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This week’s topic on Spanish Culture can be a sensitive issue for many people in the U.S. There are people that have very strong feelings on both sides of the issue. I am going to touch on this topic and share insights from my own perspective.

As I have mentioned in previous newsletters, I lived in Latin America for two years. Here in the U.S. I have also worked extensively with many Latino people. I have provided business training seminars for them, become friends with them, and my business has taught hundreds of Latinos to speak English.

There is an overwhelming sentiment in the U.S. that when Latino people come here to the U.S. they ought to learn English—end of discussion. People argue that when many of our European ancestors came to the U.S., they had to learn English and so should the Latino people. (more…)

 To learn more about speaking Spanish, click here!

es uno muy interesante para mí – is a very interesting one for me
para que podamos ver – so that we can see
mientras aprendía español – as (while) I was learning Spanish
un desafío – a challenge
después de dos o tres meses – after two or three months
decidí que – I decided that
iba a tratar de pensar – I was going to try to think
en español – in Spanish
como palabras de vocabulario diferentes – as different vocabulary words
en otras palabras – in other words
en un idioma diferente – in a different language
mucho más fácil – a lot easier
en inglés – in English
encontré que – I found that
cambió – (it) changed
con más emoción – with more emotion
sin embargo – however
(había) ciertas cosas – (there were) certain things
otras cosas – other things
me encanta hablar con – I love to talk with
(la) gente Latina – Latin people (in general)
mi teoría es que – my theory is that
también empezamos – also we start
para apoyar mi teoría – to support my theory
que su personalidad cambia – that their personality changes
he hablado con – I have talked with
el contrario – the contrary (opposite)
que vino aquí – that came here
serio – serious
en inglés – in English
lo ven como – (they) see him as
más serio – more serious
otro idioma – anothe r language
me encantaría coleccionar – I would love to collect
“qué” cambia – “what” changes
gracias – thanks
para mí – to (for) me
experiencia – experience
un nuevo mundo – a new world
y también – and also
hace un tiempo – a while ago
tenía problemas – had problems
los problemas – the problems
soluciones diferentes – different solutions

This week’s newsletter topic is a very interesting one for me; it is one that I will request your feedback and participation on so we can see more data on the subject.

As I was learning to speak Spanish, I went to a two-month intensive training course, then went straight to Latin America and lived among native speakers. It was quite a challenge to immediately communicate only in Spanish after arriving, but it definitely helped my language progression. After about two or three months of living in the country, I found I was able to understand about 75-85% of what was being said. Around that time, as I was becoming more fluent, I decided I was going to try to think in Spanish. If any of you want to get to that point, it can very intimidating unless you think of Spanish as just different vocabulary words used to express the same ideas. (more…)

To learn more about speaking Spanish, click here!

mientras en – while in
in some very hot areas – en unas areas muy calurosas
pueblos – villages (cities)
(la) arena – (the) sand
o – or
(el) polvo – (the) dirt
durante el día – during the day
aire acondicionado – air conditioning
ciertas ciudades – certain cities
hacía tanto calor – it was so hot
ventiladores/abanicos – fans
en los apartamentos – in the apartments
el calor – the heat
con quien me quedé – whom I stayed with
para mi salud – for my health
me explicaron – they ex plained to me
mi cuello – my neck
con un dolor – with a pain
que estaban bromeando – that they were joking/kidding
compañero nativo – native companion
dolores de cuello – neck aches
como resultado – as a result
la parte más chistosa – the funniest part
durante la noche – during the night
en micuello – in my neck
un dolor de cuello – a neck ache
prendido – on
me divertó mucho – I had a lot of fun
en mi almohada – on my pillow
les expliqué que – I explained to them that
la gente Latina – the Latin people
su cultura – their culture
son buena gente – they are great (good) people
todos tenemos ideas – all of us have ideas
dolor – pain
nuestros propios remedios – our own remedies
la cosa interesante es que – the interesting thing is that
la ciencia – science
audiencia internacional – international audience
en sus países – in you r countries

For this week’s discussion on learning more about Spanish Culture we will discuss the “perils” of sleeping with a fan on. While I was in Latin America, I lived very close to the equator in some very hot areas. I mainly lived in lower-income pueblos that had streets made of either sand or dirt. It was extremely hot during the day and still very warm at night; none of the areas I lived in had air conditioning. As I would walk through the streets of certain cities, the sand and/or dirt was so hot it would almost burn my feet. (more…)

 To learn more about speaking Spanish, click here!