Me molesta su actitud.

Hey - lo!

Okay. It's been days since I last posted. Not sure what I did with all of that time?

Well, I do remember one thing I did...I kept a list of new Spanish words I discovered in stores, during conversations with Spanish speakers, on TV, etc. In other words, I managed to use metacognitive, cognitive, and social/affective learning strategies to learn a language (monitoring, note-taking, questioning for clarification).

BUT, what word/phrase do I have on my mind now?

Me molesta su actitud.

I have been dealing w/some life issues and today, of all days, I had to deal with someone who was, to put it politely, a pain in the bum. So when I opened my email and finally read my back log of words of the day, imagine my feelings when I saw "molestar" and the sentence "Me molesta su actitud." Yep. That phrase sure will come in handy today, but I will only repeat it to myself so's not to offend the person who is "molestaring" me.

Hmmm. This is my 7th post and satisfies the assignment requirements...not sure if Dr. R wants us to continue with the blog process, but I do know that I am going to stick w/my Spanish "lessons" from here on out. I even formatted my Spanish WotD list and printed it out this morning. I am going to keep at this until I sound so good people will think I AM a native Spanish speaker.

Until that moment, keep me in your thoughts! Can't say this hasn't been a loco ride!

Hasta chicos,

CRJ

No se como continuar...Soy cansada

Hola Peoples-

Well. I have clearly fallen off the language wagon.

I was busy, busy, busy the past few days (muy occupada) and it was impossible to stick to with WotD or on-line lessons. I've pretty much been going from school to school, subbing in ESOL, Science, and English and tutoring a kid in French when I had any free periods. Add to that my reading and assignments for T2000 and I so wasn't lista for Spanish.

I did learn two new words over the past 5 days though:

chapin

and

gamanances

"Chapin", according to the students I subbed for two days last week, is a Guatemalan word for a person who is a native of the country, as in "You're a chapin man!" The students told me it could be loosely translated as "Yo, whassup chapin!", but I am not so sure. Don't get me wrong. I trust that it does mean someone from Guatemala (I checked w/a teacher); but, that same teache told me she doesn't think the usage is correct.

Hmmm?

Whom to believe?

Not sure. So, I think I will not use the word until I get a handle on it's appropriate use.

The next word, las gamanances, means dimples. Another kid in a class I subbed for had great dimples. So, ever inquisitive, I asked "Cual es la palabra por eso?" and pointed. Thus, a new vocab word was born.

That's really all I've done in terms of language acquisition. I still get my WotD, but I have only glanced at them and filed them away for future use.

To be honest, I feel as if my learning stragegies thus far are not very organized:

listening to native speakers and asking about words
reflecting on what I hear/understand
(occasionally listening to Spanish music/television)

Perhaps I will give myself credit for doing that much and simply continue to plug along.

Until next time (hasta la ultima blog)...

So. What's been happening so far w/mi espanol? Nada mucho.

Honestly having trouble staying on track with this...but, I am at least trying to live in the "mundo" espanol.

Riding to and from work, I listen to Spanish language music.

Yesteday, Marc Anthony sang to me:

No hay dia que pase
que yo no me acuerde de ti
no hay labios que bese
que no me sepan a ti
tu te quedaste para siempre aqui
en mi pensamiento
tu me dominas tienes el control
de mi sentimientos
aunque estes lejos de nada me sirve
porque yo te quiero
ay mas que ayer
ay mas que ayer

yo trato, trato, trato pero no te olvido
ohh yo lucho, lucho, lucho
y no lo consigo
lo pongo todo de mi parte
y no es suficiente
es como seguir nadando
CONTRA LA CORRIENTE
yo trato, trato, trato
pero no te olvido
ohhh yo lucho, lucho, lucho
y no lo consigo
lo pongo todo de mi parte
y no es suficiente
es como seguir nadando
CONTRA LA CORRIENTE
CONTRA LA CORRIENTE, amor

THEN, the luz went off in my head!

"es como seguir nadando contra la corriente

It's like swimming against the current...I UNDERSTAND! Of course, before I sorta knew he was singing about a lost love, but I didn't get the deeper meaning...how the words fit grammatically. But I felt it this time, internally, nadando...swimming...the present progressive...I struggled w/this tense in my refresher course last year...but now, it's clicking.

yo trato, trato, trato
pero no te olvido
ohhh yo lucho, lucho, lucho
y no lo consigo
lo pongo todo de mi parte
y no es suficiente


I try, but I can't forget you. I fight, but I can't master this/get it...I put all of myself into this, but it's not enough...it's like swimming against the current.

Sounds so much better in Spanish. I love the click moments in language...me amo la luz de las lenguas!

Let's take a test on "hay" the lesson I studied two days ago...drum roll please!

The Verb Form Hay [Quiz #1] completed! Congratulations! 100% Correct!

Fantastico!

Yo soy lista para continuar con mis lecciones de espanol!

Hasta jueves!

learn spanish

Today, I didn't actively plan to do anything related to my study of Spanish. I didn't consciously make the decision to "take the week-end off"; but it is a 3 day week-end and my "vacay sense" went all tingly...with great freedom, comes great loafability!

Add to this the fact that I cannot access my email (Spanish WotD) and I initially just threw in the towel (Di para arriba according to Google language tools). Because I didn't know how to say "throw in the towel/give up" in Spanish, I went on a net search. "Di para arriba" didn't feel like it really captured what I wanted to say.

Whoa! What's this? Learn Spanish has the world's first random Spanish Idiom Generator? (see: http://www.studyspanish.com/idiom.shtml). Great! I can look up my phrase, post it here and everyone will think I've learned more Spanish than I actually have. Problem! W/this generator, you can't just type in your phrase and get a useful idiom back. From what I can tell, you click on "generate another idiom" and you truly get a random one back...no way to tailor your search. Ah well, I think I will go to the homepage.

No es posible! The homepage has the following links:

I want to speak Spanish conversationally!
I want to get a better grade in my class.
I just want to speak a little Spanish.

Perhaps I'm not taking the day off after all...I think I will see what's behind door number 1 Monty!

According to TPTB, "Anyone can learn to speak Spanish. Have you tried to learn Spanish but just couldn't get it? Lots of people have. Did you study Spanish in high school or college, without any real success? You're in good company. Unfortunately, most classes meet only a couple of times a week, and are far too crowded to allow individual attention. With us, it's like having your own personal Spanish tutor available to you 24 hours a day!"

AND

If I use this site, I will be able to "...[c]ommunicate effectively in only 4 months!"

Okay, I think I DO have a learning strategy. I will continue to build my WotD list, but as I clearly cannot organize myself around the list alone, I will do at least one thing a day on this new website.

Keep reading, keep reading, keep reading...ah, here we are...register now. Boy, that was fast! In less than 5 minutes, I am lista to begin.

So, let's click on virtual syllabus...that will definitely help w/organization.

"No Syllabus!Note: You do not have a teacher so there is no syllabus available for you to view. Don't despair! You can use this website very effectively without a teacher. Below is a suggested order of study. For a truly systematicapproach, consider purchasing our CD Audio Course."

PURCHASE! Creo que no! But, I will keep plugging along...I'm sure you will teach me something on this FREE site.

I will take "Grammar: 1-5" for NOTHING, 'cause THIS is free!

Let's see, clicking that link gets me here:

Unit One
1. Gender of Nouns: Part I
2. Gender of Nouns: Part II
3. Cardinal Numbers: 1-10
4. Plural Forms of Nouns
5. Definite and Indefinite Articles: Part I
6. The Verb Form "Hay"
7. Subject Pronouns
8. Regular Verbs: Part I
9. Regular Verbs: Part II
10. Regular Verbs: Part III
11. Adjectives: Part I
12. Adjectives: Part II
13. Days of the Week
14. Cardinal Numbers: 11-30

Hmm? I think I know all of this, but in the interest of review, I will start with "The verb form Hay". Verbs are good.

The Verb Form "hay": List of Resources

[Written Lesson] Free!
[Quiz #1 - 20 questions] Free!
[Quiz #2 - 20 questions]
[Quiz #3 - 20 questions]
[Quiz #4 - 20 questions]
[Test #1 - 10 questions] Free!
[Test #2 - 20 questions]
[Oral Exercise #1 Span.] Free!
[Oral Exercise #2 L. Amer.]
[Final Exam - 50 questions]
[Written Lesson PDF Printer Friendly Page] Free!

Free! jumps out at me and I decide to go for the written lesson:

The verb form "hay" has two meanings:
there is
there are

Examples:

Hay muchos libros en la biblioteca. There are many books in the library.

Hay un libro encima de la mesa. There is a book on the table.

Más ejemplos: (GOOD! Additional info will be provide in Spanish. I like!)

Hay dos baños en mi casa. There are two baths in my house.

Hay cuatro océanos en el mundo. There are 4 oceans in the world.

Hay un libro y una pluma en la mesa. There is one book and one pen on the table. or: There is a book and a pen on the table.

When used in questions, "hay" has two different meanings:

Is there?
Are there?

Ejemplos:

¿Hay un hotel en el centro? Is there a hotel downtown?

¿Hay algunos libros por aquí? Are there any books around here?

Más ejemplos:

¿Hay muchos estudiantes en la clase? Are there lots of students in the class?

¿Hay cuatro sillas en el cuarto? Are there 4 chairs in the room?

¿Hay una chica o dos? Is there one girl or two?

The verb form "hay" can also be used to answer questions.

¿Hay un hotel en el centro? Is there a hotel downtown?
Sí. Sí hay.Yes. Yes there is.

¿Hay algunos libros por aquí? Are there any books around here?
No. No hay.No. No there aren't.

Okay. I've read the info. I feel comfortable using the verb form "hay"...I can even make use of some of the sample phrases. I think I will make flashcards of the phrases, building not only vocabulary but a bank of conversational phrases.

This, just might work...blog you later!

Trabalenguas

As per yesterday's post, you know that I began my renewed study of the Spanish language in February - even though Barcelona ain't gonna happen...





So, here I am, receiving a word of the day in Spanish and not quite sure what to do with them. Sure, I keep copying and pasting them into a word document, but that doesn't mean I remember the words and how to use them. As such, today will be the first day that I really think about how to approach the words.



Today's word is soooooo cool! Trabalenguas. I just love to say it. It means tongue twister in Spanish. I know I can remember this word because it's fun to say. But what if it were a word I didn't like? Hmmm. A quick look at my list and I notice the following word: presumir. It means to show off. What? The verb sounds like "presume" and presume doesn't have any noticeable link to "to show off". I like it when I can paint a visual picture in my head of the foreign word and and English word. So this is a conundrum (sp).



Well, b/tw today and tomorrow, I will have to figure out a way to master this language. What learning strategies can I use?



Stay tuned!

¿Usted no nada nada? No, no traje traje.

Hay chicas chachareras que chacotean con chicos chazos. Y un chico mete al chillón de la chepa un chichón por chirrichote, y el chiste, y lo chocante, es que la chepa se le ha chafado con la hinchazón del chirlo.

El vino vino, pero el vino no vino vino. El vino vino vinagre.

From: http://www.uebersetzung.at/twister/es.htm

Lo Siento, pero eso es la vida!

Woo-hoo! On Monday, February 5, 2007, I received my first "Spanish Word of the Day" via email. I hadn't studied Spanish since the summer of '06, when I took a refresher class at Montgomery College (MC).

But now, I needed to quickly get up to speed as my girlfriend was getting married in BARCELONA and I was invited!

First word: espalda, noun, back. This was exciting...everyone in Barcelona would say about me, "Estaba tumbada de espaldas en la arena." Cool...

Now, the question becomes how do I use the daily words? How do I remember them? Can I work them into everyday conversation w/anyone? At the grocery store when talking to the cashier, "Hey, chico, ves mi espalda? Es muy linda no?" Oh, forgot, he actually speaks French. My bad. Or should I say "mon mauvais"?

Well, all I can come up w/at this point is some type of organizational method: I will cut and paste the words, including any sample sentences in a word document. Maybe by the time have 5 - 7 of them I will have figured out what to do with them.

Wait, what's this you're telling me? I can't GO to Barcelona...you've got to be kidding. Cual es el problema?

SCHOOL! I have four classes a week starting May 21st! But the wedding's on June 16th...I only need to miss...four classes!

What can I possibly do to make this trip happen...I know, I will read my email words everyday and maybe the language gods will make a class or two disappear...tune in tomorrow when the word of the day will be____________________.

Hasta la ultima blog,