|
|
Visual Link Spanish™ Newsletter
Free CD-ROM! -----
Get your FREE CD-ROM with 10 free lessons today! Click Here for US Orders. / Click Here for International Orders. Order before supplies run out!
Words of the Week -----
Words taken from Basic Needs, Section 1 of our Complete Course
| English | Spanish |
| Monday | I can | (Yo) Puedo |
| Tuesday | He can | (El) Puede |
| Wednesday | She can | (Ella) Puede |
| Thursday | You can | (Usted) Puede |
| Friday | (to) read | leer |
| Saturday | the book | el libro |
| Sunday | the magazine | la revista |
Culture ----- ¡Usted habla muy bien!
This week I wanted to talk a little about pronunciation. In Spanish, you could know thousands of words and know how to put them together into sentences, but if you don't use good pronunciation, you'll never be understood. In-fact, your efforts to communicate in Spanish will have been in vain.
On the other hand, if you really take the time to learn Spanish pronunciation, native speakers are very impressed when you speak to them. You may not have perfect grammar or a very extensive vocabulary, but if you have good pronunciation, native speakers will usually say, "¡Usted habla muy bien!", or in English "You speak very well!". The pronunciation is the key! They'll think you are a great Spanish speaker just by having good solid pronunciation skills!
Many people make the mistake of thinking that because they took Spanish in Junior High, High School, or even College, they automatically have great pronunciation skills when in-fact, they may not be understood by a native speaker at all.
As the director of the Institute, I started teaching our course through Weber State University as an online course for the first time in January of this year. At the first of the course, I gave my students a pronunciation assignment. They had one week to learn our Pronunciation CD-ROM software and then turn in an audio recording in Spanish. I was amazed when I listened to them. A few of them had obviously not practiced with the software, but for the most part, the students sounded similar to native Spanish speakers.
You don't have to be a College student to do well in pronunciation, people of all ages and backgrounds have been able to sound similar to native speakers by using our program. Now is your chance. By learning pronunciation now, you can continue with your goal of learning Spanish!
¡Hasta la próxima semana! (Until next week!)
David S. Clark -- President
U.S. Institute of Languages
dave@spanishprograms.com
http://www.spanishprograms.com
Note: You are receiving this newsletter because you have requested the free travel password, signed up for a free membership to http://www.spanishprograms.com or opted in to receive our newsletter.
To subscribe to our newsletter: Please Click Here, then click "Send" in your e-mail window.
To unsubscribe: Simply Click Here, then click "Send" in your e-mail window.
Send to a friend: Please feel free to send this newsletter to your friends, as long as it is copied in its entirety.
©2003 U.S. Institute of Languages
|
