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justin032 · Joined: 22 Jul 2006 Posts: 28

Hi, I was thinking about coming to Mexico Df in the new year, and wondering about people's experience learning Spanish simply by being in Mexico and making a decent effort. I'm probably not going to be able to afford lessons for awhile...so was wondering how people are getting on just learning by being there.

Gary Denness · Guest

I know if you don't put in an awful lot of effort, you'll be suck on espa�ol de turista for years! Shocked

If you want to pick up the basics before you get here, there are plenty of online places to go, many of which are free. Once you have basic converstaion skills, you can practise on the locals. Or spend your time grunting and pointing like me.... Idea

http://mashable.com/2007/10/13/70-online-language-communities/

Mango is a new offering that looks quite handy for starting a new language.

http://www.trymango.com/

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

I did well in learning Spanish in DF simply by being here. I've never had a Spanish class before.

My written Spanish is dismal, but speaking/listening/conversational Spanish I got up to a high level of proficiency within 6 months of living here.

Dragonlady · Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:38 pm Post subject:

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out of date

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Definitely part of the reason...I tend to thank my knowledge of French though for picking up Spanish so quickly.

MO39 · Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 1:57 am Post subject:

As a former Spanish teacher, I wouldn't recommend just trying to pick up the language "on the street" when you finally arrive. Bilingual folks like Guy have an incredible advantage over the rest of us monolingual types when it comes to picking up a second (or third) language. It would be an excellent idea to fortify yourself with a basic knowledge of Spanish grammar and vocabulary before you get here (through classes or some sort of self-study text, on paper or on-line), so you'll have some patterns within which to place and make sense of the language you'll be hearing and seeing when you get here. Of course, having a Mexican spouse or girl- or boyfriend or just a good platonic friend will also help a great deal!

Guy, I'd be happy to help you with your written Spanish if you'll give me some tutorials on Mexican slang!

Phil_K · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own

I did OK by the "living here method" too. My wife is Mexican, but in the early days we didn't speak much Spanish. A year after arriving, I wrote and made a speech at our wedding; a tribute to my father-in-law, who died 5 days after the engagement party. Looking back on the video, I was using subjunctives... (...si hubiera estado aqu� ...) but my accent sounds terrible, although I got a lot of compliments. I had started free Spanish classes in my company 3 months before and continued for 3 years, so that was useful too. I find now that I know more Spanish grammar than even educated natives!

corporatehuman · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 198 Location: Mexico City

I think it's fine to go this way but I encourage you to try and make a spanish class work. If not a spanish class an intercambio (where you speak english for an hour, spanish another hour.) My way of learning was to live with a mexican family, and take 2 hrs of spanish class everyday for 8 months. It helped me a lot. Now I'm comfortable and my life speaking spanish is fine. My girlfriend does not speak English as well but I met her after 9 months of being in Mexico.

Regardless come down and see how you do. Mexicans are pretty gracious and friendly even when you butcher their language.

Chris

justin032 · Joined: 22 Jul 2006 Posts: 28

Hey everyone, thanks for all your replies. I guess my main concern is being able to afford proper lessons intially, both time and money wise when I'm finding my feet. I'm taking a class here in NYC now to try and relearn what I forgot from high school, and trying to watch as much Univision as possible! One of my main reasons for wanting to go to Latin America is to be able to learn Spanish while teaching, so I will take all your reccomendations on board. The Mexican girlfriend seems to be the most appealing and effective though. Thanks again.

Jetgirly · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 741

I'm doing an intercambio now, but I'm still in Canada (so no benefit of immersion) and I also don't speak a word of Spanish... however, I think it's really good to be "talked at" in Spanish so I can at least get used to hearing it spoken before I come to Mexico in February.