The implied pronoun and regular verbs conjugation

Yo como / I eat

Grammar...what for?

In this day of “fun and easy” everything, grammar has become the elephant in the room of language learning that many are refusing to acknowledge. After all, grammar is boring, and tedious and many did study grammar and never learn to speak Spanish anyway. Maybe. But the truth is that all the courses that offer you fun and easy Spanish without grammar can and will only take you so far, and basically make you dependant to parroting phrases and remembering  cues. They’ll turn you into the second-rate actress that can say her lines but not fully understand your character. Grammar is one of the main tools which will allow you to grow as a second-language student and make it possible for you to become fluent, even bilingual. Grammar is the dancer’s workout that will allow you to move poetically and effortless; the heavy weight that will rip your muscles and make them grow; the algorithm that will help you decipher the formula; the biting of the bullet which separates the boys from the men.

So can you make grammar more fun? Yes-with some imagination.  How about turning it into a quiz game of sorts you can play with other Spanish students? Or how about role-playing? Imagine you are the Spanish teacher: how would you explain a certain rule to a child or a beginner? What relevant examples could you use? What comparisons between your native language and Spanish? What images? How would you use it in context?

 If you don’t have the time or the inclination for the above, just focus more on your grammar exercises: clear time for them, so you can really concentrate without distractions. Correct them mindfully, seeing if there are any patterns, either in the answers or in your mistakes. Maybe challenge yourself by including a few exercises from upper levels or by limiting your time. More than anything, see in grammar in the everyday use of the language: find it in Spanish newspapers and TV programmes and songs; see how natives use it or alter it. Accept and embrace the fact that you need to understand grammar to be able to use your new language and relish the freedom that such understanding gives your beyond some memorized sentences and expressions.

Verb Conjugation: Doler, Sentir, Encontrar

 

 

Doler = To  hurt/ ache        Sentir = To feel           Encontrar = to find/ to feel

 

—We usually use doler and encontrar (to feel) in the reflexive form to express illness/wellness  and  moods. We usually use sentir in the reflexive to express moods or feelings.

 

Singular:

—1s.t person =  me duele; me siento; me encuentro

—2nd.person (informal) = te duele; te sientes; te encuentras

—2nd. person  (formal) = le duele; se siente; se encuentra

—3rd. person = le duele; se siente; se encuentra

 

Plural:

—1st. person = nos duele, nos sentimos; nos encontramos

—2nd.person = os duele; os sentis, os encontrais

—3rd.person = les duele; se sienten; se encuentran

 

Note: You can use encontrar & sentir interchangeably when  talking about wellness/illness or moods.

 

Sasha Fierce -the Alter-ego Technique

 

Pop singer Beyonce recently stated that she had created an alter-ego for herself, Sacha Fierce, to help her overcome  shyness when it came to the sexy dances she usually performs in her videos and performances. This is a good idea to imitate when it comes to learning a second-language. Lozanov, for some the father of the accelerated learning movement, suggested that  students created a new persona when  learning a new language. For Lozanov, students should adopt a name and nationality related to the target language and as they learned vocabulary, create a story of sorts for this character.  This will:

• disconnect any previous negative experience that the student might have had with the learning process.

• Prevent awkwardness when some examples could not be used for the student’s  real life circumstances.

• Create affinity between the student and the culture of the target language.

• Motivate curiosity and self-study.

 

So bring your Sasha Fierce, or Pedro Perez, or Rosa Montoya or elipe Romero or Andrea Sarmiento to your Spanish  practise and zest, imagination and fun to your learning.  

Newsletter

Today our fist Newsletter is out with interesting bits about Carnival, language learning and recipes. Go to http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=eac8abd067d07cc32d2155797&id=a38b693b17&e=972a754b0d
and enjoy.

The Hundred Most Common Words

Tony Buzan, in his book 'Using your Memory', points out that just 100 words comprise 50% of all words used in conversation in a language. Learning these core 100 words gets you a long way towards being able to speak in that language, albeit at a basic level. The 100 basic words used in English and Spanish conversations are shown below. Remember that letters in parentheses indicate the Spanish feminine form. Also use Estoy to say where you are or a temporary mood and Soy to describe more permanent characteristics.

1An/. Uno(a)	2 After/. después	3. Again/ otra vez	4. All/ todos(as)	5. Almost/ casi
6. Also/también	7. Always/ siempre	8. And/y	9. Because/ porque	10. Before/ antes
11. Big/grande	12. But/pero	13. (I) can/puedo	14. /(I) come/venfo	15. Either/or/o
16 / (I) find/encuentro	17. First/ primero	18For/para	19.Friend/amigo(a)	20. From/from
21. (I) go/ voy	22. Good/bueno	23. Good-bye/ adiós	24. Happy/feliz	25. (I) have/tengo
26. He/ él	27. Hello/hola	28. Here/ aquí	29. How/ cómo	30. I/ yo
31. (I) am/ soy-estoy	32. If/ si	33. In/en	34 (I) know/ Lo se	35. Last/ último
36. (I) like/ me gusta	37. Little/ pequeño	38. (I) love/amo	39. (I) make/ hago	40. Many/muchos
41. One/uno	42. More/más	43. Most/el más	44. Much/mucho	45. My/mi
46. New/nuevo	47. No/no	48. Not/no	49. Now/ahora	50. Of/de
51. Often/ a menudo	52. On/ sobre	53. One/uno	54. Only/solo	55. Or/o
56. Other/otros(as)	57. Our/nuestro	58. Out/fuera	59. Over/sobre	60. People/gente
61. Place/lugar	62. Please/por favor	63. Same/ igual	64. (I) see/ veo	65. She/ella
66. So/ asi	67. Some/algunos(as)	68. Sometimes/ A veces	69. Still /quiero(a)	70. Such / como
71. (I) tell/ digo	72. Thank you/gracias	73. That/ eso	74. The/ el/la	75. Their/ sus
76. Them/ellos	77. Then/ entonces	78. There is/ hay	79. They/ ellos	80. Thing/cosa
81. (I) think/pienso	82. This/este	83. Time/ tiempo-hora	84. To/ a	85. Under/ bajo
86. Up/arribo	87. Us/nosotros	88. (I) use/uso	89. Very/muy	90. We/nosotros
91. What/que	92. When/cuando	93. Where/ donde	94. Which/cual	95. Who/quien
96. Why/por qué	97. With/con	98. Yes/si	99. You/ tú	100. You/ustedes

(Extract reproduced from Use Your Memory by Tony Buzan with the permission of BBC Worldwide Limited, © Tony Buzan)

To Be or Not to Be

So you are a busy-responsibility-ridden-adult-Spanish-language-learner. Or are you? Let’s see. You would really, truly like to commit to your language studies, but, well, you know... there’s work, and family and the cricket game and the football finals and the Sunday barbeques. How could you realistically take some time off to go beyond your two-hour class at the local community college? Yes, it may be enriching to seat around and learn interesting fact about Spanish, both as a language and a culture and see a travel video in YouTube about someone’s vacation to Peru, but...but...but what?

 

The answer to you dilemma is simple: either you are a Spanish student or you are not.

 If you are a Spanish student, you’ll watch football in Spanish;  you’ll demand respect for your learning just as painter demands that no one in the family touches his brushes; you’ll read stories from the Spanish-speaking countries to your children in English at bedtime and offer to cook on Fridays Spanish and Latin American meals; you’ll romance your partner  with a slow tango or mellow bolero and you’ll set aside Spanish learning time everyday with the same zeal that a Zen Buddhist meditates at dawn, not matter what. And you’ll do it because you deserve it. Because as a Spanish student you have every right to practice your language craft as a young violinist tortures his neighbours every Thursdays at six. And you’ll neighbours will probably love you after you invite them for some tasty tapas and teach them a few salsa moves. 

Now, if you are not a Spanish student, then relax. Stop paying for costly CDs and courses, admit to yourself that, whilst you like going to Spain, at the end the only thing you are interested in saying is “Dame otra cerveza,” and just hire your tourist guide, bilingual secretary, interpreter and translator, whichever your need may be. Play Sudoku to protect your brain against Alzheimer (though beware that it does not protect as well as learning a second language,) stay in the beaten tourist track where there’ll always be someone who speaks English and embrace who you are. 

There’s no shame in being monolingual, just as there is no shame of dreaming about learning a new language. If you want to take up all the opportunities that come with a second language, then be a Spanish student, and live your learning with all the passion and dedication that you can muster. If you don’t, stop making excuses and find your true call. Just decide who you are and live accordingly.

The Jumping Bean Technique.

 

One of the problems language learners face, especially adult students, is the fact that they know in their minds how to say a word, but somehow what comes out of their mouth hardly resembles the appropriate sound for such word. This is because there is no mind-body connection for the Spanish sound students are trying to produce. It’s a bit like if you had watch a tennis game for sometime: your mind understands what you are suppose to do with the racket, but the first time you try to hit the ball, your arm, hand-and-eye coordination and your feet will be very awkward and it is unlikely that you will be able to hit the ball (although flukes have been known to happen).

 The jumping bean technique can help you create this min-body connection. I have tried it with my students with very positive results and it only takes minutes to do it. First, find or write a long sentence with the new vocabulary you want to master. It would be best if you listened to the correct pronunciation several times before “jumping. Thus, you can use a sentence from a study book that includes a CD or MP3. You could also go to www.voki.com, create an avatar and type the sentence. The avatar will say it out loud and you will be able to hear the right pronunciation.

Now that you have your sentence in front of you, say out loud two times. Now say the fist three words; then the last three. Say the sentence one more; now read it half-way. Read it backwards. Read the first word and then the last one. From the last one to half-way; now say the whole sentence. Transform it into a question, then a statement, then an exclamation. Then the whole sentence one last time. The whole process should take a couple of minutes. Time permitting do two or three sentences at the time. Do this exercise several times a week and you should notice an improvement in the way you pronounce the new vocabulary. Go back to  Voki, create another avatar and this time record yourself saying the sentence. Compare your recording with the previous one, to see how to fine tune your pronunciation. Most importantly, have fun –see it as a tongue twister of sorts  and once you feel comfortable with the vocabulary, add new words to your sentence. Be creative and enjoy your learning!

One, two, ready? Let's learn Spanish!

So you have decided to start the year by taking a Spanish course. Excellent! You have your books or computer program, have scheduled your classes, been looking for sales to Dominican Republic or Cuba, and bough a few Shakira and Alejandro Sanz CDs to get you into the culture. İMuy bien! 

Allow me then to give you a few other suggestions to make the most of your Spanish learning: 


1) Rather than practicing one day for three or four hours, spread this hours around the week to one hour or 30 minute sessions. 


2) Give yourself some reviewing time. It may be a few minutes before starting a new session or set aside two reviewing days during the week. Your brain will remember better if you take the habit of constantly reviewing the learnt material.


3) Create a little ritual before starting your online course. You may sit in the same place, do some breathing exercises to clear your head, have a cup tea to relax or listen to some Spanish or Latin music to get you in the mood. Whatever you choose, get in the habit of doing every time you come to the AVE as a way to train your brain for your "Spanish Learning Time."


4) Do the pronunciation exercises more than once. Write down the words and paste them on your bathroom glass and repeat them every morning at different speeds; try to imitate the Spanish accent as best as you can; exaggerate even. All this will help create a mind body connection and will train your jaw, tongue and mouth muscles to speak Spanish.

5) Do not be afraid of making mistakes. Learn from them. Repeat the activity as many times as necessary in a mindful way: look for clues and patterns. You don't have to understand everything at the beginning. Look for the basic meaning. More importantly, don't put yourself down. You are never too old or busy to learn Spanish. You just have to find you pace and enjoy the challenges.