yellowbird

What a wealth of information! I will absolutely be bookmarking all or most of these to be using in the near future, thank you! Was the language just no relevant because you don't have many Russian speakers near you, or for another reason?

Tengo Skype, pero no me gusta hablando con personas en skype >.< Tienes Facebook?

Not quite an idiom here, more of a tongue twister, but when I was little I remember watching an educational Spanish show from time to time, and they would teach idioms and tongue twisters. This was my favorite that they displayed: "Como poco coco, compro poco coco." "Because I eat little coconut, I buy little coconut."

I've done the same thing with Spanish, and what I decided to do was take one basic online course. The textbook actually has all of the information in it that I've forgotten, so once the class is over with I can continue to work on the activities (with my memory refreshed in regard to basic knowledge) and further my current knowledge from there.

Are there any non-native Russian speakers out there who have any recommendations for where the best place would be to start teaching myself? I'm guessing the alphabet (lol), but what would be the best method of learning? Native speakers are welcome to comment too if you have any ideas!

Can someone help me with a simple way to remember when to use por versus para in Spanish sentences?

You make some good points here; do you think the language is at risk for dying as a result of this though? Also, do you know if the situation is similar with Catalan?

Trellum, I've spoken with you before and I had honestly no idea that Spanish is your native tongue. I never would have guessed. Your English is phenomenal, I don't think you're rusty at all! Do you think you could practice Spanish with me somehow? I really need to practice and get back to the level of fluency I used to speak at.. >.<

Práctica es práctica, muchas gracias por la respuesta! Tienes Facebook o un otro método de comunicación en tiempo real? No quiero Skype, pero hablando en text (typing) es muy bien!

My first instinct is to say no, but then I think about all the profanities I don't know in Spanish, and in a real-world setting, that kind of hinders me a little bit. If you want to be comfortable with all aspects of a language then knowing the slang is key as well. Doesn't mean you have to use those words, but at least you'll be able to tell when people use them around you! D:

I'm currently learning Spanish but I have recently decided that I'm going to begin studying Russian as well!

I realize this post is 2 months old, but since no one replied, I thought I'd share with you what I know. In the US, if you want to obtain a job involving Spanish but don't have the official Spanish degree or class credits to back you up, you take what I believe is called the CLEP exam (they have them for a bunch of different categories, so you'd take the Spanish one in this case), and if you do well enough, that is sort of a voucher for your credibility that you know your language. Here is the link to their general site: https://clep.collegeboard.org

This on is incredibly long, but it's still my favorite, and I try to live by it when I can think of it. It's by Max Ehrmann. Desiderata Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be critical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.

I think the consistent practice from a workbook helps me immensely (all I need sometimes it the motivation to DO the activities, hah). It allows me to practice handwriting in Spanish as well, and I find that to be helpful when remembering things like accents and sentence structure.

I'm really interested in learning Basque as well--does anyone have any credible online websites that they've used to at least begin learning?

Once you have a list of vocab you'd like to learn, I've found that rewriting each word and its definition 10 times really helps the word stick in your brain. I guess everyone is different, but that is how I had to do it in high school while studying Spanish and that is how I've taught myself vocab ever since, and it has worked for me! After that point I just would practice using those words in every day conversation so I don't forget them.

Mi gramática es mal ahorita, y necesito practicar mi vacabulario y mi estructura de sentencias. Hay algunes personas que pueden practicar español básico conmigo? Espero que practica en una forma como Instant Messaging o algo similar, tal vez Facebook? No tengo AIM o MSN, etc.

I think the next language after Spanish I will try to learn is Russian. The idea of learning another language with a completely new alphabet intrigues me (I don't think I am quite ready to dive into most Asian languages with different characters), and I also think that it could give me a gateway into learning other Slavic languages such as Polish.