Vocabulario de la semana – Vocabulary of the Week

aquí en los Estados Unidos – Here in the U.S.
huelgas – strikes
en las noticias – in the news
hay una huelga de – there’s a strike from
en el periódico – in the newspaper
huelgas laborales – labor strikes
universidades – universities
muchos de ellos – many of them
esto puede ser muy difícil – this can be very difficult
su título – their degree
personalmente – personally
seis años – six years
un negocio – a business
esposo – husband
y – and
padre – father
me sacó una foto – took a picture of me
en cada brazo – in each arm
puede tomar – it can take
todas las huelgas – all the strikes
cuestan mucho más – (they) cost a lot more
algunas universidades – some universities
Consejo General de Huelgas – General Council on Strikes
las huelgas – the strikes
disponible a los estudiantes – available to students
historia – story
es bueno aprender – it’s good to learn
las situaciones – the situations
que enfrentan – (that) they have to deal with (face)
amigos internacionales – international friends
un tema interesante de conversación – an interesting topic of conversation
si tienen más información – if you have more information
hánannos saber – let us know (command form)
en sus países – in your countries

Aquí en los Estados Unidos, you hear about huelgas every once and a while en las noticias. Every couple of years hay una huelga de professional baseball or basketball players. Occasionally en el periódico, you hear about other types of huelgas laborales; however, they are nothing compared to the amount of huelgas found in certain regions of Latin America.

Government-sponsored universidades often seem to get hit the worst. Muchos de ellos have huelgas on a fairly consistent basis. Esto puede ser muy difícil for a person trying to get su título in a specific time period.

Personalmente, it took me about seis años to get my four-year título aquí en los Estados Unidos only because I was running un negocio full-time, working a full-time job, and a full-time esposo y padre. My wife me sacó una foto at graduation and I had two small daughters en cada brazo.

In regions of Latin America, puede tomar this long or longer to graduate from public colleges or universities because of todas las huelgas. It is my understanding that most universidades particulares have little to no huelgas, but they also cuestan mucho más and are usually more difficult to get into.

Huelgas are so prevalent that algunas universidades, like the UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México), actually have a “Consejo General de Huelgas” to deal with las huelgas and make information about the strikes disponible a los estudiantes.

Moral of the Historia: Es bueno aprender about the culture of others and las situaciones que enfrentan. This can help us to have more empathy for our amigos internacionales and what they have to go through. It can also be un tema interesante de conversación when meeting people from Latin America.

To all of our subscribers out there, si tienen más información about huelgas in Latin America , especially with universidades, please write in and hágannos saber. Also, as usual with our international subscribers, please hágannos saber what huelgas are like and how long it takes to get through college/university en sus países.
Sneak peek at next week: “How Ugly is Ugly?”

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David S. Clark — President / Director