czarina84

All of the above.  Taking any opportunity to learn can help greatly.  Personally, it doesn't matter if it's online or offline, I just need someone to correct any language mistakes I have.  I can mostly learn on my own, but it is very helpful to have someone I can trust answer any questions I have and check my work.

For those who learn well from immersion, I think that's a good idea.  I like to learn things from others who can speak both my native and target languages.  It helps me, in case I make a mistake.  I then have someone to correct it. 

My French teacher didn't do that, but I know of people who had a Spanish teacher that did.  Most of the students failed that Spanish teacher's class.  They just got too frustrated and stopped trying to learn.  My French teacher did have sections of the class when you had to answer some questions in French and gradually decreased the amount of questions that could be answered in English.  Most of his students passed. I think it helped that he didn't make students feel stupid when they made a mistake.  He would gently correct them, then make the whole class repeat the mistake that had been made. 

Being the mother of a toddler, I know that they are active and eager to learn new things.  I think games and songs would be better than just making them look things up in dictionaries.  Most young children would get bored quickly and easily without stimulation.

What are some verbs that can replace number 5?

It may help to try to find a partner to practice with over the internet. I think there are some sites where you can interact over Skype or possibly the site itself.  Or, at the beginning of the conversation, tell the person with whom you are speaking that you are having trouble with some pronunciation.  When you realize that the other person knows you are not being offensive, you are just learning the language, some of the anxiety may fade.

Sentence structure. My pronunciation of most words is great and learning new vocabulary isn't a problem.  It's the way the sentences are arranged.  Not so much the adjectives, but more the direct and indirect objects.  Throw in the words "se" or "si" (not the one that means yes) and I'm lost. 

I always tested well.  I knew that I learned the information well enough to at least pass.  (Most tests I got 91 or better).  I always had the little butterflies, regardless.  But it was a large amount of worry, just a little nervousness.

I think a lot of misunderstandings would be cleared up.  To be honest, even though my native language is English, I would be in favor of making the world language whatever is easiest for the majority of learners.  I bet that would stop a lot of Americans from saying, "they shouldn't live here if they can't learn the language". 

I think you should modify and explain.  I think intent should come first.  The person wants to get a point across.  I would explain to the person speaking (or writing) that what they want to say doesn't exist in the other language then ask if they want it modified so the other person understands. 

I try translating as much as possible, mostly songs.  I will also read anything that has a word or phrase in different languages.  Warning signs, cleaning labels...anything. 

I am very visual.  If I read something, I picture it in my head.  This isn't just relegated to reading.  If I hear a story (on the radio or something a friend is telling me), I can see the events unfolding in my head. 

I've done it.  It actual does work very well for me.  If you are trying to translate something from your native language to another language, you can get mixed up.  Grammar and sentence structure is very different in many languages, so reverse translation helps greatly. 

I first got interested in Spanish when I was about six years old.  I found a Spanish dictionary on our bookshelf.  I don't know if it was my mother's or my sisters.  I liked how the words looked.  I can't really explain it better than that.  The book got lost when our roof collapsed about a week later, so I didn't get the chance to read it.  We never got a new one, so I had to wait until I got to high school.  I chose French instead of Spanish, because almost everyone who could signed up for Spanish for an easy A. 

Thank you.

Ok.  I just wanted to make sure that I didn't make a tiny mistake and accidentally write swear words or something.  Thanks.

How is that pronounced?  That is a very cool word.  I have never heard it before.

I prefer traditional books.  I don't see a need for electronic books unless I'm going somewhere that I need more than one or two books.  For instance, if I was still in school, I would prefer an e-book to lugging around 6 or more textbooks, plus notebooks, etc.  If I just want to read and relax, I definitely want to snuggle up to a book with touchable pages. 

As long as you aren't using it incorrectly, I see no problem with you saying the words in English.  Sadly, most native English speakers make very basic grammar mistakes.  Mostly spelling.  As for subtitling, that may actually be a good idea.  Saying it in Spanish, while having the words below in English give the students a way of hearing it in another language, while showing them the translation in the language they know. 

Thank you.  I asked a Puerto Rican/Cuban friend, and she said she had never heard that word.  Is it a regional word?  If so, what countries say that word: Jineteando?

Is it that you forget the words or is it similar to the same problem people have with French?  Many people just can't get the pronunciation of the words down.  When I was studying French in school, a lot of students had trouble with the "r" sounds and the general nasal pronunciation of the words.

Thank you, Trellum.  This is helpful.  I copied down the sentences, along with your advice, for studying. 

That gives me something to think about when I order Huevos Rancheros. 

I think this would work better with an alphabet that you don't have to draw precisely, like English or Spanish, better than one with characters, like Asian languages or Hebrew.  I am terrible at drawing.  I will modify this technique for Spanish, though.  I will substitute learning Spanish vocabulary for drawing kanji.  Hopefully, this will help with my foreign language goal.  He seems to have borrowed this technique from fitness gurus. 

That is a very good question.  I have wondered the same thing.  I wondered how idioms were translated being that they differ in each language.  Thank you for the detailed answer, linguaholic.