learning to read spanish

i dont know if this will work, but i decided that i needed to learn spanish. i dont have the time or patience to sit down with any kind of tool or learning system and complete the process. realizing this, i started thinking about “full immersion” systems where you are put into an environment where you do not have a choice, it is sink or swim.

i recently had a spanish to english dictionary mailed to me. i tried to get a book that has not been translated into english to read, but alas, not knowing spanish made locating a book of this sort very hard to find online.

the goal is going to be reading a book from beginning to end and attempting to learn the language in a written fashion before attempting speech (i suck with verbal work). i figure if i can get halfway through a book i will be at a point where common language artifacts are memorized and from there on it will be like when i was growing up, finding words in the dictionary that i am unfamiliar with as opposed to every word as it will be in the beginning.

my friend brian came through for me with a copy of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” that he bought on a trip through south america a few years ago. not what i was looking for exactly, but i am okay with altering my plans just to get started.

i figure i should be on to that book in the next 3-4 days as i need to finish what i am reading currently first.

anyone that reads this page ever tried this approach or known someone who has?

i figure as i am reading the books i can move about and hit up some spanish language blogs that i often translate using babelfish and that will help as well, but i dunno.. it kinda feels like i am undertaking a task that will be difficult to the point of giving up..

i guess you cant know till you try eh?

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