PT= Positive transfer.
NT= Negative transfer.
What do PT and NT mean to you and why should you care?
Making the distinction between the two means everything if you want to speak Spanish.
They represent a fork in the road on your Spanish journey. The fork leads you to two very different places.
One road is a graveyard of Spanish hopes and dreams, the other opens up a whole new world for you.
Here are two dictionary definitions.
Negative transfer – noun psychology.
The obstruction of or interference with new learning because of previous learning.
Positive transfer – noun psychology
Rapid learning in a new situation because the stimuli or responses required are similar to those learned in an earlier situation.
Most Spanish classes focus on negative transfer.
I believe this is a grave mistake.
Negative transfer means focusing on mistakes.
Attention to errors doesn’t promote confidence or fluency. Instead it creates hesitancy and fear.
Secondly, focusing on negative transfer leads you to study very small points of grammar.
It’s minutiae.
You’ll invest lots of time in study and make big efforts for very small gains.
For example, in the confusing world of academic Spanish you will be bombarded with the differences between:
- Por vs. para
- Ser vs. estar
- Indirect object pronouns vs. direct object pronouns
- The gender of nouns and adjectives
You could waste a year or more on those subjects and still not hold a conversation.
Wouldn’t it be better to actually speak Spanish instead of struggling with all the mistakes you could make in Spanish?
If you apply the positive transfer Spanish you can begin speaking Spanish on day one.
Here’s the definition of positive transfer Spanish.
Positive Transfer – noun psychology
Rapid learning in a new situation because the stimuli or responses required are similar to those learned in an earlier situation.
You can spend a lot of you Spanish learning time in the positive transfer zone.
You tap into positive transfer Spanish when you uncover the English Spanish words and phrases that are most similar.
Here are two ways to activate positive transfer right away.
Positive Transfer Activation 1 – Words
30-40% of English words come from Latin.
Where do most Spanish words come from?
That’s right, a third of our words come from the same place as most Spanish words: the good old ancient Romans.
You can uncover thousands of Spanish words almost exactly like their English translation
They just need a little twist. Words that end in -ity in English usually end in -idad Spanish
- University – Universidad,
- Eternity – eternidad,
- Possibility – posibilidad,
- Capacity – capacidad,
And words that end in -tion in English end in -cion in Spanish
- Revolution – Revolución,
- Constitution – constitución,
- Reservation – reservación,
- Activation – activación
Positive Transfer Activation 2 – Language Patterns.
Here are two language patterns that easily transfer from English to Spanish.
Just like in English, you can talk about the future in Spanish by saying
“I am going to,” which in Spanish is, “voy a:”
Voy a comer.
I am going to eat.
Voy a invitar a mi profesor a la fiesta.
I am going to invite my teacher to the party.
Voy a visitar a mi amigo mañana.
I am going to visit my friend tomorrow.
As in English there’s also a pattern in Spanish for speaking about
something that you just did. In English we say, “I just + (verb) “while
in Spanish you say acabo de + (verbo)
It works like this:
Acabo de comer.
I just ate
Acabo de hablar con mi amigo.
I just spoke with my friend.
Acabo de aprender a hablar del futuro en español.
I just learned to speak about the future in Spanish.
Acabo de aprender más español con Marcus.
I just learned more Spanish with Marcus.
All in all there are thousands of words and many language patterns that easily transfer for English speakers.
Traditional classes will have you slaving over the negatives like direct and indirect object pronouns vs. direct object pronouns, por vs para and ser vs estar.
I didn’t even enjoy indirect object pronouns when they made me diagram sentences in English (in high school).
A child does not learn to speak by studying object pronouns or diagramming sentences.
If you choose to go the path of positive transfer, you’ll have thousands of Spanish words you can use right away. Plus you can make thousands of Spanish phrases from these easy language patterns.
And here’s a wonderful irony.
If you choose the positive path you’ll speak to learn instead of learning to speak. As you speak Spanish, the more difficult parts of Spanish start to fall into place as you use the language.
Isn’t that ironic – you’ll have a better more intuitive feel for the negative transfer Spanish without trying than the people who slaved over it without ever learning to speak.
Here’s a special package to jumpstart your Spanish with 3013 positive transfer words and patterns to make 88,000 Spanish phrases.
marcus you know where its at. i really dig your easy learn spanish keep up the great work pilgrim william
Very informative. Awesome, you do make Spanish interesting. Thanks
Found that a great recharge, had just started to drag out my learning curve. Now back up to full speed
I am feeling guilty.
I am a recently retired 73-year-old. To stay sharp, I read several books a week and began studying Spanish online from a source called Duolingo. So far,I have completed a section every day for 217 straight days, I have over 9000 experience points,I have earned 444 Lingus,and have reached 32% proficiency, and still fail badly in a real conversation. That is, until I started receiving your email several weeks ago.
I very much look forward to the advice and lessons, given in your emails. Not to say my 217 days were wasted but your approach Has allowed me to take part in real conversations, Your shortcuts have expanded my Spanish vocabulary and your method has given me confidence that I will eventually master the language.
I intend to finish my course with duolingo (I finish what I start) then begin with Synergy and perhaps call myself bilingual.
Just want to say thanks
YES!
Thanks, Marcus,
I get it. I am off to Spain in a month and am confident by means of your path of PT that I will be able to speak some Spanish straight away to be understood rather than being tongue-tied. A great confidence booster and incentive to learn more…
Rod
Thanks, Marcus,
Yes. I get it. Am off to Spein in just over a month and hope to start speaking in Spanish to be understood from Day 1. Expect to learn from mistakes.
Rod
I enjoyed the lessons so far. Thanks.
I am doing your free lessons and am enjoying them very much. I would like to have them conquered and then go on to Synergy Spanish. I don’t have a lot of time to study, but your method is so easy. Thank you so much for your free lessons to get me started.
I absolutely love and appreciate your style of teaching!!!!! Your methods truly are enlightening and has boosted my self confidence in my ability to learn Spanish tremendously!!!!
I cannot thank you enough!!!!
I love Syngergy Spanish!! It has been a God send in learning the language. After being in different types of Spanish classes, this learning method is the one that made perfect sense. Immediately, Mark’s method gets you speaking sentences to carry on conversations quicker, giving you confidence to communicate and keeps you excited to learn more. Fabulous!!
Ha! Those are awesome tips!! Thanks!!!
Mark you are so right! After just on month of your wonderful programme I am speaking and even thinking in Spanish sentences! Yesterday while watching the news on TV I found myself thinking “Hay un presidente en Cuba” and I reckon my pronunciation was “perfecto” also thanks to your course. Your methods not only make rapid progress but also make learning fun.
Muchas gracias de Gabriela en Nueva Zelanda.
esplendido! esplendido? esplendido anyway, gracias Marcus
Hi, I plan on buying your short cut spanish download after Christmas, I cant wait! I love your ways of teaching.
I did not know aword of Spanish until i listend to Marcus and its got me loving it i know lots of Spanish words now thank you Marcus.
Hi, am really interested but unable to finance this class. Would love to learn Spanish for my son especially because he is now learning it in school and would want to communicate with me but get frustrated because am unable to.
Senor Marcos me gusta su metodo de enseñar el español es muy bueno.
Yo soy Colombiana y mi esposo es Americano pero me he ayudado mucho por que a la vez aprendo mas ingles yo y mi esposo español
atentamente Ibeth
Thank you for this course. I was a Spanish speaker – 60 years ago – but with your course I have
been able to refresh my learning.
Marcus, acabo de aprender más español con usted. I am please to say that your method of teaching is superb; Easy to understand and enjoyable in every step of my learning. Muchas Gracias.
Wish you had a monthly affordable plan for older people on a tight budget
This sounds fun and interesting. I am eager to proceed.
thank you for your method
fantastic so much easier with this method
Hola Marcus
I already own both of these.
FYI
I read and easily understood the spanish examples you provided in the offer
Find it easier to read and understand the spanish versus understanding it when spoken at normal speed i.e. Spanish news and movies.
Very impressive. Acabo de mudarme a panama y necesito todo de la ayuda con el idioma. Gracias!
I have already studied and paid for Synergy Spanish.Do I now go on to Shortcut to Spanish?
The sequential follow on to Synergy Spanish is Bola de Nieve.
http://www.synergyspanishsystems.com/sidewaysfluency.html
Hi Marcus
Your little article above could be discribing my efforts to learn Spanish. I hope that I will indeed be able to speak Spanish, ( even if it’s not the best Spanish in the world) with you, soon.
John Quille.
This is the first time I have encountered any class in which common sense was used as the basis of learning. Most of the classes in any subject i have taken were presented in NT format, but I did not know this as it seems the educational system just plods along using this format year after year. Now that I have learned the difference between NT and PT I will make every effort to apply PT learning to everything I study in future. GREAT WORK!
Thank You
Jim
Kia ora Marcus from Aotearoa
I have been struggling to learn Spanish for sometime and enjoying it. your course so far is very easy, it is very repetitive and introduces new words and grammar gently. I am only up to lesson 6 and feel if needed I can get by on my next trip much easier to Mexico, I wish our prime minister would let me retire to cabo san lucas suh a beautiful spot
thanks your course is enjoyable, I understand the personal “a” for the first time ever, Could never grasp it before.
Much respect
mark
Sounds brilliant. I have noticed however that all your courses are priced in dollars. Is it possible to let me know the cost in pounds sterling please ? thank you
The price in pounds for Shortcut to Spanish on video is £29.95. (plus VAT)
Shortcut to Spanish on Video in Pounds Sterling
Synergy Spanish in pounds is £39.95 (plus VAT)
Synergy Spanish in Pounds Sterling
Sounds great. Thank you
Hi Marcas,
Many thanks for the pep talk. It makes a lot of sense, especially
if one is lacking in confidence. I will certainly keep going with
this course foras long as it takes.
Many thanks,
Vicky.
Well, this all makes great sense to me , and after doing your first course I find that i can speak reasonably well , and translate sentences with relative ease , which for an 80 years old guy is not bad .Bien, pienso es bueno por cualquier edad.
You are dead right I have been trying to learn Spanish for 7 years since retiring here, a system called, Duolingo my latest venture, I spend an hour every day and still cannot string a couple of sentences together. Money is so tight for me at the moment so I am going to have to wait a little while. Thanks for your little gems of information. regards James
I am really enjoying your synergy Spanish and appreciate all your encouraging and interesting emails. Don’t always get to view videos but will when I get a bit further. Thanks for making learning Spanish so enjoyable.
Very interesting approach “speak to learn” Very encouraging.
Our case is very similar to this,,,What you say here makes complete sense. It makes me want to revisit your teaching material, as it is intended to BUT . . .
My situation/problem when I read your emails, which always gives me an urge to ‘buy some more’ – probably affects thousands of others.
You might already have and easy solution somewhere to point me to – or else might like to consider a solution to help me and people like me?
I purchased your Synergy Spanish course – as it was then – back in 2004 or 2005 – and, as far as it went then, it assisted me greatly to move my Spanish forward. I still go back to the flash cards and the huge folder/book I printed out from time to time, to refresh.
To help pin the time zone down it was at the time when you first offered a free addition of FAMILIAR SPANISH – to existing customers – i.e. using tu/es (involving a different local speaker’s voice) – and CHRISTMAS SPANISH!
Since when I have not purchased anything from you, largely because I do not know what, or where to ‘pick up’ from.
As an avid reader of your blog and emails I feel it may be about time to check out what I already own that has not been revised or extended upon – and what to buy that I do not already have.
Is there a place I can go to see all of the new releases you have made overe the years to your material and courses you have published – so I can either add to the Synergy Spanish course I have (if it has been extended) – and buy any subsequent courses?
There is now a fully developed sequential follow up to Synergy Spanish called Bola de Nieve.
http://www.synergyspanishsystems.com/sidewaysfluency.html
That continues on right form where Synergy Spanish left off, so it’s the perfect follow up for you.
Thanks again for more tips, we have been using your course for around five years. Spending half the year in Spain. But we still cannot have a conversation!! Because we cannot remember!!
Just saying!
Como le va Marcus,
Excellent explanation ref NT vs PT. Hope to ‘speak to learn’ Spanish much quicker.
Muchisimo gracias
Roman
PS: Is the Synergy Spanish + Shortcut To Spanish offer $77 – is this totally different to the Synergy Spanish Systems course I purchased in DEC-13. SALUDOS.
Hello Marcus
here in Mexico I still have 3 more moths to go before I will be back in Geneva. (6 months all together) You helped me a lot to start to talk a little with my friends even though it is not easy. It is my 4th language – and I am 60 years old. But I want to be positive, to learn and to communicate with people!
Thank you so much for your course and steady encuragement!
Saludos Beatrice
Hi Marcus
I live in Spain since 1999, and had my first Spanish course before I left Denmark.
Since then I have participated in 3 different courses, and cannot speak Spanish.
Then I started with your course, and am now on Bola de Nieve, and now it starts to function, and I can sit in conversations, and be part of the talking. Thanks to your way of teaching.
It is superb, and I like every time I takes my PC and start the lessons.
Now I have begun to believe, that I can learn this – until now – difficult language.
Thank you for all the help. You and your associates are muy bien.
By the way, I am 73 years old, so nothing is impossible. Not even Sanish.
Sincerely yours
Hans Staun
I like The synergy teaching – learning method, cause it broadens my perspective. And its more fun!
HOLA MARCUS
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LESSONS, I FIND THEM VERY INTERESTING AND HELPFUL
GRACIUS
DE DOREEN
Excellent teaching method, it really does enthuse and inspireringly motivate us to master the beautiful Spanish langauge!…
Dear Marcus,
You just gave me another of your clever ideas. I tried it with some friends and family and it worked.
My self-confidence went up another level. Looking forward to more of your genius inovation.
I’m enjoying my lessons with you. No STRESS..No Fear..
Muchissimas Gracias,
Your Devoted Student, LILIA
Querido a tartar este metodo por favour.
My friend, do you have any sample courses for cheap or free?
If you subscribe by filling out the form on the right of the page you’ll receive a series of sample lessons
real good best yet
from now on I am going o be P.T. I am a senior citizen and went to college to learn spanish. I was ok at home but when I was in class and asked a question Iwas like a rabbit caught in the headlights and felt stupid and lacked confidence afraid of saying the wrong thing. The tutor spoke very fast and I found it difficult to keep up with writing notes. result ! I gave up. I have found your emails very helpful and this year on holiday I was able to use short phrases to the hotel staff and waiters etc I felt real good about myself and next year will be much better. Thank you so much for giving me back my confidence. I hope to get some of your free videos to help with the correct pronunications.