>>>Well, what you say may be gramatically correct, but it's not used in some spanish speaking countries... I'm sure you know of this, how many things aren't properly said in english?
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>>You are correct on all points.
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>I come from a spanish speaking country, and when I started speaking english I tried sticking to the book, but I finally realised that depening on where you were, there are some things that are best said wrong. <g>

Very good point.

The class I'm taking is "Conversational" and one of the good things about the way it is being taught is that they focus more on what is actually said on a day to day basis than what is "proper" grammar and syntax. (Wish we had compilers that worked on a Do What I Mean, Not What I Say basis).

Part of our workload is listening to a Spanish-language talk radio station to develop an "ear" for the way things are said. While I don't understand much of it (heck, I hardly understand any), I am recognizing more and more phrases. Even more importantly, the words are starting to separate themselves out. It's now a meaningless jumble of words, not a meaningless jumble of sound.

This is FAR different from the French I took #### years ago. I can read a French newspaper, but can't watch a movie or even understand a conversation (unless spoken with an American accent). Of course, there wasn't any talk radio back then, much less French-language talk radio.