Become a ZLS fan on Facebook and get access to updates with videos, music, photos, and podcasts all geared towards helping you practice your Spanish.
This week…
We’ve had some cold temps here in the Tetons in recent weeks. School has been canceled, pipes have broken, snowbirds have flown south, but this week’s video puts our winter weather in perspective. Check out what cold means in Siberia…
Video of the Week
Level 1
After playing a warming up with a review of verb combinations we reviewed our “La Comunidad” dialogue and then wrote one of our own. It’s amazing that after such a short time studying Spanish, students have the skills to fill an entire whiteboard with a Spanish dialogue. Very impressive! Next week we’ll wrap up our 12 week session.
RESOURCES
1. VOCABULARY el cajero automático, la librería, mandar, paquete, sellos
Level 2
After a review of “Go Verbs,” students shared interviews they conducted with each other on their top vacation destinations. We followed that with a review of the 17 Most Wanted Verbs and a conjugation practice activity. Next class we’ll wrap up our “las vacaciones” theme and do a review and recap of what we’ve covered in the last 12 weeks.
Conversation Immersion
Continuamos el tema de discordia en la clase de conversación con 2 ejercicios de canciones y música. Hablamos más de vocabulario y la licencia de poesía que había tenido debates. Pero escuchar a música y entender un mensaje es difícil cualquier el idioma, y usamos nuestros habilidades de español para entender las ideas grandes de una canción. Fue un ejercicio bueno para usar en el futuro. La próxima semana es nuestra última clase, y los estudiantes serán los líderes de la clase con sus propios fotos y demostración de experiencias. ¡No se olviden las fotos!
RESOURCES
1. Para jugar más con música y lenguajes, mire este sitio
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Become a ZLS fan on Facebook and get access to updates with videos, music, photos, and podcasts all geared towards helping you practice your Spanish.
This week…
In this week’s video pick, demand for lithium for use in batteries puts Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile in the spotlight. Combined, these three countries are home to 85% of the world’s lithium reserves. Watch the video for a glimpse of potential extraction sites at the foot of the Andes Mountains, then scroll down to review material from this week’s classes.
Video of the Week
Level 1
We wrote dialogues in class this week, based on the context of our first theme, “la comida,” and saw some fabulous readings of those dialogues. We also continued to work more specifically with verb combinations, practicing asking and answering questions using them. Next week we’ll work more with theme #2, “la comunidad.”
RESOURCES
2. VOCABULARIO la lechuga, el queso, caro, pagar
2. Use these images as prompts to practice asking and answering questions using verb combinations.
3. VERB COMBINATIONS
Why are Verb Combinations important?
Verb Combinations allow us to express any action without needing to conjugate a verb. They are extremely easy to use, and allow us to express ourselves without making the more complex modifications that conjugation requires.
How do I use them?
Choose which Trigger verb to use. We learned 4 different trigger verbs.
Quiero / Quieres - to express desire
Puedo / Puedes- to express to ability or to ask permission
Voy a / Vas a - to express an action in the future
Acabo de / Acabas de - to express an action in the past
To express the action of the verb, simply add the infinitive to the end of the trigger.
Can you show me an example?
Quiero visitar mi mamá
Puedo correr 10 kilómetros
Voy a escalar mañana
Acabo de comer una hamburguesa
Now you try.
¿Adónde vas mañana?
¿Puedes hablar italiano?
¿Qué acabas de comer?
Level 2
This week in Level 2 we reviewed “boot verbs” (see last week’s La Semanal) and then continued with another family of irregular verbs, “go verbs.” These are verbs that have the letters “GO” in them, in the yo form. They include: tener (tengo), venir (vengo), decir (digo), hacer (hago), salir (salgo), and poner (pongo). Three of these are just “go” verbs - but three (tener, venir, decir) are boot verbs as well!
Conversation Immersion
El tópico de la clase de conversación esta semana fue la discordia. Los estudiantes aprendieron muchas maneras para dar su opinión. Jugamos con nuestro vocabulario y español por definir las expresiones con muchas otras que ya sabemos. Miramos un video sobre un debate de la legalizacion de marihuana. Discutimos el video y preparamos para tener mas debates en la próxima clase.
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Become a ZLS fan on Facebook and get access to updates with videos, music, photos, and podcasts all geared towards helping you practice your Spanish.
This week…
The desire to travel in Spanish-speaking countries is a powerful motivating force in many Z Language School students’ desire to learn Spanish. Our latest Video of the Week focuses on just one more wonderful reason to explore the culture and language of Spanish-speaking world.
Video of the Week
Level 1
Last week students developed their own questions and answers incorporating verb combinations based on images of verbs. We also continued to learn new vocabulary relating to our theme “la comida.” Next class on Monday, Nov. 22nd at 6:15, we’ll move into theme #2, “la comunidad.”
RESOURCES
2. VOCABULARIO la lechuga, el queso, caro, pagar
2. Use these images as prompts to practice asking and answering questions using verb combinations.
3. VERB COMBINATIONS
Why are Verb Combinations important?
Verb Combinations allow us to express any action without needing to conjugate a verb. They are extremely easy to use, and allow us to express ourselves without making the more complex modifications that conjugation requires.
How do I use them?
Choose which Trigger verb to use. We learned 4 different trigger verbs.
Quiero / Quieres - to express desire
Puedo / Puedes- to express to ability or to ask permission
Voy a / Vas a - to express an action in the future
Acabo de / Acabas de - to express an action in the past
To express the action of the verb, simply add the infinitive to the end of the trigger.
Can you show me an example?
Quiero visitar mi mamá
Puedo correr 10 kilómetros
Voy a escalar mañana
Acabo de comer una hamburguesa
Now you try.
¿Adónde vas mañana?
¿Puedes hablar italiano?
¿Qué acabas de comer?
Level 2
Last week in Level 2 we reviewed “boot verbs” (see last week’s La Semanal) and then listened to the song “Vuelvo para Vivir” picking out some of the boot verbs we know and learning lots of new vocabulary. Next class on Monday, Nov. 22nd at 7:15, we’ll jump into “go verbs.”
RESOURCES
Here’s a review of how stem-changing works, in a familiar verb - querer - an e-ie boot verb:
yo quiero
tú quieres
él quire
nosotros queremos
ellos quieren
So, if you imagine drawing a shape around the conjugations that changed (yo, tú, él, ellos), you’ll notice that it makes a boot!
Other boot verbs we learned include o-ue: encontrar, poder, volver, costar. E-ie: empezar and perder.
Conversation Immersion
Este semana terminamos el sujeto de los quehaceres y las otras cosas hacemos en la casa. ¡Tenemos mucho en común, como café en las mañanas, gatos preciosos, y vino tinto por la noche! Era una clase muy fluida con la conversación moviendo en muchas direcciones. No habían los videos, pero disfrutamos un poco de teatro de un día de la vida de una estudiante. Hablamos de videos cómicos en “You Tube” de las rutinas diarias de otros. Para mirarlas, “haz click” abajo….
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Become a ZLS fan on Facebook and get access to updates with videos, music, photos, and podcasts all geared towards helping you practice your Spanish.
This week…
Our Conversation Immersion students have been discussing the responsibilities they have at work. If you’re an artist you probably don’t spend much of your time working with ipads and iphones, but British artist David Hockney has shown that both are reasonable mediums for making art…
Video of the Week
Level 1
This week students developed their own questions and answers incorporating verb combinations based on images of verbs. We also continued to learn new vocabulary relating to our theme “la comida.” Next class on Monday, Nov. 22nd at 6:15, we’ll move into theme #2, “la comunidad.”
RESOURCES
2. VOCABULARIO la lechuga, el queso, caro, pagar
2. Use these images as prompts to practice asking and answering questions using verb combinations.
3. VERB COMBINATIONS
Why are Verb Combinations important?
Verb Combinations allow us to express any action without needing to conjugate a verb. They are extremely easy to use, and allow us to express ourselves without making the more complex modifications that conjugation requires.
How do I use them?
Choose which Trigger verb to use. We learned 4 different trigger verbs.
Quiero / Quieres - to express desire
Puedo / Puedes- to express to ability or to ask permission
Voy a / Vas a - to express an action in the future
Acabo de / Acabas de - to express an action in the past
To express the action of the verb, simply add the infinitive to the end of the trigger.
Can you show me an example?
Quiero visitar mi mamá
Puedo correr 10 kilómetros
Voy a escalar mañana
Acabo de comer una hamburguesa
Now you try.
¿Adónde vas mañana?
¿Puedes hablar italiano?
¿Qué acabas de comer?
Level 2
This week in Level 2 we reviewed “boot verbs” (see last week’s La Semanal) and then listened to the song “Vuelvo para Vivir” picking out some of the boot verbs we know and learning lots of new vocabulary. Next class on Monday, Nov. 22nd at 7:15, we’ll jump into “go verbs.”
RESOURCES
Here’s a review of how stem-changing works, in a familiar verb - querer - an e-ie boot verb:
yo quiero
tú quieres
él quire
nosotros queremos
ellos quieren
So, if you imagine drawing a shape around the conjugations that changed (yo, tú, él, ellos), you’ll notice that it makes a boot!
Other boot verbs we learned include o-ue: encontrar, poder, volver, costar. E-ie: empezar and perder.
Conversation Immersion
Este semana en la clase de conversación empezamos el tópico de los quehaceres, o las cosas que hacemos en la casa, el trabajo, y la vida. Nuestro vocabulario aumentó con cada persona y las responsabilidades de su trabajo. ¡Aunque la palabra la más favorita era “jubilado”! Escuchamos una canción con muchas expresiones nuevas y diferentes y hablamos mucho de ‘la licencia poética’. Por ejemplo, ¿cómo es posible a “vender el cielo” o “lustrar la razón”? Este es la semana CON TAREA, y los estudiantes necesitan hacer un video pequeño de su rutina cotidiana. ¡Vamos a mirar sus videos en la próxima clase!
Become a ZLS fan on Facebook and get access to updates with videos, music, photos, and podcasts all geared towards helping you practice your Spanish.
This week…
Our Conversation Immersion students discussed some of the technological developments of the past century while a London-based artist took on a decidedly low-tech project. What is the relationship between advancements in technology and the creativity inherent in human expression? Something to ponder…
Video of the Week
Level 1
We continued to work with verb combinations and began our first theme, which is on food, learning lots of new vocabulary. Next week we’ll play more with verb combinations and create a dialogue around the theme of food.
RESOURCES
VOCABULARIO
1. la lechuga, el queso, caro
2. VERB COMBINATIONS
Why are Verb Combinations important?
Verb Combinations allow us to express any action without needing to conjugate a verb. They are extremely easy to use, and allow us to express ourselves without making the more complex modifications that conjugation requires.
How do I use them?
Choose which Trigger verb to use. We learned 4 different trigger verbs.
Quiero / Quieres - to express desire
Puedo / Puedes- to express to ability or to ask permission
Voy a / Vas a - to express an action in the future
Acabo de / Acabas de - to express an action in the past
To express the action of the verb, simply add the infinitive to the end of the trigger.
Can you show me an example?
Quiero visitar mi mamá
Puedo correr 10 kilómetros
Voy a escalar mañana
Acabo de comer una hamburguesa
Now you try.
¿Adónde vas mañana?
¿Puedes hablar italiano?
¿Qué acabas de comer?
Level 2
After reviewing last week’s La Semanal homework and our new “viajar” vocabulary, we began to study “boot verbs.” Boot verbs are a kind of irregular verb in which the stem of the verb changes in conjugation in addition to the ending changing. The pattern that the change takes is in the form of a boot….you’ll have to imagine this in the example below! There are several families of boot verbs; the two we examined this week are “o-ue” and “e-ie” stem changers. Here’s how stem-changing works, in a familiar verb - querer - an e-ie boot verb:
yo quiero
tú quieres
él quire
nosotros queremos
ellos quieren
So, if you imagine drawing a shape around the conjugations that changed (yo, tú, él, ellos), you’ll notice that it makes a boot!
Other boot verbs we learned include o-ue: encontrar, poder, volver, costar. E-ie: empezar and perder.
Conversation Immersion
En la clase de conversación, terminamos el tópico del mundo de hoy y la industrialización con conceptos como canciones políticas, invenciones graciosas, y que imaginábamos cuando éramos niños. Escuchamos una canción de Joe Vasconcellos y discutimos la intención. ¡Es difícil entender una canción política si no sabe la historia de la situación! Eso nos trajo a una conversación pequeña de gramática. El subjuntivo es un aspecto de gramática que expresa duda y algo que tal vez es contraria a la realidad. Es un aspecto muy importante a la cultura del idioma.
RECURSOS
1. Para leer más sobre el subjuntivo, haz ‘click’ aquí….
2. Y para un poco más cultura, ¡Mira un personaje muy famoso de México y la invención del teléfono!
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Become a ZLS fan on Facebook and get access to updates with videos, music, photos, and podcasts all geared towards helping you practice your Spanish.
This week…
Former president of Argentina, Néstor Kirchner passed away this week leaving many in mourning for Kirchner and for his widow, the current president of Argentina Cristina Fernández. Here are the thoughts of some Argentinians…
Video of the Week
Level 1
We took our Spanish skills to a whole new level this week by jumping into verb combinations. We’ll continue to practice these, studying several different themes in the weeks to come. Take a look at the resources below to practice!
RESOURCES
Verb Combinations are very easy ways to express actions. The action in question is expressed as an infinitive (unconjugated form of the verb) and therefore does not require any modification.
How do they work?
Verb combinations use a ‘trigger verb’ such as quiero, puedo, me gusta, acabo de, voy a, or necesito, PLUS an infinitive. Each trigger verb expresses a different use of the verb:
- Quiero - expresses a desire to do something. Ie. Quiero viajar a Chile.
- Puedo - expresses ability, or in a question asks for permission. Ie. ¿Puedo usar el baño?
- Me gusta - expresses like or dislike. Ie. Me gusta andar a caballo.
- Acabo de - expresses an action in the immediate past. Ie. Acabo de comer una pizza.
- Voy a - expresses an action in the immediate future. Ie. Mañana voy a ir al cine.
- Necesito - expresses need. Ie. Necesito comprar dos boletos.
Give me an example!
If the action you are trying to express is comprar, you might say ‘acabo de comprar un coche’ or ‘voy a comprar un coche’
Try and answer some of these questions for practice. Leave your answers in the Comments section below:
- ¿Te gusta viajar en tren?
- ¿Quieres visitar las ruinas de Macchu Pichu?
- ¿Qué acabas de hacer?
Level 2
This week we started our long-awaited theme of “Las Vacaciones” with a reading in which a boy writes a letter to his “abuela” describing his trip to Madrid, Spain. If you missed class, you can download the reading below. We also discussed some students’ personal experiences in Spain and discovered that one person had gone to “la playa” in Spain, and that another had traveled there in “un barco con velas.”
RESOURCES
For next week, try answering these questions……¿Dónde quieres viajar? ¿Por qúe?
Conversation Immersion
Es la mitad de la clase y empezamos un tópico nuevo: El mundo moderno y la industrialización. Al primer, hablamos de los avances de los últimos años (este siglo, más o menos). ¡Estamos de acuerdo que el teléfono y el mundo electrónico han cambiado muchísimo! También los avances en el mundo medico son increíbles. Hablamos de las cosas usamos mucho, y las cosas que sentimos que son inútiles. Después, leímos un artículo sobre las generaciones diferentes de este siglo y sus características.
RECURSOS
1. Para escuchar al opuesto del mundo tecnológica, haz ‘click’ aquí para escuchar a pensamientos de un mundo sin electricidad.
Become a ZLS fan on Facebook and get access to updates with videos, music, photos, and podcasts all geared towards helping you practice your Spanish.
This week…
Our Conversation Immersion students discussed their personalities, astrological signs, the concept of self-improvement, and the merits of self-help books. Now the iphone can help too. It has a new happiness mapping application that might offer some unique insights not available in your typical horoscope or self-help guide…
Video of the Week
Level 1
After a lively review of “la conversacíon” we added some more conversation chunks and lot’s of new vocabulary, talking about where we work. We also completed the mid-Session check-in. Afterwords a student mentioned how she found the check-in satisfying because it made her realize how much she has learned! ¡Felicitaciones!
Q: ¿A qué te dedicas? or ¿Cuál es tu profesión?
A: Yo soy profesora. (substitute any profession for profesora).
Q: ¿Dónde trabajas tú?
A: Yo trabajo en la biblioteca.
Level 2
After looking at last week’s La Semanal homework, we jumped into a scenario exercise. In this role play, one person was “un agente inmobiliario” and the other was “un joven” who was looking for a house to rent in Jackson. They then presented their questions and answers, practicing their “el hogar” vocabulary in the process.
Conversation Immersion
En la clase de conversación, acabamos de terminar una unidad de ‘la personalidad’. En esta unidad, empezamos con nuestros signos, los horóscopos, y las características de estos signos. Hablamos de las características que tenemos y esos que son diferentes de las características del signo. Esta semana, la pregunta era “¿Cómo mejorar la personalidad?” Miramos un video de “auto-ayuda” sobre los 7 pasos a elevar la personalidad. Hablamos de cada paso, algunos son más fáciles y obvio que otros. Hablamos de libros que nos han dado inspiración, y las cosas que hacemos para ser positivo. ¡Era una unidad muy interesante!
RECURSOS
1. Para mirar tu horóscopo de hoy, haz ‘click’ aquí
Become a ZLS fan on Facebook and get access to updates with videos, music, photos, and podcasts all geared towards helping you practice your Spanish.
This week…
33 minors were rescued from a collapsed mine outside of Copiapó, Chile, after spending 69 days trapped more than 2000 feet underground. Our Video of the Week has some moving footage of a few of the minors re-emerging…
Video of the Week
Level 1
We jumped into “las profesiones” this week, learning to ask others what they do professionally, and talk about what we do. We added lot’s of new vocabulary related to “las profesiones.” We also discussed likes and dislikes with “la hora.” Next class we’ll learn to talk about where we work.
Q: ¿A qué te dedicas? or ¿Cuál es tu profesión?
A: Yo soy bibliotecario. (substitute any profession for bibliotecario).
Level 2
This week in Level 2 we began by reviewing reflexive verbs. We introduced a couple new reflexive verbs to our repertoire, including llamarse (which we already knew, in some forms, anyway!), levantarse, ducharse, lavarse las manos, prepararse la comida, y cepillarse. We then made drawings of our own houses and all the rooms inside, including labels for furniture, appliances, and anything else important. Check out new vocabulary below under Resources. Next week will be our last week working on our “El Hogar” unit.
RESOURCES
1. VOCABULARY la almohada, frigorífico, el garaje, el porche, un estante, una lavadora, una secadora, una entrada
Become a ZLS fan on Facebook and get access to updates with videos, music, photos, and podcasts all geared towards helping you practice your Spanish.
This week…
Our Fall 2010 Session is in full swing with new and returning students that bring enthusiasm and excitement to the experience of learning Spanish. Welcome to each of you! After you catch our Video of the Week, scroll down to your class section for a review of the material you covered in class this week.
Also, La Semanal will be taking an intermission for three weeks, but will be up and running again in mid-October. In the meantime, feel free to peruse our archive of past issues.
Video of the Week
Level 1
What an amazing group of folks! Students jumped right into the new Spanish conversation we studied and there was lot’s of conversation and introducing going on — all in español of course! Under Resources below, check out the dialogue we learned to greet and introduce ourselves, and practice “el alfabeto.”
RESOURCES
1. El Alfabeto
2. ¡La Conversación!
John: ¿Cómo estás?
Alicia: Yo estoy bien, ¿y tú? ¿Cómo estás?
John: Yo estoy muy bien, gracias. ¿Cómo te llamas?
Alicia: Yo me llamo Alicia. ¿Cómo te llamas?
John: Yo me llamo John. ¿Dónde vives?
Alicia: Yo vivo en Victor. ¿Dónde vives tú?
John: Yo vivo en Jackson.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
For class next week, see if you can answer the following questions, and leave your responses in the comments section at the bottom of this post:
1. ¿Cómo estás?
2. ¿Cómo te llamas?
3. ¿Dónde vives?
4. ¿De dónde eres?
Level 2
Welcome to all of our new Level 2 students! It’s exciting to see so many folks talk about their interests, and interact with others! We began our classes with personal introductions, using phrases like “Yo vivo en Jackson,” “Yo soy de Connecticut,” y “Me gusta leer y andar a caballo.” We then reviewed verb combinations - our quick and easy expressions that allow us to circumvent conjugation. You can review these below under Resources. The concept of conjugation was reviewed, and we talked about how AR/ER/ and IR regular verbs are conjugated in Spanish. We will get a lot of chances to practice this over the next 12 weeks! If you’d like to do some practice with it between now and your next class, click on the verb conjugation link below under Resources.
RESOURCES
2. Verb Combinations
Quiero / Quieres - to express desire
Puedo / Puedes- to express ability or to ask permission
Voy a / Vas a - to express an action in the future
Acabo de / Acabas de - to express an action in the past
To express the action of the verb, simply add the infinitive to the end of the trigger.
Can you show me an example?
Quiero visitar mi mamá.
Puedo correr 10 kilómetros.
Voy a escalar mañana.
Acabo de comer una hamburguesa.
Conversation Immersion
La clase de conversación empezó con mucha charla y cuentos divertidos. El primer día es un día para “conocernos” y los estudiantes hablaron de sus vidas, sus interesas, e historias de aprender español. Es una clase de muchas actividades y lo más importante es para tomar riesgos y preguntar más y más de los amigos.
RESOURCES
1. Si quieren escuchar a otros hablan del proceso de “conocerse”, haz ‘click’ aquí
Become a ZLS fan on Facebook and get access to updates with videos, music, photos, and podcasts all geared towards helping you practice your Spanish.
This week…
How do you respond when your house is inhabited with “fenómenos paranomarles?” The island of Chiloé in Chile has its own unique tradition in handling these situations as you will see in our Video of the Week…
Video of the Week
Level 2
This week in Level 2, students continued expanding their food vocabulary by bringing in their shopping lists in spanish and getting to share their favorite foods with the class. Students also learned the “17 Most Wanted Verbs” list, which includes many “go” verbs, some dreaded irregulars, and many routinal verbs such as levantar, leer, comprar, and comer. The “go verbs” are verbs that change in the “yo” form. Sometime these verbs have stem changes as well. To “comer fuera” or comer in a restaurant is something that is often a treat here in Jackson. For many countries, it is a cultural trait, and students listened to a podcast about eating out in Spain. After that, students discussed their favorite restaurants and dishes in Jackson. We are still searching for a “menú del día fantástico!”
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
To listen to more podcasts and many accents on favorite food, Click Here
Level 3
This week in Level 3, students have taken on a new form of the past tense: el imperfecto. Many students find this form much easier to remember than el preterito; especially because there are only 3 irregulars! Those are ser, ir, and ver. El imperfecto describes actions in the past that are repeated, habitual, or happened over an unspecific length of time. El imperfecto is also used to “set the scene” of a story, and this includes age and time in the past tense. Students practiced conjugations and writing in el imperfecto, and read a script on “Las relaciones humanos” which incorporated both forms of the past tense.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
To continue to practice the two, in a fun way, Click Here for “Preterite and Imperfect Battleship”!
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