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Visual Link Spanish™ Course Testimonial --
Hi David
I have completed the greetings lesson and I was in grocery store and there was a Mother and two children. I greeted the Mother and then asked the two little girls their names and the Mother then asked my name. Then last night my Husband said I am taking you to a Mexican Restaurant so you can practice your Spanish and I did greetings and ordering from menu in Spanish.
We have been going to Mexico for 15 years and I have a little Spanish knowledge and had enough to get by. I decided I was tired of talking words and not sentences and this is the year to learn it completely. So far I am doing very well and am better than I have ever been. I had Spanish in college but we never spoke the language and wrote it only. I do know prononciation from that course but that is about it.
I have until Christmas and I will have Visual Link Spanish course completed. We will be in Mexico for 9 weeks and will be doing some interior travel.
So far so good.
Lynn Warner,
Bloomington, Illinois.
Weekly Spanish Lesson---Grammar
For this week's lesson, click below to learn some basics in Spanish grammar. You'll hear María from Mexico and learn with a fun, interactive format.
To check it out, click here: Interactive Lessons - Spanish Grammar
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Words of the Week -----
Taken from the complete CD-ROM course.
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The Official "Ask Dave" Section -----
Question
Hello Dave,
I am an american of dominican/guyanaese descent. And I would like to learn the slang spanish my dominican family speaks so I can sound native. Can you help?
Answer
I did live in the Dominican Republic for 3 months and learned a lot of phrases unique to the Dominican Republic. However, I'm not an expert in Dominican slang. The following are a few of my favorite Dominican phrases.
One of my favorite Dominican expressions is "Está guapo/a". Normally, the phrase "Es guapo" means "He/She is good looking." The Dominican expression "Está guapo/a" means "He/She is upset or angry."
Another big slang word teenagers and people in their twenties used was to call someone "tigre" which normally means "tiger." However, as Dominican slang it was their word for someone that is "sly" or almost "too smart for their own good."
Another interesting Dominican expression was what they called types of hair. Some of them have more frizzy hair than others. They (the Dominicans in general) called their "frizzy" hair "pelo malo" (b
ad hair) and they call non-frizzy hair "pelo bueno" (good hair).
Hopefully that gives you at least a start on Dominican slang.
If any of you native speakers or people who have lived abroad have more to add, please write in. We'd love to hear from you.
Dave
Remember, if you want to be successful in Spanish and don't have the Complete Visual Link Spanish™ Course yet, click here to order it.
Culture --
Latin American's are Serious about their #1 Pastime
Like many parts of the mundo (world), soccer is the "número uno" pastime in Latin America. Latin American's are very serious about their soccer, and many fans are fanatical about their teams.
In Spanish, the word for soccer is "fútbol". It looks and sounds similar to the English word "football". However, if you are referring to U.S.-style "football", you say "fútbol americano" instead of "fútbol" which, as I mentioned, means "soccer" in español.
As I mencioné, Latin Americans are very serios about their "fútbol". After many of their partidos (games), the fans meet each other afuera (outside). The fans from one equipo (team) are pitted against the fans from the other equipo and they will often get into a physical pelea (fight). I guess it isn't enough for the partido to be decided by the final score; the fans want to really show who won by getting in a pelea after the partidos. Sometimes the fights can become very serious!
In the country of Brazil, they don't speak español, but they are very integrated into the Latin American culture since they are surrounded on most sides by countries that speak español. Anyway, a few years ago, the equipo nacional (national team) of Brazil was in competición for the world title and their goal keeper missed a key stop. Some fans were so enojados (angry) when the team returned to Brazil that they found the goal keeper and it wasn't pretty. As I mencioné, they are very serios about their fútbol.
Professional deportes in the United States usually don't get serios enough that fans fight and injure each other or the atletas (athletes). If it is that way in other parts of the mundo (world), please e-mail and let me know.
Latins here in the U.S. also are very serios about their fútbol. If the games aren't on their home televisión they will often pay a lot of dinero to watch partidos on a big screen televisión at a Latin/Spanish restaurant or casa of un amigo (friend).
Moral of the historia: If you are in Latin America, close to an estadio (stadium), just after a game, take cover fast or be sure to wear a bullet-proof vest. Or -- just stay away from the area altogether. Also, if you are friends with Latin people, it is good to be aware of how serios they are about their "fútbol". You many want to ask them about their equipo favorito (favorite team), or how the copa mundial (world cup soccer) is going.
Sneak peek at next week: Personal visit to someone in Latin America.
¡Que tengan un buen día! (I hope you all have a good day!)
¡Hasta luego! ("Until later")
David S. Clark -- President / Director
Visual Link Spanish™
Fun, Interactive Spanish Courses
http://www.spanishprograms.com
dave_c@spanishprograms.com
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Build your Spanish Vocabulary - Monthly Spanish Magazine!
"Practice makes perfect!"
Perfect your Spanish with THINK SPANISH! MAGAZINE - now available with Audio CD. Think Spanish! Magazine is the monthly publication designed to increase Spanish fluency, BUILD VOCABULARY and GRAMMAR and IMPROVE LISTENING COMPREHENSION while teaching you about life in Spanish-speaking countries.
Now available with a monthly Audio CD - Think Spanish! Magazine will keep your Spanish strong all year long. Each issue includes dynamic articles about culture, travel, art, people and more and contains useful lessons and tutorials.
Each month the dynamic articles in Think Spanish! Magazine are read by native Spanish speakers. Think Spanish Audio CDs increase listening comprehension and pr
onunciation skills. For more info - Click Here!
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Responses to Past Newsletters:
Note: Any links recommended by newsletter subscribers are not necessarily endorsed by the U.S. Institute of Languages™ - use at your own risk. Formatting on responses may have been changed to fit your screen.
Response #1
Hi Dave,
I have learned lots of Spanish from your program and enjoy your up date newsletters. I have been a certified real estate sales agent in Mexico for over 15 years.
In Mexico a lease can not be written for over 10 years. There is one exception to this, Ejido leases that can be written for a maximum 30 year term. Ejido properties are similar to Indian reservation lands in the United States.
In Mexico Americans and other foreigners can own land fee simple except in the restricted zones, which is property within 100 kilometers of other countries borders and property within 50 kilometers of the ocean.
These restricted zone properties can be owned by foreigners with a 50 year fideicomiso trust, which can be renewed in perpetuity. A fideicomiso puts the property in a trust with a Mexican bank. The owner of the trust has full rights of ownership including the right to sell, will, rent, and other
property rights obtained in the United States.
A lease is not a safe ownership unless a person does not care what happens after 10 years. In addition it is extremely important that the potential leasor checks the title of ownership to assure that the property can legally be leased and is being leased from the proper title owner.
American land title companies, such as Stewart Title and First American Title are issuing title policies to purchasers of land including a purchase through a fideicomiso in restricted zone areas.
Mexico is the number one country in the world for Americans seeking retirement homes and vacation homes. Large US companies are selling property in Mexico using the fideicomisos and title insurance companies.
Thanks for the great Spanish Courses.
Regards,
Wayne Cobb
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