Hello

[Chubz]

Hi, I am thinking about learning Spanish and have no experience yet with it whatsoever. What should I learn first and what are some helpful online resources for a beginner? :)

I am thinking about picking up the Michel Thomas courses to learn to speak it, but am at a loss as to how to learn to write and read Spanish.

By the way, I am a 27 year old male from the United States, nice to meet you!

[irmamar]

Hello Chubz, nice to meet you. It's a bit difficult to recommend you a way of learning a language. I think that the best thing you could do is buy a book with a good method or do a search for the Internet, there are a lot of good curses about languages. Anyway, almost every method that I know begins with greetings, days of the week, months, numbers, hours and so on.

I hope it'll be helpful :)

[Chubz]

Can anyone recommend a book to learn to read and write Spanish? I will do some searches online as well for the same, but would appreciate input from people who have learned the language successfully. Thanks. :)

[Jessica]

¡Bienvenido, Chubz! :)

[Tomisimo]

Can anyone recommend a book to learn to read and write Spanish? I will do some searches online as well for the same, but would appreciate input from people who have learned the language successfully. Thanks. :)
Have you studied Spanish before, or would you be starting from the very beginning?

[Chubz]

Very beginning.

[Jessica]

Like the basics? Like....numbers in Spanish?

[Chubz]

I stated in my first post that I know nothing whatsoever about it yet. I am currently looking at this http://www.amazon.com/Madrigals-Magic-Key-Spanish-Creative/dp/0385410956/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I27F0LDJX7ISFL&colid=1C1EGEM6YDAXJ

[Rusty]

This is just my opinion, but the book you're looking at appears to be geared more towards comparing English and Spanish similarities and getting you to recognize some patterns. While this may seem ideal, you'll find the patterns don't always work. Spanish is definitely a foreign language. English and Spanish do share MANY cognates (words that look alike and have the same meaning), but there is a good amount of exceptions.

Books will help you get started, but listening and speaking activities will get you further ahead. Do you have Spanish-speaking friends or relatives? What area of the Spanish-speaking world interests you? Spanish is spoken a bit differently in the 20+ countries that use it.

[bobjenkins]

I stated in my first post that I know nothing whatsoever about it yet. I am currently looking at this http://www.amazon.com/dp/0385410956/?tag=219-20
Sí, me parece este libro es requetebueno:) Hay muchas revisiónes, tambien mira este libro por Susana Wald. Spanish for dummies (http://forums.tomisimo.org/%5BQUOTE=irmamar;37402%5DS%C3%83%C2%AD,%20tambi%C3 %83%C2%A9n%20se%20puede%20utilizar%20con%20ese%20s ignificado.%20%20La%20Polic%C3%83%C2%ADa%20est%C3% 83%C2%A1%20haciendo%20un%20barrido%20por%20todo%20 el%20pueblo%20para%20limpiarlo%20de%20drogas.%5B/QUOTE%5D)
¡Bienvenido!
---------------
Yes, that book seems exceptionally good, there are many good reviews, also look into this book by susana wald. Spanish for dummies (http://forums.tomisimo.org/%5BQUOTE=irmamar;37402%5DS%C3%83%C2%AD,%20tambi%C3 %83%C2%A9n%20se%20puede%20utilizar%20con%20ese%20s ignificado.%20%20La%20Polic%C3%83%C2%ADa%20est%C3% 83%C2%A1%20haciendo%20un%20barrido%20por%20todo%20 el%20pueblo%20para%20limpiarlo%20de%20drogas.%5B/QUOTE%5D)
Welcome!

[Tomisimo]

Very beginning.
Well, if you've never studied Spanish before, you might want to get your feet wet with something like Spanish for Dummies (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0764551949/?tag=219-20). I used the French for Dummies book a while back when I wanted to start learning French, and while it is very basic, it gives you a good introduction to the language so you can start learning it. Once you have an idea of the basics, then you can continue on. After you go through the first Spanish for Dummies book, there are some others, such as Spanish Phrases for Dummies and Spanish Verbs for Dummies.

[CrOtALiTo]

I bid you welcome, I hope you learn Spanish soon.

I have one questions.

What does whatsover mean?

[Tomisimo]

What does whatsover mean?

Whatsover is not a word; whatsoever is.

[irmamar]

Whatsover is not a word; whatsoever is.

Could I say "noting at all" instead of whatsoever?

[Tomisimo]

Could I say "noting at all" instead of whatsoever?
Yes. From the opening post (OP), these are equivalent:

I am thinking about learning Spanish and have no experience yet with it whatsoever.
I am thinking about learning Spanish and have no experience yet with it at all.

[irmamar]

Yes. From the opening post (OP), these are equivalent:

I am thinking about learning Spanish and have no experience yet with it whatsoever.
I am thinking about learning Spanish and have no experience yet with it at all.

So, you mean that in other sentences they're not equivalent, don't you?

[Tomisimo]

The two terms "whatsoever" and "at all" would be pretty much interchangeable.

[CrOtALiTo]

Whatsover is not a word; whatsoever is.

Got it, but anyway is correct it's use?


For example I want to say, I didn't understand whatsoever.

[Chubz]

I didn't understand whatsoever.

That works. :)

[CrOtALiTo]

That works. :)

Thank you very much for your help.


Sincerely yours.:o