This week we concluded our Spanish Winter 2010 session with dinner at Lime Taqueria, where we enjoyed some good Mexican food. The restaurant has a nice ambiance, but when you see photos of the Mexican President on the wall, taken during his visit of the restaurant, you know the food has to be really good!
Bill, Jackie, Edit and Audrey all passed the Level 1 class with flying colors and they were busy practicing their español at the table. ¿Yo tengo hambre, y usted? ¡Sí, yo también!
It’s really not that hard to speak Spanish once you know the basics and can get over your shyness. You just have to do it, without trying to be perfect because that is too big of a hurdle to jump.
Start with little ‘jumps’ and apply what you learn to your daily life. See a number on the side of the street? Or a person, animal or thing you know? Say it out loud in Spanish! How about colors? Lots of those around you!
There are endless ways to practice what you’ve learned, but the most important thing is to PRACTICE, because 1-2 hours of class per week is simply not enough to learn a language and become conversant in it.
Join us for the new Spring sessions that start on April 13 and 15 at Cascade UMC. You can contact the church at info@cascadeumc.org or 404-691-5770. If you prefer to email us directly, use this link for the contact form.
¡NOS VEMOS! (SEE YOU!)
Feliz Año Nuevo! – Happy New Year!
Wishing all our students a wonderful year that may bring you closer to your goals, especially the one related to Spanish 
The first month of the year is gone, but we’re starting February with a fresh head, ready to learn or get better at speaking Spanish!
We are offering Level 1 and Level 2 Conversation classes at Cascade United Methodist Church on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., starting today February 2nd.
We will be using “Spanish for Gringos” (without CD) and books can be picked up in class. Click on the link for more info about this book.
Rita and I are looking forward to seeing you in class.
Nos Vemos!!
You want to learn Spanish and become “fluent” but everyone tells you it’s impossible unless you do a total language immersion in a Spanish speaking country. That is certainly true is you want to learn it fast, however if you are learning a foreign language for fun, it is still possible to become somewhat fluent in the language if you use the following tips from the Irish Polygot.
The basics to get started:
- Use the media to get used to Spanish. Listen and watch Spanish programs on the radio and TV. Read Spanish newspapers (some are bilingual), magazines, books or websites. The more exposure the better training for your eyes, ears and brains. Mundo Hispanico is in print and online. Atlanta Latino is a bilingual newspaper.
- Self-study. Yes, depending on your personality, this works! Read more about Spanish Self Study here.
- Take community classes like those offered at Cascade UMC, a college continuing education program, a language institute or with a private tutor.
As you already figured out, these options range from free to expensive and they’re only to get you started. What you need next is the opportunity to practice your new language skills! You need to actually speak with someone to learn how to carry on a conversation, but how can you do that without traveling to that Spanish speaking country?
Here’s how:
- You don’t have to find a native speaker to practice, just someone who is equally interested in learning like you are. Of course there are more advantages to having a native speaker, but the reality is that they don’t always have the time and patience to deal with newbies like you.
- Social gatherings like Meetup can bring you in contact with local learners like you, looking for an opportunity to practice. Do your search at Meetup.com to find a local Spanish group.
- Online social networking to make new friends with Facebook, Twitter, CouchSurfing or a polygot language exchange. Polygots btw, are people who speak multiple languages .
There may be more ways to practice your language skills, but these are the ones I liked. You can read the entire article from Benny, the Irish Polygot here. It’s a little bit long, but entertaining and useful. Benny is determined to become fluent in 3 months and currently speaks 7 languages, working on his 8th!
Due to the floods in Atlanta our classes had to be postponed to September 28th. Some students resigned after being affected by the floods, but we will keep them in our prayers.
We had a great first day of class and I hope that everyone will hang in there until the end of the 8-week session, because you really want to learn Spanish this time
We are using Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish and dived right in after the introductions.
Homework assignment for Monday’s class:
- form 5 sentences and
- translate 5 sentences with words from category I-V
- read pg 14-16
Nos vemos!
After reviewing several products, I found a decent self study program that is very affordable and will teach you how to speak Spanish in two months or less. Of course the speed of learning depends on each individual, time and dedication to study.
The best way to learn is total immersion, but unless you can move to a Spanish-speaking country the next best way to study a language is with interactive audio/visual tools. The advantage is that you can hear native speakers speak slowly and clearly, then repeat after them as often as you like.
Spanish Rocket Language used by thousands of people worldwide is by far the best multimedia program there is.
Before you have to decide whether you want to buy the product, you can even try it out by using the free lessons they offer. Sign up below and see if Spanish Rocket Language is for you.
