有不少朋友看到我在網誌寫南美和西班牙學西班牙文的經歷﹐來函詢問我有關學西班牙語的經驗﹐先多謝來信的各位朋友﹐收到你們的回響固然感到欣喜﹐其實你們的來信亦鼓勵了我把這方面的一些感想和經驗寫出來﹐所以實在要再講聲多謝。
我大約在五年前開始學西班牙文﹐想學西班牙文是因為喜歡西班牙南部Andaluzia的文化氛圍﹐特別迷佛蘭明哥舞(曾兩度去西班牙學舞)﹐本身亦喜歡學語言﹐不想學日文或法文﹐所以就決定學西文。
在香港報讀了一個「工聯會」 的初級西班牙語課程(來自香港的朋友一定認識「工聯會」這個組織﹐這個組織有龐大的資源辦各種課程﹐費用比市價低﹐藉此賺到不少群眾支持﹐投放回其所屬的政黨「民建聯」身上) ﹐每星期上課兩個鐘頭﹐前後上了三個月﹐學完三個月﹐只會開口說多謝﹐連用西班牙文說時間﹐都結巴巴的﹐很可憐。
自問不是特別蠢﹐或缺乏語言天份﹐才落到這個田地﹐試想想﹐一個星期才上兩個小時的堂﹐而且大班上堂(至少三十人) ﹐沒機會開口練習自不在話下﹐平時亦因為工作關係沒時間練習﹐在這種環境下能開口講到簡單的會話﹐已屬異數。而我，肯定不是異數。
我之後亦上過香港大學校外課程辦的西班牙語課程﹐再修了一次初級班(學費要貴很多)﹐老師是個代課老師﹐滿有衝勁的﹐但班上的同學都嫌進度太快了﹐很難跟得上。我記得課程未到一半﹐已有同學挨不住﹐不再來上課。當時老師亦明白問題所在﹐但她說課程內容不是她訂的﹐她接到指示定要在課程完結時教完某些規定的內容﹐所以實在沒辦法。
讀完初級班﹐在考完筆試和口試後你可以升上中級班﹐我勉強通過了筆試和口試﹐但我知道我的根基打得很差﹐很多基本的文法概念都沒有﹐講方面亦說不出什麼出來﹐我免強升上中級班只會自討苦吃﹐半途而廢。
於是我嘗試用另外的方法學習西班牙文﹕語言交換。就是在香港的雜誌登廣告找人作語言交換。在香港只有一份給外國人看的免費雜誌﹐叫HK Magazine, 在特多外國人出沒的地方都會找到一份(例如蘭桂坊的餐廳酒吧﹐部份電影院) ﹐裡面有一欄是讓人登廣告找尋男女朋友﹑伴侶﹑語言交換的朋友等等﹐只要字數不超出規定﹐就不用付費。
我從未用過這樣的服務﹐亦有點擔心會遇到什麼樣的人﹐但人生在世﹐不去試就永遠被困在舊圈子裡﹐我一直以這樣的信念鼓勵自己﹐於是下定決心登廣告﹐要找個在香港生活的西班牙人作語言交換﹐我教她/他中文﹐她/他則教我西班牙文。
結果……
我認識了一個很特別的西班牙朋友﹐不過﹐卻沒學得成西班牙文。說來話長﹐下文再續。
16 comments ↓
我也有讀過”工聯會” + 香港大學校外課程的”西班牙語初級”. 我被那些複雜的西語”動詞”搞昏了 !!
Jess, speaking from my experience, the verb conjugation is also the most difficult part for me. But once you get the chance to use the verbs and practice and practice, the problem will disappear. Never give up.
I also took the Spanish course organized by HKU space few years ago. Unfortunately, i think that experience was quite disappointing. I could not learn much in that class… the atmosphere was not very good. Half of the students were too shy to speak and practice Spanish in class… I also got a feeling that the teacher did not use enough Spanish in the class. He tended to use lots of English to explain the grammar and conjugation… after the whole course, I found that i learnt some grammar, but was not able to speak and understand some basic conversational Spanish. :(
I’m still looking for the suitable Spanish courses in HK, it seems that there are not much good choices for learning Spanish in HK…Chocosea, could you pls share a bit more, the introductory course in HKU space has got 114 hours, if students are unable to speak and understand some basic conversational Spanish after finishing the course. I think I will take this out from my choices. Thanks~
Christy, I hope I am not discouraging you, but what Chocosea described about her HKU Space experience fitted quite well in my HKU Space experience as well. And I doubt if you can find a really good course in Hong Kong. I felt like I started to learn spanish only after I arrived in Spain and enrolled in a language school. All the previous time I spent on learning Spanish in Hong Kong amounts to nothing.
Well, I don’t blame it wholly on the design of the course. I would say the learning environment plays a part in it. When you don’t have opportunity to use and practice the language, how can you make improvement? The class time is the only such opportunity. but if the class is big, how can you get opportunity to speak? So it is all doomed. The best way to learn a language is go to the country where the languaage is spoken.
Yes…the best way to learn a language is go to the country where the language is spoken, but I still need more time to put aside the money…
Why I plan to study Spanish in HK first is that I think it would be too difficult to learn a new language while they use the language you don’t even know a little to teach you. Did you have this problem when you went there?
I saw a intitution called “PTS” from your site, they provide native teacher, one to one or group (4-5 persons) learning. It seems good but tuition fee is too expensive…
The fact is, although I learnt some very basic spanish in Hong Kong before I went to Spain to continue my study, I was still a total beginner. The language schools in spain have rich experience in teaaching beginners, because they receive many beginners like me. So no worries. Of course, if you are already a learner of intermediate level, and you go to spain to brush up on the language, your progress will be faster than say, a beginner just starting to learn the language.
Anna, thanks so much for your advice!
After reading your weblog, I really developed my interest in going Spain to learn Spanish. but…not now…
Actually, I am currently studying advnaced course in 工聯會 , but u know, the level is just very beginner, and I think i can only use some greeting phase, that’s all. I am planning to study HKU Space introductory course part 2, but seems accroding to your expereince, it is not that useful.
I have a few question to ask:
1. Do u suggest any other method to keep my spanish level before learning spanish in Spanin?
2. How long have you studied for spanish in Spain ? 6 months?
How much does it cost?
3. Do you have msn ? I really wanan ask more about your experience in Spain.
Tks.
Katy,
1. i am subscribing to spanish word of the day so that i can still keep my interest in spanish out of the daily busy life. but my experience is, you only start to learn the language after you are in the country where the language is spoken. so go to spain whenever you get a chance.
2. yeah, i spent alsmost 6 months in spain. it costed about 8-9000 hkd per month, by my style of living, which means neither luxury nor too mean to myself.
3. sorry i don’t use msn. but i am happy to answer any question you may have here.
i love to see people going overseaas to learn a language, particularly spanish. because the experience is just great.
hi anna, long time no see! i was in Beijing in the past few months to study Putonghua. The network there was really bad so I couldn’t spend much time in reading and replying blogs. Really miss your writing!
I am recently looking at the info about studying Spanish in Castila. I think it may cost much more than your time. The tuition plus housing (without meals in shared flats) already cost around EUR 1000 per month! With some very basic daily expenses, I think we may need around HKD 15000 per month to study in Castila. And it should be quite a minimum without much traveling to neighboring cities.
By the way, I read your english blog too. I would like to share some feelings/info about the Beijing accomodation things (I tried to use the housing website you mentioned when i first arrived BJ in March). Will try to post a comment shortly. Hope you won’t mind it.. :)
Hi Chocosea, so nice to hear from you again! I have a flu and sorry that I didn’t reply you earlier.
I know the internet connection is slow in china and they censored many websites as well.
Yeah, i checked back the website. It is true tht Casila has raised the fees. But even if they raise the price, the school will not be able to make much money. Its premise is a quaint building with a garden. There are about 6 classes they can run at the same time, and each class is limited to six people. So there is just so much money they can make. And because many europeans go there just for short term classes, say two or three weeks, they don’t mind paying a high price as well.
I just heard that a teacher I knew back then is now teaching at “Centro de lenguas modernas”, a language school in the city centre. Her name is Cristina, a great teacher. She was the one who always went out with students and was in charge of student activities. You may want to check out the school as well.
I still have close contact with a classmate of castila. she has gone back to granada twice and we want to meet again in granada in 2009. Granada for us is a magical city. So no matter which school you choose at the end, you must go to granada.
you are most welcome to post comment on my english blog. pls do!
Hi! Anna
Amazing website! I love it very mcuh!!
Actually I am planning go to Barcelona to study spanish between March -December 2008, however over 100 schools in internet I can search, any school you can recommend to me?
I already check the website http://www.123teachme.com
EF & Donquijote seem good but quite expenisve,
Pylmon isn’t good? becasue not yet rated!
what do you think should I take a course in university?
In Hong Kong, seem not easy to get a job need to speak spanish, right?
sorry to ask a lot of question! thanks!
Dawn Chan
Hi Dawn, I’ve never studied spanish in barcelona though have been to the city. I’ve written to a reader of the blog who may be able to offer you some advice.
I would recommend you to study in both a language school and university. The latter usually costs less and starts at certain dates of the year only, and more caters to longer-term study. It will cost you more to study in a langauge school, but you may have more activities to join and a smaller class size. I would recommend you to start with a language school, and then continue with a university spanish program.
It is hard to get a job based on your spanish skill in HK. But you may be able to find more opportunites of work in mainland china or spain, or spanish speaking latin countries. There is no doubt that language skill will give you advantage in the job market, not to mention the whole new world you will have access to when having acquired competency in a new language.
Dear Anna
Thank you for your quick reply! I will take your advice!
So any travel plan in this year? I guess most of the reader interest to know! Keep in touch!
Dawn
Hi Dawn, I ran into this forum discussion about spanish language schools in barcelona. take a look and it may be helpful for you.
Btw, Alex, a friend of this blog wrote back and said he cln’t make any recommendation right now as his course in barcelona hasn’t started yet. But he mentioned the issue of catalan, the langauge barcelona people use, which is also the official language of the city. The language is used everywhere, and that may not be a good learning environment for a spanish learner. I agreed with him, for i have been to barcelona, and knew what it was like. so his advice is worth your consideration.
I am planing to go to salamanca, spain late sept for a two-week spanish course. Not firm yet, but most likely.
Cheers,
Leave a Comment