Spanish by Belen

Now that we all have been challenged to create new ways to interact, work, exercise and stay sane, I find myself teaching all of my classes online in order to stay in contact with my students and reach as many people as possible. Besides all the benefits and shortcomings of teaching online, something happened this week during an online class that really struck me and inspired me to create this new entry on my blog.   “I didn’t like listening to myself” One of the great benefits of teaching online is that we can record our lessons and see them afterwards. It is a great tool to have when you feel like reviewing or have questions about homework. When I asked a student today if she had had time to watch the video of the previous class, she answered that she had started watching it but she hated listening to herself so she quit watching it. It is funny because I actually like listening to her when she speaks and I never once felt that her speech was unpleasant at all. ...

Why use songs to learn Spanish? Songs are a popular, fun and painless way of learning a language. True, you cannot only learn a language through songs but if you are already taking lessons, songs are a big help. They are meaningful and repetitive, which help you learn vocabulary and practice grammar forms while you enjoy yourself. To help out with your Spanish learning, here are a few songs I recommend you add to your playlist. No hago mas na  by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. This is a cheerful salsa song that will have you practicing vocabulary for things we do every day and review present tense. Listen to the song  here .  Volví a nacer  by Carlos Vives is one of my favorites to be exposed to verb phrases beginning with  Poder (to be able to) . Listen to the song here .  ¿Y cómo es el? This is a beautiful classic song sang by different artists. You can find the original version by Jose Luis Perales or a more modern version by Marc Anthon...

Feeling embarrassed stumbling on new words you are learning? Do this.  We have all felt, at some point in our language learning process, that inherent fear at the time of speaking that tells us that if we make a mistake, we will look silly. Here is the second tip for overcoming shyness that will help this awkward sensation go away at the time of speaking. For tip one see: How to stop being shy and learn a new language . That cliche statement 'practice makes perfect' is totally true when learning a new language... The reason why we feel nervous and insecure when speaking in a second language is because we are lacking self-confidence. Self-confidence, in this case, is built with practice. We have all heard the saying “practice makes perfect” and it also applies for language learning. Trust me, I get it. I am a second language student myself at the moment so I know first hand how it feels to be in the beginning steps of language acquisition so I would like ...

Most of us feel shy at the time of speaking a second language, especially when we are first learning one. Top two reasons why people feel shy when learning a new language: Pronunciation: Students fear using the wrong words or pronouncing a sound wrong. The thought of making a mistake when speaking that might cause our interlocutor to be confused or laugh at us is embarrassing.  Fear of speaking in front of others: Stumbling on your words can cause anxiety. Many students have a fear story in their minds that tells them if they do stumble they will look bad in front of others. Fear of looking silly seems to be inherent in human nature.  I see many students every week and spend most of my time guiding them through their language learning process and I learn a lot from each one of them. What has caught my attention the most is how often students struggle with fear and embarrassment and the funny thing is that there is nobody else in class but me!!! Well, gu...

I am pretty sure I live in one of the best places on Earth. One of the things that I like the most is the variety of cultures that come together in one small town. I love walking around town and listening to people speaking no less than 3 different languages in a 10 minute walk. Being fluent in two languages, I get to meet a lot of very interesting people. I get to know about their lives, interests, professions, dreams and plans. Amongst these people, I meet some that I know would really enjoy a conversation with each other and profit from it in either a professional or a personal level. But sadly enough, they do not speak the same language and they are missing out on a rich interaction. They do not know it, but I see it and it makes me think again and again how important it is to speak a second language. I met a wonderful holistic therapist this week who I had the best one-hour-long conversation in years. I shared it with a beginner student of mine, and she got really excite...