Spanish in Action

Almost all Spanish tests, when you break them down to their most basic components, are a combination of vocabulary and grammar.  If you can make sure that you know well and can confidently use the vocabulary and grammar that will be covered on the test, you will probably end up with a good grade on your test.  Here are a couple of tips to help guide you in your studies:

Tip 1: Study your vocabulary from Spanish to English and from English to Spanish.

Don’t lose easy points because you can’t recall or produce the vocabulary that you’re responsible for.  The mistake that many students make is only studying their vocabulary words from Spanish to English – or – from English to Spanish, and not studying the terms in both directions. The direction in which you study vocabulary actually strengthens different language competencies.  When you study vocabulary from Spanish to English you’re working on your ability to understand Spanish.  When you study from English to Spanish, you’re working on your ability to express yourself in Spanish.  This is why language learners have preferred to use flashcards for learning vocabulary for so many years.  It’s easy to turn them around and study your vocabulary list in the other direction.

Tip 2: Treat grammar like vocabulary as much as possible, using flashcards.

When you’re working with grammar you really have two different objectives: to understand the concept and to apply it correctly in the right situations. For example, when you’re studying the preterit and imperfect verb tenses you have to know the conjugations of AR, ER, IR and irregular verbs for both tenses AND you have to know when to use each tense.  By breaking this situation down into its parts, you can study it like simple vocabulary, using flashcards. Here’s how you would do it with the example above:

1. Make individual flashcards for AR, ER, IR conjugations with an example verb that fits each category, so that’s 6 cards total that cover the regular conjugations for both preterit and imperfect. One example card:
   Front of card: -AR Preterit
   Back of card: Caminar (yo caminÉ, tú caminASTE, etc.)
2. Make one individual card for each irregular verb in each tense.  This will take quite a few cards, but it’s worth it.
   Front of card: Ser – Imperfect
   Back of card: yo era, tú eras, etc.
   1. Make separate cards for “ -car, -gar, -zar” verbs in the preterit.
      Front: Jugar – Preterit
      Back: Jugar: yo jugUÉ, tú jugASTE, etc.
   2. Make cards for the different IR stem changing verbs in the preterit.
      Front: Dormir – Preterit
      Back: Dormir: yo dormí, tú dormiste, él/ella/usted dUrmió, etc.
   3. Make a card for each use of the past tense, so you can quiz yourself on   whether preterit or imperfect should be used:Front: Telling time in the past
      > Back: Imperfect (Eran las diez de la noche…)
      Front: One-time completed actions in the past
      > Back: Preterit (Ayer yo hablé con Carlos.)

Even though you’re studying some complicated grammar topics, managing multiple tenses and dealing with vocabulary that you sometimes has you thinking “I don’t even use this in English”, you can succeed at Spanish if you break it down into simple flashcards and make sure you’re memorizing information in both directions.

¡¡¡COMING SOON!!!

Common Ground is working on establishing an online tutoring service so that you can practice your Spanish with native speakers on a regular basis and inexpensively.  Contact Rory Foster if you’d like more information on this online Spanish tutor option when it’s ready in the New Year!  rfoster@commongroundinternational.com. Ph. (303) 684-5557 Read more...

“The stakes are too high – I can’t practice Spanish with my patients.”

We often hear this sentiment expressed in our Medical Spanish classes, and while it is a responsible approach to patient care, it may not always be true.

The underlying principle at work when you feel the hesitation to use Spanish with your patients is a good one; you want the best for your patients and you don’t want to do anything that would compromise them or their condition.  But have you considered that there might be a way for you to use the Spanish that you have AND make sure that your patient is getting quality care?

Common Ground will never advocate reckless use of Spanish with your patients; trying to navigate situations that are beyond your language ability is akin to treating a patient outside of your own scope of practice.  So what do you do when it turns out that a patient’s needs are outside of your scope of practice?  You pass them along to the professional who can help them, right?  Does that mean that you never even spoke to them in the first place?  Not usually.  In most cases you do for the patient what you know you responsibly can, and then it’s someone else’s turn to take over.  Couldn’t this be an appropriate model for your Spanish interactions with patients?

Even if all you know is “Hola, me llamo _____, soy su enfermera hoy.  ¿Cómo se llama usted? ¿Qué le pasa hoy? ¿Tiene dolor?”  That could be 30 seconds total, but at least you’re using what you know. The patient is put at ease because you’re making an effort, you’re building that important confianza, and as soon as you’ve reached your limit of understanding, you get the assistance you need to continue with the patient.  After all, it only takes you an additional 30 seconds to go back through the same questions with an interpreter, and then you get to hear it all again the second time!

Any effort you make to speak Spanish will most likely make your patient’s experience with you more positive.  At the same time, those brief efforts you make to speak are exactly the kind of practice you need to improve as a  language learner and become comfortable enough to have a more in-depth conversation in the future.

If you have heard yourself saying that you just don’t know enough to try any Spanish with your patients, you might be giving yourself a false choice; either be fluent or don’t speak at all.  Common Ground encourages you to keep trying to use Spanish as much as you have the opportunity and time to do so with your patients – but always keep in mind your own limits, and stop when you’re no longer certain that you’re being responsible with your patients.

Looking for a Medical Spanish class starting after the holidays?  Click here for a current schedule of Medical Spanish course offerings!

By this time in the school year, it’s clear which students are struggling in your Spanish class.  Some students may not be giving your class the energy required to succeed, but it’s pretty safe to assume that there are others who are trying to tackle a foreign language with a learning disability.

Common Ground International is admittedly no expert on learning disabilities, but recently we’ve been working with several High School students struggling with Dyslexia, and we’ve had some success.  So here are 6 quick tips to help your dyslexic students learn in your Spanish class:

1. Be honest with your student.  Learning a foreign language with dyslexia is going to require some extra effort from your student.  Some students may need to be reminded that the extra help they are given at school is not enough to succeed.  The accommodations that you and your colleagues make for a given student are just part of the equation.  Students need to be reminded (and parents sometimes too) that ultimately a student’s success up to them.  Regular reminders to the dyslexic student that you are working together as a team, and they have just as big a role in working through their challenges as you, may be an important strategy throughout the year.  The sooner the dyslexic student understands that the ultimate responsibility for their success is in their hands, the sooner you help them prepare for success throughout their lives.
2. Look  over the student’s notes on occasion and help them fix the misspellings. Dyslexic students often copy down class notes incorrectly.  In other subject areas a misspelling may not be as big of a deal because it’s not the word they copied down incorrectly that they’re responsible for – it’s the general idea.  However, when you copy down the Spanish verb comprender as cormpender (and it subsequently sounds like “corm-pen-der”) you’ve got a really hard time with the verb “to understand”.  This might take you 10 minutes per unit to look over their vocabulary list – but it would help your dyslexic student a lot.
3. Encourage your student to use flashcards. Flashcards are much more effective for the dyslexic student when studying vocabulary than a long list of Spanish vocabulary on lined paper.  The fewer words at a time that the dyslexic student sees, the easier it is to concentrate and get that word into their usable vocabulary.
4. Check in with the student’s parents and other teachers.  There is clearly no benefit to trying to figure this all out on your own.  Ask parents and teachers for tips they have and specific strategies that are successful for that unique student.
5. Consider modifying how you put notes up on the board (or project them).  It’s very easy in a dynamic Spanish classroom to have vocabulary, phrases, etc. spread out all over the board in random fashion (because you were standing on the left side of the room when X word needed to be written down, but you were on the right side when Y word needed to be written down) – and by the end of the class period the visual picture is a jumbled mess of verbs, nouns, phrases, circles, and underlines.  Most of it is all horizontal, but squeezed in around everything is a diagonal word here and there; you get the picture.  It’s a disaster for your dyslexic Spanish student.  You might consider color coding certain things, having a defined space for grammar items and a separate space for vocabulary items, etc. Additionally, one of the most important things to remember is to make sure that the notes you have on the board (or projected) stay visible long enough so that the student doesn’t have to rush to write them down.
6. Provide an outline for reading exercises.  As students progress in Spanish level, you require more and more reading assignments.  Large chunks of reading material are a classic challenge for Spanish students with dyslexia.  You can significantly increase student success with this reading material by taking even 5 minutes to do a quick pre-reading activity.  This might be in the form of providing a basic outline of the reading, or could even be as simple as just reviewing the comprehension questions at the end of the reading before the students take it home and work on it.  Anything you can do to help frame the reading for the student will be better than assigning it out of context.

Again, Common Ground International claims no expertise in teaching for learning disabilities – but experience has taught us a few little tricks that tend to be successful when working with dyslexia.  You may have other useful tips as well, and we welcome your responses to this blog.  For further information on specific tips when working with dyslexic students, here are a few helpful websites:

Ever wish you could acquire your second language as naturally as you did your first? That’s the idea behind immersion programs abroad and immersion-style teaching.

“I’m not good at languages.”
For a long time, the dominant model used by language educators has been language “learning.” Language learning consists of learning about the language – its grammar rules, spelling patterns, etc., through exercises, drills, and memorization. Unfortunately, language learners often complete many years of study, and can correctly fill in the blanks on a grammar quiz, but can’t communicate effectively in the language. At that point, it’s easy for some to conclude that they don’t have a “knack” for language and give it up.

However, this teaching method is like having someone learn to dance by reading about theory and technique, but never actually taking to the dance floor. Although rules and technique form an important foundation, communication, like dance, is something you do. A high-quality Spanish class will place a heavy emphasis on being exposed to and using the language in class – and then give you well-planned homework activities that focus on rules and practice exercises that you can complete on your own time.

Do you remember learning your native language?
Probably not. Have you ever heard a four-year-old say “Mom, I’m terrible at this language stuff – the verb conjugations just aren’t clicking!” Nope. Not because children speak the language perfectly from the beginning, but because they grow up surrounded by it and communicating in it from their earliest stages of development. They experience it with all their senses, and in every aspect of their lives – in play, in taking instruction, in expressing their emotions, desires, questions, and objections. In this way, language is acquired through a subconscious process because it is central to real communication – a basic human necessity.

For adults, a well-planned immersion program puts you in the situation where your target language is all around you and you have no choice but to do what you can, and your skills grow by leaps and bounds daily. For example, by living with a host family, immersion students can’t have their most basic needs met without using Spanish – a frightening prospect at first, but this simple reality means that within days even beginning-level students are capable of communicating their needs and reactions to their family – and usually have some laughs in in the process!

How can I acquire another language?
Language acquisition differs from language learning in that it focuses on using the language for practical, everyday communication. In Second Language Acquisition, it is crucial for educators to strike a balance between language learning (grammar explanations and exercises) and language acquisition (authentic conversation), so that students learn first and foremost to communicate – but learn to do so accurately. This balance is precisely what Common Ground courses and immersion programs are about – cultivating real, practical, and effective communication skills.

In our work with professionals learning Spanish for workplace communication, we often encounter the patterns they learned in high school or college Spanish courses taken years before. One of the most common is the tendency to default to the tú form when speaking to someone. This isn’t always the most appropriate way to address someone in the professional setting.

Do your students have a default “you” form?
Most of our clients had Spanish courses at some point in the past, and learned that usted is reserved for speaking to elders and people in positions of authority, or when showing respect. Having learned this, they generally default to using tú in the classroom – practicing usted only in the context of grammar drills, not everyday speech. This may even be reinforced by a study abroad or immersion experience in which the student uses tú with host families and classmates. One should certainly follow the lead of the locals when in another country, and the tú tendency isn’t incorrect, but it doesn’t account for many situations your students are likely to encounter later in their professional lives.

When and where are your students likely to use Spanish in the future?
For previous generations in the United States, students studied Spanish primarily for traveling in Spanish-speaking countries, or enjoying Spanish art and literature. However, as the Spanish-speaking population in the U.S. continues to grow, the purpose this skill serves has changed drastically. Over the course of their adult lives, your students are far more likely to use Spanish in their jobs in the U.S. than on extended periods of international travel or work. This is an exciting shift for Spanish educators because it reinforces the practical nature of learning Spanish, but means that we need to equip our students to embrace a style of communication (and understand a cultural value) that is appropriate with Latinos of all backgrounds here in the United States.

Are your students prepared to set the tone as professionals?
Unfortunately, because we don’t have an equivalent of usted in English – nor is our culture used to building in respectful deference to another peer in this way – most of our students don’t understand the appropriateness of using usted with people of the same age and/or even younger ages. The truth of the professional world is that usted is appropriate in many more settings than a young person speaking to an elder.

Usted is always appropriate at least for initial contact with Latino clients, employees, patients, etc. It may be tempting for non-native speakers to skip usted and use tú automatically, but it can have significant negative consequences in the professional setting. While North Americans tend to invoke informality in order to make someone feel at ease, this directly contradicts the respeto and ritual formality that is an important part of Latino relationships.

The safest rule of thumb for our future young professionals is to build formality and respect into their conversations. This one relatively simple classroom tip will certainly help our future managers build loyalty with their team members, our future sales professionals gain the confianza they need to be successful in international business, and our future healthcare professionals establish a positive rapport with their patients.

So what does Common Ground suggest? Consider establishing one day a week where everyone has to use the usted form in class. This seemingly small change in tone may appear insignificant to the native English speaker, but it’s definitely worth the effort to keep the usted form fresh in students’ minds so that they can move freely between tú and usted as necessary in the future.

Hopefully your Spanish students have been exposed to important historical themes through their classwork and readings. However, what better way to get them talking than by exploring some topics relevant to their generation?  We recently gave students a list of research topics for oral presentations. Some of those topics could also make for great classroom debates:

1. Unarmed Conflict in Costa Rica
   Background: Costa Rica de-militarized over 60 years ago, and has had a strong commitment to peace and neutrality ever since. However, in late 2010 a Nicaraguan-led river dredging project along the border led to a territory skirmish which eventually escalated into a localized military “invasion” of Costa Rica. The Costa Rican government has sought to resolve the issue without the use of military force.
   The Debate: In this case of the Nicaraguan invasion, has not having an army been a positive or a negative thing for Costa Rica? 
2. Recent Changes to the Spanish Language
   Background: The Real Academia Española (RAE) recently approved some official changes to the Spanish language. These changes were intended to represent a more modern and unified Spanish because they reflected trends and contributions from all Spanish-speaking countries, not just the Castile region of Spain. This caused a great deal of controversy, as the purpose of the RAE is to maintain the standards and purity of the language. However, it’s often accused of being too conservative – possibly to the point of becoming obsolete.
   The Debate: Is language a growing, changing thing that should be defined by its speakers, or is it necessary to maintain strict standards in order to prevent the deterioration and fracturing of a language? 
3. Las Presidentas: Gender & Latin American Politics
   Background: In the past four years, Chile, Costa Rica, Brazil and Argentina* have all elected their first female presidents. While Latin America has had female leaders in the past, this represents a sudden rise in independent female leadership. This creates the unusual situation of typically “macho” countries – where opportunities for females can be limited – being led by women. *Argentina’s current president is its first elected female president.
   The Debate: Are developing countries better served by male or female leaders? OR (the third perspective) Does gender not matter in political leadership? 
4. Emigration & Remittances
   The Background: Latin America has some of the highest emigration rates in the world. People choose to leave their countries for a variety of reasons, such as economic instability (in the case of Ecuador) or armed conflict (in the case of El Salvador).
   The Debate: Choose either Ecuador or El Salvador and discuss whether emigration and the influx of remittances has ultimately been good or bad for its economy and/or society. 
5. Ecuador’s Yasuní Initiative
   Background: Ecuador has huge oil reserves that happen to be located under Yasuní National Park, an area of extraordinary biodiversity, and home to indigenous peoples. In 2007 the Ecuadorian government proposed a unprecedented initiative requesting that Ecuador be compensated by the global community for half the value of the oil underground in return for not drilling in the National Park.
   The Debate: Could the YasuníInitiative be a replicable model for environmental policy in other developing countries, or would it be ineffective in other situations? 
6. Oil Exploitation
   Background: Several Latin American countries such as Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, and Ecuador have massive reserves of oil .
   The Debate: Choose a country and discuss whether the exploitation of oil reserves has ultimately had a positive or negativeeffect on that country and its people.
   

Need some interesting, relevant topics for Spanish class presentations? Let us help you get started with unas ideas:

1. Equatorial Guinea: Africa’s only Spanish-speaking country
   How does it differ linguistically from Latin American countries?
2. The Panama Canal
   How did its history and construction affect the ethnic diversity of the region?
   What does the current expansion mean for the water supply of the canal zone, and the economy of Panama?
3. Unarmed Conflict in Costa Rica
   How has Costa Rica – a country with no army and a strong dedication to peace – dealt with its current border dispute with Nicaragua without reverting to physical or military force?
4. Recent changes to the Spanish Language
   The Real Academia Española recently approved some official changes to the Spanish language. How were these changes agreed upon, and do they represent a more united or more divided Spanish Language?
5. Las Presidentas
   In the past four years, Chile, Costa Rica, Brazil and Argentina* have all elected their first female presidents. While Latin America has had female leaders in the past, this represents a sudden rise in independent female leadership. What is this being attributed to, and what does it mean for the region – if anything?
   *Argentina’s current president is its second female president but first elected female president
6. Pueblos Indígenas
   Bolivia and Guatemala have the most sizable indigenous populations in the Americas (about 55% and 40% of their total populations, respectively). Compare and contrast the role of indigenous populations in both societies, considering factors such as language, religion, conflicts, economics, etc.
   
7. Emigration
   Latin America has some of the highest emigration rates in the world. People choose to leave their countries for a variety of reasons, such as economic instability (in the case of Ecuador) or armed conflict (in the case of El Salvador). Choose either Ecuador or El Salvador and explore the effects that emigration – and remittances – has on its economy.
8. Oil Exploitation
   Several Latin American countries, such as Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina, have massive reserves of oil . What have been some of the positive and negative effects of exploiting these reserves in each country?
   
9. Ecuador’s Yasuní Initiative
   Ecuador has huge oil reserves that happen to be located under Yasuní National Park, an area of extraordinary biodiversity, and home to indigenous peoples. In 2007 the Ecuadorian government proposed a unique initiative requesting that Ecuador be compensated for half the value of the oil underground in return for not drilling in the National Park.
   How is this going so far?
   What does this mean for environmental policy in Latin America?
   
10. Inequality
    It’s common to hear people talk about “inequality” in Latin America. However, this often means more than just economic inequality. What factors are used to measure inequality, and how do Latin American countries compare using factors other than income?