Feeling a little lost with my studies....

[SteveB]

So I have been studying Spanish for some time now. At first I only read, then I listened and i have only spoke a little over the last 6 months or so. But I just feel l can't get INTO any type of studying at the moment.
I have completed textbooks which I found helpful even though now I can remember some chapters, I try going over them but become quite quickly bored.
I have listened to beginners and advanced Michel Thomas, very very useful although some things I have trouble remembering but when I go over them I become bored quickly again.
I have grammar books and podcasts but feel like I'm not getting anywhere again. Hit a wall big time.
My time is limited to speak (on skype) due to work and family but I spent 2 hours this morning trying to get a chat online and had NOTHING! I really want to speak but this is something I can do the least but when I get the chance I really struggle for a conversation. I have lots of contacts but little joy when I need it.
I even started Portuguese as I was getting no further with Spanish but as I'm going to The Canary Islands soon for a holiday I'm trying only to improve my spanish right now.

Anyone else in a rut or have been? How did you get out of it?

[JPablo]

Purpose.

Why do you want to learn Spanish.

What is your purpose?

If you want to go to the top of the mountain, if that is your intention... you can get there, even if the trees are too many... even if there is too much fog... even if you cannot see... Even if you find yourself arduously walking and walking to come back to the same place...

You need some tools, a compass...

We can lend you a hand here, and a couple of maps... but you are the one who need to do the walking... and the climbing (sometimes)...

Good luck!

(Never been at the Canary Islands... but these are beeeautiful ones...)

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Pablo is right, if you aren't getting any joy in learning, maybe you are feeling overwhelmed by difficulties... if you feel you are making an enormous effort for small rewards, then you need to change your strategy. There is definitely no effortless process for learning, but you can simplify a bit your activities.

If you want to read, pick up websites, magazines, blogs, newspapers, whatever you want, and read two, three, four paragraphs; make sure you can follow the general idea and that you actually know what the text is about. Then you can make a second reading focusing on vocabulary or structures that you didn't know. Then ask questions here about what remains unclear.

If you want to listen, turn to Spanish spoken videos (movies, series, cartoons... whatever), even if they're dubbed from other languages. Get involved in the situation, not the language; you'll understand what is going on and you'll recognize the structures and the vocabulary you already know.

If you want to talk to real people, make appointments instead of connecting and waiting for someone to show up. When you start a conversation try having already a topic to talk about, so you can actually profit from the conversation and you can be relaxed that a part of the vocabulary will be predictable. Also have a list of questions you can turn to if your partner doesn't keep the conversation flowing; these questions must let you anticipate a part of the answers (so avoid yes or no questions); this will have you less anxious about an unexpected turn in the conversation. Make an outline of your own points of view, so you won't have to struggle putting an idea together plus the formal expression of it.

If you want to write, choose a topic that interests you and post your writing in the forums; if you see too many corrections, don't get scared but use them to improve: find the mistakes that you could have avoided to focus your attention next time; ask questions about the things you didn't know and whatever comment is unclear for you; try using the bilingual dictionary only for finding a word you didn't know in Spanish, but always turn to the Spanish-Spanish dictionary to make sure this is the word you want to use, so next time you need it, you'll know for sure that you are saying what you mean.


Good luck!

[Glen]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

try using the bilingual dictionary only for finding a word you didn't know in Spanish, but always turn to the Spanish-Spanish dictionary to make sure this is the word you want to use, so next time you need it, you'll know for sure that you are saying what you mean.

SteveB that's the thing that helped me the most, in addition to spending time with the VOX Diccionario de Sinónimos y Antónimos which really opens up possibilities. Good Luck!

[Manuel]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar
try using the bilingual dictionary only for finding a word you didn't know in Spanish, but always turn to the Spanish-Spanish dictionary to make sure this is the word you want to use, so next time you need it, you'll know for sure that you are saying what you mean.

Why would this get you out of a rut? I don't really understand. I have a Spanish-Spanish dictionary myself, but it only confuses me! I find the bilingual one a lot more helpful, actually.

[SteveB]

Thanks all for your comments and suggestions. I think I need a little guidance sometimes and encouragement. I am learning on my own and tend to keep it to myself, only close family really know I'm learning as I think it's often seen as a bit of a nerdy thing to learn a language where I come from. I love it, just don't feel I have progressed as much as I should've due to the effort put in.

Anyway, I went to Tenerife and at first I was nervous but once I got talking i couldn't shut up! Haha I spoke to taxi drivers and people in shops and got quite a few compliments.
I have given myself a bit of a plan now, certain weekly tasks to complete to see if I get any further. I still forget some really stupid, basic things sometimes but I suppose that will come with practice.

Gracias a todos!

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Originally Posted by Manuel

Why would this get you out of a rut? I don't really understand. I have a Spanish-Spanish dictionary myself, but it only confuses me! I find the bilingual one a lot more helpful, actually.

Because the dictionary defines the precise word you are consulting, and lets your brain adapt little by little to the foreign language, instead of keeping it focused in translation and memorization.
If you are getting confused, read twice (three times...) more. As I said, it's certainly not a quick or effortless method, but it's effective and progress is positive.

When I was learning French, I spent many hours following one simple definition, but in the end, when I had gone through all of the words that I needed to understand, the effort had made them "mine" and I could use them with ease. It's been harder to do that with German, but I've also seen positive results.

[Manuel]

I understand that a single language dictionary keeps you out of trying to translate things in your head, but what I often find confusing is that the description is very often ambiguous!

For example,

When I look up the Spanish word "mercado" in my Spanish-Spanish dictionary, it explains it as "Lugar en el que se venden comestibles". Now, this can mean several different things and it's not clear from the description which one it is! I could interpret this as a "shop", "market", "supermarket" etc. But if I look up "mercado" in my Spanish-English dictionary it simply says "market" which makes it immediately clear!

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Every method works differently for each person. Nobody said it's compulsory.
Personally, I find that the precise definition of a word in the native language gives me the right idea about how this word is used. The use of a good dictionary also makes all the difference.