12-27-2015, 05:00 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-27-2015, 05:02 PM by burbuja0512.)
Glad to hear you're doing well with Duolingo. I love this one and there is a Mind Snacks app for the phone, but it's very basic and more for fun. A couple of things that I have used for Portuguese:
I love to memorize verbs (oh my god I'm a nerd) and I use the 501 verb series, in this case 501 French Verbs. No need for the latest version, you can get the old one for just a few bucks.
If you want to speak with a native, you can do so for free at Language Exchanges You basically sign up for an account and state your native language along with the language you want to learn. Then, a native speaker of the other language invites you to chat via Skype. You're getting one-on-one time with a French speaker, which would cost you $$$ elsewhere.
Some issues to keep in mind with Language Exchanges : you should probably set up a separate Skype account for this. I ended up with a ton of Brazilian friends who wanted to chat any time I logged into Skype. * Also, you need to guide the conversation. Most users don't know what they're doing, so you end up with two people on the phone saying "ummmmm." I solved this problem by taking the lead each time and firmly establishing guidelines. Example: Let's speak English for 5 minutes, then switch to Portuguese. * You will want to keep in mind that when you create an account, you'll need to keep looking daily for a few weeks, keeping in mind the time zone difference. After a few weeks, you'll have more than enough people on your Skype list. * Last but not least, parents should monitor their child's activity. 99% of people I met were truly the kindest, most genuine people I have ever met. I learned about them, their culture, and other tidbits that I would never have gotten from a classroom. However, there was one instance where the person on Skype did not speak Portuguese and was obviously out for no good. I ended that call quickly and blocked him.
Overall, the Language Exchange resource was by far the most effective at listening/speaking, and probably the most bang for the buck, even if it did require some work. I went from little Portuguese knowledge (other than some familiarity from Spanish) to speaking well enough to do business in Sao Paulo in about 6 months. Not sure if I could pass a CLEP but I would love to see!
I love to memorize verbs (oh my god I'm a nerd) and I use the 501 verb series, in this case 501 French Verbs. No need for the latest version, you can get the old one for just a few bucks.
If you want to speak with a native, you can do so for free at Language Exchanges You basically sign up for an account and state your native language along with the language you want to learn. Then, a native speaker of the other language invites you to chat via Skype. You're getting one-on-one time with a French speaker, which would cost you $$$ elsewhere.
Some issues to keep in mind with Language Exchanges : you should probably set up a separate Skype account for this. I ended up with a ton of Brazilian friends who wanted to chat any time I logged into Skype. * Also, you need to guide the conversation. Most users don't know what they're doing, so you end up with two people on the phone saying "ummmmm." I solved this problem by taking the lead each time and firmly establishing guidelines. Example: Let's speak English for 5 minutes, then switch to Portuguese. * You will want to keep in mind that when you create an account, you'll need to keep looking daily for a few weeks, keeping in mind the time zone difference. After a few weeks, you'll have more than enough people on your Skype list. * Last but not least, parents should monitor their child's activity. 99% of people I met were truly the kindest, most genuine people I have ever met. I learned about them, their culture, and other tidbits that I would never have gotten from a classroom. However, there was one instance where the person on Skype did not speak Portuguese and was obviously out for no good. I ended that call quickly and blocked him.
Overall, the Language Exchange resource was by far the most effective at listening/speaking, and probably the most bang for the buck, even if it did require some work. I went from little Portuguese knowledge (other than some familiarity from Spanish) to speaking well enough to do business in Sao Paulo in about 6 months. Not sure if I could pass a CLEP but I would love to see!
Regis University, ITESO, Global MBA with a focus in Emerging Markets 4.0 GPA, Dual-university degree (Spanish/English)
ISSA Certified Nutritionist
COSC BS, Business Admin
My BS Credits:
Spanish 80 | Humanities 67 | A & I Lit 72 | Sub Abuse 452 | Bus Ethics 445 | Tech Writ 62 | Math 53 | HTYH 454 | Am. Govt 65 | Env & Humanity 64 | Marketing 65 | Micro 61| Mgmt 63| Org Behavior 65| MIS 446|Computing 432 | BL II 61 | M&B 50 | Finance 411 | Supervision 437| Intro Bus. 439| Law Enforcement 63| SL: Accounting I B | Accounting II C+| Macro A | ECE: Labor Relations A | Capstone: A| FEMA PDS Cert
ISSA Certified Nutritionist
COSC BS, Business Admin
My BS Credits:
Spanish 80 | Humanities 67 | A & I Lit 72 | Sub Abuse 452 | Bus Ethics 445 | Tech Writ 62 | Math 53 | HTYH 454 | Am. Govt 65 | Env & Humanity 64 | Marketing 65 | Micro 61| Mgmt 63| Org Behavior 65| MIS 446|Computing 432 | BL II 61 | M&B 50 | Finance 411 | Supervision 437| Intro Bus. 439| Law Enforcement 63| SL: Accounting I B | Accounting II C+| Macro A | ECE: Labor Relations A | Capstone: A| FEMA PDS Cert
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