Posted by adir ferreira
Puerto Rico is well-known for its wide range of musical talent and has provided artists like Ricky Martin, Olga Tañón, Luis Fonsi, La India, and Chayanne, just to name a few. The bomba and the plena, the salsa, and the reggaetón are some of the music genres that take over the radio stations nowadays. The website Music of Puerto Rico offers a thorough compilation of musical information such as intruments, artists, genres, audio clips, lyrics, and much more. Make sure you check it out and learn some more about this extremely culturally rich part of Puerto Rican culture.
Now, here’s an interview with Chayanne, a widely famous actor and singer who’s sold over 10 million records and has had nine number one singles on the Billboard Hot Latin Chart. Try and listen for the gist of the conversation, pay attention to their gestures and have fun listening to real and unedited Spanish. Enjoy and see you next time!
Posted by adir ferreira
I’m a helpless internet addict and as a teacher I’m always looking for alternatives to supplement my classes. While surfing the web, I came across this course, by BBC Online, called Mi Vida Loca. It’s a mystery series and it has tons of audio, video and explanations both in English and in Spanish. There are 22 episodes (it takes about 15 minutes to complete each one) and it’s a lot of fun! There are grammar, vocabulary and listening exercises. Check it out at http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/mividaloca.
Hope you like it!
Nos vemos prontito!
Posted by adir ferreira
“Ask” has several meanings in Spanish. They’re not interchangeable, and there are some subtle differences in meaning.
Preguntar - “to ask a question” or “to ask about” something.
- Preguntó por ti en la fiesta. - He asked about you at the party.
- Pregunté si habían estudiado para la prueba. - I asked if they had studied for the test.
Pedir - used to indicate a direct request or to ask for something.
- Pidió un libro de español. - She asked for a Spanish book.
- Me pidió dinero pero le dije que no tenía un centavo. - He asked me for money but I told him I didn’t have a penny.
Rogar - to make a formal request, or also to beg or to pray.
- Se ruega a los clientes que tomen las precauciones oportunas para salvaguardar sus pertenencias. Customers are asked to take appropriate precautions in order to protect their belongings.
- Fuimos a la iglesia para rogar. - We went to the church to pray.
Invitar - can be used when asking someone out to do something or go somewhere.
- Te invito a mi casa a echarnos un trago. - Come to my house to have a drink.
Solicitar - used with certain types of requests, such as for information, or in business or legal contexts.
- Solicitan amnistía para el ex presidente. - They are requesting an amnesty for the former president.
See you next time!
Posted by adir ferreira
Yo soy Betty, la fea is the most successful telenovela in Colombia. It was written by Fernando Gaitán and produced by RCN Televisión between 1999 and 2001.
The main character is Beatriz Aurora Pinzón Solano, who is not a very attractive woman but is incredibly intelligent and works for a fashion company called “Eco Moda”. Betty, as she’s so kindly called, has to put up with insults from her co-workers, especially from the secretary, Patricia Fernández, the designer Hugo Lombardi and Marcela Valencia, who happens to be the boss’s fiancée.
The telenovela starts off with Betty going to a job interview. After she’s finally hired her problems begin. It’s full of comedy and very dramatic moments and a good chance to check out the Colombian accent. Check out the first episode totally in Spanish on Youtube, which is a good exercise for listening comprehension.
Part 1 - http://youtube.com/watch?v=FFLcQIm69V0
Part 2 - http://youtube.com/watch?v=wvzajCe2HvA&feature=related
Part 3 - http://youtube.com/watch?v=inTA_yCKIcY&feature=related
Part 4 - http://youtube.com/watch?v=a0cE33Ogzsg&feature=related
Part 5 - http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ktac1S_8Tec&feature=related
Nos vemos prontito!
