Learning Spanish while working fulltime

[Margaux1985]

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with taking informal spanish classes while working full-time. Right now I'm already graduated and want to spend a year or two learning Spanish while working 40-50 hrs/week. I don't want to take any classes for a grade so I was wondering if there are any well-known language programs that meets holds classes for a couple of hours at night or on weekends. What kind of programs are there and how was your experience with these programs.

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[A Wall]

I haven't taken a class, since I figured that wouldn't be worth my money/time. I've listened to Pimsleur's audio lectures and done some Rosetta stone work, and like them both a lot. The audio lectures are great because I can listen to one on my way to work and one on my way home, and it's the equivalent of an hour of conversational spanish a day. They're both pretty expensive to buy retail, but depending on your views on freedom of information, you can probably get it on the internets for somewhere in the range of a 100% discount. Not that I'm a proponent of that sort of thing, just saying.

 

[Caesar]

My suggestion would be to take it at a community college, but you don't want graded, so I am not really sure what to suggest...

 

[SaveThisLabRat]

My suggestion would be to take it at a community college, but you don't want graded, so I am not really sure what to suggest...

Ask to have it audited. Or you can take it pass/fail.

 

[Caesar]

Ask to have it audited. Or you can take it pass/fail.

great idea.

 

[Character]

i think its a good idea

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

Ask to have it audited. Or you can take it pass/fail.

I'd definitely take it at a school, I was a spanish major & at one point fluent enough that spanish speakers would ask what part of south america I was from.

Reason for my recommendation is that there are so many dialects depending on where one is from, I first learned Castilian (formal Spain) spanish, had friends from Ecuador & Spain in high school, etc. For me, Spanish from northern Mexico was the toughest dialect to become accustomed to due to the speed & way words run together, if you're in a class such as "oral spanish" at a community college, you'll be taking it with people from spanish speaking backgrounds & it'll help a great deal to hear different accents.

Believe me, it will help a huge amount being in healthcare and speaking Spanish, I volunteer at an ER and the degree to which patients share info when they are addressed in their native language is much greater than when these patients are addressed in English. Just takes time, I try to listen to the spanish radio station to keep my "ear" in tune when possible too.

 

[Caesar]

I'd definitely take it at a school, I was a spanish major & at one point fluent enough that spanish speakers would ask what part of south america I was from.

Reason for my recommendation is that there are so many dialects depending on where one is from, I first learned Castilian (formal Spain) spanish, had friends from Ecuador & Spain in high school, etc. For me, Spanish from northern Mexico was the toughest dialect to become accustomed to due to the speed & way words run together, if you're in a class such as "oral spanish" at a community college, you'll be taking it with people from spanish speaking backgrounds & it'll help a great deal to hear different accents.

Believe me, it will help a huge amount being in healthcare and speaking Spanish, I volunteer at an ER and the degree to which patients share info when they are addressed in their native language is much greater than when these patients are addressed in English. Just takes time, I try to listen to the spanish radio station to keep my "ear" in tune when possible too.

I am starting spanish this year for this very reason. I know Latin and German, but no one speaks those around here. I should have either 3 or 5 semesters (depending on if I do summer classes) do you think that will be enough?

 

[DoctorDreamer]

I have never had a Spanish class and knew nothing other than the basic greetings and a handful of words, but I moved to Bolivia three weeks ago, and it's amazing how much I've learned. Just immersing in a Spanish culture forces you to learn, and I'm also taking 3 hours of private instruction with a tutor a day, as well as studying another 3-4 hours a day on my own... But I'm trying to learn as much possible in 1.5-2 months, not two years...

 

[Caesar]

I have never had a Spanish class and knew nothing other than the basic greetings and a handful of words, but I moved to Bolivia three weeks ago, and it's amazing how much I've learned. Just immersing in a Spanish culture forces you to learn, and I'm also taking 3 hours of private instruction with a tutor a day, as well as studying another 3-4 hours a day on my own... But I'm trying to learn as much possible in 1.5-2 months, not two years...

thats pretty sweet! I plan on watching futbol (its on in spanish where I am) to pick up on some too, thats my "immersion"