Spanish Group

An area with study groups for various languages. Group members help each other, share resources and experience. Study groups are permanent but the members rotate and change.
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Jaleel10
Blue Belt
Posts: 534
Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:44 am
Location: Springbok, South Africa
Languages: Afrikaans (N), English (N)
Spanish (Advanced-B2)
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Re: Spanish Group

Postby Jaleel10 » Fri Jul 20, 2018 2:01 pm

In the near future I kind of want to start getting better at producing words and structures quicker and more efficiently when I am speaking. I see FSI and DLI mentioned frequently on this forum. If any of you have any experience with either of them for Spanish, would you please mind telling me how they helped you. Any personal experiences or links to past threads mentioning it.

I am asking specifically for Spanish because I heard the quality varies between courses. The Portuguese DLI is apparently very good (which is good to hear because it is on the bucket list) but I have seen some people complaining that the Spanish version contains an exorbitant amount of military terms. Which I guess I don't mind because I assume the secret in upping your 'speaking fluency' is through the drills and not necessarily the content itself.
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iguanamon
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2354
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 11:14 am
Location: Virgin Islands
Languages: Speaks: English (Native); Spanish (C2); Portuguese (C2); Haitian Creole (C1); Ladino/Djudeo-espanyol (C1); Lesser Antilles French Creole (B2)
Studies: Catalan
Language Log: viewtopic.php?t=797
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Re: Spanish Group

Postby iguanamon » Fri Jul 20, 2018 2:25 pm

Spanish DLI is very different from the other "DLI Basic Courses" and does have a military focus. Spanish DLI Course is nothing like the ones I have done in terms of it's teaching structure. The DLI Portuguese Basic Course has virtually no military content. Many people have used FSI successfully, James29 comes to mind, also Bolio and Brun Ugle. Some have used it as a strictly audio course ignoring the textbook. The drills are what's most worthwhile in helping a learner consolidate grammar patterns.

I learned Spanish without FSI. However, I had great success with this type of material in Portuguese and Haitian Creole. It would be a great complement to reading and listening/watching native material as it forces the learner to produce patterns and think about them actively.
Last edited by iguanamon on Fri Jul 20, 2018 3:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Systematiker
Blue Belt
Posts: 823
Joined: Tue May 10, 2016 6:09 pm
Languages: ENG (N); DEU (C2+) // SWG (~C1); BAR (~C1); SPA (4/3); FRA (~C1); SCO (~C1); NLD (~B2*); LAT (Latinum Bavaricum); GRC (Graecum Bavaricum); CAT (~B2*); POR (~B2*); SWE (~B2*); HBO (Hebraicum); DAN (~B1*); RUS (~A2); KOR (~A1); FAS (still a raw beginner)
*Averaged for high receptive skill
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=7332
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Re: Spanish Group

Postby Systematiker » Fri Jul 20, 2018 2:48 pm

I did about half of FSI Spanish as audio-only drills after being rather good receptively at Spanish (Like, in the earlier units where there was a dialogue for listening, I skipped the slow repeats of the "dialogue for learning" and went straight to the drills, and I did everything exactly once, because I wasn't learning, I was automatizing). It was pretty good for automatizing my speaking, and getting the things I understand to actually come out of my mouth. It would probably be good for me to finish it at some point, even, because while I'm capable of speech at a certain level, I know I need a lead-up to not have active skills significantly lower, and hammering things in might be good. I think it's a great complement to a lot of input, especially if you've got significantly unbalanced receptive and productive skills, as I had. Even at my current level, without a lot of opportunity to speak regularly, I'm seriously considering doing the audio of the latter half of the course in the same manner as I did the first half.

I feel that I got enough value out of it that it's pretty much a part of the plan for "activating" any language I don't speak often and have enough lead time to know I'll need. If I've got a couple months before needing it, my plan is to run through FSI in that language, so as to get more balance in reception and production (based on my experience with FSI Spanish).

Short answer: do it :lol:
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Cavesa
Black Belt - 4th Dan
Posts: 4960
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:46 am
Languages: Czech (N), French (C2) English (C1), Italian (C1), Spanish, German (C1)
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Re: Spanish Group

Postby Cavesa » Fri Jul 20, 2018 2:51 pm

Thanks Jaleel10!!!

I love AbiPower!!!
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Brun Ugle
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2273
Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2015 12:48 pm
Location: Steinkjer, Norway
Languages: English (N), Norwegian (~C1/C2), Spanish (B1/B2), German (A2/B1?), Japanese (very rusty)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=11484
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Re: Spanish Group

Postby Brun Ugle » Fri Jul 20, 2018 3:31 pm

I used FSI (not DLI) for Spanish and found the Spanish FSI courses to be the best of the FSI courses I’ve tried so far. I started with the Programmatic course. It starts out more slowly that the Basic course and spoon feeds you a bit more. The Programmatic course starts out with very thorough pronunciation lessons. The Basic course doesn’t have so much on pronunciation of individual sounds, but goes through sentence intonation pretty thoroughly, something the Programmatic course doesn’t really focus on at all. The drills in both courses are excellent. I found the courses complemented each other and I’m glad I did them both. I think the two FSI courses deserve most of the credit for my pronunciation and grammar. If you aren’t a beginner and don’t feel like doing both courses, I would suggest doing just the Basic course. They both go up to a similar level, but the Basic course has a much brisker pace early on.
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Jaleel10
Blue Belt
Posts: 534
Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:44 am
Location: Springbok, South Africa
Languages: Afrikaans (N), English (N)
Spanish (Advanced-B2)
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Re: Spanish Group

Postby Jaleel10 » Fri Jul 20, 2018 3:46 pm

Thanks, Iguanamon, Systematiker and Brun Ugle. I never expected such quick responses haha, I mightily appreciate it :D As I am typing this message FSI Basic Spanish is downloading so I have something to do tonight. I might opt to do it as an audio course. I walk a lot so it's a win-win. I already do a lot of reading and grammar exercises so I think I should be fine going audio only. Again, many thanks for the responses, guys.

I am glad you are enjoying AbiPower, Cavesa. She is helping me get used to the Andalusian accent and she is just so energetic and charismatic. I can't help but smile while watching her.
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James29
Blue Belt
Posts: 758
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2015 11:51 am
Languages: English (Native)
Spanish (C1-ish)
French (Beginner)
Portuguese (Thinking about it)
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Re: Spanish Group

Postby James29 » Fri Jul 20, 2018 5:15 pm

FSI Basic Spanish is well worth it. It would be very difficult for a beginner, but for an intermediate or even early advanced learner it is incredibly valuable. It really makes things automatic and gets you comfortable with the language. I did it thoroughly two separate times separated by a year or two. I'm guessing I'm about C2 now and I've often thought of going through it again. I've probably done 20-30 Spanish self study courses and I can easily say FSI was the most helpful.
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Jaleel10
Blue Belt
Posts: 534
Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:44 am
Location: Springbok, South Africa
Languages: Afrikaans (N), English (N)
Spanish (Advanced-B2)
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Contact:

Re: Spanish Group

Postby Jaleel10 » Fri Jul 20, 2018 6:25 pm

Wow, this is pretty awesome to hear, James. That even at such an advanced level you would repeat the course and that after having done it twice. It will definitely be the first thing I do after finishing or get close to finishing Assimil. I already feel that I am strongly bridging the gap between between higher beginner and lower intermediate. And hopefully within a month or so this is will be the perfect supplement while wallowing around in intermediate purgatory :P
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Brun Ugle
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2273
Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2015 12:48 pm
Location: Steinkjer, Norway
Languages: English (N), Norwegian (~C1/C2), Spanish (B1/B2), German (A2/B1?), Japanese (very rusty)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=11484
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Re: Spanish Group

Postby Brun Ugle » Fri Jul 20, 2018 6:29 pm

James29 wrote:FSI Basic Spanish is well worth it. It would be very difficult for a beginner, but for an intermediate or even early advanced learner it is incredibly valuable. It really makes things automatic and gets you comfortable with the language. I did it thoroughly two separate times separated by a year or two. I'm guessing I'm about C2 now and I've often thought of going through it again. I've probably done 20-30 Spanish self study courses and I can easily say FSI was the most helpful.

Wow! I’ve been thinking of doing it again myself, but I can’t face it right now. Even though I enjoyed it the first time around, I don’t really have the motivation to do it again right now. Maybe next year. I do think it might help me to nail down some of the grammar that I kind of know, but tend to mess up under pressure.
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NoManches
Blue Belt
Posts: 654
Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2016 2:21 pm
Location: Estados Unidos (near the Mexican border)
Languages: English - (N)
Spanish - B2 +
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=7942
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Re: Spanish Group

Postby NoManches » Fri Jul 20, 2018 8:29 pm

I too have considered doing an FSI or similar course, even though I'm at a "higher level". I feel like when I drive I tend to zone out a lot and don't listen attentively to my podcasts. Years ago I did some type of Spanish course in the car where they give you something in English and you translate to Spanish, and then they give you the correct Spanish of what you should have said. I forget the name of the course but it really held my attention and I didn't find myself zoning out at all.

Maybe something like FSI would give me some added listening practice and allow me to make some improvements with my grammar and other little things.

Fortunately for me, when I drive at work I'm usually on country roads with nobody around for miles... and I'm normally driving slow so I can check on equipment and things. I feel a lot safer doing an FSI type course on a country road than I would in the city.

I'll have to dig through my old audio files to see if I have FSI still. I think I have Pimsleur or the Michel Thomas course which I partially did years ago as well.


*Update* Just checked and I have both FSI and Pimsleur. The course I was originally talking about is called "Express Spanish".

I just added all three to my phone. I thought things like FSI were behind me but if James29 is considering doing it again even at a C2 level, then it's most definitely worth me checking out again.

Question about FSI: Is it an audio only course or do you have to do a workbook along with it? I'm looking for audio only.
Last edited by NoManches on Sat Jul 21, 2018 3:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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