Objetivos para la clase

Be sure to post using first name, last initial, Block. Pues, aquí estamos más o menos al principio del año. Quiero saber, ¿cuáles son sus objetivos para esta clase para este año escolar? ¿Cómo vas a alcanzar estos objetivos? ¿Cómo puedo ayudarte como tu profesora? Explica bien con ejemplos. ¡Gracias! (Favor de notar: in addition to answering the above questions, you need to comment on others’ ideas of what they’re planning to do to achieve their objectives). ¡Buena suerte!

What Study Techniques Help You Most?

What helps you learn the most when you're studying? What sort of techniques do you use? Please share your successful techniques so that others can give them a try and be successful too. ¡Gracias!

The Dreaded Final Exam

Yes, it is that time of year for final exams. Let's face it together . . . nobody likes final exams. That's OK! Try to think of it as a rite of passage! You will make it through to the other side, preferably in good shape! There are things you can do to make the experience more manageable. Starting early is key. If you haven't started yet, start immediately! Do you know where to begin? Sometimes getting started is the hardest part so I would suggest taking your study guide and going through it, part by part. If you come across something you honestly don't remember, mark it. Once you've gone through the entire guide, review one marked area at a time. You can go to the text, practice those topics online, or go to an old test/quiz that covered those areas. Once that's done you can go over the topics that you feel more confident about, one by one. It is very important that whenever you do study, you don't do marathon study sessions. Study in smaller blocks of time and take breaks. As long as you know you need to come back from a break it'll work! Really!

So what does it mean to study? I suggest that you be active when you study. Try writing out those verb endings, irregular verbs, pronouns, etc. in charts. Once you're used to writing them down you'll be able to do it when you get to the test and you'll have some great sources of reference to use during the test. Redo parts of old tests and quizzes. You can check your answers to know if you're on track or not and that's very helpful. You can also go through all your flashcards and make piles for the ones you know and the ones you don't know. Then attack the "don't know" pile until all the words/phrases are in the "know" pile. Again, doing this a little at a time is a good way to study. You can also utilize the Internet sites I've discovered to help you. Remember that they're easily accessible in the "Class Files" section of my homework website.

Finally, and this is probably a lot of the mom in me talking, be sure to get a good night's sleep and eat a good breakfast in the morning. Don't skip a meal; your brain needs the energy to work right. Have faith in your abilities and be sure to try; you can do it. ¡Buena suerte!

Investigate a Spanish Site

Take a look at "Some Helpful Spanish Sites" to the right of the Blog entries. Go to any site and let me know what you think about it. There's a variety of sites from which to choose so you may want to look at a few and write about just one. It's up to you! I'm looking forward to reading your responses (in Spanish by Friday for a HW grade). Buena suerte.

Learning Spanish on The Go

There are many ways that you can enhance your Spanish language skills when you're out and about. If you're shopping or traveling, check out signs that may be written in Spanish and English. If they're unfamiliar words, use the English translations or pictures to help you out. This is especially helpful in a store like Lowe's or Home Depot. Our carpentry, plumbing, and electrical students will especially benefit from this type of activity.

Most of you probably have an iPod or MP3 player. Have you thought about checking out some podcasts in Spanish? You can investigate this through iTunes or through various websites. One site that I found is http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podcasts/5964 You can also take a look at the following article http://www.openculture.com/2008/08/learning_spanish_with_free_podcasts_the_lay_of_the_land.html
for some additional information and links to some popular Spanish podcasts--most are FREE. Please share your reactions to any of the podcasts. Do you think they'll help? Do you like listening to the different accents? What do you think? ¿Qué piensas?

Spring is in the Air

Spring is finally here and it's often a time to get outside and maybe get away from the books if you're a student. While this is understandable, we don't want you to undo all the hard work that you've done throughout the school year. A lot is still at stake from now until the end of the school year in June. Consider bringing hard copies of vocabulary lists with you as you sit outside and soak up some rays. Try naming some of the things that you see outside--el sol, la hierba, las nubes, las flores, etc. You can also describe what you see--El sol es amarillo pero la hierba es verde. En la primavera hay muchas flores de muchos colores. Even if it's not the topic you're specifically studying in your Spanish class, you can improve your Spanish language skills while enjoying all that spring has to offer. ¡Que se diviertan!

Grammar

We hear a lot about grammar in studying language. In short, grammar is the fancy name for the rules that need to be followed in a language. Just like in English, one may be understood while speaking even though he/she doesn't use perfect grammar. For example, if someone were to say "Yo no hablar español," that person would get his/her point across about not speaking Spanish. [In case you didn't catch the grammar mistake, the sentence should read "Yo no hablo español."] In basic conversation someone can get away with that mistake but not over and over again. When we look at writing, that's when the rules of grammar seem to become even more important. While there has been a shift in language learning so that communication is more at the forefront, there is still the underlying rules governing the language; we can't get away from the rules. We have to play by the rules! That's why understanding the terms of the rules is important. In Spanish, we need to learn about subjects, subject pronouns, gender, adjective agreement, etc. Just like 2 plus 2 must equal 4, an adjective must always agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies in Spanish. So don't be afraid of the rules as they are a necessary part of the language!

Careers Using Spanish

It used to be that if people were studying Spanish, they either were doing it to become a teacher or a translator and that was pretty much it. Nowadays that is definitely not the case. There are so many opportunities for you to use your Spanish skills in just about any career now. Many classified ads now indicate that bilingual skills are preferred whether it's for an administrative assistant or an engineer. There are positions in information technology, human resources, travel, health care, and hospitality industries just to name a few. Combining other skills with your Spanish skills will make you more marketable. In our current economy, we know that jobs are hard to come by but you can stand out and be more desirable with your language skills. So keep up with your Spanish and it just may open some new doors in your career.

Study by Being Active!

See it, say it, hear it, write it! By using as many senses as you can, you increase your chances for learning and remembering what you're studying. "The 'recording disk' of the brain accepts new material much faster if it hears, sees or pictures, feels, tastes, and detects physical activity during input or recording time. And, the more the activity is repeated, the deeper and longer lasting the impression." (from http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/tools/olr/study_skills/study_test/active_study.htm) So the next time you're preparing for a quiz or a test, don't just sit there! Write your vocabulary, say it, draw a picture to help you remember! You can also go to online practice and game sites to help you review. To help you get used to active studying, try to use a checklist.

Practice Vocabulary and Donate Rice at The Same Time!

A fun and easy way to support the UN World Food Program and practice your Spanish vocabulary is right at your fingertips! You can watch your level improve as you go. If you're interested, you can also explore other topics such as art, geography, other languages, and math. So don't just sit there! Get clicking and reviewing vocabulary!