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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 11:42 pm 
I can do CR without a wingman!

Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2007 6:23 am
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I would like to take a pocket translator with me on my maiden voyage to help out a little. I have been looking on Amazon at all the ones availible and have not idea which would be the best one for my purposes. Does anyone have any recommendations?


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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 11:54 pm 
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This is the one I used beore my spanish improved.

http://www.franklin.com/estore/dictionary/TES-118/

I also know people who spent a little more on a talking translator, I never found i necessary, but this is it...

http://www.franklin.com/estore/dictionary/BES-1850-BL6/


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 12:01 am 
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I have that one but prefer this one-
http://www.dealtime.com/xPO-Seiko-Seiko ... Electronic
under 20 bucks at Walmart.

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 12:49 pm 
I can do CR without a wingman!

Joined: Tue Dec 25, 2007 11:24 pm
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Cajunman, I swear by now I probably sound like a rep for whatever company it is that makes this product. It is an interactive game titled "My Spanish Coach" ($30) and it is available for the handheld Nintendo DS system (less than $100 if you shop around craigslist).

It is really awesome. So many different modes and styles of play (word search, multiple choice, etc.) plus a built-in phrase and word dictionary. The game starts you out easy to gauge your level and then gradually builds upon successful mastering of words. As you unlock new levels, the game provides you with small brief geographical descriptions of parts of central and south america. The system is small, portable and battery-life is awesome.

Anyway, this is the 3rd time I've posted here regarding this product and I have only about 4 or 5 posts in total. Oh well...
Sorry for being repetitive but when the subject of language comes up, I find it hard to resist recommending this game.

My first trip to CR is Apr 26 and I am using this game to help prep me for it.


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 2:30 pm 
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HToad, don't worry about your "promotion" of the product. Sounds awesome and thanks for taking the time to bring it to our attention. I will check it out! :)

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 4:21 pm 
One word of caution about pocket translators, you won't have time look up words as you chat with a chica (I never had this kind of time or patiences... I doubt they'll have the patiences either).

If you are using your pocket translator as a means to learn, fine. If you think you can use it as you chat with a chica, reconsider.

To learn Spanish, better get Rosetta Stone or Pimsleur or both (or the game that was mentioned). Rosetta locks you onto a computer, but I was able to get Pimsleur by recording, onto my IPOD so I could listen to it all the time to the point that it made me crazy! :)

Rosetta and Pimsleur can be found on the internet file sharing site for free, but you have to invest a little time to go on the hunt so if your time is valuable, buy them.


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 4:31 pm 
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Location: Referred to the OIG by Mucho Gusto after mysterious fire at his gay night club.
I gotta agree with the translator. When I was learning Spanish I would use it to lookup words that I did not know. I always ended up giving the things away. One to a fellow brother that didn't speak a word. Another to a favorita who always took care of me. She used the Spanish to English for her to practice words she did not know.

Either way, your best bet is to get one of the audio learning tools. I have used Pimmsleur and Learn Spanish Like Crazy One and Two. I would do them in my car going to and from work. I'm far from fluent and don't pretend to be, but I can get my point across and I can understand most conversations by listening to the words I know and figuring it out.

Cheers!

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 4:38 pm 
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This is the one I used when starting to learn Spanish. What's good about it is that if you mispell a Spanish word, it will give you a list of choices and you select the one you want to translate. This is helpful when reading something a Tica wrote. They spell like 3rd graders, so this was golden! It also conjugates verbs and has a few learning games/activities. It stores data (phone numbers, etc). 2,000 traveler's phrases (donde está el baño?).

[Franklin DBE-1470] http://www.franklin.com/estore/dictionary/DBE-1470/

It's like $40 but you can get it new on Ebay cheaper. I lucked out and got mine for $21 shipped.

Here's one ending in an hour: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0200645125


Last edited by Orange on Sat Jan 05, 2008 4:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 4:39 pm 
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D2864 wrote:
One word of caution about pocket translators, you won't have time look up words as you chat with a chica (I never had this kind of time or patiences... I doubt they'll have the patiences either).

If you are using your pocket translator as a means to learn, fine. If you think you can use it as you chat with a chica, reconsider.

My experience has been the opposite of D2864s. I have spent several happy hours communicating with chicas using a translator to help us with the words we couldn't get worked out, usually while lounging nekkid on the bed after the act. I just don't get that kind of interaction from Pimsleur. :lol:

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but your love don't pay my bills,
I NEED THE MONEY!" - John Lee Hooker

Disclaimer: The above is merely the opinion of the author unless specific scientific data is included.
Your mileage may vary. https://costaricaticas.com/phpBB2/viewto ... 978#206978

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 4:48 pm 
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Pacifica55 wrote:
I just don't get that kind of interaction from Pimsleur. :lol:


That's because there isn't enough power left in the country for you to run a CD player after you drained it all for your toy collection. :P

Has anyone paid big money for one of those translators you speak into and it translates it for you?

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 4:50 pm 
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Have to agree with most of you guys, I used a translator when my spanish was minimal, I am far from fluent but can be understood for the most part without dragging it around anymore.. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Pac, as I always travel with the laptop and have wireless wherever I stay, it is real easy to just log on to a translation site for the words I have trouble with while lounging in bed after.

As far as the Pimsleur suggestions and other spanish language lessons, I highly recommend them as well as maybe a brush up course an hour or two a day at CRLA while in town. Great way to kill a couple hours in the afternoon. Making an effort to speak the language will most certainly enhance your CR experience.

Most locals I have met appreciate our effort to speak the language, even us less fluent than others :oops: :oops:


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 4:50 pm 
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Pacifica55 wrote:
My experience has been the opposite of D2864s. I have spent several happy hours communicating with chicas using a translator to help us with the words we couldn't get worked out, usually while lounging nekkid on the bed after the act. I just don't get that kind of interaction from Pimsleur. :lol:


I did the same on my last trip to CR 4 years ago. Although the one I had was a very cheap piece of sh*t it still did the job ok in helping to communicate post coitus. I just ordered a new one from Amazon that should be here in a couple days. $44 plus a $25 rebate. http://www.amazon.com/Sharp-PW-E250-Spa ... 071&sr=8-1

Orange wrote:


PS...One thing that really pisses me off with ebay is the thieves that charge outrageous fees for shipping! $14.99 to ship that translator...what a joke!


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 4:55 pm 
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Spanky wrote:

Has anyone paid big money for one of those translators you speak into and it translates it for you?


One of my wingmen a few trips back bought one prior to a trip and promptly returned it when he got back to the US. His report was the internal voice recognition software was ridiculously BAD...


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 4:56 pm 
Pacifica55 wrote:
D2864 wrote:
One word of caution about pocket translators, you won't have time look up words as you chat with a chica (I never had this kind of time or patiences... I doubt they'll have the patiences either).

If you are using your pocket translator as a means to learn, fine. If you think you can use it as you chat with a chica, reconsider.

My experience has been the opposite of D2864s. I have spent several happy hours communicating with chicas using a translator to help us with the words we couldn't get worked out, usually while lounging nekkid on the bed after the act. I just don't get that kind of interaction from Pimsleur. :lol:


I agree, in that environment, if both had the time, it is useful.

When I wrote my post, my mind was in the HDR.


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 5:03 pm 
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Special K wrote:
PS...One thing that really pisses me off with ebay is the thieves that charge outrageous fees for shipping! $14.99 to ship that translator...what a joke!

I did a lot of business on Ebay 5-6 years ago so I know the tricks... and the reason people jack up the shipping prices is two-fold: if you lower the item price and charge ridiculous shipping fees, when people do a search by item price, your item is towards the top of the list, and the second reason is that Ebay charges a fee based on the item's final sale price but does not include shipping, so if you keep the item price low and jack up the shipping, you pay less seller fees. I've seen MP3 players selling for $9.99 and $53 shipping. Technically, it's against Ebay's T.O.S. but they don't seem to care much.


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