From no hablo espanol to being conversational

A LARGE number of retirees in Panama are in what some like to call the golden age which, according to hearsay, means that learning a new language is going to be a challenge.

So, If you are living in Panama, and still struggling with anything more complicated than donde esta el bano. there are many language schools where you can either enroll in a class, or take one-on-one tutorials.

 If classes or tutoring haven’t worked well for you, you probably have tried one of the “language-in-a-box programs” where you will try to learn ‘useful’ phrases such as “the boy is under a ball.”
A lot of language programs have the same problem of not being really useful. When I was studying in Paris, the standard English phrase for French citizens studying L’anglais was: “My tailor is rich”. The English students of French in those days could cross the Channel to France and happily mouth “La plume de ma tante” (The pen of my aunt), which didn’t bring a very enticing meal to the table.
All of which brings me to an interesting series of conversations recently with a visiting aeronautical and astronautical engineering graduate (University of Illinois) who used his own language learning difficulties to design a practical language learning program that can either be used by itself or as a supplement to classes or tutors
Brent Van Arsdell came to the world of linguistics after attending a performance of the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, near San Diego. California. When he went to chat with some of the musicians, their English was on a par with his Russian – zero.
That no-go conversation led him to studying Russian and he purchased an expensive package, which introduced him to the boy and the ball experience. A second expensive package was an improvement but boring and “boring is the fastest way to abandoning language study.” he says.
He decided to work on creating a language learning program that would meet the needs of those wanting more than a guide to the nearest washroom.
After two years he figured how to make a faster and more interesting approach, then he hired his first programmer and after two more years of writing software Language101.com a program for learning Spanish and other languages, was born.
It is a hands on program that Brent calls “Speed Learning.” His approach helps you study many different phrases very quickly, improving your recall, just a little bit every time you review a phrase.
When the software prompts you to say a Spanish phrase, there is an on screen timer bar, which is meant to keeps you studying (and learning) quickly. He says that his approach only works well if you study very quickly, it doesn’t work at all if you go too slowly.
Says Brent: “Language101.com is effective for beginners and people who have learned Spanish once and have forgotten it. It’s not a good choice for students who can already carry on a decent conversation in Spanish.
He advises at least 30 minutes of study a day for 12 weeks. If you are really on a language kick there are other languages, even Quebec French. Bonne Chance.