"Che Guevara come fideos"

The third class opens up where the second class left off continuing with counting. I had a difficult time remembering numbers 10-20 in order, so it was nice to have a refresher course to remind me. It helps with using the 24-hour clock down here, as well as buying bus tickets, groceries, and other good stuff. These lessons are really convenient for gringos traveling around the continent, because they introduce different currencies, language uses, and proper names for people (paraguayo, uruguayo, colombiano, argentino, etc.) from all around South America. Another aspect I found helpful was their introduction to terms used in the business world. It ranged from basic workplace vocabulary, to introducing people, talking about others, and greeting back. Really nice for travelers who are going to be here for a while and are trying to pick up temporary odds and ends to make money along their journies.

The last part of the lesson consisted of introducing basic Spanish verbs (-ar, -er, -ir endings and the usage of the infinitive). It’s nice to be able to start using action words, and it definitely opens up your usable vocabulary when trying to talk to people. I expect to learn a lot more verbs to use. Learning verbs and being able to conjugate them correctly is the fastest way to learn Spanish, I think. They are the most important part of the sentences, when I talk to native speakers down here. Even if I mess up the pronouns, or my sentences are fragmented, they know what I am trying to get across if I can properly use the verbs.

Lastly, I’m digging how the course treats the lessons like mini-episodes. There is always some cliffhanger at the end to make you want to start playing the next one to find out what happens. They aren’t enthralling or anything, but they keep your interest and make it easier to keep studying. Overall, I like the British student and the Argentine teacher. They work well together and the examples they use when putting the vocabulary into context is pretty funny too. I believe one was, “Che Guevara eats noodles.” Weird, but funny and helps you correctly structure the sentences just the same.

Repition and rebuilding

An example of the way the program uses colors and diagrams to help you visually structure sentences.

I'm now starting to get the hang of the structure of the class, and I'm liking the direction it's going. It starts by reinforcing what you learned last class, and throughout the next lesson offers exercises and games to help you remember the material. It really reiterates what you have learned before you move on. Last class we did informal expressions, and this class included formal expressions. The lessons also teach a lot of slang Spanish tough to help you speak with everyone in the streets, hostels, and shops.

Specifically, the class went through the differences between cual, que, and other question words that helped me understand it a bit more. It also explained accent reduction on consonants to pronounce them smoothely, not harsh. The guy in the video is still funny, but I can tell some people might get sick of him as it goes on. The product seems to be targeting gringo guys. Being a gringo guy I think it's pretty funny and keeps me interested, but I can see how girls would get bothered by it eventually. He hits on the hot teacher, like the entire class, haha.

Structurally, the color coding and diagrams to help you understand the organization and grammar of the words on the Magic Whiteboard are doing a good job. I'm a visual learner, so
the pictures and colors have worked out nicely. I also have a hard time aligning the words correctly in a Spanish sentence and not translating verbatim in English. The diagrams and English subititles are improving the way I hear the language spoken to me, and they help me visually structure it in my head. Speaking the language out loud, I think, is the fastest way to learn Spanish. You can read and write all you want, but its not going to help you as much when dealing with people face to face.

I have been able to put a couple of the lessons to good use. I am staying in a hostel in Rosario with a group of about 15-20 medical students from Córdoba. The second lesson went over emergency words like hospital, nurse, police, ayudar (to help), etc. Bueno, entonces... gave me some words to use in making conversation with them and asking them about school and what they studied specifically. Also, the lesson helps you with numbers, how to fill out forms, and pronounce addresses. It helps in the taxis and when asking for directions, and the instructions for filling out forms have been useful at Western Union.

¡carumba! That was actually fun(ny)

Wow. I have to say after the first class I am delightfully surprised. That was much more entertaining than I had originally thought it was going to be. Look at the demo video above to just get a taste of this guy's humor that doesn't stop throughout the entire lesson. If you like it, there is a YouTube channel with a bunch more (http://www.youtube.com/buenoentonces). He's hilarious, and it really keeps you motivated to keep listening. I have never seen these types of lessons before--ones that don't bore me as soon as they begin. I knew Bueno, entonces said these were interactive Spanish courses, but they truly do keep your attention and keep you tuned in.

Now, apart from the entertainment value, I did learn some cool new stuff just through the first class. From the basic Spanish classes I have taken I figured I would fly through at least the first few classes, but I was introduced to tons of words and useful Spanish phrases I didn't know before. For example, to spoon someone is "hacer cucharita". Amazing, haha! Not only that, but there are really cool cultural notes in there. For example, they explained where the term "gringos" came from. During the Battle of the Alamo, between Mexico and Texas, Texans wore green and Mexicans wanted them to go--thus, "Green-go's". So simple, yet you would never put that together! Basically, that just solidifies my opinion that gringo isn't a nice term, despite attempts from Latinos to tell me it's ok, haha. Also, I learned how to say "Yankee" in Spanish, because apparently all Americans are Yankees? Even though they are the most hated baseball team in the U.S. Thirdly, as a person from the United States I (like everyone else) have grown accustomed to referring to ourselves as Americans, but people from South America refer to themselves as Americans as well, because, well, they are from the Americas. ¿Claro, si? This is all in the first class!

Lastly, and most importantly, I really appreciate that the program emphasizes speaking first and foremost. Other programs and courses in school try to throw too much grammar and conjugations at you, instead of teaching you how to communicate--the most necessary part of learning a language. The first class was just greetings, salutations, and farewells, but I can tell I am going to learn how to speak much better. I have always been good at understanding Spanish when reading, writing, and listening, but I have had a difficult time trying to speak it. I know tons of other people who struggle speaking as well. This is going to be a great tool to improving my speech, I can tell. Can't wait for the next session.

Yo-la!

Hey everyone, I'm Cody. I'm a 22-year-old Yank and recent college grad from Oregon. I graduated in June and bought a one way ticket to South America to fulfill the explorer in me. I started in Brazil, then made my way down here to Argentina. I was quite the nomad until I got to Buenos Aires, and then all of a sudden I had a hard time leaving. Apparently that's quite the normal gringo story. A one week stint in BsAs turns into a month, then a year.

Either way, when I arrived I posted on Craigslist to try to trade English lessons for Spanish lessons. While I was skimming the pages I found this opportunity! I get to learn Spanish through Bueno, entonces... in exchange for writing a blog about my experiences with the product. Seeing as I would be blogging anyways, it was win-win for me. So, today is day 1. I'm excited to not only improve my Spanish through an interactive program that goes at my pace, but also to share with you guys my experiences with the product and the way I incorporate it into communicating in the streets on a daily basis. Before this, I took two years of Spanish language courses in college, but I was always unimpressed and over the typical regurgitation of information that was taught in the large classroom setting. Also, it is very difficult to learn a language 50 minutes a day, 4 days a week. You go to class, you speak for a little, then you walk outside and speak in English all day. This is a great opportunity for me, because I get to take a Spanish course and walk outside, speak Spanish, and use what I have learned in an everyday setting.

That's why I jumped at this opportunity. I really don't think there will be anything more beneficial to learning the Spanish language than taking a course while in a place where it is the native language. So here I am! All is go!