Much has been written here about the importance of learning Spanish if you are going to live in Panama. It helps you better relate, have fun, and negotiate.
I have been here 4 years. I am not fluent but I can generally negotiate my way through life.
I notice ads on the web for easy ways to learn Spanish. They don't exist-its a ruse to sell you a program. They are doing a real disservice by creating false hope. Learning Spanish for most of us takes lots of work over a long time. Its better to be realistic, I believe.
But its possible to see it as a challenge and something that is fun. Here are common mistakes that I see being made by expats: The first is not committing to learning or not committing enough effort. We know what result that will produce! The other thing I observe is expats spending too much time studying and not enough time practicing actually speaking. But both are important. Unwillingness to practice is caused by fear of looking stupid and that is a tough one. Personally, I just tell me ego that I am in charge. Related to this is the urge to try to be perfect but that's not going to happen in our lifetimes. Just go for being understood. Lastly, if you have not made the move yet, go for finding a Panamanian to practice with. Probably a good option is the website My Language Exchange where you can practice by phone with native Panamanian speakers who want to learn English. But someone has to know at least some of the other language to get started. A subscription is cheap. A better option but more expensive is to find a Panamanian tutor who will work by Skype. I recommend practicing with a Panamanian because a fair number of words and phrases are different here.
I have been here 4 years. I am not fluent but I can generally negotiate my way through life.
I notice ads on the web for easy ways to learn Spanish. They don't exist-its a ruse to sell you a program. They are doing a real disservice by creating false hope. Learning Spanish for most of us takes lots of work over a long time. Its better to be realistic, I believe.
But its possible to see it as a challenge and something that is fun. Here are common mistakes that I see being made by expats: The first is not committing to learning or not committing enough effort. We know what result that will produce! The other thing I observe is expats spending too much time studying and not enough time practicing actually speaking. But both are important. Unwillingness to practice is caused by fear of looking stupid and that is a tough one. Personally, I just tell me ego that I am in charge. Related to this is the urge to try to be perfect but that's not going to happen in our lifetimes. Just go for being understood. Lastly, if you have not made the move yet, go for finding a Panamanian to practice with. Probably a good option is the website My Language Exchange where you can practice by phone with native Panamanian speakers who want to learn English. But someone has to know at least some of the other language to get started. A subscription is cheap. A better option but more expensive is to find a Panamanian tutor who will work by Skype. I recommend practicing with a Panamanian because a fair number of words and phrases are different here.
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