Any ideas?

[Newfie]

CG, I'm of a French mother and live in an area with a huge Italian community. I believe the languages are very similar in ways to Spanish. When I was in Cuba, in spite of the fact I don't speak Spanish, nor am I fluent in either French or Italian, if they were talking slow, I understood enough to pick up the gist of the conversation.

I've been told by people that it's a fairly easy language to learn so personally, I'd recommend it for when the Embargo ends you'll be prepared for that trip south I know you want to make so bad!!! That way someone can say to you in Spanish "Hey Seniorita, my brother's wife has a cousin who's uncle is a Security guard in the Cohiba factory ....." and you'll understand him!!!

All kidding aside, because of the Spanish influence in Florida, that's the language you should learn as second to English. My wife took Italian courses in night school to better converse in her job with older Italian people in the area.

[Monk]

Heya Tampacigargirl,

Definately watch as much spanish TV and listen to spanish radio when you can. Even if it is in the background. The key is to use it as much as possible. If you don't speak it or practice it, you will never learn. So taking a course, or using a language computer program, or tapes will be useless if you don't use it day to day in some fashion. Even if you only know a few phrases to start then you can build from there. I learned German this way when I moved to Munich a few years back and immersion is the only way to really keep it in your head.

Funny you mention this though, I have been trying to get started with Spanish as a third language recently, I just need to get off my @ss and do it!

-W.

[sprangalang]

I took years of Espanol in high school, and absorbed all of about a dozen words. Later I got a job at a factory, where most of the workers spoke Spanish. I learned a lot more there than ever did at school. Not that I became fluent or anything, but can understand somewhat and make my way through a city. And I know l lot of the bad words too. I think the suggestion of watching Spanish TV is a good one. And some of those Spanish soaps are HOT.
Some of the common slang you will hear on the street is pretty damn funny.