Torrevieja Forum

[beastess]

While having a free browse of the Spanish papers in a cafe I came across an article about a man who does intensive courses in English for Spanish students. He was of the opinion that most Spanish do not put in enough hours learning the language. He also put an amazingly high figure on the cost of learning a language really well - 30 thousand, I think. Obviously all his clients were very rich. If you reverse the situation and think of the English learning Spanish then I certainly agree that we don´t put in enough hours and expect too much for a little effort. Wondering what sort of figure others put on how much they should spend on learning Spanish?

[Jane C]

I could write an article in reply to this question - looking at it in both directions. Rip-off "executive" courses on the one hand, and people who think that one hour a week for one euro is enough.

The truth lies somewhere in between .....

Jane

[colinbeaven]

I spend 2-3 hours a day at least talking, listening, reading & studying Spanish, and have done for the best part of 3 years. I'm still not fluent, although my reading is pretty good. The main problem I have is deciphering different accents. As for cost - do they have executive courses in Andalucian or Murciano? I have one lesson a week, used to be two, but only a small part of my learning is through lessons, more a chance to go through with my teacher things I find difficult.
Monetary cost? Tiny. Effort? Enormous. We run a business now, and get phone enquiries in rapidfire Spanish, which is not always easy - but I somehow muddle through.
I admit to being lucky, because I knew a little Spanish from school 30 years ago, and grammar is not a problem to me, but my wife knew not a word. She has studied, mainly on her own, but also in classes & with spanish friends, and is doing very well. In our experience most Brits put in very little effort.
Colin

[mariac]

I try to spend at least one a hour a day doing some spanish also talking to neighbours I usually watch two hours +a day (night ) telly I love Jesus on Alla Tu . I used to go to school a couple of days a week but I dropped out this year ,the sexy Frenchman is going on his own this year. he quiet fancies the Teacher.
The best and cheapest way to learn a language is to get yourself a local lover,thats how I learnt French and it didn´´t cost a penny (centimo) besos Maria

[pineapples]

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[mariac]

They can teach you the possessive and passive tenses

[Maria B]

I don't think I would be speaking Spanish fluently if I hadn't married one, must admit..

[beastess]

I don´t think Beast fancies the option of my taking a Spanish lover so it´s down to learning the hard way. My memory is terrible so I don´t fare too well if I sit down and try to learn words so I try to do things in other ways.
I think some lessons are necessary for anyone to start with. I also worked through various CDs - but they only have so many words and expressions on them. I prefer reading, going to films, doing other activities in Spanish now. I also believe in leaving things in Spanish - my computer is set in it, my mobile phone also. That way you absorb odd words without even knowing you are learning. Being Scottish I like the idea of two lessons for the price of one - I see the latest films (learn Spanish at the same time). I get better at karate (and learn Spanish at the same time). I think getting out of a British environment is also important. I didn´t do that enough in my first year so my progress was really slow then. Just being with the Spanish in SPanish towns and Spanish cinemas, cafes, etc. you get used to the speed of speech. If I had my time over again I would have done much more of that as soon as I came over.
I am doing a 3-day karate course in Barcelona with my son later this year so that should be quite a challenge - nothing but Spanish (and a bit of Japanese) for days!

[Radiohead]

Nearly all my Spanish is based on the excellent Readers Digest course. I copied it a long time ago and listened hard over and over again for a few months whilst commuting from Derby to Leicester each weekday. Cost? zero, nada, nothing!



PS Home taping is killing languages!

[Parsifal]

One might view the question differently: What is the cost of NOT learning Spanish ( if you´ve moved out here ? )

[beastess]

Interpreters by the hour for everything. Could amount to a lot across the years. One particular mother of a kid in my son´s class takes her own interpreter to every meeting and goes to see teachers a lot but never learns the language. She´s been doing it for the last year. I said to my son, who had also had to translate for her: "Bet she doesn´t even speak a word of Spanish!" He said: "You are wrong - she knows three words...Hola and Buenas días!"

[crummy]

I am still in the UK looking forward to living in Spain eventually. My wife and I have been going to classes at our local college for 4 years. We have some time so we will keep going until we make the move. We won't be fluent.. we know that, but will be able to "get by" . We are paying £120 per year to learn Spanish. An absolute bargain.

[Maria B]

It's similar to raising children.

Expensive if you think about it....but worth it in the end

As for interpreters, the NHS pays £80 an hour to provide them for UK patients who have, let's say, 'just arrived' from other countries. No wonder my pay is c**p

[pineapples]

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[Maria B]

I think the Spanish get ripped off with many of these immersion courses.

There is some social pressure to send your Spanish children, even at a young age, to England or Dublin etc for an extended period for just such a course. If they worked so well, why do we not do the same from the UK? I bumped into a group of such students, aged about 13, in Thames Valley University and they were learning absolutely nothing of value from what I could ascertain on talking to them (in Spanish of course, as they had only learned to tell the time in English so far). What a rip off for their parents