It’s only taken me 5 years to put 2 and 2 together. An idea so obvious I cant believe I didn’t see it years ago.
Now that I have discovered what was right in front of me for so long, it’s time to share it.
You see, if you have struggled with Spanish in any way, if you have ever doubted yourself or thought you were too old… think again
This new combination of Spanish learning tactics gets anyone speaking Spanish right away.
If you haven’t grabbed the free lessons yet, click here to get started and claim your FREE lessons.
Once, you try them, drop back here and let me know what you think.
I am not a beginner and am doing your Spanish Ear Training. I find these little lessons very good for revision so please keep ending them.
I can see that complete beginners may find them a bit overwhielming, but not to me. What I do find difficult, is getting the right person/tense of the verb when working through Spanish Ear Training.especially when reflexiive verbs and subjunctive are thrown into the mix!
I still have trouble understanding when people speak Spanish. I may get the first few words but then I hit a word I don’t understand and I am lost. Any suggestions?
That is a common experience, you might like to check out Spanish Ear Training;
http://www.spanisheartraining.com/
I’m still not able to download the lessons, I’m getting an error message
Link not working for me to download the lessons ☹️
The link to the course is not working. Get an error message which says “[an error occurred while processing this directive]”
It should be working again now, can you try again
excelente presentacion
I enjoy brushing up on my Spanish with your lessons.
I love your lessons. I am 83 and my learning capacity isn’t as good as it used to be, but you make everything so easy. Fortunately I took a college Spanish class when I was in my 30’s, and things do come back. I am working very hard on the pronunciation because I really want to speak Spanish “bien”. When I have these free lessons conquered I hope to continue on. Thank you so much.
This is the best way to learn. Poco a poco.
HOLA Marcus. Thank you. I can see that this lesson and using this way of putting words together will really speed up my grasp on the beautiful Spanish language. Many many thanks for your continuing support it is as though you are holding my hand in my quest to speak and understand Espanol.
I live in Spain and really need to be able to communicate with my Spanish neighbours and this will really improve my vocabulary very quickly.
Muchos gravitas. Best wishes Jan PALMER
I learned some from this audio but I find videos are easier. Also by reput ion
Of audio I keep understanding.
Also Yamil is easier to understand
Than Emil?
Muchas Gracias
Sounds great. Still just ahead of me a little as I am a beginner. I am a visual learner so like to see the words as well
Exelente.
Dear Marcus,
I am so gratefull to you for your kind and enthusiastic work.All your lessons are very usefull and
interesting, but unfortunatelly I am limited in the time at my disposal to master all of them. I don’t know how to thank you.Probably one day you ‘ll have an idea of visiting Russia (Moscow o
S.Petersburg) with your family and I’ll be glad to help you in this matter. Con saludos, Galina
This will help while I review the ‘Shortcut to Spanish’ lessons I purchased several years ago. I don’t know how I would have managed my first six month stay in Mexico without it! Gracias, maestro!
As always Marcus an easy way with spanish, in the past I have had Rocket Spanish and Synergy spanish but lost them when my laptop broke. I always enjoy your lessons. Congratulations on once again coming up with a new system.
Dear Marcus
We spend winters in Spain and so have amassed a fair understanding of spanish without being able to construct spoken sentences – very frustrating. Which is why, on our return to England, I downloaded your Synergyspanish course rather than attend more hopeless classes! However, two problems we are coming up against in that course and in this lesson are, principally, the use of the formal you instead of the familiar and secondly, just general differences in mexicano rather than castellano. The latter is getroundable. We have found in Spain that we are very quickly corrected if we use the formal usted rather than the informal tu. I think one would only use the formal version when conversing with the authorities which is best avoided!
This hasn’t stopped us from really appreciating your teaching methods but we don’t want to imprint the formal on our memories too strongly because we simply never use it in Spain. Does your next course Bola de Nieve introduce the informal person because I would really like to get on with the next level?
Thank you so much. Your teaching method is so simple but so effective and we have learnt such a lot.
Thanks for the frequent and inspiring updates! A transcript is always extremely helpful for me, as I am a very visual learner.
Unfortunately I couldn’t watch your “CONFIDENT SPANISH LESSON”.
The download was flagged as “VIDEO CAN’T BE PLAYED BECAUSE THE FILE IS CORRUPT”
MARCUS CAN YOU HELP?
ANTHONY
Muchas gracias.
Yo aprendo Espanol y quiero aprender mucho mas.
Me encanta aprender Espanol.
Thank you very much for your letters. They are both very interesting and helpful.
Sincerely yours
Lily Minevich
PS I like your method because I myself use it in teaching English. 🙂
Marcus,
I find that audio without the video is difficult in places. Some words I can’t quite catch. At setenta y quatro anos my hearing is not quite up to scratch. With the video I know exactly what has been said. By seeing the word, I know what it is when it is spoken and can repeat it. I know it is a lot more trouble to make a video, but so much better. The birthday party was much better with the video. Gracias a te.
Gracias Marcos. Vamos a aprender mucho mas espanol
Hola Marcus,
Thank you for sharing the experience and knowledge. It helps a lot. I am in possession of Synergy and short cut courses. Yet this periodic input from you supports my ‘rather very slow’ learning.
Gracias
Saludos
Saleem
Your lessons arenot fast. Conversaciones on the radio, For example,aré. Might be a defender mechinism of the speaket.
The Lesson in Confident Spanish instantly was very useful and I enjoyed it a lot. Beeing in the early phase of learning spanish the Lesson had been easier to catch if text had been included in the video. This Apples to all your video lessons. I guests for some of us, seeing it helps the memory, and make learning easier.
Again, I enjoy your approach to learning spanish and your encuraging advise along the way is useful. Best regards. Knut Gjefle
iwould to view more of this lesson since of already a member. that bought alll the other courses over the years.
Thnks Marcus it’s very helpful and I really big thanks to create this free lesson well done
I like your enthusiasm! Yes, the lesson was extremely helpful. Keep up the great work!
Buenos Dias Marcus,
Thank you so much for your first lesson in Confident Spanish which I enjoyed. Having discovered your Short Cut To Spanish which I am working through and am at leccion 25, I am looking forward to moving on to your Synergy Spanish and Informal Spanish courses and now I have another to add to the tally in your Confident Spanish Course. Your methods make the lessons so easy to understand and together with your audio tapes it won´t be too long before I can hold my own in most situations, (I hope).
Saludos
Janet
Hello Marcus
After a recent visit to Spain ( that’s what made want to learn) i found there television very fast, it gave me a headache just to watch it, my friends were saying Debbie cant you find anything better than to watch. But hay its there country, there language, there speed, if we as learners want to learn there language that,s what we have got to get used to. I think that Marcus’s speed is about right.
Saludos
Debbie
Thanks Marcus
It has definitely helped a bit, languages has never been my strong subject so I will just keep trying.
The lesson was great Marcus. I halted Shortcut to Spanish lesson halfway as I was attending traditional classes. However my progress has slowed down. I find your emails very encouraging & I am now motivated to resume & complete d course then move on to Synergy Spanish. Muchas Gracias!
I was really taken by Lesson 1 of confident Spanish.
I do not seem to be able to find the subsequent lessons.
However congratulations.
A wonderful melding of concepts.
mucho gracias for the transcript and the confident Spanish, as always very helpful.
sometimes it’s hard to make out the Spanish without seeing it 🙂
Yes! It’s very useful for me. I got muchas vocabulario and able to understand and make sentences. Muchas gracias!!
I still have NOT received my Spanish lessons ….
Michael
Michael, What spanish lessons, did you purchase or are you talking free lessons?
ES MAGNÍFICO. YO SÓLO TENGO QUE APRENDER ALGUNAS PALABRAS Y ESCUCHA BIEN!
GRACIAS!!!
It was helpful. However, since I wear hearing aids, I had a problem with feedback. I need to find headphones with volume control on each side so I won’t need to use my hearing aids when I listen to the video.
Dear Marcus, your system in learning Spanish is abolutely the most effortless way to learn Spanish. One lesson is never too long and I think even those, especially English speaking people, who have never learned Spanish a word will enjoy your method, Thank you.
Learning quite a lot of Spanish Now if I can retain it long enough. Lots of practice and patience but you are definitely making my lessons easier. Thank you.
I’m so happy to got a good teacher,,,lookin to it.thanks alot
For visual learners like me would be good to have a transcript of the lesson and would help to hear the spanish phrases pronounced slowly as well as normal speed, the spanish speaker has quite a heavy accent
Thanks for making spanish. soo much fun.
Thank you Marcus, really appreciate it.
Its awesome!!!
I was unable to download the lesson.
hola Marcus , gracias muchisimo . eres genial 🙂
I don’t think it is too fast if you take it one lesson at a time.
I come from mix family my dad sleeked castillian/portgeese Spanish
and blackfoot/Cherokee Indian. His family.
My moms family if you sleek it better be English so I grew up hearing a lot but still out
Of crazy fear of family bs I studdered English and Spanish now old enough to enlighten
my kids and aquantances we are learning as should be one day at a time. 1hour a day.
I found take your time relax I sleek more now. One day I was nervous and said buena fiesta.
Instead bueno tardes. Lol
I was not able to download this lesson to my documents it came in quicktime player. Is it possible to download into my documents
A really great lesson. The aural part is well done. Perhaps you should point out el ritmo differente entre los dos lenguas. This is the part of fluency that flummoxes me.
Hola Marcus, I have been opening and trying your many emails for a few weeks with some success. Just tried your Free 1st Audio for ‘Confident Spanish Instant’ lesson. I liked it BUT struggled, got tongue tied and brain-dead especially when the sentences got longer. I must also admit I struggled at times understanding your excellent female’s Spanish translation (strong accent). Got to laugh as my Lancashire accent is very strong.
Necessito mas practico. I do believe I will have to start with your Synergy Spanish before moving on to other levels. Have been trying to learn Spanish for 30 years off and on. Have one sister over here in England who speaks good Spanish from her time living in Caracas, Venezuela. Our favourite family holiday destination is Riviera Maya region, Mexico, booked our 4th trip for next July, 2014. Will be in touch soon. SALUDOS! Roman.
I have fond memories of the Riviera Maya, Tulum is a must see.
Muchos de mis estudiantes, like you, have come to me after having tried to speak for a long time without success. If you check out the stories on the testimonials tab at the top of the page you’ll see a lot of people who turned their Spanish around.
One last thing, I know the Lancashire accent is strong. Your paisano, Jack Simmons, captained the Tasmanian cricket team when I was a kid. However, if I can make my Aussie accent work in Spanish your Lancashire accent is pan comido ( apiece of cake).
Whilst I understand many words I clearly need more work on constructing sentences and understandng what is being asked. Synergy spannish looks likw what I need
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. WISH YOU ALL THE BEST.
I have started shortcut to Spanish , it will take time as I am not as sharp at 74yrs.as I use to be. However I think the Marcus way of teaching is wonderful I am really enjoying every day wish I had started years ago .Many thanks I am now considered cool by my grandchildren .! Dorothy.
Hola Marcos,
I am studying the short Spanish course and I think it’s maravillosa.. I will progress to the Synergy course very soon. Your lessons are fun and great when travelling in the car. I’m loving every minute, muchas gracias.
Stu.
Hola Marcus,
I have enjoyed and benefited from short cut to Spanish levels one and two, which I am glad to have purchased. Also I have enjoyed other lessons and ideas sent by you to me gratis.(free is a very good price – Vale!)
Thought you should know there is a problem with the audio lesson ( length 7:06) that is supposed to play for the confident Spanish intro lesson- the download – it appears on the screen , but won’t play.
Since you may already be working to correct this – voy a regresar mas tarde. . .
atentamente,
-Esteban
Hi Marcus,
I like your way of teaching. It has helped me very much. Unfortunately the last video you sent will not open. please send it again or change the format. Thank you for all your help.
Regards.
Peter
It really help me a lot..thank u sir…
very good helped me alot
Hola Marcus,
I wrote a short while ago and voiced my concern that I can speak Spanish, but understanding it when people speak it to me is another thing. They run everything together. You did write back and suggest to me that listening to Spanish music would be one idea to train the ear to understand the
Spanish when it is spoken to me. Do you have any other suggestions regarding this? By the way, I love your Spanish lessons. It is my fault I have this handicap.
Thankyou!
Hola Marcus,
I’m saving up my $122.00 dollars for Synergyspanish(cd) version.
I believe this is the most effective approach. When I am able to pay for the course with a credit card, that purchase is my first priority.
Saludos,
Warfield
Holo Marcus
Thank you very much for the Spanish lessons. I am getting to grips with learning Espanola and I hope I will at least to be able to communicate a little when I go to Espana next week.
I think your method of teaching is brillant I am now able to compose una frase even though it takes time.
Joan
Hi Marcus
Ok I’m interested in buying the course from but firstly I’m trying to understand how many different levels have you so for instant buy synergy one and now there’s a level two not that I’m being mean just would like to no exactly how much for all including all the bits if you understand wot I mean sorry to sound a bit long winded but in ready to pay but just need how much and for wot
Thanks for listening
Lee from England
Hi Lee
We have many levels.
Here is link to a full description of all our courses.
http://www.synergyspanishsystems.com/courses.html
We have 2 courses for beginners, Synergy Spanish and Shortcut to Spanish 1.
Great idea and lesson–perhaps especially for those of us who speak, let’s say, poor Spanish.
Hi Marcus
Your free postings have been great and this new way of combining with the Confident Spanish is even more helpful at cutting through the worries about grammar. The way you build and allow the student to use their brain to form the next bit instead of just having to copy is fantastic – makes it stick.
I have been toying with the idea of buying your Synergy Spanish but worry about buying anything online. Also about whether my computer will take the whole course as it’s getting quite old and yet I love the way you have been posting almost daily – it makes me look forward to hearing what you’ve got and I know I am ill-desciplined if I have a whole course sitting at home!
Marcus,
I am an 85 year old retired submariner. Was in Tijuana in 1950 learned a few words such as
Tecate Cervasa por favor, and the like. I started to take a few lessons in the old Cuban Opera House in Key West Florida .Picked up a few phrases such as Que es la mesa? and so forth.
Here I am in Norfolk Va taking Spanish lessons in a group and hating the conjugating-itis as you referred to it as. The conversation portion of it, I look forward to. I am trying my utmost to confer with the many spanish speaking people I can, on a near daily basis. I want to personaly thank you for your generous efforts you put forth. I look forward to all that you do in so many different. and unique ways .
i want to get free lessons of Spanish language.thanks.
I want 2 learn Spanish on line, those copy lessons r wonderful. Can u please help me w more exciting lessons? Nelum & Charles
Hola Marcus,
The ‘Confident Spanish Instantly’ has opened my brain (so to speak). I found it very easy. The last 48 hours have been fun. My lack of confidence is gone. I can create many sentences following your simple examples. My husband feels that I am making giant progress.
What is the difference between “Bola de Nieve – Advanced Concepts Intensive” and this Confident course? I am waiting for the second ACI course which I started Dec. 20th.
Muchas Gracias Marcus, for helping all your students in learning this wonderful language. You have the best teaching method.
Danielle
Is Guatemala the best country to learn Spanish?? I just learned that they only offer private lessons in their language school thruout the country…
dear marcus i love your spanish lessons. here is something that would be an great help to me you may already have and i do not know how to use it but what would be the best for me is if i could stop the audio and back up and work on just one sentence at a time untill i have a good grasp of the words be for moving on the next word or sentance. i am an old programer and i know that this can be done
thanks william
Excellent course, Have been trying to learn for years but nearly gave up, Spent a fortune in adult education and CDs but have never felt as cofident as I do now.
Andy.
Hi Marcus, I must say I find following your courses so easy, and the confident sample was amazing, a great way of testing how much Spanish I understand already, send me the complete course asap please.
Kas
Just now downloaded the “CSI” lesson, but I have no directions on how to access it.
ITS REALLYGOOD…….
thanx 4 ur lessns i ve learned 2 mch 4rm these carry on-
The course is real good is the easiest way to learn spanish. i live in spain and on meeting new people, a lot of people like to ask about the past . do you have any courses or material on that?
Yes, Shortcut to Spanish level two teaches the past.
http://www.how-to-speak.com/orderguidel2
Hi Marcus,
Is it possible to get a transcript of this audio and a version that I can add to a USB stick (a .mp3 version)? As I mentioned in another comment I sent today (relating to the audio about “Why Spanish verb charts cause failure”), I don’t always get a chance to download the audio and listen to it right away. I’ve been saving your audios and lessons to a USB stick that I can work through at my leisure.
Is it possible to set up a link to allow me to download this audio onto my USB stick (a .mp3 file vs. just opening it and playing it right away)? It would be a bonus if you had a transcript also available, but more importantly is the availability to download the .mp3 versions.
Thanks again Marcus.
MaryW
I am now at lesson 17 synergy spanish y me gusta mucho. Voya aprender cada dia con mi esposa, Thanks you course is great. I will go onto bola de nieve after this.
eleanor
Que pasa. Gracious
Hola Marcus,
I have yet to do very much with your courxe. I bought Synergy Spanish while in college taking Conversational spanish. I leaped light years ahead of the other students and I share the free lessons with many of them. Their comments to me were 100% favorable because your program was so easy to understand. The reason I have been lacks in completing the course is one of priorities. I completed my degree on the day before Thanksgiving and started my new job two days earlier. I am settling down in my work and with the holidays almost over, I see an opening for renewed studies soon.
Please fellow spanish language want to be’s, believe it, this course is so much better than others and I tried many of them.
hello, Marcus.
i shall use english even i don’t speak english enough well too.
using patterns and building system around was a good idea and i’m happy that you succeded in.
and generally speaking every language is very big and complicated organism with many aspects around which you can build a lot of systems and no system is better than her sister is but just easier for this or that person.
so, every system has the wright to exist.
i do think that we ( people ) form a lot of small and different groups for which of them that or another system looks the best tool to study. so i do believe in diversity but strongly bordered and organized. that ( bordered and organized are the example of such a grouppe.)
efim sofer
Hola,
I fell back on my leccions, but after commiting i did all Quarto en 2 semanas flat,
voy a visitar Espana holiday en summer
Mucho appreciation
Gracious!!!!
The sample lesson was not ‘too fast” because the words were simple and familiar.
BUT…in listening to Spanish on the radio for example, I can ‘recognize’ about 60% of the words but only, as it were, out of the corner of my eye….because they flow onward faster than my conscious brain can currently give me the meaning.
That’s the learning curve….having one’s brain do the translating without conscious pondering.
So, for the present, Spanish flows past for the most part, like brightly coloured fish, I watch but cannot name them all.
Thanks , Marcus. I can see where this would be really helpful. I have not developed my ear yet to the point where I can understand it all. I still need to see the written word.
i understood about 60%
i must be your slowest learner but keep trying i pick up more each time you mail me, and you are never boring i find it good trying i have stickers on doors mirrors flores etc
thank you joyce
Marcus,
It seems that several of us cannot download the lesson. I have used two browsers and tried several times. I think you are harbouring a little Spanish gremlin.
Chao, Marcus, Mil gracias por este curso tan innovativo. Mis alumnos HABLAN! No tienen miedo de oir sus voces y acentos, y tienen mas confianza que en cualquier otro metodo que he usado en mis 45 anos de ensenanza como maestra de espanol.
I use the material to reach out to my community-at-large as part of an effort to build community in a very diverse neighborhood in Encino and Culver City, CA. The results are astounding. I have Persians, Latinos, “Anglos” also Christians, Muslims, unchurched, Baha’i and Jewish students. They are now amigos and very relaxed with each other. De nuevo, gracias y muchos deseos por todo lo mejor, Marcus!
Winnie L.
Hola Marcus,
I recently finished Shortcut to Spanish and also ordered Synergy Spanish and am working through it now. You make Spanish so easy! And to think of all the money I spent on books and CDs that didn’t help my progress even a little bit…
I loved this new Confident Spanish lesson! When I could pronounce that whole looooooong sentence without pausing or even thinking, I laughed out loud. It’s like magic!
Thank you for your efforts and your generosity with free lessons. And please do the world a favor – develop programs for other languages as well!!!
Natasha
I am Chinese. I like studying Spanish, which is such a beartiful language. By adopting the method introduced in synergy Spanish, I feel that it becomes easy for me to study the language. The method is very effective, I think. I am grateful to the author for his help, and I would like to keep on studying accoding to the method and make progress in my studying.
Hola Marcus!
Recently I bought the synergy spanish series from you. First, let me say “thank you” for what you do to help others speak spanish more confindently. Next, I want to say that last year I spent $500 on Rosetta Stone spanish levels 1,2,& 3. I am still on level 1 after one year! You are a brillant person to have come up with a different approach to learning. I use the audio lessons all the time now. I speak spanish right along with each lesson, I remember more, and I have learned so much more, in such a shorter time than with other programs. Thank-you!
Thank you so much for the lessons ^^
Muchas Gracias.
Hi Marcus,
The resources are fabulous.
I am struggling with a sound file issue.
I am unable to read MP3 files on my home audio system. Of course this is not a problem on my computer.
Is it feasible for you to post sound files in both formats? Perhaps you might know a freeware sound file convert application that can be managed by someone technology phobic.
Thank you
I have taken many language courses in my youth and they were a real struggle! When you told me how easy yours was , i thought “Oh yeah” and at my age 76 Ido not stand a chance , but quell surprise! it is easier and more exciting than I ever thought it would be , I cannot wait for the next lesson. Trouble is at my age one gets cynical and I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Thanks again , from Oz. Ramon Anthony.
It’s very nice Marcus send more.
Thank you
Excelente – muy constructivo – mucho mas por favor ?
chris – Mijas Costa
Dear Marcus, I have tried many times before to tell you how very much in love I am with your idea.I am German and I share Synergy-Spanish with some German friends. Of course I can´t all translate it into the mnemotecnic, but it nevertheless works with German as well. We have a lot of fun together and all believe that for the first time and in such a short time they are able to use the language. We all live in Tenerife and spent a lot of money on Spanish coarses with no avail. For me it is very sad, that I can´t use the Audio-Lessons in class. They have to relay on my pronunciation and there I thank you again for the Audio. Of course I meanwhile have Spanish Friends también. Otra vez, muchas gracias por todo. Besos y abrazos a ti, tu mujer y tus hijos maravillosos. Christel Luise.
Hi Marcus
Just to say how much l like your teaching method,I live near Jean Andalacia in the campo.the locals speak very different to your courses.L am half way through your synergy course but instead of taking 25 days its 60 so far SO i have to keep going. Its great they can understand me now
thanks a lot Marcus
Hola, I am just learing this beautiful language, I have tried for years, but it was not easy until now. When I found your method of teaching, I love it, and I’ve been telling every one I know that want to learn, how easy you make it. Thank you so very much!!!!
This is a great and easy way to learn Spanish. I coudn’t believe i was translating from English to Spanish already on the first lesson… And no grammar – how great is that?
Thans Marcus!
M.A.
Thanks for the new lesson; the pace was good; the combinations certainly speed up the process.
Hi Marcus
Thank you for sending me the new lessons. Have just come back from Cuba (the spanish speaking area) and was amazed to find that I could understand a lot more thanks to your lessons. Will now tackle the next lessons and let you know how I get on. Am still struggling understanding when the spanish is rolled into one flowing sentence but I am getting there. Thanks again.
Your spanish lessons are great . I have an interest to become a Spanish Teacher. I’m working at the moment. Sometimes I do not have the time but I still love Spanish
Hello Marcus,
Thanks for sharing with us this knowlege and make it easier for us with little time for grammar.
I am sure you will come up with new ideas and we shall be here to receive them.
Muchas Gracias.
Thanks for more lessons. I appreciate putting them on a CD to use in the car. The speaking speed is just right, and the longer sentences are a good challenge.
Muchas Gracias
Hi Marcus
Very interesting. However, sometimes the sentences are spoken too fast and I get lost. With repetition it will become clear. Good work and this should make learning Spanish easier and more exciting.
Gracias.
Joy from Jamaica, W.I.
Hi Marcus, I think the course is great, the sample program is not too fast in my opinion. I can see this course would be beneficial to me as, although I have been studying with books my conversational skills and listening comprehension are weak.This is just what I need to improve. I will recommend this course to my friends. When I’m more financially stable I will consider enrolling.
Hola Marcus,
I am benefitting greatly from you course. I am a hands-on learner and to hear and then respond to the Spanish has been fun and very helpful for me. The repetition is what is so good. Then I write out the sentences and that solidifies my learning all the more. Thank you again for be willing to share your ideas with so many. And what a gift to have your wife helping you. I love that we are learning from a Spanish speaking person rather than someone who is English speaking Spanish. It makes all the difference because of the accent which is what we hear down here in Mexico. Thanks again, Diana
Hola Marcus,
I tried out your new Confident Spanish lesson and found it good. Having done Synergy Spanish and started Bola de Nieve I didn’t have any problems following the Spanish. So thanks for the extra lesson.
Something occurred to me, I don’t know if it might be helpful. The idea in Shortcut to Spanish of having rules to convert English words to Spanish and vice versa is brilliant and a great help to building vocabulary. But what you really need to know are any exceptions, not so much the list of words where it works. If I am trying to say something in Spanish and I have a word I need to convert that fits one of the patterns, I can’t be sure it is safe to convert it unless I have a pretty good idea of the ones that don’t work!
It’s like irregular verbs; knowing the conjugations for regular -ar, -ir, -er verbs saves a huge amount of learning, but unless you know e.g. that estar doesn’t follow the rules you are going to make some elementary mistakes!
It’s only a thought, but some lists of common exceptions to the conversion rules could be very useful.
Saludos,
John.
*Smiles* Hello Sir, I’m 36 and have only just discovered this on-line world for the first time two years ago during my pregnancy with my son Echo. I’ve learned many things since then on my own, and met a few sexy Spanish speakers, and found a Spanish pop station on the radio in my car that I really enjoy; so I decided to learn Spanish on-line and I found you, Marcus, right away.. *lol* You were so inspiring and I have the words burned into my head all the way up until the fourth chapter when my life started to fall apart.. I have gotten as far as the eighth chapter now. I hope having this big empty (still reviewing the old stuff but not really moving on, because my concentration seems everywhere now).. space.. is okay? I want to sink into this language so so badly but my landlords house is being foreclosed on. *shrugs* Still hoping to dedicate all my effort to this .. *sighs*… I fear I’m just using this new stress as just another one of my excuses to give up on something I feel is so untouchable for me anyways but, really, deep down I really really want to do this.. Your own sexy love story is awesome as is your Australianess… I’m sure that must have made learning the language much easier.
(wishes for tutor too, *smiles*) *Waves kindly*
Hola Marcus ,
Acabo de escuchar a la clase de Espanol y para mi es tan facil ! Necesito algo que va a ayudarme tener una conversacion sin problemas ! Que sugiere ?
Muy bien, me gusta mucho la lecion y voy a comprar el curso de ”confident spanish lessons” Diana
Thanx Marcus I really like what you are doing, I find your lessons very enjoyable
Hi, I just listened to lesson 1. I would like it vwery much if you could give a written script with the lesson. I tend to be a visual learner. Thanks for the lesson
Hi, I just listened to lesson 1. I would like it vwery much if you could give a written script with the lesson. I tend to be a visual learner. Thanks for the lesson
Marcus, thanks for the latest Synergy Bonus material. As with your previous material, it makes learning Spanish so much more enjoyable & dare I say, easier?! It certainly does it for me! Muy muchos gracias amigo!
Hola Marcus, I can handle the course fine She doesn’t go too fast for me, because I am used to her speech. I think you have a good balance between letting us hear her speak and sending those students to the synergy Spanish web cite if they need help. Thanks for the lesson.
Hello !
I think the method is the same method people have been using for the last 50 years without good results. Some of the comments here are written in very good spanish but it is not possible to write so advanced spanish after the first lesson and that is why I wonder how true they can be.
I wish I had found something which would be cutting edges but I did not.
Sorry to say so but I found it was too long of an explanation and the data I got in spanish was too short and not very interesting.
I would not consider it fast learning.
Muchas Gracias !
George
Hi,I speakSpanishfluently bad.my grammar is verypoor.I learned by listening and i have not progressed at all.I now live in Andalucia where after 5 years I still cannot understand the illiterate mumblings of many of the villagers. I need somthing intensive to help me with my tenses. My Spanish friends say that Ispeak well but it is the grammar.
GREAT GRAPHICS…..BUT NO TRIAL LESSON, OR ANY TEXT AT ALL.
Hola Marcus,
Muchas gracias por tu excelente curso. Me ha ayudado bastante a comprender mejor la gramática, a construir frases, oraciones y he mejorado en la lectura. Ahora estoy tratándo de hablar más en Español.
Hasta pronto
Ihle, Sweden
Thanks fpr the link to confident spanish – but I can not download – as with the first link one merely gets the quicktime player plug in. Would love to download it so I can put it on my i-pod!!
Hola Marcus,
I really love your course. It’s helped me a lot to tie together what little Spanish I all ready knew. What would be helpful to me is if you could list all the words we learned in each course at the end of each book, so if I’ve forgotten one I don’t have to thumb back through the whole book to find it.
Thanks a lot,
Chuck
Hi Marcus – muchas gracias por Synergy Spanish. Hey I’m only just learning, and the lesson was excellent – I’m looking forward to many more. Muy Bueno mi amigo!
I have been trying to download one of you free Spanish lessons before deciding to try your courses but have been unable to open the page. I wonder if you can help me? When I “click” on to open the lesson I just get a blank page.
Sarah
Hola Marcus, No, I didn’t find it too fast, but I have completed all your Spanish courses except Bola. I got up to lesson 10, but find that I really need the written scripts to practice the best. I love your method of teaching and find that I learned the most with your programs. I continue to try to read and write every day, but my speaking is suffering without more practice. Is this a new course?
Hola Mr.Spanish..
Thanks again for the last lesson. But I have some difficulty,( like some others) Following her
Could she either, speak slower, or once slower and second time with regular speed. Better
yet; Reverse it so second time we can see how much of it we cought
the first time. I always wish you and your beatiful , family well….
Tufan
I have real trouble “hearing” and processing Spanish. Reading is easier for me, but does not help much in communicating. I will do and redo this free lesson and save my money to take your course. Thanks.
Marcus,
Thanks for helping me Learn Spanish Since I Am Not The Greatest at Speaking It Fluently With My My Friends And Family As Of Yet I would like To continue to learn it thanks for the Lessons.
Elisa De La Torre
First to say thank you for the lesson. I can follow the lesson, but since some of these are new words for me, I need to see them written to make sure of the pronunciation. I do practice with native people and they say that my Spanish is very good, thanks to your lessons.
Thank you so much.
Hola Marcus,
Thanks for this lessson. I am glad to receive this lesson from you which I think is really and great combination of Synergy Spanish and confident spanish. Though this lesson appears to be little faster, but still I am glad I could follow. Keep up the good work for millions of people who have a hunger to learn a new language, especially spanish. When someone speaks, I can follow them a little bit and could talk in few sentences, but I am not sure whether I am speaking in the right way. Anyway I am indeed being helped by your courses. Hope to look forward for more courses.
Muchas gracias
Marcus, I found your short-cut to Spanish a real blessing, BUT, your speaker I can not follow, your enuncation is great but I find your speaker impossible —- Frank
Marcus is working hard to recreate his courses in the video format with better sound quality, and will be mid year of 2013 before finished.
Hola Marcus.
First of all: this (new) part of your course is NOT to fast in any way, if your students have done their homework. You have done a great job in your synergy and bola de nieve – parts, and the only reason for me not to write in Spanish right now is lack of daily training, and for that reason quicker for me to write in English.
The only critical comment from my side would be, that sometimes you give the impression, that learning Spanish (or any foreign language) is a peace of cake. Well, for some people it may be very easy, but for the majority of us, learning a new language takes a great deal of effort and descipline. Nothing comes from nothing!
Me, – I have had great pleasure learning from you, but I believe me further then your latest initiative. So, no thanks!
I’ve had a great time the past 14 months (still need module 14, though).
Best wishes, Hans, Denmark.
Hola Marcus
I agree with Vivienne Seymour it’s not too fast when the ear has to be trained in order to be able to understand Spanish speakers. I am mixing with the Spanish women in my nearest village and have trouble understanding them when they try to interact with me after I have tried out my Spanish on them and they won’t slow it down. Perhaps there is a need for a two speed lesson but please don’t change this one.
Gracias y saludos,
Pauline Sims
hi mr marcus , first of all i realy appreciate all your help to me for free , you have sent me so many lessons from different web sites which you created , i have got many usefull education froom them . my spanish right now is getting better and better and i even can talk with some people from here to there , all of that was through your great free help to me , but right now i need some developed lessons to build up my spanish with if you have some i will realy appreciate it. good luck MR HAJI .
Saludos muchas gracias por las maravillosas clases, tenemos pensado invitarle a Jamaica a nuestro instituto espero que le guste la idea bye carlos
Saludos muchas gracias por las maravillosas clases, tenemos pensado invitarle a Jamaica a nuestro instituto espero que le guste la idea bye carlos
Hola Marcus
Firstly I’m going to be pedantic – but there is only 1 short lesson? Not “lessons”.
Anyway – as always it’s fab for me. It wasn’t too fast or anything. In fact for me I want more like that. I have been thoroughly enjoying your crouses for several years now and I’ve burnt them to CD so I can listen in my car – this really helps with pronunciation as well as practising repeating what the lessons you given so far. Well done and muchismos gracias a ti.
Thanks for the sample lesson – I love your approach to teaching Spanish! It’s always engaging, and you teach difficult concepts in such a simple and direct way. This newest course is a great addition to your “buffet” great courses!
I did not find it too fast. The woman is more difficult to hear clearly, but an extra voice is always helpful (as it would be in real life). At 71 I am refreshing my Spanish, learnt in childhood in Colombia! Muchas gracias!
Hola Marcus,
Thanks for including me in this new lesson distribution. I did not understand some of the words. I am very much an audio/visual learner. I need to see it as well as hear it. Do all your audio lessons include a transcript? I’m hoping you say “yes”. Thanks, Betty
Thanks for the confident spanish lesson. It ias a great follow on from Synergy Spanish.
How can I obtain more of these?
I lived in Spain off and on for two years. I now live in France. I do not want to lose my ability to speak Spanish and find the emails that you have sent to be very useful and easy to follow. I do, however, need something that will provide me with the ability to write as well as speak. Do your advanced courses provide both?
I had no difficulty downloading both emails for your new course. I did not find the Spanish too rapid. I did, however, find that those who speak Spanish in Madrid speak too quickly for my untrained ear.
Hola Marcus At 66 years of age I am into my second year of weekly classes at a local language school here in Spain – plus a lot of self stufy on internet programmes and your excellent site. No I did not find the speech too fast but what I did find was that there was not a sufficient time gap allowed between the phrases to allow me to formulate my response – it just does´nt come that quickly any more!
Salud Carole
Hi Marcus
Well, I have completed your synergy spanish course and I am progressing very well on the bola de Nieve, I’m on AC 10 and enjoying it very much. I live in southern spain so I do get a fair bit of practice. I now feel that i need the spanish at normal speaking speed (or very nearly) to help me progress further. I have spanish friends but don’t get to speak to them on a daily basis but when we do go out it’s a full speed and i need to keep up….so it must be hard for you but I suppose we are all at different levels. I am keen on anything that will help me get fluent…keep up the hard work.
regards
Gerry
Hola Marcus, muchos gracias por la nueve leccion. Es mas rapido que lo que generalmente hago, pero espero que lo me ayude a hacerme mejor. Su lecciones me han ayudado mucho. I have been trying to teach myself Spanish for some time now. I find that I am the type of person who wants to learn the grammar part of the language as well as how to speak it. Your lessons mean that I can hear if I am pronouncing the words properly. Your methods also help me to learn vocabulary quickly, and more importantly, to retain it! I only get to visit Spain now and again so I don’t get much chance to put what I’ve learned into practise. This is where your stuff becomes such a great help. Now it’s becoming faster, I think I might improve my listening skills. I find this part quite difficult. Espero que el espanol he usado sea legible. Hasta pronto. Lesley (U.K.)
I’ve been teaching myself some spanish. I ust to watch dora the explora. I think that was dora the explora that made my spanish easy. At my school we learn japanese. I love spanish. From tayla!
One more thing Marcus, the synergy bonus mini course; is that a continuation of the course you just gave us? I want to know if I should get that as well but it’s not clear just what that entails. Could you give me more information on that, so I know to buy it or not?
Thanks again
Carol.
Wonderful Marcus, but I can’t catch the word before attention. I’ve looked in the dictionary and of course the word”pay” is different to “pay attention” Could you please tell me what that word is so I can follow it correctly and practise? I think it would be so much more advantagus if you could give us the written version to the audio. Thanks Marcus.
Regards, Carol.
I have tried downloading your confident Spanish twice. Both times it starts playing, runs for a few minutes and then goes silent. I appreciate the free lessons you share. Thank you for those.
I think I have everything you’ve published and I’m well pleased with my progress.
Hi Marcus,
My first reaction was – when repeated in Spanish – it was spoken too quickly.
Also perhaps a text version to accompany the MP3s.
Best regards
Victor
Mazarron – Murcia – Spain
i must say that i have really enjoyed the lessons they have been very helpful in my studies keep up the good work
Hi Marcus, unable to open & download the link,very frustrated.
Hola Marcus,
I am enjoying learning Spanish from your course. I like the clarity and structure it gives and feel I am making good progress. My ambition is to be able to speak and understand the language by January next year, as I am visiting a very special friend in Colombia at that time.
Muchas gracias,
Willie
hi marcus, do you know what, the ideas you have work!!!, love this course. for the last two years clients coming to buy homes here have been thin on the ground, so I’ve had more time with Spanish friends, they were surprised that my Spanish had improved,,, down to you Buddy.
thanks for ya help and assistance, lookin forward to this course,,, i’m 65 and still learnin,,, how cool is that???
Jim Palmer
Costa Blanca
Very interesting and simple to comprehend. Found some of the Spanish a bit speedy to hear but hopefully I will get my ear tuned in. Kind regard Carol
Hola the helper!
I really don’t know what i will pay you Marcus.
you have all done in order to help me to study Spanish language without asking me anything
except to be ambitious.
God may help you in you life
Hasta pronto!
Hola Marcus,
I’m not able to open the first link with the lesson, the second link opens which it the one about the bonus course which has to be paid for. I wonder why the free lesson won’t open. everytime i try to open it says windows cannot display this page.
Marcus, I actually thought that the speed of the conversation was perfect…… Maybe you should have different speeds for different levels of ability. I mean, even latino/spanish kids probably talk mas rapido for most english speaking people, but if you don’t challenge yourself then you’ll never learn.
Dear Marcus
Thank you for the fantastic Spanish learning course! I love it! Easy to use, and quick to learn… just a perfect combination..
Best wishes,
Alenka
hola marcus, thanks alot for every lessons you have sent to my email , i also even do not know how fast they made me speak some good spanish .everything is great ..you are all great. i do not know honestly which one is better than the other . all of are great.
Hola Marcus
First gracias for sticking with me in sending frequent emails of your lessons. I am of an age where it is a little more difficult to retain so much but I am determined to do Spanish. A little everyday. I have some Spanish blood in me and I love much of the Spanish culture. My Father and his Father (Spanish) came from Louisiana where I still have many relatives and Spain is a great part of our Spanish family history. (I was raised and live in the UK)
I do agree with some of your other bloggers that it is more difficult listening to Spanish spoken at a fairly fast speed but I feel along with other lessons this could be very helpful.
Once again muchas gracias for your support and dedication.
Elaine
I am unable to download the free recording. I use Windows Media Player. I have downloaded many items from you in the past so I am not sure why this is. I see an earlier message on this board that someone else may have had a problem ? I hope you can help. Saludos –
Hola Marcus,
FYI, a book originally published in 1951, Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish, dedicates parts of its first 11 chapters to 22 groups of words that are spelled the same or similar which represent about 80% of the words in English and Spanish. The first examples are words that are basically the same except for pronunciation, like words ending in -al, -able and -or (e.g., animal, cable and doctor). It is an excellent book. it also starts with the past tense since most of our conversations are about the past, and, initially it leaves out “you” familiar (tu) to make learning how to conjugate Spanish verbs a little easier. I have been studying Spanish off and on for the past two years so that I could live in Mexico and be able to communicate. i have been in Mexico for two months now and am picking up on the language much faster since I am immersed in it daily. There is no substitute for a lot of practice.
very interesting and very helpfull
thank you for your spanish lessons, i am married to colombian woman and wondering if you offer lessons to learn english for a spanish speaking person or could you recomend a course that i can take to my wife when i return to colombia november, thanks again
Muchas gracias!!!!! Enjoyed the free lessons. I have completed Synergy and I am now going back to do Shortcut (mainly as a review) and SC to Informal. The speed of the Spanish was not a problem for me.
Your methods are perfecto and I have told many others about your courses. Looking forward to more courses from you.
I think it is a terrific idea that I would absolutely purchase when done but it downloads to only mp3 and won’t go to my ipod as your other lessons do. Also it is very fast and that was hard for me. I am working pretty hard on the spanish but it was too fast. Slow it down and you have a hit.
Hi,
Mark,
that was a good lesson , but it is very fast for me to understand. I think I need some basics words and sentence techniques before , I can go this far.
thanks,
Ray S,
I have been enjoying Shortcut to Spanish and instead of printing vast numbers of pages, I have been typing the Exercises in English and Spanish so that I can then translate at my leisure – and correct my mistakes. Typing in Spanish is a lesson in itself.
I have Netflix DVDs and have the subtitles in Spanish and slowly I am more able to understand. I do not have an opportunity to speak to anyone Spanish but am trying to “think” in the language, hopefully with the correct pronunciation.
I am using your lessons to hopefully exercise my brain rather than communicate with anyone. Am enjoying the experience. Thank you.
Yes, the lady speaking Spanish could speak a little more slowly please.
Hola Marcus,
I am working my way through the course and I am certainly learning quicker with your method than I did with the spanish classes I have taken before. I have to work more on the speaking aspect as I tend to enjoy the written work more, and I need to speak it more than write it, but I will keep working on it.
Thank you for producing a well thought out course as I have really struggled in the past to grasp this language.
Gill
Marcus, your courses: Shortcut to Spanish 1 & 2 and Synergy Spanish, have been EXACTLY what I’ve needed to help me coninue to learn the spanish language. I actually took them in the wrong order – Synergy first and then the Shortcuts – pero, no hay una problema, porque, para mi, la repeticion es muy bien. Pronto me gustaria tocar la proxima leccion llamada “Bola de Nieve”. Necesito poner mi nombre en su lista despues de terminar Shortcut to Spanish 2.
Personalamente, no pienso que la mujer habla demasiado rapido en su curso nuevo. Pero, ahora estoy listo a escuchar en la tiempo realidad.
Gracias por los cursos excelente!
I enjoy your lessons and do not find the pace too fast. The voice is clear and the words well enunciated. I have no trouble following and repeating. I try to answer before the answer comes.
Thank you very much. Indeed using cognates to build vocabulary is great, you can also use the many Spanish words used in English or English words used in Spanish.
Dear Marcus,
I ordered Shortcut to Spanish after returning from a Mission trip to Nicaragua. I play it over and over. I learn something new each time and am becoming quite good in the language. I have always been able to roll my tongue and the accent is easy for me. This is a no frills (and no dumb pictures with sounds) course. I plan on getting more fluent with what I have right now and will soon move onto the next level. Even If I stop with this beginners course I would be able to communicate comfortably on my next trip to South America. You have done a great job by keeping it simple. Thank you Marcus!!
some text to go with it would be great,because she is hard to understand.
Marcus,
About six months ago I took Synergy Spanish and Shortcut to Spanish… both programs are good and gave me a solid foundation for making basic sentences. I listened to the booster lessens the other night and they helped bring back and reinforce what I had learned previously. Now I just need to get back down to Mexico and practice more.
Thanks, Matt
Your way does make it easy to learn Spanish…and to speak it. At 68 years of age I do have to exercise will power to just go through a lesson up to the very end.
I have two motivations for learning Spanish: so I can gradually learn to navigate through 16th century Spanish documents which are necessary for my profession as historian of Magellan’s voyage; and to fend off forgetfulness which if unchecked may develop into alzheimer.
Many thanks for your wonderful lessons.
Hi Marcus,
Just listened to the boosters and again great job … she does speak faster than people coming straight off synergy spanish will be used to … I completed Synergy Spanish almost 10 months ago now and spent 7 weeks in Central / South America and by the end of it I was speaking very confidently (providing I had the vocabulary to go with it!!!), though my biggest problem was trying to talk about the past … something I am working on now, but I owe the ability I did have to your course … I am wanting to take you other course too, and am enjoying the learning of this language.
!!Otra vez, muchas gracias!!
Anton
I’m very impressed, Marcus,
Synergy spanish is awesome! I can not imagine a better spanish learning resourse. You have created a very excellent program. Congratulations!
The letter from Peter suggesting to join nouns and verbs together is a wonderful idea Marcus because I have found that is where I go wrong. Is it possible to send us a lesson like that?
I love your lessons and find I am finding it easier with each lesson you send and I learn, although it has taken a while I am determined to be able to speak fluently.
Thank you so much.
Carol Miller
Hi Marcus,
I loved the synergy with 138 word, I made progress very fast and now with the 1000 word its amazing how much more sentence I can make.
Hola me amigo Marcus,
That is a good picture of what must be your family.I tried to print it and failed.Would you e mail one to me please?
I have ‘shortcut yo spanish,’ and ‘Synergy Spanish.’ Plus all the ones you have offered free.
The ‘Confident Spanish’ is similar to the others with new words and the spoken translation will help me to practice listening. It is the speed at which Spanish is spoken normally .
I think you have another winner. Good luck
Tom
Logged on and all I got was squiggly lines. Couldn’t see or hear a word of Spanish. Maybe something is wrong with the website.
Hi Marcus, thanks for the lesson. I could pick up what was being spoken quite easily.However, the very first sentence is still giving me trouble. “vamos a —- atencion, por favor” I am not sure if I am hearing: porner, pensar or prestar. {probably has something to do with my age} Please set my mind at rest! George
This excellent system works both ways: I have non-English speakers teamed up with non-Spanish speakers in “bilingual sessions.” They learn from each other and share the texts both ways.
Marcus, your language-learning approach is incomparable. My students all look forward to their sessions. I volunteer my services to the communities where I teach without charging anyone, so we may gradually lower the barriers between cultures that live side by side.
Please keep up the good, inspired work. You are a real pioneer in language learning.
Hola Marcus – Many thanks for the four additional Synergy Booster Lesssons. They have put some very useful additional flesh on the bones of the original Synergy Spanish Course.
I find the speed of delivery quite suitable throughout. If people find it too fast then they should keep listening over and over again until they follow it.. If you slow it down more it doesn’t prepare people for the real world where people often speak very rapidly . ( mas despacio por favor !)
I agree that the Andaluz accent makes things worse as they will leave off the second half or ending of a word.
Muchas gracias por el curso. Lo he disfrutado mucho.
Con saludos cordiales – Colin (age 83. Costa del Sol)
Hola Marcus, I like what I learned from your free confident spanish audio. You are offering the Synergy Spanish mini course. Is it something new? I already have the Synergy Spanish course which I am still studying. The titles being the same is what is confusing. Please clarify before I buy it. Thanks to you, I have made a lot of progress in speaking and understanding Spanish. My aim is to speak fluently this wonderfull language.
Muchisimas Gracias.
Daniella
You are very generous. Thank you. Now that I am retired, perhaps I will be able to learn the language I love so much. Your course is wonderful. jim
Hi Marcus! As always, what you sent was very helpful. I look forward to your emails.
Muchisimas gracias.
Cynthia
STILL unable to download
hi marcus.your lessons have done great favor to me,though i live in spain,your guidance have helped me al lot,great work.saludo
I tried the sample lesson. There were numerous instances when I couldn’t make out many of the words the lady was speaking. If I can’t hear what she is saying, how can I learn Spanish?
If I would have had some text in front of me I could have figured it out.
That was most useful Marcus. I have found I can use the basics you teach – about using general purpose verbs with the noun and a ‘please and thank you’ – are good enough to get by in other languages too since much communication is done with a smile and gestures, like buying cheese and a loaf in France, an ice cream in Italy and a piece of hot pizza in Spain where it was in the cold cabinet but the lady understood my attempt at calliente and threw it in the oven for 5 minutes! While we were waiting for it to heat up I attempted to ask her if her grandson in the photo next to her could walk – by walking my fingers across the top of the cash register and asking ‘bueno?’ while pointing at the photo – a long conversation followed with all the rest of the villagers in the bakery! The funniest scene was in Starbucks in Barcelona, Spain where I was trying out my Spanish and the guy serving was replying in English because he wanted to practice his English, we had a great half hour each morning! All this while travelling around Europe on a $200 motorbike at age 60!
Hi Marcus
Many thanks for your latest lessons in Short cut to Spanish. I am working my way through Synergy Spanish along with the Informal Spanish Course. I have found the courses to be very encouraging and enjoyable and certainly beats learning the grammer without learning to speak the language. I now feel more confident trying out the language and my speed at speaking it has improved too. Keep up the good work and I will certainly be interested in new courses at some point in the future
Norma
Hi Marcus
I cannot get the
“Click here to grab you “Confident Spanish Instantly” lesson” the page appears with the following address, but the page stays blank, can you help please.
– http://www.synergyspanishsystems.com/downloads/confident_spanish_1.mp3
Joy
Marcus,
Good approach… I taught Parisien French with the same approach. I did find I had to slow down and enunciate more while running over the verbs (due to their changing forms).
The same goes in your lesson – the lady’s voice, combined with her accent (Mexican), tended to run over the verb forms (e.g. You will be able…) too quickly for me. I have spoken with a Spanish (Spain) accent and it is a little different from those in Latin America and Mexico. Of course, that was back in the 60’s when there was only one way to speak it… right???
I taught French using my “Lego” approach when it came to the written work. Sentences on the blackboard – using different colours of chalk for each part of speech. I only put sentences there that the students had been speaking for a while – now they could expand them. Worked like a ‘hot damn’, as they say in our land of maple leaves, mountains, mounties, caribou, and beavers!
David
can PPT be recorded
Marcus,is there any way to provide a way to put this in text form for downloading.I have much
difficulty hearing clearly and with the rapid speech of spanish.
I could not download the lesson.. I tried several times…I took off the block with no success.
Marcus, I can not play the free lesson just sent by email. My ‘free’ audio lesson of Confident Spanish Instantly will not download. All I receive is the proverbial red x box on the page and nothing else.
Thank you Marcus for your devoted energy. I think it’s going to work! Carol
I just listened to your introductory piece, (mp3) about “Confident Spanish”. Sounds good but at this stage I will probably be best served by continuing on with your Synergy Spanish program. I am just now getting ready to tackle Lesson # 11; having fairly well mastered the previous lessons. BTW, I think your method is nothing short of phenomenal! Like many others who comment on your format, I too have tried many other methods. They have all failed me! Admittedly, this may be due to my personal learning style, but whatever…I’m tickled!
Thanks Marcus!
I just tried the new confident spanish and although I was unable to get them all right, I probably got over half of them correct. I appreciate you and offering us easy ways to learn Spanish. I have tried numerous books and tapes without success, but your lessons have been so easy I am able to speak some Spanish and understand even more. I think you are even better than Rosetta Stone, which is suppose to be the best.
Again, thank you for helping us learn Spanish the easy way.
Corinne
You should have the words printed because it is sometimes difficult to understand the speaker, since it is a different language.
Marcus, I can not play the free lesson just sent by email. It says that it is not supported. I do not know what that means.
hi , iam mr haji ali from iraq . i realy appreciate your free help of learning spanish lessons to me . each lesson is better than the other, each new programm is better than the other, thank you very much, now speak much spanish , and i talk with some people on line but i still need more practice and vocabullaries.
Thank you so much!
Hola Marcus
that is a great great job just provide it with an powerpiont silde show, that way the reciver can read and lesn at the same time and the info will stick much faster and it will be harder to forget
thanks
alaa
Great concept. Just needs a few harder words to appear on the screen, like bar.
My ‘free’ audio lesson of Confident Spanish Instantly will not download. It says there is an error on the page.
I have used Rosetta stone but it ties you to a computer I like this lesson because not only do I have audio but I also have english and the spanish words together which is helping me read spanish and pronounce. Thank you
Very interesting.
marcus, your lessons have helped me to build fluency in spanish quickly and easily. i’ve impressed my spanish speaking friends a number of times with my spanish phrases. thank you.
Marcus, you are really generous with your time and your materials. I’ve improved my Spanish greatly through several of your courses, and receiving this “packed” Synergy Spanish gift today was great. I’ll access it as a wonderful resource to reinforce lessons you’ve previously provided. I’m loving “Bola de Nieve” and “Bola Intensive.” Please, please keep writing courses!
Hola Marcus;
La leccíon nueva es marvillosa. Pienso que la combinacíon de las dos ideas trabaja muy bién.
I have been considering another possible way to increase Spanish vocabulary. I’ve noticed that many nouns and other parts of speech have associated verbs. Maybe introducing them together would help expand vocabulary more rapidly.
Some examples would be:
estudiante, estudio, estudioso, estudiar
cuenta, cuento, contar
ayuda, ayudante, ayudar
busca, buscador, buscar
escrito, escritor, escritorio, escribir
Saludos
Peter
Hola Marcus
Thank you so much for your recent e-mail combining both synergy spanish with shortcut to spanish – fantastic! I love your method of teaching and your lessons have now become part of my daily life. I have tried other spanish so called lessons, but yours is by far the absolute best!! I think your explanations that you give whilst teaching the lessons make it very enjoyable and therefore you want to learn more. Look forward to future lessons.
Thank you so much for the extra lessons. Very helpful material.
Thanks
Angela
Hola Marcus,
I am slowly wo5rking my way through synergy spanish and am delighted with your learning techniques. I have also just listened to your oral spanish lesson based on English -ion words. In both instances I am pleased and impressed at our determination to help your student move quickly towards speaking Spanish.
I benefit greatly from the thought and research that go into your lessons. Many thanks for your work and imagination.
Dear Marcus,
Thank you for sending me the booster package. I listened as I downloaded and it is easy to digest.
I have to admit I have not been doing as much Spanish as I aught to be, but as you have reminded me to get on with it I am grateful.
Saludos
Paul
Thank you. I have been working with both Shortcut to Spanish and Synergy Spanish for about two years and have learned more from these two courses than I did from multiple semesters of college Spanish. The fear factor is broken, and although I regularly screw it up, I can make myself understood and I can commuinicate.
Hola Marcus, muchos Gracius para este lección.
I did have a problem down loading at first, for some reason went into a temporary file, so it took me some time to find them, and they were currupted so could not use them, finally sorted out what had gone wrong and down loaded correctly and now find they are very helpful, as pronunciation is not my best quality, and in Murcia the dialect of the locals is something to be desired, they tend to cut words short and slur them so you have to concentrate hard to understand, so once again thank you very much and look forward to future classes.
Roland
I finished synergy spanish a while ago and the first lesson of informal spanish. I am excited for each new product that you create. However I would like to see more vocabulary used in each lesson more verbs and nouns. I listen to each lesson over and over so the first time I do not expect to know all the words but as i hear more and more new words I continue to want to learn. I would also like to see lesson that are for specific areas of life. Many learners of spanish want to learn Agriculture words and phrases.
I finished synergy spanish a while ago and the first lesson of informal spanish. I am excited for each new product that you create. However I would like to see more vocabulary used in each lesson more verbs and nouns. I listen to each lesson over and over so the first time I do not expect to know all the words but as i hear more and more new words I continue to want to learn. I would also like to see lesson that are for specific areas of life. Many learners of spanish want to learn Agriculture words and phrases.
Hi Marcus
I’ve just registered for your new confident Spanish. I already ordered and have been using your synergy Spanish. I have also been using a couple of other systems that I like ( Rocket Spanish & Learning Spanish like crazy). I have to say though, the most enjoyable and fastest that I have learned by far has been with your Synergy Spanish.
My wife is Dominican but she doesn’t really have the patience to teach me Spanish. I have been learning on my own until I know enough to try to talk to her in Spanish, then I’m sure that I’ll be able to learn a lot from her. In the mean time I have been impressing her and my in-laws with what I have learned from Synergy.
Your approach does work. I will let you know what I think of your new Confident Spanish. I will also let you know if I think that it is spoken too fast for some one who is a little more than a beginner but is in no way an experienced Spanish speaker.
Thanks
Jay
Muchas gracias!
I learned a lot from your course.
Saludos desde Gran Canaria.
Walter
I was struggling with Spanish for sometime, getting frustrated and wanting to give up. I have been spending a lot of time between Spain and the UK and every time I was back in UK I would not do any Spanish, so all the Spanish I learned while in Spain would become rusty. This was becoming very frustrating until one day I was very lucky to discover Marcus’s absolutely am- azing Synergy Spanish course. I could see very soon that this was the only way to getting a firm understanding and grounding of the language that had been insurmountable for me.
I am incredibly grateful to this caballero. He has saved my life and now I can live in Spain all the time and be integrated. Once again, all the course material including the audio downloads are ten times better than anything else out there. All praise to Marcus. Thank you so much.
Very effective for learning Spanish
Marcus
Thanks a million fot the Shortcut to 1000 Spanish Words, it was excellent
Pat
Hola Marcus
Thanks a million for your Shortcut to 1000 Spanish Words, it was brilliant , you make Spanish so simple even at my age of 57 I can with a little practice lean how to speak Spanish.
I have just finished Synegy Spanish and I am delighted with my progress.
Marcus I must say that ulike all the other courses available in the internet, yours has to be the best, as unlike the others yours is not soley about making money, and you should be commended for that. Keep up the excellent work
Thank you again
Pat
I am delighted with this course gracias
Thanks for the program, i’m doing a little at a time and hope to assist at a program dedicated to hispanic non citizens…meeting and practicing is a wonderful way of picking up command of the language…..jmc
I have enjoyed your course Synergy Spanish and shared it with some beginners who have some interest in learning spanish. Its way better than learning tons of useless grammar.
thank you,
m…
Hola Marcus
I was so excited to get something from you in my email. I love the way you teach Spanish, it makes it fun and rewarding because you have us saying so many things so quickly. Unfortunately I dont have the means for Bola de Nieve. I so wish there was a Synergy Spanish 2! I bought another well advertised course that has a second part but it cannot compare to your method. Thank you for keeping in touch and sending us these bonus lessons!
YE GODS MARCUS,I CERTAINLY ADMIRE YOUR DEDICATED EFFORTS TO TEACH SPANISH…IM HERE IN SPAIN AND IM IN MY 20TH YEAR NOW,AND ENJOY YOUR EFFORTS TO TEACH PEOPLE SPANISH….IM NOW 81 YEARS OF AGE ,AND I STARTED SPANISH WHEN I CAME HERE,BUT AT 62 YRS MY MEMORY JUST CANT HOLD,GOT MANY WORDS HUNDRED OF EM ,BUT ENJOY TRYING…SO KEEP UP YOUR GOOD WORK …BEST WISHES..GOOD LUCK…CHEERS LES SCOFIELD…BYE…
Hola Marcus,
I am a member of your Advanced Concepts Intensive 1 course. Just for fun, I came here to see what new project you were working on. I read the comments, and seeing several people comment on the how fast the words were spoken and how much trouble they were having understanding them, well,……… I had to listen to the lesson myself. I am happy to report to you that I had no trouble what so ever. This is being written to thank you and to let others know that your method works. A short time ago, I too would have made those same comments. but now it makes me feel so good to know how far I have progressed.
gracias otra vez., su amigo y estudiante
James Cagle
Muchas gracias, very helpful in my desire to learn spanish.
Hi Marcus,
I lived in Andalucia for six years and found regional accents made learning Spanish difficult. I can read and understand Spanish newspapers, at my own pace, but I find pronunciation a big problem. You have helped me improve so much, but I have such a long way to go. Spanish is for life not just for Christmas!
Cheers
Dave Horton
Hola Marcus,
I have downloaded your first linguistic brainchild “Synergy Spanish” and look forward to working with it. I will get back to you later on.
Cheers and take care
Robert
I have moved so quickly with your lessons I am amazing myself. I am able to communicate and get by here in Honduras after only 2 weeks of starting. This is an almost zero English speaking country in the general populous and it is entirely necessary for me to learn quickly. I cannot thankyou enough for the tools to learn in such quick time.
I tried this intropduction which only served to illustrate how basic my current understanding is, I should look at your more elementary programmes.
Hola Rene
You story is so wonderful. I am delighted to hear everything is working out for you and your new family.
Saludos
Marcus
Hola! Marcus, I am from Cape Town, South Africa, and have a keen interest in learning various languages. How I wished they were all as easy to learn as ”your way”! Your teaching is truly brilliant. You remain my ”favorite language teacher”! Keep up the good work!
Muchas gracias!
Isabel O
I’ve used several of your programs and have found no equal! My family adopted five children from Guatemala last year and not only can we comminicate effectively, my 9 and 13 year old sons are nearly fluent in Spanish! Thanks so much for your common sense approach to learning Spanish, and the native speaker audio lessons, they are priceless!
Thank you for keeping contact. Long time no hear! I still think your way of teaching is supreme!!
Steve K
No help at all. Spoken too fast with words run together and incoherant. A CD with written words and English phoentic sounds along with slow spanish pronunciation followed by regular Spanish conservation would seem to be the best teaching tool. Then combine the same words into sentences that use eveyday conservation.
I cannot understand the spoken language without a written transliteration/translationas the words run together too fast. I am just a beginner. This is much too difficult for me.
Perhaps the traditional methods would work better.
Hi Murray
Yes, with the courses you’ve completed this first lesson will be very familiar, although in the ones that follow will discover new ways of speaking.
There is no Shortcut to Spanish III. The course to take you to the next level is Bola de Nieve. I’ll be opening position in that program soon. Go to http://www.synergyspanishsystems.com to sign up for details.
saludos
Marcus
Muchas gracias por la leccion(confident spanish)y ya tengo mas confianza cuando hablo el español y todavia disfruto aprendiendo de todas las lecciones,dios te bondego.
Marcus, I listened to the sample lesson and itdoesn’t seem that much different than “Shortcut to Spanish.’ I have used the first two shortcut spanish courses and they have helped me tremendously. I guess I have been on the lookout for ShortCut to Spanish III.
Thank you so much. I am from South East Asia and starting to learn Spanish. I am asked to teach basic lessons in the lower grades since it is part of the school curriculum. You are a blessing to help me in this new task. God bless!
Muchas gracias para la leccion . . . pero, haya una problema . . . dos personas (tu y tu esposa) hablando al mismo tiempo, y era dificil escucharlos.
I’ve just registered for the Confident Spanish. While waiting for it to arrive, could you please, in the ConfidentSpanish.html, in the second passage, in the first sentence, please strike out one “f” in the word “off”. Thank you, Dan
Unable to download
Hola Alexa
Thanks for the comments.
I’ve been creating a lot of content for my advanced students lately. Their ears are well trained, so we do tent to speak more quickly in those lessons. We probably forgot to slow it down a little in these new lessons, thanks for feedback.
Marcus
Hola Marcus, Thank you for your latest course. I have been learning the Spanish language for a number of years’ and have found your tuition very helpful with my pronunciation. But, I must say this particular course, although I knew what your wife was saying, was a little fast for students to decipher who have less knowledge than I. In the first sentances the words rolled into each other. Then once one’s ear was attuned it was easy to understand. Maybe if she was to go a little slower it would be more comprehensible. I have been living in a small village in Spain for the last 20 years and love the Spanish way of life and particularly it’s people.
This is a great way to learn Spanish quickly and easily!
Muchas gracias!