Primer Trimestre Continúa...

First quarter continues...

We have four and a half weeks in October to complete Capítulo 1 and Capítulo 2 from the іAventura! Textbook. We will try our best! You will continue learning the Spanish numbers, more greetings and farewells (saludos y despedidas), how to tell time in Spanish and many more vocabulary words (check page 37 to check the "vocabulario" you must know by October 19, 2012 - you already learned many of these words and expressions). Continue creating index cards with the words you don't have (ongoing homework). Also check pages 17 and 31 (to review words you already learned).

To review pages 2, 8, 18 and 24 remember to check the іAventura! Internet Resource Center, the Textbook Audio Program, Capítulo 1, Vocabulario I and Vocabulario II for Lessons A and B. I suggest that you translate those callouts (which is helpful for tests and quizzes). To review the numbers check "Números del 0 al 20." To review the pronunciation of the Spanish speaking countries check Activity 12. Check Activity 13 to learn to count numbers by two. And find time to listen to the other mp3's. You can download them in your computer too. You can also listen to Diálogo I from page 4 and next week to Diálogo II from page 10. Later you will listen to Diálogo I page 20 and Diálogo II page 26. Listening to Spanish conversations is essential to learn to properly pronounce this language.

You must also review the Listening Activities, especially Activities 1, 2 and 3 (Capítulo 1, Lección A).

Quiz: You will have a Quiz on Tuesday October 2nd on Verbos Ser y Estar and Numbers 1 - 20 (know how to spell the numbers in Spanish!). Go to the Numbers website (link below) to practice. Many of you had difficulties with the conjugation of the verbs "Ser y Estar" in our last test, so please review these verbs and memorize them well. You must also remember at least twelve Spanish-Speaking countries and how to spell them in Spanish.

Test: Friday, October 12. This test will include the whole Chapter (Capítulo 1) and the vocabulary from this chapter - only including what we cover up to that date.

Check the following site: Verbos Ser y Estar (click link) to create unique tests using these verbs. Click the following link Click to Generate Unique Quiz to go directly there. You will have the option to select the number of questions on your quiz (from 10 to 25) - include "vosotros y vosotras."

Also practice the following (write in your notebooks):

Verbo Ser

• 1.  Marcela y yo ________ muy trabajadoras.
• 2.  Tus padres ________ de los Estados Unidos.
• 3.  ¿Vosotros ________ de Nueva York?
• 4.  Mañana _______ lunes.
• 5.  Nosotros _________ muy amigos.
• 6.  Tú _______ flaco.
• 7.  Nosotros __________ muy inteligentes.
• 8.  Yo _________ muy creativa.
• 9.  Ella ________ muy bonita.
• 10.  Él ________ muy buena persona.

Verbo Estar

• 1.  Vosotros ________ en el edificio.
• 2.  Ud. _________ en Madrid.
• 3.  Yo no _________ contenta.
• 4.  Juan _________ de acuerdo contigo.
• 5.  ¿Dónde ________ tus padres?
• 6.  Tú ________ en la universidad.
• 7.  Yo ________ muy ocupada.
• 8.  Ella ________ muy triste.
• 9.  La silla ________ en la sala.
• 10.  Nosotros _________ muy enojados.

Try your best! Review and study the conjugation of these verbs. You must memorize them and remember them.

I found a great site to practice Spanish numbers too. Check: NUMBERS (NÚMEROS) - also under Favorite Links on the right side, and practice, practice, practice. Go to "introduction" to listen to the numbers. Go to "list" to see the numbers in Spanish and English. Go to "spelling" and "spelling quiz" to test your knowledge. You will take the "spelling quiz" on Friday in the Windows Lab and print it for Mrs. Feld (to see how you're doing).

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask Mrs. Feld. Get motivated! іAprende Español!

Verbos Irregulares "Ser" y "Estar"

Please copy the following in your notebooks or copy it and print it and then glue it on your notebooks. It is essential to learn, memorize and understand the verbs "Ser" and "Estar" in Spanish.

These verbs are irregular verbs, so they're not conjugated like the regular verbs that end in -ar and -er. Ser means "to be" in Spanish. Estar also means "to be." So this is very different from the English language; but it is essential that you learn to use these verbs effectively.

1. Ser is used to express "identity or identification." Examples: Soy don Francisco, or soy María, or ella es Carmen. Ser is used to identify people and things. ¿Quién es ella? Es Maite. Another example: Ella es la hermana de Pedro.
2. Ser is also used to express "characteristics." Examples: Yo soy muy alta. Ella es muy linda. Mario es muy inteligente.
3. Ser is also used to express "origin."  Ser is used with the preposition "de" to express origin. Examples: Soy de Costa Rica or soy de Ecuador.
4. Ser is also used to "tell time and dates." Examples: Son las 10 or son la 7 de la mañana. Also "time and date of an event." Example: El concierto es a las 3 de la tarde.
5. Ser is also used with the preposition "de" to express "possession." Example: ¿De quién es el diccionario? El diccionario es de Javier. Note: "de" followed by "el" (de + el) contracts to form "del." Examples: El diccionario es del chico or el diccionario es del muchacho. This doesn't apply when using the feminine definite article "la." Example: El diccionario es de la muchacha.
6. Ser is also used to express "profession" or "occupation." Example: Don Francisco es conductor (Don Francisco is a driver). Note: Unlike English, Spanish doesn't use the indefinite article after ser when referring to professions, unless accompanied by a "descriptive" adjective. Examples: Yo soy profesor - no article (I am a professor), yo soy un profesor excelente - "un" is the article (I am an excellent professor). Try to understand this difference!

Conjugation of "Ser" - an irregular verb

Present indicative (presente del indicativo): Yo soy, tú eres, usted/él/ella es, nosotros/as somos, vosotros sois, ustedes/ellos/ellas 

son. Read more about this verb on the following sites: 

http://spanish.about.com/od/usingparticularverbs/a/ser.htm and http://spanish.about.com/od/specificverbs/p/conjugation_ser.htm.

Note: Subject pronouns replace a person, place, thing or concept in a sentence and act like the subject of the verb. Example: María es la profesora - Ella es la profesora. "Ella" is the subject pronoun and acts like the subject of the verb "ser."

In both Spanish and English subject pronouns are divided into first, second and third person. Each group has singular and plural forms:

Singular

First person: Yo (I)

Second person: Tú (you) - familiar. Usted, Ud. (you) - formal

Third person: Él (he). Ella (she)

Plural

First person: Nosotros (we - masculine). Nosotras (we - feminine)

Second person: Vosotros (you - masculine) - familiar. Vosotras (you - feminine) - familiar. Ustedes, Uds. (you) - formal

Third person: Ellos (they - masculine). Ellas (they - feminine)

Check the link: "Personal Pronouns" (bottom right or click the link on the left). You must understand this really well. Also check the conjugation of the verb "Estar" in the previous entry. You must copy these verbs in your notebooks.

In Spanish there's no subject equivalent to the subject pronoun "it." Generally "it" is not expressed. Example: It's a computer (or it is a computer) - "Es una computadora."

Test: Tuesday, September 25, 2012 (including Quiz material - check below!). Study Chapter 1 from your Textbook (pages 1 - 8) and your Workbook (pages 1, 2 and 3). From the İAventura! Internet Resource Center (Textbook Audio Program) - review: Capítulo 1 - Vocabulario I, El Alfabeto, Activity 1 (only names with letters A - M), Diálogo (only names with letters A - M). Know how to answer the following questions (and how to spell them, translate them, and use correct punctuation): ¿Cómo te llamas? ¿Cómo estás? ¿De dónde eres? (simple response - Soy de Filadelfia or your city) ¿Cuántos años tienes? (Tengo catorce or tengo quince  años - only these two numbers). And Verbs "Ser" and "Estar" (just know how to conjugate them). If you have any questions, please feel free to ask Mrs. Feld.

Other Vocabulary (Otro Vocabulario):  İHola! Mucho gusto, me llamo... (your name), adiós, hasta luego, se escribe con, saludos (greetings), despedidas (farewells), gracias, muchas gracias, yo tengo... (your age), yo soy  de... (your city), buenos días, buenas tardes, buenas noches, and personal pronouns: Yo, Tú, Él, Ella, Usted (Ud.), Nosotros, Vosotros, Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes (Uds.). Review the "Vocabulario" below as well (you should already know all those words).

Aprendiendo Español

Take advantage of the ¡Aventura! Internet Resource Center and other websites like About.com to learn Spanish. Check the links on the right. 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 Favorite Links.

We have learned the following 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?

Conjugation of "Estar" - an irregular verb
Present indicative (presente del indicativo): 

Yo estoy, tú estás, usted/él/ella está, nosotros/as estamos, vosotros estáis, ustedes/ellos/ellas están. Check: http://spanish.about.com/od/specificverbs/a/conjugation_estar.htm and watch the Present Tense of "Estar" link with Señor Jordan - under Favorite Links.

Uses of "Estar": 
Estar is used to talk about location (location of a person or an object): Example: María está en la Biblioteca. Another example: El libro está debajo de la mesa. It's also used to express conditions and opinions (including impressions, feelings or emotions). Examples using conditions: Marcos y Elena están nerviosos or Marisa está siempre contenta. Examples of opinions: El pescado está muy bueno.

Quiz: Thursday, September 13. Including whatever we cover to this date and "Greetings!" Handout - all the words except jaló, al (under ways of answering the phone, second bullet) and ¿Qué onda? next to ¿Qué hubo?

VOCABULARY (Words and Expressions):
Libro, cuaderno, página(s), abre, abran, mayúscula, minúscula, el acento, ¿Cómo se escribe? Se escribe con, nombre, ¿Cuántos años tienes? Tengo (to use in "tengo 15 años" - I'm fifteen years old), muchacha(s), muchacho(s), chica(s), ¿Cómo están? (plural of ¿Cómo estás?) señora, señorita(s) ¿De dónde eres? (where are you from?) Soy de... (mention here your city or country), sí, no, cognados.

Any questions, please feel free to ask Señora Feld. Advice: write all these words and expressions on index cards (3" x 5" index cards cut in half) with the definition on the back and study them, memorize them, understand them! You should also write the information regarding Capítulo 1 above in your notebook. Feel free to review Capítulo 1 in your textbook, pages 1 - 7. Try to understand. It's up to you to become proficient in speaking and writing Spanish!

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.

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 or getting a good job. In Europe, Spanish is also the second most popular second language, after English. Spanish is the fourth most commonly spoken languages 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). We will work on Capítulo 1 and Capítulo 2 during our First Quarter, starting with greetings and farewells and "¿Cómo te llamas?" (what is your name?).

Any questions, please feel free to ask Señora Feld. Advice: write all these words and expressions on index cards (3" x 5" index cards cut in half) with the definition on the back and study them, memorize them, understand them! You should also write the information regarding Capítulo 1 above in your notebook. Feel free to review Capítulo 1 in your textbook, pages 1 - 7. Try to understand. It's up to you to become proficient in speaking and writing Spanish!