Interview of JOURNEY in Manila (Guys sing Lights a capella)

[G.I.Jim]

That was a tight off the cuff delivery of Lights into shitty radio station mics. Arnel has got an amazing fucking voice and the background vox were right on.

Amen. I don't hear what you guys are hearing that didn't like it (and I'm very critical of them lately!). They kicked ass in this clip. JMHO.

[Don]

That was a tight off the cuff delivery of Lights into shitty radio station mics. Arnel has got an amazing fucking voice and the background vox were right on.

Amen. I don't hear what you guys are hearing that didn't like it (and I'm very critical of them lately!). They kicked ass in this clip. JMHO.

Are you sure you're not just trying to expand your "friends list"?

[G.I.Jim]

That was a tight off the cuff delivery of Lights into shitty radio station mics. Arnel has got an amazing fucking voice and the background vox were right on.

Amen. I don't hear what you guys are hearing that didn't like it (and I'm very critical of them lately!). They kicked ass in this clip. JMHO.

Are you sure you're not just trying to expand your "friends list"?

What's that supposed to mean? I call things like I see it. If I didn't like it, I would have said it was shitty (just like I did during the Superbowl). Explain please...

[Don]

I was providing a humorous comment in response to your post. You didn't get it though. That's okay, nobody else probably does either.
(well maybe Jana does, she is has been taking a quick crash course in GB's Dark Humor series)

[DrFU]

I was providing a humorous comment in response to your post. You didn't get it though. That's okay, no body else probably does either.

and you're just trying to make sure yours stays longer than anyone else's ...

[G.I.Jim]

I was providing a humorous comment in response to your post. You didn't get it though. That's okay, no body else probably does either.

I didn't get it...still don't! Oh well I'll laugh at it for you anyway. There!

[fightingilliniJRNY]

That was a tight off the cuff delivery of Lights into shitty radio station mics. Arnel has got an amazing fucking voice and the background vox were right on.

i think it was doctored especially the background vocals,it was tight alright

Dude. It was not doctored. It was live radio.

[larryfromnextdoor]

i got out my Infinity album cover looking for Arnel,, heck ,, even im starting to think that he wrote Lights.. .

.. speaking of light..

[The Sushi Hunter]

Come on people....go easy on Arnel. It takes years and years to get rid of accents, unless your learning the second language at a very young age. Same goes for us first language English speaking people when learning to speak a second language. So he has an accent, so what. He's in tune and he's got a great voice, not to mention a nice stage performance. He's a very unique asset to this band and the music scene. Very likable guy, someone you can really depend on not to screw you over. He's a very down to earth guy, I should know. Personally I think he's the best thing to happen to this band since SP left. And if the record sales, sell out concerts and successful tours are any indication to back my feelings, it's safe to say that I'm very accurate in how I feel about this. Look at it this way, when Journey brought Arnel onboard, Arnel brought with him his entire following, which in this case includes basically his entire country and every person who knew him in Singapore, China and Hong Kong before Journey. My.....that's a large following....

I'm also guilty as well. Before November 2007, if anyone would have mentioned the band Journey during a conversation, I would have said "Oh yeah, I remember Journey....one of the best bands during my high school days in the early 80's". But since Arnel joined, I purchased a bunch of their Revelation albums and passed them out to all my friends. Everyone who I've given it to are digging it as well.

[Jana]

Come on people....go easy on Arnel. It takes years and years to get rid of accents, unless your learning the second language at a very young age. Same goes for us first language English speaking people when learning to speak a second language. So he has an accent, so what. He's in tune and he's got a great voice, not to mention a nice stage performance. He's a very unique asset to this band and the music scene. Very likable guy, someone you can really depend on not to screw you over. He's a very down to earth guy, I should know. Personally I think he's the best thing to happen to this band since SP left. And if the record sales, sell out concerts and successful tours are any indication to back my feelings, it's safe to say that I'm very accurate in how I feel about this. Look at it this way, when Journey brought Arnel onboard, Arnel brought with him basically his entire following, which in this case is basically his entire country and every person who knew him in Singapore, China and Hong Kong before Journey. My.....that's a large following....

I thought he sounded fantastic on that clip. But as far as his accent, the only complaint I have is his diction was greatly improved b/f the Revelation tour b/c he worked with a diction coach and by the end of the tour you could see even greater improvement in his singing and his ability to communicate with the audience, and I would have expected during this hiatus he would have become even more improved and worked on it, or worse case scenario stayed the same from the end of the concert tour. But I had remarked b/f I could see in his television appearances his accent becoming more prominent again. Every year he should be getting better and better, not backsliding. I think he will learn from this, and he will be in fine form especially by the summer tour. And, hopefully, he will be more diligent in the future on that since he chooses to continue to live in the Philippines.

But having said that, you are so right, SH. I also believe Arnel is the best thing to happen to Journey since Steve Perry left. He has just an amazing voice with such range and power, and really shines on stage with Neal and the guys. I can't wait to see them again.

[tammy]

here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuOqtYJG ... r_embedded

Arnel's singing is cool...Neal talking - not cool.

[StoneCold]

I was providing a humorous comment in response to your post. You didn't get it though. That's okay, no body else probably does either.

and you're just trying to make sure yours stays longer than anyone else's ...

That's what she said.

[The Sushi Hunter]

Come on people....go easy on Arnel. It takes years and years to get rid of accents, unless your learning the second language at a very young age. Same goes for us first language English speaking people when learning to speak a second language. So he has an accent, so what. He's in tune and he's got a great voice, not to mention a nice stage performance. He's a very unique asset to this band and the music scene. Very likable guy, someone you can really depend on not to screw you over. He's a very down to earth guy, I should know. Personally I think he's the best thing to happen to this band since SP left. And if the record sales, sell out concerts and successful tours are any indication to back my feelings, it's safe to say that I'm very accurate in how I feel about this. Look at it this way, when Journey brought Arnel onboard, Arnel brought with him basically his entire following, which in this case is basically his entire country and every person who knew him in Singapore, China and Hong Kong before Journey. My.....that's a large following....

I thought he sounded fantastic on that clip. But as far as his accent, the only complaint I have is his diction was greatly improved b/f the Revelation tour b/c he worked with a diction coach and by the end of the tour you could see even greater improvement in his singing and his ability to communicate with the audience, and I would have expected during this hiatus he would have become even more improved and worked on it, or worse case scenario stayed the same from the end of the concert tour. But I had remarked b/f I could see in his television appearances his accent becoming more prominent again. Every year he should be getting better and better, not backsliding. I think he will learn from this, and he will be in fine form especially by the summer tour. And, hopefully, he will be more diligent in the future on that since he chooses to continue to live in the Philippines.

But having said that, you are so right, SH. I also believe Arnel is the best thing to happen to Journey since Steve Perry left. He has just an amazing voice with such range and power, and really shines on stage with Neal and the guys. I can't wait to see them again.

Not to let you down or anything but I serously doubt Arnel will ever speak without that accent, because I know personally many Filipino's who have lived in the U.S. for 15, 20, and in some cases more years and none of them that I know have lost the accent.

[G.I.Jim]

Come on people....go easy on Arnel. It takes years and years to get rid of accents, unless your learning the second language at a very young age. Same goes for us first language English speaking people when learning to speak a second language. So he has an accent, so what. He's in tune and he's got a great voice, not to mention a nice stage performance. He's a very unique asset to this band and the music scene. Very likable guy, someone you can really depend on not to screw you over. He's a very down to earth guy, I should know. Personally I think he's the best thing to happen to this band since SP left. And if the record sales, sell out concerts and successful tours are any indication to back my feelings, it's safe to say that I'm very accurate in how I feel about this. Look at it this way, when Journey brought Arnel onboard, Arnel brought with him basically his entire following, which in this case is basically his entire country and every person who knew him in Singapore, China and Hong Kong before Journey. My.....that's a large following....

I thought he sounded fantastic on that clip. But as far as his accent, the only complaint I have is his diction was greatly improved b/f the Revelation tour b/c he worked with a diction coach and by the end of the tour you could see even greater improvement in his singing and his ability to communicate with the audience, and I would have expected during this hiatus he would have become even more improved and worked on it, or worse case scenario stayed the same from the end of the concert tour. But I had remarked b/f I could see in his television appearances his accent becoming more prominent again. Every year he should be getting better and better, not backsliding. I think he will learn from this, and he will be in fine form especially by the summer tour. And, hopefully, he will be more diligent in the future on that since he chooses to continue to live in the Philippines.

But having said that, you are so right, SH. I also believe Arnel is the best thing to happen to Journey since Steve Perry left. He has just an amazing voice with such range and power, and really shines on stage with Neal and the guys. I can't wait to see them again.

Not to let you down or anything but I serously doubt Arnel will ever speak without that accent, because I know personally many Filipino's who have lived in the U.S. for 15, 20, and in some cases more years and none of them that I know have lost the accent.

While you may be correct, I'd bet that none of them had hired a vocal coach trained to remove accents. It makes a big difference. Just look at Hugh Jackman, or any other actor who has done the same thing. Many cases, you can't hear their original accent at all. It's pretty amazing what can be done with proper training.

[Don]

It doesn't matter about the accent. Hell, the 2006 tour ranked higher than this past one and Journey changed singers halfway through it. The fans won't care. They'll still be playing Amphitheaters like they've been doing the last 10 years. With JSS and S.A., they had the European fan base, with Arnel the Asian one. The only difference now is this insulting JBoys moniker they picked up. If some one yells that out during the show at the HeadBangers Festival, their peers will be laughing at them.

[RocknRoll]

Come on people....go easy on Arnel. It takes years and years to get rid of accents, unless your learning the second language at a very young age. Same goes for us first language English speaking people when learning to speak a second language. So he has an accent, so what. He's in tune and he's got a great voice, not to mention a nice stage performance. He's a very unique asset to this band and the music scene. Very likable guy, someone you can really depend on not to screw you over. He's a very down to earth guy, I should know. Personally I think he's the best thing to happen to this band since SP left. And if the record sales, sell out concerts and successful tours are any indication to back my feelings, it's safe to say that I'm very accurate in how I feel about this. Look at it this way, when Journey brought Arnel onboard, Arnel brought with him basically his entire following, which in this case is basically his entire country and every person who knew him in Singapore, China and Hong Kong before Journey. My.....that's a large following....

I thought he sounded fantastic on that clip. But as far as his accent, the only complaint I have is his diction was greatly improved b/f the Revelation tour b/c he worked with a diction coach and by the end of the tour you could see even greater improvement in his singing and his ability to communicate with the audience, and I would have expected during this hiatus he would have become even more improved and worked on it, or worse case scenario stayed the same from the end of the concert tour. But I had remarked b/f I could see in his television appearances his accent becoming more prominent again. Every year he should be getting better and better, not backsliding. I think he will learn from this, and he will be in fine form especially by the summer tour. And, hopefully, he will be more diligent in the future on that since he chooses to continue to live in the Philippines.

But having said that, you are so right, SH. I also believe Arnel is the best thing to happen to Journey since Steve Perry left. He has just an amazing voice with such range and power, and really shines on stage with Neal and the guys. I can't wait to see them again.

Not to let you down or anything but I serously doubt Arnel will ever speak without that accent, because I know personally many Filipino's who have lived in the U.S. for 15, 20, and in some cases more years and none of them that I know have lost the accent.

While you may be correct, I'd bet that none of them had hired a vocal coach trained to remove accents. It makes a big difference. Just look at Hugh Jackman, or any other actor who has done the same thing. Many cases, you can't hear their original accent at all. It's pretty amazing what can be done with proper training.

Personally I don't think Arnel needs to be concerned about his accent when he is speaking. His Filipino the accent is expected. When he's singing Journey he definately needs to work on it again.

[G.I.Jim]

Come on people....go easy on Arnel. It takes years and years to get rid of accents, unless your learning the second language at a very young age. Same goes for us first language English speaking people when learning to speak a second language. So he has an accent, so what. He's in tune and he's got a great voice, not to mention a nice stage performance. He's a very unique asset to this band and the music scene. Very likable guy, someone you can really depend on not to screw you over. He's a very down to earth guy, I should know. Personally I think he's the best thing to happen to this band since SP left. And if the record sales, sell out concerts and successful tours are any indication to back my feelings, it's safe to say that I'm very accurate in how I feel about this. Look at it this way, when Journey brought Arnel onboard, Arnel brought with him basically his entire following, which in this case is basically his entire country and every person who knew him in Singapore, China and Hong Kong before Journey. My.....that's a large following....

I thought he sounded fantastic on that clip. But as far as his accent, the only complaint I have is his diction was greatly improved b/f the Revelation tour b/c he worked with a diction coach and by the end of the tour you could see even greater improvement in his singing and his ability to communicate with the audience, and I would have expected during this hiatus he would have become even more improved and worked on it, or worse case scenario stayed the same from the end of the concert tour. But I had remarked b/f I could see in his television appearances his accent becoming more prominent again. Every year he should be getting better and better, not backsliding. I think he will learn from this, and he will be in fine form especially by the summer tour. And, hopefully, he will be more diligent in the future on that since he chooses to continue to live in the Philippines.

But having said that, you are so right, SH. I also believe Arnel is the best thing to happen to Journey since Steve Perry left. He has just an amazing voice with such range and power, and really shines on stage with Neal and the guys. I can't wait to see them again.

Not to let you down or anything but I serously doubt Arnel will ever speak without that accent, because I know personally many Filipino's who have lived in the U.S. for 15, 20, and in some cases more years and none of them that I know have lost the accent.

While you may be correct, I'd bet that none of them had hired a vocal coach trained to remove accents. It makes a big difference. Just look at Hugh Jackman, or any other actor who has done the same thing. Many cases, you can't hear their original accent at all. It's pretty amazing what can be done with proper training.

Personally I don't think Arnel needs to be concerned about his accent when he is speaking. He's Filipino the accent is expected. When he's singing Journey he definately needs to work on it again.

Agreed. I think he just relaxed on it when he got back home, and he REALLY needs to spend more time with that coach. He'll be fine.

[la michelona]

Come on people....go easy on Arnel. It takes years and years to get rid of accents, unless your learning the second language at a very young age. Same goes for us first language English speaking people when learning to speak a second language. So he has an accent, so what. He's in tune and he's got a great voice, not to mention a nice stage performance. He's a very unique asset to this band and the music scene. Very likable guy, someone you can really depend on not to screw you over. He's a very down to earth guy, I should know. Personally I think he's the best thing to happen to this band since SP left. And if the record sales, sell out concerts and successful tours are any indication to back my feelings, it's safe to say that I'm very accurate in how I feel about this. Look at it this way, when Journey brought Arnel onboard, Arnel brought with him basically his entire following, which in this case is basically his entire country and every person who knew him in Singapore, China and Hong Kong before Journey. My.....that's a large following....

I thought he sounded fantastic on that clip. But as far as his accent, the only complaint I have is his diction was greatly improved b/f the Revelation tour b/c he worked with a diction coach and by the end of the tour you could see even greater improvement in his singing and his ability to communicate with the audience, and I would have expected during this hiatus he would have become even more improved and worked on it, or worse case scenario stayed the same from the end of the concert tour. But I had remarked b/f I could see in his television appearances his accent becoming more prominent again. Every year he should be getting better and better, not backsliding. I think he will learn from this, and he will be in fine form especially by the summer tour. And, hopefully, he will be more diligent in the future on that since he chooses to continue to live in the Philippines.

But having said that, you are so right, SH. I also believe Arnel is the best thing to happen to Journey since Steve Perry left. He has just an amazing voice with such range and power, and really shines on stage with Neal and the guys. I can't wait to see them again.

Not to let you down or anything but I serously doubt Arnel will ever speak without that accent, because I know personally many Filipino's who have lived in the U.S. for 15, 20, and in some cases more years and none of them that I know have lost the accent.

I started learning Spanish 20 years ago and I still have difficulties with my r-controlled vowels, among other phonemes (just ask Carla). Although I have achieved a fairly decent level of communicative competency, my "accent" is firmly grooved into my pronunciation and is never, ever going away. I wonder how many of you who keep harping about accent actually speak any other languages - and by speak, I mean having an ability greater than being able to ask where the restroom is.

[Jana]

Come on people....go easy on Arnel. It takes years and years to get rid of accents, unless your learning the second language at a very young age. Same goes for us first language English speaking people when learning to speak a second language. So he has an accent, so what. He's in tune and he's got a great voice, not to mention a nice stage performance. He's a very unique asset to this band and the music scene. Very likable guy, someone you can really depend on not to screw you over. He's a very down to earth guy, I should know. Personally I think he's the best thing to happen to this band since SP left. And if the record sales, sell out concerts and successful tours are any indication to back my feelings, it's safe to say that I'm very accurate in how I feel about this. Look at it this way, when Journey brought Arnel onboard, Arnel brought with him basically his entire following, which in this case is basically his entire country and every person who knew him in Singapore, China and Hong Kong before Journey. My.....that's a large following....

I thought he sounded fantastic on that clip. But as far as his accent, the only complaint I have is his diction was greatly improved b/f the Revelation tour b/c he worked with a diction coach and by the end of the tour you could see even greater improvement in his singing and his ability to communicate with the audience, and I would have expected during this hiatus he would have become even more improved and worked on it, or worse case scenario stayed the same from the end of the concert tour. But I had remarked b/f I could see in his television appearances his accent becoming more prominent again. Every year he should be getting better and better, not backsliding. I think he will learn from this, and he will be in fine form especially by the summer tour. And, hopefully, he will be more diligent in the future on that since he chooses to continue to live in the Philippines.

But having said that, you are so right, SH. I also believe Arnel is the best thing to happen to Journey since Steve Perry left. He has just an amazing voice with such range and power, and really shines on stage with Neal and the guys. I can't wait to see them again.

Not to let you down or anything but I serously doubt Arnel will ever speak without that accent, because I know personally many Filipino's who have lived in the U.S. for 15, 20, and in some cases more years and none of them that I know have lost the accent.

I'm not talking about getting rid of the accent. They wouldn't have hired him if they expected that. I don't expect it. I had no problem in the concert with him. I don't even have a problem on Revelation where I hear it every once in a while. I was talking about the noticeable difference from the Revelation tour and now. Not for all songs, but some.

[RocknRoll]

I started learning Spanish 20 years ago and I still have difficulties with my r-controlled vowels, among other phonemes (just ask Carla). Although I have achieved a fairly decent level of communicative competency, my "accent" is firmly grooved into my pronunciation and is never, ever going away. I wonder how many of you who keep harping about accent actually speak any other languages - and by speak, I mean having an ability greater than being able to ask where the restroom is.

I just feel that if he is going to be Journey's frontman, he needs to sound like Jouney and not someone just singing Journey with an accent. I believe it's easier to sing rather than speak without an accent. Look at the Scorpions. AP did a great job last year except for one word in SW, which only bothered me the first time I saw them and then I expected it. and it was OK.

I'm sure he's going to be just fine on this tour. and if he speaks with a accent, no problem. He's Filipino.

[Ehwmatt]

Here's my question:

Where can you blame it on accent problems that are hard to overcome and where is it simply bad pronunciation? The two aren't necessarily the same all the time, I don't think. Breaking words into proper syllables and accents and learning that the "i" in words like give is not a long "e" sound (see: NWA) are things that I think could certainly be overcome... All he needs is more continuous immersion/exposure and I think he'll sort a lot of things out. I'm sure there's aspects that are very tough to overcome due to natural limitations/inclinations, but a lot of the stuff he does that bugs me in this area is very fixable.

[la michelona]

I started learning Spanish 20 years ago and I still have difficulties with my r-controlled vowels, among other phonemes (just ask Carla). Although I have achieved a fairly decent level of communicative competency, my "accent" is firmly grooved into my pronunciation and is never, ever going away. I wonder how many of you who keep harping about accent actually speak any other languages - and by speak, I mean having an ability greater than being able to ask where the restroom is.

I just feel that if he is going to be Journey's frontman, he needs to sound like Jouney and not someone just singing Journey with an accent. I believe it's easier to sing rather than speak without an accent. Look at the Scorpions. AP did a great job last year except for one word in SW, which only bothered me the first time I saw them and then I expected it. and it was OK.

I'm sure he's going to be just fine on this tour.

Me, too. I can't wait to see them. Of course, it would also be lovely if Neal could learn how to pronounce "genre" (not "gendre") and if Jon used correct syntax, i. e. "he's very hard worker".

[Don]

Sheena Easton, Celine Dione, even Filiipina Lea Salonga all sing with out an accent even though their regular speaking voices carry it (although Lea's is barely noticeable). If Arnel would stick to a routine he could overcome it, but he just seems to have so many distractions that get him off track.

[RocknRoll]

I started learning Spanish 20 years ago and I still have difficulties with my r-controlled vowels, among other phonemes (just ask Carla). Although I have achieved a fairly decent level of communicative competency, my "accent" is firmly grooved into my pronunciation and is never, ever going away. I wonder how many of you who keep harping about accent actually speak any other languages - and by speak, I mean having an ability greater than being able to ask where the restroom is.

I just feel that if he is going to be Journey's frontman, he needs to sound like Jouney and not someone just singing Journey with an accent. I believe it's easier to sing rather than speak without an accent. Look at the Scorpions. AP did a great job last year except for one word in SW, which only bothered me the first time I saw them and then I expected it. and it was OK.

I'm sure he's going to be just fine on this tour.

Me, too. I can't wait to see them. Of course, it would also be lovely if Neal could learn how to pronounce "genre" (not "gendre") and if Jon used correct syntax, i. e. "he's very hard worker".

Touche !! although speaking/singing? you get my drift.

[Ehwmatt]

Sheena Easton, Celine Dione, even Filiipina Lea Salonga all sing with out an accent even though their regular speaking voices carry it (although Lea's is barely noticeable). If Arnel would stick to a routine he could overcome it, but he just seems to have so many distractions that get him off track.

I was a very good Spanish student for 7.5 years, up through some mid-level college classes (tested out of the early ones... Catholic schools fucked me in math but made me great at Spanish ). Haven't read, spoken, or heard a lick since 05. I basically forgot everything. You gotta immerse yourself constantly for a while. He def. needs a routine that helps and immerses him in English.

[la michelona]

Sheena Easton, Celine Dione, even Filiipina Lea Salonga all sing with out an accent even though their regular speaking voices carry it (although Lea's is barely noticeable). If Arnel would stick to a routine he could overcome it, but he just seems to have so many distractions that get him off track.

I was a very good Spanish student for 7.5 years, up through some mid-level college classes (tested out of the early ones... Catholic schools fucked me in math but made me great at Spanish ). Haven't read, spoken, or heard a lick since 05. I basically forgot everything. You gotta immerse yourself constantly for a while. He def. needs a routine that helps and immerses him in English.

Certainly, with professional assistance, Arnel's articulation can be improved upon. However, that can be a tedious and time-consuming process which is certainly impacted by his age. Post-pubescent accent reduction is very difficult due to the "hardening" of the LAD (language acquisition device).

[Carla777]

I started learning Spanish 20 years ago and I still have difficulties with my r-controlled vowels, among other phonemes (just ask Carla). Although I have achieved a fairly decent level of communicative competency, my "accent" is firmly grooved into my pronunciation and is never, ever going away. I wonder how many of you who keep harping about accent actually speak any other languages - and by speak, I mean having an ability greater than being able to ask where the restroom is.

You speak spanish just perfect..with mexican accent, you sound great, maybe when u try to speak fast i get lost a little gringuita loca!
My accent is so notorious, you speak so much better spanish than i english for sure..is a very difficult task get rid of the accent...maybe with a lot of practice and be surround with people that speak the other language that u want to learn is a good way. I have family that lives in Brazil and Cánada after the Military coup in Chile, and they live in those countries for more than 30 years now..and they speak very well other languages, and not very well the spanish now

[Ehwmatt]

And in fairness, English is one of the toughest languages to learn and speak for non-natives...

[Carla777]

Sheena Easton, Celine Dione, even Filiipina Lea Salonga all sing with out an accent even though their regular speaking voices carry it (although Lea's is barely noticeable). If Arnel would stick to a routine he could overcome it, but he just seems to have so many distractions that get him off track.

I was a very good Spanish student for 7.5 years, up through some mid-level college classes (tested out of the early ones... Catholic schools fucked me in math but made me great at Spanish ). Haven't read, spoken, or heard a lick since 05. I basically forgot everything. You gotta immerse yourself constantly for a while. He def. needs a routine that helps and immerses him in English.

That's true! spanish is also a very difficult language..all that need is practice i guess..

[Ehwmatt]

Sheena Easton, Celine Dione, even Filiipina Lea Salonga all sing with out an accent even though their regular speaking voices carry it (although Lea's is barely noticeable). If Arnel would stick to a routine he could overcome it, but he just seems to have so many distractions that get him off track.

I was a very good Spanish student for 7.5 years, up through some mid-level college classes (tested out of the early ones... Catholic schools fucked me in math but made me great at Spanish ). Haven't read, spoken, or heard a lick since 05. I basically forgot everything. You gotta immerse yourself constantly for a while. He def. needs a routine that helps and immerses him in English.

That's true! spanish is also a very difficult language..all that need is practice i guess..

I kinda regret giving up on Spanish. I was very good at written stuff... listening and speaking were not as good, but if I would have spent a few months immersed in it I would have probably become relatively fluent at truly speaking it. Listening to more experienced people speak a foreign language is definitely the toughest thing to get down! Now I'd be lucky if I could even conjugate the trickier verbs in the preterite or any of those other crazy tenses! Definitely lost a lot of the vocab too