today, I found that Rocket Spanish covers this a bit in the Rocket Vocab Supplement download. I must have overlooked this initially. It's 40+ pages of reading material with vocab lists and comprehension tests. Wonderful. Um, muy bueno!

Hola Larry. After a few years of "studying spanish" I am about to start afresh with Rocket Spanish. Early on I tried easy readers and struggled in vain with them until I came across parallel text. Have you tried them? They usually come in the form of short stories from eg; Spain, Mexico, Columbia. Spanish on one side and the equivalent translation on the opposite page. I have found them very useful, informative and enjoyable even at an early stage. Hope this is of some help Saludos Liam y Bracheion (mi mejor amigo) el perro!

Larry - Grab onto every and any resource you can (especially if it's FREE!!!) and consider them all to be tools in your toolbox... your Spanish language learning toolbox. Try the Newbie and Elementary lessons on SpanishPod. You can listen to them on your computer... you don't have to have an iPod to use them! There's a plethora of stuff out there just waiting to be used!!! This will sound crazy, but I have found that it has always worked for me... even when I was in the military and had to take advancement exams. Use 3X5 flashcards. Yes, the ones you get for Rocket Spanish are good, but it's been proven that if you WRITE it down, you will retain the material better. I've done flashcards for all parts of the Rocket Spanish program. I listen to the Interactive Audio and go through the Conversation Course and Beginning Book Grammar for each lesson... TWICE (more if I really need it, but even if I knew the material already or have a good grasp on it, I always do it twice at bare minimums). I do up 3X5 flashcards, with the Spanish words, phrases, or sentences on the front, with the English on the back. Since I'm using other materials as well, for Rocket Spanish I put a little RS1 or RS2 in the upper left hand corner to tell me that the material came from Rocket Spanish, and in the upper right hand corner I put 1.7, 3.3, 5.1, or whatever lesson the material is coming from... just as a reference for me. I use my flash cards every day.I translate going from front to back, and back to front. After a bit, I add them to the stack that is for that section (section 1 will have 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc.) and I review at the end of that part. Writing and reviewing like that helps it stick for me. Of course, I spend a small fortune on lined index cards, but it's really nothing in comparison to what it helps me retain along the way. Just a crazy thought...

Hey Larry - Just another thought for you... FWIW... check out Anna Rivera's website, http://www.learningspanishproductsreviews.com . I have found that if Anna Rivera gives a product a 4 or 5 star review, it's something worth buying. I've come upon great resources from her website, and in turn, found other great resources from those resources. I usually get great prices and selection on books and stuff from Amazon.com... and I don't have to go out and look for it... it comes to me. And with Amazon Prime (because I'm an Amazon junkie) it doesn't matter if I want one litle thing or ten things... I get free two day shipping. I save time, gas, sales tax... it's a big time win-win!