Mexican Independence Day, September 15, 1810: Spanish 1

Hola clase! I would like to share with you some of my thoughts and expectations regarding the structure of the class.

To begin, I am very pleased with the reports that you have done on the history of Mexico, and your honest efforts in class!

It is a big challenge to take on learning another language, especially when we only meet twice a week!

I have received feedback from you about the need to make class more engaging and fun. I understand that if it is not fun, then you will not be able to absorb the new language. My aim is to give you a handful of basic structures and work them and rework them in class until they become natural. You have done a great job of letting me know when you don't understand, and I ask that you continue to participate energetically in all class discussions.

I will continue to give you vocabulary lists of words that you need to be responsible for learning. We do not meet often enough to absorb it all during class. I recommend flash cards and using QUIA for this.

Your assessments will be based on homework and quality and timeliness of projects, participation, quizzes, and tests. They will be pop quizzes that will let me know when you are ready for a test.

November is a time of when school can start to become really exhausting. Teachers have high expectations, homework volumes are high, and there is a long year ahead. You may be disappointed because you feel you should be more fluent in Spanish by now. Don't let your energy wane!

Study your flash cards and you will be excited about how much you know and understand when you get to class.

Together, we will be speaking Spanish by the end of the year!

Have a great Halloween weekend! See you Tuesday!

TOP TEN TIPS FOR LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE

Don't expect to be perfect!

Can you remember when learned to ride a bicycle? Did you ride perfectly from the first time you sat on the seat? When learning a new language, expect that you will make mistakes, and don't be embarrassed by them!

Work on developing an "ear" for Spanish.

Remember that language is first and foremost oral communication. A written alphabet is merely a collection of symbols used to represent the sounds of the language, and cannot be expected to capture every nuance of sound and intonation. Try to develop a "good ear" for Spanish. An easy and fun way to do this is by listening to Spanish music, watching Spanish movies, or watching Spanish cable TV.

Practice SPEAKING!

The only way to learn to speak a language, is by actually SPEAKING. You can study for years, and master all of the grammar rules, but unless you actually practice speaking, you will never speak well. When you are practicing speaking, remember to do it out loud, at normal conversational volume.

Be consistent.

To really learn a language takes time and committment. Consistency is by far the most important factor. If you can devote a solid twenty minutes a day, nearly every day, you will be far more successful than if you "cram" for an hour or two, but only sporadically.

Talk to yourself.

When learning a foreign language, it is common for listening skills to develop more rapidly than speaking skills, leaving the learner in the unfortunate situation of being able to understand, but unable to respond. A good way to surmount this problem is to talk to yourself as much as possible. Because there is no one else around, you won't be weighed down by the inhibition that so frequently burdens the beginning language student.

Use flashcards.

One of the best tips we can give you is to make and use flashcards. Make cards that are small enough to easily carry with you, and write the English on one side and Spanish on the other. Be sure to ALWAYS have some cards with you. This way, you can capture "wasted" time (standing in line, riding the bus, waiting for class to start, etc.) and turn it into productive study time. Even if you only have a couple of minutes, you can use it to study a few flashcards.

Label your surroundings.

Make labels for things all over your house. For example: la pared (wall), la puerta (door), el escritorio (desk) etc. Remove the labels only after you have mastered the vocabulary.

Be patient.

Progress in language learning does not follow a straight-line graph. You cannot expect to make the same amount of progress, day after day, week after week. You may find yourself struggling at times, seeming to make no progress. Don't let this discourage you. It is normal to reach plateaus in your learning progress. If you find yourself "stuck" try spending time going back and reviewing things that you already know well. Often this will help prepare you to break through to the next level.

Find a partner.

Try to find a native speaker who can be your conversation partner. This can be your greatest asset and perhaps you can also provide assistance to your partner in your native language.

Read out loud.

Try reading out loud. You will get all of the benefits of reading, plus you'll get really good pronunciation practice. In fact, as a beginner, you should read aloud as much as possible.

4 comments:

Kathleen T. said...: Mi estacion favorito es otono
(my computer can't make Spanish punctuation); November 7, 2009 at 2:13 PM
Mariah Ogle said...: El invierno es son mi favorita.; November 9, 2009 at 12:37 PM
Unknown said...: El invierno es son mi favorita; November 9, 2009 at 5:03 PM
Mariah Alton said...: Mi estacion favorito es otono.; November 9, 2009 at 7:46 PM

Mexican Independence Day, September 15, 1810

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Amigos for learning SPANISH

Spanish 1

4 comments:

TOP TEN TIPS FOR LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE