I have been taking a spanish class at my community college since august and have not been doing well in it at all. Anyone have any hints for someone with adhd. I need to pass the class and its subsequent second semester clas spanish 2 to get into the university after a long enough time at a community college. Does anyone else on here find it extremely difficult to learn foreign languages. I have a hard enough time with english. Does the americans with disabilities act cover anything about foreign languages? I know there is no way out of it and my teacher is of no help to me. Thanks in advance.

Aaron

Hi Aaron,

I am a College Academic Counslor for special needs students plus I have ADHD bigtime! I tried to take Farsi about 10 years ago and I had the same trouble! Are you able to substitute upper level cultural classes instead? I always suggest language substitutions for my ADD students who have trouble. Check with your schools disability office.

Does your school have spanish tapes? They have helped some of my students.

Also, a lot of schools now recognise American Sign Language as a foreign language. More visual!

I have no clue what my school has as far as a substitute for fireign language. Never was given to me as an option. Is this only available for students with disabilities? My teacher isnt very helpful. I have tried sign language to, it seems like I cant grasp more then the actual very basic steps of a language. I can remember basic spanish words and phrases along with sign language basics, once I get more advanced at all my grades go down. I failed sign language and failed outta high school spanish. Now im faced wit the scray thought of not getting outta community college for longer because of a spanish class. I will definately ask about the substitues for a foreign language. Thanks again and anymore info is also appreicated.

Aaron

Did you successfully pass highschool spanish 1-4?

I barely got a C in spnaish one and ended up dropping my spanish 2 class for a science class I knew I could get a good grade in. I hardly had a grasp on that and then the school expected me to turn it around and do well in spanish 2. So now I am in a very compromising position, hopefully I will be able to substitute the class. Unfortunately I need to make sure the university I want to transfer into will accept a class substitution.

Aaron

I did very poorly in high-school language classes. Failed Latin, then re-took and got a D (because I threatened to take the class again if he failed me :D), French 1 year with a C, Spanish two years with Cs and maybe one B.

Then as an adult, I started making it work for me. I got this idea that I needed to learn from as many "angles" as possible. So I would transcribe my tapes, then try to "shadow" them (repeating after the tapes), read two or three textbooks at the same time, put Spanish soaps on in the background, etc.

Doing this type of studying, I suddenly got good at foreign languages. Maybe if you get creative about bombarding yourself, things will go better for you.

Thank you for the suggesting, I will take that into account and give it a try. I think what makes it more challenging is the fact thats not only do we need to understand how to speak it, we need to learn it like an english class and know the gramer and things of that nature. All the rules throw me off. I have been through many foreign languages and if I only had to work on that class I am sure I could pull together a devent grade, but as I am a college student whose parents are pushing me to at least get into the university that isnt the case. I also need to make up for all the bad grades I got, like I said this is my third year(5th semester) as a full time student at a community college.

Aaron

The reason I had asked was this: First year college foreign language is often a review of high school foreign language 1-4. I did wonderfully in french one and two in college. When I got to the third year, I was failing in spite of implementing numerous study techniques.

I ended up being referred by my professor for evaluation of a learning disability. Turns out, I'm dyscalculiac, and it was effecting the thought process that was used for learning foreign languages. I was told to take accelerated french 3 & 4. I thought they were crazy. Turns out, they were right...I learned it because it was taught phonetically, and the majority was oral instead of written. Perhaps the style in which it is being taught is not the best one for you? See if your college/university offers this type of alternative. Ask to sit in on one or two classes to see if you are more engaged during the class instruction. Good luck!

I actually am going to be tested for learning disabilities in 2 weeks, so after that i will have an exact grasp on what might be causing my problem. I am a little worried about finding out I have a actual LD, but if it helps me in the end its all worth it. The only worry I have is if I am diagnosed with a LD will that affect my chances of getting into vet school. This is the career path I have chosen for myself and would hate to see it become a dream all beacuse of a spanish class. My teacher got back to me about extra help, but all she could suggest was siting in the front row of class, otherwise she just gave me encouraging words about living with a disability. She said einstein had disabilities and look where it got him. I am also going to my Disability Resource Center to find out about course substitutions if that is what it comes down to. Again thanks for everything.

Aaron

As soon as all of your testing is back, please contact the disabilities office. You can receive all sorts of help having ADHD. I will just about guarantee they have rules for substitution. State Universities especially.
If you are in community college right now and need this for an associate of art or science, check to see what their policy is. If you are planning to transfer, check with that university also. Go through their disabilities office. Since you live in Gainesville, I have an idea that you are thinking University of Florida. If so the phone number to the ADA Office is (352) 392-7056. (Hey Gator, Trust this Buckeye! LOL!) <O:p
All of your records are confidential and whatever help they give you. It does not show up on a transcript, diploma or follow you around after you leave. (A lot of my students worry about that.)

Cakara-

I took two spanish classes when I was in HS. One I barely passed with a D, the other I ended up with an E grade. Will that show up on my trasnscripts now?

I am also in yet another spanish class, my 4th one now, and still having lots of trouble. THe big thing is that spelling counts against me!!

The grades do but I have good news for you. Most employers do not ask to see a transcript. Also, unless you are going into something like Spanish translating, do not let it keep you up at night! As far as high school goes, most colleges stop asking for a high school transcript after you have a full years worth on transfer credit. (Which includes those miserable ACT or SAT scores!)

On your resume, when listing your college, list your major and your GPA in your major only. (If you even want to list your GPA at all.) If you are a graphic designer and you got a low grade in basket weaving, your future employer is not going to worry about that. He or she is interested in what you know about digital manipulation, new media, etc. You should see my general education courses! Yikes! And both of my parents were teachers! LOL!

I am not asking just for teh purpose of colleges and employment, but for scolarships as well. That is where my concern lies.

I hear u on gen eds, mine were terrible. Esspecailly math!!!

There are many scholarships that are given for specific reasons and need. Many times these scholarships are not combined with academics. (You will need at least a 2.0) The disability office at most universities also have scholarships. There also may be state government organizations that offer grants. Your disability office should be able to give you some information about that also.

Go outside your university too. There are free scholarship search engines on the internet such as fastweb. I would open a seperate email account on hotmail or yahoo because you will get spam with a lot of these services. Apply for them no matter how little the amount seems. It adds up. Check with your local liabrary also.

If you have been in school a while, your HS transcript should not come into play as much or at all.

I hope this helps. I know the financial end is quite a burden. Good Luck to you!:)

I am Chinese

And I was in ESL level 1 for all my elementry year and then ever when I got to high school I didn't got out of it untill the goverment no longer support me to learn in ESL.


So yeah no **** , you get problem with language.

If you only want to pass the class not learn Spanish, memorize the vocabulary. Many ADHDers are good at memorizing but not good with grammar. Stick with your strengths, use flash cards, and you might get by at the Community college level.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

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Good luck.<o:p></o:p>

My husband is from another country. No matter how hard I tried to learn the language, I never could! Tell you what, Blue Ranger, I am amazed when people learn another language and can communicate in it! My husband said he knew he had the english down when he started dreaming in it!

Of course when it comes to me, I don't even think I could pass a TOEFL and I was born and raised in the US!

We tend to learn language very differently from most...it takes full immersion. We are slow to start but become fluent quickly. I have lived in 3 foreign countries and knew ADDers in all of them...and that was the patter...slow out of the gates but rapid fluency when immersed and forced to speak it...also, excellent pronunciation :)


Our brains are like children's....so we learn language like children do.

When we visit my inlaws, I find with in a few days I can pick up on some of the conversation. They all live in the states but the older generation really never learned English.I would imagine if we spent more time together, I d start to speak a little more. Instead we play charades. (And laugh ourselves silly.)

What Umichu says about learning from as many angles as possible is totally true.

Try watching DVDs in Spanish with the subtitles also in Spanish. Don't expect to understand everything, don't even try. You'll find that you pick up a lot very quickly.

Also buy a CD of pop music that has the lyrics in the case, and be sure you know the vocab. for the lyrics of one song. Whenever you can, do this for a song until you know all the words for the entire album. Music helps stuff to stick. (Of course it'll also give you some phrases that'll sound stupid in conversation, but...)

Having learned two foreign languages by immersion, I was taken aback when I got results of a general comprehensive aptitude test ... it said I was basically bad at languages and good at math-science stuff. If I'd known that, I'd never have bothered. (Although my college had a language proficiency requirement so I had to do something.)

My husband watched a lot of soap operas when he first came. Not only did it teach him english but how to use every day english. I know cable has soap operas in Spanish and in some of the Asian languages.

But if the issue isn't learning the language for enjoyment, or to communicate with someone, or because you want to--and it's all about grammar, then maybe a different study method would work, like Jog56 suggested.

I took Latin in college with a guy who had a brilliant business mind, but no foreign-language learning skills whatsoever. He had to get through his language requirement, and had had enough Latin that he'd only need another semester or 2 to finish.

He didn't even look at it as a foreign language (not that anyone actually speaks it, but that's beside the point (g)). He would memorize the entire translation passage--only a portion would appear on the class quizzes, but he'd memorize it all, so he could regurgitate whatever part the prof picked for the quiz. Even if he had to guess his way through the grammar/vocab part, he would get a good enough score on the translation to get himself a passing grade.

We'd all laugh and say, if you're going to spend hours memorizing a passage, why not use that time to study for real?

He'd look us straight in the eye and reply, "because I can't get my mind around it. This is a better use of my time, and better for me."

If it's just grammar or dry facts (rather than language fluency) that you need, I suggest approaching language study concentrating on what's going to be tested, and getting through that, rather than trying to take on the huge task of learning a new language.

Just an idea.

I have been through many foreign languages and if I only had to work on that class I am sure I could pull together a devent grade
I realize that your parents are pushing you since this is your 3rd year, but have you thought about taking Spanish in the summer or some kind of January Intercession term so that that is your only course, and the only thing you need to study and focus on?

I seem to have a knack for languages. 2 years each Spanish/French in Jr. High/High School (a horrible teacher the year after my Dad died resulted in Spanish grades of C and D). In 12th grade started Latin and was getting an A, but dropped it because I didn't need the credit and got a job. In community college I did 2 semesters of Spanish and did okay. Also did okay with signed English in College (my cousin is deaf). In the last 2 years I took intro to Hebrew, intro to Greek, and went to Guatemala for a Spanish immersion for 4 weeks. Don't get me wrong, I'm by no means fluent in Spanish, but now I'm not afraid of speaking it, and I can get by in basic conversation. Like anything if you don't use it and practice you start to forget, but having learned a word or endings once, I find it easier to relearn it if I've forgotten, more like a reminder than learning something completely new.

You've been exposed to Spanish before, do you find it's easier to learn the things you've gone over in other classes?

Since I don't know where your difficulty is, I'm not sure what will help you. It sounds more like the mechanics of it than the speaking of it. I found that writing out different verb endings for the different tenses helped me to remember them (there's a kind of pattern to them). Also writing some flashcards for myself (the writing helps me remember). Also some Spanish workbooks. There are exercise drills. You can try to answer questions from memory and with help of your book, and then answers are in the back. Also, if you watch Spanish TV, turn on your closed captioning so you can see the words on the TV screen. They speak really fast and sometimes words run together. I like the news because usually based on footage I get an idea of what the announcer is talking about.

Hey, maybe you can get credit for going and doing an immersion somewhere this summer - that'd be cool, eh? Would your parents foot that bill? Maybe one or both could even go with you. I couldn't afford it, so I asked my grandparents for help. Didn't hurt that my grandma is technically my step-grandma and is hispanic, so she was on-board. ;)

Buena suerte! Yo espero que este te ayudas.

Paz, ~~bythesea

My husband said he knew he had the english down when he started dreaming in it!

Yeah, people say you're gaining in proficiency if you find yourself dreaming in it, can carry on a phone conversation (no visual cues to help), and can pick up/make jokes.

One idea that worked for me was to study latin at the same time.

ADD I find makes language harder than normal.

bythesea has a great idea also. A lot of my students wait until the summer quarter and take the intensive Spanish (Usually it is 2 or 3 classes in one) and nothing else. Because it meets every day and it is the only class you have to focus on, it tends to help.
Another idea is a study abroad. It can be costly but if you have financial aid funding it can be applied. Also, a school may offer scholarships through their disability office for such an adventure!<O:p

The summer is a shortened semester, but I cant take a summer off for spanish. I also need to take other classes that I have planned for, and most importantly I am supposed to be getting into the University at the beginning of the summer. The language is an extrance requirement. I am getting my testing on monday so after I get the re****s I will have a pretty clear picture of whats going on in my brain.

Aaron

If you're having trouble with verb conjugations, get the book "501 Spanish Verbs" by Christopher Kendris, Ph.D. and Theodore Kendris, Ph.D. It's $14.95 at Barnes and Noble...or, see if your library has it. It has verbs fully conjugated in all the tenses in an easy to learn format, formation of present and past participles, principal parts of important Spanish verbs, and lots more. I am actually pretty good with languages, but sometimes the grammar rules can get tricky. Hang in there and good luck!

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I am both ADD and dyslexic, though my experience with foreign language exemptions is mostly for LDs. However, when looking for a new school my advice would be after you have been accepting go and talk to the disabilities services director and find out what accommodations you would qualify before committing to the school. This way, it will not effect your chance of acceptance and you will be able to make a more informed decision. It sounds like you know what school you want and its harder with some schools because of financial reasons, but not all colleges require a foreign language (though may depend upon your major, I am double majoring in environmental science and education). I would also ask about their tutorial services. My school offers students with disabilities, LD ect. extra tutoring up to 4x a week at no extra cost. I was exempt from foreign language when I was in high school and made sure I did not go to a college school were I had to take it (whether it was an exemption or the school did not require it).<o:p></o:p>

Try read fairy tales on Spanish or books for kids.
It helped me a lot with English.
And, try to communicate on Spanish - find people on the net, write letters, speak, speak, speak...

Learn as kids do.

I noticed a HUGE difference on meds than not on meds. It is like night and day. I hated FL before and was going to do my req and get out, but now I'm thinking about a minor. If you're not on any meds I'd suggest trying them.