Dos cervezas por favor, learning Spanish / español help and chat

I am not sure what level you get to when you finally reach the end of a course, their blurb suggests you should be reasonably competent.

I think it is a useful tool if you only have 10-15 mins to spare each day (and it is better than doing nothing at all).

10 - 15 minutes a day won't help you learn a language in any meaningful way, unfortunately. I know this, because I've been in Spain for 2 years, doing 10 - 15 minutes a day of Duolingo, and it hasn't taught me anything at all. But, it has helped reinforce what I've learnt through other channels.

I did a rough back of envelope calculation. There's about 2000 hours worth of lessons to complete the French course, plus stories and podcasts and stuff. You will learn more if you do the course intensively - several hours a day - and that will stand you in better stead when you go to France than if you have not done it. You will be more confident, and be more able to deal with written information, and probably better able to express yourself verbally.

Everyone is different, but the basics of how to learn a language are the same for everyone. Duo meets some of those basics, but not all, and not if you do a couple of lessons a day.

@eskay @steveP thanks.
I was considering applying for a version of my job that requires a basic level of French. I'd be expected to get by in a day to day conversation. Sounds like duo would only work as a support for something more intense.

Duo lingo or whatever are great for little bits of practice but you're going to struggle to learn anything to a getting by in normal conversation way with it, especially if it's all you do. There's loads of other free resources out there though and if you're motivated for long enough you could probably sort it yourself. I've dabbled in Spanish on and off now for even longer than when I started this thread and when I went to Spain earlier in the year I was pleased that I understood parts of passing conversations and could ask for basic shit and get by if it was something I needed, but I was far away from having a conversation. I'm pretty sure I've got a decent foundation to build on with some lessons or actual motivation if I was able to arrange either.

Yeah, just to back up what other people have said, unless you have some incredible inate ability to learn languages without even trying then you've got fuck all chance learning language just with duolingo.

If you're in London and can get to south Kensington easily I really recommend the institut français courses. They're cheaper than any other course you could find and they really are excellent. I waited until I'd been with my French wife for 7 years before I decided I should actually try to learn the language. I'd dicked around the duolingo, learning cds and all sorts of things like that but it's no exageration when I say the progress I'd made in just a few weeks was light years past where I was.

I'm quite a big evangelist for them now as I really thought languages were something I couldn't do until I went on the course.

I’d love to find something similar to that for Spanish if anyone has any recommendations.

Me too!!

https://londres.cervantes.es/en/courses_spanish/spanish_courses.htm

although I haven't actually used them, but they are the equivalent of the Institute Francais

Interesting article. The clip of him reporting in six different languages is impressive to say the least!

https://amp.theguardian.com/science/2022/dec/31/hoping-to-learn-another-language-in-the-new-year-polyglots-may-hold-the-key-to-success

Thanks!

I use premium for last couple of years but my missus still uses the free one. I barely have patience for the lessons so if you stuck ads and stuff in too I'd never use it.

Can someone help me with a short translation as I’m a bit confused by a reply I’ve received after wishing someone a happy new year.

Igualmente para ti, haber si te animas y viernes por aquí ☺️

Any help much appreciated

I think they might have made a couple of mistakes there, should be "a ver" instead of haber and "vienes" instead of viernes.

So: Igualmente para ti, a ver si te animas y vienes por aquí = same to you, see if you cheer up and come by here

Nice one, thanks

Dredging this thread as I want to double or even triple check some Spanish before I get a tattoo.
It needs to say ‘no wrestling’ in Spanish
Is it ‘sin lucha libre’

You’re brave asking that on here!

Lucha can also mean fight or struggle

https://open.spotify.com/track/50IrRhZYx0y7yO04rgixBF?si=H93sI35FQ3ScUrn-nxWwKA&context=spotify%3Asearch%3Ala%2Blucha%2Bla%2Bexcel

Wrestling in Spanish is wrestling. Lucha Libre is also wrestling (lit: free fighting). I can check with my Spanish neighbours, but it will be tomorrow.
https://www.elperiodico.com/es/barcelona/20210917/barcelona-wrestling-lucha-libre-pressing-catch-escuelas-12086037

And "no" is "no". If you start typing "no running" into the translation engines you will get "No correr". "Sin" translates more into "without".

So "sin drogas" is "without drugs", and "no drogas" is "No drugs".

Thanks all for the input.
Yes please check with your neighbours, I’d appreciate that.
I’ve sent a message to my friend who’s girlfriend is Spanish.

OK, do you mean "no wrestling" in the sense of prohibition - "No wrestling in this house!"?
or in the sense of it being removed - "I'll fight you, but no wrestling, only boxing gloves"?

I guess like ‘no wrestling in this house’
As if there was a sign in a public space showing wrestling with a line trough it. Like the ‘no diving’ sign at some swimming pools.

I've consulted: "sin lucha libre" deffo means "without wresting", so you want "no lucha libre". Or maybe "Lucha Libre - NO"

Which sounds quite good, and we all want to see it when it's done.

Can't get this out of my head

Lucha is wrestling. Lucha libre is freestyle.
Lucha grecorromana Is just that. Luchar is to struggle or wrestle with something similar to the way it’s used in English.

Maybe that's the safest answer then - "Lucha" in a circle with a line through it.