Useful Resources

http://www.languageguide.org/espanol/

May is a few days away!!!

May is a few days away!!! Book your English and Spanish classes to start fresh in May. Contact me if you need further info. Or if have special requirements.

I’ll be creating classes upon request. So, if you don’t see any classes, call me. My skype is: enrique.kates

The Future of Online Education.

Here we can discuss the future of online education and its impact on society.

Learning language Tips

What makes good language learner?

• I feel positive about the language and the people who speak it
• I think about what I learn and how I learn it
• I talk to people
• I set targets
• I feel positive about what I know, not negative about what I don’t know
• I have a learning plan
• I take risks
• I try harder

Learning To Listen

Listening comes before speaking
So always listen as much as you can.
A lot of passive input can help you:
Ð to get used to the sounds of the language
Ð to start to recognize words and patterns
Ð to start speaking the language more easily

What good listeners do?
• Listen to the “shape” of the language
• Listen to the general subject. Don’t try to understand everything and don’t stop listening if you hear a word you don’t know
• Make guesses. Think about what you are listening to, what do you know about the subject? Listen to the speakers tone of voice and look at their facial
expressions and body language
• Listen to new sounds and try to imitate them
• Listen to the pitch and intonation of the language
• Listen to cassettes again and again
• Watch videos on the target language with subtitles in the same language
• Record conversations
• First read the news in a target language newspaper and watch the news on TV in the same language on the same day
• Note down key words. Then look them up in a dictionary
• Organize regular listening

What do you do when you don’t understand the person you are speaking to?
Ð Say, “I don’t understand”
Ð Ask them to slow down
Ð Ask for repetition
Ð Ask for clarification
Ð Repeat what you think you heard
Ð Rephrase what you think you heard

Resources for listening
1. CASSETTES. Buy the cassettes for the class book and workbook. Listen to them in your car, on your walkman etc
2. TALKING BOOKS. You can listen to a text and read it at the same time
3. SATELLITE TV/ VIDEO. Record programs and watch them over and over
4. DVD. These videos give you the sound in the target language and subtitles in the same language or your own language, or any combinations of these!
5. RADIO. Tune in regularly to your target language
6. PEOPLE. Listen to as much spoken language as possible

Learning to Speak
What good speakers do?
• KEEP IT SIMPLE. Avoid complicated subjects, difficult vocabulary and grammar that you are not sure of
• TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO USE THE LANGUAGE
• TAKE RISKS. Good speakers are not afraid to make mistakes. Don’t feel embarrassed when you speak. The more you speak the more your confidence will
grow.
• LEARN LOTS OF STANDARD EXPRESSIONS BY HEART
• EXPERIMENT. Try out new language to see what works and what doesn’t
• TAKE YOUR TIME. Don’t hurry, take it easy
• USE OTHER PEOPLE AS RESOURCES

What good speakers do when they can’t find the right word?
• Approximating - use a word with roughly the same meaning
• Describing something to explain its meaning
• Use an all purpose word, like ‘thing’
• Use a word form another language which the listener might recognize
• Use their hands or mime
• Ask for help

Making mistakes
• Your mistakes are important because you can learn from your mistakes. Mistakes are an important part of the learning process
• You make mistakes when you test new ideas about the language
• It’s a mistake to be afraid of making mistakes
• Some mistakes are more serious than others
• The only serious mistakes are the ones which prevent the listener from understanding you
• Mistakes depend on your audience

Teacher Supervision. Is it really necessary?

Thriving on Chaos. Can it be the new trend of online education....No Supervision and control?? I don't think so.

Is a teacher a born teacher?

Is a teacher a born teacher?
What kind of teachers are there? And what are their characteristics? Is a person born with the qualities to be a teacher? Or can he/she acquire them?

My Student Momen

Hi, this is my student Momen. He won a 3 month Spanish course in a contest. This is him before, during, and after his classes with me.

Pedir vs.Preguntar

Pedir vs Preguntar
pedir: to ask (for an object or a service)
preguntar: to ask (a question, request information)

Saber vs. Conocer

saber: to know a fact, to know something thoroughly, to know how to do something
conocer: to be acquainted with a person, place, or thing

Saber vs Conocer
saber: to know (facts, information, how to do something, something by heart)
conocer: to know (to be familiar with people, places, things)

Orar vs. Rezar

1.- Rezar: es repetir frases aprendidas y de memoria, en cualquier momento, es decir, sin importar si lo que se repite incansablemente es inherente a las necesidades o sentimientos del penitente en ese momento. rezar es repetir frases aprendidas de memoria dirigidas a muchas personalidaders, más o menos como a chorrocientas vírgenes, chorrocientos santos, habidos y por haber conocidos e inventados etc. en medio de toda esta lista, también se reza Jesucristo y a Dios... Hay rezos aprendidos para todos los gustos...
2.- Orar: Es conversar con Dios, elevar ruegos,. súplicas peticiones, acion de gracias a Dios y solo a Dios en el nombre de Jesucristo, y son palabras nacidas de la necesidad del momento del que ora a Dios. Son palabras nacidas espontáneamnete y reflejan los sentimientos que hay en el momento en el corazón y alma del que se dirige a Dios.


1.- Rezar: es repetir frases aprendidas y de memoria, en cualquier momento, es decir, sin importar si lo que se repite incansablemente es inherente a las necesidades o sentimientos del penitente en ese momento.

2.- Orar: Es conversar con Dios, elevar ruegos,. súplicas peticiones, acion de gracias a Dios y solo a Dios en el nombre de Jesucristo, y son palabras nacidas de la necesidad del momento del que ora a Dios. Son palabras nacidas espontáneamnete y reflejan los sentimientos que hay en el momento en el corazón y alma del que se dirige a Dios.

Why learn Spanish?

The Spanish teachers at Edufire would like to share with you some of the top reasons why you should learn Spanish. We hope you enjoy.


Who's learning Spanish these days? For starters, residents of the United States , a bunch not known for conquering monoligualism, are studying Spanish in record numbers. Spanish, too, is becoming of greater importance in Europe , where it often the foreign language of choice after English.

With over 400 million speakers, it's the fourth most commonly spoken language in the world (after English, Chinese and Hindi), and according to some counts it has more native speakers than English does. It is an official language on four continents and is of historical importance elsewhere.

Better understanding of English: Much of the vocabulary of English has Latin origins, much of which came to English by way of French. Since Spanish is also a Latin language, you will find as you study Spanish that you have a better understanding of your native vocabulary.

Travel: While traveling in Mexico , Central America and South America doors will be opened to you simply because I speak Spanish, allowing you to see and do things that many other visitors do not.

Cultural understanding: While most of us can't hope to learn the languages of more than one or two cultures other than that of our own, those that we can learn help us to learn how other people learn and think. Reading Latin American or Spanish newspapers, for example, you will gain a sense of how other people think and feel

Learning other languages: If you can learn Spanish, you'll have a head start in learning the other Latin-based languages such as French and Italian. And it will even help you learn Russian and German, since they too have Indo-European roots and have some characteristics (such as gender and extensive conjugation) that are present in Spanish but not English. And I wouldn't be surprised if learning Spanish might even help you learn Japanese or any other non-Indo-European language, since intensive learning the structure of a language can give you a reference point for learning others.

It's easy: Spanish is one of the easiest foreign languages to learn. Much of its vocabulary is similar to English's, and written Spanish is almost completely phonetic: Look at almost any Spanish word and you can tell how it is pronounced. And while mastering the grammar of Spanish can be a challenge, basic grammar is straightforward enough that you can have meaningful communication after only a few lessons.

Employment opportunities: If you're in the United States and work in one of the helping professions including medicine and education, you'll find your opportunities expand by knowing Spanish. And wherever you live, if you're in any occupation that involves international trade, communications or tourism, you'll similarly find opportunities to use your new language skills.

It's fun: Whether you enjoy talking, reading, or mastering challenges, you'll find all of them in learning Spanish. For many people, there's something inherently enjoyable about successfully speaking in another language.

For many people, Spanish offers the most rewards with the least effort of any foreign language. It's never too late to begin learning.

Thanks to Gerald Erichsen, @ About.com for most of this information!