Online Spanish Classes

Online Spanish Classes: Advantages and Conditions for Optimal Learning

Online Spanish classes have gained momentum particularly post-pandemic, and as technology has enabled us to communicate effectively from different parts of the world. It provides many advantages compared to traditional face-to-face learning, yet many people are still averse to them, and it’s understandable why! The impersonal nature, lack of engagement and the seemingly inevitable distractions have frightened off a number of students as well as would-be Spanish learners, but it doesn’t have to be the case. In this article, we explore the advantages and conditions required for optimal online Spanish learning.

Technology-savvy Teachers

Many of us are familiar with the teacher who barks a couple of commands and then disengages from an online class. Yet online learning can and does works well when teachers are adept at using the latest technology. They must be able to use whiteboards, create detailed real-time notes, and produce screenshots, which can be emailed to students for future reference. They must also be equipped to troubleshoot any technical issues that arise during class. Having a teacher who is comfortable with these tools can create an engaging and immersive experience for online Spanish learners.

Limits and Modifications to Online Learning

Online learning can be plagued by distractions, especially if the teacher doesn’t know the limitations of the technology they are using. The best online Spanish teachers understand this and modify their classes to prevent these distractions from derailing the learning experience. For example, they may encourage you to turn off your phone or other devices while in class or may use a virtual background to minimise visual distractions. Classes may be shorter to prevent fatigue, and the teacher might provide regular breaks to maintain focus.

Also, the most capable teachers ensure that the class is interactive and engaging to prevent boredom and lack of interest. Who wants to sit there writing out sentences ad nauseam when you could be with engaging with your online classmates, exploring online news resources such as BBC Mundo (in Spanish) and SBS en español, watching videos and listening to audio clips and podcasts in Spanish, all in high definition and at the flick of a button. Not to mention speaking to your online classmates in a conversational setting! It can be done, and the possibilities are endless!

The Right Set-Up

Many of us have been part of an online class where someone is constantly cutting out, or difficult to hear. Having the right set-up is crucial for successful online Spanish learning. Students as well as the teacher should have a good Internet connection, and good microphone, a high-quality camera, and good lighting to ensure that they can see and hear each other clearly. A poor-quality setup can make it difficult to hear or see the teacher, which can lead to frustration and a lack of engagement. Having the right setup really creates a world of difference and helps create an immersive experience, but also allows the teacher to provide effective feedback and instruction.

Engagement with Children

Children may not always connect with online learning (no pun intended!), but with the right teacher, it can be a productive experience. A teacher who is has technology know-how and who has the right skills can create an interactive and rewarding experience for younger students. Parents can also play a role in monitoring their children’s learning, which can help to keep them focused.

Flexibility

Online learning offers flexibility and convenience, especially for students with busy schedules or living far from school. You can attend classes from anywhere in the world at any time of day or night without the need to commute to a physical location. It’s better when the Spanish school offers both online and face-to-face learning options, allowing students to switch between the two as needed.

Recording Option

Finally, online learning allows you to record your classes, which is an excellent feature if you’re part of a group class. This pretty much amounts to never ‘missing’ a class, because you can watch the recording later and catch up on what you missed. It can also allow you to access a permanent recording, facilitating learning even further – remember that in language learning, repetition is the big mantra.

Final Thoughts on Online Spanish Classes

So there you have it! Online Spanish learning has many advantages, but it is important to have the right conditions in place for optimal learning. These factors include having a technology-savvy teacher, understanding the limits of online learning, and modifying classes accordingly. Additionally, students need the right setup with good equipment and lighting, and teachers need to engage with children and young people. Flexibility is also important, and having the option to switch between online and face-to-face learning can be helpful. Finally, the recording option allows students to access missed classes and review material. These conditions can help students achieve their language learning goals through online classes.

Our Online Spanish Classes

If you liked our blog article, be sure to check out the other entries for tips on learning Spanish. Also be sure to visit our main website for our school, The Travelling Koala, where we offer online as well as face-to-face classes for absolutely anyone.

Four Reasons to Stop Learning Spanish Vocabulary

Online Spanish Classes

Four Reasons to Stop Learning Spanish Vocabulary

Four Reasons to Stop Learning Spanish Vocabulary

Learning Spanish can be challenging, especially when you’re trying to memorise long lists of vocabulary. However, simply learning individual words in isolation might not be the most effective way to learn the language. Here are four reasons why you should stop learning Spanish vocabulary in isolation and what to do instead.

Learning Individual Words can be futile

One of the biggest challenges with learning Spanish vocabulary by memorising individual words is that words can have multiple meanings. For example, the word “llama” can mean “llama” or “call” but also “flame.” Without context, it can be difficult to know the meaning of a word just sitting there. More to the point, no one is going to just say, or write “llama”.

Instead of trying to memorise individual words, try learning a couple of phrases like “Mi llama se llama José” (My llama is called José). How about “Esta llama llama mucho la atención” (This llama really stands out /calls attention). Ok, so these are some pretty weird examples, but we’re not in a formal class here, and the possibilities for meanings in context really are bordering on limitless, so try to unlearn this false notion that a word is a word. It’s not!

Learning individual words is learning out of context

When you learn individual words in isolation, you’re learning out of context. This makes it harder to remember them because your brain remembers patterns, not random lists of words. It’s like trying to remember a phone number by memorising the digits instead of grouping them into sets of three or four. Think about how you recall what you see in a book. If you read a page of a book, you should be able to explain to someone the nature of what you read fairly easily, but if you looked at a page full of words you knew, organised completely randomly, you would have very little chance of recalling the order they were written in.

Try to learn Spanish through immersion in real-life situations. Talk to native speakers or watch Spanish TV shows or movies to see how they use words in context. Start thinking of language in terms of meanings, rather than words. Words are multi-faceted, the combinations are vast and unlimited…a word is not a word… free yourself from this idea!

Learning individual words can be boring

Learning a language involves learning to communicate, not just memorising lists of words. Don’t make it a chore! When you learn individual words just floating around with no context, you run the risk of making language learning a real task, rather than what it’s supposed to be: a hobby.

Learning common phrases or idioms will not only will this help you communicate better and sound more natural, but your phrases will have more meaning, you’ll be more connected to them, and as a result, you’ll be able to remember them better. For example, instead of memorising the words “nada” (nothing), or “mente” (mind), go for the phrase “mmm, nada se me viene a la mente…” (mmm, nothing comes to mind). These words, can (as is to be expected) be combined with a number of other words to create a plethora of other meanings.

You’re learning someone else’s lists

Another problem with relying on individual word lists is that you’re learning someone else’s lists. Teachers or online resources might provide you with lists of vocabulary, but are these lists really relevant to you and your interests? I doubt it.

Make your own vocabulary lists. Choose words and phrases that interest you and relate to your life, so you’ll have more motivation to learn and remember them. For instance, if you enjoy cooking, learn food-related vocabulary. Or, if you’re planning a trip to Spain, learn travel-related vocabulary. You can write your own lists, or check out Anki or Quizlet, two online flashcard apps which can help you put your own lists of useful expressions together.

Of course, there are always going to be exceptions to these rules. You may need to learn specific vocabulary for a test or job interview. In cases such as these (which can be quite common!), it makes sense to memorise individual words. However, even in these situations, you can never really get away from the principal idea of learning phrases. Context is always key, and patterns are very important to the human brain for organising, processing and producing language.

It’s all about Communication

Learning lists of Spanish vocabulary in the form of decontextualised words usually has very little pay off. Remember, look for the patterns, the groups, and always seek context! Remember to immerse yourself and engage in a variety of activities where you are going to pick up common phrases and expressions. By making your own lists of phrases and sentences, you can make the process relevant to your interests and your personality. And yes, there are always going to be exceptions, but it’s important to remember that learning a language is about communication, not just memorisation. Ditch the idea of learning Spanish vocabulary and start focussing on acquiring your own Spanish meanings.

If you liked our blog post, be sure to check out the rest of the blog, or have a look at our online and in-person Spanish school, where we can provide you with many more language-learning tips!

Four Reasons to Stop Learning Spanish Vocabulary

Spanish group classes or private tuition ?

Spanish group classes or private tuition ?

Welcome to another chapter of Spanish study tips. Our previous entry focussed on the translation of various media from one language to another. This blog entry will focus on Spanish group classes or private tuition, an age old discussion point amongst students of Spanish. So what are the real differences between group classes or private tuition?

Group class pros:

  • Very social, and a chance to hear other people speaking Spanish
  • Much cheaper – often less than half the price of a private class.
  • More time options during the evening, as the majority of our classes are group classes which run in the evening.
  • Most people at the end of the course, even those who have particular study habits or individual inclinations are happy with what the group class offered, even if they may have been more suited to a private class.

Group class cons:

  • Have to move at the pace of the class.
  • Fixed (although very relevant) course content
  • Limited (although still fine in a small group) time to ask teacher grammar-related questions etc.
  • More limited than a private class should the student wish to practise a lot of verbal Spanish.
  • If you miss a class, it’s possible to jump into the same class at a different time during the week, but people occasionally miss out on classes and end up falling behind – not a problem if you’re committed though!

Private tuition pros:

  • Can move at own pace, whether it’s faster or slower.
  • More flexibility with content and direction of class.
  • More time to ask questions.
  • Good opportunity to speak Spanish all the time should the student want to take that direction – some don’t, as it can be a challenge.
  • There is more flexibility with cancellations and rescheduling classes with a private class.
  • Like a group class, most people are happy with what a private class offers.
 

Private tuition cons:

  • Not as social as a group class. You’re only speaking to and getting input from one person (although they’re a teacher)
  • More expensive – could be over twice the price of a group class per hour.
  • Less evening flexibility, due to group classes. Timetables (while varied, especially during the day) need to be worked out.

All of the above is of course fairly subjective and will depend greatly on the style of teaching and the teacher /tutor involved. There are also those students who wish to employ a combination of both methods of learning. Whatever the case, hopefully the above provide some useful pointers to help you decide on whether to opt for Spanish group classes or private tuition.

 

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Fairy Tale, Film and Television Characters and Titles Translated to Spanish

Fairy Tale, Film, Television Characters, Spanish

“Centro guadalinfo, Pueblo Pitufo” by Manuelfloresv cc2.0

Welcome to another blog entry on the Spanish language. In the last entry, we looked at learning Spanish with Children’s books. In this one, we’re going to be looking at Spanish and popular culture, and more specifically, fairy tale, film and television characters and titles translated to Spanish from English.

Famous Characters and Titles in Popular Culture Translated into Spanish

We assume that beloved and famous characters and titles from popular fiction in the English speaking world are something that uniquely belongs to Anglophones. Daffy Duck is just that wacky animal on the TV that so many English speakers grew up with, and Snow White is that English Speaking brunette girl that more than anything has been shown in American cinemas, or broadcast on Australian televisions. Total Recall is that distinctly Hollywood film that so many Canadians, or English, or New Zealand teenagers grew up watching during the 90s.

Yet what many don’t realise is that many of these characters and titles from popular fiction have global reach, and are just as popular in places of non-English speaking backgrounds. There must be an enormous trove of examples in a myriad of countries and regions, but let’s focus on English titles and characters as they appear in the Hispanic world.

How were these titles and characters translated from English to Spanish using ideas common to both languages, such as word play? Were the translations successful, or maybe even better than the originals, or were they a complete catastrophe? And what are some of the perhaps lesser known reasons for the ways and circumstances in which they were translated?

Let’s start by listing the Spanish equivalents next to their English language counterparts:

 

Fairy Tales

Fairy Tale, Film, Television Characters, Spanish

Snow White translated faithfully to Spanish

 

Snow White Blanca Nieves
Rumpelstiltskin El Enano Saltarín
The Frog Prince El príncipe rana
The Little Mermaid La sirenita
Cinderella Cenicienta

Cartoon, Animal and other Characters

Fairy Tale, Film, Television Characters, Spanish

The Flintstones in Spanish – a clever translation.

Fred Flintstone Pedro Picapiedras
Homer Simpson Homero Simpson
Daffy Duck El Pato Lucas
Kermit the Frog (Spain) La rana Gustavo
Kermit the Frog (Latin America) La rana René
The Lion King El rey león
Jon Snow Jon Nieve

Film and Television Titles

guerra

Total Recall (Spain) Desafío Total
Total Recall (Latin America) El vengador del futuro
Back to the Future Volver al futuro
Back to the Future Regreso al futuro
Star Wars La guerra de las galaxias
Star Wars Star Wars (some countries)
Jaws Tiburón

 

regreso

Total Recall (Spain) Desafío Total
Total Recall (Latin America) El vengador del futuro
Back to the Future Volver al futuro
Back to the Future Regreso al futuro
Star Wars La guerra de las galaxias
Star Wars Star Wars (some countries)
Jaws Tiburón
Wacky Races Los autos locos
The Smurfs Los pitufos
Speed Racer Meteoro

 

 Some More Straight Forward Translations

A couple of the above characters and films have actually been translated from another language to English previously (for instance, the Little Mermaid, from Danish –Den lille havfrue), but it’s worth pointing out that the ones mentioned in this article have been straightforward, faithful translations, and that the English language equivalents arguably form the basis for their worldwide recognition.

Some of them have been translated as literally as can be done with translation, retaining their meaning, because the title does not rely on alliteration (the repetition of sounds or letters, often resulting in a catchy or amusing rhythm, such as “Fred Flintstone”) or puns (giving double meaning to words through words with the same sound or similar sound), but rather the fact that the words mean more or less the same thing in both languages.

Good examples of these would be Juego de tronos (Word-for-word, “Game of Thrones”), el señor de los anillos (word-for word, The Lord of the Rings) and La guerra de las galaxias (Star Wars), the latter being “The War of the Galaxies”, but which could also be translated as “Galaxy Wars”. Pretty close hey? The slight difference in this last example arises because of the way names and descriptions of things are ordered or phrased depending on the language.

 

Retaining Puns and Particular Meanings in a Translation

Some titles have been translated with the retention of a pun or particular meaning in mind. A good example of this is the (bad) romantic comedy “Stuck on You”, which deals with two conjoined twins who take part in assorted rom-com antics. The title, which alludes to the idea of a romantic attachment as well as referencing the compromising position the protagonists find themselves in, is translated to Spanish as Pegado a ti, for the same reasons, as the word ‘stuck’ (pegado) has much the same meaning in both languages. To a lesser degree, films like “Face/Off” manage it as well. “Face/Off” refers to the film’s premise in which the protagonist’s face is removed in a military experiment, but also makes use of a pun by referencing his confrontation with the enemy. The Spanish language translation Cara a Cara (Face-to-Face) sort of manages it, but there are better translations around.

 

The Modifying of Puns and Meanings

The most interesting cases though, are where the translator or translators have been able to retain some kind of meaning, by way of completely altering the title, simply because a literal translation wouldn’t work. An example of this could be the translation of the film “Knocked up”, a rom-com about an unwanted pregnancy. “Knocked up” when translated literally would have little to no meaning in Spanish, so they’ve opted for something else, which is translated to Spanish as Lío embarasozo (embarrassing mess). Likewise, “Embarrassing Mess” would mean nothing as a film title in English, but embarasozo (embarrassing) plays with the idea of embarazo (pregnancy) to interesting effect.

 

Translating Alliteration and Unique Meanings

Other titles have been translated with alliteration in mind, and this is almost always done with a bit of ingenuity, owing to the different sounds of letters and words from language to language. Fred Flintstone is a mild form of alliteration, insofar as the letter F appears in quick succession. The name also works because it’s amusing that someone has such an archaic object for a last name. The general humour around the idea of a man with a rock in his last name is retained in the Spanish translation, but while the alliteration would be lost in the literal translation to Federico Sílex, it is interesting that the translators have changed his name to Pedro (Peter), and given him the surname of Picapiedra (a nonsense word combining picar – to burn, itch, nibble, among a thousand other meanings, and piedra – stone), thus also retaining a novel form of alliteration.

In an effort to maintain certain odd words, or those with a special or unique meaning, some character names have been translated quite well. Take the name “Daffy” for instance. Daffy Duck is amusing in that it combines alliteration as well as a sense of delirium in the name “Daffy”. The Spanish language equivalent el pato Lucas (literally “Lucas the Duck”) seems strange to an English speaker. It loses the alliteration, but does the sense of nuttiness get lost too? Well, “Lucas” sounds a little like locos (crazy), so perhaps not.

Losing One Thing, Gaining Another…

Whether it’s the use of alliteration, puns, or certain special words to create amusing or unique images in character names and film and television titles, sometimes the nature of the title cannot be retained during translation. Some characters have been translated in interesting ways to get around this. The character of Kermit the Frog relies on the novel and somewhat benign-sounding name Kermit to elicit an image of a sympathetic anthropomorphic frog, yet when translated into Spanish, la rana René (René the Frog), the translation arguably loses this feeling with the common name René (I mean, you can’t beat the name Kermit. Who is called Kermit in real life, anyway?), but arguably gains an amusing alliteration of the letter R in the process.

 

Better than the Original Translation?

Some of these titles and characters have ingeniously improved on the original translation. While rare, this is something special. An example can be seen in the translation of the college-humour film “Get Him to the Greek” – clearly referencing something internal to the film experience – to Todo sobre mi desmadre, which translates as “All About my Wild Party”, using the word desmadre (wild party) as a pun on todo sobre mi madre, (All About my Mother) the famous Spanish film by Pedro Almodóvar.

 

English to English?

In some cases, the original English name has been retained in the translation, as is seen with television series such as “Breaking Bad”. It’s worth noting that in certain circles of film fans, original titles are retained when speaking about well-known and loved series or films. For instance, many Star Wars and Game of Thrones fans simply refer to the ultra-famous movie and TV series as “Star Wars” and “Game of Thrones”.

 

Lost in Translation

In some cases, meanings have been slightly (or very) lost in translation. The animated film “An American Tail”, about an immigrant mouse in the U.S.A., is translated literally as un cuento Americano. Not a bad title, but as far as the pun goes, it is completely lost, as “tail” and “tale” are not homophones in Spanish. In the case of the 80s’ television series “Night Rider”, the title carries a mild rhyming sound, but also exudes an air of mystery and coolness. The translation to Spanish El auto fantastico (the fantastic car), while not a horrible translation, loses much of the original feeling and rhythm in the title, but arguably gains something else in its more 60s–sounding, perhaps slightly child-like and innocent tone.

Majorly Lost in Translation, AKA “Some of the Worst Atrocities Committed to Paper”

Fairy Tale, Film and Television Characters and Titles Translated to Spanish

The Avenger From the Future!

And then there are the hopeless cases… The previously-mentioned El vengador del futuro (The Avenger From the Future), Tiburón (the Spanish language title of “Jaws”, which translates as “Shark”) and Sueños de libertad (the Mexican title of “the Shawshank Redemption”, which translates as the highly imaginative “Dreams of Freedom”) should win awards for terrible translations. Among the winners would have to be Mi pobre angelito (the Spanish language title of “Home Alone”, which translates as “My Poor Little Angel”) and finally…… Perdido en Tokio. Can you guess what that is? It’s the title for “Lost in Translation”, which translates as “Lost in Toyko”. Right….ok…

 

Translation and Regional Variations

Fairy Tale, Film, Television Characters, Spanish

La rana René? Or is it Gustavo? Credit: Gavin Galens Kermit The Frog Kermit at the Museum of American History Link via image

Regional differences also play a role in the translation of characters and titles. For instance, Kermit the Frog is known as La rana René in Latin America, but La rana Gustavo (Gustavo the Frog) in Spain. Total Recall is called Desafío total (Total Challenge) in Spain, contrasting with El vengador del futuro in Latin America. “The Terminator” was released under the same name in Spain, El ejecutor (The Executor) in Perú when the film was first promoted, and then as El exterminador (The Exterminator) for the Peruvian TV release.

 

Why These Types of translations?

I don’t profess to know all of the exact reasons, but aside from the obvious examples which translate well, puns and alliteration included, a lot of the decisions around the translation of slightly more (or very) difficult titles and characters can only be connected to the innumerable historical reasons, as well as marketing and distribution strategies over a range of time periods and varied geographical locations.

 

Age-Old Characters and Famous Translations

In the case of much loved fairy tale heroes and characters, well, they’re embedded in the imaginations of generations of story lovers. It’s no wonder that they’ve been translated so well. La sirenita (The little Mermaid) and El Enano Saltarín (Rumpelstiltskin) are good examples which capture the feeling of the characters, the first of which is a literal translation of the words “the little mermaid”, and the second of which evokes a quirky image of a small, prancing dwarf.

What about characters in long-running series such as the “Loony Tunes” and “Hanna-Barbara” cartoons, or newer series which rely on a strong, discerning fan base such as “Game of Thrones”? You would think that a bit of thought must have gone into the process. While some laugh at the translation of the imaginary land central to the plot of GOT from “Winterfell” to Invernalia, many think it a fitting reproduction of a word containing hints of the words “winter” and “land”, for a series that has a legion of dedicated followers.

 

An Absent Market?

As far as leaving the titles as they are in English, this absence of any translation whatsoever might be due to a lack of a market or relevance, and therefore a lack of major release in certain countries. Shows like “Breaking Bad”, exclusive to expensive cable networks would not have a large audience in many parts of Latin America.

 

A Discerning Market?

The reference by fans to certain titles in their original guises hints at a definite presence of aficionados and an educated fan following. I know of numerous popular culture-obsessed Hispanics who refer to a number of series and films with their original titles, and who absolutely REFUSE to watch anything that is not displayed in the original language with Spanish subtitles!

 

Or Perhaps an Undemanding One?

As far as the lesser translations go (and indeed the shocking ones), one can only imagine that a lot of it comes down to a lack of a serious and demanding market where these film releases are concerned. The absence of a strong market relevance must surely result in a lack of translation resources. Many of these horribly translated films are also dubbed in a hilariously cringeworthy way. It’s also worth noting however, that films such as “Friday the 13th,” translated as Martes 13 (Tuesday the 13th) have been translated with cultural differences taken into account – Tuesday the 13th, and not Friday as is the case in the Anglophonic world, is considered to be an unlucky day in many Hispanic cultures.

Of course, some of these atrociously translated titles could just as easily be attributed to straight-out laziness. On this last point, and just because I can’t resist, I’ll leave you with another one: Dos hombres, un destino. That’s “Two Men, One Destiny”, AKA “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”

 

Of Course, That’s Just One Perspective…

Of course, all of the above works in the exactly the same way when translating from Spanish to English. The Spanish film “¡Átame!” (literally, “Tie me Up!”) is translated as “Tie me up, Tie Me Down!”. I’ll leave it to you to reflect on the effectiveness of that translation, and there are undoubtedly hundreds and thousands more out there, but that’s an article for another time!

Our next blog entry jumps back to the matter of studying Spanish. We cover the pros and cons of private tuition vs. group classes.

 

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How to Study Spanish: Learning Spanish with Books for Children

learning-spanish-with-books-for-children

Easy, right?

Welcome to another blog entry on study methods for the Spanish language. Click on this link to read the last blog entry on the usefulness (or lack thereof?) of incorporating grammar into a study routine. This week we are going to be looking at…

Learning Spanish with Books for Children

There’s no doubt that reading advanced materials in another language can help an adult improve their second language. For most of us, this is a phase which comes towards the intermediate and advanced levels, when we are confident enough with the basics to be able to read such things as books, magazines and newspapers. There are even dual-text books with one language on one page, and the target language on the other (or vice versa). Many a student has told me about the book, magazine, website or other source that they’re currently reading. Every now and then, someone will tell me about the children’s book that they are using to help ease them into the language with something that would be…..well, pretty easy, right?

Nope.

 

The Problems with Learning this Way

Spanish is quite different from English, and advanced topics and vocabulary in English don’t equate to advanced topics and vocabulary in Spanish. Some of the simplest expressions in English such as “I want you to throw the ball” (quiero que lances la pelota) are phrased completely differently in Spanish. The literal translation is something along the lines of “I want that you might throw the ball”. A bit different, hey? The sentence “don’t give it to him” (no se lo des) is literally translated as “not to him it you give”, and even with that quite literal translation, it still doesn’t quite capture some of the other untranslatable nuances which would a) have most students asking what the hell was going on, and b) would require a few pages more of explanations. To learn the above sorts of things, you would need to have a solid understanding of advanced grammar, as well as a good couple of years of conversation practise under your belt. Yet these are the types of phrases that you will find in any number of children’s books in Spanish.

 

Children’s books in Spanish are simply not written for adults learning a second language

Things which are alien, and therefore quite advanced for the English speaker, are engrained into the mind of a Spanish-speaking child quite early on, without much thought going into the grammar, and this is indeed the way we learn English as children as well. Yet as adults, it is significantly more difficult to learn this way. See this post on grammar for an in-depth explanation as to why.

As you can see, just because the story is about a large red dog who gives piggy back rides to a group of mischievous kittens, or a little mouse witch who practises good magic and grants wishes to well behaved little rabbits, this won’t necessarily translate into you picking up Spanish. Simple content does not necessarily equal simple language acquisition.

 

Are English and Spanish Complete Strangers?

So the sentence structure differs somewhat between both languages, owing to the fact that one is a romance language and the other a Germanic. Yet this doesn’t mean that Spanish and English are complete strangers. There are an enormous number of words which are the same in English and Spanish. A cognate is a word which has the same meaning in two languages, and owing to a common ancestry, has similar or identical spelling. Spanish and English share plenty (thousands, even) of these, due to both languages’ combined connection with Latin and Greek, as well as the English connection with French. Words like animal, restaurant, information, essential and technological (among countless others) are the same in both English and Spanish. These are the sorts of words you will be likely to acquire when reading Spanish, yet they are the things which are lacking in a lot of children’s books, because cognates with a Latin or Greek root tend to be slightly (or a lot) more technical.

What are the Best Texts for Beginners?

If you are happy to simply acquire random words for the sake of random words, then you may as well continue reading children’s books. It’s not like you’re not going to learn anything. There’s nothing wrong with this in essence, and any learning is better than no learning.

I think that the best choice would be to go with something that is written with English speakers in mind. These sorts of texts, found in language learning books and websites, tend to be written by experts in the field, and they are generally written as learning resources which utilise the basic structures which are first taught to the English speaker in a Spanish class, with grammar in mind. Moreover, they will likely make liberal use of cognates, which should lead to a rapid acquisition of new vocabulary due to their familiarity.

Given all of this, the last option should come as no surprise. A great couple of resources for learning a second language would undoubtedly have to be newspapers and magazines. These are littered with words derived from Greek, Latin, and French, many of which you will undoubtedly recognise. Now these texts may or may not be tough going, depending on how complicated the article is, or how advanced your Spanish is, but in spite of not understanding a little (or a lot), you will probably learn much more from reading an article about the war in Syria, or a new technological breakthrough, than you will from reading about Frederick the dinosaur and his Easter egg hunt on his uncle’s farm – exciting as that may sound.

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How to Study Spanish: Is Spanish Grammar Necessary?

is Spanish grammar necessary ?

Is Spanish grammar necessary?

Welcome to another blog entry on study methods for the Spanish language. Click on this link to read the last blog entry on ways that you can incorporate studying into your everyday activities. This week we are going to be looking at…

The G word! Everyone seems scared of this thing called grammar, some so much so that they refuse to acknowledge its apparent usefulness or relevance in their learning. So what is the deal with grammar? Is it really just something for the brainiest of language speakers and academics, or is there something else holding you back? And is there another way you can get conversational without grammar or at the very least competent enough to travel around a Hispanic country or chat with Hispanic friends?

 

The Misunderstanding and Fear of Grammar

I see a number of absolute beginner courses available in Australia and even around the world advertised on the sole fact that they are pure conversational classes, with no grammar involved. As a language teacher, I often get emails and phone calls asking for classes – just conversational ones, with no grammar.

While there are grammar-less Spanish conversation classes (aimed at intermediate and advanced students) and travel classes (aimed at a range of students), there are a few things wrong with the above kinds of claims and requests when it comes to conversation classes and the complete beginner. Why do so many people never stop to ask themselves: “why would everyone else (but not me) want or need to learn grammar? Why would they purposefully put themselves through something potentially unpleasant and unnecessary, when they can just have a ‘conversation class’ or put themselves in an immersive environment and skip it all together?”

I think that deep down, many grammar naysayers suspect that something is amiss in their approach. In spite of seeing others tackle it, and acknowledging the fact that most courses teach something that is ostensibly quite useful, they probably don’t think they’re capable of it. They might also fear that grammar is some insanely hard, lofty, academic, inaccessible set of formulas that are only applicable to those few who are interested in such imposing, die-hard pursuits.

Well the above is simply not true. While some grammarians will disagree with me, and there are a number of aspects to the idea of grammar, you could in one way say that grammar is nothing more than a fancy word for ‘explanation’. Grammar, in the sense of what we look at to learn Spanish, is just an observation of something that happens in the language. I really want to stress the idea of explanation and observation here. Some of these explanations of Spanish are quite common, and a variety of grammar books explain them in much the same way. In other cases, their subjectivity is so broad, that different books, people, websites etc. will often explain the same thing but from different angles or in different styles.

So for the average student of Spanish, that is the definition of grammar that most serves us. It’s just a particular take on how something works. Saying that you want a conversational Spanish class with no grammar is like saying that you want a new job, but don’t want any explanations whatsoever as to why you’re doing what you’re doing, or why things are the way they are. I think that most would agree that explanations serve a purpose for a great deal of things in life. Some explanations may be more involved than others, but an explanation is simply a tool for understanding something.

 

The Irrelevance of Grammar?

Saying ‘no grammar, thanks (i.e. no explanations, thanks)’ is, therefore, a misunderstanding or fear about what grammar is. A lot of students seem intent on the idea that their Spanish learning journey somehow doesn’t have anything to do with grammar. The notion that grammar is irrelevant to one’s own journey is probably due to the belief that tough grammatical explanations are simply not necessary. We only want the ultra easy ones, with a focus on conversation, because conversation is supposed to be fun and down to earth. That sounds reasonable, right? After all, who wants to do anything which might be potentially stressful or unnecessarily difficult? I certainly wouldn’t want to! We should just be able to go to a conversational class, copy what the teacher does and immerse ourselves in the ambience of the class atmosphere.

Through this process, language will happen. After all, when someone says yo quiero una cerveza, the word-for-word translation is ‘I want a beer’. That’s straightforward enough. Why would I want any grammar? Now if all language acquisition were like this, I wouldn’t be writing this article. All I’d have to do is participate in a few classes over a period of time, and memorise the words. Eventually I’d become fluent.

If only!

 

Unlearning Through Grammar…

It is said that language is a vessel for culture. It both contains and informs our worldview. You could argue that language is itself, a type of culture. You have been programmed from an early age to think and say things in a certain way, without much questioning. When you began your English learning journey, you were sort of like a blank slate on which things were written. Yet when you learn a second or third or fourth language, you come complete with baggage, with ‘common sense’ barriers and rigid ways of doing things. Yet these barriers won’t move easily for most. In a way, you will have to ‘un-write’ much of what you have learned.

Take for instance, the verb hablar. It means ‘to speak’. Yo hablo = I speak. Tú hablas = you speak. Él habla = he speaks. Ella habla = she speaks. Nosotros hablamos = we speak. Let’s also have a look at the verb gustar, which effectively means ‘to like’. Therefore, if I follow the first explanation, all I need to do is say yo gusto to mean ‘I like’, right? No. This is because Spanish speakers do not like particular objects in their environment, but rather, the objects in their environment appeal to, or please them. The verb gustar does not mean ‘to like’ – it means ‘to please’ or ‘to appeal to’. So what you ended up saying was ‘I appeal to’, which means absolutely nothing. The correct way of saying that you like something in Spanish is me gusta. But this is only the beginning… be grateful for the expressions like yo quiero una cerveza when you see them, because at least half of the Spanish language will not be so forgiving.

 

I’m still not convinced – I will immerse myself…and language will happen

So can’t you just put yourself in an environment where people are using this construct and pick it up through participation and observation? Not likely. At least not unless you’re three years old and you’re learning Spanish as your first language. This topic discussed above is so unlike English, and deviates so much from what we English speakers see as the norm, that to use it properly, you will have to train yourself to say sentences such as (literally translated): ‘to me the apples are pleasing, but to her and to my brother, no.’ This is the correct way of communicating this idea in Spanish. It’s a bit of a stretch to assume that you will ever learn to speak like this purely by participation and observation, without any reflection on or exploration of the grammar which tries to explain it.

The problem is that all along you have either assumed that grammar was reserved for lofty, advanced topics that you would never need. But now you see that an everyday, conversational English expression or sentence that you have found so easy for your entire life is phrased completely differently in another language, to the point where it becomes an alien concept. You are going to have a very, very tough time trying to decipher that one in a conversation class completely devoid of any grammar (ie.: explanations), or attempt to rewire at least some thought processes.

 

Does this guy know what he is on about?

Some of you are probably thinking ‘this guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I’ve done an immersion course and I know Spanish’, or ‘I know of a conversation class that my mate Bob took that doesn’t teach grammar, and he learnt a fair bit’. Well, several things are happening here. It might be that you know how to say a few things in Spanish, but you probably aren’t as good as you think you are, and neither is Bob. I’ve never actually met a person who learned Spanish as an adult who became genuinely conversational without learning at least some grammar.

Another possibility is that you’re a language freak, in which case, congratulations! This too can happen, and you can ignore my first point. The most likely explanation though, is that your conversation class or immersion class probably did teach grammar, but you just didn’t realise it (and perhaps neither did the person who advertised it), because you assumed that grammar was something beyond what you could do. Yet in reality, all it really entailed was a bit of explaining here and there.

If I haven’t convinced you that you need at least some grammar in your study regimen, you are probably full of doubt about what you can actually do, because I can assure you that there is nothing wrong with a bit of explaining in adult learning. You should give it a go. What is there to be afraid of in a few explanations? Some are easy, some are hard. So what? Search through them and find the tools that most suit your learning process. Make them work to your advantage! Remember, for most of us grammar is nothing more than an explanation of something seen in language.

 

I still absolutely refuse to look at Spanish grammar

For those who absolutely refuse to engage in grammar, you might want to know if there any ways at all that you can learn Spanish by just observing, with very little to no grammatical explanations. Sure you can. At many schools you can find travel Spanish courses that have few to no explanations for the way things are. But that is precisely what you will learn in these types of classes – travel Spanish.

What about if you’re overseas in an immersive environment, free of grammar-crazed Spanish teachers? The same is also true of that scenario. You might just learn certain expressions and phrases to get around.

However, in either scenario, one of two things will most likely happen: the things you learn how to say will either be those which are so close to their English counterparts that it is simply a matter of repeating and committing them to memory, or you will wrongly assume that certain expressions have certain translations, and commit them to memory regardless. You will end up with a very rudimentary Spanish at best, and one that is certainly full of many errors.

All of this is absolutely fine, especially if all you want to do is take a three-week trip to Spain, say a few words to the new in-laws, or take up a language purely as a social activity to get out of the house and meet people. Learning another language is admirable and you should be praised for any attempt, grammar or no grammar.

 

Taking Language Beyond…

If, on the other hand, you wish to advance to the point where you can think (even to some degree) in another language, you – the adult learner – will need some analysis of what you are doing. You will also need plenty of hands – on experience through conversation and interaction. There is nothing wrong with picking things up as you hear them, and learning the occasional fixed expression without too much questioning. Yet it is the combination of this approach with that of grammar and analysis, working together in tandem, which will help you achieve bilingualism.

It is, however, a bit optimistic to assume that you can learn anything purely through observation and even interaction without any explanations involved. Without explanations, you will remain stuck at the level of repeating English-type constructions. While accepting that the effective translation of me gusta is ‘I like it’, further expansion of this topic will result in the breaking down of that model. It is at this point, that your English-to-Spanish becomes lost in translation, and you find yourself invariably asking for explanations.

 

That concludes another chapter and another week. This article was late in being uploaded, but there will be another addition to the site in just a few days. Thanks for reading and be sure to check in again soon for more articles on language learning and Hispanic culture!

 

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How to Study Spanish: Everyday Ways to Improve your Spanish

Welcome to another chapter of Spanish study tips. Our previous entry focussed on something that doesn’t come easy to all of us, and which is often hard for the most enthusiastic aficionado at times – finding motivation to study. Have you ever wondered what you can do semi-passively to create a more immersive experience? While active learning and hard work is definitely the key to mastering a language, there are some small adjustments, changes in mind set, as well as lifestyle additions and changes which might help. This entry will focus on making Spanish part of your everyday routine.

 

When you’re out and about

When you’re out, go armed with a notebook and pen and try to think in Spanish. E.g.: You’re at the bank. Tell yourself (don’t do it aloud, because that is considered anti-social) what you’re doing, i.e.: I’m at the bank (estoy en el banco). I’m going to take out money (voy a sacar dinero). I’m waiting in line (estoy haciendo cola) etc. E.g. 2: You’re at the beach. Tell yourself what you see, i.e.:  I see a good looking girl (Veo a una chica guapa). I’ve just knocked an ice cream out of someone’s hand (Acabo de tirar un helado de la mano de alguien). It’s a large man on steroids covered in ice cream and the good looking girl is his girlfriend (Es un hombre grande anabolizado. Está cubierto de helado y la chica guapa es su novia). The large man on steroids is about to attack me (El hombre grande anabolizado está a punto de atacarme).

If you can talk about a lot of things that you are doing in your day-to-day activities, then you are clearly beginning to think in Spanish. If you hit part of a sentence where you are unable to explain what you are doing or what is happening around you (of course, as a true beginner, this will understandably happen 98% of the time!), note down in English what you wanted to say. When you get home, look it up on Word Reference Forums. For more information on this useful forum, have a look here. Add the new expressions to your home made dictionary. These new expressions which you’ve come up with are also valid additions to your flashcards. Try to do this everyday, and in addition to your basic, fixed study program – outlined here – over time, speaking and thinking in Spanish will become easier.

Social Media and Apps in Spanish

Set your Facebook, other social media and your email to Spanish. Join social media pages that are in Spanish so your daily feeds are giving you a constant influx of things to absorb. Join ‘joke-a-day’ pages and other light-hearted things. Here is one to get you started:

https://www.facebook.com/humorabsurdo/

Have any hobbies? Find pages in Spanish that cover these things. When you’re confident, set your phone to Spanish. You should probably be relatively confident though, or you might not be able to set it back to English! Do not, I repeat do not set your GPS to Spanish, unless you want places like Fed Square and Flinders Street Station pronounced phonetically in Spanish…which is both bizarre and incredibly annoying.

 

Listen to music in Spanish.

Go online and search for the translations (or have a go at translating them yourself). For every other song, note down phrases you hear from time to time. Use your dictionary or go to Word Reference Forums and find out what they mean. Don’t stress if you find it difficult to understand them or if you can’t find a translation. There are a lot of songs in Spanish that probably don’t make a lot of sense to Spanish speakers.

Listen to Spanish radio and TV. Don’t expect to understand much at first, but it’s better than listening to Fox FM. Here is an example of what Spanish radio sounds like according to North American comedian Pablo Francisco:

 

Eating in Spanish…

It was a while ago, but I heard from someone else who was also probably also trying to make the similar points as I am, that in order to get good at a language, you have to eat the food of that country. I don’t think he meant that if you go to Coles and get the ingredients for a paella, that you will start to learn Spanish, but it would be a good start I guess. Cooking leads to a change in mindset. Dinner for one turns into dinner for two, then three, and so on. You will attract a certain kind of person. Next thing you know, your new interest has somehow resulted in the entire Chilean community of Melbourne over for dinner at your place. As awesome as Chileans are, perhaps you don’t want that though.

Going to Spanish and Latin American restaurants will also undoubtedly put you in contact with Spanish speakers. You may want to try your Spanish out by annoying the waiter, or even the people on the table next to you. A great place to buy Iberian and Latin American food products is Casa Iberica. There are two located in Melbourne at 25 Johnston Street Fitzroy and 154-156 Fulham Rd Alphington. Free Advertising for those guys I guess. Well all these things are pieces in the puzzle that is learning another language.

 

Going out and speaking Spanish

You could extend the previous idea to a more resolute and pragmatic approach. Why not go out to Spanish and Latin American night hotspots? They seem to be forever changing in Melbourne’s hectic environment, and as soon as one appears, another disappears, but Johnston Street is home to the Hogar Español and a number of other places where you can dance, speak, and mingle with Spanish speakers. There are also a number of community events and festivals run by the various Latin communities in Melbourne. The most famous is undoubtedly the Johnston Street fiesta. Check out this entry which mentions a little about the history of this Fitzroy institution. In any case, come November, you should definitely check it out!

http://www.hispanicfiesta.com.au/

There’s also the lesser known September Street Festival:

http://www.septemberfestival.com.au/

 

Making Friends…

I’ve saved the most obvious stuff for last, but there are a couple of points worth elaborating on. Firstly, try and go overseas for a couple of months (or longer) and knock yourself out. Now I know that not everyone can just take two or more months off, but I just want to cover all the possible bases in case you are one of those lucky people that has that opportunity. In any case, any time in Spain or a Latin American country will do wonders for your beginner Spanish. Make sure you go out constantly and don’t stop speaking (Spanish, that is…)! Latin American and Spanish people are awesome and very hospitable, so there’s no excuse not to throw yourself in. South American beer tends to be pretty ordinary, but Chilean and Spanish wine is fantastic.

Making friends with Spanish-speakers either locally or overseas and forming networks will provide an enormous drive for your learning. Going on a camping trip with Spanish-speaking friends or chatting on Facebook for half an hour a day will make you speak Spanish.

So those are some of the ways that you improve your Spanish in an everyday context. Remember, however, there is no substitute for hard work! Thanks for reading and there will be more in a week or so when we look at the idea of grammar and its relevance.

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