Don't be late! (¡No llegues tarde!)

Es tarde - it is late.  
     --Ay, son las once de la noche.  Es tarde.
llegar tarde - to be late
     --Lo siento, mamá.  Voy a llegar tarde para la cena.
     (Sorry, mom.  I'm going to be late for dinner.)
    --Tú siempre llegas tarde.
     (You're always late.)
Más vale tarde que nunca.       Better late than never.
más adelante -- later on
luego  - later  (Hasta luego)
más tarde - later

¿Cómo se dice "Halloween" en español? ¿Cómo se celebra el Día de los Muertos / Día de los Difuntos?

The typical U.S. celebration of Halloween comes from a variety of influences.  The Catholic remembrance of deceased loved ones is celebrated on Nov. 1, All Saints' Day, and again on Nov. 2, "All Souls' Day" (for those of us who are not quite saintly.)  It also incorporates a number of other pagan and religious traditions, and of course, "Trick or Treat."
       The tradition is celebrated differently in different Hispanic countries.  In Spain, it has been a quiet, minor religious holiday (perhaps changing with global influences.)  In México it combines the Catholic tradition with indigenous celebrations. There it is a time for remembering our loved ones, cleaning the graves, making special foods, leaving offerings for the deceased.  Mexicans tend to accept and even make fun of the idea of death, giving friends candy skulls with their names on them.

"Assured that the dead would be insulted by mourning or sadness, Día de los Muertos celebrates the lives of the deceased with food, drink, parties, and activities the dead enjoyed in life. Día de los Muertos recognizes death as a natural part of the human experience, a continuum with birth, childhood, and growing up to become a contributing member of the community. On Día de los Muertos, the dead are also a part of the community, awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations with their loved ones.

The most familiar symbol of Dia de los Muertos may be the calacas and calaveras (skeletons and skulls), which appear everywhere during the holiday: in candied sweets, as parade masks, as dolls. Calacas and calaveras are almost always portrayed as enjoying life, often in fancy clothes and entertaining situations." (http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/media/dia-de-los-muertos/?ar_a=1)

José Guadalupe Posada, 1851-1913, was a Mexican illustrator whose drawings satirized social and political issues of his day.  His work was recognized and associated with Día de los Muertos after his death, in the 1920's, and has since become famous throughout the world.

When is a tortilla not a tortilla?

Here in the U.S. we usually think of tortillas as a flat bread-like disk  made of cornmeal or flour that is used for tacos, enchiladas and other Mexican food.  But if you ask for a tortilla in Spain, you will get something completely different.  No corn, no flour, no hot sauce.  Instead you will eat eggs (huevos), onion (cebolla), and potatoes (patatas, en España, o papas, en México).  Incidentally, it's a great vegetarian dish suitable for nearly any meal -- but never for breakfast in Spain!

Una tortilla española

Directions and tips in English for tortilla española:

 http://www.finecooking.com/articles/how-to/spanish-tortilla.aspx?pg=0

Video en español: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_3YM-DZVOE

Questions and responses

Question Words
¿Qué? --- what?
¿Quién? -- who?
¿Cuándo? -- when?
¿Dónde? - where?
¿Por qué? -- why?
¿Cómo? -- How?  What did you say?
¿Cuánto? -- how much?

Conversational responses
-- to good things:
¡Qué bueno!
¡Muy bien!
Ah, sí.
¡Qué interesante!
¡Maravilloso!
¡Estupendo!

-- responses to bad things:
¡Ay, no!  ¡Oh, no!
¡Dios mío!
¡Qué triste!
¡Qué lástima!
¡Qué terrible!
¡Qué horror!

Spanish Study Group meets Thursdays

Anyone who wants to study Spanish with other people in a relaxed, informal atmosphere is invited to join this group.  They meet on Thursdays from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at the Ashland Public Library.  Free, no requirements, no tests!  They are currently reading a short novel called ¿Dónde está Eduardo? by Blaine Ray.  It is available at www.BlainerayTPRS.com, 888-373-1920, and many other places.  But you need not have the book to join the group.

OLLI Class for Fall, 2013

Hola, amigos.  I'm offering a Spanish for Beginners class through OLLI, starting on Sept. 10.  This class is designed for those who really are beginners.  We will go as slowly as necessary.  My goal is that every student understand everything and be comfortable.  You will not be forced to speak (other than sí or no at first).  You will be required to pay attention and let me know if you don't understand.

The method I use is called TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling), so you know we will be telling stories.  I start with a few important words or phrases ("las palabras del día - the words of the day) and together we build a story around them.  Student ideas are important and are incorporated into the story.  I say everything many, many times, so you have time to acquire the critical parts of the language.  Grammar is part of everything we say and read, but it is not necessary to conjugate every verb or analyze parts of speech.  If you need that, get a book (or ask - I may give you a very short answer related only to the use of the word in our current story.)

After building a story together, we usually write it down so you can read it, too.  I encourage students to work together.  Stories and word lists are posted after each class on this website, under the "Current OLLI Class" tab.

Handouts:  I rarely give out paper.  I do take notes as we work together and post them on this website.  There will be words that we need to tell the story that are not as common as the "palabras del día," so I will give you those as well, with translations, if you wish to study them.  Most of what we do helps you acquire the most common words and phrases in the language.  Understanding is the most important goal.  Speaking is secondary.

I'm looking forward to teaching this class and helping you acquire and love the Spanish language.  We will also sing, watch videos, maybe play some games, and definitely, we will laugh.  Come on, enjoy the class!

Spanish practice group

There's a group of Spanish students who meet weekly at the Ashland Library to practice Spanish together.  They do some reading of short Spanish novels and discuss them, and other things of interest.  Anyone is welcome to join the group:

• Thursdays, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
• Ashland Public Library, upstairs in the Study Room, next to the elevator.
• FREE! 
• No entrance exams, no tests, just fun practicing Spanish together.  All levels welcome!

More details?  Contact me to get in touch with Martha, the organizer.  Or just show up!

Leer y leer más

You acquire language by listening and reading.  Here's another source of good things to read:

http://en.childrenslibrary.org/

Choose your language, choose a book, read!  I enjoyed Apalka, by Ernesto Cardenal, one of Nicaragua's most famous poets, after Rubén Darío.  This is a beautifully written and illustrated children's book.  Try it, or any other.  Everything you read helps your language acquisition.

El día de los Reyes Magos

 

Hoy es el último día de la celebración de la Navidad.  Es un día festivo en los países hispanos.  Conmemora la llegada de los Reyes Magos (the Magi, Three Kings) a Belén para adorar al nuevo rey, el niño Jesús.   Así que en muchísimas casas del mundo hispano, anoche los niños colocaron los zapatos fuera de la casa, llenos de paja para los camellos.  En la noche, los Reyes llegaron y dejaron regalos para los niños. Hoy día toda la familia celebra el fin de las Navidades.  Comen un “roscón de reyes,” un pastel especial. En muchas ciudades hay desfiles y fiestas. En inglés se llama este día “twelfth night.”

Idioms / Modismos

A few idioms you might use later:

Es tarde - It is late.
más adelante - later on
llegar tarde - to be late.  Por ejemplo:  No quiero llegar tarde a la fiesta.
 
 "Más vale tarde que nunca."  Better late than never.

Un pensamiento...

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. 

 

    -Nelson Mandela, activist, South African president, Nobel laureate (b. 1918)

OLLI Classes for Winter, 2013

There are two classes being offered in January at OLLI at SOU, Ashland.  They are both called "refresher" classes because they will be short, only four sessions each, and will give you just a little practice and some new vocabulary and grammar.

The Beginners Class, January 21-31, 9-10:30 a.m., is planned for real beginners.  If you've taken one of my beginners classes, please join us again.  If you took Spanish in high school and never touched it again except at Mexican restaurants, please join us. But,  if you got through some college classes, even 50 years ago, please sign up for the Intermediate class instead.

The Intermediates Class,  January 7-16,  3:30- 5:00 p.m., is intended for students who have some working knowledge of Spanish.  You do not need to know how to conjugate verbs in past and present tenses.  You should have some ability to express yourself in basic ways and be ready to enjoy reviving the knowledge you gained earlier in life (like last summer or 50 years ago.)  It is amazing how much comes back, so give it a try.  Of course, students in my previous intermediate classes are encouraged to join us.  We always have new stories!

Both classes will teach the students who are there at whatever level they may be.  I try to pace the class to meet the needs of all the students, but it is generally more comfortable for everyone if the real beginners do not feel left behind by more advanced students.

If you're not sure where you fit, take a look at the notes under the tab "Current OLLI Classes" on this blog.  Scroll down a ways and read through some notes from both classes and consider how well you understand the vocabulary and stories.  The stories were written by me with help from the classes.  You will not be expected to understand every word nor to produce stories at this level on your own (although I know some of you can!)

If you're still not sure, give me a call or e-mail.  ¡Vamos a hablar español!

El día de los muertos, el 31 de octubre - 2 de noviembre

"La Catrina," possibly the most famous image of Día de los Muertos, by José Guadalupe Posada.

People decorate and visit the cemetery to welcome their loved ones.

Un altar en la casa

Violinista

Comprehensible Spanish novels!

I have just posted a list of short Spanish novels, written for students, on the Resources for Students page.  They are available for $6.00 each from www.BlaineRayTPRS.com or from TPRS Publishing, at www.TPRStorytelling.com.  Some are at both sites, others may be found at only one.  They are appropriate for beginning to intermediate students.  Some are written in the past tense, some in the present, and a few are available in both versions under one cover!  Take a look, buy a few, read them and then share with other students.

The SOU Bookstore will be getting some of these for you to buy soon.

Current OLLI beginners' class extended

We have added two more classes to the Fall 2012 Beginners' Class at OLLI in Ashland.  They will be at the same time and place, OLLI Room C, Tuesday and Thursday, 9 - 10:30.  The new dates will be November 6 and 8.  So instead of ending as planned on Nov. 1, our last date will be Nov. 8. 

Basic vocabulary

These may not be the words you learn in class, but when you need them, you need them!

el inodoro, el excusado, el retrete - toilet
el lavabo - sink (in a bathroom, for washing hands)
el papel higiénico - toilet paper
el grifo - faucet

Of course, there are euphemisms:  el baño (which means the bath, literally) or los servicios.

Intermediate class continues

One of the words that came up at break time (descanso) was "snack."  I looked it up on www.wordreference.com and found an amazing variety of expressions, varying by country, time of day, type of food, reason for eating!  ¡Caramba!

So - try one or more of these:

• el tentempié, 
• el refrigerio, 
• una botana, 
• un bocado, 
• un bocadillo (which means sandwich in Spain, but the kind with big hunks of bread and a chunk of food inside, not the sliced white bread type, which is called a "sandwich"), 

• una merienda (en España, a media tarde solamente, antes de la cena)

• "Please bring a snack to share" - "Favor de traer (Por favor traiga) un platillo (un pequeño plato, un refrigerio, un bocadillo) para compartir."

• mid-morning snack -- un bocado de media mañana (la hora del bocadillo can mean a mid-morning work break in some places)

• bedtime snack - picoteo nocturno (España) o merienda nocturna (Puerto Rico)

Fortunately, there is less variety about other foods:

• cherries - las cerezas
• cantaloupe - el melón
• cookies - galletas (dulces)
• crackers - galletas saladas (salty or savory)
• strawberries - las fresas
• raspberries - las frambuesas
• blackberries - las moras
• olives - las aceitunas
• olive tree - el olivo
• olive oil - aceite de oliva
• pear - la pera
• pear tree - el peral
• apple - la manzana
• apple tree - el manzano

New class started today!

A group of intermediate students gathered today to continue learning Spanish.  We discussed what we did during vacation and told a short story about a Spanish princess and French prince, both escaping "la vida loca" in their home countries by living in Ashland.

See the notes and a similar story at the "Current Class" tab.

El mole poblano

¿Qué es el mole poblano?  Y ¿por qué se llama así?  Lee este artículo del Spanish Institute of Puebla "¡Este es mi mero mole!"  y después busca un buen restaurante para probarlo. 
Spanish Institute of Puebla tiene mucha información interesante y útil para ayudarte a aprender español.  Explora su sitio web (http://www.sipuebla.com/).

¿Ballenas en el desierto del Perú?

Geologists are finding fossils of whales miles from the coast.  They are buried in the sands of the desert near Ocucaje, south of Lima, north of Nazca.  Read more.