International Student Mentoring

One of the aspects of my job that I love the most is the chance to mentor International Students. I currently mentor a student from Japan. Over the past summer, I became the "American Mom" to two young women from Turkey (yes, I also taught them to speak some Spanish!). I look forward to hearing from these Turkish students, who have returned home to further their university studies. Both are Mechanical Engineering majors. Although Turkey is not currently at war, Syria is its neighbor and the political situation there is volatile. Bloodshed has already spilled over the border. You might enjoy learning the place names of other countries as they are expressed in Spanish. You will find a nice list below of country names along with the word used to express nationality. Use the Spanish verb ser to express origen. I am from Spain. Soy de España. I am Spanish. Soy espñola. Ceren (pronounced like the English "Jedda") is from Turkey. Ceren es de Turquía. She is Turkish. Es turca. Country País Nacionalidad Afghanistan Afganistán afganos Africa Africa africanos Albania Albania albaneses Algeria Argelia argelinos America América americanos Andorra Andorra andorranos Anguilla Anguila anguilenses Antigua and Barbuda Antigua y Barbuda antiguanos Argentina Argentina argentinos Aruba Aruba arubeños Asia Asia asiáticos Australia Australia australianos Austria Austria austriacos, austríacos (The) Bahamas (las) Bahamas bahameños Bangladesh Bangladés/Bangladesh bangladesíes Barbados Barbados barbadenses Barbuda Barbuda barbudeses Belgium Bélgica belgas Belize Belice beliceños Benin Benín beninenses Bolivia Bolivia bolivianos Bolivia Bolivia bolivianos Bonaire Bonaire bonairenses Botswana Botswana botswaneses Brazil Brasil brasileños British Virgin Islands Islas Vírgenes Británicas virginenses británicos Bulgaria Bulgaria búlgaros Burma Birmania birmanos Burkina Faso Burkina Faso burkinabés Cameroun Camerún camaruneses Cambodia Camboya camboyanos Canada Canadá canadienses More...

El Nuevo Semestre

Empezamos el nuevo semestre el día 17 de enero de 2012.

iOS and Android Apps

Android Me encanta... Univisión (with videos) New flashcard app from dictionary.com radios de españa iOs Emergency Medical Spanish Twitter (profejulia) (I retweet current events and interesting comments from Hispanic personalities like HIlda Solís, Soledad O'Brien, George Lopez, and more) Do you know of some quality language learning apps on these or another platform? Please comment.

Tortilla de patata

Tonight I am cooking tortilla de patata. Perhaps fittingly, I am also making a German chocolate cake. This situation speaks to me of the perfect combination of my two heritages.

Por fin I have both enough patatas and enough huevos left in the house. With four, sometimes five boys living here, comida in any quantity doesn't last long in the cupboard or on the table.

Tortilla de patata is a matter of both national and family pride for the Spanish. I hope that my children will say that I make a good one.

Kicking it Old School with Direct Object Pronouns

Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns have always been something of a "sticky wicket" for non-native speakers of Spanish.

In plain English, they're difficult to master.

The DO (Direct Object) is found by asking taking the verb and asking the question: _____ who? OR _______what?

"I see the mountains." (I see what? Mountains)

The IO is found by asking "To whom or for whom?"

Randy told Jowell a joke. "Told a joke to whom?" Randy.

In this song by Jowell and Randy (old school!) He says, "No te veo"

"I don't see you."

Te vas no me dices nada que pasa que ya no te veo
no te veo
te vas no me dices nada que pasa que ya no te veo
no te veo
te vas no me dices nada que pasa que ya no te veo
no te veo
te vas no me dices nada que pasa que ya no te veo
no te veo

My suggestion? Read, watch and listen to the ways that native speakers use DO's and IO's.

Feel free to comment if you know of another song that exemplifies the use of DO and IO pronouns.

Freedom! Libertad!

I've just become familiar with Google Talk and video chats. I imagine this would be a nice way to listen to distance learning student oral presentations or to have on-line office hours.

Finally! Por fin! I can rid myself of my avatar (as in Second Life) and just be me.

Yo.

Baja. Morena. Contenta.

The college was, and still is, supportive of the Second Life format. Instructors and students walk around (as avatars) in a virtual world. I took a class in order to familiarize myself with both the culture and the tools involved. My name was "Aracely Highfield." (Don't bother looking for me in Second Life, however.)

Flying off of buildings was fun. Seeing "myself" walking under the ocean and navigating through strange virtual cities was, well, strange.

I'm using a tablet with front and rear facing cameras for the video chat. It's easy to carry around and I'm freed from sitting in front of a desktop for extended periods of time.

Students- Contact me in the course space for my gmail address. I'd be more than happy to set up a time to give this idea a test run.

RELAX!

Tengo que relajarme. Sé esto porque hoy me encuentro anxiosa y enfadada incluso con el tiempo. Quién se enfada con la nieve? Pues yo. Hoy nieva mucho y es muy peligroso viajar. Acaba de nacerse mi nueva nieta "Collette" y quiero ir a la casa de mi hermana para conocerla. Y no me atrevo.

Every Tuesday morning I take my oldest son to school for early morning band practice. This morning the roads were snow covered. The van doors were frozen (Picture me trying to shove the younger children, half asleep and wrapped in blankets, into the back of the van by way of the driver's seat).

I had plans to travel today. I have a new niece, named "Collette" (her father is French-Canadian) and I had hoped to drive to the Niagara Falls area to meet her. But when I set out this morning I found that travel is dangerous. It's very cold outside and the blowing wind is causing drifts. I don't dare drive.

And I'm mad. I'm mad at the weather. Like many people who live in the Northeast, I'm simply tired of the snow and cold.

I really should find a way to relax.

How do you relax?
¿Cómo te relajas?