¡BIENVENIDAS! - Welcome!

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 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. 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 location of all the Spanish-speaking countries and important information about these countries. You will also learn 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?

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. Watch the Present Tense of "Estar" link with Señor Jordan - under Favorite Links or click "Estar".

Uses of "Estar": 
Estar is used to talk about location (location of a person or an object): Example: María está en la biblioteca (María is in the library). Another example: El libro está debajo de la mesa (The book is under the table). It's also used to express conditions and opinions (including impressions, feelings or emotions). Examples using conditions: Marcos y Elena están nerviosos (Marcos and Elena are nervous) or Marisa está siempre contenta (Marisa is always happy). Examples of opinions: El pescado está muy bueno (The fish is very good).

Quiz: Thursday, September 19, 2013. (If I follow the new Test Schedule, I should only give you quizzes and tests on Days 3 and 6). Including whatever we cover up to this date and "Greetings!" Handout - all the vocabulary words (greetings and farewells). Review Workbook pages 1-3 and Textbook pages 1-20.

Test: Thursday, September 26, 2013 (I want to keep the test on this day - but if you are loaded with other work, please let me know in advance and I'll move it to Friday, Sept. 27). Quiz material plus whatever we cover up to this date. Also Subject Pronouns handout and the "Verbo Estar." Check Edmodo too. You should learn the names of at least eight (8) Spanish-speaking countries (no capitals). I won't ask you the numbers this time, but start learning them! Check the Numbers (Números) links on "Fave" Links - on the right.

EXAMEN FINAL - ¿Qué tenemos que estudiar? (What should we study for the Final Exam?)

The Spanish I Final Exam will include Chapters 4 to 6 of the Aventura Textbook and other material learned in class after the Midterm. Please study and review the following (click on the Blog Entry Links in green below - you may have to scroll down to see some of them, since they're organized by month):

1. Capítulo 4: "Mi Familia y Mis Amigos" Vocabulario Lección A (Vocabulario I y II) - Blog Entry of 1/14/13.
2. Capítulo 4: Possessive Adjectives ("Adjetivos Posesivos"), present tense of Verbs ending in -ER (i.e. Verbo Comer, Verbo Ver, Verbo Comprender) and -IR (i.e. Verbo Vivir), and Months of the Year - Blog Entry of 1/30/13.
3. Capítulo 4: "Gusta" or "Gustan" - "A mí me gusta or a mí me gustan... " Vocabulario Lección B (Vocabulario II) - Blog Entry of 2/10/13.
4. Capítulo 5: Reviewing Verbs "Ser" y "Estar" and when to use them, Present Tense of "Verbo Tener." When to use "Tengo que... or Tengo ganas de..." - Blog Entry of 3/4/13.
5. Capítulo 5: Direct Object Pronouns, Present Tense of "Verbo Venir" (and reviewing "Verbo Tener") - Blog Entry of 3/11/13.
6. Capítulo 5: ¡Qué...!: ¡Qué sorpresa! ¡Qué lástima! ¡Qué triste! ¡Qué volcán! ¡Qué teatro! ¡Qué parque! ¡Qué playa! ¡Qué película! ¡Qué autobús! ¡Qué partido! ¡Qué fantástico! Etc. and reviewing "Months of the Year" (Lección B, Vocabulario II) - Blog Entry of 3/26/13.
7. Capítulo 5: Numbers 100 and 100 plus (Numeros 100 y Más), Textbook pages 209 and 437 (to review numbers in Spanish); but don't worry about high numbers above one thousand - Blog Entries of 3/26/13 and 4/8/13.
8. Capítulo 6:  Stem-Changing Verbs E:IE and Parts of the Body. Review ending of -AR, -ER and -IR verbs to be able to conjugate these Stem-Changing Verbs properly! Study the following E:IE verbs: Pensar, cerrar, empezar, comenzar, calentar, querer, encender, entender, perder, preferir, sentir, mentir - Blog Entry of 4/24/13.
9. Capítulo 6: Demonstrative Adjectives ("Adjetivos Demonstrativos") - Blog Entry of 4/24/13.
10. Capítulo 6: "La Casa" Vocabulary and Stem-Changing Verbs E:I. Study the "Verbos Decir" and "Pedir." Vocabulario Lección A (Vocabulario I) and Vocabulario Lección B (Vocabulario I and II). "Verbos Seguir, Conseguir, Repetir and Servir." - Blog Entry 5/12/13. And the handout "Muy or Mucho" (when to use "muy" and when to use "mucho."

You can start studying/reviewing for the Final Exam. If you were organized, things will be easier! Study from your notebook, workbook, textbook and handouts too. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask Mrs. Feld. 

Don't forget to return the Aventura textbook to Mrs. Feld the day of the Final Exam, Thursday, May 30, 2013.

Capítulo 6 - La Casa & Stem-Changing Verbs E:I

In this chapter you're learning the parts of the house (in Spanish) and other vocabulary words that will help you describe your house or someone else's house, kitchen appliances, utensils and other. You will learn words like "el lavaplatos," "el horno," "la estufa," "el refrigerador," "los cubiertos," "el cuchillo," "la cuchara," "el tenedor," etc. (pages 226, 227 and 234) - Lección A, Vocabulario I and Vocabulario II. In Lección B, you will learn words like "el cuarto," "el baño," "la sala," "el patio," "el garaje," etc. I hope you already entered all this new vocabulary in Index Cards. Review this vocabulary in: Lección A  Flashcards and Lección B Flashcards.

Please check the following videos: La Casa 1 and La Casa 2 (you will review the "Verbo Vivir").

You should be able to answer the following questions by now: ¿Dónde vives? ¿Tu casa es grande o pequeña? ¿Tu casa es de un piso o de dos pisos? or ¿Cuántos pisos tiene tu casa?
¿Cuántos cuartos tiene tu casa? ¿Cuántos baños tiene tu casa? ¿Tienes piscina? ¿Tienes sótano? ¿Tienes plantas? ¿Te gustan las plantas? ¿Tu cuarto es grande o pequeño? ¿Tienes escaleras? etc. Translate these questions and answer them in Spanish (complete sentences).

In Lección B, Vocabulario II you will review the "Verbo Tener." You will remember and learn expressions like: "Tengo hambre," "Tengo frío," "Tengo calor," "Tengo mucha sed," "Tengo mucha hambre," "Tengo poca hambre," etc. Check pages 252 and 253, translate this vocabulary and learn it. Chapter 6 will be included in your Final Exam.

You are also learning "The Demonstrative Adjectives" in Spanish (p. 238) and the Verbs "Decir" (p. 248) and "Pedir" (p. 257) - E:I Stem-Changing Verbs. Write the "Estructura" on when to use "querer" and when to use "me gustaría" (p.250) in your notebooks. Write 5 sentences with the verb ("querer") and 5 sentences with the expression ("me gustaría").

Some of you MUST review "The Demonstrative Adjectives" again! Also review the E:IE Stem-Changing Verbs (check previous entry).

Those interested in Extra-Credit: please write two sentences each with all the Stem-Changing verbs learned to date (check previous entry). If you have any questions please ask Señora Feld. Due Date: jueves 23 de mayo del 2013.

Also check the E:I Verbs Video  (from Señor Jordan). Other examples of E:I Stem-Changing Verbs are "Verbos Seguir, Repetir, Servir, Conseguir." Conjugate these verbs! Write them in your notebooks. You can find them in Señor Jordan's video.

Stem-Changing Verbs & Body Parts in Spanish

On Tuesday, April 30^th you will have a Quiz on the "Verbo Pensar" and other -AR Stem-Changing Verbs (only the Present Tense of Stem-Changing verbs E:EI that end in -AR, like cerrar, empezar, comenzar, calentar, pensar). The Quiz will also include the 15 vocabulary words learned in class (body parts in Spanish) - "Las Partes del Cuerpo."

Vocabulary words: cuerpo, cabeza, pelo, cara, ojo(s), nariz, boca, diente(s), oreja(s), cuello, brazo(s), mano(s), dedo(s), pierna(s), pie(s). Learn the definite and indefinite articles that go with these vocabulary words.

Test: On Wednesday, May 8^th you will have a Test on the Quiz material (check top paragraph) and other Stem-Changing Verbs E:EI (verbs ending in -ER and -IR, like querer, encender, perder, entender, preferir, sentir, mentir). You MUST know the meaning of these verbs! Also Textbook page 238 (Demonstrative Adjectives). Check: Adjetivos Demostrativos (click this link). See examples below - at the end.

Please review the following handouts: G&V  pages 75 (Verbo Pensar), 76, 77, 79; Textbook pages 231, 232 and 233 (Exercises No. 10, 11 and 13); Workbook pages 104, 105, 162 and 164. You can review Sr. Jordan's video: Verbos E:EI (click link) or find the video under "Fave" Links on the right. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask Mrs. Feld.

You must review (and memorize) the endings of "Verbos -AR, -ER and -IR" to be able to properly conjugate the Stem-Changing Verbs mentioned above. 

Remember that the endings of -AR verbs start with "a" for "nosotros" (amos), the endings of -ER verbs start with "e" for "nosotros" (emos), and the endings of -IR verbs start with "i" for "nosotros" (imos). This is a good way to remember the endings for "nosotros." Notice that for "vosotros" is a little different, but you can follow the same rule - the only difference is that for "Verbos -IR" the ending is "ís" (just two letters). 

Practice conjugating ALL the stem-changing verbs mentioned above, by yourself, to do well on the test. Remember: for "nosotros" and "vosotros" you do not change the E to IE, you only change it for all the other persons (yo, tú, él, ella, usted, ellos, ellas, ustedes). Another rule I mentioned in class to remember is: that in stem-changing verbs with two syllables only the first "e" changes to "ie" (i.e. pensar, querer, cerrar, sentir), and in stem-changing verbs with three syllables only the second "e" changes to "ie" - in a verb with three syllables and more than two "e's" (i.e. entender, empezar, encender). In a verb like "comenzar" it's easy to know that it's only the "e" that changes to "ie" for all the persons except "nosotros" and "vosotros."

Class Review

To ask "What are you thinking?" or "What are you thinking about?" in Spanish, you use the "gerund" - pensando: ¿Qué estás pensando? or ¿En qué estás pensando? Possible answers: Estoy pensando en el examen de español, estoy pensando en la tarea de inglés. Practice answering these questions in Spanish.

 To ask "Whom are you thinking of?" - you can ask ¿En quién estás pensando? Possible responses: Estoy pensando en mi novio, estoy pensando en mis abuelos, estoy pensando en mi familia, estoy pensando en ... (person or persons). Practice answering these questions in Spanish.

Other ways of asking the same questions using the present tense of the Verbo Pensar are as follows: ¿Qué piensas? ¿Qué piensa usted? ¿En qué piensas? ¿En quién piensas? (Pienso en mi familia). Other examples are: ¿Qué piensas hacer? ¿Qué piensas hacer el sábado? Possible answers: Pienso ir al cine, pienso ir de paseo al parque Pennypack, pienso ir al concierto de Justin Biever, pienso estudiar para el examen de español, etc. Come up with other examples, for practice. (Check your handouts!)

If you ask ¿Qué piensas de la clase de música? you are asking "What do you think about the Music class?" What do you think about the Spanish teacher? - ¿Qué piensas de la profesora de español? etc. When using ¿Qué piensas de...?  you are asking someone's opinion on something or someone. "When pensar is combined with de you are asking for an opinion." Your response could be: ¡Pienso que es excelente!

Other examples with ¿Qué piensas de...? and possible responses: ¿Qué piensas de Laura? Laura es una chica muy buena, Laura es muy bonita, Laura es muy simpática, ella es muy divertida, etc. ¿Qué piensas de Ramón? Ramón es muy guapo, él es muy cómico, él es muy loco, ¡él es pura vida!(the Costa Rican expression for "cool").

If you want to respond "I'm thinking about going shopping" or "I think about going shopping" you could say "Estoy pensando ir de compras," or "Pienso ir de compras." When pensar is accompanied by another verb (an infinitive) you do not add "en" or "que." Anytime you want to respond: pienso ir, pienso hacer, pienso comprar, pienso caminar, pienso comer, pienso ayudar, pienso viajar, pienso ver, pienso tener, etc. you DO NOT add "en" or "que" to your response!

Practice - Mention the Parts of the Body in Spanish that you learned in class (there are a few you didn't learn yet):

 Add: cabeza, cara, dientes, cuello, cuerpo (lots of "C" words!). Learn the definite and indefinite articles that go with these vocabulary words. Extra words: hombro(s) - shoulder(s), rodilla(s) - knee(s), codo(s) - elbow(s).

Demonstrative Adjectives (examples): 

-  este libro (this book). Use "este" with a masculine-singular noun.

-  estos libros (these books). Use "estos" with a masculine-plural noun.

-  esta pluma (this pen). Use "esta" with a feminine-singular noun.

-  estas plumas (these pens). Use "estas" with a feminine-plural noun.

-  ese libro (that book). Use "ese" with a masculine-singular noun.

-  esos libros (those books). Use "esos" with a masculine-plural noun.

-  esa pluma (that pen). Use "esa" with a feminine-singular noun.

-  esas plumas (those pens). Use "esas" with a feminine-plural noun.

-  aquel libro (that book over there). Use "aquel" with a masculine-singular noun.

-  aquellos libros (those books over there). Uses "aquellos" with a masculine-plural noun.

-  aquella pluma (that pen over there). Use "aquella" with a feminine-singular noun.

-  aquellas plumas (those pens over there). Use "aquellas" with a feminine-plural noun.

Please work on pages 108 and 109 of your Workbook to review the demonstrative adjectives.

Also check: Demonstrative Adjectives1 and Demonstrative Adjectives2.

 

Números en español - 31 y más

Please copy the following in your notebooks, or copy, paste on a Word Document and print for yourself. Suggestion: practice writing down the numbers to learn them better. You should have these notes to understand "higher numbers" in Spanish. This information is from the video I showed you today (from the Vistas Website).

Like I said in class, for Thursday's quiz you must know the numbers 100 to 1,000 in Spanish and the few others learned in class today. You must review numbers 1 - 100, so that if you have to write the number 625 in Spanish you will immediately know that it is "seiscientos veinticinco. You must also memorize the months of the year in Spanish. Check the previous blog entries.

One hundred (100) in Spanish is "cien." You don't use "un" or "una" or "una" with cien or with mil (1.000). Now "cien" doesn't change with gender and is only used with plural nouns (just like "mil"), you cannot say "cien libro" (one hundred book) - you MUST say "cien libros." Examples: cien sillas, cien faldas, cien cuadernos, cien pupitres, cien chicos, cien chicas, cien dólares, etc. The same for "mil" for one thousand, you can say: mil dólares, mil pupitres, mil chicos, mil chicas, mil libros, mil ventanas, mil personas, etc. (note: "mil" doesn't change with gender). You can only use "mil" with plural nouns and you don't mention "one." You don't say "un mil" or "uno mil," only "mil."

If someone asks ¿Cuántos libros hay en la biblioteca? (How many books there are in the library?) You could respond: Hay cien libros or Hay mil libros. And if someone asks: ¿Cuántas fotos hay en el álbum? (How many photos are there in the album? You could respond: Hay cien fotos.

For numbers higher than 100, like 101, you say "ciento" and the number one - uno: "ciento uno." For 102 - ciento dos, for 103 - ciento tres, etc. But pay attention to the following: to say one hundred books, you say "ciento un libros" (note that "un" remains singular and in this case you use the masculine form because "libros" is a masculine word).

You also say "ciento una mochilas" or "ciento una chicas" with feminine words,  even when using plural words "una" remains singular. Practice this! This applies to other numbers when mentioning any numbers like 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, 71, 81, 91, 101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701, 801, 901, 1.001 (1,001 in Spanish), etc.

What does it mean "¿Cuántos jóvenes hay en el parque? Possible answer: "Cien jóvenes" (for one hundred young people) or simply "Cientos" (for hundreds) or "Cientos de jóvenes."

"Cien menos sesenta y cuatro son treinta y seis pesos de cambio" means "The change for one hundred minus sixty four is thirty six pesos." 

Practice the numbers 100 to 1,000 over and over! And remember that the numbers 200 to 999 agree in gender with the nouns they modify. So doscientos changes to doscientas when you're talking about 200 backpacks: "doscientas mochilas." Other examples: "trescientas personas," "cuatrocientas ventanas," "quinientas chicas," etc.

324 bags = trescientas veinticuatro bolsas (feminine)
562 pages = quinientas sesenta y dos páginas (feminine)
605 hats = seiscientos cinco sombreros (masculine)
etc.

1.000 = mil (note that in Spanish you use a period instead of a comma)
1.100 = mil cien
1.200 = mil doscientos
1.300 = mil trescientos
1.400 = mil cuatrocientos
1.500 = mil quinientos
1.600 = mil seiscientos
1.700 = mil setecientos
1.800 = mil ochocientos
1.900 = mil novecientos
2.000 = dos mil
3.000 = tres mil
4.000 = cuatro mil
5.000 = cinco mil, etc.
10.000 = diez mil
20.000 = veinte mil
50.000 = cincuenta mil
100.000 = cien mil
200.000 = doscientos mil
1.000.000 = un millón
8.000.000 = ocho millones

"millón" has a plural form - "millones" (the accent is dropped)

dos millones de clientes - two million clients (note that the word "de" is placed between the number and the noun). Other examples: un millón de hombres, tres millones de dólares, un millón de personas, un millón de chicas, un millón de chicos, dos millones de mochilas, cuatro millones de programas, etc. (it doesn't change with gender, just if the nound is singular or plural).

To express complete numbers in Spanish, you string together their component parts. Examples:  587 = 500 + 80 + 7 = quinientos ochenta y siete. 793 = 700 + 90 + 3 = setecientos noventa y tres. 5.241 = 5.000 + 200 + 40 + 1 = cinco mil doscientos cuarenta y uno. And 55.422 = 55.000 + 400 + 22 = cincuenta y cinto mil cuatroscientos veintidós.

Don't forget to study the "Estructura" on page 212! Any questions? Please feel free to ask Mrs. Feld.

Quiz: Thursday, April 11, 2013 (study Months of the Year, Numbers - especially 100 - 1.000 and handouts on Numbers).
Test:  Friday, April 19, 2013 (study Quiz material, information on this Blog Entry, plus "Estructuras" on pages 212 and 214, and whatever we cover this week and next week before test - including "Verbos Tener y Venir," Textbook Exercises "Vocabulario II," the G & V handouts pages 71 and 72 and Workbook Assignment pages 91, 92, 94-96). Review the last Test - only the sections on "Verbo Tener" and "Verbo Venir."

Remember the following vocabulary (Workbook pages 91, 94 and Textbook page 201 and 202): hoy, ayer, anteayer, mañana, pasado mañana, semana, la semana que viene, la semana pasada, cumpleaños (¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?), days of the week (lunes, martes, miércoles, jueves, viernes, sábado, domingo), el fin de semana, Noche Vieja (31 de diciembre), Año Nuevo (primero de enero), fue (past tense of ser, only for the third person), example: ayer fue miércoles.