As you know, we love to highlight the diversity that exists in Spanish vocabulary. Here I’ll show another example, this time the use of the word “room” or “bedroom.” If you want to say “room” or “bedroom” in Spanish you will have several options to choose from: 1. cuarto 2. pieza 3. recámara 4. dormitorio […]
One of Your First Lessons in Spanish: Asking For Directions
My very first Spanish lessons often left something to be desired. While knowing how to tell people your birthday and ask them about theirs is great and all, I didn’t find it all too easy to apply in real world situations. I’d like to give you some first lessons in Spanish that you can use […]
How to say BACON in Spanish
The words tocino, tocineta, beicon, bacon, bacón and panceta all mean bacon in different countries. When asked the simple question “How do you say bacon in Spanish?” there is no quick answer. The Spanish word for bacon varies from one country to the next as you can see from the list above. The Royal Spanish […]
Children Spanish Books Written by 5 Hispanic Celebrities
The Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin recently announced that he wrote a children’s book that is schedule to be published in November. For around the same date Thalía’s childrens book is schedule to be released. Hispanic Celebrities like Ricky Martin and Thalía aren’t the only ones who have diversified as authors of children’s stories. Here […]
Car Parts: Spanish School Lessons of Different Vocabulary Words For The Same Thing
As with all different areas of languages, vocabulary dedicated to car parts varies from one country to another. In Spanish, the car is el auto in one country, el coche in another, and el carro in a third. Let’s take a look at a couple of simple parts. In countries like Chile the clutch pedal […]
Lesson for Spanish Teachers: 4-Step Activity to Teach Basic Verbs Vocabulary
Learning new vocabulary words in Spanish is an important element in the language acquisition process. Teaching vocabulary should be constantly taught and reviewed during a lesson as a phonological awareness activity, or to pre-teach new vocabulary of a story or text. Teaching vocabulary is also important because it increases the chances to become a better […]
Basic Spanish Lessons: Ordering Food
It’s pretty hard to get around in a Spanish speaking country if you can’t even order something to eat. This basic Spanish lesson will give you the vocabulary and phrases you need to order food in Spanish. First, let’s get your basic food vocabulary out of the way. You have to get past the menu […]
Children’s Spanish Books: 10 Reading Suggestions for 3rd to 5th Grades
Finding children’s Spanish books can be a hard task because there are plenty of titles to choose from. Here is a list of 10 reading suggestions suitable for kids between 3rd and 5th grades. All of these books are in Spanish or bilingual and the stories are related to the Hispanic culture. Children’s Spanish Books […]
How to Pronounce the Longest Word in Spanish [with Video]
Pronouncing the longest word in Spanish or in any other language can be a challenge. Each word, is like a short tongue twister! I chose 10 of the longest words to give it a try and see which ones are the hardest to say. The first set of long words includes the ones that are […]
8 Kids Spanish Books About Hispanic Culture for Middle School Kids
If you are a parent of a middle school kid looking for stories to connect him/her to the Hispanic culture, check out these Kids Spanish Books options. These books are ideal for kids that speak Spanish as a first language between the grades of 6th to 8th. These titles are also available in English for […]
Video Spanish Lessons: Pronouncing the Colors in Spanish
The colors are one of the basic things you can teach your students. Here is a short video Spanish lesson on how to pronounce the colors. Video Spanish Lessons: Pronouncing the Colors in Spanish 1. amarillo: yellow 2. azul: blue 3. negro: black 4. naranja: orange 5. rojo: red 6. rosa: pink 7. café: brown […]
LADRON QUE ROBA LADRON Spanish Language Proverb in English
There are variations on how the same Spanish language proverb is known or expressed. For example, the complete saying Ladrón que roba ladrón… can be expressed as: 1. Ladrón que roba a ladrón, merece el perdón 2. Ladrón que roba a ladrón tiene cien años de perdón 3. El que roba a un ladrón tiene […]
9 English to Spanish Words and Phrases for Bell Ringer Activities
More than once now I have been contacted or run across questions about how to translate bell ringer activities into Spanish. And so here I am sharing the English to Spanish words and phrases I have come across as well as asking for your suggestions. On one occasion Diana, her sister (a public school Spanish […]
Top 9 Reasons Why People Learn Spanish in San Juan, Puerto Rico
The Caribbean island of Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth of the Unites States where Spanish is the official language. This and many others reasons make San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, a good destination to learn Spanish. Sacha Delgado, owner of the Institute for Spanish Language Acquisition (I.S.L.A.), chatted with Speaking Latino and tell […]
Talking About Your Interests with GUSTAR: Lesson to Learn Spanish
If you need a lesson to learn Spanish and would like to move past talking about the weather and your age, this real-life lesson is for you. I am going to cover the basics of talking about your interests, which is much more likely to come up in casual conversation than your birth date or […]
Hispanic Flags With SimilarFlags from Around the World
Last week a terrible ruckus was formed when a manipulated video of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro supposedly confusing the Cuban and Puerto Rican flags circulated on the web. To add more to the mess, the Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin retweeted the video, an action that angered Venezuelans even more. Finally, the singer had to […]
First Spanish Lessons: Talking About Your Spanish Studies
When you are in the process of learning a language, you will generally get a lot a questions related to how you learned the Spanish you already know. Nothing kills your confidence more than not knowing how to respond to a question as simple as “how long have you been studying Spanish?” The phrases I […]
The Spanish Language Phrase FELIZ COMO UNA LOMBRIZ in English
You will hear the Spanish language phrase feliz como una lombriz in Latin America. This expression literally translates to “happy as an earthworm.” But the correct way to say feliz como una lombriz in English is by using the phrase “happy as a clam.” In my opinion, this is one expression that sounds better in […]
Baby Books in Spanish: Authentic Learning and Cultural Resources
Many teachers are always on the lookout for authentic learning resources for their classroom. Baby books in Spanish are a fantastic way of introducing or reiterating grammar concepts and vocabulary since repetition is a predominant characteristic of baby books, in general. Since knowledge may be learned through repetition, baby books make a great resource, no […]
How to Create Fun Spanish Lesson Plans
Creating fun Spanish lesson plans can be a complicated process especially when you are trying to create meaningful lesson plans as well. To make sure you have a complete, and effective lesson plan, it is necessary that you create your objectives for the lesson. What should the students be able to do after the lesson? […]
ENTRE LA ESPADA Y LA PARED: Spanish Phrase to English
Translating a Spanish Phrase to English: ESTAR ENTRE LA ESPADA Y LA PARED Literal: To be between the sword and the wall Definition: To be in a difficult, if not impossible, situation Equivalent: Between a rock and a hard place You can find this illustration and many others in my book Speaking Phrases Boricua: A […]
A Step by Step Spanish Greetings Lesson
A Spanish greetings lesson is usually one of the first things done at the beginning of a novice Spanish class. Spanish greetings are usually taught as vocabulary words, but why not try to create a bit more excitement? Think about this from the viewpoint of a brand-new learner of Spanish. These greetings are the first […]
Spanish Lessons Fast? No way, José!
Doing Spanish lessons fast is not the way to go unless your only goal is to complete a series of lessons in that time frame. Which, by the way, is a bad goal. Learning a language quickly can be detrimental to your comprehension and production of the language. Usually the primary goal of learning a […]
What Type of Adult Spanish Course Should I Take?
Many adults are finding that they need to be able to speak or understand Spanish in their work or personal lives, so much so that they will need some type of formal instruction. There are many different paths to receive this instruction, but the type you choose depends solely on what you want out of […]
How to Speak Spanish In No Time
Learning how to speak a different language can be difficult, but learning how to speak Spanish in no time can be an even harder feat. A variety of things affect the time in which a person learns to speak a language, but usually, the main determinant is the effort put forth by the learner. Several […]
Using a Spanish Numbers Coloring Book in the Classroom
A good way to teach or learn Spanish is by utilizing materials made for Spanish-speaking toddlers. Toddlers are learning their language the same way Spanish-learners should learn – through manipulation and play. A Spanish numbers coloring book can be a wonderful way of incorporating colors and numbers into any lesson. To practice numbers only, choose […]
Earn to Speak Spanish So You Learn to Speak Spanish
When people ask me how they can learn to speak Spanish, I often here the excuse that they don’t have any money to get started. The reality is there are a whole ton of free resources online for you to learn Spanish. However, there’s also another way. To learn to speak Spanish you can earn […]
Translating SIN LA SOGA Y SIN LA CABRA Spanish Phrase to English
Translating a Spanish Phrase to English: SIN LA SOGA Y SIN LA CABRA Literal: To remain without the rope and without the goat Definition: A person that tries to take or grab too much, and ends up with nothing Similar Spanish Phrases: Quedarse sin el plato y la comida Equivalent in English: Bite off more […]
Learn Spanish in Puerto Rico: Immersion Program ISLA
A while ago Jared published Speaking Latino’s most controversial post ever –Should You Learn Spanish in Puerto Rico?– where he questions if Puerto Rico is a good destination to learn Spanish. Obviously that is his opinion and I (and many others readers) don’t agree with it. So, now is my time to share my point […]
5 Student-approved Classroom Games to Learn Spanish
5 Student-approved Classroom Games to Learn Spanish from Speaking Latino We all know that students always look forward to playing games in the classroom. It is usually the very first question they ask upon entering class. Let’s face it, as teachers we like them too since they can be so effective and engaging. There are […]