get-by-in-spanish.com

I received this question today 

Hi:
 
I have been steadily making my way throught the Synergy Spanish course and am enjoying the process.
I do have a question for you:
 
In lesson — Ejercicio 9E, number 15:
 
You need to go with me to see mom.
 
I translated it as:  Necesita ir conmigo ver a mama.
 
Your translation is: Necesita ir conmigo para ver a mama.
 
Why was the word  ‘para’ added.
 
Thank you
Mary

Here’s my answer
Glad you are enjoying the course.

Here is the easiest way to understand this use of para.

Anytime “in order to” could be used in English, you will use para in Spanish.
Therefore,
1) You need to go with me to see mom
can also be;
2) You need to go with me in order to see mom

The second translation would always be used in Spanish
Necesita ir conmigo para ver a mamá.

or informally

Necesitas ir conmigo para ver a mamá.

Don’t sweat it too much, this structure is very common in
Spanish and used throuought Synergy Spanish.

By the time you finish you will use para natually without thinking.
In fact, when you have gone through the audio lessons,
you’ll develope your ear and it will actually sound wrong to
you not to use it.

Hope this helps

Marcus Santamaria 
 

Spanish has several ways to talk about the future. One of the ways is so easy you can use it right now.

So, why make thing complicated. Lets start you speaking about the future the easy way.

First, I will give you a quick recap of the structure from lesson 3. Then, you can practice speaking Spanish in the future with today’s audio lesson.

 
To start using the future in Spanish you just need two syllables

Voy a = I am going to

Just like English you can put “I am going” in front of the verb, like this;
 
Voy a visitar a mi amigo   I am going to visit my friend
Voy a rentar un coche     I am going to rent a car
Voy a ver las pirámides   I am going to see the pyramids
Voy a hablar con usted   I am going to speak with you

It’s that easy to get started, you just need to learn “voy a”.

Best of all, Spanish speakers use this structure all the time. So, you’ll be speaking Spanish the way native speakers use it.

Well, why not get started right away;

Here’s the link to Spanish audio lesson 301

Here’s the link to audio lesson 302
 

Robin from Canada wrote to me about her experience using Synergy Spanish after Shortcut to Spanish.

Good morning Marcus,

I am very much enjoying learning Spanish
with your courses. I completed the Shortcut
to Spanish course and thought it was wonderful.

Before this I knew a few words and phrases
but when I tried to put them together it
was not going too well. By the time I
finished Shortcut to Spanish I was making
sentences up in my head to translate into
Spanish while walking to the bus to go to work.

I have since bought Synergy Spanish and I’m
really “cooking” now. I’m almost finished
the end of part 2 and thoroughly enjoying
the experience.

I am travelling to Costa Rica at the end of
this month and hopefully will be able to put
my Spanish to good use.

Thank you for all your efforts in producing
these programs.

Robin Brown
Ontario, Canada

You may be wondering why I creatyed two different courses for beginners

The reason is that the two courses take two different approaches to learning
Spanish but with the same goal….

To make Spanish easy to learn and easy to use
for effective communication right away.

Shortcut to Spanish – shows you how to use
3145 Spanish words you didn`t know you knew.
How to convert English words with Latin roots
into Spanish. You learn to use thousands of
Spanish words instantly. More importantly
you learn to use them for real Spanish
communication.

Synergy Spanish - shows you how to combine
138 Spanish words to make thousands of
Spanish sentences. When you know just a
handful of words and some simple patterns
you can express an incredible amount
in Spanish.

So they are separate courses that approach
Spanish from two different angles that meet
in the middle. This gives you two separate
means of expressing yourself in Spanish
very fast.

Both have audio lessons available, so you
can learn to speak Spanish clearly and be
understood when you use it with native
Spanish speakers.

Synergy Spanish has 10 hours of audio content
and Shortcut to Spanish has 3 hours of audio.

I can´t recommend one course ahead of the other,
they are both helpful in different ways. for example,
if you wanted to get fit you might do exercises,
you might swim or you may do both. Each would
be helpful in different ways and doing both would
be better.

If you are committed to Spanish and have time and
energy to continually improve, I would start with
Shortcut to Spanish, it gives you a broad
understanding of Spanish then I would move onto
Synergy Spanish to gain extra speaking confidence.

However, If you have an urgent need to be understood,
I would choose Synergy Spanish, it will give
you more speaking options.

Here’s your third of five Spanish tutorials.

These Spanish tutorials take a very different road to the traditional way Spanish is taught.

Actually, taught is probably not the right word, in traditional classes Spanish is not so much taught as pounded into you.

Sometimes, I feel that I am being too negative when I speak badly of traditional Spanish teaching methods. Then I’ll get a letter like this one from Steve up in Canada.

Hi Marcus,

Easy learn Spanish mp3 lesson part 2

By now, you will have experienced how easy and different these learn Spanish mp3 lessons make things. In all, I am going to give you five audio lessons, almost an hour of Spanish training.

Best of all it’s free.

If you have followed my work, you’ll know that I give away much more value than most people sell. In fact, many expensive course don’t show you anything you can really use in the real world. Everything you’ll learn here you can use for real communication.  

I want you to know how effective this different approach is, and the best way is simply to show you. That way, you can experience it for yourself. You’ll be delighted to discover that suddenly speaking Spanish is within reach.

Here’s what Carol has to say about the 5 free learn Spanish mp3 lessons

I just finished the 5 audio lessons you just sent me. I had practiced speaking some Spanish two  years ago by using some typical Spanish tapes where I would “parrot” the teacher. It helped me when my husband and I visited Costa Rica.  But those tapes do not compare to your excellent audio.

The way you have organized the content and how you teach us is so much easier.

Carol Childs

Mark purchased the complete course, here’s what he has to say about the audio;

Hello Marcus,

I am really enjoying your Synergy Spanish course.

I wanted a course that I could use in my car to help me maintain the Spanish I have already learned. Your course has done much more than that.  You teach from a different perspective. Consequently, your course is really enhancing my ability to communicate with the Spanish I already know.  Also, I’m learning some new words and techniques as well. In short, you course is helping me ‘Synergize’ what I already know.
Thanks,
Mark Trippe
Georgia, USA

Let’s get down to business, here is your second of 5 learn Spanish mp3 lessons.

Here third of 5 lessons.

A different style of Spanish Lessons.

So far, these Spanish lessons have only given you a taste of this style of learning. In fact, in lesson 1 you only focused on 6 words, yet were able to make many different sentences.

In lesson 2, you’ll learn 6 more words and a simple communication multiplier that more than doubles what you can say in Spanish?

In the complete Synergy Spanish course, I show you 21 more easy communication multipliers. They are easy and fast to use and let you speak more fluently and with a lot more confidence. You’ll be able to use this Spanish anywhere that you need it.

With this style of Spanish lessons you always can use it right away, just like Charlie did to communicate with his Mexican girlfriend.

Hi Marcus,

I really enjoy your lessons. When I met my Mexican girlfriend I spoke no Spanish and she spoke no English. Synergy Spanish allowed me to communicate with her very quickly.

Thanks again for a great learning tool.

Charlie Wood
Georgia, USA

And Sylvia found it helped her pull her Spanish together, even after an intensive course in Mexico.

Dear Marcus,
 
I just want to thank you for the course which I finished yesterday (I finished the course in two weeks).

I had been through one session of intensive language school shortly after coming to Mexico, and have used various other written materials and computer courses. This seemed to pull everything together for me. I really needed the concentrated audio to get past some blockages in my learning. I am looking forward to more conversation with my neighbors.
 
Thank you, and God bless you,
 
Sylvia Hebron

If you live or travel to Spain, don’t worry, these Spanish lessons work anywhere, it’s the most universal Spanish that every Spaniard and Latino uses everyday.

In remote Costa Rican villages, art galleries in Barcelona or fishing villages in Mexico your Spanish will be understood.

Here’s the next of your Spanish lessons

What’s wrong with most Spanish audio lessons?

Unfortunately, most language audio is simple designed to make a quick buck for the publisher.

In my opinion, the worst offenders are the audio lessons completely in Spanish “Just listen and you will learn Spanish”, or so they say.

B.S.

The other type of audio that is very common are the listen and repeat audio lessons.

I find them really good… if I have insomnia.

The good news is that there is another type of Spanish audio lesson that works fabulously well.

This type of audio works because you are actively involved in learning. Your mind is engaged and stimulated. Not only do you learn faster than ever, but you also enjoy it.

It’s inspiring as you interact with the lessons, speaking completely in Spanish

It’s thrilling to discover you really can communicate in another language. After each lesson you feel a great sense of achievement and you want to do more.

In fact, some of my students describe it as, “so much fun it’s addictive”.  (In a healthy and enjoyable way, of course.) Like this email I received from Helen in the UK.

Hi Marcus
 
I really want to thank you for the
Spanish course. I get addicted, and
find it a lot easier than the other
courses that I have wasted my
money on.
 
thank you
 
Helen Anderton
UK

Cliff, from Florida in the USA, also found that the audio lessons have and addictive quality.

Dear Marcus,

In just two days, I’ve covered more Spanish
than with any other course I’ve ever tried.
(and I’ve tried many)

It has already (within a couple of days)
given me the ability to think how to form my
own sentences and phrases. It has motivated and
excited me to where I can’t stop working with the
materials. It’s addictive! I having a ball….
finally!

Thanks you, thank you & thank you.
 
Cliff Panetta
Florida, USA

And Francois had these comments

Good morning Marcus,
I have to say I’m quite
addicted to your lessons as
they are very convenient and
easy.

I started with no Spanish
whatsoever. I’m dating a
Spanish seniorita for the
last couple of months, and
in the last week I have
impressed  her a few times
already by throwing
Spanish sentences at her.

thanks again.
Best Regards,

Francois Marchand
France

Some students have even report that they feel a little sad when they finish the course as they miss doing the lessons.

Sure sounds better than feeling lost, doesn’t it?

Now it’s time for you to discover a new way to start speaking Spanish. Here is the first synergy Spanish audio lesson.

How to speak in complete Spanish sentences.

Many people take courses, yet find it hard to speak Spanish in sentences, even after years of trying. Like this email from Jacqulyn in Washington State, USA;

I took several courses of
Spanish in college several
years ago and could hardly
speak at all and with your
course, I am learning to
say actual sentences - thank you!

Jacqulyn Nelson
Washington, USA

Like Jacqulyn many people find the college system leaves them without being able to put a Spanish sentence together.

Often what happens is people become so focused on getting all the minor points of grammar correct that their ability to communicate is totally suffocated.

In fact, grammar can even be unhealthy to your Spanish. Too much focus on grammar can cause hesitation. If you hesitate trying to use perfect grammar, you will lose your listener.

I have seen it many times. It is horrible to watch.

I have seen people’s communication ability go backwards as they try to be perfect. They speak so slowly nobody can stand to listen to them.

Be bold!

Risk making a mistake.

Everyone makes mistakes.

Mistakes help you learn.

The worst thing that I could do to you would be to cause you to be hesitant in your Spanish.

When you get out there in the real world and use Spanish, you will have to be bold. If you get bogged down in the minor stuff, you will lose the opportunity to communicate.

And communication is what my course is all about, not minor points of grammar.

When it comes to speaking Spanish it is the major stuff you need to master.

What is the major stuff?

Synergy Verbs

Brick Verbs

Mortar

pronunciation

Learn them deeply to express yourself instantly.

The Synergy Verbs, Brick Verbs and Mortar will give you the ability to communicate and be understood. Communication is what makes travel a joy. It’s what makes better relationships with Spanish speakers and what counts in an emergency.

Make your goal to communicate in Spanish and be understood. Get perfect later.

When it comes to speaking remember, be bold.

Can you really Speak Spanish?

Yes, no question.

It’s time for you to use Synergy Spanish in real-world practice, you’ll find out for yourself that you really can speak Spanish.

Today, I am posting your first lesson.

The secret for you to successfully communicate in Spanish is simply learning some easy patterns. Today’s lesson shows you how to combine Spanish word to make 1000s of sentences from just a handful of words.

The patterns combine Synergy Verbs with Brick and Mortar words.

It’s very easy to use these patterns and communicate. It doesn’t what age you are, what success or failure you have had with Spanish before or even if you feel you have some mental block with Spanish.

Once you use this system, you’ll discover how easy it is to start speaking Spanish in clear, flowing sentences.

Best of all, you’ll be understood by all native Spanish speakers. It doesn’t matter if you are a Brit living in Spain an American in Latin America or anyone else wanting to communicate with Spanish speakers. There are no regional barriers to your success with this system.

In fact, I still fall back on this way of combining Spanish words, and I have been living in Mexico and speaking Spanish for years.

If I am ever stuck for words and just can’t seem to find the way to express myself, I fall back on these combinations, I get my point across every time.

The patterns are very handy to know when I present to large groups of people who don’t speak any English.

If it works for me, after all these years, it’s an absolute godsend for a beginner.

Oops, what did I say at the start.

Enough talk!

I get enthusiastic because I know how this system can change everything for you, especially if you have ever struggled with Spanish.

Here is the introduction to Synergy Spanish and Synergy Spanish lesson 1

Look for a link to an audio lesson in my next post. The written lesson is the foundation, the audio you’ll love; it’s where your Spanish really comes together.

As I mentioned yesterday, I am going to prove to you how effective Synergy Spanish is in two ways.

Today, I am adding a link to some of the success stories.

In fact, the testimonials come in so fast, it is hard for me to keep the page updated. Check them out under get started in Spanish…they’ll give you an idea what to expect by joining me on this journey into Spanish.

As you read the comments, keep in mind I have never solicited a testimonial. All the people have written because they are delighted to finally speak Spanish.

Next, I am going to add some links to free lessons so you experience for yourself how this method works.

It does at first seem radically different to other approaches to Spanish.

I don’t pound you with verb conjugations or any of the usually confusing grammar. No complexity to stop you, just Spanish you can use right away.

I guide you in simple steps to use the 138 words in patterns. You will be amazed how many phrases you can make from so few words. And when you finish, even though you didn’t suffer through mindless conjugation exercises, you have an intuitive understanding of how Spanish verbs work.

Spanish classes have let a lot of people down. Some just wanted to add a new skill to their lives. For others, speaking Spanish is vitally important to their lifestyle.

I have had students with medical problems, some with adopted children who only speak Spanish, others have moved to a Spanish speaking country and need to be able to communicate in their community.

So, I take my duty to them seriously and work for months to make sure the lessons are not confusing and give results you can use in the real-world.

Anyway, tomorrow you can see for yourself how this system works when I add links to the free Spanish lessons.

Hasta manaña amigos (until tomorrow friends)