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.

The Natural Way

Learn Spanish the natural way, just like you learned your mother tongue! Spanish fast and easy! No pains Spanish! Learn Spanish like children do! Does it all sound familiar? It should, if you have been looking around for a Spanish course. The question is, is it too good to be true? If I’m to judge on my own experience, as language learner and teacher, then the answer is: probably.

Have you ever heard of an athlete who accomplished a medal the “easy” way, or a musician who mastered her instrument with only a few lessons? Neither have I. Both the athlete and the musician have made a commitment to their disciplines; they have had bad days, plateaus and years of study. To learn a second language is not that different from learning a sport or an art. It takes time and effort. Which is not to say that it has to be drudgery. Think of Michel Angelo in the Sixtine Chapel: he must have worked very hard -and enjoy every minute of it!

Let’s look now at children. Recently I saw an advert from a renowned language company, stating that as a child, your Dad threw you a ball, said the name of the ball, you made the connection, and -voila!- you learned how to say ball. Whoever wrote the copy for such ad it’s certainly not a mother, carer or any adult in contact with children. You have to repeat the name of things to children continuously until they get it right, just as you gently constantly correct their grammar. Children undergo 16+ years of training at school to be able to talk like a moderately educated adult. So to learn a language like a child does, would take you almost two decades.

It is true that children learn foreign language very fast, especially if they are in total submersion situation. But they learn to talk like children. And they learn, among other things, by going to a school, for five to seven hours, two of which are usually devoted to the learning of grammar and usage of the second language. To say that children learn languages the easy way is an insult to all the intellectual work behind such learning.

So how should you learn Spanish? You should learn it with passion and commitment. You should be in contact with the language and the culture as much as possible. Stop considering grammar an insurmountable obstacle. See it instead as a Da Vinci code of sorts, which once deciphered, will open new ways for you to master your new language. Give time to your learning. You would not expect to gain any muscle if you only worked out one hour per week.  Why would it be any different with you Spanish learning?

The natural way of learning is one that includes time, practise, review, study, use, mistakes, corrections, curiosity and joy; one which integrates grammar, communication, high and popular culture and usage. We are learning all the time, in many diverse manners. Add a hobby in Spanish, such as cooking or drawing as part of your learning. Find a pen-pal or a speaking buddy. Read stories, even if you have to start with children tales, to gain vocabulary and see grammar in context. Learn songs, translate them and sing them. Post notes around your home with the name of objects and a few descriptive words. Make Spanish part of your everyday life. And enjoy learning.

Who's Afraid of Talking to the Loclas?

One of the things learners soon face in their journey to a new language is stage fright. They may understand what they are hearing, and in their mind they know exactly what they should say, but the fear of not being able to pronounce the words correctly, or express themselves properly or just sound a bit silly can turn the learner into a virtual mute. I used to be the one of latter one. When we first move to the USA, I knew a few English phrases, such as “My name is...”, “I’m fine, thank you” and “My pencil is yellow”.  My English teacher had been a lovely British lady, and, being these the dark days before cable and satellite TV, she had been my only reference to the English language.  So you may imagine my shock when I encountered the sing-a-long accent of the American south. If these people were speaking English, then I must have accidentally learned Chinese in school, because I could not understand a word they were saying. And it was in such circumstances that I started Middle School, after 6 years sheltered under the protective wings of a nun-run primary institution.

 So there I was, in a gigantic new school, in the middle of a sea of children who mysteriously disappeared when the bell rang.  A teacher came to me, babbling something which I understood to mean “why are you not in your classroom” and to which I answered with a blank stare. He took me to the principal’s (head teacher’s) office and after a few minutes of them asking my name and where I was from and me not answering, afraid I would get my words mixed-up, they send for someone, who I hoped, would be the Spanish teacher.  Instead, a Hindu girl entered the room and started to talk to me non-stop, and whatever she was speaking, Spanish it was not. Then it hit me.

Although I think I look pretty much Latina, the truth is that people all over keep mistaking me for someone from India. As the girl kept on talking, I realized that unless I clarify where I was from, nobody would be able to truly help me. So after a month of selective mutism, I opened my mouth and muttered: “me speak Spanish; me from Venezuela.” And surprise, surprise: nobody laugh at me. No one corrected me or frown-upon my poor grammar. The people in the room sighed relieved, called the Spanish teacher and sent me to my classroom. That day I introduced myself, asked for apple pie at lunch time, became part of a study group and met the girl who would be my best friend for years.  During that whole year, while I learned English painfully (no ESL classes, just total immersion learning) not at a soul mocked my accent, refuse to repeat when I said that I didn’t understand or made me feel stupid because of my Tarzan-like fluency. And in my experience, that still true for most language students.

Most native-speakers you will encounter will be happy to lend you a helping hand with your second- language acquisition. Some may be more humorous than others, and there will the occasional language Scrooge. But all on all, natives are pleased when foreigners do the effort to learn their language and most of them will show you patience and give you suggestions on your pronunciation and usage of the language. I have yet to meet the first person who thinks that a language learner is “stupid” or “silly” just because they are not proficient in their second language. If anything, most natives feel admiration for a person (especially and adult) that takes the time and trouble to start something new. So don’t be afraid to make mistakes in front of other people. Your tutor or teacher is there to guide you; your classmates are walking your same path; the locals appreciate your efforts in more ways that you can imagine. Every time you use your second language, no matter how roughly or imperfectly, you are telling them that you care: about their culture, the nation and their community. And that can only generate good-will and pave the way to true friendships.

I say tomato, you say...Latin or Peninsular Spanish?

One of the blocks I have seen people put on their road to Spanish, is this strange controversy of whatever Spanish from Spain is preferable to  Spanish from Latin America. I have read reviews in Amazon where a reader will give a poor opinion, not because of the book or video itself was bad (many a times they even admit is an excellent learning resource), but because the Spanish taught was Mexican or Peruvian or Argentinean. Some teachers also promote this idea, advertising that in their classes people will acquire “genuine” Spanish, since the teacher is originally from Spain. With all due respect, this is none-sense and a sad case of language snobbism.

Imagine that everyone who wanted to learn English would only consider “real” English the one spoken in England. Would they refuse to learn in English from American books, go to American language schools, or be tutored by a Canadian, Jamaican or Scottish? And which English exactly would provide the right accent? The one spoken in London? Manchester? Essex? Yorkshire?  For argument’s sake, let’s say that it is the London accent. Which part of London would be talking about exactly? East End? West End?  Docklands?  And does this mean that people from New York cannot communicate with people from Liverpool?  Or that you must take a translator with you when traveling to Trinidad?

It is true that someone from Wales will probably wink twice the first time he or she hears a person from Alabama. It is also true that after a few minutes, communication will occur, with a one or two amusing anecdotes on how different people give diverse meaning to some words when speaking colloquially. But the fact is that they will able to talk to each other and the experience will only enrich their vocabulary and cultural awareness. The same applies to Spanish.

In Spain, people from Madrid frown upon the Seville accent; the way of speaking of those who live in the North of the country differs from those who live in the South. It is just as likely to start a conversation with a pure-bred Spaniard in Barcelona, as with a Colombian, Cuban or Peruvian. Men and women from all Latin America live, work and thrive in Spain, independently of their native accents.  Spanish-speaking nations have strong ties among themselves, which allows their citizens to become familiar with expressions from other countries. Children in Ecuador learn from books published in Madrid. Young people from Venezuela dance to music from Dominican Republic. Aunts in Chile have nephews in Honduras. Grandmothers in Malaga follow Mexican soap-operas. That’s the beauty and power of Spanish. So don’t let a false perception stop you from a good-book, a good-course or a good-teacher. The Spanish language and the Hispanic culture is bigger than regional bigotries and when you learn them both, they will embrace you, accent and all.