¡Hola!
I am a Spanish student and have been learnign now for about 3 months. When writing and reading in Spanish I am much better. I can read simplified books (the kind written for learners) and only occasionally do I need to reach for the dictionary (what I don't know I can figure out from context). Likewise, when writing Spanish I am able to express myself quite well and, generally, only need to check my writing for grammar rather than content.
When talking and listening I have to translate into my native tongue (English) in my head. This makes conversation very hard, if not impossible. My the time I've figured out the word I just heard the speaker is already 5 works ahead and I've missed the last 4. This means I completely fail to understand the sentance and I have to go throught the repeated embarresment of asking the speak to repeat... and repeat... and slow down... and repeat... and so on. I'm sure you get the picture.
I'm sure that isn't the way it's supposed to happen. I'm sure that when you speak more than one language you don't end up translating to your native tongue, right? So my question is, "what is the best way to 'think' in another language"? What should I do to practice this? I suppose the answer is probably language exchange but I wouldn't want to subject anyone to that at this stage in my learning. W'ed do a 50/50 hour exchange and all of that time would be spent with me trying to deconstruct the first sentence!
I would love to hear from accomplished students as to how they broke through this barrier and would welcome any advise, hints, tips and suggestions on what I can do to improve my language comprehension. I'm beginning to think that maybe I just don't have the ability to learn other languages. I'm sure that's not true but is sure feel like it at the moment >:(
Thanks in advance for your contributions to this discussion and please feel free to reply in either English or Spanish (I'd welcome any languages... but I just wouldn't understand them!).
-Ricky.
