Christmas Vocabulary Quiz

Turrón y Flan - It wouldn't be Christmas without it!

Turrón is a popular Spanish nougat candy that comes in many different varieties. While it is available all year, it is a delicious treat especially enjoyed during the Christmas season in Spain. It is typically made of honey, sugar, and egg whites, with toasted almonds or other nuts. There are many different kinds of turrón. Some examples are Turrón de Almendra (almond), Turrón de Cacauete (Peanut) and Turrón de Avellana (roasted hazelnut).

Turrón may be classified as two types: duro and blando. Turrón duro or hard turrón is similar to Peanut Brittle. Turrón blando or soft turrón is made into a paste, creating a softer and chewier candy.

Click here to read a Think Spanish article on the tradition of Turrón.

Another traditional holiday treat in Latin America is Flan de Huevos. This delicious caramel custard is sometimes hard to make at home but if you can master the recipe, it's well worth the effort! ¡Qué Aproveche!

Click here to read the Think Spanish article: Un delicioso postre: flan de huevo

Cool School of the Month - AmeriSpan in Guanajuato, Mexico

This month Think Spanish Magazine has selected AmeriSpan's Guanajuato, Mexico Spanish School as its "Cool School of the Month."

Learning Spanish abroad in Guanajuato, Mexico is one of many Spanish language immersion programs offered by AmeriSpan. For nearly 200 years beginning in 1558, Guanajuato was one of the richest silver producing cities in the world. The city possesses many subterranean passageways and narrow, winding streets that make it truly unique. Brightly painted houses line steep slopes of a ravine that once contained a river. This extremely charming city is culturally very lively and exhibits an energetic, youthful feel. During the last two weeks of October, Guanajuato hosts the Cervantes Arts Festival, attracting famous artists from around the world.

The Guanajuato School is one of the top-rated schools with AmeriSpan and the schools is listed as a “1st choice” program. The school is located in the old city and all home stays are within walking distance of the school. Capacity is 130 students/day and there are a maximum of 8 students per group class. Private one-one one courses are also offered.

In addition to the general Spanish course they also offer a Cultural Cooking Class. In this special class you can study Spanish and learn how to cook many typical Mexican dishes! At the end of class, students indulge in their creations while enjoying the favorable weather on the school's roof deck.

This top rated Spanish school is perfect for improving Spanish learning while taking in fascinating culture and rich history of this vibrant Mexican City. Think Spanish highly recommends this program! Check out Amerispan and their study abroad program in Guanajuato, Mexico.

Think Spanish - December Free Article

"Navidad y Año Nuevo en versión sureña"

Did you ever wonder if the traditions around Christmas and New Years were different in South America? While many traditions are similar to our celebrations here, there are also many that are unique to each country.

In Peru, Nativity scenes are known as Retablos and are very popular. Retablo artists use simple wood tools and a plaster made with potato starch, to bring colorful, hand-shaped figurines to life. Full scenes are arranged inside painted wooden boxes with hinged doors and usually one or more shelves displaying the Nativity scenes. In Chile, Nativity scenes known as Pesebre are placed under the Christmas tree. Father Christmas is known as Viejito Pascuero and everyone exchanges Christmas greetings and gifts. In Ecuador, children write letters to the Christ-child and place their shoes on the windowsill hoping they will find their shoes filled with toys on Christmas morning. In Bolivia, Christmas is mostly a harvest festival and people celebrate and have a feast for Mother Earth.

Learn more about Holiday celebrations in South American while learning Spanish. Click here for this month's free article and audio file.

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.

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...

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:

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!!

¿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!

POR Y PARA QUIZ

Día de los Muertos - Free Article

Every year, on November 1st and 2nd, something unique takes place in many areas of Mexico: Día de los Muertos - Day of the Dead festivities. The essence of this beautiful ritual is to lovingly and happily remember deceased relatives, their life, and in this way, give meaning and continuity to human existence.


There are many colorful customs associated with the holiday, including food and decorations. Ofrendas are set up in many of the houses for the deceased relatives. Generally ofrendas are set up on a table covered with a tablecloth and papel picado. They are decorated with sugar skulls, candles, cempasuchil flowers, and paper mache skeletons. Plates with the favorite foods of their dead relatives are also set on the ofrenda. Some have also liquor and cigarettes. On the ofrendas for the deceased children toys are included. Festivities also include traditional foods such as pan de muerto (bread of the dead), which is often made into the shape of a tiny skeleton.

• FREE ARTICLE! Keep on learning... Learn about Día de los Muertos while learning Spanish! Click here to read the Think Spanish article of Día de los Muertos.

• Day of the Dead in Mexico is one of our favorite websites full of beautiful photography and interesting stories exploring the rich history and tradition surrounding this ancient ritual. Click here to explore the culture and colors of Mexico!

• A common misconception about Día de los Muertos is that it is the equivalent of our Halloween. However, the customs of these two holidays are very different. Día de los Muertos is not scary or morbid like many of our Halloween festitivites can be! Día de los Muertos is considered a day of happiness because people are remembering their loved ones. Click here to read some of the common misconceptions people have about Día de los Muertos.

Día de los Muertos Vocabulario

Día de los Muertos - Day of the Dead

Día Todos los Santos - All Saints' Day

• alfenique - a special confection used to fashion skulls, fruits and other figures



• altar de muertos - the offering that family and friends prepare for their dead loved ones
  
  
• angelitos - the souls of the children who have died; literally "little angels"
  
  
• arco - decorated arch sometimes placed on the graves or on the altar de muertos



• atole - an ancient drink made from corn meal and water and flavored with various fruits



• calacas - whimsical skeleton figures that represent death



• calavera - a skull; also a slang term for "daredevil"



• calaveras - songs and poems about the festival



• calaveritas de azúcar - sugar skulls made for the Día de los Muertos



• careta - mask worn by dancers to scare the dead away at the end of the celebrations





• cempazuchitl - a yellow marigold, the symbol of death






• copalli - a scented resin used to make incense



• golletes - a doughnut shaped bread, glazed with pink-colored sugar and placed on the altar



• Iluminación - the ceremony that takes place in the cemetary, where hundreds of candles are lit to guide the souls to their altars



• mole - a thick sauce made from a variety of ingredients, including chilis, sesame seeds, herbs, spices, chocolate and fruit
  
  
• ofrenda - an offering; refers to the goods set out on the altars



• pan de los muertos - bread of the dead



• papel picado - colorful tissue paper with intricate, festive designs cut out

Free Think Spanish Article!

Hola! Have you seen the movie El orfanato? It is produced by Guillermo Del Toro, who became famous for Laberinto del fauno (Pans Labrinth) and Hellboy. Check out the trailer here for some quick Spanish listening practice. Then download the free article with audio about El orfanato in case you didn't catch it in this month's issue of Think Spanish Magazine.

FREE ARTICLE

October in Peru

Our “Cool School of the Month” is AmeriSpan’s Cusco Peru school and while you are in Peru you might also explore Lima!

October in Lima, is known as el mes morado, the purple month. The color purple is worn by the faithful who follow the most adored religious image in Peru: El Señor de los Milagros, the Lord of Miracles. El Señor de los Milagros is an image of Jesus Christ that is unique to Peru. El mes morado, is an important event not only for Lima, it has now spread throughout the entire country.

A colorful parade begins the celebrations where a giant image of El Señor de los Milagro is carried through the streets following by thousands of people singing and dancing. Many residents of Lima who do not participate in the procession, dress in purple in honor of the patron of the city.

The celebration is not a only a spiritual event. During the festivities, you can try a variety of local dishes cooked specially for the holiday. The special food of October in Lima is the most famous Peruvian desert, Turron de Dona Pepa. Turron is a nougat candy, prepared from eggs, butter, sugar, flour, anise and fruit syrup.

Anticuchos, grilled meat on a skewer, are another popular food during the month of October. They are also one of the most popular street foods available in Peru.

Pumpkin fritters, picarones, are another street food eaten during the celebrations. Picarones are made of squash or pumpkin dough and sweetened with chancaca, raw cane sugar melted into a syrup.

Peru Food Blog has a wonderful recipe for this sweet treat!

Listed below is a video of the El Señor de los Milagros celebrations where you can see and hear the passion of this celebration. (You'll just have to travel to Peru to taste the delicious food!)

Amerispan - October's Cool School of the Month

Study Spanish in CUSCO, PERU

This month Think Spanish Magazine has selected Amerispan's Cusco, Peru Spanish School as its "Cool School of the Month."

Cusco was once the capital of the Incan empire. Visitors can see the ancient ruins there as well as hike through the lost city of Machu Picchu. Peru is in the heart of South America and holds various niches for exploration: the Andean mountains, the Pacific Ocean, and the Amazon Rainforest.

Amerispan is well known for organizing study abroad programs across the world. This particular school, called Academia Latinoamericana, was launched in beginning of 2001.

An Ecuadorian family started the school in Quito in the early 90s; the two daughters and son all worked at the school but also attended university and studied abroad in the US. Sandra, one of the daughters, her husband and two sons moved to Sucre when Amerispan opened the school. After Cusco's first director from the US left at the end of 2002, Diego (the son) and his wife moved to Cusco. They believed the only way schools are successful is if they are owner- operated.

Since the schools are owner-operated, students receive excellent service. Amerispan always receives strongly positive evaluations for their schools, in part for this very reason.

Their methodology is the same at every school, but exercises and examples are customized to the particular country. I think that although it is much harder to teach in groups, it is usually a better way to learn because you can do a variety of of fun group drills and games. More importantly, however, you aren't the only one making mistakes! In private classes, your teacher is always correcting you, and that's no fun! In Cusco, classes hold a maximum of 4 total students, usually just 2 or 3, you are still moving pretty fast, much faster than, say, a big class at a foreign university. Also, you eliminate the negatives of private classes and gain benefits of group. I think the best program at the Cusco school is the combination 4 hrs/day of group class and 2 hrs/day of private class to focus on problem areas (for things everybody seems to get and you just don't!).

There are very few schools that have methodologies and deliver the service as well as Academia Latinoamericana. I'd say there are between 5 and 15 in all of Latin America, and this school is in contact with many of these schools in other countries--sharing ideas and constantly improving the methodology.

The Spanish learning methodology is right on and the ambiance is perfect for improving Spanish learning while taking in fascinating culture and rich history. Think Spanish recommends this program, for a comprehensive learning experience (not to mention... a little bit of fun!) Check out Amerispan and their Cusco program!

Hasta pronto!

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!

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.

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.

Click here to subscribe to Braser's Word of the Day Feed

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

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.

FREE THINK SPANISH MAGAZINE ARTICLE WITH AUDIO

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

Click here for the Article from El Pais

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!

Spanish Grammar Quick Tip

In English, when we write the title to a book, movie, essay, and so forth, we capitalize each word in the title, except for words like "the," "of," and "to," that appear in the middle of the title.

eg. Talk to Her; And Your Mother Too

However, in Spanish, titles are only capitalized at the beginning of the title. The titles of the Think Spanish Magazine articles give some great examples of this, but others are:

eg. Habla con ella; Y tu mamá también

Stay tuned for more grammar quick tips, lessons, and quizzes. Place the Think Spanish Blog on your RSS Feed so that you don't miss out.

Diarios de motocicleta

Watching movies in Spanish is a great way to practice your listening comprehension, while getting in touch with the culture of Spanish speaking countries. Have you seen The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)? It's a dramatized account of the life of the Marxist revolutionary, Che Guevara, from Argentina. Check out the trailer, and if you've seen the movie, let us know what you thought of it!

Mini Lesson on Direct and Indirect Objects

A direct object is the receiver of the action of the verb. It answers the question “What” (What do you want, read, speak, etc.? I want him, I read books, I speak Spanish)

An indirect object is the person to or from whom the action is done. It answers the question “To whom” or “For whom” (Whom does she give gifts to? She gives gifts to you, him, and her.)

The direct object pronouns:

me, te, nos, lo, la, los, and las

depending on the gender and number of the object under consideration.

Indirect objects require the use of the same pronouns as with direct objects but also include “le” and “les,” which are used for the third person. Unlike English, both direct and indirect object pronouns are placed before the verb. They can also be connected to the end of the infinitive, as in “puedo leerlo,” but this is a little less common. The pronouns are also placed at the end of commands, as in “¡Dámelo!”

In the phrase, “Lo miro,” lo is the direct object. What do you look at?: I look at it.

Mi hermana me dan regalos. “Me” is the indirect object. Whom does she give gifts to?: To me.

Test your direct and indirect object skills in our quiz!

Direct and Indirect Objects

Costa Rica - August's Free Article!

¡Pura Vida!

Have you been to Costa Rica? Costa Rica is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Western Hemisphere. The growth of tourism provoked the establishment of over twenty national parks in the 1990s. Currently, 12.2 percent of Costa Rica’s land is preserved. These reserves are home to 205 species of mammals, 845 species of birds, 160 species of amphibians, 218 species of reptiles, and 1013 species of fishes. Here’s what I saw at Manuel Antonio National Park!

If you’ve been to Costa Rica, tell us what you saw in the rainforest! Monkeys, sloths, birds? Leave a comment below!

And click here to download your FREE article of Think Spanish! Audio Magazine and to increase your Spanish fluency while learning more about Costa Rica!

-AR Verb Quiz

Braser Product Review -- Go for the "Spanish Whiz"

If you're looking for a good Spanish software program, Braser offers a great one at http://www.braser.com/. If you're just a beginner, the "Start Spanish" software is right for you. As an intermediate speaker, I found the Start Spanish program a bit too easy; although, it did remind me of some vocabulary words, such as the titles for nationalities (e.g. canadiense). But for you beginners out there, Start Spanish is your starting point. Both of these programs are more affordable than many of the other software programs out there.

I spent more time of the more accelerated "Spanish Whiz" program, and it really helped increase my vocabulary and challenged my verb use. You can choose among three levels with increasing difficulty. The first level is plenty challenging but still not intimidating, and the third level is great for advanced learners wanting to perfect their grammar.

Spanish Whiz tests your ability to conjugate while increasing your word recognition. The program uses the same words in different exercises so you continue to gain exposure to them. There is audio along with each phrase and word, so that you can hear the correct pronunciation and repeat it out loud.

This way, while you move through the exercises, you’re utilizing and strengthening various skills at the same time—building a verb vocabulary base while practicing conjugating…while perfect your grammar…while being introduced to new nouns…while listening to the pronunciation…while reading the phrases. The program even has games and jokes, making for an even more interactive experience. You can look words up in the dictionary and also make a personalized dictionary for words you’re trying to memorize.

Think Spanish! Magazine highly recommends Braser!

Have you tried Braser? What did you think? Please leave your comments below.

A very creative Spanish Teacher...

"A take on a Justin Timberlake song in order to brainwash, I mean, motivate students to conjugate verbs in Spanish."

Welcome to the Think Spanish Blog!

Welcome to the Learning Spanish Blog brought to you by Think Spanish Audio Magazine. Here you will find everything you need to know about learning the Spanish language and discovering the Spanish culture. Each week you will find new lessons and quizzes, product reviews, travel and culture trips and innovative ways to keep your Spanish skills strong.

We welcome your comments and study tips and look forward to creating a valuable and enjoyable language-learning community together!

Spanish Idioms and Sayings

In our email newsletter we talked about Spanish idioms and sayings common to the Spanish language. We listed some of our favorites and we have a few more we'd like to share.

• A diario una manzana es cosa sana. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
  
• A donde el corazon se inclina, el pie camina. Home is where the heart is.
• A todos les llega su momento de gloria. Every dog has its day.
• A beber y a tragar, que el mundo se va a acabar. Eat, drink and be merry.
• Mejor solo que mal acompañado. Better alone than poorly accompanied.

Do you know any funny or unusual Spanish sayings? Please post a comment and share them with us!

¿Dónde está el acento?

If we know how to say a word in Spanish, we then know where the inflection is. It usually occurs on the second last syllable of the word when the word ends in a vowel, an “n”, or an “s.”

For example, gato, hablan, perros, verduras, acento

When a word ends in a consonant other than “n” or “s,” the inflection is usually on the last syllable, such as the word, pared. We don’t need to write the accent mark on such words. But in cases where these rules do not hold, an accent mark is in fact necessary.

For example, música, ratón, dólares, inglés, café

These words require accent marks because they do not follow the usual inflections of the language. A common mistake occurs with the words: examen, which does not require an accent and exámenes, which does require one since the inflection is no longer on the second last syllable.

There are also certain homonyms that are accented to distinguish one meaning from another. Here are a couple of examples of the distinctions:

Esta refers to the feminine “that,” while está means “is.”

De means “of” or “from,” while Dé is an imperative form of third personal singular of the verb "dar."

Se is used with reflexive verbs, while sé means “I know.”

Also, question words that come at the beginning of sentences (¿Dónde?, ¿Cómo?, ¿Cuándo?, ¿Qué?, and ¿Quién? ) require accent marks, whereas the same words with different meanings or uses do not have accent marks (donde, como, cuando, que, and quien).

If you learn these rules, you’ll never make mistakes writing accent marks, and you’ll have better Spanish pronunciation! ¡Qué bien!

Spanish Accents Quiz

Learning Spanish Embarrassing Blunders

I was studying abroad in Madrid, Spain and discovered something about Spanish in the most embarrassing way! A Spanish friend of mine asked me whether I liked his friend, Miguel—“¿Te gusta Miguel?” I responded with—“¡Si, claro!” because yes, of course, I liked Miguel just fine. He was nice, not to mention, a great dancer. But then after a little too much attention from Miguel, I realized that gustar meant “to like—in a romantic way.” What I meant to say was “Me cae bien,” which means that I like him as a friend. I’ll never make that mistake again! When I found out, I expressed how embarazada I was. Little did I realize that I was telling them that I was very pregnant!

Sometimes you learn Spanish the hard way! Please share your embarrassing Spanish learning blunders with us! Add a comment below.