Clik here to view.
Language Barriers
Because I am a giant nerd, I love quirky language facts and etymology. I read linguistics blogs and think Steven Pinker is fascinating. I think learning about learning languages could occupy my whole...
View ArticleClik here to view.
My Four Stages of Language Learnin
When I first arrived in Spain (way back in January 2008), I thought I knew how to speak Spanish. I was wrong. I knew some Spanish, knew Spanish words and verb conjugations, but speaking Spanish with a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How to Improve Your (Already Pretty Good) Spanish
[Source] When I first went to Spain in the spring of 2008, my Spanish wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either. I got there and realized all the Spanish I knew wasn’t useful when trying to explain to the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How I Know I Wasn’t Raised Spanish
Surprisingly enough, I am not Spanish. I’ve written a few posts on such topics: How to Dress Like a Spaniard, Tapeando, Hittin’ the Bars, Saying Hello at the Gym. You see, I’ve had to learn it all as...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bilingual Inside Jokes
Nos gusta hacer el tonto. That means, if you didn’t already know, we like to be silly. Since Mario has a girlfriend who speaks two (of his four) languages, it’s all the more fun. I like to make...
View ArticleClik here to view.
But I’m a Girl! … and Other Spanish Language Mishaps
I really enjoy the discussions that arise from posts like last week’s about my Rookie Mistakes (written in all caps because it’s a BFD). As you know, I like to think about all the important, totally...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is Learning a Foreign Language Really Worth It?
Short answer: It depends on what you mean by “worth it.” Freakonomics (one of my podcast favorites) recently did a short show on the merits of learning a foreign language. Most of the foreigners in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Barriers
Sometimes I’m the only one who doesn’t get the joke. Some days I smile, reassuring everyone that I’m not on the outside. Some days I even laugh a little. At other times I just keep my face blank …...
View ArticleClik here to view.
They Still Speak Spanish at Home
I talk a lot to my fellow teachers, and many of them comment to me, “The family only speaks Spanish at home,” and look disapproving. They then glance at me, as though to elicit a similar disapproving...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Rookie Mistakes: Reflexive Spanish Verbs and Me
Because I’m a nerd like that, I spend a lot of time reflecting upon linguistics topics, especially those having to do with Spanish and English—their similarities, their differences, and why these...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hablando español
Hoy es El Día E, y según el Instituto Cervantes, es “la fiesta de todos los que hablamos español”. Aunque no sea nativa, sí hablo español, así que decidí escribir una entrada en la lengua de...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Grammar “Mistakes” Spaniards Make
What? Mario makes mistakes? We all make mistakes from time to time. For example, do you know how to properly use lay and lie? It’s confusing because lay is the past tense of lay and laid is the past...
View ArticleClik here to view.
On the Road to Salamanca
The bus rumbled along the highway, dusk quickly approaching. We sat side by side, our fingers curled together, leaving the day behind us. Weary but content, we sat in silence, the silence of two people...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Understanding a Language in Stages
We were watching a soccer (football) match on television a few months ago when it hit me: I understood him—the commentator, that is. Even when a goal was scored and his words flew out faster than I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Let’s Link—Week 3
And we’re back with another link list! Sorry for the delay, but last weekend I was visiting Zamora and Mario’s family for the November 1 holiday, Todos los Santos, or All Saints’ Day in English. In...
View ArticleClik here to view.
10 Language Mistakes Guiris Make in Spanish
We all mistakes. We definitely all make mistakes when learning a foreign language. (Heck, we even make mistakes in our own language! Mario loves to point out when this happens to me in English.) These...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Let’s Link—Week 5
Hey all! I’ve been off the blogging radar for a while, but I’m back today with another links post. I can tell you are so pumped, because I am too! On Saying “Bye!” to Say “Hi!” When Passing Friends in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How Teaching English in Spain Has Improved My English
Teaching English in Spain was never a dream of mine. I’ve ended up here through a series of choices, coincidences, and a fair amount of luck. Nonetheless, while I may not wish to pursue this career...
View Article
