Away in A Manger

Away in A Manger sung on Sesame Street (cool tip, Teach Yourself Spanish with Sesame Street) its a great way to learn using childrens television.

Away in a Manger translated into Spanish:-

Jesús en pesebre, sin cuna, nació; 
Su tierna cabeza en heno durmió. 
Los astros, brillando, prestaban su luz 
al niño dormido, pequeño Jesús.

Los bueyes bramaron y Él despertó, 
mas Cristo fue bueno y nunca lloró. 
Te amo, oh Cristo, y mírame, sí, 
aquí en mi cuna, pensando en ti.

Te pido, Jesús, que me guardes a mí, 
amándome siempre, como te amo a ti. 
A todos los niños da tu bendición, 
y haznos más dignos de tu gran mansión.

Dipthongs

If you have begun to 

teach yourself Spanish you may have come across Dipthongs. A good one for me is Reinas (Queens) - which is the name of a film. 

A “Diphthong” is the name given to the combination of a strong vowel (A/E/O) and a weak vowel (I/U) or two weak vowels together forming a single syllable.  In such instances you should pronounce both vowels clearly, but together in the same breath. An example of a Spanish diphthong is the “AI” combination in “bai-le” (dance) or the “UE” combination in “bue-no” (good). 

Examples

Aire: air
Laura: female name
Serio: serious
Siempre: always
Remedio: remedy
Rubio: blond
Suave: soft
Rueda: wheel
Puerro: leek
Ruido: noise
Abierto: open
Estudio: studio
Fuerte: strong
Puerto: port
Tierra: ground, earth
Siete: seven
Ciudad: city
Labio: lip
Canción: song
Europa: Europ

State of Alarm

Spanish air traffic controllers went on strike this week. The government took a very hard line, created a state of alarm, called in the military and sent them back to work. 

Add spanish flash cards for :-

Government -  el gobierno

state of alarm -  Estado de Alarma

The photo shows the beautiful Madrid Airport terminal 

Leighton Meester practicing Spanish in Madrid

Leighton Meester popped up in Madrid Spain yesterday morning at a photo call for Herbal Essences at the city's Hesperia Hotel. The Gossip Girl star is abroad tending to her promotional duties after a good few weeks in the Big Apple, where she got decked out for fashionable parties like the CFDA Awards and rocked a serious '90s look for a jewelry bash with Halle Berry. She also logged some time on set with Penn Badgley, filming moreWTF moments for this season. Taylor's future on the show is uncertain, but she's still under contract with the CW. I wonder if Leighton has thought about doing a teach yourself Spanish course, if she is rocking up in Madrid for Herbal Essence? 

Warm Scallop Salad

Make it fun to teach yourself Spanish with this Spanish recipe

Ingredients:

8 scallops
100 ml of cream
240 gr of courgette
300 gr of Galician cheese
5 cl of Ribeiro white wine
500 gr of fresh spinach
Salt
Black Pepper
Olive oil

Preparation:

Grate the courgette and then fry slightly in hot oil, seasoning with salt and pepper. Put to one side.
Lightly fry the spinach in the same pan. Season and put to one side.
Melt the cheese with the white wine in a pan and add the cream. Let this reduce, season with salt and pepper and put to one side also.
Fry the scallops in a pan on both sides for 4 minutes.
Put the courgette and the spinach on a plate, then put the scallops on top and pour the cheese sauce over the scallops.
Serve hot.

Teach yourself Spanish at la Puerta Del Sol

Teach yourself Spanish at la Puerta Del Sol

Rivers in the Fall in Spanish

Fall by the river is absolutely amazing this year. In Spanish the word for river bank is la orilla

This can also be used for shore, or edge. Go ahead and use what is happening around you to teach yourself Spanish Try to think about each new situation and how you would say it in Spanish.

I remember orila by word association. Orilla reminds me of Rio that almighty river in the Amazon basin. I already know Rio is river and ccan remember that Orillia is River Bank. I think of the actual river bank of the Rio in the Amazon. If I need the word for river bank (not that often), I think of the Rio in the Amazon and get Orilla

Spanish Bull Fights

One of the great things that happens if you teach yourself Spanish is that you can engage with the culture much more than if you are a by-stander. Some states in Spain (e.g. Catalonia) are now banning Bull Fights, which is polarising local opinion.

If you are teaching yourself Spanish to retire

South America is such an exceptionally vibrant continent, inhabited by passionate people who live life to the full.  As Lonely Planet puts it: “It’s as though the continent was built for travel.”  If you’re currently exploring your global options in search of the best place to retire, and you’re looking for a place where you can have a low cost yet high quality living, South America is home to a handful of nations that you might like to closely consider. Where ever you choose you need to teach yourself Spanish of course if you want to integrate into the local community.

Espacio Escultorico is a place of innovative art project in Mexico,

Espacio Escultorico is a place of innovative art project in Mexico, located in the University Cultural Center. The sculpture garden at UNAM, is a popular gathering place for students and locals alike. The concrete wedges of this sculpture form a circle around a volcanic rock formation where visitors come to meditate. 

Learn Spanish DVD

Revolution

Ten Spanish directors provide a wonderfully diverse group of shorts on the legacy of the Revolution that so shaped their country one hundred years on.

Spanish History is missing for many British school children

Clueless British children think Spanish Armada is a national dish and Sir Walter Raleigh invented the bicycle

If you have begun to 

teach yourself Spanish you may be amazed that 

British children know little about their own culture, let alone the Spanish culture. British children reckon the Spanish Armada is a national dish, Walter Raleigh invented the bicycle and 18th Century explorer Captain Cook was the helm of Starship Enterprise, according to research released today. 

Frighteningly, a new survey also reveals that  many also think that the Battle of Waterloo was fought at the London rail terminal, Horatio Nelson captained the French football team in the Nineties... and  that thousands have never set foot in the sea.

Spanish Harlem

Bad stuff is happening in Spanish Harlem. Gang turf wars are turning on gays. Society here has absolutely fallen apart.

Teach Yourself Spanish with the BBC

The BBC offer help if you want to teach yourself Spanish. The BBC has a 

free website with audio, video, tests, games and even crossword puzzles. It’s Spain Spanish which there are a few differences between Latin American and European Spanish, but at this level, I’m not sure that’s a concern right now. Some of the pages go along with their TV series on the BBC, so those aren’t very helpful. But there is a lot there to explore. Don’t miss the Spanish Slang page.

Teach Yourself Spanish here or in a Spanish country?

Sometimes people will say, "the only way to teach yourself Spanish is to go down and live there for a while." Not true. This is great to do after you learn the language well, not before. Please understand that the fastest way to learn anything is to work from your strength, not your weakness. It is very difficult to learn in a vacuum. Your strength is your English, not your Spanish. 

In his classic book, "The Seven Laws of Teaching," John Milton Gregory asserts that "the unknown must be learned from the known." This is accepted in all valid forms of training. It is time we accept it in language training. It is faster, it is easier and it works. You do not, nor should you, learn in a vacuum. You learn best based on tangible, understood principles.

Films to teach youself Spanish

Going to see a Spanish movie is a perfect way to help you along a bit, if you have decided to teach yourself Spanish.

This latest move "El Ambulante" is showing at the London Film Festival. 

In El Ambulante, a self-taught filmmaker arrives in small-town Argentina to embark on a new project with a group of locals in this hugely enjoyable documentary. 

Gay Marches in St Petersburg

Gay News from Russia, Russia's second-largest city, St Petersburg, must allow gay Pride marches to go ahead, the city court has ruled. As in the country's capital, Moscow, St Petersburg authorities have repeatedly banned gay marches and refused to give organisers alternative dates.

Columbus Day in the Spanish World

In the Spanish speaking world, the arrival of Columbus in the Americas in 1492 is being observed today (12 October). The day is usually marked as Día de la Raza or Día de la Hispanidad (or, for those who see him as a symbol of imperialism, as Día de la Resistencia Indígena). In the United States it is observed annually on the second Monday in October.

Chrisopher Columbus or Critobel Colon came fromGenoa in Italy where the native language of Genoa at that time was Ligurian. Columbus spoke several languages by the time he was an adult, including Latin, Portuguese, Spanish, and perhaps Catalan. So it is difficult to tie down his nationality from the languages he spoke in later life.

Columbus had a massive impact on the Americas. After all you if you live in the USA, you probably wouldn't need to teach yourself Spanish if it weren't for him.

Never throw anything to someone in a Spanish country

Never throw anything to someone in Latin America. It is considered a very impolite gesture. Just pass it to them instead.

http://www.dvdlearnspanish.com/learn-spanish-dvd/what-you-need-to-look-for-in-a-learn-spanish-dvd

Basic Spanish Phrases

Basic Spanish Phrases

 

If you want to ask for the bill (check) in a restaurant

La cuente, por favor 

Learn Spanish DVD

The cardón, the largest cactus in the world.

We were in the middle of Baja California, one of the 31 states of Mexico searching for the cardón, the largest cactus in the world. They can grow up to 70 feet high and weigh 25 tons. They can store up to a ton of water and live over 300 years. Soon we began seeing the monsters, growing in forests called "cardonales. The cardón depends of migrating bats to pollinate its flowers in spring. When they pass back through in the fall, the golf ball sized fruits have fallen to the ground and split open, providing the bats and birds sustenance even as they distribute the ingested seeds through the area. Why not add a flash card for cardón?

It is amazing being in a desert climate. At first the landscape looks desolate and hostile but on closer inspection you can discover all sorts of life.

Many Feared Dead in Mexican Landslide

Terrible news for the Spanish community.

A hillside collapsed onto a village in the southern Mexican
state of Oaxaca early Tuesday, burying houses in mud and
stones and trapping hundreds of people as they slept, state
authorities said.

As many as 300 houses in the village of Santa Maria
Tlahuitoltepec may have been buried in the landslide, said
the state governor, Ulises Ruiz.

Rescue workers trying to reach the village with earth-moving
equipment have been hampered by blocked roads in the remote
area, which has been pounded by incessant rains. "We hope to
reach in time to rescue those families who were buried by the
hill," Mr. Ruiz told Mexican television.

Not where you would want to practice your Spanish at the moment unfortunately 

Learn Spanish DVD

Spanish World Culture - the day of the dead

The Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is not the morbid Spanish event it may at first appear: to the contrary, it is an uplifting fiesta, celebrated mainly in Mexico, to remember and pay tribute to friends and relatives who have died. It is believed that the souls of the deceased are believed to return to earth on this day, which falls on 2nd November each year, in conjunction with the Catholic holy festival of All Saints’ Day (Día de Todos los Santos) on 1st November.

As with many Mexican rituals, the Day of the Dead has pre-Hispanic roots, dating back some 2,500-3,000 years to the Aztecs, Mayas, Olmecs and other indigenous civilisations. In Aztec times the festival was celebrated in August, the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, and for an entire month. In modern-day Mexico, celebrations take place in November, and the day before Día de los Muertos, 1st November, is dedicated to lost children and infants: this is known as Día de los Angelitos, or Day of the Little Angels, as children who die are believed to automatically become angels.

Glad to be learning more about Spanish culture whilst learning Spanish with Spanish flash cards - (tips how to use 

Spanish flash cards here)

Learn Spanish DVD

Hurricane Karl has passed through South East Mexico

Hurricane Karl has passed through South East Mexico

Officials estimate that some 500,000 people were affected by floods and overflowing rivers.

The rains have killed 12 people, plus eight others still missing.

The state of Veracruz is the one who reported more damage by the hurricane.Gov. Fidel Herrera ordered the complete evacuation of the affected areas.

Since August, Veracruz has been affected by five meteorological phenomena.The Interior Ministry declared a state of emergency to 65 municipalities in the state, where the shortage of food and drinking water led to the sacking of some businesses.

If you were thinking of heading down to Mexico to practive  your Spanish, it may be wise to wait until after the hurricane season.

How to Teach yourself Spanish

Learn Spanish DVD

Three words you must have for tomatoes

If you want to teach yourself spanish, the basic word for tomato is tomate. Jitomate is a word you'll hear in Mexico for tomato. This kind:-

Cherry Tomatoes are called tomatillos.

Green tomatoes are tomates.  Or a tomate verde.

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nope to the pope

Ciudad Perdida: The spectacular five-day trek to Colombia's Lost City

Ciudad Perdida: The spectacular five-day trek to Colombia's Lost City

Backpackers in Colombia are divided into two groups: those who have made the exhausting five-day trek to Ciudad Perdida, and those who haven't. 

Dating from the 800s, Ciudad Perdida (literally "Lost City") was once home to as many as four thousand Tayrona Indians, but its ruins were hidden by dense forest until grave robbers re-discovered the city in 1973 (and stole everything that wasn't nailed down). Located on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range near Colombia's northern coast, Ciudad Perdida's ruins are as impressive as they are remote, containing about 170 stone terraces that were once the foundations for Tayrona houses, markets, and ritual sites.

Spanish Flash Cards

Learn Spanish DVD

Exercise really does make you clever: Fit children have better memories

Exercise really does make you clever: Fit children have better memories say experts

By Claire Bates
Last updated at 5:28 PM on 16th September 2010

• Comments (0)
• Add to My Stories

Running around in the playground is not just good for a child's physical health - it also improves their memories, according to a study.

Researchers found children who were fitter tended to have a bigger hippocampus - the area deep in the brain associated with learning. 

The study, published in the journal Brain Research, found the more active youngsters also performed better on memory tests.

Physically fit children performed better in memory tests and had larger hippocampi, according to a new study (posed)

Study leader Professor Charles Hillman, of the University of Illinois, said: 'This is the first study I know of that has used MRI measures to look at differences in brain between kids who are fit and kids who aren't fit.

'Beyond that, it relates those measures of brain structure to cognition.'

The team tested the physical fitness of a group of 49 nine and 10 year olds by measuring their oxygen levels while running on a treadmill. They then took MRI scans of their brains.

The results revealed that the physically fit children had hippocampi that were 12 per cent larger relative to their brain size than their out-of-shape peers.

They also performed better on tests of relational memory - the ability to remember and integrate various types of information.

More...

• How diet and NOT exercise is the key to losing weight

Doctoral student Laura Chaddock said: 'Higher fit children had higher performance on the relational memory task, higher fit children had larger hippocampal volumes, and in general, children with larger hippocampal volumes had better relational memory.'

She added that previous studies supported their findings.

'In animal studies, exercise has been shown to specifically affect the hippocampus, significantly increasing the growth of new neurons and cell survival, enhancing memory and learning, and increasing molecules that are involved in the plasticity of the brain,' Miss Chaddock said.

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Definitely worth knowing!

Lose Cellulite

Beber is the usual equivalent of the English verb "to drink"

Beber is the usual equivalent of the English verb "to drink" and is nearly always used to refer to the ingestion of a liquid. Like the English verb, beber in context can be used to refer specifically to the drinking of alcohol.

Here are some common phrases that use beber:

• beber a chorros — to drink heavily

• beber a morro — to drink straight from the bottle

• beber a sorbos, beber a sorbitos — to sip

• beber como una cuba, beber como una esponja, beber como un cosaco — to drink like a fish

• beber con exceso — to drink to excess

• beber con la lengua — to lap up

• beber de un trago — to drink in a gulp

• beber hasta la última gota — to drink to the last drop

• beber los vientos por — to have a strong desire for

Learn Spanish DVD

Spain has a rich cultural history

Spain has a rich cultural history. It seems there is a festival or celebration every week of the year.

Learn Spanish DVD

Spanish Recipe - Risotto Con Foie

Spanish Recipe - Risotto Con Foie

The Spanish Blog

Cool recipe Lear Spanish DVD

Sent with Reeder

lose weight help

Great ways to ramp up your vocabulary.

One of the oldest ways to learn vocabulary, Flash Cards still have their place. They have to be used correctly though and there are three ways of making them super effective.

Check out the post on Spanish Flashcards here

What a great place to go to practice Spanish.

What a great place to go to practice Spanish. The V Hotel is a fantastic jungle retreat near the fishing village of Yelapa in tropical Mexico. This modern hotel was designed by Heinz Legler and us a 5 acre area with infinity pool, spa, restaurant, yoga hut and 8 guest rooms. Book me in.

Learn Spanish DVD

Learning Spanish For Valencia

Next Spring I am off to Valencia, Spain. From the guidebooks I have learnt that Valencia has a mash-up of historic architecture from the Romans, through Moorish and Medieval. One of the most amazing buildings is the “City of the Sciences and Arts” which was built by Santiago Calatrava. One of the largest and oldest cathedrals in the world is also in Valencia. Amazing entrance.

By the time I get there I should have finished with my Learn Spanish DVD and be speaking to the locals about their architecture.

The Canary Islands are Spain's largest archipelago

The Canary Islands are Spain's largest archipelago and are located 100km off the northwest coast of Africa west of Morocco. The Canaries have great natural attractions, climate and beaches making the islands a major tourist destination, being visited each year by about 12 million people. Among the islands, Tenerife has the most number of tourists received annually, followed by Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. Tenerife's main tourist attraction is the Teide National Park where the highest mountain in Spain and third largest volcano in the world (Mount Teide) is located.

Tenerife is a great place to practice Spanish, as the locals speak with a very clear pronunciation. Don't forget to take your learn Spanish DVD with you.

Is there an artificial language based on romance languages?

Is there an artificial language based on romance languages?

Yes, in fact there's more than one, but the main one is InterLingua. Although like Esperanto, it does have influences from Russian and German and in particular English, it is however much more largely based on the romance languages.

Millions understand Interlingua "at first sight"

Speakers of Romance languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, French or Italian especially understand Interlingua immediately and almost effortlessly.

Why do we need yet another language though? I am sticking to my learn Spanish DVD course.

Bogota becomes the trendy new place to practice Spanish

Bogota in Columbia is becoming a hot destination for American tourists. Bogota seems to have cleaned up it's act with the drug barons and is repositioning itself as a new hip and trendy destination. This pink street gives us a flavour of Bogota. Not conventionally pretty and surrounded by drab urban jungle, Bogota has some interesting eatery neighbourhoods, the trendy art district (Candelaria) and a set of decent hotels. It's a good place to practice your Spanish if you are using a learn Spanish DVD and you want a change from Mexico.

YouTube Launches Dedicated Full-Length Movie Section-Check Out Spanish Films

YouTube Launches Dedicated Full-Length Movie Section

By Matt Brian Follow Matt Brian on twitter on August 27th, 2010

After striking deals with Lionsgate, MGM and Sony Pictures in the US and UK movie service Blinkbox, YouTube launched a free new movie service with an initial catalog of 400 full-length movies available on-demand.

Simply entitled “Films”, the new section has its own YouTube URL and offers mainstream releases, classics and also Bollywood hits. At the time of writing, the front page offers a couple of Jackie Chan films, Ridley Scott’s Life In A Day YouTube project and a number of independent films.

YouTube head of video partnerships, Donagh O’Malley spoke to The Guardian:

“This is one of many efforts to ensure that people can find all the different kinds of video they want to see, from bedroom vlogs and citizen journalism reports to full-length films and TV shows.

We hope film lovers enjoy the range of titles in this free library, whether catching up on a mainstream hit or delving into the vast archive of classic films from decades past.”

YouTube’s deal with Blinkbox sees around 165 of it’s films, normally priced at £1.99 and upwards, available for free. These films will have advertising incorporated into the films, I noticed a trailer for a 3D film on one of the videos I viewed.

I imagine there will be a number of films that will excite some readers, but on the most part the selection is very limited at present.

For Google related breaking news, discussion & prizes join TNW Google on Facebook and Twitter, or grab our RSS feed here.

About the Author Matt is based near London and is the Mobile Editor for TheNextWeb. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. You can reach Matt via email at matt@thenextweb.com.

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This is a great opportunity to watch full length Spanish movies, which will complement any learn Spanish DVD course. Immersion in the language doesn't necessarily mean travelling to a Spanish speaking country.

Top Ten Dead-Giveaways That You’re a Foreigner Speaking Spanish

Top Ten Dead-Giveaways That You’re a Foreigner Speaking Spanish

If you want to learn Spanish, DVD multimedia courses are a fantastic method. Additionally it is really helpful to immerse yourself with magazines, TV, radio (via the internet if necessary) and movies. When you get to a Spanish country, you will be so much more familiar with the sound of Spanish and so much more prepared. You are bound to make mistakes, and by making mistakes we learn. Here are the top dead giveaways that you are an English speaker and not a native:-   

Dead-Giveaway 1: Past Tense Confusion

Getting confused by the difference between the pretérito indefinido (canté/estuve/escribi) and the pretérito imperfecto (cantaba/estaba/escribía).

Dead-Giveaway 2: Por/Para

No getting away from these two – you have to knuckle down and learn the differences, but fear not, soon it becomes second nature, and we have the perfect…

Dead-Giveaway 3: The Rolling ‘R’

There is a subtle difference between the pronunciation of ‘r’ and ‘rr’, for example in pero/perro, caro/carro, and many Spanish learners are convinced they will never be able to pronounce a proper rrrrrolling ‘r’.

Dead-Giveaway 4: Ser/Estar

Just as with Por and Para, the Ser y Estar ‘problem’ drives many Spanish learners mad, but worry not! We have a a very good bit of audio to sort these two out as well!

Dead-Giveaway 5: ¡Doy Propinas Demasiado Grandes!

Giving excessive tips (propinas) is a sure sign of being a foreigner on holiday in Spain. Spaniards tend to leave somewhere between no tip at all (when drinking in bars, or for a menu del día at lunchtime), to around 5% (if service is really good, usually at dinner in the evening or for a smart lunch).

Dead-Giveaway 6: Using “El Subjuntivo”

It’s not such a nightmare as you think to start using the subjunctive! You have to start eventually, and if you are at a comfortable intermediate level, nows the time to get going!

Dead-Giveaway 7: Word Order and More…

Failing to make adjectives and verbs agree with the gender and number of objects/people… word order in sentences… using the right prepositions… This covers an awful lot, but the solution to all of these problems is the same…

Dead-Giveaway 8: Falsos Amigos

Why does Actualmente mean Currently (and not actually, which is de hecho), and how can Sanidad mean health system (and not sanity, which is juicio or cordura)?

Dead-Giveaway 9: Saying Please and Thank You Too Much!

The British, to name but one nationality, use please and thank you quite a bit more than the Spanish use ‘por favor’ and ‘gracias’.

Dead-Giveaway 10: The Gender of Words

How annoying that the Spanish language has to decide if things are Masculine or Feminine! What’s more, there are ‘trick’ ones that really look like they should be the other way round, like ‘la mano’, ‘el sofa’, ‘el problema’, and ‘el tema’.

Babelfish to DVD

In the Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, interstellar travelers had a little fish, called a Babelfish, that they could slip into their ear and make them instantly literate in any language. 

Wouldn't that be fantastic? Unfortunately reality is that this device doesn't exist yet, so we are left with the other option of learning another language. 

From my learning the Spanish language, this is a better option anyway. It really helped my understanding of the English language. Many Spanish words can be directly translated into English, but the directly translated word sometimes sounds a bit old fashioned. e.g. valor = courage. We use the English word valour, but it's not normally spoken.

The best way to learn Spanish now is to use a Learn Spanish DVD course which includes video, audio and interactive games. Make sure it targets you own specific learner type too.