[Closed] reading in spanish?

I think for comprehension of a language it's much better to hear the words spoken than read. That said, it's a good idea to know the meaning of the word too!

I always skim, I might pick a few words I want to look up later, but understanding the gist is an important skill when you don't have the luxury of a dictionary... exams, watching a Spanish film with Spanish subs for example.

That said, there are always opportunities to do it both ways.

highclimber - Member - I'm thinking reading is part of a strategy for improving my listening comprehension, which I do really struggle with.

I think I struggle due to my lack of vocabulary, so my intention is to learn to read more, up the vocabulary and then go and work on the listening comprehension as a next stage.

I can listen to beginner CD's all day long and understand most of what is being said, but when it comes to proper conversations between nativos, watching films, listening to the radio, it all flies over my head mostly. So really reading more is basically a step to listening better, well I think, i'm adjusting my strategy as I go, plus it's just for fun, I've no real need to learn spanish other than I want to..

My basic listening stategy at the moment is listening to alot of full speed spanish radio, watching films with spanish subtitles(where possible), while reading more to up my vocabulary.

For speaking, well, I need to get myself involved in that more, been to spain a couple of times recently, but I need to get my arse out an find a spanish group to start speaking it I think.

bob_summers - Member - Aye it is my sense that the mid ground is perhaps the way to go about it.

Where do you live? There was a pretty healthy intercambio scene in london when I was moving out here a few years back. See what there is in your area.. if you're learning for fun, that's gotta be one of the best ways.

I find it hard to get motivated if I'm not interested in the subject. I joined a local road club and a couple of forums, and now my cycling vocabulary is de puta madre but I struggle to talk about more everyday stuff 😳

I'm in glasgow, I know of a few groups I can get involved in, just need to get out there and attend, went to a couple a year or 2 ago, but I never did keep that up.

Cadena Quarenta, Radio Principales, etc will help you massively as one the the best tricked is to get your "ear" tuned to hearing the words and how the "flow" , pronunciation, etc.
Spanish groups may help you but native speakers will help fat more as with a group you can guarantee that accents, verbs, etc wont be correct.
The best way I found was working with them as there is only so many times you can pony at something and say "Estes" or "Esto"......

If you are reading to improve your vocabulary, then checking a dictionary for a word you don't know seems logical.

Why not basingstoke in portuguese?

I spent 7 years learning online just chatting to spanish speaking people (initialy through the old IRC network as thats all that was available then). Had great fun and met a lot of good friends. Then I did an OU Modern languages degree (which was Shite). A few years in I knew less spanish than at the outset (but thats another story).

My vocab always let me down but found some south american speakers much easier to understand than European Spanish. I'd recomend Chile/Argentina for easiest to understand (that of course was my own experience).

Met some cracking women too and if I wasnt already married I would have been over there like a shot.

Unfortunately, not spoken any spanish for a couple of years and you soon lose it. Ended up in the weird situation that I recognise the words but cant remember their meaning. (may be old age though).

Cadena Quarenta, Radio Principales

That'll be Cadena 40 Principales, probably.

For reading, I'd try underlining (if it's a real book and not a Kindle) the words, if they turn up twice stop and check out the translation, it's possibly a word you'll need. When you've finished the story, go back and translate all the words you didn't understand.

Tactic I used to learn Spanish was getting a Spanish girlfriend. 3 Spanish girlfriends later, I seem to have ended up married to one 🙂

They're actually 2 separate stations - Principales is like Radio 4 here and pretty much all spoken word - Canarian station.
The arguments are always fun with a Spaniard though 😉

May I recommend a very good spanish language book .. 'La Sombra del Viento' by Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

Excelente!

They're actually 2 separate stations - Principales is like Radio 4 here and pretty much all spoken word - Canarian station.

My mistake (and major edit here), the official name of the station is "Los 40", it's their jingle "Los cuarenta principales" which confused me. Learn something everyday.

May I recommend a very good spanish language book .. 'La Sombra del Viento' by Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

Excelente!

Lol - can get confusing - "cuarenta principales" is their name for the Top 40.
There are literally hundreds of stations there and all commercial, same with the TV - even the national broadcasters have adverts - no license fee 😀
Another way to learn is Spanish TV - not the dubbed/subtitles but actual programming.
Difficulty is that often there is no literal translation from english to spanish which get confusing when you think "that's not what they said...."

Lol - can get confusing - "cuarenta principales" is their name for the Top 40.

you got proper linkage?

Used to love watching South American TV.. Canal13 from chile being my favourite. It was in the dark ages re sexism and just about every single TV show had some pervy old bloke and a hot scantily clad young woman... Loved it hehehe
Notice now that most have started blocking their transmissions for international viewers 🙁

Used to regularly watch reruns of 'especial del humour'. It's from Peru but gives a gist of what 90% of SA programs are like...

Enjoy

Lol - can get confusing - "cuarenta principales" is their name for the Top 40.

http://www.los40.com/ is the one I was thinking of, locally (at least here in Madrid) if anyone mentions "los 40 principales" (while talking about radio) they're referring to this station, it's not a generic name by any means.

There are literally hundreds of stations there and all commercial, same with the TV - even the national broadcasters have adverts - no license fee

Actually, TVE (the national public broadcaster) no longer has adverts. Apart from the ones for their own series and tie-ins, they might as well have normal adverts all things considered.

The arguments are always fun with a Spaniard though

Yep - Los 40 is the station I used to have on in the Canaries too.
Strange that TVE1/2 have binned adverts now.
Must have upped the subsidies....
At least you still get subsidised travel as a resident unlike this ripoff of a country....

seba560 - Member
The arguments are always fun with a Spaniard though

Making up is better.
¡Feliz Año!

Hell yeh! Sometimes I wonder why I chose not to move to the mainland with a certain ex-girlfriend.......

Strange that TVE1/2 have binned adverts now.
Must have upped the subsidies....

Can't remember what the reason was, but probably something like the private TV companies paid the right politician...

And yes, ¡Feliz Año!

Un abrazo a todos los compañeros

You can only get so far with books and tapes, eventually you need to be fully immersed in the language to really be able to learn, ie. travel to Spain/Miami 😉

I picked up Spanish after a few years living here, the first year was really tough. I avoided seeking out ex-pats because I knew that would make me lazy.

Going to tackle a new one this year, the local barman says he´ll only pour me a beer if I ask for it in Basque.
Basque word for beer = garagardo
Spanish word for beer = san miguel

eventually you need to be fully immersed in the language to really be able to learn

Going to tackle a new one this year, the local barman says he´ll only pour me a beer if I ask for it in Basque.

Sod that, just go to a different bar. Or "ser-ve-sa-oak". That should work 🙂

Try "Spanish in Three Months", Isabel Cisneros, www.dk.com, ISBN 0-85285-301-7,very succinct.
Don´t come to my area in Spain (Orgiva, Granada, Andalucia) to learn Spanish as they speak heavily corrupted Andaluz, and the rest of Spain will have difficulty understanding you !