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-   Teaching and Learning Techniques (http://forums.tomisimo.org/forumdisplay.php?f=29)
-   -   Your Personal Learning Process (http://forums.tomisimo.org/showthread.php?t=3922)

NiCACHiCA May 14, 2009 03:45 PM
Your Personal Learning Process
 
I have been studying Spanish, somewhat steadily, for the past 6 months. In the beginning, I mainly concentrated on vocabulary and the Present Indicative for verbs. I would say I have a pretty good handle on those, but obviously learning more day by day. My problem is, during a conversation I will come across a verb I'm unsure of how to conjugate or need to use another tense that I don't know yet, so instead of guessing, I automatically start talking in the infinitives for everything. (Only the people that know me WELL understand what I'm trying to say!). Now I'm trying to jump into the Past Tense and Subjunctive, but it just seems like so much to remember, and that's just with the regular verbs. I don't know where to start...So my question is, from the beginning, what was your process of learning it all. Did you do a little of everything (vocab, present tense, past, future, subjunctive, idioms, etc.), or did you learn one thing at a time (and in what order)? Any help I can gleam from your experiences would be GREATLY appreciated!! :D

Tomisimo May 14, 2009 05:14 PM
I wouldn't try to study everything at the same time. Since you have a handle on present indicative, you should probably move on to past (imperfect and preterit) and the future tenses. Along with that, study noun adjective agreement. That'll give you enough to work on for a while. Leave the subjunctive for a bit later.

CrOtALiTo May 14, 2009 05:52 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by NiCACHiCA (Post 35813)
I have been studying Spanish, somewhat steadily, for the past 6 months. In the beginning, I mainly concentrated on vocabulary and the Present Indicative for verbs. I would say I have a pretty good handle on those, but obviously learning more day by day. My problem is, during a conversation I will come across a verb I'm unsure of how to conjugate or need to use another tense that I don't know yet, so instead of guessing, I automatically start talking in the infinitives for everything. (Only the people that know me WELL understand what I'm trying to say!). Now I'm trying to jump into the Past Tense and Subjunctive, but it just seems like so much to remember, and that's just with the regular verbs. I don't know where to start...So my question is, from the beginning, what was your process of learning it all. Did you do a little of everything (vocab, present tense, past, future, subjunctive, idioms, etc.), or did you learn one thing at a time (and in what order)? Any help I can gleam from your experiences would be GREATLY appreciated!! :D

You must not be unsure with your leaning, I think what the order of how you can learn the language does not the more indispensable something although it's important to be ready for the things that can beginning when you learn something new about the language, if you can try to study the verbs in their times verbals and later you can start to speak them with your friend to an oral way, so if you can start with things easier then I can suggesting you that you find places where you can improve your Spanish and so a little by little you will can learn the words easier than now, the words from Spanish are harder to learn them because exist more meanings than in English in some words, but really is easy the Spanish because you have choicer to get words with the same meaning or hang, only you need to have more concentration and handle with your learning, I don't know more about you or your situation about it, but if you need support with it, I will glad in help you.

And I know that my support can give you handler in your learning.

bobjenkins May 14, 2009 11:25 PM
The way which was easiest for me was to practice them separately, take a week and do the present (which you already have:) So move on to the past tense for a week or two, then the subjunctive and so on...

Write down the conjugated ending ALOT and you will remember them:)

Once you remember them all, as you said, you will start to sometimes use them at the wrong times, but just have confianza and keep practicing:)
(Try to speak, write to someone that will correct you or your mistakes will go unnoticed and its hard to relearn something you have learned wrong)

Te espero el mejor

CrOtALiTo May 15, 2009 12:13 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobjenkins (Post 35855)
The way which was easiest for me was to practice them separately, take a week and do the present (which you already have:) So move on to the past tense for a week or two, then the subjunctive and so on...

Write down the conjugated ending ALOT and you will remember them:)

Once you remember them all, as you said, you will start to sometimes use them at the wrong times, but just have confianza and keep practicing:)
(Try to speak, write to someone that will correct you or your mistakes will go unnoticed and its hard to relearn something you have learned wrong)

Te espero el mejor
Yes it could to be one way to learn it.

NiCACHiCA May 15, 2009 07:41 AM
I have been looking over a little of each this week; preterite, imperfect, subjunctive, commands, etc.:tired: No wonder I can't sleep at night! All I see are different Spanish words floating around in my head, trying to figure out if it's the right ending!!:crazy: ...I guess I just want to learn and speak better so badly, that I was trying to rush things along! I think I will just study the past tense for a while. That's a big task in itself for me, knowing (and being comfortable with) when to use each tense.

Does anyone have specific websites they use to learn? Maybe one certain website that is better for learning past tense, or subjunctive mood, or adverbs, etc...or maybe one website that is great at teaching it all?

¡Muchas gracias por su ayuda!

(Quick question about my attempt in Spanish...Since I'm thanking more than one person, would the possessive pronoun need to be suyos?? It doesn't sound(seem) right to me, but it would make sense to me since it's plural!?:thinking:)

AngelicaDeAlquezar May 15, 2009 08:29 AM
@NiCACHiCA: I agree with David's recommendation; "attack" only one tense at a time, so you won't be confused and will learn the rules for each one of them.
My own recommendation is that you buy a conjugation manual. When one sees verbs conjugated, one tends to learn them by heart, and isolating the rules isn't easy, but a manual will give you a model and a list of verbs that are conjugated similarly, so you can learn to do it yourself.
I found Larousse's "Conjugación. Lengua Espanola" is available through amazon.com.


"Gracias por su ayuda" is right.

You only used "suyo(a)" when you're referring to a substantive that is not included in the sentence.

¿Todos trajeron sus libros? Veo que Juan no tiene los suyos.
Did anyone bring their books? I see Juan didn't bring his.

Vikingo May 15, 2009 09:23 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by NiCACHiCA (Post 35897)
I have been looking over a little of each this week; preterite, imperfect, subjunctive, commands, etc.:tired: No wonder I can't sleep at night! All I see are different Spanish words floating around in my head, trying to figure out if it's the right ending!!:crazy: ...I guess I just want to learn and speak better so badly, that I was trying to rush things along! I think I will just study the past tense for a while. That's a big task in itself for me, knowing (and being comfortable with) when to use each tense.
I'm actually going to disagree with almost everyone else, and tell you that what you've been doing for the last week was what worked for me. The different conjugations will fall into place, slowly but surely. Attack the verb endings like a hungry lion, and go for their throats! Don't get discouraged when you don't remember, just go over the tenses a few times more, and try to notice the patterns.

Also try to read a little Spanish, say a short story, and notice the verbs. You'll sit there and think: "Hmmm.. they said 'hablaron'.. -aron, that's the 3rd person plural ending for the preterite.. right, right.. so why didn't they use 'hablaban'.. ah, they're just telling what happended, plain and simple, and they're done with it.. cool, I'm getting the hang of this, let's read on.

Quote:
Originally Posted by NiCACHiCA (Post 35897)
Does anyone have specific websites they use to learn? Maybe one certain website that is better for learning past tense, or subjunctive mood, or adverbs, etc...or maybe one website that is great at teaching it all?
I used different websites, but look for one that doesn't go into too much detail in the beginning. The point is to get up to speed, and handle the details later. Studyspanish.com was one that I used, and can recommend. The free lessons were the ones I used, never bothered to pay for the rest.

Also get a very basic grammar book, for when you're not online. The one I used was called "Spansk lommegrammatikk" (Spanish pocket grammar), and even though it was only 150 pages and written in a large font, it covered enough grammar to understand the basic usage. I didn't just read it once, of course, I tried to internalize every grammar point. At the same time, I was completely aware that this wasn't everything, and that more complete and detailed books would be necessary soon.

Good luck :)

CrOtALiTo May 15, 2009 01:12 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vikingo (Post 35932)
I'm actually going to disagree with almost everyone else, and tell you that what you've been doing for the last week was what worked for me. The different conjugations will fall into place, slowly but surely. Attack the verb endings like a hungry lion, and go for their throats! Don't get discouraged when you don't remember, just go over the tenses a few times more, and try to notice the patterns.

Also try to read a little Spanish, say a short story, and notice the verbs. You'll sit there and think: "Hmmm.. they said 'hablaron'.. -aron, that's the 3rd person plural ending for the preterite.. right, right.. so why didn't they use 'hablaban'.. ah, they're just telling what happended, plain and simple, and they're done with it.. cool, I'm getting the hang of this, let's read on.



I used different websites, but look for one that doesn't go into too much detail in the beginning. The point is to get up to speed, and handle the details later. Studyspanish.com was one that I used, and can recommend. The free lessons were the ones I used, never bothered to pay for the rest.

Also get a very basic grammar book, for when you're not online. The one I used was called "Spansk lommegrammatikk" (Spanish pocket grammar), and even though it was only 150 pages and written in a large font, it covered enough grammar to understand the basic usage. I didn't just read it once, of course, I tried to internalize every grammar point. At the same time, I was completely aware that this wasn't everything, and that more complete and detailed books would be necessary soon.

Good luck :)

Do you like write so much right?


Yes, I'm agree with you, I guess that you sometimes have to work very hard to learn the language as your needed, then I feel that if you have troubles with your learning but you can do less stressing your learning in Spanish taking one time to the time, I mean, if you need study some verbs today any verbs, then you study only the you need to study today, you don't get more homework that day, because your brain won't take much information and you can stressing you if you take more information of the normal.

I don't know as you can take my commentary about but only it was my view point about it.

I hope this can help you.

lisenar May 15, 2009 01:19 PM
I think that there is a big difference between learning the rules of spanish and being able to speak fluidly. I think its almost two completely different things and you have to do them both in order to become truly fluent.


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