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Learn Spanish Blog

Spanish Learning Updates, Tips, and Tricks

Famous Puerto Ricans


by Jake Beus

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August 9th, 2011

JJ Barea

I will be highlighting famous people from Spanish-speaking countries from time to time. Lately the most famous Puerto Ricans have been Jennifer Lopez and J.J. Barea. So here is a little bit of information about each of them so you can keep up on the latest. It’s fun to know what the latest is as a conversation piece with native Spanish speakers.

J.J. Barea – Over the past couple of weeks, J.J. Barea has been participating in parades in Dallas and in Puerto Rico. He is the backup point guard on the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks. He recently shot himself into fame by picking apart the Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Miami Heat. He was a crucial part of the Mavericks’ championship run. People call him JJ, but his full name is José Juan Barea Mora. At 5’9” tall, he is the envy of short guys playing at local gyms everywhere. Let’s not to forget to mention he is dating the former Miss Universe, Zuleyka Rivera, who is also from Puerto Rico.

Jennifer Lopez – J-Lo has become the center of attention again. She was one of 3 judges on American Idol this year, and the lone female alongside Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson. She was actually born in the Bronx, New York to Puerto Rican parents from Ponce, Puerto Rico. She is an actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, fashion designer and television producer. She is currently married to singer Marc Anthony. She gave birth to twins on February 22, 2008. Jennifer Lopez was named ‘People’ magazine’s Most Beautiful Person in April 2011.

In my opinion, these 2 have been the most famous Puerto Ricans recently. If you agree or disagree, I would love to hear your comments.

Can Music Help Me Learn Spanish?


by Jake Beus

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August 8th, 2011

One of the main reasons that kids and adults do not achieve success in learning Spanish is that they become bored and disinterested. Studies have shown that certain types of background music can help you increase retention of what you’re learning. There are varied opinions as to whether or not music-based language learning is truly effective. My opinion is that certain things are good to learn with music, like the alphabet. Here’s an example of that:

I think it’s a good way to learn the alphabet and grammar rules. I don’t think, however, that it should be the primary focus of learning. I previously stated that most people become bored with language learning. Learn a song every once in a while to break up your routine. Sing along with the artist. Doing this can help with comprehension and pronunciation. It can be fun too, especially with upbeat Spanish songs.

In conclusion, I think that music can help you learn Spanish. Visual Link Spanish uses “brain music” in teaching you certain words and phrases. The right background music is a good idea and will help with retention. Learning Spanish should be something that breaks up your routine to make it more interesting. However, it should not be a focus in learning. I would love to hear any comments you have.

Spanish Travel Phrases


by Dave Clark

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August 4th, 2011

Spanish Video Lesson – Travel Phrases

Spanish Travel Phrases

Many of you who read this are probably interested in traveling to a Spanish-speaking country. I’ve taught you a few important Spanish travel phrases, and now I’d like you to visit Visual Link Spanish on Facebook and practice what you’ve learned with others. Be sure to share with everyone what your favorite vacation spot is.

Here is the vocabulary from the video:

Can you recommend…? ¿Puede recomendar…?
a good restaurant un buen restaurante
a nice tourist spot un buen lugar turístico
a good museum un buen museo
a good bar un buen bar/cantina
a good casual restaurant un buen restaurante casual
a good formal restaurant un buen restaurante formal
I don’t understand. No entiendo.
Slower please. Más despacio por favor.
Please repeat. Repita por favor.
Do you speak English? ¿Habla inglés?
I don’t speak English. No hablo inglés.
Where is your favorite vacation spot? ¿Dónde está su lugar favorito de vacaciones?

While you may not be able to visit a Spanish-speaking country like Spain or Mexico, these questions are often interesting to ask to a native Spanish speaker in your area. They might know the best places to get real Mexican food or visit completely different places than you do. You can appreciate different cultures and learn to speak Spanish without traveling outside your country. I encourage you to learn about and appreciate different cultures. Have fun and try out some new things and places. By the way, my favorite vacation spot is Perú. I love the people of Perú and I have been able to see some beautiful areas of the country.

Future Facebook Fiesta Friday Topics:

August 12, 2011 – Spanish at the Gym

August 19, 2011 – Travel Phrases

August 26, 2011 – Car Accidents

Share…


by E

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August 1st, 2011

Well, I hope we have all learned a valuable lesson from today’s newsletter. No matter where we are in the world, we should give to those around us.

Don’t be like this guy

New image!


by E

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July 15th, 2011

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Hi all, this week we released our makeover of SpanishPrograms.com. I think it’s pretty spiffy, what do you think?

E

Sarcasm


by E

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July 5th, 2011

Who hasn’t known a sarcastic friend or co-worker at some point in your life? 



Enjoy friends!

Signed E

Careful changing English words to Spanish


by E

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June 27th, 2011

Adding the letter -o to the end of a word does not instantly change the word from English to Spanish.  This is a common mistake made by many.  We’ve heard people do it, and probably get a laugh or two out of it.  Just be careful as it can be both disrespectful and offensive.

Here are some instances where it actually does work.  

English                               Spanish

Active                                 Activo

Passive                               Pasivo

Massive                              Masivo

Notice how -ive ending changes to -ivo ending in Spanish.  Isn’t learning Spanish fun?

Signed

E

Excuse me!


by E

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June 14th, 2011

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This week’s topic boils down to manners.  Latin Americans always say ‘con permiso’ or ‘excuse me’ when leaving a group or trying to pass someone.  This is a concept not used all of the time in the US, especially in busy areas.  Many of us are in a hurry and tend to be irritated by the people that are ‘in our way’.  If we could simply slow down, allow yourself more time to get to where you are going, and pardon yourself from a group or when trying to get by someone, life would be less stressful.  You might also find that people throw garbage at you less when politely passing.  You can learn other useful phrases in these Spanish lessons.

Good Luck!

E

Say Hi for me!


by E

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June 6th, 2011

How many times has someone asked you to tell someone ‘Hi’ for them?  Did you actually do it?  I have to admit, there are many occasions where even I have not followed through.  I tend to get wrapped up in other projects or commitments, and it slips my mind. 

I admire this about the Latin culture.  They obviously care about each other and look out for one another. 

If you are going to learn Spanish and travel to Latin America, I’d make sure to remember to say ‘Hi’ to someone if you say you are going to do it. 

E

Visiting in Latin America


by E

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May 24th, 2011

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Dave made some interesting statements this week about visiting folks in Latin America.  I especially loved how the children would ‘screen’ the parents visitors.  Have you ever tried to visit someone who had a locked gate in front of their house?  This is actually quite common.  You have to clap your hands to imitate knocking on the door.  Once the occupant deems you worthy of entering their house, they unlock the gate so you can enter.  Since most houses aren’t insullated, it must be easy to hear the clapping from the sidewalk. 

I hope you enjoy learning more each weed about Latin American culture.  I know I am!

E


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