How to Learn Spanish or Any Language

If someone asked me what I would recommend as the most important preparation for expatriating to Mexico, it would be Learn Spanish. You would think this is obvious, right?

I get many who write and ask me what I recommend they do in their language-learning quest. The first thing I tell them is they must understand that unless they move to one of the uber-expensive resort towns or San Miguel de Allende, they will have to speak Spanish. The rest of Mexico is not going to cater to the monolinguals no matter how big a fit they pitch over it. I mention this because shockingly this is exactly what monolinguals do when they come to Mexican towns and find the locals are not bilingual. In their fit-pitching tirades, they employ the usual method of, now get this, accusing the locals-to their faces-of being able to speak English but pretending not to.

Here is what I would suggest you follow before moving to Mexico. It will cost you. It isn't cheap. But, you will not waste your money like you would if you began taking classroom instruction before developing a high degree of spoken fluency in Spanish.

Curriculum:

• The Learnables Languages - This picture-aural system follows the last 40 years of linguistic research in second language acquisition. You receive true immersion in the language.
• Pimsleur Spanish - This is the second stage of acquiring spoken fluency. First, you engaged in INPUT with The Learnables. Second, you begin your OUTPUT stage with The Pimsleur Spanish system. This is your first attempt at speaking the language. You will develop much vocabulary and learn how to speak the language.
• Learn Spanish Like Crazy - This course is in the same style and approach as The Pimsleur products. This company uses the same method as Pimsleur. You will learn a tremendous amount of vocabulary as well as get massive exposure to how Spanish is spoken in Latin America. Pimsleur is excellent in giving you exposure to how educated Spanish-speaking people converse. However, when you are on the streets of Latin America, you will hear many differences in the Spanish you learned with Pimsleur and what you will learn with Learn Spanish Like Crazy. My suggestion is that you need both. The reality is if you only learned what is spoken on the streets of Latin America, then tried to interact with educated Latin Americans in a formal setting, you will sound like a rube. The reality is there is street Spanish and there is formal Spanish. You have to know both and be able to switch back and forth.
• Immersion Plus Spanish - One of the most misunderstood parts of becoming fluent in any language is the need of training your ear in the target language. What I mean is, if you cannot hear the euphony or music of the language, you will rarely, if ever, be able to understand what someone is saying to you in the target language. I live in Mexico. I can tell you though I went through massive Spanish preparation before coming to Mexico, I did not count on the speed at which the locals speak Spanish. It is remarkably fast! This course, by design, will help you with this problem. It addresses this common issue.
• Smart Spanish - This will help further train your ear in the music of the language. It is a great program because it records live interviews with Spanish speakers from Colombians to Spaniards. It dissects the interviews for grammar and vocabulary. Then, the speakers speak at different speeds so you can follow with or without a transcript.

Descriptions & Costs:

• The Learnables: The best website for ordering that will give you a comprehensive preview of the courses as well as the best prices is: www.agdistribution.com/Learnables.htm
• Pimsleur Spanish: Though the Pimsleur products have always been considered the Rolls Royce of self-directed language products in quality and costs, the prices have come down in recent years. There is also the opportunity to download Pimsleur or listen to it online. I've not used this service but it is available: http://pimsleur.english-test.net/pimsleur-download.html. The retail price for this course is $345.00. You can find the best deals discounted 40% or more at: www.yournewlanguage.com/index.php
• Learn Spanish Like Crazy: This soon to be two-level course is one of the newest players in the home study language products and so the prices are still at retail. I've not been able to find discounted prices. However, you can get the entire course on download for a mere $97.00. This is a good deal and worth the effort considering the cost on Amazon.com for the CD's is $217.00. For the complete story on this course and the imminent release of level two go here: www.learninglikecrazy.com/?hop=theolog
• Immersion Plus Spanish: The best place I've found to order this Penton, Inc. produced course is on their website. The price is reasonable at $19.95 but currently reduced to $15.96 on their site: www.pentonoverseas.com/immersion-cd.htm
• Smart Spanish: The old standby Amazon.com seems to offer the best deals on this product. Plus you can read some great "reader's reviews" on the products, which is what convinced me to buy and try the product. Go to www.Amazon.com and type in the word "smartspanish" as one word and not two. The beginning course will set you back $11.01.

A great idea is to check eBay.com for these courses being sold used. I have done this in the past, when I lived in America, and you can find some excellent deals from users who need to unload the product for various reasons.

An issue with many American second language learners is they claim because they are "visual learners" they have to take notes, read books, see something written on a classroom chalkboard, or whatever. This is a myth. The courses I list stress listening first, speaking second, and reading third.

What someone is saying when he claims this, related to language acquisition, is if he were born blind, he never would have been able to learn how to speak in his native tongue. The mechanisms involved in second language acquisition are the same ones you used when you learned your native language. If your claim to be a "visual learner," related to second language acquisition, were valid, if you were born blind, you never would have been able to learn your native language-logical, no?

Before embarking on your expatriation journey or even coming to study Spanish in Mexico, use what I have outlined above. You will save money in the long run and not watch your money float down the drain while you sit in a classroom lost and unable to know which end of a Spanish verb is up.

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Doug Bower is a columnist and freelance author. His newest book, YOU CAN LEARN SPANISH or Any Language no Matter Your Age or Disposition was released Sept. 2006. http://mexicanliving.access.to