Capítulo 3 continues...

Like I said in class, I need you to review Capítulo 3, Lección A during your break and some of Lección B. You will have a test on January 10th. Also review your latest Quiz and the handouts for these lessons (pages 29 - 33 from the Grammar and Vocabulary Workbook Mrs. Clemente or Mrs. Feld gave you - if you're missing any of these handouts, please come see Mrs. Feld at the Windows Lab or go to G&V handouts -click this link- and select those pages from Capítulo 3, Lessons A and B). Read page 94 and try to understand how to introduce people in Spanish, do Exercises No. 8, 9 and 10 - we'll review these exercises when we come back from our Christmas vacation. Introductions won't be included in the test!

Review the question words we learned in class (check previous entry and page 96). Do the Textbook Exercises No. 14, 16 and 17 (pages 97 and 98). Study (review) "Verbo Ir," page 104 and Exercises No. 28, 29 and 31 (study these exercises for the test of January 10, 2012). You must know the "Palabras y Expresiones" on page 109. Note: that when you say "by car," or "by bus," in Spanish you say "en" most of the time (which is really 'in' or 'on') - you don't say "por" (the actual translation of "by"). Examples: Vamos en carro. Él va en avión. Pedro va en autobús. El señor y la señora Morales van a Europa en barco. ¿Vosotros vais en bicicleta? Exceptions: Ella va al parque a caballo (Note: for caballo you use "a" instead of "en" also for pie - a pie - Ella va a pie, meaning she's walking, or going on foot).

Lección B, page 110: start learning this new vocabulary, do Exercise No. 2. In Lección B you will also learn how  to conjugate "Verbos -er" (verbs that end in -er) - check page 120. If you notice, the difference with -ar verbs is that instead of "a" you use "e" for the endings (maybe this is an easier way to remember how to conjugate these verbs). For instance: Nosotros comemos (ends in "emos" not "amos"). For Yo (First Person Singular) the ending is the same - "o." So, practice conjugating the verbs: comer, aprender, creer, beber, comprender, leer, responder and vender. Also practice the verbs: hacer, saber and ver (which are different for "yo"). For hacer - yo hago, saber - yo sé, ver - yo veo. Check the video: Present Tense of "-Er" Verbs click this link or go to "Favorite Links" on this blog - right side. I suggest you write the conjugation of "-er verbs" in your notebooks and also conjugate the verbs mentioned above.

In January we will review Lección B, including Exercises No. 8, 9, 15, 21 and 22 - pages 114-121 (study these exercises for the test of January 10, 2012). We must quickly jump to Capítulo 4, "Mi Familia." In Chapter 4 you will learn about families and -ir verbs, we will also review a few things from previous chapters, to be able to form better sentences and question sentences.

Test: Thursday, January 10, 2012. Study: Capítulo 3 (Lessons A and B). Check highlighted sections above. Skip the "Introductions." "Verbo Ir" - you must know this verb really well, so please memorize it. Also study "-er verbs" like "comer" y "comprender." You must be able to conjugate these verbs properly. Page 104, exercises 28, 29 and 31. Pages 114-121, exercises 8, 9, 15, 21 and 22. Handouts mentioned above. Also: Workbook pages 47 and 48 and G & V Handout ("Verbo Comer" and other -er verbs).

Midterm: The midterm will include Chapters 1 - 4.

Capítulo 3

Starting Friday, December 7, 2012, we will be working on Capítulo 3 - Lección A: ¿Adónde vamos en la ciudad?

You will learn the verb "ir." Not the verbs ending in "-ir" yet, but the "verbo ir" which means "to go." Please write the Estructura on page 104 in your notebooks and notice that the endings are just like the "verbo estar" (this should make it easier for you to learn). The only difference with the endings of "estar" is that there are no accents, no tildes.

Yo voy, tú vas, él/ella/usted va, nosotros vamos, vosotros vais, ellos/ellas/ustedes van.

You will have a Quiz (on Monday, December 17) on this verb (ir) and I will ask you to complete sentences similar to the ones on Exercise 28 (page 104). I will also ask you how to change different adjectives to feminine, and plural form, and you must understand when the adjective remains the same (when referring to a singular/masculine subject pronoun) and how to add the appropriate question words to complete "question sentences." Any questions, please feel free to ask Mrs. Feld.

The present tense of the "verbo ir," conjugated above, is irregular. The most irregular verbs in Spanish are also the most common. Remember that "ir" (verbo ir) in Spanish means "to go" in English.

Another verb that is conjugated like the verbos "estar" and "ir" is "dar" (to give):

Yo doy, tu das, él/ella/usted da, nosotros damos, vosotros dais, ellos/ellas/ustedes dan.

So " dar" is not conjugated like the typical "-ar verbs" for the first person singular pronoun (personal pronoun) "yo." Look at these endings: yo estoy (estar), yo voy (ir), yo doy (dar) - they're the same!

So, remember this: "ir" and "dar" are conjugated like the "verbo estar" (same endings except for the "tildes"). "-ar verbs" are conjugated like "estar" except for the first person singular "yo" (or you can say that "ir," "dar" and "estar" are conjugated like " -ar verbs" except for the personal pronoun/first person "yo"). PLEASE TRY TO UNDERSTAND THIS AND IT WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER (when learning Spanish).

Suggestion: write these verbs (all the ones you learned and will learn in this Chapter) on index cards. Have them handy to review and study. I know some of you are not writing the Spanish vocabulary and verbs on index cards or your notebooks.

Also write the adjectives you have learned and the question words (interrogative pronouns) on index cards and your notebooks. When you write things down, you learn better!

 Computer Assignment (Friday, December 7, 2012):

Go to page 90 of the Aventura Textbook and write all the vocabulary down (I know I asked you to hand-in this vocabulary and translation on Thursday, December 20th, as well as Diálogo I), but I need you to start understanding this new vocabulary for this lesson. You can start this assignment . (I will collect the Vocabulary I and Diálogo I from pages 60, 61 and 62 this Friday).

Listen to the Textbook Audio Program mp3's for these new pages (90, 91 and 92). Listen carefully, repeat the new vocabulary and expressions so you learn how to pronounce them properly. You can also listen to the Activities for the different pages (skip Activity 6), follow your textbook.

Remember: you MUST write the "Estructuras" in each Chapter in your notebooks. Read them and try to understand them. We will review this material in class. Also write the "Repaso Rapido" from page 96 (very important to review the question words).

Besides qué, de qué, dónde, de dónde, cuál, cuáles, cómo, quién, quiénes - I asked you to add por qué and adónde. Also add cuándo, cuánto, cuánta, cuantos, cuántas. 

You already worked in groups finding two questions for 9 of these question words. I need you to create two more questions for the other words. You can find more than two, check the different chapters from your Spanish textbook and workbook and find examples of "questions." Also understand what they are asking (you must know the "meaning" of these question words). On Monday, December 10, I will collect this assignment. I need to see two questions for all the 16 words mentioned above. 

Thursday, December 20: I need the Vocabulario I, pages 90 and 91 and the Diá logo I, page 92. You must write the words, expressions, questions and answers down (loose leaf) in Spanish and then translate them. Remember that at the end of the chapter, page 131, you can find the translation of the chapter's vocabulary, and that there is a dictionary at the end of the book (page 440). I also want the translation of Vocabulario II, page 100 and the Diálogo II, page 102. Write everything down and translate!

Your Christmas Project is due January 9, 2013 - moved from December 20th (Storybird storybook or PowerPoint). Ask Mrs. Feld if you have any questions about this project and check the Storybird links on the upper right, next to Favorite Links, to get ideas by looking at the samples Mrs. Feld created. 

Interrogative Pronouns - Question Words

¿Qué? – what? and ¿De qué…? – from what…?

This pronoun is used a lot in Spanish. Examples: ¿Qué tal? (how are you?) ¿Qué es eso? (what is that?) ¿Qué es esto? (what is this?) ¡Qué bien! (good or great!) ¿Qué quieres? (what do you want?) ¿Qué ves? (what do you see?) ¿Qué hora es? (what time is it?) ¿Qué día es hoy? (what day is today?) ¿Qué día es mañana? (what day is tomorrow?) ¿Qué clase es? (what class is it?) ¿Qué necesitas? (what do you need? – "tú" implied: ¿Qué necesitas tú?) ¿Qué necesitan ellos? (what do they need?) ¿Qué necesitan ustedes? (what do you need? – plural) ¿Qué necesita ella? (what does she need?) ¿Qué quiere decir…? (what does… mean?) i.e. ¿Qué quiere decir “door”? When asking a question ¿Qué...? must have an accent on the “é” – tilde.

You can use the verbs “ser” y “estar” with “¿Qué…?” But it varies depending on what you’re trying to say. You can also use ¿Qué…? with many other verbs; but when translating “what is… (something)?” “what is this?” “what is that?” “what day is today?” “what class is this?” you ALWAYS use the “verbo ser” NOT the “verbo estar.” ¿Qué es esto? ¿Qué es eso? ¿Qué día es hoy? ¿Qué clase es? etc. Little by little you will learn when to use “ser” and when to use “estar.” You can ask: ¿Qué pasa? (what's happening?) ¿Qué estás haciendo? (what are you doing?) ¿Qué está haciendo él? (what is he doing?) ¿Qué está haciendo María? ¿Qué está pasando? (what is happening?) ¿Qué tienes en tu mochila? (what do you have in your backpack?) ¿Qué hay en tu pupitre? (what do you have on your desk?) ¿Qué hora es? (what time is it?)

You can also use the preposition “de” before “qué:” ¿De qué color es el libro? (what color is the book?) ¿De qué color es la blusa? (what color is the blouse?) ¿De qué país eres? (“tú” implied) ¿De qué país son ellos? (from what/which country is she from? and what country are they from?) ¿De qué ciudad eres tú? (from what/which city are you from?) Check pages 62 and 73.You can also use the preposition “a” before “qué:” ¿A qué hora termina la clase de español? (at what time does the Spanish class end?) Check page 70.

¿Dónde? – where? and ¿De dónde? – from where?

“Dónde” is also accented when asking a question. You can use “dónde” when asking “where is it?” - ¿Dónde está? ¿Dónde está el libro? ¿Dónde están las sillas? ¿Dónde está el bolígrafo? ¿Dónde está el pupitre? ¿Dónde está el reloj? ¿Dónde está Filadelfia? ¿Dónde está mi computadora? ¿Dónde está el profesor? etc. Notice that here you use the verbo “estar” only. You use “estar” when referring to LOCATION and to STATE OF BEING (like in ¿Cómo estás? Estoy bien gracias). So, if you only have the question word “dónde” you can simply ask ¿dónde? (where?) or ¿dónde está…? (where is…?) Please check pages 76 and 79 of your Spanish textbook. But you could also ask: ¿Dónde es el concierto? ¿Dónde es la reunión? ¿Dónde es la clase? Because we're referring her to an EVENT (place of an event).

If you want to ask: where is he or she from? Then you must use “¿de dónde…?” and you use the verb “ser” only, not the verb “estar.” Any time you have “¿de dónde…?” you use “ser.”¿De dónde es Pablo? (where is Pablo from?) ¿De dónde es esa chica? (where is that girl from?) ¿De dónde eres? (“tú” implied - ¿De dónde eres tú?) (where are you from?) ¿De dónde son ellos? (where are they from?) ¿De dónde son Mario y Fernando? (subject pronoun: “ellos”) etc.

I had given you a two-page hand-out with questions used in Capítulo 2 (also in Edmodo as "ch2_q_a.docx"). Please review it and try to understand the questions. See if you can easily translate them. If not, I suggest that you check this chapter again. Also know how to answer these questions. Review other question words like ¿cómo…” (¿Cómo te llamas? ¿Cómo estás? etc.) and ¿quién…? ¿quiénes…? (¿Quién es él? ¿Quién es ella? ¿Quién es la chica con la profesora? ¿Quiénes son esos muchachos? etc.)

Other questions words used in this Chapter are ¿Cuál…? (which…?) Check pages 72 and 74. See if you can come up with other questions and answer them.

Please check again "Verbos Ser y Estar" (click on this link - to review when to use "ser" and when to use "estar"). You must have this information in your notebook. Remember: take some time to organize your notes (I won't check you notebook). It will help you to study more effectively. If you have any questions, please ask Mrs. Feld.

THIS MATERIAL WON'T BE ON MONDAY'S (12/3/12) TEST. But you must study it for a future test. The test of December 3rd will include: COLORS (and how to use them in sentences), SCHOOL SUBJECTS, the word NUEVO (and how to use it in sentences), ARTICLES OF CLOTHING (and how to use the word LLEVAR), the exercises from the textbook that Mrs. Feld asked you to do for homework that include VERBOS -AR (and how to conjugate different -AR VERBS in order to complete sentences like the ones in the textbook and the ones we did in class). And also REVIEW THE QUIZZES AND THE PREVIOUS ENTRY ON CAPÍTULO 2 - LECCIÓN B!

Quick Review on "Verbos Ser y Estar" (when do you use "Ser" and when do you use "Estar"):

Ser: 1. Origin (of a person or thing), 2. Identification, 3. Characteristics, 4. Telling time and Date, 5. Event (time and/or place and 6. Possession, Material with the preposition "de."
Estar: 1. Location (of a person or thing) - where you are, 2. Conditions and feelings (how you feel), 3. Impressions,opinions.

Please study the PowerPoint presentation "Ser y Estar." I will download it again in Edmodo. (SAVE IT IN YOUR COMPUTER AT HOME AND IN SCHOOL AND WRITE EVERYTHING IN YOUR NOTEBOOKS). Writing things down will help you remember. Write what you think is more important in index cards too.

Capítulo 2 – Lección B

Chicas: Like I explained in class today (jueves 15 de noviembre), I'm counting on you to do the homework and computer assignments I asked you to do, and to challenge yourself to learn Spanish. I know learning a language is not easy, but with practice and determination you can do it! There are a lot of great resources out there; but you can start with the  іAventura! Internet Resource Center. Also check this Spanish blog frequently and check the links. Keep up with the assignments, it's hard to continue learning if you don't do the required work! If you have any questions or need any help, come to see me after school, I'm available from 3 to 4 PM everyday. Just let me know you're coming and bring specific questions and the material you don't understand or need help with.

The following is what you must learn in this chapter:  colors, subjects, many new vocabulary words (in the classroom and others, like clothing items). Check pages 81 and 87 from the textbook and study the PowerPoint presentation "Capítulo 2, Colors, Materias y Ropa". The vocabulary words and expressions on those pages (and from the PowerPoint presentation) must be entered on Index Cards (and your notebooks if you want) in order to learn their spelling and their meanings! Writing things down is an excellent way to remember things! Also check the sites (links) from previous entries and under "Favorite Links" to review the colors, the clothing articles and the present tense of "-ar verbs". This chapter also teaches you how to conjugate these "-ar verbs." Write in your notebooks the "Estructura" from page 67 (del libro) and review the "Reviewing Capítulo 2" PowerPoint presentation too - for the -ar verbs and Days of the Week).  Learn how to conjugate the verb "hablar" (to speak) and all the verbs that end in -ar like: cantar, bailar, brincar, estudiar, llevar, necesitar, terminar. Once you know the endings (o, as, a, amos, áis, an) it will be very easy to conjugate these -ar verbs, you must simply memorize these endings (write them on Index Cards with their respective subject pronouns, and create a song to practice them) - check the slide below. Also remember the "reflexive pronouns" (me, te, se, nos, os, se) - create a rap song or any other type of song to remember them, keep repeating them over and over. Remember "me" for yo, "te" for tú, "se" for él/ellas/ud. and for ellos/ellas/uds., "nos" for nosotros and "os" for vosotras. There's no other way around it, to learn any language you MUST MEMORIZE a lot! Yes, you exercise your brain a lot! (which is really a good thing!)

Example: Verbo Cantar will be conjugated as follows - you canto, tu cantas, él/ella/usted canta, nosotros cantamos,vosotros/as cantáis, ellos/ellas/ustedes cantan. Notice the endings. Try now to conjugate other -ar verbs. For Bailar the stem or base is "bail" (you just take the ending -ar off). For Estudiar is "estudi." For Llevar is "llev." The stem or base of the verbs consists of all the letters before the ending "ar" (keep this in mind). So what are the stems of brincar, necesitar, terminar, abrazar, ayudar, caminar, contestar, comprar, dejar, firmar, ganar, nadar, olvidar, pintar, preguntar, trabajar, viajar, dañar? Be curious and write these "stems" down (then just add the endings to conjugate their present tense) and also find the meaning of these words (verbs). To practice the pronunciation  of -ar verbs go here: -ar verbs (put the cursor on the words).

Memorize this slide:

Ongoing homework: review the chapter exercises to see if you understand them, if not, ask Mrs. Feld. Check the copy of the three slides I gave you with the computer and textbook assignments (Lección B and Listening Activities). Also, write in your notebooks all the "Estructuras." Chapter 2 has "Estructuras" on pages 64 (this one reviews well what you learned in class today about "colors" as adjectives), 65, 67, 70 and 76 (Verbo Estar - which you should already know and have in your notebooks, copy the verb again and the examples at the bottom). You must know the verbs "Ser y Estar" really well, no excuses! If not, it will be harder for you to keep advancing, these are essential verbs! Little by little you will know when and how to use them. Read and study and write the information on the blog entry "Verbos Irregulares Ser y Estar" (click this link).

Many of you still owe me the assignment I entered on the Computer Assignments and Other of November 2, 2012: Página 50 - Dialogo II. Write this diálogo and translate it and pg. 50, No. 21 "Tu propio diálogo." (First assignment for this Second Quarter)

Skip the following pages from Lección B: Páginas 63, 75, 78, 79 (Nos. 37 and 38 - just do No. 36, you must understand this one), 80, 82 - 86 (these are all optional exercises, these material won't be included).

Workbook exercises you MUST HAVE COMPLETED: pages 25 - 30 (already included on Test of 11/14/12), pages 30 - 35 (just skip No. 4, from pg. 33). These pages 30 - 35 will be included on the Quiz of 11/28/12 and the Test of 12/3/12). Note: I decided to move the test to December 3rd to give you more time to understand all the material of Capítulo 2. In December we will concentrate on Capítulo 3.

Another good practice for the Test and to Review Capítulo 2 are the following pages from Grammar and Vocabulary in the Aventura Internet Resource Center. Or go to: "Grammar and Vocabulary Exercises." Work on the following pages: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21 and 22. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask Señora Feld.

Add the following to you notes (in your notebook): 

COLORS - GENDER AND NUMBER (PLURAL)

• The colors are adjectives, which describe the noun or nouns; so they behave like adjectives. We have two cases: the ones that end in a vowel, you have to change its ending; ie. La camisa roja, el libro rojo, las camisas rojas, los libros rojos. Using the verbo ser: La camisa es roja, el libro es rojo, las camisas son rojas, los libros son rojos. Remember: the verbo ser changes to "son" when using plural nouns.
  
• The ones that end with a consonant or with an “e” only change in number, meaning, they only change when you are making a singular adjective, in this case the color, into a plural. If the color ends with an “e” you just add an “s.” i.e. El libro verde – los libros verdes; la camisa verde – las camisas verdes. Other examples: Los pantalones grises, las blusas marrones, los suéteres celestes, las camisetas son azules, los sombreros son cafés.
• The ones that end with a consonant, add “es.” i.e. El abrigo azul – los abrigos azules; la falda azul – las faldas azules; el vestido gris - los vestidos grises.
• The word "new" in Spanish - "nuevo" works similarly. It's also considered an adjective that describes a noun and it changes depending on the gender. Masculine: nuevo. Feminine: nueva. Plural: nuevos (if masculine) and nuevas (if feminine). i.e. La camisa es nueva, el libro es nuevo, las camisas son nuevas, los libros son nuevos, or simply: la camisa nueva, el libro nuevo, las camisas nuevas, los libros nuevos.

Advice: Now that we are in Capítulo 2 you should put all the hand-outs, tests, quizzes, class assignments, etc. in a new folder. Have a new folder for each chapter, ideally a heavy-duty pocket folder. Get organized. Check your notebook too, do you have titles for each Chapter? Do the same for all your subjects. If you get organized your life will become easier.

CHECK "EDMODO"! Practice the "Repaso 3" Aventura Internet Resource Center (Capítulo 2). To practice how to pronounce clothing in Spanish go to: La Ropa Masculina and La Ropa Femenina (they have the accent from Spain, but are great sites). To check the 100 most used verbs in Spanish go to: VERBS (click on each verb to check the conjugation). Also check: MORE VERBS (all you have to do is enter the verb you need to conjugate under "Please enter a verb").

Lección B - New Links

We are presently on "Lección B del Capítulo 2" - you are learning about the days of the week, your classroom (and vocabulary related to items you find in a classroom), school subjects, clothing, etc. I found some great sites to practice, so don't forget to check the links under "Favorite Links." The new links are: Colors in Spanish 2, Days/Months/Seasons and Spanish Classroom from Quizlet (you can click these links too). To learn the "clothes" in Spanish, and a few other articles of clothing ("La Ropa"), check the following video: YouTube and also the following games: La Ropa and Días y Meses. Take a Quiz on colors here: Colors Quiz. These are great ways to practice, learn and listen to the pronunciation of all these vocabulary words! So check them out! Get excited about learning Spanish!

Also check the other links: Colors, Days of the Week, Months of the Year and Present Tense of "-ar" Verbs. You can advance at your own pace and do more than you're expected to do.

EDMODO

Spanish I students: besides this blog, I will use EDMODO - this is a great form of communication and will allow me to post/share PowerPoint Presentations and post assignments. I find this media (Blogger.com) and Edmodo to be great resources to expand the possibilities of learning the Spanish language. Edmodo provides teachers and students a secure place to connect, collaborate and share content. So, let's try it! İBUENA SUERTE! (Good luck!)

I will provide you with the Group Password (6-digit code) in school, in the meantime you can go to http://help.edmodo.com/edmodo-in-action/ and check the video "How to Create a Student Account." Then go to http://edmodo.com/ and join the group with the 6-digit code Mrs. Feld gave you (this code was changed on November 2nd, so make sure you ask Mrs. Feld about it). Make sure you select the “I’m a student” button, if you don't have an account already. From here you can enter the group code provided and complete the registration form and select “Sign up” - you don't need to enter an e-mail address.

NOTE: If you already have an Edmodo account, please just log-in with your Edmodo password and you will be able to "join multiple groups" - just click "Join" next to "Groups"  and enter the 6-digit code. Our group's name is ESPAÑOL I. Students, as well as teachers, only need one account to join many different groups on the one account.Try this and if it doesn't work, please let Mrs. Feld know. Thanks!

November 2nd is "Día de los Muertos" in México. Check the following site to read more about this celebration: Day of the Dead (click the link).

Capítulo 2 - En Mi Colegio

So by now, you should be pretty good at greeting and saying good-bye (and other farewells) to people in Spanish! Review Saludos (click the link) - to practice pronunciation. You must know really WELL the verbs "ser y estar." Practice saying these verbs in reverse order starting with "ellos, ellas, ustedes" and also practice them using the different personal pronouns in a random order - i.e. Carlos (él) ___ de Buenos Aires, Argentina (you should automatically know that you use "es" here); María y yo ________ de Filadelfia; Carlos y usted ________ de Colombia, etc. Practice this several times with both verbs. You can review previous blog entries.

Capítulo 1 was titled ¿Cómo te llamas? (What's your name?), Capítulo 2 is titled "En mi colegio" - which means "In my school." You will learn a lot of new vocabulary here, so I'm expecting you to know really well all the "vocabulario" of Capítulo 1. Review one more time the following pages: 17, 31 and 37. If you're not really good with the lessons from Chapter 1, it will be harder for you to understand Chapter 2 and the following chapters (keep this in mind). Practice the "Alfabeto" again and again! To learn to pronounce all Spanish words properly. Ask Mrs. Feld if you have any questions.

Check the following site to review some of the Vocabulario from this chapter: Vocabulario (click the link). Check all the links under "Vocabulary" (yes! they misspelled the word), and check the Comprehension and Grammar sections - to review. For instance, the "Gender of Nouns and Articles" Webpage is very useful to review the Definite and Indefinite Articles and to learn to distinguish Feminine and Masculine words in Spanish.You can also check this Spanish site to listen to the pronunciation of many words (click the link).

Numbers: you must know the numbers up to 100. You will have a Quiz on numbers next Wednesday, October 24th. Remember to use Index Cards to study; especially for this new chapter. This Quiz will also include pg. 41, Nos. 1 and 2; pg. 42 - Diálogo I and No. 3; pg. 45, Nos. 8, 9 and 10; and pg. 46, No. 11. Review the Textbook Audio Program, pg. 25 - Números 21-100 and pg. 26, Activity 14.

First assignment: Write on a lose leaf the Vocabulario I, page 40 and translate it. Hand-in to Mrs. Feld. Also listen to Vocabulario I (Lección A) in the іAventura! Internet Resource Center. Practice writing it without looking at your "libro." Review the chapter pages 40 to 46 (skip page 43). These pages will be included in the Quiz of October 24th - just like the textbook exercises. (This assignment is due before October 26).

Second assignment: Write on a lose leaf the Vocabulario II, pages 48 and 49. Translate these expressions and words. Hand-in to Mrs. Feld. Check page 59 "Palabras y Expresiones" - you must learn this vocabulary - memorize it! (We will try to finish Lesson A from this chapter by November 9 and Lesson B by November 30th). Review pages 48 to 59 (skip pg. 58). Create index cards for all these words (use the definite and indefinite articles when learning these new words. Also learn the singular and the plural form. Example: el chico, los chicos - un chico, unos chicos). Review the following señor Jordan videos: "Nouns and Definite Articles" and "Nouns and Indefinite Articles" (click these links or the links on the right side under Favorite Links). Write some notes on these articles in your notebooks, and make sure you understand these Spanish articles! Try to organize your notebook notes, so that they have proper titles and dates. (This assignment is due before November 2nd).

Keep the following dates in mind... Test: Chapter 2 (up to page 59) - Wednesday, November 14, 2012. Test: Chapter 2 (whole chapter) - Wednesday, November 28th, 2012.

In this chapter you will learn expressions like ¿Quién es él? ¿De dónde es él? ¿De dónde son ellos? ¿Cómo se llama ella? ¿Cómo se dice...?  ¿Qué quiere decir...? etc. Review the paper I gave you on "Interrogative Pronouns" (Question Words).

Mrs. Feld will explain in class how to use the other personal pronouns with these expressions (questions). Example: When asking a group of people 'who are they' ("Who are you?") - you will ask in Spanish "¿Quiénes son ellos?" (because the conjugation of the verb "Ser" for "ellos" is "son"). If asking someone "Who is she?" - "¿Quién es ella?" (because the conjugation of the verb "Ser" for "ella" is "es"). This is why it's essential to know these verbs. Review the "Verbo Ser" on page 44 and write in your notebooks the "Estructura."

Thursday, October 18, 2012: "Diálogo Group Project" is due. If you have any questions, feel free to ask Mrs. Feld. On Monday (Oct. 22), we will go to the Windows Lab to listen to the vocabulario (I & II), the activities and diálogo (I & II) - from Lección A - Capítulo 2 (Textbook Audio Program); as well as the Listening Activities for this lesson (A). You can also listen to these mp3's at home - the more you practice and listen to Spanish conversations the better and faster you will learn "Español.

Listen to the following popular Spanish song "¿Y cómo es él?" from José Luis Perales (from Spain) - old song that I still love, very popular when I was your age: Song (click link). Hear the following questions: ¿Y cómo es él? ¿De dónde es? and learn how to pronounce these words. Other words: mirándote, ojos, qué, nuevo, mujer, miedo, mañana, tarde, perdóname, ¿en qué...?, ¿a qué...?, lugar, el tiempo, libre, pregúntale, ¿por qué...? mi vida, vestido, pregunta, un ladrón, sonríete, pregunta, todo. 

More on Capítulo 2:

I asked you to write the "Estructura" on page 44 in your notebooks. Review the "Verbos Ser y Estar" - and understand how to make "negative" sentences in Spanish. Example: Ana es de Filadelfia - Ana no es de Filadelfia. Subject pronouns may be used with or without a verb, etc. (pg. 44). Study the "Estructura" on page 52 really well - "Using definite articles with nouns." As well as the "Estructura" on page 55 - "Using indefinite articles with nouns." Write all this down in your notebooks.

Remember that to make a sentence negative in Spanish, all you have to do is place "no" before the verb. Review the "Estructura" on page 44 and Exercise No. 10 on page 45. Examples: Ana es de Colombia - Ana no es de Colombia. Soy de Venezuela - No soy de Venezuela. Te llamas Alma - No te llamas Alma. Se llama Alberto - No se llama Alberto. Estoy contenta - No estoy contenta.