Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Think Spanish - November Free Article


Are you tired of the hustle and bustle of your daily life? If so, you might want to escape to Matavenero! Matavenero is a small village in the mountains of Northwest-Spain. Being a ghosttown for about 20 years it was resettled in 1989 by an international group of people with just one vision: to build up an eco-village. Matavenero is a place of absolute quietness. There are no cars in the village and life is self-sustainable with solar panels and windmills for clean energy, organic farming and two springs nearby provide pure natural drinking water.

Learn more about this interesting village while learning Spanish. Click here for this month's free article and audio file.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Learning Spanish Online Resources

One of our favorite sites for learning Spanish (besides our very own!) is E-learn Spanish Language with Laura Lawless. Her very complete and comprehensive site has everything from beginner lessons, audio files, study tips and tests. And don't miss her review on Think Spanish Magazine!


Do you have any language-learning sites that you visit often? Post a comment and let us know...

Monday, November 17, 2008

November Lesson - Conjunctions

Every month, Think Spanish subscribers get to enjoy one of John Conners' useful and entertaining grammar lessons. For the rest of you who don't (yet) subscribe we wanted to share some of these valuable lessons with you. To learn more about John Conner and his award winning language-learning series, visit his website: Breaking the Barrier.

Below is a lesson on "The Conjuctions: pero, sino and sino que." By clicking on the title GRAMMAR LESSON CONJUNCTIONS you can open the file as a PDF. Or you can click on the Ipaper tab and save the document as a PDF and/or print the document. Enjoy!


GRAMMAR LESSON CONJUNCTIONS
Get your own at Scribd or explore others:

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Cool School of November - VIVA BUENOS AIRES

Hola Think Spanish Readers! We found yet another great COOL SCHOOL OF THE MONTH. We recommend Viva Buenos Aires Spanish School!

Viva Buenos Aires is a different kind of Spanish school. The main purpose, besides learning the language, is that students experience Argentina in many different ways.

Buenos Aires is a capital with European flavor and Latin spirit. It’s cosmopolitan, intense, rich in nuances and history. This amazing city is the main character in all Viva Buenos Aires Spanish courses. All programs mix language lessons with cultural tours. While students learn Spanish they will discover the history behind the main spots in Buenos Aires: why Caminito is so colorful, how tango was born, Evita’s history and its mysteries.


Viva Buenos Aires has thematic courses for individual students with the same objectives: to be submerged into the language and local culture. Learn Spanish in a dynamic way with complementary activities that allow you to assimilate it easily.


The school also prepares customized programs for groups from the same institution or company, considering their specific needs in the development of the language’s communicative abilities. The material is prepared exclusively for the group, focusing on the vocabulary of its area of work and in other elements that optimize the experience. Viva Buenos Aires also considers the group’s personal interests to make the experience more entertaining: tango lessons, special guided tours, wine tasting and many others activities can be part of the program.


Viva Buenos Aires invites their students take part in cultural activities such as dance lessons, tango shows, movies exhibitions, visits to historic cafes such as Tortoni and Las Violetas, day tour to estancias where students can experience country traditions such as horseback ridings, mate and barbecue. And they also prepare trips to the most amazing destinations in Argentina such as Patagonia, Mendoza and Iguazu. Students can learn Spanish in Buenos Aires and, for instance, travel to Mendoza for a special program that combines wine tasting and adventure activities such as rafting and canopy. Or travel to Patagonia to discover Perito Moreno Glacier or trekking in Chalten.


Think Spanish Magazine

is proud to announce Viva Buenos Aires as its “Cool School” for November!!


Monday, November 10, 2008

¿Cual es la diferencia entre “por” y “para”?

Prepositions can be difficult in Spanish, especially when it comes to saying the word “for.” In Spanish, “para” and “por” both mean “for” in English, so it’s important to understand when to use each. Here are the meanings of each word to give you a better idea when to use them:

Use “por” ….
-For the cause of the action; because of. Eg. Estoy tarde por el tráfico.
-For duration or time. Eg. Visita por dos horas.
-Meaning “by,” “about,” “through,” or “around.” Eg. Juan anda por las calles.
-Meaning “in favor of”. Eg. Elena vota por el presidente.
-To express gratitude. Eg. Gracias por la comida.
-For a means of transportation. Eg. Vengo por avión.
-With certain expressions. Eg. Por favor or por supuesto.

Use “para”…
-Meaning “in order to.” Eg. Estudio para graduarme.
-When something is for someone. Eg. Este regalo es para ti.
-Meaning for a specific time. Eg. Necesito hacer mi tarea para lunes.
-Meaning “to” or “by” when going somewhere. Eg. Va para la casa de su mamá.

Now that you’ve learned the meanings of these tricky prepositions, take the quiz to test your knowledge. ¡Buena suerte!



Click here or go to the next blog post to take the quiz!

Sunday, November 9, 2008

POR Y PARA QUIZ