Keep trying

Learning a language can be hard. It is all too easy to watch someone speaking Spanish well, and assume it is as effortless as it sounds. In some cases it might be, but most people who have learnt Spanish as an adult will have struggled at some stage, will have worked hard and persevered. People say "I wish I could speak Spanish like you," as if Spanish is something you just pick up by accident. Now I don't speak Spanish perfectly, far from it, but unlike a lot of English speakers in Spain I try. For most of us it is hard, but it is well worth the effort. Some days it can feel effortless to chat to people for hours, but more often it will feel like there is a mountain to climb. The only trick really is not to give up.

Useful website - www.donquijote.org

I have just stumbled across the site www.donquijote.org whilst doing some research for this blog. At first glance it looks like it is a site dedicated to residential Spanish courses in various Spanish speaking countries. As this was not what I was looking for at the time (although I am sure they are well worth doing), I almost dismissed the site. However, as well as the courses, there is a wealth of learning material, online lessons and Spanish learning community. I plan to spend some time getting to know the site and seeing what it has to offer, but my first impression is that there is lots there to keep me coming back.

Regular -er verbs

Following yesterday's conjugation, here are a few of the many regular -er verbs which follow the same pattern.

aprender = to learn
beber = to drink
comer = to eat
comprender = to understand
correr = to run
deber = to owe, to have to (do something)
esconder = to hide
meter = to put in
prometer = to promise
romper = to break
vender = to sell

Conjugation of the Week - 10. Aprender - to learn

This week we have the third and final series of regular verbs - the -er verbs. Again this means that all regular verbs ending in -er are conjugated the same way, and most irregular -er verbs will also follow a similar pattern with some variations. Notice that in the present tense, only the nosotros and vosotros forms are different from regular -ir verbs. See previous posts in this series for more about conjugations.

Aprender - to learn

aprendo = I learn
aprendes = you learn (sing. fam.)
aprende = he/she/it learns, you learn (sing. pol.)
aprendemos = we learn
aprendeís = you learn (pl. fam.)
aprenden = they learn, you learn (pl. pol.)

Shakira - Grandes Exitos

Yesterday I mentioned that listening to music can be a good way to learn Spanish. I have been listening to Shakira's first greatest hits album (which came out before a lot of the hits she is currently known for). To be honest, this isn't the type of music I would normally listen to, but Shakira has a great voice, the music is full of latin passion and I get to learn some Spanish as well. Some of the songs are Spanish versions of hits you will have heard in English, others are in a more latin dancing style that you might here in clubs across South America.

The album is pretty cheap these days, as it has been around for a while. You can find it on Amazon UK, Amazon US or your usual download store. Where else would you learn a phrase like -

Suerte que mis pechos sean pequeños, y no los confundas con montañas
(Lucky that my breasts are small and humble, so you don't confuse them with mountains)

Okay, that isn't quite an exact translation, but it's close enough and it's how it was translated for the English version of the song.

Learn from music

Songs can be a great way to learn Spanish. If you translate the chorus from a familiar song from Spanish into English the chances are that those words will stick in your head for a long time. For example the verb 'bailar' - 'to dance' has been with me since I learnt the meaning of the opening line of 'La Bamba'

Para bailar la Bamba - To dance the Bamba

I also will always remember 'marinero' (sailor) and 'capitan' (captain) from the line

Yo no soy marinero, soy capitan, soy capitan - I am not a sailor, I am a captain, I am a captain

Of course there are many more Spanish songs out there, or songs with Spanish parts. Pick your favourites, or search some out on You Tube. If you are stuck for ideas I plan to post the occasional Spanish album review on this blog in the future.

Notes in Spanish - new release

I have mentioned the fantastic site Notes In Spanish before. It is one of my favourite sites for learning Spanish on the web, and Ben and Marina really are inspiring teachers. They have just released Season Two of Notes in Spanish Gold, so it is a good time to go and visit their site if you haven't already. As usual there is a special price for a limited period (click on Store on their menu when you get to their site). As well as the new material there is still a wealth of older resources on the site, both for free and to buy.