Wednesday, September 24, 2008

La Familia

Study this vocabulary and then take the quiz below. Making flashcards will help you memorize the words!

•father ~ el padre
•mother ~ la madre
•mother in law ~ la suegra
•father-in-law ~ el suegro
•brother ~ el hermano
•sister ~ la hermana
•son ~ el hijo
•daughter ~ la hija
•baby ~ el niño/ el bebé
•baby ~ la niña/ la bebé
•brother–in–law ~ cuñado
•sister-in-law ~ cuñada
•husband ~ el marido/ el esposo
•wife ~ la mujer/ la esposa
•grandfather ~ el abuelo
•grandmother ~ la abuela
•grandson ~ el nieto
•granddaughter ~ la nieta
•cousin ~ el primo
•cousin ~ la prima
•uncle ~ el tío
•aunt ~ la tía
•nephew ~ el sobrino
•niece ~ la sobrina

Test your Family Vocabulary!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Quick Tip

In Spanish, "y," which means "and," becomes "e" when the following word begins with an "i." This way, the sentence flows better and is easier to pronounce.

Por ejemplo,


Hablamos español e inglés.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Spanish Learning Tip

Braser has a great "Word of the Day" that you can add to your RSS Feed or to your iGoogle page. It will help with daily Spanish vocabulary building. Here are some examples of this week's words:

September 15th, 2008
estable = stable
Pronounced: eh-stáh-bleh
Type: adjective
Example: Tenemos un clima bastante estable en esta zona.
Translation: We have a fairly stable climate in this area.

September 14th, 2008
(la) reducción = reduction / cutback
Pronounced: reh-dooc-see-óhn
Type: noun
Example: No habrá una reducción de impuestos este año ni el próximo.
Translation: There'll be no reduction in taxes this year nor next year.

September 13th, 2008

organizar = organize
Pronounced: ohr-gah-nee-sáhr
Type: verb
Example: Organizamos una fiesta de despedida para el director comercial.
Translation: We organized a farewell party for the marketing manager.

The Importance of Language Learning

Check out this article for industries that are desperate for bilingual employees. It's all the more reason to practice your Spanish!

Eight Industries Needing Bilingual Workers

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Free Think Spanish Article for September

HONDURAS

Historically, the Honduran economy had been led by tropical fruit production. However, the 1998's Hurricane Mitch wiped out most of the nation's banana plantations. The country had been suitable for fruit cultivation and provided fruit companies with low cost labor. Two major fruit companies still own most of the fruit production in Honduras--Dole (formerly the Standard Fruit Company) and Chiquita (formerly the infamous United Fruit Company). Since the hurricane, coffee has taken the place as the leading agricultural export. Honduras is one of the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, with a GDP per capita of only $3,300!

Honduras has a fascinating history. To learn more about the country, download the free article from Think Spanish Magazine. Don't forget to download the audio portion so that you can listen while you read.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Discover Spanish Podcast

Want to increase your listening comprehension? Discover Spanish offers some great FREE podcasts that help with Spanish conversation. Here's one you can download now!


Free Podcast

Vocabulario

Let’s learn some new Spanish vocabulary words. Study these words and then read the article about current events in Bolivia from El País.

El tema de esta semana: La política = Politics


Algunas palabras importantes:

  • alcalde = mayor
  • bolsa = stock market
  • democracia (f.) = democracia
  • deuda (f.) = debt
  • economía (f.) = economy
  • elecciones (f.) = elections
  • El Fondo Monetario Internacional (FMI) = International Monetary Fund (IMF)
  • emigración (f.) = emigration
  • estado (m.) = state
  • frontera (f.) = border
  • gobernador (m./f.) = governor
  • gobierno (m.) = government
  • inflación (f.) = inflation
  • inmigración (f.) = immigration
  • inmigrante (m./f.) = immigrant
  • ley (f.) = law
  • mercado (m.) = market
  • nación (f.) = nation
  • Organización Mundial de Comercio (OMC) = World Trade Organization (WTO)
  • país (m.) = country
  • petróleo = oil (petroleum)
  • presidente/presidenta (m./f.) = president
  • político (m./f.) = politician
  • Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte (TLCAN) = North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
  • urnas electores (f.) = ballots
  • votar = to vote

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Cool School of the Month

Hola Spanish learners! Have you ever considered studying Spanish abroad? The experience is indescribable not only for college students, but also for parents and seniors. Think Spanish Magazine is now presenting September's "Cool School of the Month!!" Each month, the magazine publishers will research one school abroad that we think is great!

The Cool School for September is La Escuela del Sol in Montezuma, Costa Rica. You're going to want to check this one out because they have Spanish, yoga, surfing, and--here's the kicker--fire dancing!

Perhaps the city of Montezuma is most famous for its cataratas--large waterfalls. Located on the southern coast of Costa Rica, Montezuma is unique for its cultural diversity as well as various niches for ecological exploration. Costa Rica, as a nation, is the most developed and most democratic in Central America, allowing for a pleasant and safe experience for tourists. The country, too, holds its own uniqueness. Since it is such a small country, the various ecological niches are very accessible. In one day, you could venture to rain forests, dry forests, volcanoes, the beach, and the city. What an experience!

La Escuela del Sol is an exciting place to learn Spanish, but the school also holds other activities. Have you wanted to learn to surf? Or how about yoga in one of the most picturesque places in the world! They even have fire dancing!! Que bien! The school directors, Andrea and Jeremy, fire dance at each graduation ceremony. In fact, they've even performed at the half time show at a Seattle Seahawks playoff game!

College credit is available, as well as the ability to make life long friends. The teachers are known for staying in touch with their students after the program. Says one graduate of the La Escuela del Sol school:

“I really enjoyed my experience in Montezuma. The people were all so wonderful - students and teachers alike! I think that it takes a certain kind of person to step out of their comfort zone and try a new experience like that, and it makes for a really good group of students in the school. The Spanish classes were perfect for what I was looking for - mostly conversation, with any grammar we wanted to learn. Luz was a wonderful teacher and a phenomenal person - I really enjoyed the time that I spent with her. Guillermo and Mauricio were fun and helpful. Dagmar was spectacular - by far the best yoga class I have ever taken.”

~Ashley Winter

Take a look at their website here to learn more about this exciting language abroad school. We thought that this was the school that should make the cuts to be the COOL SCHOOL OF THE MONTH. Please let us know what you think!