I REALLY REALLY REAALY NEED HELP!

[BK_Adores_Chase]

So I already posted a similar topic, but I decided to learn spanish as well as teach my son along the way - he is 3 - i figure i'll say what i want in spanish then follow it with english until i think he understands what i'm saying.  i don't want to buy anything and i am using google to translate but i double check the spanish back to english to make sure it's right and it's something completely different than what i wanted.  I know they have different grammar rules and whatnot so should i just learn what is translated or try to piece together the sentences i want to learn?  i don't want my kids to learn the wrong things.  I figure i can speak to them in spanish when i get good enough and their dad can speak to them in english.  maybe there is someone on here who fluently speaks spanish that can help me translate properly?  you would definitly make your 30 posts every month lol.

[kapeh12]

My Spanish is probably more rusty than my Russian at this point, but I still remember enough to know that just relying on the online translators is probably not the direction you want to go if you intend to teach your child Spanish.  Grammar is an important part of any language, particularly how one uses verbs.  I find those translators more useful when I need a quick reminder if there's a word or two I can't recall - but I don't see them as effective teaching tools for learning the language.

I'd suggest trying to search online for sites that offer free conversational lessons.  One such site I found is called 1-2-3 Teach Me and the Spanish courses are here:  http://www.123teachme.com/learn_spanish/free_spanish_courses

I'm hoping to get one of my sisters on this site, and if so, her husband is from Columbia and speaks fluent Spanish, and I'm sure she'd be willing to help you (as she's trying to teach her children to be bilingual too).  I wouldn't hold my breath on that, as I've been trying to recruit her for months...   

Good luck to you, and if I come across anything else that may prove useful, I'll try to remember to add it to this post.

[trucktina]

Don't people use libraries anymore? There are free cd courses at your library that will teach you Spanish. That way, you can be anywhere and learn, not tied to your computer.

[freepcmoney]

This is AMERICA----Our Language is ENGLISH!! Speak English----Learn English----Speak English---OR --- GET THE HELL OUT OF MY COUNTRY!!!!

Oh, I do know this much Spanish---Buenous Dias----Buenous Noches---and Besa Mi Coola!!

Translation----Good Morning----Good Night---and Kiss my *bleep*!!

[Valerie1979]

learning "fluent" spanish takes a very long time -
My son has learned a lot from his pre-school as well as from watching Dora and Diego.
We are not "fluent" but he knows it..... he counts in Spanish and did that before we realized what he was even doing!  he is 4 now but has used spanish words since he started talking.

I agree with the library courses -- and get books too that you can read to them in Spanish --> BUT make sure you can pronounce the words correctly or it may be hard for the kids to re-learn the right way when someone tries to teach them when they are older.   Audio books and CD's will be helpful!

[Annella]

I lived in central Mexico for over six months when I was young (early 20's), and it's amazing how much I picked up just by hearing it everyday. I got pretty good at speaking and understanding the "gist" of what was being said. If you speak it conversationally everyday, you naturally pick it up without hardly trying. I wasn't fluent by no means, but I could get around and make myself understood speaking Spanish and a lot of "gesturing".

[davidh121]

Google's translator is definitely not meant to be a teaching tool as they've been proven to be inacccurate. Rosetta Stone software has not worked well for me based on my experience, but I have had somewhat decent success with using the Pimsleur audio program. I can't say I became really fluent with my targeted language (I haven't finished all the lessons either), but I felt the memorization was a little easier for me to grasp.