Learning Spanish Más
Paul and I have been working on our Spanish for a long time now. We've written about the various strategies we've used before, just click on the label Language to the right to see our previous entries.
Currently we are taking Spanish lessons twice a week and doing a lot of homework. We watch TV in Spanish. Most transactions are in Spanish. Workers who come to the house speak Spanish. We really are working as hard as we know how on our Spanish. But our one frustration was that we need more conversation practice without making our neighbors run the other way when they see us!
Our Spanish teacher suggested buying comic books....because they are basically all conversation. I bought three and we have browsed through them but I haven't worked too hard at them yet. (Hmmm, work hard at a comic book? I am ashamed!)
But I thought I would turn you all on to a web Spanish tool that we signed up for today. LoMásTV. Above is a print screen of their home page.
There are tons of videos that are really amazing. Below is a print screen of their video page. The video is written out as the person speaks in Spanish and English. You can click on any word for a definition. You can make it play slower. All the videos are rated by difficulty. They also indicate where the speaker's accent is from.
They also have lessons and accompanying video. Below is a screen of the first page of their lessons.
Paul and I have only used it for an hour this afternoon, but I think it is going to be a great addition to what we are already doing. Six months use cost $55.00 us.
I am not receiving anything from LoMásTv in exchange for this post. Just thought you would like to know about another cool tool out there. Check out their demos and see for yourself.
4 comments:
If you like to have penpals as a language learning tool check out www.lingolex.com They have a language exchange page. Its a great site.
I have used it for years to get Spanish speaking penpals that are learning English. We help each other by emailing, correcting our Spanish/English, or just writing to each other in our own languages...whatever works out best. Each penpal is different. And you get to pick and choose. It is a really amazing way to make international friends. I have met several of my penpals during my travels. I have some that I have written to for years.
Good Luck
Let me know if it works out for you.
Nancy -- Thanks for the tip. I am starting to get serious about this. My concern is learning to think in spanish. And I know I will never do that until I start having real conversations on real topics. (My post today was on that very topic.) I am about to go door to door in spanish-speaking neighborhoods in Salem -- simply for a chat. The downside of that plan is that almost everyone around her has developed a form of spanglish that will do me no good in Melaque.
Great resource, Nancy! You might also look at http://www.mylanguageexchange.com/
At this site you can sign up with a language partner that is trying to learn your language who speaks the language you are trying to learn, and actually talk. Cool idea.
hi nancy,
i've read your blog a few times and have decided i would like to go back to the beginning. i like how easy it is to just click on archives and go back-much easier than scrolling down.
i saw the pictures of bliss and jim a while back, that's about the time i started checking in on your blog. although i am not a blogger, just someone who enjoys reading them and making comments, i do feel like i know some of the people whose blogs i read. of course i met bliss when she came to chacala and did her presentation for my students. i keep in touch with her via e-mail as well as a few others whose blogs i read. it's fun reading cyntia's blog-hard to believe they are already on their way-time just flies.
anyway, i hope to someday move down to mexico, so i am living vicariously through bloggers. not sure what area i'd like to live in but one thing that would be important is finding a place with an english school because if i move down before retiring, i would need to work. since i am fluent in spanish, i would hope to get a job teaching english.
sorry this is such a long comment, i'll keep them shorter from now on.
teresa
Post a Comment