What is the best way to learn Spanish?

[tfm2007]

I am a MA in a doctors office, and there are many times when I am at work and because I look spanish, I am called upon to translate spanish for a patient. I don't speak spanish or any other language for that matter. One of my parents is Hispanic, but I was never taught the language. Now I am interested in learning Spanish. I know a few words here and there. I can say take off your shoes, or sit down, or even sit still for 1 minute. But that is as far as I get. Even that little spanish confuses people because then they assume I speak spanish and end up speaking spanish to me.. I want to know if anyone learned spanish for work and how did you do it? I attempted to take a spanish for beginners class but it was soo boring that I never completed the course. I also have books like spanish for dummies. Please help..

[Nurse-To-Be-Joy]

Try a different Spanish class. They can be really helpful. I've also heard of programs (usually 1-2 weeks long) that are like a "camp" for adults. You are totally immersed in the language. My aunt had taken one in Escondido, CA, and she said it was very helpful. Talk to Spanish speakers. You will also be able to pick up on their slang that books and classes don't teach you. Sorry this is so generic; wish I could be more helpful!

[smilin_gp]

Some areas have "Spanish for Healthcare Professionals" courses. The one that I took this past year focused on sentence structure and clinical vocabulary, which helped make it a bit more interesting than other courses that I have tried.

[NurseLatteDNP, MSN, DNP, RN]

Talk to Spanish speakers.

That is the best way to learn. Thats how I learned to speak English. Having the classes in school did not help.

[nurse2be2008]

I agree with the previous posters who suggested talking to Spanish speakers. I am Hispanic and work in a OB/GYN office in an area that has a huge Hispanic population so it's important for the staff to be bilingual. One of my co-workers who is not Hispanic speaks Spanish pretty well now and she learned it from listening to our conversations and just talking with us. Although I am Hispanic, there is a lot of Medical Spanish that I'm not familar with so I plan on buying a book on that.

[prmenrs, RN]

If you live in an area where there are Spanish language TV programming, you can watch some of that. The "novelas" (soap operas) are one option--the actors are enunciating clearly, usually speaking Spanish well and there are visual clues as well, body language and the like. The story lines give you a framework for some cultural education as well. A newscast in Spanish would work too. Radio does NOT work--they talk waaaay too fast, and no visual clues.

I definitely recommend Spanish classes--if you're motivated, they are not boring. Do every exercise in the book. Make flashcards. Vary the ways you learn--Move w/the verbs, close your eyes and "see" the nouns.

Rolling your rr's. "I can't roll my r's". Yes, you can. We have a similar sound in English that will get you over that little hump. Pay attention to the middle consonant sound in words like: middle, butter, letter, little. The double consonant sound is like a single rolled r in Spanish. After you get that, hold it a little longer, and you've got a double rr.

If you want it, you can do it.

[nervefreak]

I took on-line basic Spanish course last semester. I got A, but guess what? I hardly could speak it. I really think if you have opportunities to speak to hispanics, grasp them as much as you can. Practice makes perfect! Now I might have to review what I've learnd and start watching hispanic channels.

[prmenrs, RN]

If you aren't using it very often, review your vocabulary cards frequently to maintain fluency.

Another trick is to get a childrens book like Green Eggs and Ham in Spanish. Read it out loud. You already know the story, may have read it a zillion times to your kids, so it's what I call a "mouth exercise". It gets the muscles in your face and mouth used to pronouncing Spanish. (It also helps if you can have a Spanish speaking friend listen to you and correct you. You may wind up practicing one or two sentences until you have it correct, then move on.)

Easy Spanish readers (search Amazon w/those words) can help w/fluency, too. Again, you're getting practice w/sentence structure, different verb conjugations in the context of a story.

If you live near the border, try to get a feel for the local "vernacular" Spanglish. Around here, I'll hear people say, "Ya me voy [i'm already gone] a la lonches [to lunch]."

No one is going to mistake you for a Spanish speaker (altho you do say you look Hispanic). And you should not try to translate important stuff; even native speakers should receive formal instruction in translating, IMO. Have fun w/it @ 1st, practice a lot, esp listening to your patients. Some will be polite and encouraging, others will not. Hang in there.

[Drysolong]

Rolling your rr's. "I can't roll my r's". Yes, you can. We have a similar sound in English that will get you over that little hump. Pay attention to the middle consonant sound in words like: middle, butter, letter, little. The double consonant sound is like a single rolled r in Spanish. After you get that, hold it a little longer, and you've got a double rr.

If you want it, you can do it.

It's ironic, but I once worked with a woman from South America who, although Spanish was her native tongue, couldn't roll her r's. She said she had been teased about it since childhood.

[sunnyjohn]

Move to Texas and go work in an ER.

No seriously, the Rosetta Stone has the best software and program I've ever seen. http://www2.rosettastone.com/en It is used by a lot of organizations.

Destinos is another good at-home program. If you can take a Spanish for Professionals class at your local community college, it would give you enough of the basics to feel comfortable continuing with a program.

[nyforlove]

I heard Rosetta Stone is supposed to be good; I just started, however, w/ a live teacher "Intensive" course here in NYC at Institute Cervantes--an association formed by the Spanish gov't with an office in many US cities...the course price is reasonable (don't forget to mention the 20% newcomers discount when paying), the teacher I have is excellent and they also give you access to on-line learning tools...My course meets twice a week for 3 hours/session. I have also purchased some Spanish for Medical Workers books at Barnes & Noble. And, yes, as you get a month or so into it, it helps to try listening to Spanish news broadcasts, as they speak very clearly and usually refer to topics in the news that you're familiar with..In NYC, we have a local news channel that has a parallel channel entirely in Spanish--great way to learn. Good luck.

[WindyhillBSN]

That is the best way to learn. Thats how I learned to speak English. Having the classes in school did not help.

I agree. Buy DVD's and music and join a gathering of a group of NATIVE spanish speakers. If you really want to learn fast, go live in a spanish speaking country for six months, (although I know all don't have the circumstances to do so) . You will be fluent. (coming from one who is fluent in spanish)