Conversational Spanish vs. Formal Spanish
Why do you want to learn Spanish? Be honest... isn't it that you would like to have a conversation with another person in Spanish? The best way to do this is to learn conversational Spanish.
It would be great to have the time and resources to learn perfect formal Spanish, but most people don't. A few people may want to learn Spanish because they would like to read Don Quixote in the original Spanish, or because they would like to study Mexican politics. These few will need to study formal Spanish for quite a while to achieve their goals.
The typical student wants to be able to hold up their end of the conversation while traveling abroad, speaking at work, enjoying a date, or having dinner with new friends.
Traditionally Spanish has been taught from where a first grader would start. You learn the Spanish alphabet, some simple Spanish words and some simple Spanish grammar. Then just like a typical elementary student your vocabulary and grammar lessons increase in complexity.
The trouble with this system is that people may learn Spanish to a degree without ever learning how to hold up their end of the conversation. Speaking in an informal setting is very different from speaking in a formal setting.
For this reason the way in which people are learning Spanish is changing. The new emphasis in learning Spanish is on conversational Spanish.
It would be great to have the time and resources to learn perfect formal Spanish, but most people don't. A few people may want to learn Spanish because they would like to read Don Quixote in the original Spanish, or because they would like to study Mexican politics. These few will need to study formal Spanish for quite a while to achieve their goals.
The typical student wants to be able to hold up their end of the conversation while traveling abroad, speaking at work, enjoying a date, or having dinner with new friends.
Traditionally Spanish has been taught from where a first grader would start. You learn the Spanish alphabet, some simple Spanish words and some simple Spanish grammar. Then just like a typical elementary student your vocabulary and grammar lessons increase in complexity.
The trouble with this system is that people may learn Spanish to a degree without ever learning how to hold up their end of the conversation. Speaking in an informal setting is very different from speaking in a formal setting.
For this reason the way in which people are learning Spanish is changing. The new emphasis in learning Spanish is on conversational Spanish.
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What To Expect From A Conversational Spanish Course
Purists would have you dive right into a conversational setting, stumbling as you find your way. Typically, though, you will first learn simple Spanish words that are the necessary parts of conversation. These can be small words like "and", "or", "she", "what", and so on.
After you have these basic words at your command, you will usually be given a small amount of vocabulary on conversational topics. In addition to these topical vocabulary words, some questions are usually given as conversation starters.
For example, the topic may be about going on a trip in a car. You will first learn words about the different parts of the car, such as the door, the trunk, or the seat. Then it will be natural to introduce words about places you may see along the way, like a gas station, a store, or a restaurant.
The small amount of vocabulary on a particular topic can be used as a conversation starter to get you going. A question might say, "How did you get your car ready for the last trip?" You can then use the topic words, along with the small words you know, to answer the question and learn Spanish.
Conversational Spanish Classes
Conversational Spanish programs, by their nature, must be taught by someone who is extremely fluent Spanish. Classes are similar to the home-study learning systems mentioned above with the addition of a teacher/facilitator, and fellow students. In a class everyone will get a chance to participate in the conversation.The conversation is typically a lively interchange of ideas if the facilitator is any good all. Once the class is progressed through several lessons, the facilitator may ask you to talk about yourself.
In this way you can get to know everyone in the class. This is a good way to find out what your classmates do and what they like, as well as a fun way to learn Spanish.
In conversational classes, the facilitator helps you out, but classmates also help each other. It's a group effort to begin in sustaining conversation. As you learn Spanish, you'll find it's less effort and more pleasure.
Conversational Spanish CD and Software programs
Most home-study Spanish learning systems use this fundamental conversational approach. A small number of vocabulary words are introduced in the context of a real world situation. As you get more used to the vocabulary, you are invited to interact and participate in the ongoing conversation.Every product has a varying degree of interactivity. Some products are audio only. Some products have audio mixed with pictures and video. And some programs can even record your voice to determine if your pronunciation is close to correct.
Click here to find my number one recommended conversational Spanish CD and software program.
Learn Conversational Spanish on Amazon
Best Conversational Spanish Courses on Amazon
Rosetta Stone Version 3: Spanish (Latin America) Level 1, 2 & 3 Set with Audio Companion
Amazon Price: $485.10 (as of 12/06/2009) 
Rosetta Stone Version 3: Spanish (Latin America) Level 1 with Audio Companion
Amazon Price: $206.10 (as of 12/06/2009)
Fluenz Version F2: Spanish 1+2 (Win/Mac) with software DVDs, audio CDs, podcasts, and Navigator. Learn Spanish with the latest upgrade.
Amazon Price: $323.00 (as of 12/06/2009)
Spanish I - 2nd Rev. Ed.: Learn to Speak and Understand Spanish with Pimsleur Language Programs (Comprehensive) (English and Spanish Edition)
Amazon Price: $233.01 (as of 12/06/2009)
![Spanish II, 3rd Ed. (Compr.) [CD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41LPW%2BrDWcL._SL75_.jpg)
Spanish II, 3rd Ed. (Compr.) [CD]
Amazon Price: $230.02 (as of 12/06/2009)
