You Won’t need a Pen or a Notebook Today

Learn Spanish
Great ways to add some Spanish to your daily life

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Es domingo, 28 de mayo de 2017

 

Great Ideas for incorporating Spanish into your daily routine. You don’t need a book, pen and desk to learn Spanish!

1. Listen to the radio and music in Spanish (just 5 minutes a day to start with). Scan radio in your area to find a station in Spanish.
   If you’re in Denver 92.1FM  or 96.5FM Radio Tricolor or 1150 on the AM dial.  Listen to the commercials and news.

   For music ideas:
   – look for the “Putumayo presents” collection for Latin, Mexican and Spanish music.
   – check out www.NPR.org and their Alt Latino music selections. You can also YouTube their Tiny Desk Concerts.

   Here are some of my favorite NPR Latin Tiny Desk Concerts.
   Antionio Lizana: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WocuIycshM
   Lila Downs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU3P6dlNaB4
   Rodrigo y Gabriela: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKd0HNg1kFQ
   Mariachi Flor De Toloache: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rl26QKPHtE
   Gina Chavez: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRZi4QQEGBI

 

2. Watch T. V. in Spanish. Watch the morning news programs or nightly news. Listen for geographical terms in the International & national reports.
   Stay tuned for the weather forecast and the sports news!
   Don’t worry if you don’t understand at first, just notice pronunciation and rhythm of the language. You’ll understand more and more with practice!
   Practicing listening comprehension is huge and many people overlook the importance of this.

 

3. Go to a local Mexican restaurant and practice with the waiters and waitresses. Ask for más salsa and be sure to say gracias!
   Enjoy the food, ask questions about the menu and learn about new words and dishes.

 

4. Rent a movie in Spanish. “Buena Vista Social Club” (documentary on Cuban music), “Under the Same Moon” or “Frida”.
   Also, all of  your favorites in English can be found dubbed in Spanish with English subtitles-”Doctor Doolittle” parts 1  & 2  and “Finding Nemo”. Kids movies are great picks!

 

5. Go to your local library and check out some books.
   Read Francisco Jimenez “Cajas de Cartón” or Sandra Cisneros “Casa on Mango Street.”
   Get some kids books in Spanish on topics of your interest: cooking, big trucks, how the human body works, people of the world, first 1000 words picture dictionary, story books, etc…
   What book are you reading right now? You’ll may be able to find it in Spanish. Rather than thinking about reading the entire book in Spanish, consider finding 1 or 2 paragraphs that you like and reading and re-reading them 10 times.  You’ll gain new vocabulary and begin thinking that paragraph and those words in Spanish.

6. Take a field trip to a Latin market in your area or a little panadería.
   Read the over-head signs and package labels in Spanish.
   At home, notice the labels on your dish soap and other packages. Safety information is often labeled in both languages.7.  Go online and read newspapers:  www.elmundo.es, www.lanacion.com.ar

   Another idea is toggling to Spanish on many websites such as: your bank, your health care provider, your phone service provider etc… spend some time reading the site in Spanish.

 

Be proactive! Remember that language learning is a process. Give yourself time to learn.
Use a variety of the above ideas, working them into your daily life. This way you won’t have to “find” extra time in your already busy schedule!

 

Have fun with language!  Thanks for being here.

Leave a comment below and let me know how you practice your Spanish outside of a classroom.

Gracias y hasta mañana,
Carolina