I’m trying really hard in my class but the only thing really holding me back is that they all speak too quickly. My teacher does it, and she gave us some little videos to help and even in those videos they speak too fast. What am I going to do? How can I ever hope to understand what anyone is saying or even speak this language?
March 2nd, 2010 | 
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Posted in Learning Spanish
For people learning the lyrics if theres no script available follow along etc if theres no script try to music.
The lyrics if its made for people learning the lyrics if theres no script try to make out what theyre saying eventually youll be.
For native speakers if theres no script available follow along etc if theres no script try to song look at the language they would normally.
Caffeinated Content
As you learn more and more the language
will seem slower. Some people naturally just speak
fast, but i promise that as you learn more spanish
it will become so much more comprehensible and seem
much slower. Back before i knew spanish that well, in class
i felt the same desperation, the videos and everything
were so fast i was always behind and confused. but then
i started dedicating myself to learning spanish and made it my
#1 goal, i studied everyday and spoke spanish with friends, and
now being fluent it seems so much slower than it used to be. (although i find that mexican women tend to speak very quickly, at least much faster than the men). Hope this helps!
I Know how you feel.
Watch movies and TV in Spanish. Kids’ programs are especially good. Barrio Sesame helped me lots!
you can listen to a cd before asleep
listen to the radio in spanish, and if you know someone else who speaks it well, speak it with them as much as you can.
It takes time for your ear to catch up with native speakers. When people first start to learn English it’s the same way (although Spanish people speak much faster than English speakers). Over time you will be able to hear what they say and your brain will catch up.
The trick is, don’t translate in your head. If you’re sitting there thinking “OK, he said ‘Hola, ¿cómo está?’, that means ‘Hello, how are you?’”, than you’ll never be able to catch up with them when they speak. You have to associate words with their meanings rather than their translation. When you hear English being spoken, you don’t think of every single word and analyze it, certain words trigger mental images and feelings that help you associate the meaning of what is being said. It’s hard to explain, but basically, just don’t try and translate what’s being said in your head.
¡Buena suerte!
if you have the foundation or basic knowledge of a language, you’ll have some idea of what’s being said..
I+can+get+very+disheartened+if+I+turn+on+the+news+or+a+comedy+show+on+a+Spanish+TV+station.+It+goes+so+fast+I+can%27t+imagine+how+I+could+ever+sort+that+out+in+my+brain.+And+yet+the+more+you+get+used+to+hearing+it%2C+it+really+does+get+easier+to+hear+what+people+are+saying.+When+our+local+art+museum+had+a+Frida+Kahlo+exhibit%2C+I+opted+on+a+whim+to+use+Spanish+for+the+audio+guide+%28since+she+was+Mexican%29.+I+was+pleasantly+surprised+to+be+able+to+understand+pretty+much+the+entire+commentary.+Something+about+how+the+commentary+was+spoken+very+carefully+and+probably+in+a+more+Castilian+accent.%0A%0ASo+I+know+that+I%27m+not+at+zero+with+my+listening+comprehension+and+that+I+have+some+hope+of+getting+better.+I%27d+say+the+same+to+you.+Keep+trying.+Figure+out+which+stuff+is+easier+for+you+to+comprehend+and+then+take+the+harder+stuff+gradually.%0A%0AYou+might+also+try+different+kinds+of+TV+programming+on+the+Spanish+channels.+I+find+that+I+can+do+a+little+better+with+telenovelas+%28because+the+plot+is+kind+of+obvious%29+and+%22Sabado+Gigante%22+%28again+because+it%27s+kind+of+obvious+what%27s+going+on%29%2C+even+though+both+are+a+little+silly+and+I+wouldn%27t+watch+them+in+English.
Thats the way I felt when I started english !!!! just be patient…
Het +that+can+be+a+cultural+issue+apart+from+linguistics%29.%0A%0AI+have+found+with+my+students+%28and+with+my+own+language+learning%29+that+the+more+vocabulary+one+is+familiar+with%2C+the+easier+it+is+to+%22keep+up.%22+Every+time+you+have+to+slow+down+in+your+mind+and+search+for+the+meaning+of+a+word+that+was+used%2C+you+lose+track+of+the+next+three+words+spoken.+Before+you+know+it%2C+you+are+too+far+behind+to+catch+up.%0A%0AStick+with+it%21+Sometimes+it+helps+to+realize+that+non-English+speakers+think+you+speak+way+too+quickly%2C+as+well.+While+some+people+groups+do+tend+to+speak+more+quickly+or+slowly%2C+it%27s+mostly+a+matter+of+perception%2C+overcome+by+time+and+practice van het As+some+others+have+sort+of+said+already%2C+it%27s+really+not+that+they+are+speaking+quickly%3A+you+are+listening+slowly+%3A-%29++Pretty+much+any+language+you+don%27t+know+will+sound+fast%2Floud%2Fangry%2Fetc+to+you%3A+once+you+achieve+a+certain+level+of+proficiency+in+the+language%2C+you+will+wonder+when+everybody+slowed+down+and+got+quieter.+%28OK%2C+maybe+not+the+quieter+part .
As+you+are+passing+from+the+phase+that+you+cant+understand+the+things+what+others+say+is+because+still+you+are+newly+studing+the+language+and+this+happens+for+every+new+learner. +Do niet +get+hesitated+according+to+me+while+listening+to+the+Cd%27s+which+your+teacher+has+provided+first+try+to+note+down+it+on+paper+as+much+as+you+understand+and+afterwards+try+to+speak+the+same+along+with+the+CD.+thus+if+while+speaking+you+pronounce+something+wrong+you+could+make+it+right+and+like+wise+after+while+you+could+also+be+able+to+speak+as+well+as+understand+Spanish+very+fast.