Every country has a flag, food and symbols that identify them. But what about a single word? During the 6th International Congress of the Spanish Language (VI Congreso Internacional de la Lengua Española) celebrated in Panama, the blog Papeles Perdidos, created by the newspaper El País, published an atlas of the representative words of Spanish-speaking […]
The Death of Language Learning
The Future of Language Learning For three years now I have been following the Language Learning community online, occasionally even participating. During that time I have thought in-depth about the future of language learning. Where is it going? How will people learn languages? Why will they learn them? How can we use technology to learn […]
What Does the Word TUANIS Mean in Costa Rican Spanish?
Every country has a flag, food and symbols that identify them. But what about a single word? During the 6th International Congress of the Spanish Language (VI Congreso Internacional de la Lengua Española) celebrated in Panama, the blog Papeles Perdidos, created by the newspaper El País, published an atlas of the representative words of Spanish-speaking […]
PIRAGUA: Puerto Rican Spanish Word for Snow Cone
Piragua is the Puerto Rican Spanish word for snow cone. This refreshing pyramid shaped ice treat is popular all year long and I had the opportunity to have one on a recent visit. For the rest of the Spanish-speaking countries a piragua is a boat similar to a canoe. The word piragua is the result […]
The Most Versatile Word in Colombian Spanish: VAINA
Every country has a flag, food and symbols that identify them. But what about a single word? During the 6th International Congress of the Spanish Language (VI Congreso Internacional de la Lengua Española) celebrated in Panama, the blog Papeles Perdidos, created by the newspaper El País, published an atlas of the representative words of Spanish-speaking […]
The Most Authentic Word in Cuban Spanish: ASERE
Every country has a flag, food and symbols that identify them. But what about a single word? During the 6th International Congress of the Spanish Language (VI Congreso Internacional de la Lengua Española) celebrated in Panama, the blog Papeles Perdidos, created by the newspaper El País, published an atlas of the representative words of Spanish-speaking […]
7 Nicaragua Spanish Slang Expressions About Money
This article is written by Lee Jamison, the author of the book Nicaraguan Spanish: Speak like a native! Take it away Lee… 7 Nicaraguan Slang Expressions About Money Think you know Spanish? If so, put your money where your mouth is! I thought I knew Spanish too, when I first landed in Managua some 20 […]
VIDEO: How We Celebrated Fiestas Patrias in Chile
This video shows a collection of our best pictures and clips Fiestas Patrias in Chile. These visuals are from the 2013 fondas at Parque Inés de Suárez and Parque Padre Hurtado in Santiago, Chile. In 3 minutes you will see clips and photos of: 1. Huasos, the Chilean cowboys 2. Chilean Rodeo champions at the […]
Cook and Enjoy the Language: The Best Spanish Food Books To Help You Cook
How many times have you seen a lot of beautiful Spanish food books, with great pictures that look delicious? You can start to browse them, and to read a recipe, but you give up when you find that the ingredients are absolutely unknown to you … and furthermore, you think you would not even know […]
Halloween Song in Spanish: CUANDO LLEGA EL MES DE OCTUBRE [VIDEO]
Cuando llega el mes de octubre is a Halloween song in Spanish taught to all kids in Puerto Rico. This song doesn’t talk about monsters or ghosts, it’s about a jack-o’-lantern. Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean where the traditional orange pumpkin doesn’t grow and, consequently, pumpkin carving is nonexistent. The song Cuando […]
How to Say ROOM in Spanish? 6 Words to Choose From
As you know, we love to highlight the diversity that exists in Spanish vocabulary. Here I’ll show another example, this time the use of the word “room” or “bedroom.” If you want to say “room” or “bedroom” in Spanish you will have several options to choose from: 1. cuarto 2. pieza 3. recámara 4. dormitorio […]
One of Your First Lessons in Spanish: Asking For Directions
My very first Spanish lessons often left something to be desired. While knowing how to tell people your birthday and ask them about theirs is great and all, I didn’t find it all too easy to apply in real world situations. I’d like to give you some first lessons in Spanish that you can use […]
Spanish Words for Money: 32 Chile Spanish Expressions
Spanish words used for money and finance are another set of words that are particular to every country. Each country develops their own phrases to express from financial solvency to brokenness. There are also words use to name the currency and other money related activities. Here is a list of 32 Chile Spanish expression about […]
13 Words in Spanish for SNOW CONE: Infographic
Snow cones are a favorite treat for kids. This shaved ice treat is made in many countries around the world. Some shave the ice with a machine, and some still do it by hand. Also, there is a variety of flavors. There are even different methods to eat one. You can eat it or you […]
How to say BACON in Spanish
The words tocino, tocineta, beicon, bacon, bacón and panceta all mean bacon in different countries. When asked the simple question “How do you say bacon in Spanish?” there is no quick answer. The Spanish word for bacon varies from one country to the next as you can see from the list above. The Royal Spanish […]
Chilean Fiestas Patrias Celebration Check List: 9 Things to Do & Spanish Words to Remember
Chile commemorates their Fiestas Patrias on September 18th with a 3-day celebration that literally stops the city of Santiago for the whole week. But, what does it take to celebrate Chile’s Fiestas Patrias? Jared and I spent almost three weeks there to catch up with some of his friends and celebrate this important date. When […]
11 Spanish Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas
Do you want to show appreciation to your Spanish teacher? Here are several suggestions that your Spanish teacher will simply love. The following ideas will work well as gifts for Teacher’s Appreciation Day, end-of-school year, and even holidays. 1. Group Hispanic-Themed Gift Basket If the whole class is involved and contributing, it is possible to […]
Car Parts: Spanish School Lessons of Different Vocabulary Words For The Same Thing
As with all different areas of languages, vocabulary dedicated to car parts varies from one country to another. In Spanish, the car is el auto in one country, el coche in another, and el carro in a third. Let’s take a look at a couple of simple parts. In countries like Chile the clutch pedal […]
VIDEO: The Chilean Terremoto Drink
“Terremoto” is not only the Spanish word for earthquake, but also the name of an alcoholic drink. Check out a short video clip on the preparation of the Chilean Terremoto drink, plus the story of this traditional drink of Chile. The story goes that the terremoto, a typical Chilean drink, was invented shortly after Chile’s earthquake in 1985, at Bar La piojera.
Lesson for Spanish Teachers: 4-Step Activity to Teach Basic Verbs Vocabulary
Learning new vocabulary words in Spanish is an important element in the language acquisition process. Teaching vocabulary should be constantly taught and reviewed during a lesson as a phonological awareness activity, or to pre-teach new vocabulary of a story or text. Teaching vocabulary is also important because it increases the chances to become a better […]
The 9 Components of The Colombian Bandeja Paisa: Infographic
During our trip to Bogota, Jared and I have the opportunity to try some of the traditional Colombian cuisine. Among those were the bandeja paisa. Bandeja paisa is perhaps one the most emblematic dishes of Colombia, especially popular in the Paisa region. The Paisa region is formed by the departments of Antioquia, Caldas, Risaralda and […]
50 Food Words in Spanish: Chile Spanish Words Flash Cards
When traveling to Chile you need to take note of the particular food words in Spanish they use. This is crucial to decide what to order and to understand what you are about to eat. Here is a list of 50 food words in Spanish used in Chile presented in a “flash card power point […]
Crime Words in Spanish Flashcards: 33 Argentina Spanish Expressions
Talking about criminal activities in a Spanish-speaking country will force you to get a deeper knowledge of the local words. Crime words in Spanish vary among countries and Argentina is not the exception. What you think should be a simple, common word might hold a double meaning. So pay attention to these examples! Here is […]
Basic Spanish Lessons: Ordering Food
It’s pretty hard to get around in a Spanish speaking country if you can’t even order something to eat. This basic Spanish lesson will give you the vocabulary and phrases you need to order food in Spanish. First, let’s get your basic food vocabulary out of the way. You have to get past the menu […]
Chile Spanish Words: Clothing Words in Spanish Flashcards
One of the first things you will notice while traveling to different Spanish-speaking countries is that common words are not the same. This happens, for example, with clothing words in Spanish. Here we have listed 21 particular Chile Spanish words related to clothing. There are obviously more words, but these are the ones we thought […]
25 Spanish Slang Expressions from Spain: Asturias
This is a guest post written by Ashley Bennink, a doctoral candidate who just completed her Masters in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language at the University of Oviedo in Asturias, Spain. Her area of research is the use of slang by Latino immigrants in the area of Health and Wellness. Prior to studying in […]
Children’s Spanish Books: 10 Reading Suggestions for 3rd to 5th Grades
Finding children’s Spanish books can be a hard task because there are plenty of titles to choose from. Here is a list of 10 reading suggestions suitable for kids between 3rd and 5th grades. All of these books are in Spanish or bilingual and the stories are related to the Hispanic culture. Children’s Spanish Books […]
How to Pronounce the Longest Word in Spanish [with Video]
Pronouncing the longest word in Spanish or in any other language can be a challenge. Each word, is like a short tongue twister! I chose 10 of the longest words to give it a try and see which ones are the hardest to say. The first set of long words includes the ones that are […]
8 Kids Spanish Books About Hispanic Culture for Middle School Kids
If you are a parent of a middle school kid looking for stories to connect him/her to the Hispanic culture, check out these Kids Spanish Books options. These books are ideal for kids that speak Spanish as a first language between the grades of 6th to 8th. These titles are also available in English for […]
Video Spanish Lessons: Pronouncing the Colors in Spanish
The colors are one of the basic things you can teach your students. Here is a short video Spanish lesson on how to pronounce the colors. Video Spanish Lessons: Pronouncing the Colors in Spanish 1. amarillo: yellow 2. azul: blue 3. negro: black 4. naranja: orange 5. rojo: red 6. rosa: pink 7. café: brown […]