I removed my earlier posting about the USA Today article because they moved it shortly after I posted my message. Now, it seems the permanent URL for the article " Si usted no habla español, puede quedars... be left behind "

Saludos, MadridMan

I sugest to listen Spanish radios on Real Audio while you are surfing the internet.
and also go to any big library in your area and check for audio tapes to learn Spanish, they have a lot of tapes. you can take those tapes home, listen them at home or when you are driving.
When you talk to a person who speaks Spanish make sure he or she is from Latin America or Spain, because for a Latino who was born in the United States Spanish is his second language, and they speak Spanish with grammar mistakes, and using a lot of English words.

Rafael

MM,
Thanks for the article. The article is on target. I work for an association representing manufacturers of products used in the generation, transmission, distribution, control and end-use of electricity. We are positioning our association in the global world especially in Latin/SouthAmerica.

RGF,
When my husband was courting me, he was learning English and I was then comfortable with my Spanish. We communicated in Spanish. Later when we married, he had to be proficient in writing and conversing in English. To do that, he had put aside his Spanish and think (sleep, eat) in English. When he became proficient in English, he started just speaking English. Our children all took Spanish in school because, their father never spoke Spanish to them. My daughter took Spanish in high school and in college. Her 6-month stay in Spain and spending most her time with Spaniards made her fluent and also she sounds like a Madrilena. I really loved when she says “hasta luego” and also not pronouncing the “s” sound at the end of the word. Now, I find myself digging on my Spanish because of necessity. Gracias! P.S. I officially begin my promotion on May 21 and I will suggest to my Director to begin an internship program.

Hey, I am draggin up some old posts aren't I?

You'll do great with those situations.

It is true that after puberty that you do loose some of your ability to learn a language easily. Also, it is hard to learn new things with age anyway.

BUT.........

Here is my personal experience. I had two years of Spanish in highschool. My first year was with a Southern lady where I learned only a little vocabulary and verbs. The second year was more or less the same. These classes were taught mostly in English. I didn't get it very easily. I thought foreign language wasn't for me. Now, where I go to college we have a very effective way to learn. I took Spanish 111 (a years worth of Spanish in a semester) which was everyday for an hour and a half. This is better because everyday exposure is helpful. But, the main thing is that it was taught in Spanish from the first day and we were forced to understand it better. After this I was somewhat enticed to take Spanish 211 (same deal as the 111). Our teacher was Chilean and GREAT! During the second class was when I hit the greatest point of my Spanish speaking abilities. I actually hit the point where I could understand without translating into English first. Now I have a Costa Rican teacher who speaks much faster, and after a little while I could understand most of what he says.

But during my 111/211 days I had a fellow in my class who was 40 or 50 ish and he was by far the best student in the class. I think that we can't attain the same TYPE of fluency that you have with your native language, but after much practice, the process of speaking and expressing yourself in a new language becomes refined to such a point that it is almost like native fluency.

Yeah, it is all about wanting to learn and working at it, and intensive study definitely helps a great deal...

Michael, did you say in another post that you will be studying abroad in Madrid next year?

I'll be studying in Spain in January, but I will be in Valencia. I am staying with a host family and am a little nervous about it. I hope my host family is nice. I chose to stay with a small family if possible. Anyone know how host families are? Or how are Spanish families with 20-year-olds with regards to personal freedom?

hmm. rather than annoy poor Madrid Man by continuing this topic in the wrong thread ;), I will send you an email. I stayed with a host family, as did all of my classmates.

Oddly enough (as Spain is predominantly Catholic), families in Spain are generally small, all things considered. Either there's not much hanky-panky going on, or someone's not listening to the Pope...

I say that as you've requested a "small family". That doesn't really limit you too much.

Regarding home rules, just go to the park and watch the "spiders" and you'll get a good idea as to what the rules for dating and visitors of the opposite sex to the house are. No...no...and no (at least not around mamá and papá).

Yes....an early evening stroll through Retiro in the summertime will really open your eyes!

spider = 1 body, 4 legs, 4 arms