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Learning the spanish language

BigAl

Gone But Not Forgotten
SUPER Site Supporter
Been speaking broken spanish for about 9 years now , so I decided earlier this year to buy a program,get serious , and start learning to speak it right . I picked up a program called "Rocket Spanish" over the more popular "Rosetta Stone" program . So far I am very impressed . My wife is fluent in Spanish and we now have a game where we try to speak nothing but Spanish as long as we can . You can get pretty fluent in about 6 months if to stay after it .
Its funny , the looks I get , When I order food from a spanish waiter or waitess all in Spanish:unsure: .
Its also amazing to watch how a spanish looking person reacts when I speak with them in their own language . Kind of throws them off guard for a second and then they start rattleing off "Machine Gun" spanish back to me . Usually I can only pick out every other word at best .
Its my way of respecting their culture and country when I am in Panama . They are very forgiving when I completely mutilate a spanish word .

I am also trying to learn the "Bugle ( Bugg -Lay) Indian" dialect . That is much harder and no courses are offered . It is a beautiful sounding dialect that seems to almost sound French at times
"""" Chec La Manay"""'
Translation : How are you ?
 

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
You are lucky that you have a wife that will speak Spanish with you. That is probably the most important thing. I've found with foreign languages that if you don't use it then you will lose it.

The regional dialects/versions are also hard. I learned some Spanish when I was younger and spent time on the west coast of Mexico and then when I went to Puerto Rico they made fun of my "Mexican" Spanish.

It's the same with French. I can understand French spoken by someone from France much easier than someone from Quebec.

But I haven't done anything in a foreign language for at least ten years now so it's pretty much all lost now.
 

BigAl

Gone But Not Forgotten
SUPER Site Supporter
You are lucky that you have a wife that will speak Spanish with you. That is probably the most important thing. I've found with foreign languages that if you don't use it then you will lose it.

The regional dialects/versions are also hard. I learned some Spanish when I was younger and spent time on the west coast of Mexico and then when I went to Puerto Rico they made fun of my "Mexican" Spanish.

It's the same with French. I can understand French spoken by someone from France much easier than someone from Quebec.

But I haven't done anything in a foreign language for at least ten years now so it's pretty much all lost now.


Yes I am very lucky . With us now trying to spend 6 months a year in Panama it will really help me . My caretaker ,in Panama ,speaks 4 languages ! Wish I could do that .
About 70% of the Panamaian population speaks English to some degree and I have never had any problems getting my point across .
I still honestly think that it is just a matter of time before my wife and I will make Panama are permenate home . The weather and climate really agrees with my old bones and Health Care is Soooooooo much less than here in the states . Something all of us need to be looking at as we get older .

Hey , Maybe I need to start a Old Folks home for cranky pissed off FF members there ?? :yum:There ain't no Democrates there ...... Republicans either for that matter .:yum:
 

BigAl

Gone But Not Forgotten
SUPER Site Supporter
Since I been some what stuck at home from my shoulder injury, I found that I am spending more time practicing my lessons . I finally got around to downloading the Audio part to CD so I can play it in the car too. The wife and I can carry on some pretty long spanish conservations now . The on line quizes are a great help and actually fun to do . I was taking "one on one" lessons for awhile and this is a heck of a lot easier and a lot less expensive . I highly recommend it !

I don't think I will ever be able to speak Spanish like my FIL or Wife , but at least i'll have some idea of whats being said when we are in Panama City :smile:. I hate sitting there with a dumb ass look on my face while my wife explains what was said :neutral:.
 
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