Capítulo 4 - Mi familia y mis amigos

We will start the Third Quarter with Capítulo 4 - "Mi familia y mis amigos." You must learn new vocabulary about families (like padre, madre, hermana, hermano, tío,  tía, abuelo, abuela, etc.). 

PLEASE CHECK THE YOUTUBE VIDEO ON "LA FAMILIA" POSTED UNDER FAVORITE LINKS (or click the link above). Also check Family Members in Spanish and Study Here (click the links). You will see the video (on "La Familia" from el señor Jordan) on Monday, January 26th and you are welcome to take notes. You can also review it at home to improve your notes. I need you to translate the callouts or boxes on page 134 (LIBRO). Page 135: do Exercise No. 2 (Pepe y su familia). Workbook pages 61 & 62.

Also read the Diálogo 1, page 136 (LIBRO) and answer the questions on Exercise No. 3 - ¿Qué recuerdas? 

Based on the family tree on page 134, please answer the following questions: 

1. ¿Quiénes son los abuelos de Julia?
2. ¿Quién es la hermana de José? (José tiene una hermana)
3. ¿Quién es la hija única de Rosa y Álvaro?
4. ¿Quiénes son los hijos de Gloria y Pedro? (Ellos tienen dos hijos)
5. ¿Quiénes son los hijos de Carlota y Guillermo? (Ellos tienen dos hijos)
6. ¿Quiénes son los hijos de Juan y Clara? (Ellos tienen tres hijos)
7. ¿Quiénes son los hijos de Rodrigo y Carmen? (Ellos tienen dos hijos)
8. ¿Quiénes son los primos de José? (José tiene cuatro primos)
9. ¿Quiénes son los tíos de José? (José tiene cuatro tíos)
10. ¿Quiénes son los padres de José?
11. ¿Quiénes son los abuelos de José? (José tiene cuatro abuelos)

Other vocabulary words to add: hermanastro (stepbrother), hermanastra (stepsister), cuñado (brother-in-law), cuñada (sister-in-law). I may mention a few more in class. 

PROJECT: Create your own family tree (in Spanish). Entering the names of your grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts, cousins, etc. Similar to the one on page 134. Get creative! Presentation is important. Project Due: February 12, 2015.

You will also learn -IR verbs (verbs that end in -IR, like vivir). Please check page 141 (LIBRO). You also need to know the verb salir (different "Yo" form), and other regular -IR verbs like escribir, asistir, abrir, cubrir.

Later, you will review the verbo estar, and learn more adjectives to use with this verb; pages 144 and 145. We will try to complete this chapter in February.

Adjectives:

Adjectives (including colors) may be masculine or feminine and singular or plural. They MUST match the gender and number of the noun they are describing. You will review “adjectives” and how to add them in sentences. Read Repaso Rápido, LIBRO page 138. Do Exercise No. 8, page 138.

You will do Exercise No. 9 in groups, and later work on Exercises No. 10 - "Nuestra Familia" and No. 11 - ¿Quién va a venir...? Study the "Estructura" from page 139 (Possessive Adjectives). You must learn these possessive adjectives really well! Check the links on Possessive Adjectives (Part 1 and Part 2) under "Fave" Links or here.

Vocab: pages 134 & 135; 144 & 145 (Lección A).

Quiz:  February 5. Test: February 10.

JANUARY'S MIDTERM

Please review the following for the Midterm Exam (you can copy and paste the information below in a Word Document and print it for yourself if you wish) - you should have notes and handouts on all this material:

(Abbreviations: WB - Workbook, LIBRO - ¡Aventura! Textbook, G & V or Grammar & Vocab. - Grammar & Vocabulary Exercises, Vocab. - Vocabulary or Vocabulario)

1. Capítulo 1: Greetings and farewells (common greetings and farewells learned in class). Check Workbook (WB) page 11, No. 1, you must understand what these words and expressions mean. Also: bienvenido, lo siento, con permiso, mucho gusto, perdón, de nada, encantado, encantada, ¿Cómo te llamas? ¿Cuántos años tienes? ¿Qué hora es? mayúscula, minúscula, tilde. LIBRO: Lección A (Vocab. I and II, pages 2 & 8) and Lección B (Vocab. I and II, pages 18 & 24).
2. Capítulo 1: How to tell time in Spanish (WB page 18). You need to review the numbers 1-30 in order to tell time properly (know how to say these numbers). LIBRO: pages 8 & 25, and 28 & 29.
3. Capítulo 2: Definite and Indefinite Articles (WB page 28, # 12 - practice adding indefinite articles to these words too). There is a PowerPoint in Edmodo on Vocab for this chapter - please review it. LIBRO: Lección A (Vocab. I and II, pages 40, 48 and 49) and Lección B (only Vocab. I - colors and articles of clothing, pages 60 & 61).
4. Capítulo 2: Plurals of nouns (WB page 29, #14). Also learn the vocabulary from this chapter (common classroom articles and things - Vocab. II from Lección A). Grammar & Vocab. handouts pages 11 and 12 (Mrs. Feld gave you these handouts and all the ones mentioned here, you can also find them on this link - G&V handouts). You must know how to change plural nouns to singular nouns, and singular nouns to plural nouns; with their respective definite and indefinite articles. Example: el libro - los libros, un libro - unos libros; la mochila - las mochilas, una mochila - unas mochilas. Remember: nouns, colors and adjectives that end with an "e" don't change with gender, just add an "s" to make them plural. For nouns that end with a "z," like lápiz you change the "z" to "ces" to make them plural (lápiz becomes lápices, luz becomes luces). LIBRO: pages 52 and 64. 
5. Capítulo 2: Verbos -AR, like necesitar, hablar, estudiar, cantar, llevar, etc. (Review WB pages 34, # 7 and 35). Grammar & Vocab. handouts pages 18 and 19, #10. LIBRO: page 67. You must know how to conjugate these verbs and place them correctly in sentences or questions.
6. Capítulo 2: Colors/colors as adjectives and the adjective "nuevo." (WB page 33, #5 and 34, # 6). Grammar & Vocab. handout page 16. LIBRO: pages 60 and 61. Review the PowerPoint on Chapter 2 in Edmodo (to review Colors, Days of the Week and Articles of Clothing).
7. Capítulo 2 and Capítulo 3: Question Words - qué, a qué, cómo, cuánto, cuántos, quién, quiénes, de quién, de quiénes, dónde, de dónde, adónde, cuándo, cuál, cuáles, por qué. LIBRO: page 96.
8. Capítulo 3: Verbo "Ir" (to go). (WB page 47 and 48). Grammar & Vocab. pages 29, 30, 31 and 32, #3. LIBRO: pages 104 and 114. You must know how to conjugate this verb and place it correctly in sentences or questions. Also, how to use it with an infinitive. Examples: Yo voy a ir al parque, tú vas a hablar por teléfono, él va a estudiar para el examen de español, etc. Study the Verbo Ir Power Point in Edmodo.
9. Capítulo 3: Verbos -ER, like comer, beber, comprender, leer, creer, ver, saber, hacer  etc. (WB pages 56, #7, 57, 58 and 59). (Review the Grammar & Vocab. handout pages 35 and 37). LIBRO: page 120 and 121. You must know how to conjugate these verbs and place them correctly in sentences or questions.
10. Capítulo 3: Foods (Las Comidas) - latest PowerPoint in Edmodo "Las Comidas" (from Capítulo 3, Lección B - Vocab. II, En el restaurante, LIBRO: pages 116, 117.
11. Verbos Ser y Estar (Verbo Ser, G & V pages 9 and 10, #s 2 and 3 - Verbo Estar, G & V page 21) - Capítulos 1 y 2. LIBRO: Verbo Ser, page 44 and Verbo Estar, page 76. 
12. Days of the Week (lunes, martes, miércoles, jueves, viernes, sábado y domingo) - see No. 6 above.
13. Articles of Clothing (common articles of clothing learned in class) - see No. 6 above.
14. Adjectives: you learned many adjectives in class, you need to remember how these adjectives change in sentences according to gender, and with singular and plural nouns. Examples: La camisa está sucia; la ventana está abierta; el libro es interesante; los libros son cómicos, la chica es honesta, el chico es serio, etc.
15. Vocabulary:  LIBRO: pages 90, 91, 100, 110, 111, 116 & 117.
16. Study ALL Quizzes & Tests and ALL handouts on above material. Study your notes in your "cuaderno." ¡GRACIAS CHICAS!

You can also review some of the videos (del Señor Jordan) under "Favorite Links" and previous blog entries. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask Mrs. Feld. 

After the Midterm, on our Third Quarter, you will learn new vocabulary in "Capítulo 4 - La Familia" and Verbos -IR (Verbs that end in -IR, like vivir, salir, etc.). We will review the Verbo Estar again and how to use it with adjectives that refer to states of being, feelings and conditions; and the Verbo Ser and how to use it with adjectives that refer to characteristics of a person, animal or thing (LIBRO: pages 144 and 164). 

We will also review the possessive adjectives - indicating POSSESSION (LIBRO: page 139). In this chapter "Mi familia y mis amigos" the possessive adjectives describe the relationship between people. Write the "Estructura" in your notebooks. Example: mi hermano (my brother).

You will also learn, in "Capítulo 5 - Una Semana Típica," the Verbo Tener, expressions with "Qué," direct object pronouns (LIBRO: pages 194-196, exercises 26 to 29); and "dates" in Spanish, and review the days of the week (LIBRO: page 201). You will also learn the months of the year and the stations, and the numbers above 101 (LIBRO: pages 208 and 209).

In "Capítulo 6 - En Casa" - you will learn how to say (in Spanish) the different rooms and appliances in a typical house, and the Verbo Pensar (a stem-changing verb like "querer" - verbs that change from "e" to "ie") and other "e-ie" stem-changing verbs (LIBRO: page 231). You will also learn the demonstrative adjectives on page 238.

My goal is to complete all of "Capítulo 6" before the end of the school year, and all the stem-changing verbs: "e-i," "e-ie," and "o-ue" and "u-ue." (LIBRO: pages 257, 231 and 274). Verbs like: querer, pensar, pedir, poder and jugar, amongst others. If time permits, before the Final Exam, we will cover a few things from "Capítulo 7."

More on "Capítulo 3" - -ER Verbs and Foods & Drinks

On Lesson B, Vocabulario II "En el Restaurante" - you will learn how to order foods and drinks in a restaurant. Please start working on the vocabulary on pages 116 and 117. You will also learn how to conjugate -ER Verbs like "comer, comprender, leer, ver, hacer" and "saber." You must know the meaning of these verbs; check page 120 and write these verbs in your notebooks. Once you understand how to conjugate -ER verbs, you can conjugate other verbs like "aprender, beber, correr, creer, deber" and "vender." You can also check the link Present Tense of -ER verbs (click this link or go to "Fave Links" in this Blog).

You should also complete the Workbook pages 56 and 57. You will have a Quiz on these verbs on Thursday, January 15 and these verbs and all the vocab on Chapter 3 will be included on the Midterm.

Review this G&V page: -ER Verbs. Also check: Regular Verbs (to review Regular the -AR and -ER verbs and even learn the -IR verbs). And: Irregular Verbs Estar, Ir, Dar and Quiz/Review. Review verbo Ser too.

Midterm:  Will include Chapters 1, 2 and 3.

Other common -ER verbs besides "comer, ver, hacer" and "saber"

CAPÍTULO 3 - !Vamos a la ciudad!

In November we will work on Chapter 3 (Let's go to the city!), you can start working with the vocabulary on pages 90 and 91. By now you should be very proficient at using the Verbos Ser & Estar ("to be" in Spanish), using colors and adjectives in sentences, using definite and indefinite articles with nouns and converting singular nouns into plural nouns, and conjugating -AR verbs. If you need to review this material again, please do so. It is imperative that you remember and understand what you already learned; especially the verbs! Review the Verbo Ser on page 44 (LIBRO) and the Verbo Estar on page 76, if you have any questions, please see me. You can also check the links on these verbs under "Fave" links.

You have learned many question words in previous chapters (qué, cómo, dónde, de dónde, cuál), and you will learn more on this chapter, page 96. You will also learn how to use Indirect Object Pronouns when making introductions (presentaciones) - ME TE LE NOS OS LES (for introductions you only need to use TE LE and LES). You will learn new vocabulary on modes of transportation, page 100; on places to visit in the city (downtown), page 110; and foods and how to order in a restaurant, pages 116 & 117; and the Verbo Ir (to go), which is a very irregular verb that is widely used in Spanish. Also verbos -ER (like comer and beber).

Many of you have asked me what the word "hay" means in Spanish. Please check this video to understand this important Spanish word: HAY (click link) - we use it a lot! Pay special attention to the use of the following question words "cuántos, cuántas y qué" with "hay." 

These are some of the verbs you already know and verbos tener, comer and vivir that you will learn this month and next month. I will give you a handout with these verbs that you MUST keep in your notebooks (cuadernos). Please continue reviewing these verbs and practicing their uses. ¡GRACIAS CHICAS!

TEST: December 4 and QUIZ: December 10. Please check Edmodo. 

Capítulo 2 – Días de la Semana, Colores, Materias y Ropa

In this chapter you will learn the days of the week, colors, subjects and articles of clothing in Spanish. Please check some of the links under "Fave" Links to start learning this material really well. Also, study the PowerPoint I downloaded in Edmodo.

I found another silly video to learn the days of the week here: Días (click the word). You can find many others in YouTube. Another video here: Días2. To say "On Mondays" you say "los lunes." To say "On Tuesday" you say "el martes." "Lunes, martes, miércoles, jueves y viernes" don't change for singular or plural forms: el lunes, el martes, el miércoles, el jueves, el viernes; or, los lunes, los martes, los miércoles, los jueves, los viernes. But, for Saturday and Sunday (sábado y domingo) it changes. You say: el sábado, el domingo and los sábados, los domingos. Please write this down in your notebooks.

How do you say "yesterday"? Ayer. How about "the day before yesterday"? Anteayer or antier, both terms are acceptable. Some people prefer one or the other. They say that "antier" was first mostly used in rural areas, but now many people use this word. I say "antier" other people say "anteayer" and other people even say "el día antes de ayer."

How do you say "the day after tomorrow"? Pasado mañana. (Remember: "tomorrow" is mañana). To say weekend, you say: el fin de semana; and to say weekends, you say: los fines de semana.

Other vocab words and expressions to know: la hora, el horario, el día, la semana, hoy, mañana, ¿Qué día es hoy? ¿Qué día es mañana? ¿Qué día fue ayer? ("fue" is the preterite of the verbo ser, meaning "was" for the 3rd person singular) el almuerzo, nuevo(a), nuevos(as), la clase, las clases. Check all the vocab on pages 60 and 61 (LIBRO).

Spanish.about.com says that "like other adjectives, names of the common colors when used in Spanish must agree with the nouns they describe in both gender and number. However, names of some of the more unusual colors are treated differently in Spanish than they are in English. Also, in most cases, names of colors come after the nouns they describe, not before as in English." Check: Colores for more information on colors. Also: Colores2. There are some exceptions to the rules: the colors "violeta" (purple), café (brown), and "naranja" (orange) don't change. When you use these colors, the words remain the same for all genders and whether they are singular or plural. Another example of this is the color "crema" for cream. Please check the handout on "Colores" that I gave you.

These are some examples of how some colors change (like other adjectives, only the ones that end with "o" change to "a" for feminine forms): La blusa blanca... La camisa roja... La chaqueta amarilla... La falda rosada... La faja negra... La camiseta morada..., etc. or la camisa es roja, la falda es rosada, etc. You can also say: Ella tiene una blusa blanca or ella lleva una blusa blanca (she has a white blouse or she is wearing a white blouse); or la blusa de Marta es blanca (Marta's blouse is white).

If I ask: ¿De qué color es la blusa de Susana? You can respond: La blusa de Susana es blanca or la blusa de Susana es azul (or enter whatever color you want). If you answer with the words "de color," then the word for the original color remains: la blusa es de color blanco, la falda es de color morado (instead of la blusa es blanca and la falda es morada).

Colors like: verde, gris, marrón or café, azul -and others ending in "e" or a consonant- don't change with feminine nouns (colors like café and violeta can remain the same for plural forms). Examples: La falda gris. La camiseta azul (but if you want to say the "light blue T-Shirt," then you say la camiseta azul clara or la camiseta celeste), los pantalones  café, la blusas violeta. The words "claro" (for light) and "oscuro" (for dark) do change like regular adjectives (the "o" becomes "a" for feminine forms). To change to plural forms the rule for nouns applies: add "s" to colors that end in a vowel and add "es" to colors that end in a consonant. Practice how to make plural the singular forms of colors and days of the week. Check the most basic colors below, and remember that purple can also be morado, and marrón can also be café.

TEST: On November 13, 2014 you will have a test on Capítulo 2 - Lección A (Vocab II, pages 48-59, skip page 51) and Lección B (Vocab. I, pages 60-71, skip page 63), review the information on this blog, and workbook pages 31, 32, 33 (#5 only), 34, and 35. Study the PowerPoints in Edmodo (for this chapter). I will include Colors, Days of the Week, Subjects and Articles of Clothing. It is a lot of material, so I'm hoping that you are studying a little bit every day, please don't leave the studying for the day before the test. Create index cards, review the workbook and textbook, ask me questions, check the Spanish Blog links, etc. 

QUIZ: On the Quiz on November 18 I will ask the Present Tense of -AR verbs.

CAPÍTULO 2 - "EN MI COLEGIO"

Today, we started Chapter 2 from the the ¡Aventura! Textbook. I asked you to work on the new vocabulary on page 40. You MUST know these expression for the test you're having on October 24 or 30, 2014 (we will decide which is the best date for you). You also need to know the verbo Ser (check the links under "Fave" Links ¡por favor!). One thing I cannot do is to continue giving you extra-credit, and allow you to retake quizzes of tests. You MUST study for the quizzes and tests you are having and continue doing your work assignments (Workbook and others), and paying attention in class if you wish to do well! 

This month of October we will try to complete all of Lesson A and part of Lesson B, from this Chapter (Capítulo 2). Please write all the new vocabulary in your notebooks first from page 40 and late from pages 48 and 49. It is essential that you memorize the new vocabulary words and expressions on pages 48 and 49 with their respective articles (for nouns) and that you learn to change them to their plural forms too. Please remember the rules for adding the definite and indefinite articles to nouns, and the rules on how to change to their plural forms ( I will explain again in class). Also check below...

Usually nouns that end in "o," are masculine; and nouns that end in "a," are feminine. But as you learned, there are some exceptions: la mano (not "el mano"), el mapa (not "la mapa") and "el día" (not "la día"). Also, el problema (not "la problema"), el tema (not "la tema"). If a noun is masculine and singular you add the definite article "el." If a noun is feminine and singular you add the definite article "la." If a noun is masculine and plural the definite article is "los." If a noun is feminine and plural the definite article is "las." To change a singular noun into a plural form add an "s" if the word ends in a vowel, i.e. "el libro - los libros;" "la mochila - las mochilas." If the noun ends in a consonant, you must add "es" to change to its plural form, i.e. "el reloj - los relojes;" "la pared - las paredes;" "el profesor - los profesores."

Nouns that end with a "z" change the "z" to "ces." Examples: "el lápiz - los lápices," "la cruz - las cruces," and "la luz - las luces."

Check below to review both definite and indefinite articles.

Remember that nouns are words that name a person, place, thing or idea. They can refer to "living things," or "non-living things." In Spanish all nouns have gender, they can be masculine or feminine. Most nouns that refer to males are usually masculine, and most nouns that refer to females are usually feminine. Examples of masculine nouns are: el hombre, el chico, el muchacho, el conductor, el profesor, el escritor, el turista. Examples of feminine nouns are: la mujer, la chica, la muchacha, la profesora, la escritora, la turista. 

Most masculine nouns (for "living things") end in "o," "or," "ista." Most feminine nouns (for "living things") end in "a," "ora," "ista." Some nouns (like "turista" and "artista") have identical endings in masculine and feminine forms. So, in those cases, gender is indicated by the article. Other examples are "joven" and "estudiante." 

Examples of masculine nouns that refer to "non-living things" are: el cuaderno, el bolígrafo, el problema, el autobús. Examples of feminine nouns that refer to "non-living things" are: la palabra, la conversación, la profesión, la lección, la nacionalidad, la vecindad. Common endings for masculine nouns ("non-living things") are "o," "ma," and "s." And for feminine nouns ("non-living things") are "a," "ción," "sión," and "dad." As seen above, there are exceptions to these rules. This is why you SHOULD memorize each noun with its article (el or la). 

Once you know that the definite article of a noun is "el," you will know that the indefinite article is "un." Example: "el libro" - "un libro." The plural form is "los libros - unos libros." Practice this with all the new vocabulary words from this chapter. Spanish nouns that end in a vowel, form the plural by adding "s." Other examples: "el diccionario" - "los diccionarios," "la fotografía - "las fotografías." 

Also remember that if you have a group of males and females, you will refer to them as "los chicos," or "los muchachos." In Spanish, the masculine plural form is used to refer to a group that includes males and females.

You will have a TEST on Singular and Plural Nouns (from "Capítulo 2 - En mi colegio") and its Definite and Indefinite Articles the end of October. Study Capítulo 2 - Lección A, Vocabulario I. COMPLETE ALL THE EXERCISES in the LIBRO for this section. You must know the vocabulary from pages 48 and 49; and also know how to spell these words properly. I will add a very good PowerPoint on Nouns and Definite and Indefinite Articles in Edmodo. You can also check the links on this blog (under "Fave" Links) "Nouns and Definite Articles" and "Nouns and Indefinite Articles." If you have any questions, feel free to ask Señora Feld.

¡BIENVENIDAS!

Welcome! BIENVENIDAS! We will have a very successful year learning Spanish. This introductory course focuses on the basic structure, pronunciation, listening, reading, and writing of the Spanish language. You will explore grammatical structures as well as proper punctuation.

I encourage you to check this blog everyday, as well as EDMODO. I will have an Edmodo Group for our class (ESPAÑOL I). I will give you a handout on how to join this group. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me (Señora Feld).

We will work using the ¡Aventura! Texbook and the ¡Aventura! Workbook. Learning a foreign language takes time, dedication and practice. There are well over 35 million Spanish speakers in the United States alone; so learning Spanish sounds like a great idea! It can increase your chances of getting a good job. In Europe, Spanish is also the second most popular second language, after English. Spanish is the fourth most commonly spoken language in the world. Spanish is an official language on four continents and is the mother tongue in 21 countries. The sheer number of Spanish speakers and their rate of growth makes learning Spanish a smart choice. Learning Spanish will (truly) expand your universe. Spanish is what we call a "Romance" language, meaning that it is based on Latin, the language of the ancient Roman Empire.

Many English words are also of Latin origin, and so when you learn vocabulary in Spanish you will simultaneously be expanding your English vocabulary. You will also find that your understanding of the deep meaning of these Latin based English words is greatly enhanced. Also, as you study the grammar of Spanish, you will notice how it is similar to English, as well as how it is different. This will raise your awareness of the grammar of your native language. Because Spanish is very nearly phonetically perfect, you can look at almost any word and immediately know exactly how to pronounce it- because Spanish is very consistent in its spelling and pronunciation rules. This characteristic makes Spanish one of the easiest languages to learn. And, when it comes to learning a third language, such as French or Italian, already knowing Spanish will be a huge advantage because these languages, too, are Romance Languages.

Also, learning Spanish will allow you to better appreciate Hispanic cultural contributions.
 Learning Spanish is fun! Check: http://www.studyspanish.com/topten_reasons.htm.
We will start learning the vowels: A E I O U (how to pronounce them in Spanish) and the alphabet (el alfabeto or abecedario): A B C CH D E F G H I J K L LL M N Ñ O P Q R RR S T U V W X Y Z (and how to pronounce these letters). The letters that I underlined are no longer considered separate Spanish letters per the latest recommendations by the Academia Real Española, but I added them because you will find them as part of the Spanish alphabet in many websites and books. Just keep in mind that officially the Spanish Alphabet consists of 27 letters. Please check the links under "Fave" Links (Alphabet, Alphabet 2 and Alphabet 3). Once you learn to properly pronounce the Spanish Alphabet, you'll be able to easily read most Spanish words.

We will also work on Capítulo 1 ("¿Cómo te llamas?") and Capítulo 2 ("En mi colegio") during our First Quarter, starting with greetings and farewells and "¿Cómo te llamas?" (what is your name?). You will also learn the verbs "Ser" and "Estar" (verb "to be" in English), many interrogative pronouns (question words) and the names and location of all the Spanish-speaking countries, and important information about these countries. You will also start learning the numbers 1 - 20 in Spanish (later on, the numbers up to 100), how to tell time in Spanish, and which are the definite and indefinite articles (that accompany nouns) and a lot of Spanish vocabulary!

Any questions, please feel free to ask Señora Feld. Advice: write all the words and expressions (from Chapters 1 and 2) on index cards (3" x 5" index cards cut in half) with the definition on the back and study them, memorize them, understand them! At the end of each Lesson and at the end of each Chapter you will find the words and expressions learned ("Palabras y expresiones") and the Vocabulary ("Vocabulario"). You should also write the information regarding Capítulo 1 above in your notebook. Feel free to review Capítulo 1 in your textbook, pages 1 - 17 (Lección A). Try to understand. It's up to you to become proficient in speaking and writing Spanish! YOU CAN DO IT! ("¡Lo puedes hacer!")

IMPORTANT ADVICE:

Take advantage of the ¡Aventura! Internet Resource Center and other websites -CHECK THE LINKS ON THE RIGHT SIDE UNDER "Fave" Links- to learn Spanish. I need you to listen to the mp3's on the section "Textbook Audio Program" in the ¡Aventura! site - just click on them (you can also download them in your computer, if you wish, pressing Download Chapter 1A and Download Chapter 1B). You can start with El Alfabeto (página 2). Then move to Vocabulario 1 (página 2), Activity 1 (página 3), and Diálogo (página 4). Also watch Basic Conversation 1 and Basic Conversation 2 (You Tube Videos with Señor Jordan) - under "Fave" Links.

You will learn the following words and expressions from Capítulo 1:

¡Hola! (Hi!) ¡Hola! ¿Cómo te llamas? Me llamo… (your name). Also, ¿Cómo estás? Bien gracias, ¿y tú? Other responses: Muy bien (very well), gracias; or muy mal (if you’re not feeling well); or regular (you can also say más o menos). If asking a person you don’t know, or a teacher or older person, you want to use “usted” instead of “tú.” ¿Cómo te llamas? Is when you ask a younger person, or another classmate, or someone your same age: What’s your name? or ¿Cómo estás? - How are you? (also using the second person “tú”). If using “usted” - use ¿Cómo se llama usted?

Later, questions like: ¿Cuántos años tienes? (How old are you?) ¿De dónde eres? (Where are you from?) and how to respond properly in Spanish.

Homework 1: 

1) Write (or type) two complete paragraphs, in your own words (do not copy and paste please), explaining why it is important to learn a second language, especially Spanish, hand-in to Mrs. Feld on Friday, September 5, 2014. 

2) Listen to the Alphabet links and learn how to properly pronounce the Spanish Alphabet! Write the page 3 Alphabet ("El Alfabeto") in your notebooks. You can also listen to the "alfabeto" in the Aventura Resource Center (ARC) - p.2 Alfabeto.