[ASOT]

I've been using Duolingo for Spanish and as I review it in this subforum it is working well for reading comprehension and writing skills but not so well for building conversational or pronunciation skills. In order to reach a basic level of competence ahead of my South America trip in 3 months, I'll need to rack up 100+ hours of speaking practice.

I started skype lessons purchased through fiverr.com but given the time difference between Australia and South America I can foresee a lot of days where it won't line up for my teacher and I so I'm looking for an extra method so I don't fall short.

I've found Verbling which is chatrooms but they seem largely inactive. I've also found Lo Más TV which is subtitled Spanish video clips and will probably help with listening ability but I'm interested in whether there is something else I should try.

Is Michel Thomas or Plimseur worth buying and will they help? I'm not too keen on paying all that money but if it's going to get me to that basic level of competence I want i will do so, or is there any other resources I should try?

[Sonsowey]

Pimsleur is available for free on torrent sites like piratebay or whatever you prefer. It is 100% useful, but dont expect that to be your only resource.

If you do Pimsleur for 30 minutes a day for 90 days, you will complete the course and it will be a huge boost to your basic vocabulary and grammar. They focus on the most common words which make up the majority of spoken Spanish, so it provides you an excellent foundation.

If you are already studying Spanish and arent starting from zero, you may be able to skip lessons. The first lessons are designed for people who literally know no Spanish. The first lesson will teach you something like: Como esta senora, usted habla ingles? yo soy americano, hablo un poco de espanol.

You of course will need to study more, learn to read, get real world practice, etc. Some people think Pimsler alone is enough, which is just not true. But its definitely a great resource, I have used it for portuguese and Brazilians now regularly assume I too am Brazilian when I address then in Portuguese.

One issue with Pimsleur is that they purposefully speak very slow and clearly. Listen to the guys English, and how fake and weird it sounds. The Spanish is the same way. This is to help you learn and understand. Talking with real people you will encounter slang and different accents, people who talk very fast, etc. Pimsleur is great to start with but its only a start. Highly recommended if you also continue studying in other ways as well.

[Mentavious]

Coffee break Spanish.

Download it on your tablet, phone, computer.

[joez79]

Pimsleur, is excellent, once you do it every day. You also need to read Spanish/Porturguese. Roosh's list of books gives some pointers here.
but if you're serious you need to engage in many conversations - which I haven't been doing. I must address this...

[mr_lucky]

(10-30-2013 04:46 AM)joez79 Wrote:  

Pimsleur, is excellent, once you do it every day. You also need to read Spanish/Porturguese. Roosh's list of books gives some pointers here.
but if you're serious you need to engage in many conversations - which I haven't been doing. I must address this...

Link!