h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hey Im interested in you!
You study german and spanish yeah? well I live in england and I study German (doing ASlevel next year) and I want to start Spanish as well. Im also searching out for new people.
So yeah if you're interested in talking to me then Im here to please!

Hi! Nice meeting you! I've only just started to learn German so I'm definitely glad to meet anyone who knows a thing or two about the language. I studied Spanish all through high school and I'm thinking of studying it some more now that I'm in college, so I'd be glad to help out if you're interested in learning.

I'd be happy to talk about nearly anything if you'd like. I'm not terribly good at bring up subjects, so I'll leave that to you.

-Tim

Wow you replied! I feel big and special now!

I have to do spanish outside of school next year because I can't find the time to do 4 ASlevels and do extra spanish. There aren't enough teachers so Im going to have to venture into the wide world and go to college
Should i bother?
What sort of thing are you doing in German?
I want to do a Modern Foreign Languages Degree when i get big but at the moment that seems very far away seeing as I only do German.

Oh and also how are you today and what time zone are you in? Just so I know when to talk to you.

Hello again! I'm doing just fine! How about yourself?

Spanish is a good language to learn, although it's probably more useful for someone in America considering that so many hispanic immigrants come into the country every year. I'm sure it would be very useful for a Modern Foreign languages degree as well, so I'd recommend at least taking a look at it. It's a relatively easy language to learn.

In German I'm just using a book I found at the library and any sources I can find online. I have a friend who is currently living in Berlin as well, and he helps me out sometimes. I wanted to learn mostly to impress a girl I fancied, but I eventually grew to like the language a lot. I haven't learned an awful lot of vocabulary yet, but I'm learning the basics of the grammar.

I'm in the Eastern Time Zone (-5 GMT I think) but my sleep schedule is currently very erratic since I got home from college. I'm trying to fix it but I'll probably just end up making matters worse.

-Tim

Well I reckon I've just got an A* in german GCSE so if you need anything then I'm here.
What's it like in the US right now? Nice? It's sort of.......sometimes sunny and sometimes rainy here.
What sort of things can I look at to start learning Spanish now? so that I have a sort of head start for when i begin proper learning?

I just had english and geography exams and it was....tiring! Geography was fine but I dont want to say I got an A* just in case! English was nasty though....my hand feels like it's going to fall off!

I'm going home tonight!! I'm really excited because Ill get a chance to relax for once and not have a load of people around me.

The weather is pretty nice today where I live. It had been raining quite a lot recently, but now it's clearing up and not as depressing.

Before you start learning Spanish I'd recommend checking around for an old, cheap textbook. One that isn't being taught from anymore. Then you could at least get some of the basics of grammar (Spanish has very easy grammar rules, there's just quite a few of them) and have a jump start. There are also a few Guide Entries around here that may help. A737723 and A458255 both explain pronunciation rules pretty well. Other than that you could possibly find a website somewhere that could help. And I'm always here if you need me.

-Tim

well could you just start me off with some basic phrases etc? oh and phonetics please
I just got home! It's brilliant!!! I love home!

I'd be happy to start you off with some basic phrases. In fact...this may lead to a possible entry.

Me llamo... (May YA-mo) - My name is... (literally "I call myself...")
Comó te llamas? (Ko-MO tay YA-mas) - What is your name?
Soy de... (Soy day) - I am from...
De dondé eres? (Day don-DAY air-ACE) - Where are you from?
Qué hora es? (Kay OR-a ace) - What time is it?
Donde está...? (Don-DAY ace-TA) - Where is...?
Necesito una cervesa (Nay-say-SEE-toe OO-na ser-VASE-a) - I need a beer

These are all I can think of offhand, but if you think of anything you'd like to know or I come across any more I'll be sure to add to the list. Also there are slight differences between Mexican Spanish (which they teach us Americans) and Spanish Spanish (which my teachers have mentioned maybe twice ever), but they are small and shouldn't affect your studies until later. I only mention it because I don't know which they will teach you in Britain, although I would assume it to be the Spanish variety.

If my pronuniciaton guide isn't up to par tell me and I'll figure out a way to fix it.

-Tim

cool beans! thanks for this! it's making me feel that it might not be such a scary thing as I thought!

Can you tell me how to say:
I love you
I am....years old
Calm down because you are great
oh and numbers....
thank you
your pronunciation is just great...

I can tell ya those and a couple more I thought of.

Como estás? (KOH-moh es-TAS) - How are you?
Estoy bien (es-TOY BEE-yen) - I am good
Amo te (AH-moh tay) - I love you
Tengo...años (TENG-o...AN-yos) - I am...years old (literally "I have...years)
Sea tranquilo porque eres gran (SAY-ah tran-QUIL-oh POR-kay AIR-ace grahn) - Be calm because you are great (I think )
Uno (OO-noh) - one
Dos (dose) - two
Tres (trace) - three
Cuatro (KWA-tro) - four
Cinco (SINK-oh) - five
Seis (sayse) - six
Siete (see-AY-tay) - seven
Ocho (OH-choh) - eight
Nueve (noo-AY-bay) - nine
Diez (DEE-ace) - ten
Once (OWN-say) - eleven
Doce (DOH-say) - twelve
Trece (TRAY-say) - thirteen
Catorce (ka-TOR-say) - fourteen
Quince (KEEN-say) - fifteen
Diez y seis (DEE-ace ee sayce) - sixteen
Diez y cuatro (DEE-ace ee KWA-tro) - seventeen
Diez y ocho (DEE-ace ee OH-choh) - eighteen
Diez y nueve (DEE-ace ee noo-AY-bay) - nineteen
Veinte (VAYN-tay) - twenty
-----
Anything else you need, just let me know. I'm more than happy to help.

-Tim

aw this is realyl nice of you!
Tell me something about yourself as well so i don't feel bad as if I'm just using you.
I'm not giving anything back!!! I feel naughty

Don't worry about it. I'm just glad that my years of studying Spanish aren't going to waste.

About myself? Well, there isn't much to tell. I'm a 19 year old history student at the University of Tennessee. I read a lot and I consider myself something of an Anglophile. I plan on using UT's study abroad program to visit the UK sometime, but I'm really not sure where I'd want to go. Any suggestions?

-Tim

well you could come and visit me in birmingham second largest city in the country.

I suppose you would want somewhere with history? well all of england really.
I suppose you would want to do the normal tourist stuff of the tower of london and stuff....then you might want to visit stonehenge.
If i were you i would visit all the tourist bits but then also visit somewhere small....so i dont know...work in like...Bedford or something and then branch out and do the visiting.
Oh and go to Greece! Our American student just went there and had a ball.

I've written your suggestions down and I'll definitely keep them in mind. I hope to do my study abroad program in a year or so. I've either got to raise some money myself for the trip or find some way to get the University to pay for it. Hopefully I can find a research project that will ensure the latter.

-Tim

Gosh i forgot about this and went off and dealt with exams sorry.

I want to spend my third year somewhere exciting....obviously Germany or Spain. Have you ever been to either of them?

Don't worry about it. Worry about exams.

I've never had the chance to leave the United States, although I have every intention of doing so at some point. The girl I currently fancy has been to Germany several times, and Berlin is her favorite city in the world, according to her. I also have a good friend that lives in Berlin who came over on a student exchange. He's coming to visit this summer and we're trying to convince my parents to let me go back with him. I doubt it'll pan out, but it's worth a shot.

Sounds good to me. If you get the chance then seize it! Try and see as much of teh world as possible.

Four more exams to gooooo!!!!!! Thank heavens! i can't put up with much more! its making me ill! serious