Not that I have to, but that I want to
All 3 series below are currently viewable on Netflix. 1. Money Heist (La casa de papel) The wildly popular Netflix series has reached global cult status. The storyline follows heists in Madrid including 1 on the central bank of Spain. The crimes were orchestrated by a character known as the Professor and executed by a …
Food is an important part of any culture, and street food embodies an authentic gastronomic cultural identity that is tasty and affordable. Typically, street food businesses are small and family-owned. Munching on street food directly supports the local economy. Besides the economic benefits, street food vendors help keep age-old recipes and local gastronomic culture alive …
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Spanish language learners in this time of COVID-19 may have more time in their hands to read. Some may yearn to read a good novel in Spanish but their proficiency level may not be quite there yet. But, there is value in reading English translation of great Spanish novels. Although the language is not original, …
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My previous post introduces Common European Framework of Reference for Languages(CEFR), the de facto standard of measuring one’s Spanish language proficiency level. Now that a learner knows roughly their level of proficiency, they may want to know if a specific Spanish text is about the right level for them. Materials that are too easy or …
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Since early childhood, we are conditioned to grade ourselves of our proficiency in a skill. It is no different in learning a new language. When we are first learning Spanish, measuring proficiency may be the furthest thing from our minds. If you are a Duolingo user, after finishing say all level 1 Spanish lessons, the …
Language learning is about making mistakes and trying again, only to make more mistakes, hopefully different ones but sometimes not. Mistakes made during a self-study can be demoralizing but not quite as embarrassing as when you made them with a live conversation partner. Having a thick skin and a sense of self-deprecating humor will certainly …
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In many ways, learning a language is like learning to play a musical instrument such as the piano or guitar. You are learning several things all at once, a new vocabulary analogous to musical notes, a new grammar analogous to music theory, and a new culture analogous to music history. Piano learners are often frustrated …
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Two recent additions to my bookshelf: One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad) by Gabriel García Márquez, Colombian author, Nobel laureate in literature. This 1967 novel is my first foray into the ‘magical realism’ genre, often associated with Latin American literature of that time. Novels of the genre are based on real-world settings …
In terms of their off-the-chart cuteness, alpacas are to South America as pandas are to China and koalas to Australia. Alpacas are cousins to the bigger and better known llamas. The alpaca averages 3 feet in height at the shoulder and weighs about 130 pounds. A llama stands about 1 foot taller and averages 170 …
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Learning a language to many is an extracurricular activity, adding stress and time requirement to their already busy daily lives. It is a bonus if one can include language learning as part of our daily activities like news reading. There is no shortage of Spanish news websites. If you are interested in news from Spain, …