Early learning stages too boring

[valikor]

I've picked up Spanish as a small hobby. Strictly self-study.

But the beginning stages of learning a language seem so ridiculously boring; I can't say anything yet, or understand anything. I can't write anything--not even an extremely simple blog or diary. I can't even read a children's book.

"Suck it up" might be the best answer, but if anyone else has other ideas, I'd love to hear them!

David

[feihong]

If you have other hobbies, try to integrate them with Spanish. For example, if you like to listen music, then download a lot of Spanish songs. You won't understand the lyrics right away, of course, but it will help you get used to the sound of the language.

[anonymoose]

Get a hot Spanish girlfriend

[valikor]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

@Anonymoose -- then how do you suggest I study Chinese?

[Erbse]

If you are not yet married and you do not plan to marry your current girlfriend, then it's perfectly legal to have several girlfriends. And besides, it's all in the name of education.

It shouldn't be to difficult to bring your Spanish level to the point where you can read something, if you already know English.

[skylee]

It shouldn't be to difficult to bring your Spanish level to the point where you can read something, if you already know English.

Is this really true? I know zero Spanish. But when I was in a line in a supermarket in Bilbao staring at a notice next to the cashier I thought I understood it (something about prohibitation to sell alcohol to minors). I sometimes wondered if I had just imagined it. (Blogged here.)

排隊付款時,百無聊賴地看收銀處的告示,不知怎的竟能看得懂,

[anonymoose]

Is this really true?

To a certain extent, I think it is. At least, I can read basic spanish even though I've never learnt it, although I think that is as much to do with my having learnt french as it is to do with knowing english. The same goes for dutch. With a combination of my english and german, I can understand basic dutch.

[gato]

Spanish is pretty close to French. It is even closer to Italian.

[renzhe]

Spanish developed from Latin, and most European languages have borrowed huge amounts of vocabulary from Latin. Learning Spanish should be considerably easier for an English speaker than learning Chinese.

[gougou]

For me, the first phases of studying always were the most interesting ones, so I'm a bit surprised to see you're not enjoying it. Don't you like the feeling of slowly understanding a new grammar? Of seeing significant progress you make every day?

For me, it's always the later stages where basically all you're doing is learning vocabulary that are tedious...

[anonymoose]

@Anonymoose -- then how do you suggest I study Chinese?

鱼和熊掌不可兼得。