Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Noenia Rodriguez Badilla on April 5, 2012 at 10:58am

Hola Marilyn,

It is a pleasure to welcome you back to our program, please trust in your teacher to guide you on this journey and feel free to contact us anytime with questions and comments, we are here to support you in any way possible.

Sincerely,

Noenia

--------------------------------

Noenia Rodriguez

Client Support Manager

Bilingual America

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Marilyn Meder on April 5, 2012 at 9:46pm

Thank you Noenia,

      Much of my difficulty relates to trusting myself that I can learn as I tend to doubt myself. Please share any other thoughts you might have. Marilyn

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ricardo Gonzalez on April 5, 2012 at 1:28pm

In addition to Noenia's encouragement to trust your teacher to guide you (and you have an excellent instructor!) I would offer a few specifics here.

1. Go back through The SpanishGPS™ at least twice to re-set the main verb structures.

2. Depending on what level you are in, go back to the previous level of vocabulary to re-inforce that vocabulary. For example, if you are in Intermediate Level when you left off, go back to vocabulary in the Basic Level. The BEST way to do this is to download and print the English > Spanish Word list which, for the Basic Level, is Appendix F. Go to this Basic Appendix Page and download and print that file from there. The Intermediate appendix are here if you need that as well. The file you need there is Appendix A. 

3. Take those word lists; whichever you are using and...
    a. cover up the words in Spanish so you cannot see through.
    b. look at the word in English and say the word in Spanish if you can. If you cannot IMMEDIATELY say that word correctly in Spanish put an x or a check mark next to it. It you can say the word but it took you some time, then put a T next to the word. Then take that list and FAX it to your instructor at 404-996-0289. Please address it to your instructor and we'll forward this to her. She will know what to do with it!

4. Be a bit patient as you go through this review and also as you and your teacher re-calibrate together. You'll find that if you were doing well before you stopped, this will come to you relatively quickly. We may just need to troubleshoot a bit to see what (if anything) went dormant and how deeply it went to sleep! :)

I hope this helps. Are there other students out there who have had this experience who would like to bring some insight to this as well? If so, we await your experience with this to help out Marilyn and others who might read this subsequently.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Marilyn Meder on April 5, 2012 at 9:49pm

Hola Ricardo, 

     I like the GPS so that is good for me. I have never studied the vocab effectively so I am anxious to try your suggestions. I read spanish very well and I comprehend a great deal as people speak to me. It is my speaking voice that is so lacking. Any suggestions regarding building my ability to speak through the lessons? Marilyn

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Donna Miller on April 5, 2012 at 7:00pm

Hi Marilyn,

 

I recently started studying spanish again as well.  I had been away from the classes for a few years - at that time I had completed the advanced level.  In case anyone is wondering, it is true that if you do not use the language you will lose it!

After speaking with Ricardo he suggested starting with the GPS and reviewing the basic level.  I have found this extremely helpful as I quickly realized how much I had forgotten.  Restudying the basic level is giving me the solid foundation that I can build upon but also confidence moving forward. I am happy to say that at the 3 week mark I am on Lesson 6/7 and feel confident. 

I hope this helps you, it certainly is helping me.

 

Donna

 

 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Marilyn Meder on April 5, 2012 at 9:52pm

Thanks Donna, 

     A lot of my issues center on my impatience with myself that I do not learn as quickly as I would like. I can easily go over the basic. Confidence building will be really important for me. Keep in touch - marilyn

     

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Donna Miller on April 6, 2012 at 8:22am

Hi Marilyn,

 

I too become impatient with learning the language because I so desire  to be able to speak and understand.  I have a friend who learned Spanish and speaks well.  She said that patience is the key - stating if you try to learn too quickly you will not build confidence in the basics and this is where it all begins. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ricardo Gonzalez on April 6, 2012 at 9:53am

This is much more about consistency than speed or even "bursts of learning". Stay off the roller coaster. Consistently commit to following the process and over time the language will build properly. If you do not consistently go at a pace you can effectively handle then it will never pull together properly. If that is three hours weekly, then you can finish the course in two years as you'll end up doing a lesson every two weeks. If you can do six hours weekly, then it will take one year. More than six hours weekly for almost all people is too fast because you won't get the assimilation and you'll be gasping for air at times in the process. This needs time to settle in your soul and mind. Patience is a virtue amigos. Remember the tortoise and the hare!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Lilly Tryon on April 10, 2012 at 9:42am

Hi Marilyn,

My move to Tennessee and starting back to school caused me to put my Spanish on hold for several months.  What I did to restart was to review GPS and vocab.  Then I backed up several lessons (about half a level), and had review sessions with my tutor.  Actually found that I grasped the content better the second time around.  We are now moving into new territory.  Hope that helps...

Lilly

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Marilyn Meder on April 10, 2012 at 11:32pm

Gracias Lilly! Buena suerte! mar

• ▶ Reply