A0130

I was in a class of maybe 20 or so people when I decided to become proficient in Spanish. Then, I moved to working alone and with my tutors. What did you do that worked for you?

I'm not trying to insult any languages here. They are all very beautiful and very complex. However, I have never particularly liked the sound of French. I like Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish and German... but couldn't get that "wow" from French. I am in the minority, I promise. What about you?

In public the only people I know that would be willing to speak Spanish with me are complete strangers. Is there any way to meet new people and test your language skills on people without being creepy?

Such as at en emergency site where the attenders only knew Spanish, or at a fancy restaurant when you could order in perfect French?

I once met a man in Mexico who would continue to be my friend to this day. If I had not known Spanish, I don't think we would have become great friends. Has this happened to anyone else?

I feel that English spell checkers are highest in demand and most universally used, which is why they are almost always English. If you can find one for Spanish that would be great and I would be interested. I have Firefox, so there's a spellcheck built right in. If you're using Word, you can adjust the spellcheck language to any language you need.

"Moist" makes me giggle for some reason. "Gurgle" is a favorite. As is "Martyr". "Camouflage" is one of the stranger ones no one really thinks is strange but I do.

Google translate is rarely right. This is because it has no context of what you're saying and only has its computer knowledge. Human brains take in context and give you a correct sentence that fits most comfortably.

I know the obvious like hola and lo siento and some advanced language, but what are some common things I would need to know?

I appreciate "dead as a doornail" for some unknown reason. It's just really funny to me because... how can a doornail be dead? It means being dead or asleep deeply, or otherwise unconscious. It's so silly and no one even thinks about how silly it is.

Are there any helpful mnemonic devices for remembering the present tense conjugations for -ar, -ir and -er verbs?

I think that nothing beats experience and talking with a native speaker. Classroom Spanish lacks the depth and understanding required to master Spanish, or any language really. I feel it is important to develop a study system that enforces not memorization (which they shove down your throat), and instead understanding.

I'm not very well versed in Spanish and therefore don't have the accent. Will this make it difficult for others to understand?

I've learned a bit of German through Rammstein. I think music is a powerful tool. It helps you adjust to dialects and common phrases.

I tried to learn Elvish and Klingon. Failed at both because they're so hard. Elvish looks so beautiful it's a shame I can't read it.