Cooper helps me study

Took this picture last week. Today he was helping by chewing on the corner of my dictionary.

Two days in a row!

And I finished Unit 3 today! I am awesome!

=)

Unit 3, here I come!

Still struggling with studying regularly--it's been over a week, ugh!

On a more positive note, this section is on ser and estar, and it's going really well. I'm not sure if I ever really learned the difference between them in college (or maybe I didn't care enough to remember). It's interesting now, though.

Cannot figure out what this sentence means though (even with my dictionay and Babelfish)

Si tu ya estas listo, ven.

Something about they see how you're already ready? Huh?

I really should figure out how to type accent marks...maybe next study session (which will be sooner than I week from now, REALLY!!)

Another Sunday morning

I finished Unit 2 this morning (stem changing verbs)...feeling like I'm not doing enough review or working hard enough to learn all the verbs they're throwing at me. I'm torn between forcing myself to do that (boooring) and just assuming that any time spent working on Spanish will eventually equal me learning Spanish. I'm not sure.

I do really need to get more of a set schedule. This was the first day that week that I've worked on my Spanish and it's harder to do the workbook when I've been away that long (already forgotten the stuff from the beginning of the unit).

Back at it

I studied for the third time tonight (took a break while I was away at a conference), and it went pretty well. I reviewed a little but then got bored and went ahead with the lessons. I thought I'd do about thirty minutes, but by the time I got up to let the dogs out, an hour had passed! Time flies when you're learning Spanish--who knew?

During this session, I finished Unit 1 and am a little less than halfway through Unit 2 (which is much shorter-hurray!) I'm happy to report that I'm getting more right answers and some of the things I learned in college are coming back to me.

I also just learned that "lo siento" (I'm sorry) means what it does because of the verb sentir (to regret)--makes sense, huh?

First and second lesson

On Friday, I sat down with all my materials and cracked open Farber's book. I'd read the whole thing back in September but couldn't remember exactly how this "multi-track" attack went.

According to the book, I'm supposed to do 5 units of Spanish grammar before using any of my other stuff (phrase book (don't have this yet), flashcards, newspaper (also don't have this), and audio lessons). Ugh, grammar!

I open my grammar book and discover that the grammar units are incredibly long (20 some exercises per unit, 26 units total) and that it is in fact a *grammar* book, so I'm plopped down right in the middle of regular and irregular verb endings in the present tense.

I'm half tempted to go order Learning Spanish for Dummies or some other book where the units would be shorter, and they'd start with stuff like saying hello and how to introduce yourself, but I stick with the book I have. Challenging is good, and learning is good, right?

I put in about two hours between Friday and Sunday. I'm starting to catch on to verb endings in the present tense, but hardly any of the words they're throwing at me are sticking. I'm constantly using my dictionary (why didn't I have one of these in college?? What was I thinking?) and looking back to previous pages in the grammar book. I feel like I should be taking a bunch of notes or making flashcards for every word I come across, but the book says to wait until after I've done 5 units. Really, it's okay with me--the stack of flashcards would already be huge and intimidating.

I'm also struggling with the in-between works-in, with, the, for, etc...when I check my answers, I'm getting almost all of these wrong.

While I'm working, I remind myself that I didn't learn English in one day, so I'll take what I can and eventually all this stuff will come together.

On a side note, my dictionary is kind of amazing to me--having the Spanish language right there in my hands. Almost any word I need to know, right there. Cool.

I'm not finished with the first unit, but I'm getting closer.

Venzo los obstaculos!
(I overcome the obstacles)

P.S. Will figure out how to do accents and upside down punctuation soon

Begin at the beginning

Sometimes, I think college is wasted on college students.

I took two years of Spanish in college (I had to have 2 years of foreign language to get my degree in English). I did only what was necessary to get the grade I wanted, and (big surprise) I didn't really learn how to speak or write Spanish.

The thing is, I'd really like to learn Spanish.

Over the past six years, I've thought about taking classes again (boring!) or shelling out the big bucks for Rosetta Stone computer software (too expensive!).

Last year, I watched a PBS pledge program with Barry Farber. According to him, I could learn any language (and multiple languages) on my own. For a sizable donation to PBS, I could get his book, a mug, a totebag, etc. etc. I passed on that one, and I asked for his book, "How To Learn Any Language," and a Spanish grammar book for my birthday (which I got from my parents. Thanks Mom and Dad!)

I read the book, but I didn't do any of the lessons or get the other materials I needed (dictionary, flashcards, phrase book, etc.)

Six months, one cross-country move, and a new job later, I went to my local bookstore and got a Spanish English Dictionary.

On Friday, I sat down with my workbook and started the first grammar unit.

So, I'm teaching myself Spanish.

Will it work?

Will I stick with it?

I'm not sure, but I'll keep track of my progress (and you can keep track of my progress) here.