Pls help me learn Spanish

[ANDY-J1]

r_so,
I don't know about Tagalog but yes Spanish is similar to French and also Italian.These languages are all derived from latin but Spanish is the one which is closest to original latin.Many masculine nouns end in 'o' and are preceded by 'el'(the)or un(a).Many female nouns end in 'a' and are preceded by'la'or 'una'.Here are some masculine nouns.

El libro-the book.
El perro-the dog.(or la perra-the female dog)
El gato-the cat.
Here are some feminine nouns-
La puerta-the door.
La ventana-the window.
La ducha-the shower.
Here is the present tense conjugation of a verb.
Trabajar-To work.

Yo trabajo-I work.
Tu trabajas-You work(familiar)
Usted(formal),el,ella Trabaja-You,he,she works.
Nosotros trabajamos-We work.
Vosotros trabajais-You(plural,familiar work).
Ello,Ellas trabajan-they work.

There are different variants of Spanish spoken throughout latin America and in some countries vos is used instead of tu and in some places vosotros is not used.

Finally here are the numbers one to ten in Spanish.-Uno,Dos,Tres,Quatro,Cinco,Seis,Siete,Ocho,Nueve,Diez.

Hasta luego.

[r_so]

Have you studied French too? I learned some French the past couple years and my friends taking Spanish were telling me the two languages were very similar. I always mess up on the verb tense agreement and masculine and feminine.

How long have you been studying Spanish for? Have a nice day!

[ANDY-J1]

No I've never studied French except for a little bit at school.I've been studying Spanish for about three years mostly from courses which I have got from my local library.I am actually studying for a history and humanities degree but I decided that a foreign language would be an asset so I decided to study advanced Spanish in my final year at university.If you need any more help don't hesitate to ask.

[r_so]

Thanks for your help=)
Goodluck with your studies!
What occupation are you trying to get into? Teaching?

[Guavate]

Check this site it will help.http://www.studyspanish.com/

[r_so]

Thanks for your help!

[Suki]

Andy has some good advice for you Rachel, but if you want to learn Spanish the best way is to be exposed to the language constantly, intensively through native speakers. Any foreign language is initially difficult. New grammar, rules, sounds and everything else can seem overwhelming. The key to learning foreign languages is consistency, discipline, exposure and practice. It is a lifelong commitment, like regular exercise and a healthy diet. If you are not committed and use it everyday on a consistent basis it will atrophy and eventually you will forget it. Also language is not an isolated mechanical system that you memorize, you're entering a living culture, one that differs to your own perception of reality and set values. If you can not adjust well to totally different social mores and value systems, foreign language is going to be a huge hurdle to overcome. If you are open-minded and enjoy variety as the spice of life, you will love foreign language study. Andy is not a native speaker, therefore he is not an authority in Spanish. Ideally, you should get someone who's first language is Spanish (like me) yet who speaks, reads, and writes both informally and formally on a daily basis and who has taught both languages English and Spanish and can anticipate the kind of problems you are most likely to encounter trying to learn the new language. I do translation on a daily basis and it requires a lot of skill. I also taught English to Spanish speakers, and Spanish to English speakers. First, listen, listen, listen to Spanish. You do not know how many times I have had students who were taught writing, grammar and reading Spanish and neglected the conversational aspect of the language. Conversation is much more important than reading and writing. If you can not communicate effectively speaking it, you're going to have problems, sticking with it in the long run(which is the key to maintaining fluency). Andy the number 4 (four) is cuatro in Spanish, not quatro. Also, Italian is a lot closer to the original Vulgar Latin it is derived from than Spanish. Spanish has huge influences from Arabic due to 800 years+ of Moorish dominance in Spain's history, as well as from many other languages. Common vocabulary used on a daily basis is not based on Vulgar Latin sometimes in Spanish. For example: almohada (pillow), is different than the equivalent in Italian, it comes from Arabic. Arroz (rice) is Rizzo in Italian, rice in Spanish comes from the Arabic word. Mangare(to eat) in Italian is different than comer, so on and so on. What all Romance languages have in common is syntax. The order the words come in, the lexicon or vocabulary can vary tremendously and it does. Spanish is one language that many people are studying. It is still hard. Do not fool yourself into thinking that in one year you can study and graduate from some Latin American or Spanish University, beside all the educated native speakers, it takes a lot more than that. But have fun and set realistic goals for yourself, Rachel! Be committed, when studying a foreign language it is not the flavor of the week (like most people's shallow commitments to studying a foreign language are) but a deep and abiding dedication (you get much better results).