SPAIN IS DIFFERENT
By Helen Wattley
I just read some parts of it and could tell it is really relevant for any person coming from USA to live here. If you have a chance to get this book, it would be very helpful.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Lucy hires an English Tutor (I love Lucy)
This is one of our favorite episodes. Enjoy it!
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
A brazo partido
A brazo partido
Locución utilizada -especialmente- en compañía de los verbos «trabajar» y «luchar». Expresa que una acción ha sido realizada con mucha intensidad, debido a que «brazo partido» literalmente significa «con los brazos solos, sin armas».
Used usually with the verbs work and fight (trabajar and luchar) and express the action done with much intensity.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Sacalalengua
The other day watching TV late at night I came across this show at channel La 1. It is interesting as they do special reports on different things and then work on the specific vocabulary labeling the works as they come up. The day I watched it was on animals in the protected areas and they would do scientific explanations on things and would show the words and explain them. Good show for middle to advanced level.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Es la Pera ...
"¡Es la pera!"
The other day I offered to do something for friend. I really meant it! I wanted to help! His answer was SOYS LA PERA ... I hoped it was a good thing, at least I like pears! I asked me him to explain, so it means something so good it is beyond the expected, and you keep on doing it over and over again.
Cuéntame
If you want to learn the recent history of Spain (Franco era to nowadays) in a fun way, I recommend this show. It is on "La 1". Not sure in which day it is right now but I believe they are in the 80's or 90's right now. It shows the lifestyle during and pos dictadorship. It is secular, so be ready. You can find the DVD collection on Ebay Spain for purchase or at your local lybrary. They had taken from regular stores when I tried to find it. I have the first season and would be glad to let anyone borrow it for a few days.
The First Samurai, with Tom Cruise
It was a little too bloody for my taste but I loved the whole lesson behind the story told. It is a story of a captian of American army who was hired to train Japans Army against a traitor. The soldier is captured by these people on a first war confrotation. They take care of him, teaching him the Samurai lifestyle and values. He finds himself in love with the new culture and way of life and start fighting on its side. One of the questions of another American soldier is: Why do you hate so much your own culture?
A few questions came to mind:
1) Do you ever find yourself liking your host culture better than your first culture?
2) Do you feel guilty about it?
3) Do you think this is healthy to feel or not to feel like that?
A few questions came to mind:
1) Do you ever find yourself liking your host culture better than your first culture?
2) Do you feel guilty about it?
3) Do you think this is healthy to feel or not to feel like that?
Movies
Is there a movie that touches you in a special way in what has to do with cultural adaptation? I just watched a movie: The First Samurai and it made me think of all the other movies that could teach so much about living in a second or third culture, adaptation, etc.
Can you suggest some movies that relate to that subject? Thanks!
Can you suggest some movies that relate to that subject? Thanks!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
DELE 2009
Here you will have some fast information of DELE -- that is important to all of us!
First, I noticed that the Instituto Cervantes added another lever which is Nivel A-1. That does not change our level, which is Intermediario B-2. You can read about all of this on their page which has much more information, at:
http://diplomas.cervantes.es/general/descripcion.jsp
Other information for us in 2009:
Test on May 15th: inscription from March 2nd to April 24th.
Test on August 21st: inscription from 13th to 31st of July
Test on November 1st: inscription from September 1st to October 16th.
For site information and other, please to the site above.
First, I noticed that the Instituto Cervantes added another lever which is Nivel A-1. That does not change our level, which is Intermediario B-2. You can read about all of this on their page which has much more information, at:
http://diplomas.cervantes.es/general/descripcion.jsp
Other information for us in 2009:
Test on May 15th: inscription from March 2nd to April 24th.
Test on August 21st: inscription from 13th to 31st of July
Test on November 1st: inscription from September 1st to October 16th.
For site information and other, please to the site above.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)