Sunday, January 29, 2012

Hola, Niñas y Niños

I've decided to start learning Spanish. I've always loved the sound of Spanish, and as much as French is supposedly considered the language of love, Spanish is the one that still sounds sexy, even when you're being yelled and/or sworn at.

I've wanted to learn Spanish for the longest time, and I always put it off, because I don't like classroom environments, and when a teacher is standing up droning on for any length of time, I get distracted and start writing stories to myself in my book margins. I learn best through reading, and then trying, not through being told. I think this ties into how much I desperately wanted to be home-schooled as a kid. I was under the impression if I were home-schooled they'd just send out a years worth of work and I could read through it all on my own and send it back when I was done. I was so disappointed to find out it didn't work that way.

My sister who has taken a Spanish course, because her sister-in-law is from Chile, has said she thinks I could teach myself from a book, and that she'd help me with pronunciation if needed.

I downloaded a book to the Kindle application on my phone, Getting Started with Spanish. It claims to be set out for use by homeschoolers, and it includes a website address to download sound clips of the words being spoken, if pronunciation is a problem.

I've read the first couple of mini lessons, and have learned how to say 'girl and boy' - 'niña y niño' 'the girl and the boy' - ''la niña y el niño'. I think one of the hardest parts may be remembering which form of 'the' to use. We only have one, they have a female 'the' - 'la' and a male 'the' - 'el'. Easy when refering to people, not so easy when talking about objects.

Still I shall persevere, and hopefully before too long I will be able to converse in Spanish.

9 comments:

Windsmoke. said...

Very challenging indeed, good luck :-).

River said...

I want to know how you get that little accent above the "n' and how is the "y" pronounced?
la and el are very much like the French la and le, I remember a little of my high school french.
I'll buy a Spanish/English dictionary so I can still read your posts when you start thinking and writing in Spanish.

no-one said...

Windsmoke: thank you
River: I added the choice of US international keyboard to my keyboard settings. For me it was in Control Panel, under regional and language. You're on a different system me though, so it may not be there for you. The "y" is pronounced as "e". In my book, it said "just like 'me' without the 'm'".

Kath Lockett said...

Sapphire is learning Spanish this year and loves it. She did Italian in primary school in Australia and is also learning French and finds that Spanish 'makes sense' - loads of words in common and loads of places in the world that you can speak it.

Best of luck with it!

Zed said...

Good for you. I am in the process of learning Xhosa. One of our 11 national languages in South Africa. I think you have a better chance of learning Spanish, than me Xhosa! Good luck. Zed x http://justnotliketheothers.blogspot.com. x

no-one said...

Thanks Kath & Zed. Zed, good luck with Xhosa. I looked it up, and it looks much harder than Spanish.

River said...

Control panel, regional and language...got it. I'll look it up on the weekend. I have another question for you when I see you next.

Toni said...

I have to learn some German for my holiday, and I'm dreading it. Spanish always sounds so hot!

PS I saw this on Etsy and thought of you.
Hope the link works.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/77780342/sale-the-browncoat-charm-bracelet

no-one said...

Toni, not only is that bracelet awesome, just for the charms (I am a total browncoat), browns and ambers are the colours I gravitate toward. And I only ever wear silver jewellery.
Good luck with your German.