Several of the subscribers to my Spanish-language newsletter have asked me "Patrick, how did you start learning Spanish?" Well, I first attempted learning Spanish as a hobby when I was 16 years old using the FSI Spanish (Foreign Service Institute) method. Being able to speak more than one language was just something that I always wanted to do.
So when I was 16 I asked my parents to buy me a Spanish course. rosetta stone spanish I cannot remember if it was a Barnes & Noble catalog or some other catalog, but I found the FSI Programmatic Spanish One course on cassette. The Foreign Service Institute has created a number of foreign-language-learning courses.
Back to how I got started learning Spanish...
Although I cannot remember if it was a Barnes & Noble catalog, but one thing that I am absolutely certain of is the price of the FSI Programmatic Spanish One cassette course when I was 16 years old. It was only $39.95 at the time. I remember so well because I remember trying to convince my parents that the price of the course was "only $39.95."
Their argument was that no matter how much or how little it costs, rosetta stone demo I was only going to study one or two cassettes and then put the course in a closet and forget that it even existed.
Well, they gave in to my wishes. But I guess that they were right because after one or two cassettes the things that matter most to 16 year olds took over my interests (sports and teenage girls). And the FSI Programmatic Spanish One cassette course went into a closet or maybe a garbage can never to be seen again.
Then years later, when I was about thirty years old I became interested in learning Spanish once again. rosetta stone cheap I lived in the Bronx at the time. And there was a "Comida Latina" restaurant where I would have lunch or dinner about 2 or 3 times a week.
There was a woman named Nancy that worked in the restaurant. Nancy was from Puerto Rico but she did not speak much English. I know many people from Puerto Rico speak English and Spanish. But Nancy spoke very little English.
For lack of a better description, Nancy was a Jennifer Lopez look alike. So I wanted to learn Spanish just to be able to communicate with Nancy better. I guess a more honest statement would be that I wanted to learn Spanish just to impress a woman.
So I bought the same cassette course that my parents had Rosetta Stone Greek bought me when I was 16.
By that time the price of FSI Programmatic Spanish One had risen to 139 bucks which is still a lot less than the 225 bucks that they want for the CD course at many web sites. But I ordered it anyway. And after FSI Programmatic One, I was addicted to learning Spanish. Learning another language had become one of the most rewarding things that I had ever done in my entire life.
So next, I bought FSI Programmatic Two. And then Baron's Mastering Spanish One and Two. http://hgmf150.blogspot.com Then Pimsleur 1, 2, 3, 4 and plus. Then Rosetta Stone 1 & 2, and Michel Thomas, and many others along with lots of learning Spanish books. I also took group classes in New York City.
Well, that's my story. Unfortunately, I don't have a happy ending to it for you. A friend recently told me that Nancy, the J Lo look alike from the Comida Latina restaurant was now happily married with 2 kids. He also added that Nancy looks nothing like Jennifer Lopez now.
