www.CostaRicaTicas.com

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"If you dont think women are explosive,....drop one."

I've been using the Fluenz software, and I like it. I'm only halfway through Level 2, so I am not close to being fluent, but I'm definitely making progress.

Last week I signed up on Busuu.com, which is free, but I paid a modest fee to open up all of the features on the site. It is great, as native speakers correct your sentences, and you correct the sentences of people who are learning English. A note about Busuu.com: Busuu teaches European Spanish, which has a funny twang to it. "Gracias" now sounds like "Grathias", and I don't like it. It sounds gay to me, not that there's anything wrong with that.

As any Tico, Mexican, or Swiss would tell you... Spaniards ARE gay.

NTTAWWT.

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mh

The best program I used was "latina Novia" in english its Spanish girlfriend haha yes it helps alot .. Also I learned sooooo much from chatting on MSN (windows messenger) with latinas and translating on google translation .I began to learn spanish ! almost every area in NJ has adult school night classes where you take 1 hour per week it really helps alot . I have rosetta stone they say its good but I dont like it, it bores me . My GF speaks to me in spanish Im conversational now . Try the class it forces you to learn . Pimsleur is know to be good too .

bueno suerte ! goodluck

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I don't drink milk often ..but when I do it's dos tetas ..stay Horney my friends

The best program is to be commited... Take your lumps and use trial and error to determine your best learning method..

Most importantly..don't talk about it...be about it.


Congrats to those who are making a serious attempt at learning... When you can (really) talk to these girls, CR is a piece of cake..


Cujo

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"Pain is the fuel that fans the flames of my pyre. A battle plan is only as good as the general carrying it out on the field. This is my war son, and I have the biggest bombs and the smallest conscience"...

In most parts of the USA you can take a class inexpensively at a community college. I am of the opinion that there is no one best way for everybody. But the main thing is to put in the time. Nothing is going to teach you if you don't work at it. There is no magic bullet. I like the college class thing because it gives you a good solid foundation that you can build upon. After you learn some basic grammar, you can work on expanding your vocabulary.

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"The only normal people are those you don't know very well." Joe Ancis

About Spaniards being gay--there's sure enough a lot of them so somebody's getting some--guys tippin' in from Spanish Morocco or Gibraltar? The Moors making a stealthy return to seduce those lovely senoras/senoritas? Seriously, Castillian Spanish is pronounced that way.
On the other thing, this link from a guy who lived in Colombia may be of help:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33309&hilit=megaupload
Pimsleur, RS and other courses listed.
Question: Do you have a way to reinforce locally? kitchen help/lawn care/your local laundromat?

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Part of the way I learned was chatting online. I would be on Yahoo messenger and and have a translation site open at the same time. I would run what she would write me through the tranlstor. Then I would write something in English and run it through the translator to get it in spanish.

The only problme is that many chicas are semi-illiterate and they write like 1st graders, so what they write usually makes the translation website crash.

The only advice I would give is to practice with Spanish speakers as much as possible. Just hearing the sounds will help you. And watching Spanish TV helps, even moreso if you can get English subtitles.

For me, it's also important to realize that learning Spanish is a multi-year project.

As I learn a new language I will inevitably reach plateaus where I don't seem to be making as much progress as I have in the past. It's really important to continue to practice and not give up. For me these plateaus can last a couple months, and then I seem to always have a breakthrough where I suddenly make a noticible leap to the next level.

Don't give up.

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It's faster horses, younger women, older whiskey, and more money--Tom T. Hall
No man is a failure who is enjoying life--William Faulkner

Well said, after all if it takes you 5 years to learn, so what? I'm sure most of you will be going to Latin American countries still


Cujo

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"Pain is the fuel that fans the flames of my pyre. A battle plan is only as good as the general carrying it out on the field. This is my war son, and I have the biggest bombs and the smallest conscience"...

Don't chalk up the bad translations to a chicas poor education. Most online translators require some knowledge from the users end of things. I have an MA in Spanish but I still use these programs to double check things. The programs will give you lots of weird syntax and translations. Again, not the girls fault!

So if a chica writes:

"Mi amiga dise que bamos a salir esta noche"

You gonna blame the translator?

Shit, they are dumb!

Everyone learns languages differently. I liked Pimsleur's CDs better than Rosetta Stone, Berlitz or a couple of others I tried.
I never took Spanish in school, but have become pretty good at conversational spanish merely by listening to CDs, struggling through Spanish newspapers, watching a little Univision, and speaking Spanish every chance I get when I'm in CR or other Latin countries.

I have been a professional reporter, writer and editor for more than 40 of my 60 years, and I know that my Spanish skills will never approach my understanding of English, but just being able to have friendly conversations about simple topics has made my visits to CR, and my days and evenings with the ladies, much more enjoyable.

Whichever method suits your learning style, go for it. And practice every chance you get. I've driven some of the girls into tears of laughter with my stupid mistakes in Spanish, but there's nothing like having a pretty chica as your teacher and language coach.

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Don't call 'em hookers. I tell my wife I'm here dealing with holesalers.

In my view the amount of time and effort needed to learn another language is highly underestimated except by those who took the time to learn another language. As a general rule, it would require more time to master Spanish than it took to master any current professional activity you may have. That is the reason why so few people achieve an advanced level proficiency in Spanish. In my opinion the method is not the issue, but the commitment & the time of the learner. Any method would work provided that you spend at least a couple of hours of hard work every day to be engaged in your target language.