Jan. 28, 2009
Professor Jason teaches us days of the week and dates in Spanish
Posted in grammar and language helps
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A warm welcome back to one of our favorite guests, Professor Jason! Today Professor Jason is going to talk to us about days of the week and dates in Spanish. Thank you for joining us Profe! (In Spanish the word Professor is often shortened to "Profe", pronounced: PRO-fay). Days of the week in Spanish:
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Jan. 16, 2009
Check this out!
Posted in grammar and language helps
 I honestly feel like I've made a new friend! Ever since getting my zippy, sassy purple little Ipod nano for Christmas, I've entered the world of podcasts (how many years behind the trend?). I listen to several, and will share more later, but especially wanted to introduce you to Eleena and Voices en Español.
Her high-quality podcasts are geared toward intermediate to advanced students, and include a wide variety of regional accents as well as a broad spectrum of themes. To my readers I would especially like to point out three podcasts that present the topic of raising bilingual children. One is in English, and features the author of The Bilingual Edge. Beyond her excellent podcasts, Eleena offers a great resourse in the blogging she does. It has quickly become a favorite, and I look forward to each new entry. I want to point out one entry in specific that I believe that my readers will find immensely helpful. It is entitled Spanish Toolbox: 10 language-learning resources. It is a guest post by Karen Bryant from Teaching and Learning Spanish, another gold mine of a blog! In this fantastic post, Karen links you to 10 great resources and sites to help you improve your Spanish, and help you to teach your kids Spanish. I wanted to take a moment here to comment on one of those suggested resources, specifically, Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish by Joseph Keenan. I love this book! Like Karen, I learn something new every time I read it. To my readers, I wish to caution that you may want to look the book over to decide if it is appropriate for your family. Specifically, it has the chapter about swear words in Spanish. Here is my position on that topic: You need to be aware of them even if you don't plan to use them, because it is easy to unintentionally give offense in Spanish. Some of the words that may seem the most innocent to us have some of the worst connotations. While I am not currently teaching this to my children, I would especially recommend that you be aware of these words if anyone in the family will be traveling to a Spanish speaking country. You need to know what to avoid, and you need to know when someone else is being "grosero" with you. Just my two cents! Other than that chapter, the rest of the book is not only helpful, but funny and well written. |
Jan. 14, 2009
Falsos Amigos - False Friends
Posted in grammar and language helps
 When you study Spanish cognates, it is encouraging to find out how many words you already know in the language! It sort of lightens the burden, but be warned: it also gives you a false sense of security. Many times in Spanish you will see what looks like a cognate, but actually has a different meaning in Spanish. Sometimes the differences are slight, and sometimes they are potentially embarrassing.
Let's take a word like embarrassing for example. It is practically an urban legend among Spanish students to tell the story of the girl that travels to a Spanish speaking country, and when she wants to tell people she is embarrassed about something, she ends up telling them she's pregnant! That's because embarazada means pregnant, and she would have been better off expressing her embarrassment by simply saying, "¡qué pena!" Need to run to the grocery for a couple of quick things? That's la groseria, right? It makes sense to our English-speaking minds, but has a completely different meaning in Spanish. Una groseria is a vulgar word or action. Un grosero is the kind of person who uses bad language or does groserias. When you see groseria, just think "gross" in English, and you will be on the right track. Here is a favorite of mine. Let's say your house is dirty. Are you going to vacunar la carpeta? That would leave any native Spanish speaker really scratching their head... why would you vaccinate a folder? To vacuum is pasar la aspiradora. A carpet is una alfombra. Ok, let's try again. Another common and famous one is soportar. We all want support, right? But soportar means to put up with. Like: I can barely put up with (or stand) all that noise. That's not something we want our friends and family to say about us! The word that expresses support in Spanish is the noun el apoyo or the verb apoyar. We learned about adverbs and their easy -mente ending, so a word like actualmente looks pretty clear. The problem is that in Spanish this means "presently". To get the sense of our word actually, you would say something like La verdad es que.... Then what if someone mentions un nudo? No worries... that's just a knot! A common mistake involves the word compromiso, which looks like our word compromise. In Spanish it is best translated as a commitment. You can use this word for a specific appointment: Tengo un compromiso a las dos. It can also be used for more vague plans. Say someone wants you to help with the bake sale on Saturday, and you were planning to take a nap. You should be able to satisfy them with a simple: Lo siento, tengo un compromiso el sábado. The audience is called el público or el auditorio, and una audencia is a meeting with any kind of public official... sigh... there are a lot of ways to get confused with these false cognates, aren't there? To see many, many more, check out these helpful websites: Musical Spanish False Cognate Tutorial About.com: False Friends eLearn Falsos Amigos |
Jan. 9, 2009
Top 10 descriptions
Posted in grammar and language helps
 Drumroll please.... it's the..... Spanish top 10!!!!!!!!!! (aplausos, aplausos) Not as funny as David Letterman, but much more useful! 10. good/bad - bueno/malo 9. big/small - grande/pequeño 8. easy/hard - fácil/difícil 7. young/old - joven/viejo 6. expensive/cheap - caro/barato 5. new/old - nuevo/viejo 4. interesting/boring - interesante/aburrido 3. dirty/clean - sucio/limpio 2. wet/dry - mojado/seco 1. nice/mean - amable/cruel |
Jan. 7, 2009
Adverb Cognates
Posted in grammar and language helps
 One thing that I like about adverbs in English is that the vast majority of them identify themselves to us quickLY and easiLY by the use of the rapidLY recognizable ending (have you guessed it yet?): -ly. AmazingLY, Spanish has a similarLY recognizable ending that you can use to recognize its adverbs, whether or not they are cognates: -mente. (in some cases -amente)
Let's take a look at some of these adverb cognates: normally - normalmente
exactly - exactamente absolutely - absolutamente difficultly-difícilmente completely - completamente absolutely - absolutamente finally - finalmente |
Dec. 17, 2008
Verb cognates - more words you already know in Spanish!
Posted in grammar and language helps
 When two people or things are very much alike, in English we say they are two of a kind. In Spanish that "son tal para cual". Let's take a look at some verbs that truly son tal para cual!
You will find many friends and familiar faces among Spanish verbs. The infinitive form of all verbs in Spanish take the -ar, -er, and -ir ending. A verb that in English begins with an s may be written with es- in Spanish. Let's take a look at some verbs that you already know! Verbs that end in -ate in English often take the -ar ending in Spanish. There are many of these: celebrate-celebrar, participate-participar, and demonstrate-demonstrar. Many English verbs that end in a consonent + t in English can be converted to Spanish simply by adding a Spanish verb ending. These include: convert-convertir, present-presentar, insist-insistir. There are many English verbs ending in a consonent + E that can be rendered in Spanish by dropping that final E and adding a Spanish verb ending. Here are some examples of these verbs: invite-invitar, acuse-acusar, and cause-causar. Many English verbs ending in -ify are written in Spanish with the ending -ificar. Here are a few of those: unify-unificar, justify-justificar, simplify-simplificar. For more complete lists of cognates using verbs, check out these sites: Espangles English Spanish Cognates |
Dec. 12, 2008
Adjective Cognates - more words you already know in Spanish
Posted in grammar and language helps
 You know, cognates are much like identical twins who were separated at birth and raised in different homes. Yes, there are some surface differences, but the resemblance is undeniable.
Just as we saw with nouns on Wednesday, adjectives also undergo some small changes between English and Spanish. Once you know a few tricks, they are easy to recognize and understand. The easiest ones are the adjectives that don't change at all. Quite often, you will find that adjectives ending in -al are the same in both languages. Examples include: natural, usual, final, and normal. In Spanish, these are pronounced with the accent on the last syllable. So while we say normal, they say nor-MAHL. Así de simple - it's that simple. Another group of adjectives take this form: the English -ive becomes -ivo. These include: active-activo, festive-festivo, negative-negativo. This one is also quite easy; when you see -ous in English, its form in Spanish is -oso. Here are a few of the many words that take this form: delicious-delicioso, venomous-venenoso, famous-famoso, and nervous-nervioso. There are many cases in which the English -ic becomes -ico in Spanish. They include: magnetic-magnetico, aritistic-artistico, romantic-romantico, electric-electrico. Yay! Here's another group that doesn't change at all - the adjectives that take the -ble ending. Here are several of those: admirable, impossible-imposible (no double s in the Spanish rendering), horrible, probable. Remember, in Spanish there is no silent e, so the word imposible would be pronounced im-poe-SEE-blay. Another family of adjective cognates is the -nt to -nte family. They are words like: important-importante, excellent-excelente (notice that the Spanish does not have the double l in this word), prudent-prudente, and important-importante. Next we consider the -id to -ido family. They look like this: rapid-rapido, solid-solido, and lucid-lúcido. When the word in English begins with an s, it is written with an es in Spanish. For example: stupid-estupido, splendid-esplendido. And while you seldom hear people saying "splendid!" in English, it is not uncommon at all to hear Spanish speakers describe something that we would say is wonderful or great as "¡esplendido!". Words that end in -ile in English often turn up in Spanish with the -il ending. Unless an accent is written in the word, the stress will go on the last syllable in these words. As in the -id to -ido family, words beginning in s in English will be written as es in Spanish. Here are some examples from this family: juvenile-juvenil, mobile-movil, sterile-esteril, agile-ágil, and fragile-frágil. Lastly, there are the words that change from -ary to -ario. Some of these are: ordinary-ordinario, voluntary-voluntario, and necessary-necesario. By the way, the entries this week have been written with the help of the following websites: Espanglés and English Spanish Cognates My thanks and all due credit to the individuals who make this information easily accessable on the web. |
Dec. 10, 2008
Cognates - words you already know in Spanish!
Posted in grammar and language helps
 Learning a new language can be an intimidating prospect. Would it help if I told you that you probably already know upwards of 4,000 words in Spanish? Don't you feel better?
Cognates are words that are the same, or very similar, in two different languages. Cognates exist for many reasons. English and Spanish share a common ancestor: Latin. Additionally, English and Spanish speakers have been rubbing elbows in the New World for over 500 years. The US shares a large border with Mexico, and large portions of our country once belonged to Spain and Mexico. Finally, words jump between languages quickly as technology advances. Any Spanish speaker can tell you what a hard drive, email, or software is. So if you already know around 4,000 Spanish words, how do you know what I'm telling you that you already know? Here are two links to Spanish-English cognate dictionaries: Spanish Cognates Dictionary and Colorín Colorado. Wow, those are useful reference tools, but it can still be overwhelming to look at those long lists and take it all in. Let's go a step further, and look at a few clues that we can learn that will make these cognates easier to spot and use. English words ending in -or are often the same in English and Spanish! The same is true of words ending in -al. Examples include words like animal, color, actor, capital, hospital. How easy is that? English nouns that end in -ist are often rendered -ista in Spanish. For example: artist-artista, tourist-tourista, novelist-novelista. Similarly, when an English word ends in -ism, it becomes -ismo in Spanish. Here are some examples of that: idealism-idealismo, tourism-tourismo, optimism-optimismo. Makes sense, doesn't it? English nouns ending in -nce become -ncia in Spanish. These include: presence-presencia, license-licensia, distance-distancia. You will also see numerous cases in which -tion becomes -ción. Here are just a few: nation- nación, relation-relación, association-asociación. Check out this site for more. English nouns ending in -y often correspond to the -ía, -ia, or io ending in Spanish. Examples of these are: history-historia, dictionary-diccionario, battery-batería. Rounding out the list of noun changes is the shift of -ty to -dad. This category includes: university-universidad, society-sociedad, electricity-electricidad. To be continued... next time we will tackle adjective cognates! |
Dec. 3, 2008
Top 10 Verbs you gotta know!
Posted in grammar and language helps
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Drumroll please.... it's the.....
Spanish top 10!!!!!!!!!! (aplausos, aplausos) Not as funny as David Letterman, but much more useful! 10. Ser - to be 9. Tener - to have 8. Decir - to say or tell 7. Estar - to be (temporary quality or location) 6. Ir - to go 5. Esperar - to wait or hope 4. Buscar - to look for 3. Dar - to give 2. Comer - to eat 1. Vivir - to live |
Nov. 25, 2008
Kindred Spirits
Posted in grammar and language helps
 Pull up a cyber-chair and get comfy, I'd like to introduce you to a couple of new friends I've stumbled upon in the blogosphere. I love looking at blogs in which people share their talents, and challenge me to be a better homeschooler, cook, homemaker, or whatever, but it is especially fun to find the blog of someone who shares my love of all things Spanish.
Recently I've met two ladies who love Spanish, have spent time traveling as I have, and who love to teach Spanish to others! How I wish I could sit and enjoy churros y chocolate with them in real life! First I'd like to introduce Ginny, from Teaching Generations. She and her daughter have a blog together devoted to homeschooling. Ginny raised her children bilingually, and shares some ideas for teaching young ones to speak Spanish. She is very fond of using songs to teach, and has audio clips on the site so that you can hear the songs she shares being sung. Ginny once did missionary work in Bogotá, Colombia, and I would love to hear more about that. Despite the bad press it gets, I loved Colombia and the people there, and I'll bet Ginny did too. I would also like to introduce Karen from Teaching and Learning Spanish. She teaches Spanish to preschoolers, but has great ideas for all ages. She really gets into some areas that I have not explored, like podcasts. She includes a list of fantastic links to other blogs and resources. This site is a gold mine of Spanish info! She spent some time studying at a university in Spain - iqué envidia! - I'm jealous. Please consider bookmarking these sites and spending some time looking at the great ideas that these ladies have to offer. Thanks to Ginny and Karen! |
Nov. 18, 2008
Second Audio Program is your friend!
Posted in grammar and language helps
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I am bringing back one of my earliest entries on this blog, because it is one of the first pieces of advice that I give to homeschoolers who wish to start teaching Spanish with their kids. We are surrounded with opportunities to immerse our kids in Spanish that we may not be aware of! In the grand spirit of "it worked for us", I offer you this entry from October of 2007: ********************************************************* This tip will work for any level of Spanish student! Let's start with audio options on DVDs. Most of us have a few favorite DVDs around the house, and if you have kids, you have a mountain! Now.... be brave... this may require a little digging around, but language options on a DVD are usually found under Special Features, Audio options... well, you may need to keep looking. Most every DVD I own has a Spanish option. Companies like Disney and Pixar do an excellent job dubbing, and even carefully cast each character to maintain the charm of the original English version. So how to make use of this feature once you've found it?
Many shows on television have a second audio program as well. Everything from Disney channel to the ABC evening news are available dubbed in Spanish. This may require getting out the dreaded owner's manual and finding out how to access these audio options. Or you can do like I do and stumble blindly through the menu on the TV. Once you find it, it will be easier for future use. The trick here is to find a favorite program and watch it in Spanish. If your kids love Sponge Bob, why not let him be today's Spanish lesson? The fact that you or your kids will already have some familiarity with the program will increase the amount that can be learned from context. The last resource that I recommend is to watch actual Spanish language TV shows. A word of warning to parents: do not just leave a Spanish station on for the kids to absorb! (That is kind of like blow drying your hair in the shower - did I really need to warn you about the foolishness of that? Well, just in case....) Spanish TV can be at times, frankly, sleazy. However, a careful selection of programs can be a benefit. One I like for kids is Plaza Sesamo, the Spanish language version of Sesame Street. Dora la Exploradora features a Spanish-speaking Dora teaching English. Other favorites are available, including: Bob el Constructor (Bob the Builder), Diego, and Bob Esponja (Sponge Bob) For the older or more advanced student, I recommend Aquí y Ahora, Primer Impacto, and Noticiero Univision. Lente Loco is funny sometimes, and kind of like Candid Camera. Sabado Gigante is a variety show featuring interviews and music, and is one of the longest running shows in TV history. By the way, El Presidente George W. Bush gave them an interview prior to the 2000 election, and the ratings for that show were sky high. A case can be made that the high percentage of Hispanic voters who voted for him tipped the scales in his favor in that election. And yes... I believe that TV should be used in moderation... but it is so much more interesting than a workbook! In fact, it doesn't even feel like learning.... hmmmm... |
Nov. 6, 2008
Top 10 house words
Posted in grammar and language helps
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Drumroll please.... it's the..... Spanish top 10!!!!!!!!!! (aplausos, aplausos) Not as funny as David Letterman, but much more useful! Top 10 house words! 10. door - la puerta 9. window - la ventana 8. kitchen - la cocina 7. living room - la sala 6. bedroom - el dormitorio/el cuarto/la habitción 5. dining room - el comedor 4. house - la casa 3. neighbor - el vecino 2. lawn - la césped 1. bathroom - el baño |
Oct. 30, 2008
Ummmmm....excuse me please....
Posted in grammar and language helps
Ok, let's say you are here....... ..... and let's say you need to stand up and make your way through these rows for a visit to the, ahem, facilities. Now, let's say that none of these people speak English, but they all speak Spanish. What will you say? The first answer that comes to the mind of most English speakers is "perdóname". Well, your efforts at politeness will be appreciated, but perdóname is overkill. There are several ways to ask for pardon in Spanish, so let's take a look.
First of all, for the situation above, the best choice is "con permiso". It lets someone know politely that you need to get through. It may also be used if you are with a group of people, and just need to step away for a moment. Maybe someone is watching TV, and you need to walk across their field of vision. Again, "con permiso" is the winning choice in these situations. Well, so where does that leave "perdóname"? It is for more serious offenses. It would most literally translate as "forgive me". You use this word when you have really hurt someone, physically or emotionally (it can be intentional or not). Maybe your child has to miss a birthday party because you accidentally double-booked yourself, maybe you have to miss a friends baby shower because you don't feel well, or maybe you bounced a few checks and your spouse is hopping mad. All of these situations would work for "perdóname" to indicate how sorry you are that things have happened the way that they did. Well, what can you use when perdóname is too strong, and con permiso doesn't fit? Somewhere in the middle sits "discúlpame", which is an all-purpose apology. I stepped on your foot - discúlpame, por favor. Someone bumped into you, a glass got spilled, someone was running a little late, you burped at the table - all of these call for a simple "discúlpame". If you want to get literal, this phrase means "unblame me". Ok, the topic of fault came up, and fault is "la culpa". "Culpa mía" is a quick and easy way to say "my fault!". To blame someone of something is echarle la culpa. That might look like this in a sentence "Le echo la culpa de......" (I blame him for.....). To be at fault is "tener la culpa". It might look like this: Él tiene la culpa (it is his fault), or "tengo la culpa" (It is my fault) La culpa implies guilt, but what if you did something but did not mean to? Don't say it was an "accidente" because that implies that injury was involved. If you didn't mean to, you can simply say "fue sin querer". Let's say you accidentally spill something. You will say, "Discúlpame, fue sin querer". And with that ladies and gentlemen, con permiso, but I am done blogging for today! |
Oct. 29, 2008
Top 10 Celebrations
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Drumroll please.... it's the..... Spanish top 10!!!!!!!!!! (aplausos, aplausos) Not as funny as David Letterman, but much more useful! Top 10 Celebrations! 10. birthday - el cumpleaños 9. holiday - día festejado 8. anniversary - el aniversario 7. Independence Day - Día de Independencia 6. Christmas - la navidad 5. dance - el baile 4. party - la fiesta 3. 15th Birthday - el quinceañero 2. Thanksgiving - Día de Acción de Gracias 1. Easter - La Pascua de Resurrección/ Domingo de Pascua |
Oct. 23, 2008
Top 10 List: Places
Posted in grammar and language helps
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Drumroll please.... it's the.....
Spanish top 10!!!!!!!!!! (aplausos, aplausos) Not as funny as David Letterman, but much more useful! Top 10 Places: 10. park - el parque 9. field - el campo 8. country/nation - el país 7. city - la ciudad 6. town - el pueblo 5. corner - la esquina 4. block - la manzana 3. street - la calle 2. beach - la playa 1. outside - afuera |
Oct. 21, 2008
ΏPor quiιnes vas a votar? Who are you going to vote for?
Posted in grammar and language helps
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Cognates are words that sound the same in two languages, and mean the same thing. An example of a cognate can be found in the above survey: votar = to vote. Just by recognizing cognates, you should be able to get the gist of this little survey. When in doubt, use the dictionary. Give it a try! **Note: my apologies for the text in the question portion of the poll - sometimes it appears correctly to me, and sometimes as if there were a code error. The question for this poll is the same as the title of this post. |
Oct. 16, 2008
Professor Jason
Posted in grammar and language helps
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Oct. 8, 2008
A multisensory approach to language learning
Posted in grammar and language helps
 Being the awesome homeschool mom that you are, you have probably read and are familiar with the concept of multisensory learning, and have given some thought as to what learning styles best work for each of your children. In contrast, in my quest to find the golden nirvana of Spanish teaching materials and methods, I hear the same thing again and again: auditory immersion. How do I reconcile the fact that a child who is not a strong auditory learner is going to have limited success with an auditory approach to learning Spanish?
When I look at the research presented by language programs to support their approach, I am constantly confronted with the fact that each of us learned our native tongue first by hearing it. We were immersed in it since day one, and gained a wide range of understanding before we could even speak. On the surface, it does sound like auditory learning was square one for us all. But dig a little deeper... wasn't that auditory immersion imbued with visual and other sensory stimuli? Let's say I have my little one in a stroller and am walking down the path pictured above. I am having an ongoing talk with my baby about the sunshine, the flowers, the smells... I am pointing out colors and insects I might see. If I know the name of a particular flower I will say it. I may encourage my child to touch and not pick, and compare the textures and feeling of different plants. I will also likely notice if the sun is in my child's eyes, and adjust the stroller shade, all the while talking to my child about everything I am doing. This child is being given loads of multisensory stimulation, and to just look at the auditory component is to not see the whole picture. How does that translate to teaching Spanish or any other language? The ideas are unlimited, and I would like to present a few to you here in this and other entries. Yes, there are always my old trusty flash cards, they add a handy visual. But let's see what else we can come up with... Have everyone take turns rolling dice, and then saying the number that comes up in Spanish. It is ok to have a cheat sheet handy and to help anyone with the numbers who needs it! Gather a variety of stuffed or toy animals and learn animal names. We have a toy farm, so I might present the animals in this way: Esta es la________ This is the_____(for a feminine noun)
So it would look like this:Este es el________ This is the______(for a masculine noun) Esta es la vaca - this is the cow
This is just a start, but please don't hesitate to give this a try, and feel free to contact me if I can help you put together the verbiage for a multisensory lesson for your kids.Este es el gallo - this is the rooster Este es el caballo - this is the horse Esta es la oveja - this is the sheep Now I can encourage my kids to get hands on (as if they need an invitation):
Toca la vaca - touch the cow
Toca el gallo - touch the rooster Here is a similar game with fruit - get a basket with a variety of fruit. Maybe your kids have some plastic toy fruits you can use. You may even want to print out pictures of fruit, or have the kids draw and cut out pictures of fruit that they can label in Spanish.
You can introduce the fruit names just like you did with the animals: Esta es la________ - This is the (insert feminine noun)
Este es el_________ - This is the (insert masculine noun) for example: Esta es la manzana - This is the apple. Este es el durazno - This is the peach. For fruits or any other food it is a natural to ask if they like it:
¿Te gusta la manzana? - do you like the apple?¿Te gustan las uvas? - do you like grapes? ¿Te gusta el durazno? - do you like the peach? More to come! |
Sep. 23, 2008
Top 10 - clothing words
Posted in grammar and language helps
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Drumroll please.... it's the.....
Spanish top 10!!!!!!!!!! (aplausos, aplausos) Not as funny as David Letterman, but much more useful! 10. hat - el sombrero/la gorra
9. shirt - la camisa 8. pants - los pantalones 7. swim suit - el traje de baño 6. dress - el vestido 5. blouse - la blusa 4. jacket - la chaqueta 3. gloves - los guantes 2. shoes - los zapatos 1. boots - las botas |
Sep. 1, 2008
Vote today!
Posted in grammar and language helps
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Yes, I have given into this bit of internet silliness, and admit to being a total pushover for web silliness! However, if you do a little deductive reasoning, and make good use of a dictionary, you will come up with the correct answer! Learning and internet silliness can go together!
Editing to add: the term for a traffic jam in Spanish is "Un lío de tráfico". To that one witty person who voted for "El traffic jam-o", you are kicked off this blog!  I can't help you - there's no hope!  |
Aug. 29, 2008
Top 10 - Foods/comida
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Drumroll please.... it's the.....
Spanish top 10!!!!!!!!!! (aplausos, aplausos) Not as funny as David Letterman, but much more useful! 10. beef - la carne 9. fish - el pescado 8. sandwich - el sándwich 7. soup - la sopa 6. drink - la bebida 5. salad - la ensalada 4. chicken - el pollo 3. vegetables - las verduras 2. fruit - las frutas 1. ham - el jamón |
Aug. 27, 2008
Cute and easy elementary Spanish games!
Posted in grammar and language helps
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What's better than cute & easy? I was just on www.apples4theteacher.com printing addition flash cards, and noticed that they have some easy little Spanish games. Check them out! You have to have macromedia flash to play them. Your kids will be able to play with minimal guidance, and will get to see and hear every new word or sound. Children learn numbers by clicking on a dot-to-dot and hearing the number said... all the while making a picture. They can learn parts of the face by dragging and dropping parts onto the face while a native speaker says the words. Have fun, and check Spanish off your list for today! |
Aug. 22, 2008
We're having fun with Bingo!
Posted in grammar and language helps
 It's funny, and perhaps a tad ironic, how in this age of computer graphics and visual over-stimulus (or is it over-stimulae? Hey, I never said this was a LATIN blog!), kids of all ages still enjoy a game of bingo. Bingo can be a great learning tool, and that is why I was excited to find this set on Rainbow Resource for a mere $7.50.
The cards themselves are bigger than any bingo cards I have ever used, and they are filled with photos and not drawings. The set contains 36 bingo cards (hey, we're taking this to our co-op class!) , 100 vocab words and calling cards for each, 500 bingo markers, and a reproducible vocabulary chart. This is just set one, there are two more sets that teach additional words. The vocab presented includes: numbers, food, family, body, classroom, colors, days of the week, and school words. What a great start! It's fun, multisensory, has true educational value, and is a painless way to learn - the kids and I are thrilled. And no, I don't own stock in Rainbow Resourse or Edupress, I am just happy to sing the praises of anything this simple and fun that makes my homeschool day brighter. |
Apr. 17, 2008
Tϊ or Usted, that is the question!
Posted in grammar and language helps
 Spanish is one of several languages that is problematic in the translation of the simple word "you". Before we angloparlantes (that is the Spanish word for English speakers) throw any stones, remember that it wasn't too many centuries ago that we had more than one way to say "you" as well. If you need your memory refreshed, just read some Shakespeare or crack open a King James Bible.
There are two principle ways to say you in Spanish: tú and usted. Please note that usted is frequently abbreviated Ud. It is used in the plural form as ustedes or the abbreviation Uds. In most of the Spanish speaking world, Uds. serves as the plural of the tú form as well. So what is the difference between these two forms? When do you use one and not the other? Simply put, tú is an informal form, and Ud. is more formal. Once upon a time, every Spanish student was told to just use the Ud. form with everyone, and switch to tú when given permission. There is actually a verb in Spanish for using tú with one another: tutearse. You might be asked, "Vamos a tutearnos, ¿no?" (Let's just use tú, ok?). Or... "¿Por qué no me digas tú, está bien? (Why don't you just call me tú, ok?). The system of waiting for permission to say tú will certainly keep you out of trouble. It will also keep you sounding like a Spanish student. Another rule of thumb that is more realistic is to call someone tú if they are someone you would normally call by first name. Someone that you would address with a title or call Mr. or Mrs. would be Ud. If you meet someone in a social situation, and they are roughly your age or younger, you are safe to use tú. Talking to a minister, professor, or the doctor? Start with Ud. Have your kids respectfully address adults with Ud. , but feel free to use tú with most kids. Tú is safe for your family members. Interestingly, the internet has become a great equalizer, and in chat rooms or message boards, tú is commonly used for everyone. Another note about the tú and Ud. dilema... think about how our society is getting progressively more informal and casual. The same thing is happening in the Spanish speaking world. Senior citizens will call almost everyone, even their best friends, by the Ud. form. They use tú only with family and little kids. Exceptions? Well there are many. In Spain, the plural form of tú is vosotros. You will also find this form in many Bible translations, and classic literature and poetry. As you advance in Spanish, it is well worth familiarizing yourself with this form. If you plan to travel to Spain, it is essential. Despite its familiar connotation, it is popular and in widespread use. If you were to say something like, "You Spaniards are such nice people!" it would sound more friendly with vosotros than with Uds. Read more about vosotros here. Vos is another exception that can be found in Argentina, Uruguay, parts of Colombia, the highlands of Honduras, and other places I am probably neglecting to mention. Vos is used in these countries instead of tú, and sometimes is an all-purpose substitute for Ud. as well. It has its own verb endings. People who use vos will understand you if you address them with the tú or Ud. form, so don't worry about not being understood. If you plan to travel to an area that uses vos, it is worth familiarizing yourself with it. Read more about the use of vos here. A little confusing at first? Take comfort in the fact that most Spanish speakers are pretty forgiving of any error, and understand that you are trying to learn the language. ¡Vale la pena! - It's worth it! |
Mar. 13, 2008
A resource well worth looking into!
Posted in grammar and language helps
Loralin, a homeschool buddy from FIAR, introduced me to a great resource for free online Spanish lessons! It is called Live Mocha. Thanks Loralin! This site is designed for people age 13 and up. You can choose from several languages to study, and lessons are done using visual, auditory, and review of your work by a native speaker. A sort of buddy system is employed in which your written or pronunciation exercises are sent to another student, who is a native speaker, for correction. To return the favor, you correct the work of someone learning English.
IMs and online friends are a key feature of the site. This is the reason children are not permitted, and teens (or anyone else for that matter!) need to proceed with care. I tested out all the features before offering my recommendation, so here is my two cents: Everyone on the site that I "talked" to was appropriate, respectful, focused on learning, and encouraging. Of course people are people, and abuse of the system is possible. This site does allow you to report any inappropriate emails or IMs. When you are online working on the lessons, IMs will pop up as people look for others to practice with. You can always refuse an IM. You don't have to add any friends, and you don't have to accept any friendship offers from anyone else. I took the plunge, and everyone has been fine so far. But I don't want to recommend the site without letting you know... The lessons themselves were great. I was so amazed that this stuff is FREE! One user said that the setup is similar to Rosetta Stone, in which you have pictures, and hear a native speaker saying phrases related to the scenes. I read somewhere on the site that it will eventually become a fee-based site. Get in and give it a go while it is still free! This site will be especially useful to parents who wish to teach Spanish to their kids, but need to get up to speed themselves.  |
Mar. 7, 2008
Stress!!!
Posted in grammar and language helps
So which syllable do you put the accent on when sounding out a Spanish word that is new to you? A fellow Spanish geek (and I mean that in the best possible way) and I discussed just that this week. Ok, so.... do you want the long and complicated list of rules with every subtle nuance and crazy exception, or do you want the quick and easy to remember version? Yea, I thought so. First, gaze upon this cute lizard. You'll see why in a moment.
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Feb. 26, 2008
If you are interested in Rosetta Stone...
Posted in grammar and language helps
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**Editing to add a note/bummer: Rosetta Stone is discontinuing its library program. Libraries that offer the program have yearly contracts, and they will not be renewed when they expire this year. If you are thinking of using the program at the library I linked, please contact them first and see when it will expire to decide if the expense is worth it to you. Sorry! Interested in Rosetta Stone, but don't want to cough up the $dinero$ ? Here is how you get it for $35...  Go to this site and sign up for their internet library card. In the Database section, there is a Rosetta Stone program that you can use. Unlike the software that you use at home, this program does not track the progress of individual users. However, this is the best way to give it a try and see if it is a good fit for you. If it turns out that several people in your family will use it for more than one year, then you will want to spring for the software package. For your $35, it is well worth it to dig around on this site for other great resources that they have available! *Note: I have never used Rosetta Stone, although I have looked it over. I do not feel that I have enough information on it to actually review or recommend it. My purpose in posting this link is because so many people have asked me about Rosetta Stone, and I have heard good things from others about the quality of the program. |
Feb. 26, 2008
Basic Greetings
Posted in grammar and language helps
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Professor Jason is back with a lesson about basic greetings in Spanish. By the way, I discovered his set of helpful videos on youtube, and I encourage you to take a look at them. Bravo to Professor Jason for making this resource available free to everyone! Here are the greetings that he teaches in this lesson:
*One note: Most of these greeting are in the familiar tú form, and a brief mention is made of the more formal usted (abbreviated Ud.) form. That is a subject that has not been covered much on this blog, and I plan to talk about soon. Here is an article about this topic for those interested. |
Feb. 20, 2008
Dreams and wishes
Posted in grammar and language helps
 Dreams can be so vivid and unusual that we just have to tell someone about them. Let's stretch our Spanish muscles and try to say a little bit about a dream using Spanish. This will likely require you to refer to a dictionary, but don't let that intimidate you! I'll help you get started.... a dream in Spanish is un sueño. To ask what someone dreamed about, you say, ¿con qué soñaste? To say that you dreamed about something you say, soñé con.... Here are a few examples:
Fun slang tangent... One emphatic way in Spanish to say no or state an objection to something is to say, ¡ni en sueños!, which means "not even in dreams!". For example... Would you like bugs on your sandwich? ¡Ni en sueños! Often in English we use the words dreams and wishes interchangeably, and it is likewise an opportunity to learn some new vocab in Spanish. One way to talk about wishes in terms for our future hopes is to use the word quisiera to mean "I wish .....". It can also mean, "I would like to.... For example:
Once again, this is an opportunity to make use of the dictionary and practice saying what we wish or would like for our future. Drawing a picture would work great for this exercise too. So how about your basic, plain old wish? It is called a deseo. Here are some uses for it...
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