I joined a spanish conversation group!

[Ally]

After Bens post the other day about getting fluent in 9 months, I went online and found the 'Leeds Spanish Group'; they meet twice a month in a bar for 2 hours and just sit there chatting in spanish. Most people are english speakers but there are a few spanish speakers there to learn english too.

I took a friend with me who has lived in Spain and who speaks spanish fairly well as I'm shockingly bad at doing these things on my own!

Anyway after a glass of wine we went along and would you believe it, all my spanish went completely out of my head! My friend was sat there chatting away to a guy from Gibraltar and then he starts chatting to me. I was apallingly bad and when he lent over to my friend and said something in spanish she told me 'he says your verbs are terrible!'. He was laughing though and started helping me.

In the end I had a good time and I was invited to go to a play with them on Saturday night at a local theatre which is showing "Como Agua Para Chocolate" to which long suffering non spanish speaking boyfriend is being dragged along (he says I owe him at least 3 'superhero/japanese animation/violent films' at the cinema for this).

It is such a good thing for me to join this club as it has proven to me just how bad my spoken spanish is and that surely it has to improve!

[Heather]

After trekking into central london for a fgew of those we set up local group and, like you Ally, i found really simple things hard when i needed them harder than they should have been. The gardest thing about our group has been getting spanisj people to come along. The best thing about a group is that if you learn a new phrase you can practice it on everyone there and by the end of the night you usually remember it.

[omeyas]

We have a similar group locally, but being "en el quinto pino" we rarely get any native Spanish speakers. The group meets only once a month, and the last meeting, which I missed because I was in Spain, apparently un cubano, una chilena y una madrileña turned up! Seems two might be living fairly locally, so hopefully they will turn up again.

[Ben]

Well done for going along Ally, it will definitely get easier with time, I guarantee it!

[Ally]

Well done for going along Ally, it will definitely get easier with time, I guarantee it!

I hope so! Everyone was really friendly so I'm sure it will be very rewarding in the long term. Stupidly though, even the most basic phrases 'disappeared' out of my head! I went to the bar and couldn't even remember how to ask the guy sat next to me if he wanted another beer!

[omeyas]

I went to the bar and couldn't even remember how to ask the guy sat next to me if he wanted another beer!

Not all bad news then! saved you buying a beer! :)

[Ally]

Not all bad news then! saved you buying a beer! :)

Ha ha! Unfortunately not, the guy at the other side 'reminded' me. How on earth I forgot quieres una cerveza I will never know :blush:

[Janeybee]

Hi there,

Heather, I was just wondering where your local group is? Or if anyone else knows of a group like this in SW London?

I've just come back from a few days in Spain and I'm always amazed how bad I am at first and how much I'm enjoying it by the end... Worth keeping up the tempo when I'm in England I guess!

Jane x

[Flexichick]

I go to a group in NYC through www.meetup.com (http://www.meetup.com)

I am pretty sure they have a group in London as well

[alanmalarkey]

Jane

What do you mean by SW London - I am in Croydon but the tram means that Wimbledon is an easy journey - I am off to Guatemala for a month, but after christmas I would be interested in joining or even starting a group.

Alan

[alanmalarkey]

I looked on the meetup site but the best I could see was one in North London with 6 members, only one of whom was going to attend the next meeting, tomorrow night as it happens.

I would guess one could do better advertising via gumtree and advertising among EFL and spanish clases at the local adult education services. I am certainly warming to the idea of a South london meeting venue after Christmas. Croydon is something of a transport hub so it would be convenient for a lot of people. There is a bar called the beer circus which offers all kinds of european beers and I think that the owner's parter is Spanish.......

any interest??

I think one would need about 6 founder members to make it happen.

Alan

[Janeybee]

Hi Alan,

I was thinking more Fulham/Parsons Green/Putney type area. But I agree, starting one up might be an idea. I have two friends who would (I think) be interested. And you're right, the gum tree is always a good idea for spreading the word.
Would anyone else be interested in this sort of thing around these sorts of areas?

Jane

[Jules]

Tengo un grupo de cinqo personas (dos hombres y tres mujeres). Nos reunimos (en un bar) por una hora cada semana (en las cercanias de Co Durham) para practicar español. Es muy duro para hablar en espanol durante un hora, pero poco a poco nos mejoramos.

[Heather]

Hi jane, Our group is in wanstead, NE London so couldn't be further away I'm afraid. ( but you're welcome to come and visit) .

I've been to the meetup.com ones in london and really enjoyed them but they were just a bit of a trek after a days work. Ours started off fabulously and we had a great turn out as we advertise on a web site. Now though we usually only get 2-3 spanish speakers but as there are always 3 from our class we try and talk a bit in spanish even if it becomes a bit spanglish!:D

[Dobbin]

..... Croydon is something of a transport hub so it would be convenient for a lot of people. There is a bar called the beer circus which offers all kinds of european beers and I think that the owner's parter is Spanish.......

any interest??

Alan

I visit Croydon every month for a couple of days (to do with work). I'd be interested to come along.

[gary]

'Leeds Spanish Group' - which bar?

[Dobbin]

'Leeds Spanish Group' - which bar?

This is a link to their site (I think it's the same group) http://www.intercambio.co.uk/leeds/index.html

[omeyas]

There´s some info here (http://spanish.meetup.com/cities/gb/liverpool/) on various UK groups.

[Ally]

'Leeds Spanish Group' - which bar?

Hi Gary

It's in Cafe Rouge and meets the third Tuesday of the month at 7pm. They also do one on the second Wednesday of the month in Borders at 7pm.

Friendly bunch, I went to see Como Agua Para Chocolate with them last Saturday.

:)

[Ben]

Guys, if you get the chance send us a pic of your groups, like Steve has (http://www.notesinspanish.com/2006/10/25/hola-charlar-chicago/)! Go on, think of the fame!! ;)