How about a thread where everyone can post recordings of themselves speaking Spanish? Here is my first very poor attempt! Listening back to it, I can hear a lot of problems accenting the right part of words, and slurring words, but I wanted to post the first attempt as is, without going back and trying to fix the mistakes.
Let’s hear some more contributions!
¡Hasta luego!
Stu
Thanks for sharing - that was fab and I understood every word which has really encouraged me to keep going, a few weeks ago I wouldn’t have had a clue what you were saying so many thanks.
I’m amazed, ¡muchos gracias!
How about putting up a recording of yourself saying somehting? If you don’t know how, I can give you a few pointers about making the recording and putting it up on Soundcloud to share. I’d love to hear you speaking!
¡Hasta luego!
Stu
thanks Stu, so I’ve made a recording on my iphone but 2 hurdles to overcome:
Trying without much success to upload this clip - last attempt for tonight 
Brilliant Nikki, that was really good - I understood everything you said! 
I’d ditch the translator if I were you 
I’ll be murdering Spanish with my Brummie accent again soon, so let’s keep this up. And please, everyone else on the forum - contribute recordings to this thread!
¡Chao!
Stu
Aw thank you - was really nervous so that’s encouraging !!
That’s absolutely superb, Nikki! Huge, huge congratulations - on your hugely impressive Spanish, and on having the courage to put this out there - really, really brilliant… 
Another recording of me trying to speak Spanish. Give me some feedback! Once again, this is a first take recording, but I did write a script. Next time, I’ll ditch the script and try to speak without one (gulp)…
Excellent work - well done, Stu! Now, you’re absolutely right about ditching the script for the next one - now you’ve tested that your basic pronunciation is working well (which it is), you want the neurological exercise of actually creating your own phrases on the fly… :sunny;
Well done again Stu, that was excellent!
I’ll do another one in a few days but not ready to ditch the script yet as I reckon there would be lots of ummms, ahhhs and pauses from me lol. I’ll write out what I want to say in English though and then just try to read it in Spanish - if that makes sense. Could be interesting
Thanks 
Good idea about writing out the English Nikki. I’m going to go without though, because I think Aran is saying that the ums and ahs are all part of the process.
Hasta luego,
Stu
Tried to do a recording this eve without a script but it didn’t go well!! I waffled on about meeting an old man in a pub who knew my sister, tied myself in knots, stuttered, stammered and ran out of things to say will try again tomorrow.
That sounds like one that should be shared!
Haha sorry I deleted it, was truly awful. Did another one earlier this evening which I am just about to upload, I think I made a few mistakes in it, have listened to it a couple minutes ago and I’m sure some of the pronunciation is wrong and a couple verbs are out of place so please do feel free to comment! Need to know where I’m going wrong so I can put it right and I promise not to cry. (Well, not on here ;-))
BTW I do know I said quando instead of quanto at one point but it was too late by the time I noticed.
And if it was that radio 4 game where you’re not allowed any repetition, hesitation etc - well, you get the idea, I wouldn’t have done so good on there!
No script so doesn’t sound too great but feedback very welcome
https://soundcloud.com/nikki-foster-943501954/spanish-waffling/s-soi7t
Nikki, seriously, that was free production with no script?
That was absolutely fantastic. You’re a natural at this. If you were doing our Welsh course, I’d have no hesitation in saying that you’re ready for an immersion week with no English - that’s a huge amount of variety you’ve already nailed there.
How long have you been learning for again? I know people who’ve been in evening classes for years who couldn’t begin to speak as well as that
Thank you so much. I know I made a couple mistakes as didn’t have the comfort of a bit of paper in front of me but as you didn’t know what I was trying to say I got away with them! For example I recorded it before the eu debate on tv yet I said vi when I meant voy a ver. But the great thing is even recognising the mistakes is so brilliant as a couple months ago the only things I could say was hello, two beers please and where is the bathroom 
I started on 14th April, prior to that I tried to do an evening course in 2008 but only lasted 6 weeks, I just couldn’t grasp it so decided to write off the course fee and spend my Wednesday evenings watching Coronation Street instead.
I never thought I would ever be able to speak Spanish and though I realise I’ve a long way to go I’m just so impressed with this method, I really feel like I’m getting it.
That was totally awesome Nikki. My company blocks SoundCloud, so I had to wait to get home to hear your recording, and it is brilliant. I am inspired to make my own script-less recording tonight, if I can get time alone so that I am not too self-conscious with the family about
¡Chao!
Stu
You did that in less than 2 months?!
Seriously, if I did speechless, I’d be doing it now. You’re doing staggeringly, unusually well, and it’s hugely impressive. Before you go to Spain, do at least one two hour conversation session with someone - more sessions if you can manage them - but the first two hour conversation will be a huge gear change for you, and help you hit the ground running when you get to Spain…