Learn Spanish Online or in Peru
Posted on | March 9, 2011 | 2 Comments
When I first moved to Peru, I spoke very little Spanish. I thought I knew enough to get by, but I had learned Mexican Spanish, which has a very different accent. It took a while before I could understand the Peruvian accent well.
If there was one thing I could have changed about my whole “moving to Peru” experience, I would have done a lot more to learn Spanish better before I got here. My inability to communicate well made it very difficult for me to go out and do things on my own and meant that my husband had to handle a lot of the day to day things because I simply wasn’t able to help out. It led to a lot of frustration for both of us.
If I had known about WebSpanish, I would have loved to have started learning with them before I came here. It’s difficult to learn pronunciation from a book or CD. There’s no one there telling you if you’re pronouncing things correctly, or that you’re putting the accent on the wrong syllable. A lot of words I thought I knew, I didn’t understand when people said them to me because I had been pronouncing them incorrectly.
That’s where the internet becomes a very powerful tool. You can learn Spanish online with a private tutor at sites like WebSpanish. WebSpanish hooks you up with a native Spanish speaking tutor who teaches you the language – one on one, using voice software to communicate directly.
Of course, living in Peru (or any other Spanish speaking country) is the absolute best way to learn Spanish. It’s called “immersion language learning” and it works because as you learn words and phrases, they’re constantly being reinforced in your every day life. It really worked for me. It didn’t hurt that I was suddenly left with two young stepsons that didn’t speak a word of English! I had to learn fast.
So, what do you do if you find yourself in Lima and can’t make heads nor tails of the language (and don’t have any kids around to teach you!)? My first recommendation is to hit up one of the Spanish language immersion schools. El SOL is one of the best – and I don’t just say that because it’s owned by a friend of mine, Alan LaRue. I’ve talked to people who have gone to the school, and without exception they’ve had nothing but good things to say. If I had been able to go when I first moved to Lima, I definitely would have chosen El Sol.
There are other great ways to practice, too. We found movies to be the best. Put on a movie with the Spanish language track, and put the subtitles in English – It’s best to do this with a movie you know well. Watch and listen to one sentence or phrase at a time. Pause the movie, repeat the line out loud, rewind and do it again. Listen and repeat until you feel comfortable with it. If you can’t make out what they’re saying, put the Spanish subtitles on until you figure it out. My kid taught himself English this way using the Star Wars movies. He can recite whole long sections in near perfect English! It did a lot for helping his accent and pronunciation.
For anyone who feels they’re too old to learn Spanish (or any other language), I was over 30 when I first started learning Spanish, and over 40 when I moved to Peru. If I can do it, anyone can!
Related posts:
Tags: Education > Language > Learning > lima > Spanish > Spanish language
Comments
2 Responses to “Learn Spanish Online or in Peru”
Leave a Reply
-
Enjoy Your Time in Peru More by Taking
Need Secure Transportation in Lima?
About
I got tired of life happening while I made other plans, so I quit my job and came to Peru. I live here with my Peruvian husband, two sons, three dogs and various other family members, depending on the weather.
Watch LIVE TV from the US for Free!
Thinking of Moving Overseas?
Expat Women Blog Directory
March 10th, 2011 @ 18:40
For anyone who likes the idea of learning by watching movies with subtitles, they might want to take a look at http://lomastv.com/.
It has television shows, music videos, etc. that are in Spanish from different countries. It shows the subtitles in English and Spanish, you have the ability to slow it down, and you can have it repeat loops of the video. It does cost about $10 per month.
Scott´s last [type] ..Moving Overseas – Think Before You Move Your Furniture Overseas
March 10th, 2011 @ 18:44
That’s pretty awesome! Thanks for the tip.