Start with a plan, encouragement, confidence, success, progress. When I started learning French at school I created an alphabetical notebook of words I already knew or wanted to learn. When we went to Spain on holiday I bought a pocket size A6 notebook and started writing down Spanish words. I thought I might know 5-10 already. I reckoned if I learned one a day, that would be 365. If I learned 10 a day, that would be 3,650 - a pretty good working vocabulary. If that was too challenging, maybe 5 related words each day - the easiest to remember from a group, or just five every day on holiday, written down from signs passed in the street, or multi-language leaflets.
My first day, first half hour, actually five minutes looked like this:
1 adios - goodbye
2 Amigo - friend
3 si - yes
4 senor - mr
5 Sombrero - hat
Five already!
Keep going
6 señora - mrs
7 senorita - miss
8 gracias - thank you
9 uno - one
10 dos - two
I've reached ten - but am confused as to Italian and Spanish. However, thinking of what I saw or heard in a Spanish restaurant helps keep me on track.
Where were we a moment ago? Numbers one, two, three.
11 tres - three
If you are reading this you have reached today's target. I shall find ten words every day and put them on this blog. Just pop back and read it to effortlessly learn.
If you are in Spain or a Spanish speaking country in South America, Mexico, or even in Washington DC and Los Angeles - hey - even place names help.
12 Los Angeles - the angels. Now we know our first step in creating a phrase. Los is the plural. Actually we have two words. 12 is Los.
13 Angeles - angels
How about learning one grammar rule and one sentence every day? You could do this with any language. Just for fun. This is something you can do waiting for a train or at a bus stop just to start or supplement your other studies.
But how about learning whole sentences by listening, or the basic grammar by reading?
I've also bought the Berlitz system Earworms. Under £20 in the UK if you buy the two discs together. Look for offers on ebay. You could play every day when alone. Or put them in a car with a player. If you are buying a laptop computer and learning languages, it is handy to have one which plays CDs, discs.
If you are into Apple, A MacBook Air is light to carry around but does not play discs so you need a supplementary device, or you can download your disc onto iTunes. `the same presumably applies to separate or linked devices such as an iPhone of iPad.
If you normally listen to a lot of music, you could add your Spanish language disc and a couple of songs. (I recall Fernando's hideaway Ole!) I want to find a Spanish nursery rhyme or basic song which teaches Spanish children simple words or numbers or weekdays.
I'll try to do that tomorrow for my next post. That reminds me.
14 mañana! - tomorrow!
***
About Angela Lansbury the author
Angela Lansbury BA Hons is a teacher of English, French and languages. Also author of ten books by regular publishers, such as Wedding Speeches and Toasts, originally published by Ward Lock, then Cassell, reprinted many times.
Latterly self-publisher of other self-help books such as: Quick Quotations; Who said what when.
(See Lulu and Amazon.) To see Angela reading her work and performing, go to YouTube or Toastmasters International HOD Speakers Club and Harrovians Club sites and other blogs on blogger.com.
Angela speaks to various groups, speaking on radio and TV and giving workshops to schools, clubs, and universities worldwide, from the USA to China.
PS - If you are already a member of an English speaking Toastmasters Club, look for a Spanish speaking club. I think there is one in the UK, one in Europe and at least one in the USA. Toastmasters International has manuals in other languages.
More Information /links
For numbers - I just googled Spanish one two three and found this handy site
http://www.studyspanish.com/lessons/cardnum1.htm
www.earwormslearning.com/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Spanish_origin
My first day, first half hour, actually five minutes looked like this:
1 adios - goodbye
2 Amigo - friend
3 si - yes
4 senor - mr
5 Sombrero - hat
Five already!
Keep going
6 señora - mrs
7 senorita - miss
8 gracias - thank you
9 uno - one
10 dos - two
I've reached ten - but am confused as to Italian and Spanish. However, thinking of what I saw or heard in a Spanish restaurant helps keep me on track.
Where were we a moment ago? Numbers one, two, three.
11 tres - three
If you are reading this you have reached today's target. I shall find ten words every day and put them on this blog. Just pop back and read it to effortlessly learn.
If you are in Spain or a Spanish speaking country in South America, Mexico, or even in Washington DC and Los Angeles - hey - even place names help.
12 Los Angeles - the angels. Now we know our first step in creating a phrase. Los is the plural. Actually we have two words. 12 is Los.
13 Angeles - angels
How about learning one grammar rule and one sentence every day? You could do this with any language. Just for fun. This is something you can do waiting for a train or at a bus stop just to start or supplement your other studies.
But how about learning whole sentences by listening, or the basic grammar by reading?
I've also bought the Berlitz system Earworms. Under £20 in the UK if you buy the two discs together. Look for offers on ebay. You could play every day when alone. Or put them in a car with a player. If you are buying a laptop computer and learning languages, it is handy to have one which plays CDs, discs.
If you are into Apple, A MacBook Air is light to carry around but does not play discs so you need a supplementary device, or you can download your disc onto iTunes. `the same presumably applies to separate or linked devices such as an iPhone of iPad.
If you normally listen to a lot of music, you could add your Spanish language disc and a couple of songs. (I recall Fernando's hideaway Ole!) I want to find a Spanish nursery rhyme or basic song which teaches Spanish children simple words or numbers or weekdays.
I'll try to do that tomorrow for my next post. That reminds me.
14 mañana! - tomorrow!
***
About Angela Lansbury the author
Angela Lansbury BA Hons is a teacher of English, French and languages. Also author of ten books by regular publishers, such as Wedding Speeches and Toasts, originally published by Ward Lock, then Cassell, reprinted many times.
Latterly self-publisher of other self-help books such as: Quick Quotations; Who said what when.
(See Lulu and Amazon.) To see Angela reading her work and performing, go to YouTube or Toastmasters International HOD Speakers Club and Harrovians Club sites and other blogs on blogger.com.
Angela speaks to various groups, speaking on radio and TV and giving workshops to schools, clubs, and universities worldwide, from the USA to China.
PS - If you are already a member of an English speaking Toastmasters Club, look for a Spanish speaking club. I think there is one in the UK, one in Europe and at least one in the USA. Toastmasters International has manuals in other languages.
More Information /links
For numbers - I just googled Spanish one two three and found this handy site
http://www.studyspanish.com/lessons/cardnum1.htm
www.earwormslearning.com/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Spanish_origin
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