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 […]
LADRON QUE ROBA LADRON Spanish Language Proverb in English
There are variations on how the same Spanish language proverb is known or expressed. For example, the complete saying Ladrón que roba ladrón… can be expressed as: 1. Ladrón que roba a ladrón, merece el perdón 2. Ladrón que roba a ladrón tiene cien años de perdón 3. El que roba a un ladrón tiene […]
9 English to Spanish Words and Phrases for Bell Ringer Activities
More than once now I have been contacted or run across questions about how to translate bell ringer activities into Spanish. And so here I am sharing the English to Spanish words and phrases I have come across as well as asking for your suggestions. On one occasion Diana, her sister (a public school Spanish […]
Top 9 Reasons Why People Learn Spanish in San Juan, Puerto Rico
The Caribbean island of Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth of the Unites States where Spanish is the official language. This and many others reasons make San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, a good destination to learn Spanish. Sacha Delgado, owner of the Institute for Spanish Language Acquisition (I.S.L.A.), chatted with Speaking Latino and tell […]
Hispanic Flags With SimilarFlags Around the World
Last week a terrible ruckus was formed when a manipulated video of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro supposedly confusing the Cuban and Puerto Rican flags circulated on the web. To add more to the mess, the Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin retweeted the video, an action that angered Venezuelans even more. Finally, the singer had to […]
First Spanish Lessons: Talking About Your Spanish Studies
When you are in the process of learning a language, you will generally get a lot a questions related to how you learned the Spanish you already know. Nothing kills your confidence more than not knowing how to respond to a question as simple as “how long have you been studying Spanish?” The phrases I […]
The Spanish Language Phrase FELIZ COMO UNA LOMBRIZ in English
You will hear the Spanish language phrase feliz como una lombriz in Latin America. This expression literally translates to “happy as an earthworm.” But the correct way to say feliz como una lombriz in English is by using the phrase “happy as a clam.” In my opinion, this is one expression that sounds better in […]
Baby Books in Spanish: Authentic Learning and Cultural Resources
Many teachers are always on the lookout for authentic learning resources for their classroom. Baby books in Spanish are a fantastic way of introducing or reiterating grammar concepts and vocabulary since repetition is a predominant characteristic of baby books, in general. Since knowledge may be learned through repetition, baby books make a great resource, no […]
How to Create Fun Spanish Lesson Plans
Creating fun Spanish lesson plans can be a complicated process especially when you are trying to create meaningful lesson plans as well. To make sure you have a complete, and effective lesson plan, it is necessary that you create your objectives for the lesson. What should the students be able to do after the lesson? […]
ENTRE LA ESPADA Y LA PARED: Spanish Phrase to English
Translating a Spanish Phrase to English: ESTAR ENTRE LA ESPADA Y LA PARED Literal: To be between the sword and the wall Definition: To be in a difficult, if not impossible, situation Equivalent: Between a rock and a hard place You can find this illustration and many others in my book Speaking Phrases Boricua: A […]
A Step by Step Spanish Greetings Lesson
A Spanish greetings lesson is usually one of the first things done at the beginning of a novice Spanish class. Spanish greetings are usually taught as vocabulary words, but why not try to create a bit more excitement? Think about this from the viewpoint of a brand-new learner of Spanish. These greetings are the first […]
Spanish Lessons Fast? No way, José!
Doing Spanish lessons fast is not the way to go unless your only goal is to complete a series of lessons in that time frame. Which, by the way, is a bad goal. Learning a language quickly can be detrimental to your comprehension and production of the language. Usually the primary goal of learning a […]
What Type of Adult Spanish Course Should I Take?
Many adults are finding that they need to be able to speak or understand Spanish in their work or personal lives, so much so that they will need some type of formal instruction. There are many different paths to receive this instruction, but the type you choose depends solely on what you want out of […]
How to Speak Spanish In No Time
Learning how to speak a different language can be difficult, but learning how to speak Spanish in no time can be an even harder feat. A variety of things affect the time in which a person learns to speak a language, but usually, the main determinant is the effort put forth by the learner. Several […]
Earn to Speak Spanish So You Learn to Speak Spanish
When people ask me how they can learn to speak Spanish, I often here the excuse that they don’t have any money to get started. The reality is there are a whole ton of free resources online for you to learn Spanish. However, there’s also another way. To learn to speak Spanish you can earn […]
Translating SIN LA SOGA Y SIN LA CABRA Spanish Phrase to English
Translating a Spanish Phrase to English: SIN LA SOGA Y SIN LA CABRA Literal: To remain without the rope and without the goat Definition: A person that tries to take or grab too much, and ends up with nothing Similar Spanish Phrases: Quedarse sin el plato y la comida Equivalent in English: Bite off more […]
Learn Spanish in Puerto Rico: Immersion Program ISLA
A while ago Jared published Speaking Latino’s most controversial post ever –Should You Learn Spanish in Puerto Rico?– where he questions if Puerto Rico is a good destination to learn Spanish. Obviously that is his opinion and I (and many others readers) don’t agree with it. So, now is my time to share my point […]
5 Student-approved Classroom Games to Learn Spanish
5 Student-approved Classroom Games to Learn Spanish from Speaking Latino We all know that students always look forward to playing games in the classroom. It is usually the very first question they ask upon entering class. Let’s face it, as teachers we like them too since they can be so effective and engaging. There are […]
Tips to Create a Spanish Speaking Lesson
In learning a language, there are 4 main components: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. All 4 are of equal importance, however, when developing one’s communicative skills the specific focus will be on listening and speaking. When students are asked at the beginning of the year what their goal is for Spanish class, 9 out of […]
25 Goofy Spanish Similes with the Word NUN
One of the funniest types of Spanish language idioms are the ones that uses similes or comparisons. The Wikipedia definition of a simile is “a figure of speech that directly compares two things through some connective, usually like, as, than, or a verb such as resembles.” The use of a nun or monja as a […]
Free Printable List of School Supplies in Spanish and English: 36 Basic Items
This printable list of school supplies in Spanish and English is as an example of the Spanish vocabulary diversity. Many items have different Spanish names.
LIKE A FISH OUT OF WATER: English Phrase in Spanish
Have you ever felt out of place? If you want to express that feeling in Spanish you can use the phrase “fuera de lugar.” But that phrase sound a bit formal and serious. Here are two ways you can translate “like a fish out of water” maintaining the English phrase in Spanish. 1. Como sapo […]
The Spanish Slang Meanings of CHUPI: Thalía’s Spanish Children Book Character
Last week Mexican singer Thalía announced that she will publish her first children’s book this year. The book –available in November 2013- is called Chupi: El binky que regresó a su hogar (Chupi: The Binky That Returned Home). The story and the character Chupi were created to help parents take away the pacifier from their […]
Spanish Idiomatic Expression CUANDO LAS GALLINAS MEAN in English
Cuando las gallinas mean is a common Spanish idiomatic expression generally said to children when they speak when they are not supposed to. The full Spanish saying goes los niños hablan cuando las gallinas mean and literally translates to “children talk when hens piss.” For anyone that doesn’t know hens doen’t pee and this phrase […]
MAZAMORRA: Spanish Language Word for Cooked Corn
In Colombia, I ran across this can of what should be corn cooked in sort way. It’s just hard to tell from the picture. It turns our that mazamorra is a common Spanish language word in Latin America and is basically a maize-based dish with a thick consistency, probably something close to creamed-corn. The preparation […]
Celebrate El Día E and The Spanish Language Day
Spanish is the second language in the world in number of native speakers, the second language of international communication (more than 500 million people speak it), and the third most used language on the Internet. To celebrate this vast wealth of Spanish culture, the Instituto Cervantes organizes for the fifth time El Día E, a […]
Bilingual Story Books: 5 Children Books in Spanish and English
Hispanics are 16.7% of total population of the United Sates, making them the nation’s largest ethnic or race minority. If you are part of that statistic, you are one of the 52 million Latinos that make the United States the second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. Unfortunately, there is also the risk of future generations […]
Spanish Language Practice Tests: Learn Your Spanish Level
If you have been taking Spanish classes or lessons for a while and are wondering how are you doing, check this out. Our friends from don Quijote Spanish Courses have put together these online Spanish language practice tests for you to measure your improvement. The practice tests are quick and consist of a short paragraph […]
The Best Book for Learning Spanish Vocabulary
The Best Book for Learning Spanish Vocabulary: Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish First Publish date: 1951 Pages: 496 Author: Margarita Madrigal Over 60 years after it’s first publication, Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish by Margarita Madrigal still may be the best book for learning Spanish vocabulary ever published. The premise of Madrigal’s book is that […]
10 Easy English-Spanish Words You Can Add to Your Vocabulary Today
When I was reading the book Spanish Word Histories and Mysteries: English Words That Come From Spanish I learned the following fact about English-Spanish words: After French, Latin and Old English, “Spanish is one of the most important ingredients in English vocabulary.” I knew that there were Spanish words in the English language, but I […]