tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85862062416970982892024-03-14T11:16:40.533-07:00The Language School's BlogThis is our blog! Here you can read about us, our tutors, and send us your experiences with learning new languages, travel, and your pictures!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger201125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-72582207590852103562013-10-01T15:38:00.003-07:002013-10-01T15:38:52.319-07:00Sugerencias para inmigrantes hispanohablantes que quieren aprender inglésDe lo que veo, muchos hispanohablantes quieren inmigrar a Estados
Unidos para mejorar sus vidas y aprovechar de todas las oportunidades
que hay aquí. Personalmente les enseño inglés a muchos de ellos, y
hablo con muchas personas más sobre sus deseos con el idioma y sus
objetivos.<br />
<br />
Aquí me gustaría compartir mis observaciones y mis experiencias, no
solo enseñando inglés pero de mis experiencias aprendiendo español con
el fin de darte varias ideas en cómo puedes mejor tus estudios, alcanzar
tus objetivos, y más importante, acelerar su capacidad de hablar
inglés.<br />
<br />
Primero, yo quiero compartir mi pasado y contarte de mis estudios de
español. Era mi ultimo año de la secundaría, y nunca había estudiado
español. Tuve la oportunidad de viajar de Boulder, CO, a Madrid, España
y Paris, Francia por 10 días. Me divertí mucho en el viaje, pero para
decirte la verdad, estaba bastante envidioso de mis compañeros quienes
podían hablar las lenguas y comunicarse con la gente. Entonces decidí
dedicarme a aprender español, y volví a Barcelona pocos meses después.<br />
<br />
Pasé un mes allá en un programa intensiva de español, estudiando
cuatro horas por día. Fue un curso principiante, pero no hablaba nada
de inglés la maestra y yo nada de español. Fue un catástrofe. Me
frustré y tenía tanta vergüenza que por poco me volví después de una
semana. Me quedé, batallando, y aprendí algo de español, pero no
sugiero a ningún principiante que se meta en un programa intensiva así
para empezar.<br />
<br />
Volví a Colorado y me inscribí a un curso de español en la
Universidad de Colorado. De nuevo, tuve que empezar del nivel más
básico. Pero algo pasó – la profesora explicaba la gramática en inglés y
yo podía entenderla. Fue un gran éxito, y saqué la nota más alta de la
clase.<br />
<br />
Después yo quería viajar de nuevo y hacer un curso de inmersión. Fui
viajando por la América del Sur por tres meses, conociendo Argentina,
Chile, y Ecuador. Me gustó Argentina tanto que decidí volver para
estudiar un año allá.<br />
<br />
Esta vez tenía otro actitud acerca del aprendizaje de español.
Empecé analizando porque el viaje a España no fue un éxito. Seguro que
una razón grande fue que era demasiado difícil para un principiante
meterse cien porciento. Pero otra gran parte es que yo había ido sin
suficiente ganas de aprender de la cultura. Andaba en gorro de beisbol,
escuchando a música hip hop, y buscando una gancha de basquetbol. Y
por supuesto no gane ni un amigo español. Cuando uno viaje al
extranjero, hay que ir con una curiosidad de la cultura local, y por eso
decidí de aprender no solo el castellano de Argentina sino la cultura.<br />
<br />
Púes antes de ir empecé a leer sobre la historia y cultura de
Argentina. En el avión un porteño (persona de Buenos Aires) se sentaba
al lado mío, y empezamos a charlar. Había aprendido que les gustaba
mucho el futbol y le pregunte si le gustaba. Me dijo que claro que si,
que era gran fanático de Boca Juniors, y de allá nos fuimos. No sabía
mucho de los equipos ni me gustaba el futbol, pero sabía que tuve que
cambiar un poco. Y con la primera conversación de fútbol, ya tenía mi
primero amigo. De hecho, dos semanas después de que llegué, el tipo me
llamó para decirme que en tal noche se jugaba el superclásico entre Boca
y River y que ya me había comprado una entrada. ¡Listo! No sabía que
este partido fue como el “superbowl” de aquí, pero ¡que experiencia!<br />
<br />
Bien, había aprendido algo. Tenía que tener un interés en lo que les
gustaba a los argentinos, no solo hablar el idioma. De allí y adelante
seguí aprendiendo de la cultura. Me metí en una clase de tango, y
después a otra de salsa para aprender bailar. Empecé a escuchar a Astor
Piazzolla, a Charlie García, y a Los Enanitos Verdes. En todos lados
empecé conversando con la gente, simplemente presentando me con este
frase: “Hola, mi nombre es David. Estoy acá para aprender castellano,
¿puedo practicar con vos?”<br />
<br />
Nadie me dijo que no. De hecho, a ellos les encantaban ver un
“yanqui” que podía hablar castellano y bailar salsa y tango. Quien
escuchaba a su música y que cantaba con ellos. Fui a Argentina en el
2005, y hasta hoy tengo muy buen amistades de allá con quien hablo con
frecuencia por el internet.<br />
Entonces, ¿que puedes aprender de mi experiencia aprendiendo español? ¡Mucho!<br />
<ol>
<li>Busca un <a href="http://www.laescueladeidiomas.com/"><strong>programa de inglés</strong> </a>o sea una <a href="http://www.laescueladeidiomas.com/"><strong>escuela de inglés</strong></a>
que te va a ayudar con tus objetivos. Si nunca estudiaste, quieres un
maestro que te puede explicar las reglas de gramática en tu lengua para
que entiendas. Después de llegar a un nivel intermedio, inscríbete a un
<a href="http://www.laescueladeidiomas.com/"><strong>curso intensivo de inglés</strong></a>.</li>
<li>Aprende el frase “My name is Fulano. I am here to learn English.
Can I practice with you? (Hola, mi nombre es Fulano. Estoy acá para <a href="http://www.laescueladeidiomas.com/"><strong>aprender inglés</strong></a>, ¿puedo practicar contigo?)” Muy pocas personas te van a negar.</li>
<li>Ve a lugares a dónde van los estadounidense para conversar. Si te
gusta tomar, hay que ir a un bar e invitarle a una persona a una
cerveza, diciendo tal frase de arriba. Si no tomas, ve a un café,
librería, o restaurante. Nosotros somos muy amigables y nos gusta
conocer gente de afuera. Empezar una conversación será muy fácil.</li>
<li> <strong><a href="http://www.laescueladeidiomas.com/">Aprende la cultura estadounidense</a>.</strong>
Estudia la historia del país, escucha a música como Rock and Roll,
Jazz, y Hip Hop. Empieza a ver los partidos de béisbol, futbol
americano, básquetbol, y hockey.</li>
<li>Salir de tu zona un poco. A mi me encanta la cultura latina
también, pero si mantienes tanto tus costumbres, nunca vas a aprender
los nuestros. En lugar de escuchar la cumbia en tu trabajo, pon una
estación de Rock. No vayas al baile este viernes. En lugar de esto ve a
un bar en el centro. En lugar de jugar fútbol en el parque, aprende a
jugar básquetbol.</li>
</ol>
No tienes que hacer todo arriba siempre, pero poco a poco. <a href="http://www.laescueladeidiomas.com/"><strong>Estudiar inglés</strong></a>
solo es parte de aprenderlo. Lo más importante es hablarlo, y antes de
ser capaz de hablarlo tienes que conocernos. No te preocupes: va a ser
una experiencia linda y divertida, y después tendrás una vida diez mil
veces mejor en estados unidos, con muchas oportunidades de trabajo y
amistad.<br />
<br />
<br />
Good luck! (¡Suerte!)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-12152881214658953132013-09-18T08:20:00.001-07:002013-09-18T08:20:21.325-07:00The Language School Publishes English Book for Native Spanish SpeakersDenver, Colorado – September 17th, 2013<br />
<br />
The Language School, a World Languages School with locations
throughout Colorado, has published Inglés: Fácil y Divertido Básico
Nivel 1: Fundaciones, a beginners level textbook geared towards teaching
English to native Spanish speakers. The first edition includes
vocabulary, grammar, culture, exercises, games, conversation activities,
and flashcards. Everything is explained in Spanish so that the growing
population of Spanish speakers can better understand the English
language.<br />
<br />
Inglés: Fácil y Divertido Básico Nivel 1: Fundaciones<strong> </strong>is
the first book to be published out of a series of 20. It is now
available for purchase on CreateSpace and Amazon.com for $24.99. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ingl%C3%A9s-Divertido-Fundaciones-Beginners-Foundations/dp/1492287733/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379452886&sr=8-1&keywords=Ingl%C3%A9s%3A+F%C3%A1cil+y+Divertido+B%C3%A1sico+Nivel+1%3A+Fundaciones%3A">Visit this link to purchase.</a><br />
<br />
<strong>About </strong><strong>The Language School</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>The Language School</strong> is a <a href="http://http//www.bolderlanguages.us/" title="Bolder Languages - World Languages School">World Languages School </a>with
locations in Denver, Boulder, and Longmont Colorado, focused on
providing educational services related to learning a new language. All
of our educational services are taken from a practical approach to help
our students become conversational in the shortest amount of time
possible.<br />
<br />
For more information please visit:<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thelanguageschool.us/">www.thelanguageschool.us</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-20496507884131923792013-08-09T09:31:00.000-07:002013-08-09T09:31:00.911-07:001.) Estudiar Inglés Con Tarjetas De Memoria<div class="wrap">
<div id="content-sidebar-wrap">
<div class="hfeed" id="content">
<div class="post-2419 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-uncategorized">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Las tarjetas de memoria son el mejor amigo de la persona que
aprende inglés. En este articulo vamos a compartir la importancia de
usarlas y enseñarte como se las usa para aprender inglés.</span><br />
<div class="entry-content">
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>¿Porqué deberías de usar tarjetas de memoria?</strong><strong> </strong><br />
<br />
Aprender inglés no es tan difícil, pero cuesta mucho tiempo porque
hay que pasar mucho tiempo memorizando palabras nuevas. ¡Pregúntale a
cualquier persona que ha llegado a dominar inglés y seguramente te dice
que usaron las tarjeticas para memorizar vocabulario nuevo!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.laescueladeidiomas.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Como-se-aprende-ingl%C3%A9s.jpg"><img alt="Como se aprende inglés" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2420" height="540" src="http://www.laescueladeidiomas.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Como-se-aprende-ingl%C3%A9s.jpg" title="Como se aprende inglés" width="720" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.laescueladeidiomas.com/" target="_blank">La Escuela De Idiomas</a>
ha ayudado a miles de personas aprender inglés, y lo primera que les
sugerimos a nuestros alumnos es que usen tarjetas de memoria para
estudiar. Cuando me doy cuenta de que hay un alumno que aprende con
facilidad, siempre le pregunta que hacer. Consistentemente me dice que
después de salir de la clase, lo primero que hace es crear tarjetas de
memoria con todo el vocabulario y memorizar todas las palabras, antes de
empezar su tarea.<br />
<br />
Son buenísimas para varias razones. Primero, son chiquitas y las
puedes llevar a todos lados contigo. Segundo, puedes utilizarlas para
memorizar vocabulario, frases, y las conjugaciones de los verbos.
Finalmente, se las puede usar para estudiar solito, con pareja, o en
grupo. ¡También puedes hacer un juego para hacer los estudios más
divertidos!<br />
<br />
<strong>Entonces ¿Cómo se puede usar tarjetas de memoria para estudiar? </strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong>
Después de tu clase, busca un lugar tranquilo para estudiar sin
distracciones. Deberías de apuntar todas las palabras nuevas que
aprendiste en un lado de una tarjeta blanca. En el otro lado, escribe
lo que significa en español.<br />
<br />
<strong>Ejemplo: Palabras Nuevas</strong><br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="221">{Frente}<br />
Cerveza<br />
<br />
</td>
<td valign="top" width="221">{Detrás}<br />
Beer</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
Después de hacerlas (sugiero que solo empieces con 20 o menos),
empieza mirando las tarjetas del lado en inglés. Es más fácil empezar
de inglés a español, y el primer paso para hablar inglés es entenderlo.
Intenta decir la palabra en voz alta, y después lo que significa en
español. Si tu respuesta es correcta, ponla en un lado. Si te
equivocaste, devuélvela detrás de las tarjetas. Si sigues así, la
cantidad de tarjetas que tienes va a crecer menos si vas a continuar
repasando las palabras con las cual necesitas más ayuda memorizar.
Terminas cuando no queden tarjetas en tus manos, y ahora puedes hacer lo
mismo, pero esta vez de español a inglés.<br />
<br />
<strong>Ejemplo: Conjugaciones de los Verbos</strong><br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="221">{Frente}<br />
I<br />
You Eat<br />
We<br />
They<br />
<br />
He<br />
She Eats<br />
It<br />
<br />
</td>
<td valign="top" width="221">{Detrás}<br />
Comer</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
Busca la manera de hacer esta actividad 2 o 3 veces al día. La
primera vez que la haces, probablemente vas a pasar 10 minuticos. Cada
vez después tomará menos tiempo. Si realizas el ejercicio 3 o 4 veces,
debería de haber no solo memorizado las palabras, pero capaz de usarlas y
entenderlas en tus conversaciones cotidianas.<br />
<br />
Porque las tarjetas son pequeñas, las puedes llevar a todos lados
contigo. Cada vez que tienes un par de minutos, las puedes sacar y
repasar. Esto incluye cuando te despiertas por la mañana, antes de
acostarse, durante pausas en tu trabajo, hasta cuando estás esperando en
la cola en una tienda. Lo importante aquí es que seas consistente lo
repitas con frecuencia. Hacer este ejercicio por 10 minutos a la vez,
tres veces al día, es mucho más poderoso que sola una vez por 30
minutos. Es así porque te mantiene las palabras en tu mente. Puede
parecer mucho, pero en el largo paso hacerlo así te va a ahorrar mucho
tiempo y asegurar de tu éxito.<br />
<br />
Esta es una manera buenísima para estudiar solo, pero puedes hacer la
misma actividad con un amigo. Pídele que aguante las tarjetas,
mostrándote un lado. Si no puedes decir lo que significa, puedes pedir
ayuda. Si quieres hacer la actividad un juego, puedes jugar por puntos,
dinero, u otro final (¡cómo el perdedor tiene que cocinar la cena!).<br />
<br />
<strong>Ejemplo: Frases</strong><br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="221">{Frente}<br />
<br />
¿Cómo estás?<br />
<br />
</td>
<td valign="top" width="221">{Detrás}<br />
<br />
How are you?</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
No es posible acabar con la importancia de hacer esta actividad.
Puede parecer imposible, pero te podemos garantizar éxito, hablando el
inglés rápidamente.<br />
<br />
Para más información acerca de <a href="http://www.laescueladeidiomas.com/noticias-eventos/bolder-languages-calendar/denver-class-schedule-world-languages/clases-de-ingles-en-denver-horarios/" target="_blank">clases de inglés en Denver</a>, contáctale a la Escuela De Idiomas hoy.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-64187493869556245392013-08-09T08:54:00.003-07:002013-08-09T08:54:50.773-07:00Good articles regarding Spanish, education, and culturally related topicsThere is a lot of attention in the media today regarding the Spanish language, including immigration reform and the fact that it is one of the largest spoken languages. <br />
I wanted to share a few articles worthy of a read if this topic is of interest for you:<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 36px;"><a href="http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130808/BLOGS08/130809795/rock-star-gutierrez-draws-big-crowds-over-immigration-reform" target="_blank">'Rock star' Gutierrez draws big crowds over immigration reform</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://nbclatino.com/2013/08/07/us-is-5th-largest-spanish-speaking-country-new-census-interactive-map/" target="_blank">US is 5th largest Spanish-speaking country: new Census interactive map</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div>
Try setting up a google alert so that you can get all of the latest news sent to your email regarding the Spanish language!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-83741041166340321332013-08-08T09:30:00.001-07:002013-08-08T09:30:07.299-07:001.) Study Spanish With Flashcards<span style="font-weight: normal;">Flashcards are the language learner’s best friend. In this
article we are going to share with you the importance of using
flashcards and how you can use them to learn Spanish.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span>
<div class="entry-content">
<strong>Why should you use flashcards?</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong>
Learning Spanish is really not that difficult, but it is time
consuming because you have to spend an incredibly large amount of time
memorizing new words. Ask anyone that has ever mastered Spanish and
they will surely tell you that they used flashcards like crazy to help
them memorize new vocabulary!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thelanguageschool.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Flashcards.png"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2206" height="293" src="http://www.thelanguageschool.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Flashcards.png" title="Study Spanish with Flashcards" width="623" /></a><br />
<br />
The Language School has helped thousands of people learn how to speak
a new language, and the first thing we recommend to our students is
that they use flashcards to study. Whenever I notice that one of my
students is doing well in a course, I ask them what they are doing.
Consistently they tell me that the first thing they do after class is to
make flashcards with all of their new vocabulary and commit the new
words to memory, before starting on their homework.<br />
<br />
Flash cards are a great tool to use for several reasons. First, they
are small and you can take them everywhere with you. Second, they can
be used to memorize new vocabulary, phrases, and verb conjugations.
Finally, they can be used to study by yourself, with a partner, or in a
group. You can even make a game out of them!<br />
<br />
<strong>So how can you use flashcards to study?</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong>
After class, find a quite place to study free of distractions. All
of the new words that you learned in class should be written down on one
side of an index card. On the other side, write down its meaning in
English.<br />
<br />
<strong>EX: New Words</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;" valign="top" width="221">{Front}<br />
<br />
Cerveza<br />
<br />
</td>
<td valign="top" width="221">
<div style="text-align: center;">
{Back}</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Beer</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
After you have made the cards {I suggest starting with no more than
twenty}, start with the Spanish side facing you. It is easier to start
by going from Spanish to English, and the first step to speaking Spanish
is understanding it. Try to say the word out loud, and then it’s
English meaning. If you get it right, put it to the side. If you get
it wrong, return it to the back of the stack. As you continue, your
stack will get smaller and you will keep reviewing the words with which
you need extra help memorizing. Once you finish this, try to do the
same activity, but this time going from English to Spanish.<br />
<br />
<strong>EX: New Verb Conjugations</strong><br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="221">
<div style="text-align: center;">
{Front}</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Eat</div>
<br />
</td>
<td valign="top" width="221">
<div style="text-align: center;">
{Back}</div>
Comer<br />
Yo Como Nosotros Comemos<br />
Tú Comes Vosotros Coméis<br />
Él Ellos<br />
Ella Come Ellas Comen<br />
Ud. Come Uds.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
Try to do this activity several times a day. The first time you go
through your stack, it will probably take you about ten minutes. Each
time there after will be shorter. After doing this several times, you
should not only have memorized these new words, but will be able to
start using them and understanding them in everyday conversations.<br />
<br />
Since the flash cards are small, you can take them with you
everywhere. Anytime that you have a few minutes, you can pull them out
and study them. This includes first thing in the morning, just before
going to bed, breaks at work, or even standing in line at the grocery
store. The important thing with this is consistency and repetition.
Doing this ten minutes at a time, three times a day, is far more
powerful than only once for thirty minutes, because it will keep the new
words fresh in your mind. It may sound like a lot, but in the long run
doing this drill for short bursts frequently will save you a lot of
time and ensure your success.<br />
<br />
This is a great way to study by yourself, but you can also do the
same activity with a friend. Ask him or her to hold the cards and show
them to you. You can ask for hints this way too. If you want to make a
game out of it, try playing for points, money, or another interesting
outcome {whoever loses makes dinner!}.<br />
<br />
<strong>EX: Phrases</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;" valign="top" width="221">{Front}<br />
<br />
¿Cómo estás?<br />
<br />
</td>
<td valign="top" width="221">
<div style="text-align: center;">
{Back}</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How are you?</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
We can’t stress the importance of this activity. It may seem
daunting, but we guarantee that if you do this you will achieve great
results and be on your way to speaking Spanish quickly.<br />
<br />
For more information on <strong><a href="http://www.thelanguageschool.us/news-events/group-class-calendar/denver-class-schedule-world-languages/spanish-classes-in-denver-class-schedule/" title="Spanish Classes in Denver – Group Class Schedule">Spanish classes in Denver</a>, </strong>contact The Language School today.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-27494628809411380532013-08-07T09:54:00.000-07:002013-08-07T09:54:17.060-07:00Spanish Lesson in Denver: La Tienda De VíveresIn this morning’s Spanish class, from our <a _mce_href="http://www.thelanguageschool.us/services-2/languages/the-spanish-language/group-classes/beginners-spanish-level-2/" href="http://www.thelanguageschool.us/services-2/languages/the-spanish-language/group-classes/beginners-spanish-level-2/" title="Beginners Spanish Level 2">Beginner Level 2 Spanish Classes in Denver</a>, we are going to learn about La Tienda de Víveres (The Grocery Store). <br />
<br />
In
Latin America and Spain, grocery stores are different than they are in
the United States. It will be important to learn some vocabulary so
that you can navigate the store and interact with the employees.<br />
<br />
One
of the biggest differences that you will notice is that stores are much
smaller. In the United States, we almost always go to a big
Supermarket, where you can purchase just about anything. In Spanish
speaking countries, the stores are much smaller and tend to be more
specialized. For instance, in a regular “Tienda de Víveres”, you can
purchase things that usually come in cans, boxes, and bottles (think of
pasta sauce, olive oil, etc.). Increasingly grocery stores now sell
other items like bread and produce, but it is very common to go to a
panedería or frutería for fresh items like these.<br />
<br />
Here is some helpful vocabulary for the store:<br />
<strong> Gente – People</strong><br />
<ul>
<li> Bodeguero – The person working at the store.</li>
<li>Cliente – Customer</li>
</ul>
<br />
<strong>Envases y medidas - Packaging and measurements:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li> Una botella - Bottle</li>
<li>Un paquete – Pack/Package </li>
<li>Kilo</li>
<li>Medio Kilo</li>
<li>Cuarto kilo</li>
</ul>
<strong> Comidas – Food items</strong><br />
<ul>
<li> Arroz - Rice</li>
<li>Queso - Cheese</li>
<li>Una mano de platanos – A bunch of bananas</li>
<li>Galletas - Cookies</li>
<li>Fresa – Strawberry</li>
<li>Aceite - Oil</li>
</ul>
<strong> Otro vocabulario – Other vocabulary</strong><br />
<ul>
<li> Vuelto – Change</li>
<li>Peso – Quantity of money</li>
</ul>
Let’s take a look of a typical conversation at La Tienda de Víveres:<br />
<strong>Bodeguero:</strong> Buenos días señor. ¿Qué desea?<br />
<strong>Cliente:</strong>
Buenos días. Deseo Una coca-cola, una botella de aceite, una mano de
platanos, un paquete de galletas, y un yogurt de fresa.<br />
<strong>Bodeguero:</strong> ¡Aquí está todo caballero. ¿Desea algo más?<br />
<strong>Cliente:</strong> Sí, por favor de me medio kilo de papas, un kilo de arroz, cuarto kilo de queso.<br />
<strong>Bodeguero:</strong> ¡Aquí está!<br />
<strong>Cliente: </strong> Gracias. ¿Cuánto es?<br />
<strong>Bodeguero:</strong> Son 15 pesos.<br />
<strong>Cliente: </strong> Bien. Aquí tiene 20.<br />
<strong>Bodeguero: </strong> Y aquí tiene su vuelto: 5 pesitos.<br />
<strong>Bodeguero:</strong> ¿Desea una bolsa o una caja?<br />
<strong>Cliente: </strong> Una bolsa está bien.<br />
<strong>Bodeguero: </strong> Aquí tiene.<br />
<strong>Cliente: </strong> Gracias.<br />
<strong>Bodeguero:</strong> A usted. ¡Que tenga un buen día.<br />
<br />
<strong>Try to translate this conversation. Post your answers in the comments section and we will review!</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Extra credit: Cultural Differences:</strong><br />
<br />
¿Qué diferencias hay entre la bodega latinoamericana y el supermercado?<br />
<ul>
<li>Kilos vs libras</li>
<li>Pesos vs dolares</li>
<li>Atención más personal</li>
<li>Caja/Bolsa</li>
<li>Uso de usted</li>
</ul>
<br />
The Language School offers small, <a _mce_href="http://www.thelanguageschool.us/news-events/group-class-calendar/register-for-an-adult-spanish-class/" href="http://www.thelanguageschool.us/news-events/group-class-calendar/register-for-an-adult-spanish-class/" title="Register for an Adult Spanish Class">conversational Spanish classes in Denver for adults</a>. Contact us today to learn how we can help you accomplish your goals of becoming fluent in Spanish.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-19540933759807773592013-08-05T17:37:00.003-07:002013-08-05T17:37:50.593-07:00New Language Classes in Boulder and Longmont Starting Soon! Spanish, French, and ItalianWe have just posted our new class hours for our Boulder and Longmont locations. If you have been wanting to learn Spanish, French, or Italian, don't miss your chance!<br />
<br />
Visit one of these links to learn more:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thelanguageschool.us/news-events/group-class-calendar/boulder-class-schedule/spanish-classes-in-boulder-class-schedule/" target="_blank">Spanish Classes in Boulder</a><br />
<a href="http://www.thelanguageschool.us/news-events/longmont-class-schedule/spanish-classes-in-longmont-class-schedule/" target="_blank">Spanish Classes in Longmont</a><br />
<a href="http://www.thelanguageschool.us/news-events/group-class-calendar/boulder-class-schedule/french-classes-in-boulder-class-schedule/" target="_blank">French and Italian Classes in Boulder and Longmont</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-71403372866229424582013-07-23T17:03:00.002-07:002013-07-23T17:03:43.876-07:00Frequently Asked Questions About Learning A New LanguageLearning a new language can have a big impact on your life. Because of
this, it is important to do your due diligence on a program to make
sure that it will help you accomplish your goals.<br />
<br />
Here is a list of the top questions that people ask us:<br />
<h2>
<strong>1. </strong><strong>How much does it cost?</strong></h2>
For a list of our prices, please visit the <a href="http://www.thelanguageschool.us/services-2/the-language-schools-price-list/" title="The Language School’s Price List">price list here</a>.<br />
This is the most commonly asked question. Instead of asking this,
you should ask more qualitative questions about how the program will
help you meet your goals. Skip to the next section for more information
on these types of questions<br />
The cost question is a tricky question to answer because first we
have to define what “it” is. Quite frankly, it is the wrong question to
ask for the following reasons:<br />
<strong>What is “it”?</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>Assimilation into a new country and culture – ultimately this is what you should be after</li>
<li>Fluency in a new language – this is what most people want, but if you don’t know the culture the language isn’t that helpful</li>
<li>An increase in your grade – an obvious choice if you are enrolled
in a language class at a University, High School, or Middle School</li>
<li>An hour</li>
<li>A class</li>
<li>A course</li>
<li>Private Lesson</li>
<li>A semi-private lesson</li>
<li>An immersion trip</li>
</ul>
Before trying to quantify the value of a language program, you should
first quantify the value that the new language will have on your life.<br />
We enjoy working with students that truly want to become fluent in
the language. Not all language programs are created equal, so first you
need to understand the difference between your goals and reasons for
studying the language. You should always try to evaluate a
school/teacher based off of your objectives, and try to first understand
if the program can help you accomplish your objectives.<br />
You can study a new language for hours upon hours, but if you haven’t
accomplished your objective would a free program have even been worth
it? After all, your time is more valuable than anything, and you can
never ask for a refund on that.<br />
<h2>
<strong>2. </strong><strong>What are the classes like?</strong></h2>
The Language School offers several options to learn a new language.
Here is an answer to this question depending on the option that you are
looking for:<br />
<strong>Group Classes</strong><br />
Group classes are an entertaining and affordable way to learn the
language. Four students usually enter a class, which guarantees that
each student will feel comfortable, receive a lot of personalized
attention from the teacher, and spend a large portion of the time
speaking the new language, which will improve retention.<br />
Successful students attend classes, spend as much time in between
classes studying the new language, and attend the various cultural and
conversational events hosted by The Language School.<br />
<strong>Private Classes</strong><br />
Private classes are by far the most powerful way to accomplish your
goals of learning a new language. You are the boss and each class will
focus on exactly what you want to.<br />
Everyone learns a new language differently. Some people seem to have
a natural ability while others have to try a little harder. Private
lessons guarantee that you will learn at your pace.<br />
Learning a new language is not like other things. It is possible for
anyone and everyone. After all, you at one point learned the
language, in which you are reading this, didn’t you?<br />
Private lessons are ideal for the person that is committed to
learning the new language regardless of the price. You may be a busy
professional with limited time, learn the language faster or slower than
others, or may need to be more flexible with your schedule.<br />
<strong>Semi-Private Classes</strong><br />
Semi-Private lessons offer all of the benefits of private lessons,
but can be shared with friends, family, or colleagues that have the same
objectives of you. You also get to share the cost!<br />
<strong>Tutoring</strong><br />
Tutoring are like private lessons, but are meant to compliment a
course that you are currently taking at either your high-school or
college. Tutoring will not follow our program, but will be customized
to follow your program and ensure that you maintain your grade where it
is or improve it. Our tutors will work with you to better understand
the material you are covering and develop better study habits.<br />
<h2>
<strong>3. </strong><strong>Who teaches?</strong></h2>
The teachers at The Language School make all of the difference. They
must be a combination of native speakers with college degrees that
have decided that teaching a new language is what they want to do.
Most of our teachers also have a great amount of experience.<br />
<h2>
<strong>4.) How to evaluate a school/tutor</strong></h2>
Before you begin to evaluate your prospective school/teacher, you
need to understand that learning a new language is not like other
things. Unlike the commercials and regular advertisements you have
seen, we are here to tell you that learning a new language takes a lot
of time and dedication. It takes patience. It takes a big sense of
humor. You must be humble and be willing to step outside of your
comfort zone.<br />
Are your reasons strong enough to do all of the above? If you are
not sure, then take a few minutes to ask yourself these questions:<br />
<ul>
<li>What happens if you don’t learn the new language?</li>
<li>Will learning the new language help you be more successful?</li>
<li>Will the new language help you make more money?</li>
<li>Will the new language fulfill a long-time goal?</li>
<li>What is your time line for becoming fluent?</li>
<li>Is this your true desire or that of someone else?</li>
<li>Will the new language help you feel more comfortable where you live?</li>
</ul>
After you have asked yourself the above questions and can justify
the next few years of your life being dedicated to learning the new
language, you can refer to our FAQ’s. Here you will find a guide that
will help you not only understand your reasons for studying the language
and your goals, but a comprehensive list of questions that you can ask
your prospective instructor.<br />
<h2>
<strong>5.) How can I learn a new language?</strong></h2>
There are many options available to learn a new language these days, including:<br />
<ul>
<li>Private Language Schools</li>
<li>University Programs</li>
<li>Community Colleges</li>
<li>Software</li>
<li>Free Programs</li>
</ul>
Before making a choice, try to understand what your objectives are.
Make sure you choose a program that will help you accomplish your
objectives with the language. Here are some points you should consider
when comparing the different types of programs:<br />
<strong> </strong><br />
<strong>Private Language Schools</strong><br />
<strong> </strong><br />
The Language School is the leader of this category. Private language
schools are the most powerful way to learn a new language as they
specialize in helping their students become fluent in the language they
are studying.<br />
Private language schools usually specialize in fluency and have more
practical, conversational based approaches that guarantee that students
meet their objectives with the language. Teachers tend to be native
speakers of the language and are much more passionate about teaching the
language.<br />
<strong>University Programs</strong><br />
<strong> </strong><br />
Do you plan on going into a career of teaching the language? If not,
then you should probably consider a private language school.<br />
University programs are great ways to master a language if combined
with immersion programs abroad. This path focuses much more on grammar
than it does on conversation, which is why success rates are so low.
You can expect to be in a classroom of at least thirty twenty year olds
and might get to answer one or two questions in any given class.<br />
If you are going to do this, you should plan on having at least
twenty hours a week to study in order to be successful. Most
universities follow a state dictated curriculum set by someone that has
never become bilingual.<br />
Success rates, meaning people that have studied a university language
course and become fluent, are less than one percent. For a full
semester, plan on paying tuition fees {five hundred to two thousand},
registration fees {one hundred to five hundred}, and buying books {three
hundred to five hundred}. Nine hundred to three thousand dollars for a
less than one percent chance of becoming fluent – did we mention
private language schools?<br />
<strong> </strong><br />
<strong>Free Programs</strong><br />
<strong> </strong><br />
As with anything, you get what you pay for. There are many places
that advertise free language classes, but you should understand that for
the most part these are not really classes, but rather places people
can go to practice the language they are learning. Often, a volunteer
runs the program. This means they probably do not have formal training,
and unfortunately may not know what they are doing. Furthermore,
there is usually no formal structure, and there will be people of all
levels in attendance.<br />
If you are looking for a place to practice your language and meet
people with whom you can practice, then these are great options.
However, if you are serious about learning a language, then go with an
expert that has a good reputation and a formal program.<br />
<strong>Software</strong><br />
There are many new software programs available today to help people
learn a new language, but they should be considered more as resources to
help students practice than a 100% solution. Learning a new language
requires conversation, which requires real people. You are always
going to have questions that you need answered, which a computer won’t
be able to do. Furthermore, there are usually many ways to say the
same thing, and these types of programs are limited in what they
teach. Another consideration is that one should be extremely dedicated
to using the program at least an hour a day. Most of our students
usually inform us that they lost their patience and needed something
more structured with more interaction to feel like they were making
progress.<br />
We highly recommend that our students use these types of programs to
help them get additional practice when not in class. In fact, we have a
“Language Lab” available with the top programs on the market that our
students can use for free. However, make sure that you understand that
software should be considered practice and will never be able to
replace a real person.<br />
<strong> </strong><br />
<h2>
<strong>6.) What’s different about The Language School?</strong></h2>
<strong> </strong><br />
The Language School focuses on practical, real life situations.
Because our class sizes are so small, students will spend most of their
time speaking their new language in class and will develop the ability
to converse much more rapidly than with any other option. Most people
learn a new language so they can speak it. The Language School is by
far the most affordable way to become conversational, and students can
reach this goal in less time than other options.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thelanguageschool.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Differentiators.jpg"><img alt="Comparison of The Language School with Other Language Programs" height="327" src="http://www.thelanguageschool.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Differentiators.jpg" title="Comparison of The Language School with Other Language Programs" width="390" /></a><br />
<h2>
<strong>7.) How many people are in a class?</strong></h2>
Classes are limited to 8 seats so that people can get more
attention and opportunity to actually practice speaking the language
with the help of a qualified instructor.<br />
<h2>
<strong>8.) Who attends the classes?</strong></h2>
Our group classes are generally attended by people that are looking
to take the next step in their life. They tend to be professionals
working in IT, Legal fields, Sales, Marketing, and Human Resources.
Most of our students are between the ages of 25-40.<br />
<h2>
<strong>9.) How long does the course last?</strong></h2>
The Language School offers over 10 levels of Spanish classes. Adult
Group classes meet for 1.5 hours 7 times for a total of 10.5 hours
of instruction.<br />
<h2>
<strong>10.) When do the classes meet?</strong></h2>
We have three options:<br />
<ul>
<li>Regular: meets once a week (Evenings)</li>
<li>Semi-Intensive: meets twice a week (Mornings)</li>
<li>Intensive: meets everyday, Monday – Friday (Afternoons)</li>
</ul>
<br />
Please refer to the <a href="http://www.thelanguageschool.us/news-events/bolder-languages-calendar/denver-class-schedule-world-languages/spanish-classes-in-denver-class-schedule/" target="_blank" title="Spanish Classes in Denver – Class Schedule">class schedule</a> to learn about the current line-up.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-20679344338863235912013-07-23T16:40:00.001-07:002013-07-23T16:40:37.743-07:00Maneras De Aprender Inglés<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwqm5Te8BghetH-ksTklWlc8Eyiha6rD9VueX_vpWNrgzatGPacWSx_0E3k_Ath6yDUSgjxUDaQfvG3Misd1ne5j8SvrLCv6-ZkYQEY_aGMZ-n2f-CSYa4T9mOGMBlxLKcvApvyNoJWQ/s1600/Co%CC%81mo+se+aprende+ingle%CC%81s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwqm5Te8BghetH-ksTklWlc8Eyiha6rD9VueX_vpWNrgzatGPacWSx_0E3k_Ath6yDUSgjxUDaQfvG3Misd1ne5j8SvrLCv6-ZkYQEY_aGMZ-n2f-CSYa4T9mOGMBlxLKcvApvyNoJWQ/s320/Co%CC%81mo+se+aprende+ingle%CC%81s.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Si quieres aprender inglés, inscribirse a un curso solo es parte de la solución. Más importante es lo siguiente:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">1.) Aprender la cultura</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">2.) Hablarlo lo más que sea posible</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">3.) Leer y escribir</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">4.) Memorizar tu vocabulario nuevo</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">5.) Hacer la tarea</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
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<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: ES-TRAD; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Contáctale</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> a La Escuela De Idiomas para </span><a href="http://www.laescueladeidiomas.com/" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">aprender inglés in Denver</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> hoy.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-63915734259120150672013-07-15T15:21:00.002-07:002013-07-23T16:36:14.652-07:00Ways to learn Spanish<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95SCBpj8c82jwhAlNKBhNlTErEsJQ7T2rX7l5XzkBHGL7UyN18Z05pbpqraeTWRJ2ie3BbYLI8xSPRh5hy-83sHtSqj1hpTzBPgGdchbO8nzQwnkg2fKtkjxjDnbZEngMbSLSy_mdd2Y/s1600/Ways+to+learn+a+language.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95SCBpj8c82jwhAlNKBhNlTErEsJQ7T2rX7l5XzkBHGL7UyN18Z05pbpqraeTWRJ2ie3BbYLI8xSPRh5hy-83sHtSqj1hpTzBPgGdchbO8nzQwnkg2fKtkjxjDnbZEngMbSLSy_mdd2Y/s320/Ways+to+learn+a+language.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">If you want to learn Spanish, signing up for classes is only part of the solution. Much more important are the following:</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">1.) Learn the culture</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">2.) Speak the language as often as possible</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">3.) Read and write</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">4.) Memorize your new vocabulary</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">5.) Do your homework</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Contact The Language School today to <a href="http://www.thelanguageschool.us/" target="_blank">Learn Spanish in Denver!</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-35718104618294060992013-04-24T12:21:00.001-07:002013-04-24T12:21:10.114-07:00Good Advice To Help You Become Fluent In A New Language<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">This article was borrowed from the Spanish Language Blog:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of the biggest complaints that I get
as a language teacher is that students take classes, do their homework,
but still they can’t speak fluently.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
They say,</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em>“I learn a word today, but I can’t remember it the other day.”</em><br />
<em> “Where am I going to use this?”</em><br />
<em> “I keep forgetting the pronunciation of words and verbs.”</em><br />
<em> “I’m embarrassed to speak in front of other people.”</em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><br /></em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Does this ever happen to you? Well, it
did to me once and now I’m going to give you some tips on how to
“mitigate these symptoms”, so to speak.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The first thing that you should keep in
mind is that learning languages doesn’t happen overnight, so it does
actually take time to sink it all in. Make a plan of learning five new
words every day. If it’s too overwhelming, learn three. By learning I
mean, practice until you get tired, it’s never enough.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Some tips for you!</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><br /></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
1. Learning a language comes also with
learning that country’s culture, so start learning about it, its
geography, food, folklore, legends, etc.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
2. Tag your house objects with their
names in the foreign language. Start with object like faucet, table,
cupboard, remote control, things that you can glue a Post-it to.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
3. Don’t settle for little. So you
already know how to say “brother”, “sister”, “mother”, etc., but do you
know how to say “mother-in-law”, “brother-in-law”, “godson”? Why not go
the extra mile and learn that too?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
4. Keep it close to home. Yes, you don’t
need to know about anybody’s life to learn a foreign language. Take
yours and your family’s for example. Would you be able to say all the
things that you do at work in the target language? Would you know how to
say your brother’s occupation and what he does?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
5. Create mini interviews with yourself.
Imagine that you are being interviewed on a radio show about a certain
topic: family, work, leisure, whatever. Make up the questions and answer
them. They don’t need to be as accurate as in your native language, you
can rephrase them if grammar is too difficult.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
6. If you live in a place where there are
native speakers of the language you’re learning, why not go and make
friends with them? Let me tell you a story: I have a student from Boston
who’s learning Portuguese. He’s a good student, but he keeps forgetting
basic words so I told him, “Paul, there are many Brazilians in Boston
[trust me, A LOT!], so why don’t you try and talk to some of them when
you run into them?” As it turns out there’s a Brazilian store right
around the corner from his house so he decided to go there, buy
something and practice his Portuguese. I don’t know what happened yet
but I’m pretty sure that the Brazilian hospitality made him feel right
at home.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
7. If someone makes fun of you because
you can’t speak a language fluently yet, don’t worry. You are making an
effort, getting out of your comfort zone and I applaud you for that. The
key to when you make a mistake is to look right at its eyes and correct
it. If you know you don’t get your verbs right, why not pay more
attention to them? It’s very easy to complain and blame someone or
something else. Take responsibility.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
8. Don’t try to speak fast. Who told you
that fluency equals speed? I once knew an American woman in her sixties
and she spoke very slowly. She told me, “Adir, I speak slowly because I
don’t like to repeat what I said due to misunderstandings”. And she is
right, you don’t need to hurry, take your time and enjoy the beauty that
is speaking another language.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
9. Do you have foreign channels at home?
Why not spend at least half an hour a day listening to the sounds of the
spoken language, even if you don’t understand much? Choose a program
that you like or the news, because they have imagines and current topics
that you may have heard about.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
10. Last but not least, set your default
Internet browser page to the foreign language you are learning. For
example, I’m building up my German vocabulary so I set my Yahoo page to
Deutschland (Germany) – that way, when I go check my e-mail I end up
reading something in German. The same words keep popping up from time to
time so worst-case sceneario is you will learn some new words.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-49125407432792131672013-04-18T15:38:00.000-07:002013-04-18T15:38:42.125-07:00Spanish SayingsIn English, we have many popular sayings when we want to paint a prettier picture. Some of my favorite are:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The lights are on but nobodies home (crazy/dumb)</li>
<li>It's not my cup of tea (to dislike something)</li>
<li>Blind as a bat (can't see anything)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
The bad news is that these types of sayings almost never translate very well. Especially coming from a non-native speaker, they will be taken literally and usually lead to confusion and big mis-understandings.<br />
<br />
One of the first things I always advise my more intermediate and advanced students is to try to avoid translating slang and expressions when using the new language.<br />
<br />
The good news is I have found that similar expressions exist Spanish, you just have to learn them and use them. Here are just a few:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>más alegre que unas castañelas <em>[happy]</em></li>
<li>más amarillo que la cera <em>[yellow]</em></li>
<li>más apretado que guano de cabra<em> [stingy]</em></li>
<li>más arrugado que una pasa <em>[wrinkled]</em></li>
<li>más borracho que una cuba <em>[drunk]</em></li>
<li>más ciego que un topo <em>[blind]</em></li>
<li>más colorado que un tomate <em>[embarrassed]</em></li>
<li>más delgado que un fideo <em>[thin]</em></li>
<li>más derecho que una vela <em>[straight - upright]</em></li>
<li>más duro que una piedra <em>[hard]</em></li>
<li>más feo que un coche fúnebre <em>[ugly]</em></li>
<li>más feo que un dolor de muelas <em>[ugly]</em></li>
<li>más largo que un día sin pan <em>[long]</em></li>
<li>más listo que el hambre <em>[ready]</em></li>
<li>más loco que una cabra<em> [crazy]</em></li>
<li>más manso que un cordero <em>[docile]</em></li>
<li>más pesado que una vaca en brazos <em>[annoying]</em></li>
<li>más terco que una mula<em> [stubborn]</em></li>
<li>más tonto que hacerle la permanente a un calvo <em>[useless, stupid]</em></li>
<li>más vago que la chaqueta de un guardia <em>[broad, loose]</em></li>
<li>más viejo que cagar agachado <em>[old - a little vulgar]</em></li>
<li>más viejo que Matusalén<em> [old]</em></li>
</ul>
<div>
Have fun with these, and let us know if you learn any new ones!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-41653848678131279702013-04-04T09:07:00.003-07:002013-04-04T09:07:55.809-07:00English Egg Idioms for Easter<br />
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1. <strong>To egg someone on</strong> - to encourage or dare someone to do something, often something unwise</div>
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<strong>Ex</strong>. <em>I wouldn’t have gone bungee jumping if John hadn’t egged me on to do it.</em></div>
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2. <strong>To put all your eggs in one basket</strong> - to risk everything in one venture</div>
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<strong>Ex</strong>. <em>When investing in the stockmarket, you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket. You should diversify your portfolio.</em></div>
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3. <strong>To walk on egg shells (Br E)</strong> - to be very diplomatic and inoffensive</div>
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<strong>Ex</strong>. <em>She is so stressed at the moment that I feel like I am walking on eggshells to avoid an argument.</em></div>
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<img src="http://media.tumblr.com/4b3a98f04624ea826659e2fc63d05dca/tumblr_inline_mkewd1QTRw1qz4rgp.jpg" style="max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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</div>
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4. <strong>You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs</strong> - In order to do something good, you need to give something else up</div>
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<strong>Ex</strong>. <em>James: ‘We may make a lot of money if we raise our prices, but we will upset a lot of our customers’.</em></div>
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<em>Tony: ‘We cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs’.</em></div>
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5. <strong>A chicken and egg situation</strong> - a situation where it’s impossible to decide which of two things existed first and which caused the other</div>
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<strong>Ex</strong>. <em>It’s a chicken and egg situation - I don’t know whether I was bad at Maths because I wasn’t interested, or wasn’t interested and therefore was not good at the subject.</em></div>
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6. <strong>To pull a rabbit out of the hat</strong> - to do something surprising (it’s often used to show a surprising solution to a problem)</div>
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<strong>Ex</strong>. <em>The Chancellor pulled a rabbit out of the hat by putting together a budget without raising taxes.</em></div>
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<em>7.) </em><strong>Egghead - </strong>a smart person/nerd</div>
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Do you know any other idioms and phrases that use the words ‘eggs’ and ‘rabbits’ in them? Please share them with us.</div>
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If you liked this article, please share it with your friends and colleagues.</div>
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Happy Easter, everyone!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-60510452315213769272013-04-03T06:23:00.001-07:002013-04-03T06:23:04.843-07:00Avoid making these errors in the Spanish language<br />
<div style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #676767; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 14px; padding-top: 10px; text-align: justify;">
It is important to learn how to write the Spanish language as much as it is to speak it. A common challenge native English speakers have is with accent marks. </div>
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Here are some very common mistakes that we often see in written and verbal communication:</div>
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<b>Use of written accent marks in monosyllable words:</b></div>
<div style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #676767; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 14px; padding-top: 10px; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">fui</em> (correct) or <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">fuí</em> (incorrect) / <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">vio</em> (correct) or <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">vió</em> (incorrect)</li>
<li><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">más</em> (adverb of quantity) / <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">mas</em> (adversative conjunction having the meaning of <i style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 11px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">pero</i>)</li>
<li><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">el</em> (article)/ <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">él</em> (pronoun)</li>
<li><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">de</em> (preposition) vs <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">dé</em> (verb)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #676767; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 14px; padding-top: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Deber</span> /<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Deber de</span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #676767; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 14px; padding-top: 10px; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Deber</em> + infinitive: it conveys obligation. </li>
<li><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Deber de</em> + infinitive: It conveys probability, conjecture.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #676767; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 14px; padding-top: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Dijistes</span> / <span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Vinistes</span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #676767; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 14px; padding-top: 10px; text-align: justify;">
The tú form of verbs end with an s in the present tense, not in the past tense. These examples are considered vulgarisms as they are not the correct form of the conjugated verbs: <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Tú dijiste</em> / <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Tú viniste</em>.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-69259544647484511852013-03-24T12:55:00.002-07:002013-03-24T12:55:42.876-07:00Do you or don't you need a tutor?
<br />
<div class="p1">
As a tutor or teacher, you may frequently be asked, “Does my child need tutoring?” There is virtually universal, worldwide agreement that tutoring in general is highly <a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/beyond_schools/2013/03/post_2.html"><span class="s1">beneficial to learning</span></a>. But is tutoring always beneficial? And when is it necessary or essential, or even recommended?</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
As tutoring has become more and more popular, and tutoring options and modalities more diverse, motivations for hiring tutors have changed. Increasingly tutoring may be seen as a way to “enrich” a student’s educational experience – but that isn’t necessarily the same thing as improving the quality of his or her education, or an appropriate support for success in a class, on a high-stakes test or with learning in general.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
As this <a href="http://www.parentsleague.org/publications/selected_articles/does_tutoring_help_or_harm_your_childs_education/index.aspx"><span class="s1">article by James Mendelsohn, PhD</span></a> indicates, sometimes parents seek tutors for the wrong reasons. They may be anxious about their childrens’ academic and economic future. This puts the onus on tutors to be clear on when tutoring is appropriate, what constitutes effective tutoring, and how to increase the likelihood that the time you spend tutoring will be have strong positive outcomes for your students.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
As Mr. Mendelsohn states, “Tutors bear a responsibility for ensuring that they are working in the best interests of students, which sometimes includes recommending to parents that it is unwise to tutor a child.” Another part of that role is to strive to help learners rise above the need for tutoring. Also implicit is a need to be aware of, and responsive to, the potential cognitive and emotional impacts of tutoring on students’ development.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
A major “reason for tutoring” that might not be appropriately addressed by tutoring is a desire on the part of parents for their child to excel. Such students are often already working hard, and don’t really want tutoring. Is forcing tutoring on them sending the message that their ability and effort isn’t “good enough” and they can’t do well on their own?</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
As tutors, it’s important to reflect on whether some parents might be seeking tutoring not to provide an enriched education or to help kids discover passions and intrinsic motivations, but to drive their children towards a fast-track/elite higher education process. Here’s the question: Does tutoring support the development of intellectual independence – a student’s ability to solve problems, seek information and learn on his or her own? Or does it potentially undermine it?</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
In this context, the development of patience, resourcefulness and confidence are more important than test results. (And potentially they’re better predictors of success in college and in life than test results, too.)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
So <a href="http://www.ahwatukee.com/columns/successful_tutor/article_8056897e-8b66-11e2-b909-001a4bcf887a.html"><span class="s1">when is tutoring necessary or beneficial</span></a>? Here are some warning signs to ask parents about:</div>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li2"><b>Falling grades.</b> If the drop is sharp, parents might have waited too long before considering tutoring.</li>
<li class="li2"><b>Excuses about not doing homework.</b> Often this means the student is falling behind or not performing up to their ability level.</li>
<li class="li2"><b>Excuses about not liking teachers.</b> This can be a red flag that extra help with concept beyond what’s available in class would be beneficial.</li>
<li class="li2"><b>Low self-confidence.</b> Poor performance in the classroom, especially in the tangible form of bad grades, can quickly undermine self-worth. Often a tutor can help where parents are simply frustrated.</li>
</ul>
<div class="p1">
In all these situations, whatever the reasons behind them, tutors can often help simply because they are not the parents or the teachers – they have a “clean slate” with the student. Simply by focusing on the student’s needs and offering time and support can do wonders in many cases.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-83044432143975472952013-03-08T09:16:00.003-08:002013-03-08T09:16:39.356-08:00Spanish pronunciation help - R vs RRSubmitted by Evelyn Musslewhite, Spanish Teacher with The Language School<br />
<br />
Our students ask us a lot about the diference between the R sounds in Spanish. I'm sorry, I just can't roll my R's!<br />
<br />
“R” and “RR” letters are a challenge even for native Spanish speakers, so don't feel bad about your pronunciation here! Moreso, during the couple of weeks that I have been teaching Spanish to native English speakers, I have noticed a challenge with reading the “R” and “RR” and also a pronunciation challenge. As a consequence, I wanted to share some advice for helping you with your pronunciation.<br />
<br />
1. Keep in mind that there are two “R” sounds in Spanish: the single “R” sound and the double<br />
“R” (or “RR”) sound.<br />
<br />
4. Keep in mind that the Spanish “R” and “RR” don't share the distinctive "R" sound of English.<br />
Think of them as separate letters entirely.<br />
<br />
2. Keep in mind that the single “R” sound is used whenever the single “R” appears in a word. it will take the double R sound when:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>it's at the beginning of a word</li>
<li> or after an L, N or S, </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
3. The “RR” sound is also used to sound the letter combination of rr, which used to be<br />
considered a separate letter of the Spanish alphabet.<br />
<br />
5. Remember that the “RR” is a trilled sound formed by a flapping of the tongue against the<br />
front roof of the mouth. Here are a few sounds you cam mimic:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Visualize the front of your tongue as a flag flapping in a vigorous breeze.</li>
<li>Try purring like a cat. If you've succeeded, you are approximating the “RR” sound.</li>
<li>Relax and pretend you're a child making the sound of a revving-up motor. </li>
<li>Pretend it is extremely cold. Now make the sound of exhaling with you lips flapping together. Now do the same thing with your tongue against the roof of your mouth.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Try to say: perro (dog), carro (car), barra (bar, such as one made of metal) and hierro (iron, the<br />
metal).<br />
<br />
6. Remember that the single “R” is pronounced with a single flap of the tongue against the roof<br />
of mouth.<br />
<br />
7. Say these words rapidly as you would if they were English words, and with the accent on the<br />
first syllable: peddo, pahdah, cahdah.<br />
<br />
8. Congratulate yourself! You have pronounced the Spanish words pero (but),<br />
para (for) and cara (face).<br />
<br />
See you in class!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-73918623657282411252013-03-07T11:53:00.003-08:002013-03-07T11:54:34.391-08:00Solución de pronunciación: “th” en inglés<br />
<br />
<br />
Cuando estamos aprendiendo un nuevo idioma, existen sonidos de letras que no tenemos en<br />
nuestro abecedario. Un claro ejemplo de esto es el sonido de dos letras juntas “th” para personas<br />
que son de habla hispana y tratan de hablar inglés.<br />
<br />
¿Qué pasa cuando queremos decir árbol en Ingles (tree) y número tres en Inglés (three)?. La<br />
mayoría de veces suena similar y ése es un error que cometemos al inicio de nuestras clases. Por<br />
esta razón me veo en la obligación de saber que alternativa darles para que pronuncien mejor.<br />
<br />
¿Díganme si alguna vez escucharon hablar a un español?<br />
Generalmente las personas nacidas en España tienen un acento relacionado con la pronunciación<br />
de la letra “z”. ¿Quién no ha escuchado a un español decir zapato?<br />
<br />
Cuando un español dice la palabra zapato, no reemplaza el sonido de la letra “z” por el sonido de<br />
la letra “s”. Lo que ellos hacen es otro sonido (“ɵ”) que no se encuentra de manera normal en las<br />
personas latino americanas. Ese sonido del español cuando pronuncia la “z”, es el sonido de la<br />
“th” en Inglés.<br />
<br />
Así que la próxima vez que vea “th” en una palabra, recuerde a los españoles y pronuncie<br />
automáticamente la “z” de los españoles.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-52442492015577088872013-03-05T10:55:00.001-08:002013-03-05T10:55:19.490-08:0015 Words for Business Meetings<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>1. Agenda, orden del día</strong> – agenda.<br />
¿Cuál es el próximo asunto en la orden del día? <em>[What's the next topic in today's agenda?]</em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><br /></em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>2. Sede / Oficina central</strong> – headquarters.<br />
¿Dónde está ubicada la sede de su compañía? <em>[Where's your company's headquarters located?]</em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><br /></em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>3. Sucursal</strong> – branch.<br />
Nuestra compañía tiene sucursales en las ciudades más importantes del país. <em>[Our company has branches in the most important cities in the country.]</em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><br /></em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>4. Tercerizar</strong> – to outsource</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<strong>5. Actividad principal</strong> – core business<br />
La estrategia de la empresa es concentrarse en su actividad principal y tercerizar los demás departamentos.<em> [The company's strategy is to focus on its core business and outsource the other departments.]</em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><br /></em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>6. Participación / cuota de mercado</strong> – market share<br />
La participación de mercado de nuestra compañía viene aumentando desde
la adopcíon de una nueva estrategia de ventas. [Our company's market
share has been increasing since we adopted a new sales strategy.]</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>7. Competidor</strong> – competitor</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<strong>8. Competencia</strong> – competition<br />
¿Su compañia tiene muchos competidores? <em>[Does your company have many competitors?]</em><br />
La competencia entre los principales fabricantes de automóviles es realmente feroz. <em>[The competition between the two leading car manufacturers is really fierce.]</em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><br /></em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>9. Adquirir</strong> – to acquire</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<strong>10. Adquisición</strong> – acquisition<br />
La estrategia de crecimiento de esa compañía es ir adquiriendo poco a poco empresas menores. <em>[That company's growth strategy is to gradually acquire smaller businesses.]</em><br />
Sú última adquisición fue una empresa de software en Chicago. <em>[Their latest acquisition was a software company in Chicago.]</em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><br /></em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>11. Fusionar</strong> – to merge</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<strong>12. Fusión</strong> – a merge<br />
Las dos compañías decidieron fusionarse. <em>[The two companies decided to merge.]</em><br />
Las ganancias han doblado desde la fusión.<em> [Profits have doubled since the merge.]</em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><br /></em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>12. Lanzar un producto</strong> – to launch a product</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<strong>13. Lanzamiento</strong> – launch<br />
¿Su compañía ha lanzado algún producto nuevo este año? <em>[Has your company launched any new products this year?]</em><br />
Si todo sale bien, podremos realizar el lanzamiento del nuevo producto el próximo semestre. <em>[If everything runs smoothly, we will be able to do the launch of the new product next semester.]</em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><br /></em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>14. Muestra</strong> – sample<br />
¿Puede mandarnos una muestra de sus productos? <em>[Can you send us some samples of your products?]</em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><br /></em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>15. Presupuesto</strong> – budget<br />
El departamento financiero es responsable por el presupuesto de la compañía. <em>[The financial department is in charge of the company's budget.]</em></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-28077218025156712882013-03-05T10:16:00.001-08:002013-03-05T10:16:12.756-08:00Vocabulario: En la oficina (in the office)<strong>la estantería</strong> – bookshelf<br />
<strong>el armario</strong> – closet, wardrobe<br />
<strong>la carpeta</strong> – folder<br />
<strong>el archivero, el archivo</strong> - file cabinet<br />
<strong>el archivo</strong> – file<br />
<strong>la grapadora</strong> – staplher<br />
<strong>grapar</strong> – to staple<br />
<strong>el rotulador</strong> – marker<br />
<strong>el líquido borrador</strong> – whiteout<br />
<strong>el clip</strong> – paper clip<br />
<strong>el teléfono</strong> – telephone<br />
<strong>el escáner</strong> – scanner<br />
<strong>el ordenador / la computadora</strong> – computer<br />
<strong>el sillón giratorio</strong> – swivel chair<br />
<strong>la papelera</strong> – wastepaper basket<br />
<strong>el calendario</strong> – calendar<br />
<strong>el pisapapeles</strong> – paperweight<br />
<strong>la impresora</strong> – printer<br />
<strong>el sello fechador</strong> – (date) stamp<br />
<strong>la almohadilla</strong> – ink pad<br />
<strong>la calculadora</strong> – calculator<br />
<strong>el fax</strong> – fax machine<br />
<strong>la alfombrilla para el ratón</strong> – mousepad<br />
<strong>las banditas elásticas</strong> – rubber bands<br />
<strong>la perforadora (de papel)</strong> – hole-puncher<br />
<strong>la fotocopiadora -</strong> copy machine<br />
<strong>la tijera</strong> – scissorsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-811963493689269942013-02-19T18:55:00.003-08:002013-02-19T18:55:39.917-08:00Getting/Giving Directions in Spanish<br />
Let’s learn several useful sentences for when you want to ask for and give directions in Spanish!<br />
<br />
<strong>General Sentences</strong><br />
<b><br /></b>
¿Dónde puedo comprar…? – Where can I buy…?<br />
¿Dónde hay un buzón cerca? – Where’s the nearest mailbox?<br />
¿Cuántos sellos necesito para mandar esta carta? – How many stamps do I need to send this letter?<br />
¿A qué hora abre el correio? – What time does the post office open?<br />
Preciso mandar esta encomienda a Uruguay. – I need to send this package to Uruguay.<br />
¿Cuánto cuesta el servicio expreso? – How much does it cost for fast delivery?<br />
Quisiera asegurar la encomienda. – I’d like to ensure this package.<br />
¿En cuánto tiempo llega esta carta a Uruguay? – How long does this letter take to get to Uruguay?<br />
No sé el código postal de ese lugar. – I don’t know the zip code of this place.<br />
¿Tiene tarjetas postales? – Do you have postcards?<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Asking for directions</strong><br />
<br />
¿Hay un banco / un locutorio / una estación de metro cerca? – Is there a bank / a phone booth / a subway station nearby?<br />
¿Sabes si hay una tienda de conveniencia por aqui? – Do you know if there’s a convenience store around here?<br />
¿Cómo llego a … desde aquí? – How do I get to … from here?<br />
¿Puedes decirme cómo se llega a … desde aquí? – Can you tell me how to get to … from here?<br />
¿Es muy lejos para ir a pie? – Is it too far to go on foot?<br />
¿A qué distancia queda? – How far is it?<br />
¿Cuántas cuadras son desde aquí? – How many blocks from here?<br />
¿Se puede llegar en metro / en autobús? – Can I get there by subway / by bus?<br />
¿Dónde queda la parada de ómnibus más cercana? – Where’s the nearest bus stop?<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Giving directions</strong><br />
<br />
Sigue derecho hasta la calle… – Keep going straight to … Street.<br />
Tienes que doblar en la próxima esquina. – You have to turn on the next corner.<br />
Camina una cuadra y dobla a la derecha. – Walk one block and turn right.<br />
Queda justo ahí en la esquina. – It’s just around the corner.<br />
Se puede ir a pie. – Puedes ir a pie. – You can go on foot.<br />
Es más fácil si tomas el metro / un taxi. – It’s easier if you take the subway / a cab.<br />
Eu tu lugar, tomaría el autobús. – If I were you, I’d take the bus.<br />
Hay una estación de metro aqui cerca. – There’s a subway station nearby.<br />
Hay una parada en la otra cuadra. – There’s a stop on the other block.<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-50184277670479152382013-02-19T18:41:00.002-08:002013-02-19T18:41:48.825-08:00Crucial Spanish Phrases To Help You Survive When Traveling<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>In a bar or restaurant:</strong></div>
<ol>
<li>¿Me puede dejar el menú/ la carta? <strong><em>Can you give me the menu?</em></strong></li>
<li>¿Me puede traer…? <strong><em>Can you bring me…?</em></strong></li>
<li>Me gustaría tomar otro. <strong><em>I´d like to have another one.</em></strong></li>
<li>¿Nos llena, por favor? <strong><em>Can you please fill up our drinks?/ Fill us, please.</em></strong></li>
<li>¿Me puede traer la cuenta? <strong><em>Can you bring me the bill?</em></strong></li>
<li>No gracias, no quiero nada más. <strong><em>No thanks, I don’t want anything else.</em></strong></li>
<li>¿Cuanto cuesta la coca-cola? <strong><em>How much is the Coke?</em></strong></li>
<li>¿Dónde está el baño? <strong><em>Where is the toilet/restroom?</em></strong></li>
<li>¿Tienen bocadillos de tortilla española? <strong><em>Do you have Spanish omelette sandwiches?</em></strong></li>
<li>Camarero, ¡se ha olvidado mi tapa! <strong><em>Waiter, you forgot my tapa!</em></strong></li>
</ol>
<br />
<strong>In a</strong> <strong>hotel</strong>:<br />
<ol>
<li>¿Me puede dar la llave de la habitación por favor? <strong><em>Can you give me the key to my room, please?</em></strong></li>
<li>¿En qué piso está mi habitación? <strong><em>What floor is my room on?</em></strong></li>
<li>Me gustaría que nos despertase a las… <strong> <em>I’d like you to give us a wake up call at…</em></strong></li>
<li>Perdone, ¿a que hora es el desayuno? <strong><em>Excuse me, what time is breakfast?</em></strong></li>
<li>Perdone la calefacción de mi cuarto no funciona. <strong><em>Excuse me, the heater in my room doesn’t work.</em></strong></li>
<li>¿El mando de la tele está en la habitación? <strong><em>Is the TV remote in the room?</em></strong></li>
<li>Perdone, ¿estamos lejos del centro? <strong><em>Excuse me, are we far from the center/downtown?</em></strong></li>
<li>Perdone, ¿como puedo llegar a la calle…? <strong><em>Excuse me, how do I get to … street.</em></strong></li>
<li>¿Qué lugares debería visitar de la ciudad? <strong><em>What places should I visit in the city?</em></strong></li>
<li>¿Qué lugar me sugiere para almorzar? <strong><em>What restaurant do you suggest me to have lunch?</em></strong></li>
</ol>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-23137721625406493522013-02-19T18:37:00.004-08:002013-02-19T18:37:43.671-08:00Emociones en Español<br />
¡Hola!<br />
<br />
Let’s check out how some emociones are translated into Spanish. Have fun!<br />
<br />
<img alt=":-)" src="http://blogs.transparent.com/spanish/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif" /><br />
Estoy (muy) feliz. – I’m (very) happy.<br />
<br />
<img alt=":-(" src="http://blogs.transparent.com/spanish/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_sad.gif" /><br />
Estoy triste. – I’m sad.<br />
<br />
<img alt="8-)" src="http://blogs.transparent.com/spanish/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_cool.gif" /><br />
Llevo anteojos. – I wear glasses.<br />
<br />
<img alt=":-D" src="http://blogs.transparent.com/spanish/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif" /><br />
Me muero de risa. – I’m laughing my butt off.<br />
<br />
:-7<br />
Estoy haciendo muecas. – I’m making faces.<br />
<br />
:-O<br />
Te mando un beso. – I’m blowing you a kiss.<br />
<br />
<img alt=":-P" src="http://blogs.transparent.com/spanish/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif" /><br /><br />
Estoy sacando la lengua. – I’m sticking my tongue out.<br />
<br />
<img alt=";-)" src="http://blogs.transparent.com/spanish/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif" /><br />
Estoy guiñándote el ojo. – I’m winking at you.<br />
<br />
:-{)<br />
Tengo bigote. – I have a mustache.<br />
<br />
:’(<br />
Estoy llorando. – I’m crying.<br />
<br />
:-@<br />
Estoy gritando. – I’m yelling.<br />
<br />
|-O<br />
Estoy bostezando. – I’m yawning.<br />
<br />
|-I<br />
Estoy durmiendo. – I’m sleeping.<br />
<br />
>:-[<br />
Estoy cabreado. – I’m p… off!<br />
<br />
@-}–<br />
Te doy una rosa. – I’m giving you a rose.<br />
<br />
:-*<br />
Te mando un beso. – I’m sending you a kiss.<br />
<br />
O:-)<br />
Soy un santo. – I’m a saint.<br />
<br />
8-*<br />
Ay… ¡qué dije! – Oh, what have I said?<br />
<br />
*-)<br />
Estoy en las nubes. – I’m on cloud nine.<br />
<br />
:-O<br />
No grites. – Don’t shout!<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-60459543188987709532013-02-19T18:30:00.002-08:002013-02-19T18:30:28.063-08:00Consejos para Memorizar Palabras Nuevas<br />
<br />
La primera cosa que un estudiante debe hacer cuando está aprendiendo como hablar un nuevo idioma<br />
es concentrarse en memorizar el vocabulario nuevo. Si usted está en una nueva clase grandes o está en un programa de inmersión, su vocabulario es crucial para hablar un nuevo idioma. Usando solamente el vocabulario, será capaz de entender el contexto de una conversación, si es solo un poco.<br />
<br />
Esto es verdad, especialmente, si está tomando lecciones en un salón de clase formal. Con los<br />
estudiantes de español que nosotros tenemos, por ejemplo, nosotros aconsejamos que primero<br />
memoricen las palabras del vocabulario y luego traten de hacer el resto de la tarea. Nosotros vemos que<br />
muchas personas tratan de hacer esto de otra manera, y lo que usualmente pasa es que ellos pasan<br />
tanto tiempo buscando las palabras del glosario que la tarea se vuelve más larga y difícil. Pasando un<br />
tiempo memorizando las palabras no solo asegurara que su tarea sea fácil, sino que usted aprenderá las<br />
palabras ahora y será capaz de usarlas libremente en el futuro. Finalmente, sin conocer que significan las palabras, la gramática no tiene sentido. Será imposible tratar de tener una buena gramática, la que su<br />
profesor desea ver, si usted no está seguro de lo que significan las palabras, los verbos, los sustantivos o<br />
los adjetivos.<br />
<br />
Aquí hay algunos consejos que le ayudan a memorizar el nuevo vocabulario:<br />
<br />
1. Trate de asociar cada palabra y sus significados a una historia visual o a una imagen en su mente.<br />
<br />
2. Solo estudie unas palabras diariamente, en vez de tratar de zambullirse en muchas palabras de una vez.<br />
<br />
3. Habiendo aprendido nuevas palabras, practique usándolas al menos de 3 a 5 veces para<br />
memorizarlas de manera verdadera (usando flashcards).<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-57132971370653773022013-02-19T16:35:00.000-08:002013-02-19T16:35:12.518-08:007 Consejos para Aprender Un Idioma Nuevo<br />
Cuando está de vacaciones y ve algunas personas capaces de hablar tres o cuatro idiomas, al<br />
comienzo se sorprende pensando cómo ellos pueden manejar hablar tantos idiomas. Pero eso es<br />
posible si sigue algunos consejos de cómo hacer lo mismo de una manera más fácil.<br />
<br />
1. Aprenda de 10 a 20 palabras esenciales por día (10 si está en nivel básico, 20 cuando<br />
está en intermedio y más palabras si está en nivel avanzado). Las palabras esenciales son<br />
palabras que los habitantes del país usan en su conversación diaria.<br />
<br />
2. Siempre tenga un diccionario con Ud.<br />
<br />
3. Aprenda oraciones completas, las cuales podrá usar en el día a día. Le ayudarán 2 veces<br />
más. Una razón es para evitar quedarse atrapado en el idioma y otra razón es porque lo<br />
más que Ud. aprende es mucho mejor.<br />
<br />
4. Trabaje en su pronunciación. Al comienzo, Ud. cometerá algunos errores, pero después<br />
de cinco o seis veces, verá que puede decir la oración de manera más rápida. Acaso, ¿no<br />
es fascinante?<br />
<br />
5. Siga practicando, aun cuando este solo. Lea más libros sobre el país o sobre el presidente<br />
si hay alguno. Eso le ayudará. Si no es ahora, será después.<br />
<br />
6. Trate de ver películas, series, noticieros en ese idioma. Mientras escuche el programa de<br />
televisión, trate de identificar palabras que ya conoce. Ver películas ayuda porque puede<br />
aprender nuevo vocabulario basado en el contexto.<br />
<br />
7. Si está empezando, vea Plaza Sésamo en ese idioma. Puede sonar ridículo pero muchos<br />
niños aprenden de ésta manera.<br />
<br />
Finalmente, no trate de hablar muy rápido o de manera correcta al inicio. No será capaz de<br />
hacerlo. ¡Sea un poco paciente! Y ahora, ya está listo para empezar a aprender un nuevo idioma.<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586206241697098289.post-33890762566129269832013-02-19T16:33:00.003-08:002013-02-19T16:33:51.264-08:007 Tips to Learn a New Language <br />
<br />
When you're on vacation and see some people that are able to speak three or four languages, you're first amazed, wondering how they manage to do that! Here some tips on how you can ver easily do the<br />
same:<br />
<br />
1. Learn 10 to 20 essential words a day (10 if you're beginning, 20 when you're<br />
intermediate and even more if you're advanced). Essential words are words that native speakers<br />
use in their everyday conversations.<br />
<br />
2. Always have a dictionary with you!<br />
<br />
3. Learn whole sentences, which might be used on a day-to-day basis. It helps you two-fold:<br />
One you will never get stuck speaking the language, and two the more you learn the better off you will be.<br />
<br />
4. Work on your pronunciation. At first, you might make mistakes but after five or six<br />
times, you'll see that you can speak faster. Isn't that crazy?<br />
<br />
5. Keep practicing it, even though you are all alone. Read more books about the country and its<br />
presidents. Learning the culture and history will also help you. If not in the short run, it will in the long term.<br />
<br />
6. Try watching movies/tv shows/news in the new language. While listening to it, try and identify<br />
words that you already know. Watching movies helps, because you might learn some<br />
words based on the context.<br />
<br />
7. If you are just starting, watch Sesame Street in that language. It may sound ridiculous, but<br />
plenty of children learn that way.<br />
<br />
At first you won't be able to speak very fast, but little by little you will improve. Be patient and keep trying!<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0