Spanish....

[mech1nxh]

Really do need learn how to speak it. Ernestina's dad speaks very little English. Whenever he calls Ernie just rambles in Spanish. Every now & then I hear her mention me, only because I know the word her Dad calls me. It is chalkboard, for me being covered with ink. Her Dad called a couple times today, I heard me get mentioned and then I could hear him burst out laughing. Hmmmm.....wonder what she said about me?? I really would like to talk to my father-in-law without going thru Ernie to translate. Any suggestions on an easy way to learn? I have some serious comprehension issues, which is just going to complicate this.

Hehehehe, (laughing at Myself),

For the longest time I was labeled comprehension challenged.

I happened upon this more years ago than I care to remember.
For Me Social was the only way, And as such I have 'haltingly' (lol)
interfaced with Folks from 4 Continents... Cool thing though , as I tried
to lean their 'speak' I received the rookie grace and learned exponentially!

And no I am not a language god, a dichotomy of sorts, " use it or loose it"
The Seven Learning Styles

• Visual (spatial):You prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding.
• Aural (auditory-musical): You prefer using sound and music.
• Verbal (linguistic): You prefer using words, both in speech and writing.
• Physical (kinesthetic): You prefer using your body, hands and sense of touch.
• Logical (mathematical): You prefer using logic, reasoning and systems.
• Social (interpersonal): You prefer to learn in groups or with other people.
• Solitary (intrapersonal): You prefer to work alone and use self-study.

 

[greg]

I'm a Canadian married to a Puerto Rican. We have lived in Puerto Rico and we're back in Canada. If you want to improve your spanish it's one word at a time. That's how I did it. Learn to convey messages about yourself first. Then learn to speak with one other person. It expands from there. Learn a basic sentence, then expand on it. It grows on you. Basic example....I want to eat = Yo quiero comer. Then you expand it to.... Yo quiero comer ahora - I want to eat now....Yo quiero comer ahora, y tu - I want to eat now, and you? So one word at a time. It is a big effort.

 

[Frankie]

They're forcing Mandarin as a mandatory?

Yes, and it starts in grammar school

That wasn't clear in your original post but yeah we always had 2-3 options; German, Spanish, French.

Other languages are available, but not until middle school (7th grade or higher).

Re: mfr jobs. I'm with you 100% but I'm probably more skeptical than you on how realistic it is to bring those jobs back. I do a ton of international business and have been to almost every region of the world. The free market/globalization gennie is out of the bottle and will be hard to put back. These "developing nations" are booming in the industrial sector and their people are hungry for work, work hard and for pennies. Not sure how the US can compete with those wages without a strict a import regimen and isolationist attitude.

I fully agree, and I'm pretty skeptical about the return of manufacturing jobs to the US, as well. You comment above hit the nail squarely on the head. I cannot see America getting manufacturing jobs back, and paying what Americans consider a "living wage", or even "union scale". The cost of Living in this country, and the cost of Labor, especially unionized labor, disqualifies us from the competition by simply make the finished cost of a given product to expensive to compete with imported goods.

I hear the argument every day. People claim they want to buy American, yet millions go to stores like Walmart or Sams, and buy imported goods, because they are cheaper. We say we want American goods, but the reality is, we buy price, and almost never look at the place of manufacture.

We do the same with cars. People argue that with me, but the fact is, imports, and cars that are assembled here by foreign companies out number the Domestic brands being sold, and further, more and more of out domestics are being built out side of our on boarders. Why? Simple. Cost of manufacturing.

Between the cost of labor, the cost of facilities, the cost of compliance to government regulations, and the highest taxes on business on the planet, and the threat of those taxes going even higher in the next 4 years, the thought, or even the wish, of recovering manufacturing jobs in this country diminishes.

Anyway, going back to the original topic, like somebody told me once about teaching our kids Mandarin. At least when the Chinese come to collect their debt we'll have some of our people to defend us.

Geez. How true is that?

 

[SGBARRACUDA]

It seems like simple math to me. When we buy X number of dollars from China,the US should require Chuna to purchase the same amount from us. China's economy is such that in order to keep their masses employed, they depend on customers like us.

 

[inkjunkie]

Yes, and it starts in grammar school



Other languages are available, but not until middle school (7th grade or higher).



I fully agree, and I'm pretty skeptical about the return of manufacturing jobs to the US, as well. You comment above hit the nail squarely on the head. I cannot see America getting manufacturing jobs back, and paying what Americans consider a "living wage", or even "union scale". The cost of Living in this country, and the cost of Labor, especially unionized labor, disqualifies us from the competition by simply make the finished cost of a given product to expensive to compete with imported goods.

I hear the argument every day. People claim they want to buy American, yet millions go to stores like Walmart or Sams, and buy imported goods, because they are cheaper. We say we want American goods, but the reality is, we buy price, and almost never look at the place of manufacture.

We do the same with cars. People argue that with me, but the fact is, imports, and cars that are assembled here by foreign companies out number the Domestic brands being sold, and further, more and more of out domestics are being built out side of our on boarders. Why? Simple. Cost of manufacturing.

Between the cost of labor, the cost of facilities, the cost of compliance to government regulations, and the highest taxes on business on the planet, and the threat of those taxes going even higher in the next 4 years, the thought, or even the wish, of recovering manufacturing jobs in this country diminishes.





Geez. How true is that?

It seems like simple math to me. When we buy X number of dollars from China,the US should require Chuna to purchase the same amount from us. China's economy is such that in order to keep their masses employed, they depend on customers like us.

and how exactly does either of these posts have anything to do with me wanting to learn to speak Spanish?

 

[Sully1190]

It seems like simple math to me. When we buy X number of dollars from China,the US should require Chuna to purchase the same amount from us. China's economy is such that in order to keep their masses employed, they depend on customers like us.

What exactly would they purchase from us? We purchase everything from them.

 

[subcom]

and how exactly does either of these posts have anything to do with me wanting to learn to speak Spanish?

Dude we digressed a bit but learn Spanish! You won't regret it. Your woman will appreciate it, your father in law will respect you more and learning something new is always good to keep the mind sharp, especially as you get older.

A favorite Mark Twain quote about travel that I believe applies equally to learning a language.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”

 

[breakstuff]

Try that Rosetta stone, I wouldn't trust spanish speaking buddies to help you. You never know until the time comes when you ask somebody "where the bathroom is" and you accidentally say that you have poop in your ears and need an umbrella.

 

[inkjunkie]

Dude we digressed a bit but learn Spanish! You won't regret it. Your woman will appreciate it, your father in law will respect you more and learning something new is always good to keep the mind sharp, especially as you get older.

A favorite Mark Twain quote about travel that I believe applies equally to learning a language.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”

Dude, digressed a bit? Really, I would have never known......You know you can start your own thread about this crap....

 

[Frankie]

Nah... we just highjacked yours. It was already here.

Get Rosetta Stone, and learn Spanish, it's the quickest why besides being re-born in Havana.

 

[lou3500]

This is how i look at this i see nothing wrong with folks that immagrate to this country [legally] speaking their own language in their community/family ect. and that you wish to learn so you may converse with him [respecting him] i agree using rosetta stone [buddies/friends] will teach you things that may get you in trouble. However i also agree that any one whom comes to this country must learn english it is [in my opinion] disrespectful of us american citizens to expect us to learn your language [every church has FREE english classes] so there is no excuse to not learn [just lazyness]. How many other countrys would bend over backwards for a english speaking person [i'm not speaking tourest area] i'm talking out in the sticks in europe or asia. Where i work we have Mexicans,Serbians,Bosnians,Asians our saftey signs are in 4 languages our meetings are too, any where in the world we would be expected to conform or left behind. My wife is Korean she learned english and i understand/speak a little. Good luck in your learning second languages are always helpful.