I was wondering if anybody learned to speak spanish recently. I do work for a couple of people who own multi family homes and some of the tenants only speak spanish.
Does anybody know of a guide for contractors to teach spanish. I don’t need to know every word but just to know enough to get by. Thanks for the info. JEM
Headstong, I’ll take on anyone!
Performance improvements for the prized homes of an influential developer who wanted us all to be able to own one.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
Tengo hambre. I am hungry.
Si yes
Souee Hombre. I am a man.
Pino Hombre Pine man.
I think I've shot my Spanish wad. I have a tutor. He claims that If I learn one word a day, I'll be able to speak spanish in a couple of months enough to get along. I'm making the effort. I see it as inevitable.
blue
souee isn't a word in Spanish, it should be soy as in, "¡soy muy borracho!" (I am very drunk!) Pronounced just like soy, just no sauce.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Right.
Soy means 'I am'
Soy bean means 'I am a bean'
Carry on.The heck, you say?
Puta
The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides, I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace. I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.
lowes had a constuction guide for spanish for $7, it was at the commerical desk. Its pocket size.
Fox and others have openly said they support immigration, legal or not, to dominate the SW and flip the demographics. Taking back what was lost in previous conflicts and annexations by the US. Learning Spanish if your in the southern US sounds like a good idea.
They have a program called reconquista...reconquering and thats exacctly what they are doing.
I bought a few dictionarys and started reading them, and went out of my way to talk with folks who spoke Spanish.
Every time I encountered a new word I'd go look it up.
As soon as people on the job figure out that you want to learn, most folks are helpful and friendly.
The verb conjugation is tough, but for site use it isn't essential. If you want to be understood and someone wants to understand you it's pretty easy.
I got some tapes (yea I still have a tape player) and listen to them in the truck I often drive 30 to 45 min each way to job sitesand sometimes several sites in a day so i have pleanty of time
I find the plimser to be the best . (checked them out of the library )or try ebay. I also click on the spanish tv channels and watch a bit .
wifey is also learing and she likes the berlitz tapes better.
I can figure the spanish TV because they talk so fast.. 2+3=7
I get too distracted by the nookie on the spanish channel.
http://www.hay98.com/
Lots and lots of beautiful women, for sure!
The heck, you say?
I don't even turn the sound on when watching those channels.
That way I can pretend they're talking to me.
I used to live in Phoenix I learned to speak fluent Spanglish
Broken English with a Spanish accent
Fairly fluent in that as well.
The heck, you say?
Duluth sells one. I don't know anything about it but it looks like it's OK. My Spanish is pretty limited as I hear very slowly. I tell them to write down what what they are saying then we communicate muy bien.
http://www.duluthtrading.com/search/searchresults/91006.aspx
I've spent some time learning Spanish, all of it worthwhile. I've visited Mexico three times, once to work there in the mining business for several months. In my opinion, learning to speak Spanish is a very smart business decision for anyone in the building trades, particularly in the Southwest. It's also a lot of fun, being able to communicate with latinos, even if you're awkward at it. My experience is that latinos are happy to help me learn their language, if I make it real effort.
The best way to learn is the one which fits your situation. If, as another fellow says, you have time during the commute, get some tapes or CDs to play. "Living Language" books, a Random House company, are very good. They can be purchased with tapes or CDs. Another good method is computer software which adds visual clues to help you remember the meaning of the words.
However you learn it, the only way to retain it is to use it in conversation. I make it my habit to speak Spanish when I order a Del Taco or Pollo Loco meal. I used to work with a guy who spoke both languages well so I occasionally asked him to help me. I could've learned a lot more if I'd taken better advantage of his knowledge, and studied at home each night. Buena suerte, amigo.
I took a class at the local community college. Got some CDs too.
As far as books, look at amazon.com - they have several.
I just thought I'd help anyone out there with a couple of spanish phrases...
I f you meet a spanish person who does not speak english and you wish to say something like " Have a nice day", tell him " Chinga tu madre"
Or if this person helps you with something and you want to say he is a great person say " Tu es un pieza de mierda"
When I come up with a few more I will post them.
When Chileo ( one of our Latinos) got some spiffy new shades last summer..DAle and I started calling him 'Jose' Freo" which should translate as Joe Cool, we thought...he didn't get it. I hope he didn't think we were crazy or anything..LOL
yeah, right.
no chance of anyone ever thinking YOU'RE crazy
<G>
Man, that is so kind of you. <G>You don't happen to also own the local ambulance service, do you? <G>
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1881319059/102-0741905-3108105?v=glance&n=283155this is the book I bought at Lowes, I was taling about.. 2+3=7
I don't think an ambulance will be needed after telling someone to do that to their mother.¿Donde esta el baño?
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
You're right -- maybe he owns the local morgue.
Oh yeah, here's one.
Tell your new spanish friend that it;s an American custom that when you are driving down the highway.... and you want to say "Hello" to the person in the next car, you normally hold up your fist with your middle finger extended.
Yeah, please do -- post some more. That will be SO helpful to the original poster who seems to have a real desire to learn the language. Why do you think knowing dirty words in another language is so funny? You are definitely in touch with your inner 12-year old.
(FWIW, I am now PenobscotMan, but I used to be Javier)
I've turned on the Spanish channels and also turned on the closed caption option on my TV. This allows you to hear the words and read along.
If you're a beginner, they do talk way too fast to follow along by just listening alone. But if you can see the words, it helps to understand what the words really are.
Every once in a while, the captions will be in English, which is a really good way to learn.
man I would love to get involved in this thread but the socialist libs here wuold whine so I cant...bummer
¿Que tienes tu?The heck, you say?
Get yourself a Spanish to English (vise versa) dictionary, and watch movies in Spanish with English subtitles. That's how a lot of the people I know in Mexico learned English. Hardest part is the male/female nouns (Knowing when to use el vs. la), and adjectives/adverbs following rather than preceding. Good luck.
WSJ
Edited 12/11/2005 2:54 pm ET by WorkshopJon
In my life I have achieved (and lost) the ability to get by (at various levels) in 3 second languages - thanks to tapes, books, TV, University credit courses, and/or live-in immersion.
Tapes and not-for-credit conversational courses are a great way to get started and build enthusiasm. You will quickly learn whole sentences, but then you'll stall out and not get better. To really do it, you need to work at it; so credit courses and immersion are worth the investment of time and money.
If you took one college-level night class, followed by a (formal, educational) total immersion program of 3 weeks or longer (could be the family vacation of a lifetime), you could be doing very well within a year. This is especially true since you have the chance to practice in your 'real' life.
If starting with tapes, here's three tips:
1) Make sure you buy ones that are for Latin American Spanish (as opposed to European) or you might develop a strange lisp. ;-)
2) You HAVE to repeat after them, when they say to. I like to use the tapes while driving around in the city. That's good for a laugh.
3) Even better, use the tapes while someone better at Spanish IS listening - like walking around the job site. Your kind co-workers can't be expected to provide a proper lesson progression. But, then you won't just practice doing it wrong. Besides, a big barrier in languages is nerves. Best to make a fool of yourself and get it behind you.
Where in Northern NJ?
I'm in Wanaque, own a building in Paterson where all the tenants speak Spanish and mine is mierta.
I'm in South Hackensack, Bergen County. I used to work at Action Auto in Ringwood about 13 years ago. I know your area well.
Headstong, I'll take on anyone!
Thanks for the info. I guess I'll be buying the cd's to play in the truck. And as for the spanish channels, I could never watch the subtitles, my I are glued to the picture!
Headstong, I'll take on anyone!
I guess language is part a state of mind. I have done several jobs in foreign countries. My first was in Nigeria where I was told they speak English. When I got there I found they speak a much abridged form of British. No tool names or construction terms matched anything I had ever heard, it was an adventure in communication. The first time I asked for a level I was met with lost stares, it a 'plumb'.
My next job was in the French Congo, with the French passing on their love of the english, NOBODY spoke a word of English. Somehow the building got up and to the best of my knowledge is still standing.
To add to the adventure both buildings were basicaly American buildings that had been shipped over ready to build. The only local products involved in the construction was the cement and LOTS of hand labor.
Good luck with you language learning.
My advice is "don't go there!". My daughter (22) is fluent in Spanish and translates in a hospital ER. If I try to use my rusty Spanish (I WAS in the Spanish honor society in the 70's! after all), she tells me to stop immediately. A couple of weeks ago, I knew I'd be calling Central America on business and needed a script (my pronunciation is not all shot...) and she had to write out a script in Spanish (with English subtitles) and contingency sentences depending on my call. Thank goodness, I did not get to the contingencies, but I think the housekeeper (maybe wife) rolled over to give the phone to the man I was calling who could speak English right away!!!
Point in fact. We briefly had an MD/MBA from Argentina as neighbors. They were lovely people, even when he tried to "aspirate his leaves in fall" and spent a whole day trying to suck up leaves off the very short driveway instead of blowing and bagging or mulching them. Well, they stopped over and I wanted to ask if they'd found the grocery and called it a bodega. Apparently that is not the grocery store as I learned back then, which is now a Mercado, but instead a liquor store! Boy was I embarassed.
You might do better trying to hire a bilingual worker, or at least find a family member who is bilingual or even a translator (try the local highschool for a native speaker who is fluent in English). Skip doing it on Babel Fish - boy does that get you in trouble. Just type in what you want to say English to Spanish, then translate it back Spanish to English. Even better, try "extra shredded cheese with a side of Pico de Gallo...Talk about trouble! Clear and accurate communication are absolutely necessary for your work.
To the TV people and those introducing words you should NOT use, I even landed on a Spanish speaking version of a "regular" movie I'd seen and it took me a while to remember that was not part of the original movie before I caught on. One cannot be too careful and very easily screw up big time with the good intentions that pave to road to hell.
Unfortunately, conversational Spanish will probably not get you where you need to be. The construction trade and communicating the simple concepts often do not translate well in Spanish. This is probably a very specialized area and a course that would be of benefit to many. Either study you tail off and speak it regularly with Spanish speaking bilingual people (over the course of years) or find a Spanish buddy quick! A translation book might give you a noun or two that may mean something altogether different to your client. Again, best of luck to you and do tell of your adventures - it will be beneficial and undoubtedly humourous. Hoping you avoid the innocent mis-steps and gain new customers.
You mean they only speak Spanish when it suits them? If they've been here for any length of time, they probably speak some English and if they plan to stay, they're gonna have to learn in order to get by over the long haul. I don't have a problem if people want to come to the US legally, but English is becoming the second language. I don't hear about any other country that has allowed immigrants to effectively change their language. A lot of Europeans speak several languages pretty well, at least enough to communicate.
Taking a lot of time trying to convey instructions to people who don't speak the official language of a country just raises the price of whatever they're making. If you use knowledge of the English language as a job requirement, it may get things done faster. Knowing some Spanish isn't a bad thing, though. If you overhear them, it's good to have an idea of what they are saying. However, even after taking 2 years of Spanish in HS, there's no way I can keep up with them. They don't teach it the way it's spoken in everyday life.
See the thing is I don't have spanish people working for me, my guy is American. I work in a guy's rental and the tenants speak only spanish. There children speak english but there not always home. I get to the house and they have a hard time telling me what is broken.
I do agree that they should learn english as my Great-grandparents did when they came from Italy. But some of the older people feel we should learn there language. I was told that they are talking about spanish as the first language in NJ. My mother works at in a school system and this has been mentioned. I will leave this state if that happens.
Headstong, I'll take on anyone!
My boss is spanish, or should I say wetback. Rapheal hoesa jauan godzalia III and he cannot speck a spick of spanish. 2+3=7
I live in south Texas, if you do not know functional construction spanish you are in trouble.
Get a dictionary for site work and some CDs for your truck or home.
Practise, practise, practise....do not be shy.....try to use it in conversation and communicating with spanish speaking folk....make sure the dictionary handy.
I have also found that when trying to learn new words, have someone spell write them for you.
Many words are similar to english words. ie: arreglan - arrange / fabricar - fabricate / maestro - master / grande - big or large
Other words are easy to see where they are derived ie: primero - first (the prime or first of anything / pared - wall (partician) / ventana - window (probably derived form our word vent) / escribier - write or enscribe (scribe)
Spanish has male and female words. an A ending usually represents femine words and an alternate and femine The ie: la casa (the house) el campo (the camp) and amigo(s) male friends / amiga(s) female friends
el sarucho (the saw) la ventana (the window) el caro (the car) la trucka (the truck) la
descriptive words / phrases are somtimes backwards from english ie: campana azul / blue bell (azul is spanish for blue) la casa rojo (the red house)
la trucka que es muy grande Y blanco (the big white truck) - actual: the truck what is very big and white
Sorry, some of my spelling may be off, thus it is good to have new words written for you.
1. Tapes or CDs for practicing in your car. I've hear Pimsler is very good, and allows you to quickly build up a working knowledge of grammar with a limited vocabulary. I used Learn In Your Car Spanish, which wasn't bad for as far as it got me.
2. A pocket Spanish-English dictionary -- carry it around with you, and look stuff up frequently.
3. Spend time with native Spanish-speaking people, and USE the little bit of Spanish you know at every opportunity. If you never make someone laugh at your efforts, you aren't using it enough to get the benefit of their knowledge. When the laughing slows enough to get a word in edgewise, ask them what you said wrong, how to say it right, and then repeat it until they say you've got it. Total immersion is the best (my fiance's Honduran and I've gotten pretty good in the three years we've been together), but any situation where there are two or more Spanish-speaking people conversing together and you are trying to participate is good.
4. Movies with subtitles are great, as others have mentioned, although the words do go by fast. If you can rent a familiar movie DVD that has a Spanish subtitle and/or Spanish dubbed option, even better.
5. Spanish radio and TV speak even faster (especially talk shows), but Spanish MUSIC uses a limited vocabulary and abundant repetition, and you can search for the lyrics on the Internet. I used this a lot.
6. Formal courses are great -- You will learn the structure of the language, and it will help you to assimilate to rest. Formal courses take time and money, have their own agendas (which might not match your own), but over the long haul, together with immersion, are your best bet for learning the subtleties of the language. This is how I learned French, but not how I learned Spanish. My ability to invent new sentences/conjugate verbs is much better in French than it is in Spanish.
7. Unfortunately, I *don't* know of any good contractor-specific texts or dictionaries. You might try a google search or an Amazon search. A few phrases that will not get you in a fight:
¿Cómo se dice ____ en español? (How do you say ___ in Spanish?)
(ko'mo say dee'say ___ en espanyoll')
¿Qué quiere decir ___ en inglés? (What does ___ mean in English?)
(kay kye'ray dayseer' ___ en ingles')
¿Cómo se escrive eso? (How do you write/spell that?)
(ko'mo say eskree'vay e'so)
Hágalo asÃ. (Do it like this.)
(ah'gahloh ahsee')
Good post.
However, I have seen all of those phrases start a fight here in the Tavern!
;-)The heck, you say?