English lessons for your girlfriends/wives

[Gato4Astrid]

Many of you already are married or have girlfriends that living in Colombia/Peru.   

Do they already speak English, or are already learning, or planning to learn?

If your girlfriends/wives are currently learning English or are planning to, what do you think will be the best route for her?

1 - Going to School/College to learn English (in Colombia/Peru) - and to earn recognize qualifications
2-  Private lessons at her home
3 - You teach her via MSN, etc
4 - Invite her to your country and attend English classes in your country

and why?

[Researcher]

      We waited until my wife arrived here. While studying there can help, one thing I know is that your learning accelerates when you are immersed in a language and are forced to use it.


    Researcher

[jksun07]

My gf did not know much English at all when I first talked to her.  However, after almost 2 years, she has picked up a lot of English by:

1) using an online program called Livemocha which is free (where I met her, I was trying to learn Spanish and she was trying to learn French)

2) speaking with her in English, let her look up words on Google translator

3) teach her on MSN

The most important thing is that she is motivated to learn.  You can also buy her a picture English/Spanish dictionary.  I recommend the Firefly Spanish dictionary.   

[Gato4Astrid]

My gf did not know much English at all when I first talked to her.  However, after almost 2 years, she has picked up a lot of English by:

1) using an online program called Livemocha which is free (where I met her, I was trying to learn Spanish and she was trying to learn French)
2) speaking with her in English, let her look up words on Google translator
3) teach her on MSN

The most important thing is that she is motivated to learn.  You can also buy her a picture English/Spanish dictionary.  I recommend the Firefly Spanish dictionary.   

She also got picture English/Spanish dictionary which she finds it very useful.    I also teach her English in MSN but only reading and writing  (cannot teach her to speak or listen because I am deaf!!).  She had used the Livemocha but she lacks discipline using it due to work commitment on accessories in the last 2 weeks.

[beginthebeguin]

The most important thing is that she is motivated to learn.  You can also buy her a picture English/Spanish dictionary.  I recommend the Firefly Spanish dictionary.   

A free downloaded version is available at http://www.ebook3000.com/dictionary/

Search for 'Firefly dictionary'

[william3rd]

Many of you already are married or have girlfriends . . . .   

Do they already speak English, or are already learning, or planning to learn? MY WIFE HAD EXTREMELY LIMITED ENGLISH WHEN SHE BEGAN HER FOREIGN GROOM HUNT

If your girlfriends/wives are currently learning English or are planning to, what do you think will be the best route for her?

1 - Going to School/College to learn English (in HER HOME COUNTRY) - and to earn recognize qualifications (NOPE). Yes to the classes- there were several adult school type organizations available to her in her city.
2-  Private lessons at her home. MORE EXPENSIVE MAYBE MORE INTENSIVE?
3 - You teach her via MSN, etc. HERE IN THE US, I AM HER DAILY TEACHER. WE SPEAK ENGLISH IN THE HOME BUT IT ACTUALLY IS MORE OF A PATOIS OF THAI AND ENGLISH
4 - Invite her to your country and attend English classes in your country. STUDENT VISAS ARE PRETTY TOUGH FOR GIRLS GOING TO STUDY ENGLISH UNLESS CERTAIN CRITERIA ARE MET.

and why?

[Pivery]

 I have my lady taking classes at a uni in Baq, but without anyone to bounce what she's learned off of except me for now,
 it's pretty hard for it to sink in. But like Researcher alluded to, once in an area where English is widely spoken it will make
 it alot easier and keep her focus much sharper. Just keep her away from those silly telenovelas!

 Pivery

[Alabamaboy!]

I have had two long term relationships with Barranquilleras.

The first girl took English classes at Jamies. She failed. She learned almost nothing. I even went with her on a couple of the classes and could see why to a certain extent. The classes were being taught in the living room where the group meetings take place. And the main office to his business and the door to the apartment where guys stay when they are coming there for the "tour" also comes off that room. So every couple minutes it seemed like some staff members, girls waiting for the next group meeting, the guy staying in the apartment, whoever is walking in and out and she was highly distracted. There did not seem to be a text book. It was mostly copies of workbooks  that she was given to complete. I don't think she took it seriously. It did not seem structured enough like a regular class and she was distracted a lot.

Before taking these classes she was taking classes at the University, but was just screwing around there like many of the younger women do. It seems like for most, the U is more of a social thing than actually learning anything. So that is why we tried Jamies.

The way she really learned English and did so very rapidly was with the computer in the home. Because she had Rosetta Stone and another program that was more traditional with grammar and vocabulary. And then she wrote to me every day, long letters so she could practice English. And we spoke every night in English.  Although I did give her a laptop, I did not put in the cable for the internet because after seeing how distracted she was, I was not going to promote even more socialization with the cable. So she learned rapidly. And was fluent in less than a year.

This method of computer programs, chatting, writing letters, etc. worked well for me too. I am pretty good with the Spanish and never have taken a class because of my limited time available.

My wife has had a different experience however. She tried private lessons with a female instructor, failed. She tried again with a different, older lady who had small groups, failed. She tried the computer method as the previous girl had....failed miserably. She was so anti computers that she just could not get into it. She tried the letters, workbooks, whatever things, failed. When she came here to the States under the fiancee visa, we used a variety of all of the above, along with DVD's, flashcards, instruction by me,  etc. ......failed.  So at the end of the 90 day visa period, I could not even marry her because she was basically unable to communicate with my two young children and more importantly was showing no real signs of improvement toward becoming able to communicate with them during the next century.

But when she hit the ground upon arrival in BAQ, she entered Colombo school for English. It is a program that is every day for 2 hours class time, lots of homework. And within a few months she was already at an acceptable level and communicating with my kids and mom on webcam, letters, and on the phone!

She says she thinks that she can only learn in a classroom setting like that. Who knows if that is true or if she finally woke up to the reality of the relationship was ending because of the inability to communicate with my kids. All I know is she is learning rapidly. And I had previously met other people who studied at Colombo who could not speak as well as my girl does now, after years of studying there! That is why I did like the idea in the first place.

But just goes to show you that there are different ways to reach the goal.

I think in the first girl's case, she was such a social butterfly and exotically beautiful and confident that she was distracted easily by other people. So she did better in the house without distractions on the computer. She only had her brother who was in the University. And her mom who worked. So she was able to study well everyday.

And my wife is much less timid, shy, and does better in a structured school like setting.  She also had a lot of distractions in her house with lots of nieces, nephews, sisters, parents, friends, neighbors, coming in and out. And always someone in the neighborhood blasting music.

[Gato4Astrid]

Thank you very much to all for your input.

And, also thank you to AB for writing the long posting.

[euforia51]

Bama ... your story is an interesting testament to some of the things I would have never thought of before. I remember one evening I received an e-mail from Glory in ... Ingles! I thought how in the heck did she do that (Google Translate ... duh)? The problem was ... the grammar was pretty ... no ... really bad. I just getting into learning Spanish at the time so I asked her to quit writing to me in English so we would only speak and write in Spanish; and further get me up to speed. I thought her writing in English would only impede my progress with talking/writing to her in Spanish.

Now here it is, I'm still learning Spanish and Glory and I are progressing far enough along that she really needs to seriously consider taking up English. She is aware of this and has the desire ... how strong it is, I don't know yet. She works full time and has little time left over for herself to devote. She logs onto an Internet site and has a notebook and small dictionary she uses. We practice some English words occasionally but nothing serious ... yet.

Based on the scenarios described with your wife and ex, I am now wondering how difficult it would be for Glory and the best way for her to learn. There's plenty of time for us. She will not be here tomorrow and we'll be lucky if she's here in a year ... assuming she makes it here at all. We'll roll with that scenario, for now. I'm thinking I ought to start with having her e-mailing me in Ingles again using Google ... just to begin to get herself familiar. Every little bit helps.

[z_k_g]

Bama ... your story is an interesting testament to some of the things I would have never thought of before. I remember one evening I received an e-mail from Glory in ... Ingles! I thought how in the heck did she do that (Google Translate ... duh)? The problem was ... the grammar was pretty ... no ... really bad.

Euforia,

She's pretty impressive...a keeper!   Lucky You!

"A" for her effort!!   

Zulu

[utopiacowboy]

Bama ... your story is an interesting testament to some of the things I would have never thought of before. I remember one evening I received an e-mail from Glory in ... Ingles! I thought how in the heck did she do that (Google Translate ... duh)? The problem was ... the grammar was pretty ... no ... really bad. I just getting into learning Spanish at the time so I asked her to quit writing to me in English so we would only speak and write in Spanish; and further get me up to speed. I thought her writing in English would only impede my progress with talking/writing to her in Spanish.

Now here it is, I'm still learning Spanish and Glory and I are progressing far enough along that she really needs to seriously consider taking up English. She is aware of this and has the desire ... how strong it is, I don't know yet. She works full time and has little time left over for herself to devote. She logs onto an Internet site and has a notebook and small dictionary she uses. We practice some English words occasionally but nothing serious ... yet.

Based on the scenarios described with your wife and ex, I am now wondering how difficult it would be for Glory and the best way for her to learn. There's plenty of time for us. She will not be here tomorrow and we'll be lucky if she's here in a year ... assuming she makes it here at all. We'll roll with that scenario, for now. I'm thinking I ought to start with having her e-mailing me in Ingles again using Google ... just to begin to get herself familiar. Every little bit helps.

Be careful what language you start communicating in - chances are you'll end up sticking with it later in life. You may want to switch to English.

[euforia51]

Be careful what language you start communicating in - chances are you'll end up sticking with it later in life. You may want to switch to English.

Yeah, I was aware of that UC the first time I read of your situation. Was your wife ever interested in English classes? I don't remember you making mention of it. Researcher sent his wife to classes after she arrived.

[Researcher]

     I can tell you from firsthand experience that classes are good but not the best for learning.I studied Spanish and passed several college courses with flying colors but until I was surrounded by and forced to use Spanish I didn't become half way fluent in it. Until I was around it so much that I thought in Spanish I didn't consider myself fluent. Thinking in Spanish was a little annoying because my internal voice sounded alot like Ricky Ricardo....Babaloo!!!!

     Researcher

[utopiacowboy]

Yeah, I was aware of that UC the first time I read of your situation. Was your wife ever interested in English classes? I don't remember you making mention of it. Researcher sent his wife to classes after she arrived.

She took some classes in Medellin as well as classes here for about a year at the local library. Some people don't have a knack for languages and she is definitely one of them. She can understand quite a bit of English especially if it's written.

[Alabamaboy!]

If I did not have small children I would not care at all if my wife spoke a word of English. I can speak pretty good Spanish and I would like to get better so it would be a plus for me to speak Spanish in the home. I would also like my kids to be bilingual, but my wife needs to know at least elementary English to pull that off. To explain things to them. She is already at that level now. I don't know what was her problem before. Almost all Costenos I know are like that. Seem to be good people but not the most motivated in the world to do things they don't want to. Kind of like those burros you see there on the streets pulling carts of avocados, sometimes they just don't want to move and stop right in the middle of the street and the kid driving the cart is doing everything to get it moving, but to no avail.

[Gato4Astrid]

If I did not have small children I would not care at all if my wife spoke a word of English. I can speak pretty good Spanish and I would like to get better so it would be a plus for me to speak Spanish in the home. I would also like my kids to be bilingual, but my wife needs to know at least elementary English to pull that off. To explain things to them. She is already at that level now. I don't know what was her problem before. Almost all Costenos I know are like that. Seem to be good people but not the most motivated in the world to do things they don't want to. Kind of like those burros you see there on the streets pulling carts of avocados, sometimes they just don't want to move and stop right in the middle of the street and the kid driving the cart is doing everything to get it moving, but to no avail.

Even if I can speak 100% Spanish, I would still need her to learn English because of many reasons

1 - British Embassy requires anyone to pass at least A1 in English in order to live there
2 - Even if the opposite of 1) - she will need to know English for 'Everyday' life.  My girlfriend isn't very initiative type person


unlike me, some of the men will have to go to work everyday, and their 'wives' will get bored not knowing 'English' eg watching TV, going to the shops, etc