[dunnyg]

Are there any recommendations out there for "learn spanish" audio files I can get for free on the internet? Pretty much a beginner, can do very basic conversational.

cheers!

[butters]

The android app Duolingo might be useful - possibly available for other platforms but no idea.

[chris20]

Coffee break spainsh seemed pretty good, 15/20 minute podcasts, I started learning from them and then like most things got bored after a couple of weeks and stopped.  They also do a French version.

[GCW]

 

I've got the Michel Thomas French courses which I found realty useful, certainly not pigeon French. He does a Spanish one too, and if it's as good it's well worth twenty odd fuck alls.

[tomtom]

I've been trying to do this (poorly it would appear) on long car journeys that make up my weekly commute....

I have no recommendations - but I would try and avoid those produced/sold/made by Team America - as some of the pronunciation etc.. is more suited to an American (e.g. Mexican) style Spanish rather than European, Spanish style Spanish. I am such a linguistic fuckwit that I can't really tell the difference (except some words sound odd to how I've heard spanish speak them) but my Spanish friends have hold me this.. Of course if you're learning Spanish to speak Spanish in S.America than all of the above is total greek.

[cha1n]

I got on best using flash cards (both audio and visual) with Anki. Spanish is particularly easy to pronounce once you learn the rules of where to apply stress,etc.

[mrjonathanr]

Hi dunnyg hope this is something you stick with, it takes time but is worth it.

The difference between American (and Andalucían) Spanish and Peninsular Spanish is principally around the pronunciation of the following spellings:
z : ce : ci : which are a 'th' sound in Spain but an an 's' sound in America.

Some good recommendations above, I would add

 http://lingro.com  where you paste in the web address of any online article so you read it through their site- then click on any words for an instant translation. Quite handy.

http://wordreference.com (also links to collins) for a good online dictionary, forums can tell you lots about usage of words as well as definitions.

http://www.audiria.com has various podcasts

http://www.languagesonline.org.uk/ online grammar and vocab exercises from beginner to A level

http://oye.languageskills.co.uk/index.html for games, no subscription required outside of school daytime hours

For news:

http://www.elmundo.es and http://www.elpais.com Spanish newspapers online [mobile apps available]

http://www.20minutos.es/ Accessible reading and video clips.  [mobile app available]

http://www.rtve.es News (noticias), Live TV (television en directo), Live radio (RNE en directo) and links to RNE poscasts, documentaries (“Somos Documentales”), weather, cinema, food…  [mobile app available]

http://es.euronews.com/noticias/en-directo  TV Euronews in Spanish-with transcripts

http://www.lasportadas.es/('headlines') se cover pages from around the Spanish speaking world - app (widget) available.

[mrjonathanr]

learn the rules of where to apply stress,etc.

I agree.

If a word ends in a vowel, n, or s  pronounce the next-to-last syllable eg casa
If a word ends in a consonant (except n or s)  pronounce the final syllable eg frugal

An accent means those rules are to be ignored and that vowel is to be stressed instead.

I know at least one prestigious school which uses Michel Thomas for initial French, so GCW's advice might well be worth looking into. No direct experience of his Spanish so can't comment further.

[dunnyg]

I have been informally learning for about a year, looking for Spanish rather than s. America. I have been using duo lingo for written stuff, but wear ear defenders for hours at a time at work. I already have a Barcelona/catalonian accent apparently, though also have habits from mexico and Venezuela from colleagues.... I found some podcast thing I will post the link to.

Those links look good, I will have a look over the next few days. Hadn't thought about the news etc., good call.