Job Discussion Forums

lost · Joined: 27 Oct 2005 Posts: 3

I'm going to be moving to Spain in a couple of months but don't speak a word of Spanish. Was hoping someone could give me a little bit of advice about learning the language and maybe suggest some study aids that are worth buying.

Moore · Joined: 25 Aug 2004 Posts: 730 Location: Madrid

-Assimil "Spanish with ease" :always excellent books for learning languages.
-Don't live with English speakers.
-Get a Spanish girlfriend/boyfriend.
-Listen to the radio (try Radio 5, rolling news station).
-Get a cheap little TV with teletext for subtitles: the programs are dismal quality but it'll really help.
-Read: try getting a copy of Harry Potter in both English and Spanish: read a few pages in English, then read the same pages in Spanish, it's a good way of getting started with books.
-If you have time/money then go and do a full time one month course in Salamanca to give yourself a good running start.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

TV in English with Spanish subtitles or in Spanish with English subtitles is good - but only afteryou have achieved a basic level.

No royal road. You have to get a course book and start learning the Grammar !

lost · Joined: 27 Oct 2005 Posts: 3

Thanks for the suggestions, the assmil book looks good. what dictionary would you reccomend. i usually find the oxford ones pretty good but wondered if you had an alternative suggestion.

Moore · Joined: 25 Aug 2004 Posts: 730 Location: Madrid

Get the "Gran Diccionario Oxford": it's a monster of a thing, but very usefully comes with a complete copy of itself in cd rom form so you can look up words very quickly by typing in the first few letters, and also will come up with a translation in its window if you double click on a Spanish word in a text/on a website. It's about 40 euros, but well worth it.

If you're really skint, go to www.wordreference.com for a good online dictionary.