In our Spanish language learning lessons we spend some time exploring the differences between words that look alike or sound alike. In fact, these words are used in very specific, and separate, ways. When students practice their Spanish conversation skills, recognizing and understanding the differences between these words increases their comprehension level. Let’s clarify the finer points that separate these words. Here are five examples of similar, but definitely different, word pairs that may have puzzled you in the past.
1.
abril a month of the year abrir to open (a verb)
2. cuarto fourth, or room cuatro the number four
3.
nada nothing nada he/she swims (3rd person singular of the verb to swim – nadar)
4.
cocina the kitchen cocina he or she cooks (3rd person singular of the verb to cook – cocinar)
5. trabajo the job trabajo I work (1st person of the verb to work – trabajar)
You probably noticed that some pairs are spelled exactly alike, or that only a single letter in a word changes its meaning. Sometimes it is the context of the sentence that tells you which word is the correct one. Understanding these often confused word usages is not the same as memorizing idiomatic expressions; by learning them you are attuning your eyes and ears to actual meaning differentiations. This is how you become truly bilingual.
If you have any troubling word pairs that you want to tell us about, send it to our comments section. Meanwhile, we’ll be back soon with more of these “Frequently Misunderstood Words.” Stay tuned!
Learn a second Language: People who don’t exercise for even a short period of time are always amazed at how quickly their muscles lose their strength. Equally amazing is how much hard work it takes to get back into shape. It’s like that with our brains, too. If you don’t challenge your thinking abilities, all the synapses, the connections between brain cells, get weak from inactivity. Think about how you feel after you spend many hours sitting and staring at the television. You may feel relaxed enough to go to bed, but you also feel dull, dim, and not exactly sparked by the experience. But when you push yourself beyond your normal routine and use your brain to learn something new, you feel energized, alert, and more positive about life in general. Even if you are not a couch potato, shaking things up by by varying your activities helps to keep you energized. Like the muscles in our bodies, our brains crave a good workout; they want to be stretched and used and stimulated. The admonishment to “use it or lose it” applies to every aspect of our lives!
The best news is that it is never too late to start using our brains. Research has shown that challenging ourselves is one of the most important things we can do to minimize any loss of our cognitive abilities as we age. Many older people recognize this need to keep the brain in shape; they might take up a musical instrument, read lots of books, or complete the daily crossword or sudoku puzzles in the newspapers. Lots of people also choose to learn a second language. All of these efforts result in a very similar consequence: when people engage their minds with challenging activities, they are sharper; they feel really good about the process, and they like the satisfaction they get from achieving their goals. But learning a new language brings an even bigger reward package to maturing individuals. A new language is about communicating; it is social, and it’s about people and culture. When you finish a puzzle, you are done with it. But when you learn a second language, worlds open up to you.
Learning a second language helps to combat the isolation that is another known negative factor in the aging process. Experts tell us we do better when we interact with others, have a social network, and get involved with group dynamics. Joining a class of like-minded individuals is a great way to be a participant and not just a spectator. If the common purpose is to speak in another language, all the better. You learn together, practice with each other, and help each other over the difficult parts. If you take your new language skills on a visit to another country, you add another layer of interactivity, communication, and involvement.
When you think about the process of becoming bilingual, you begin to see a wide range of brain-expanding attributes that will rejuvenate your faculties. Consider what happens when you attempt to learn just a single new noun. You read it, you hear it spoken, you visualize the thing it represents; you say it aloud and use it in a sentence; you memorize it. You are using your senses, and all the synapses in your brain are in action! And that’s only from taking the very first steps toward becoming bilingual. Learning a second language reinvigorates a vast number of connections in your brain; it will keep you feeling healthy, vital, involved, and alive. Consider taking your own first step toward learning a new language; it’s a great way to give your brain a workout!
When you prepare to learn a second language it is helpful to understand the distinct but connected components that comprise your studies. Vocabulary, grammar, and practice are the three keys to language learning. Becoming bilingual very much depends on the inclusion of all three, and understanding their place in the order of things will help you learn quickly and thoroughly. Interestingly, as you progress from basic to intermediate to advanced, the three components start to merge for more in depth learning and comprehension.
Learning the words is the very basis of language learning. When you understand the words you increase your comprehension. Even a single word can say a lot! But vocabulary is about more than reading and writing, it is also about speech and sounds. Make sure your source is authentic and reliable!
Learning where to place the words in a sentence is what grammar is all about. And using sentences to express ideas is what language is all about! Grammar can be tricky. There are rules to learn, and then there are also exceptions to the rules to learn, but don’t let it overwhelm you. To make it easier on yourself, grammar should be learned in increments. That is to say, start with the basics, and build on those. Taking it a step at a time will help you break it down into manageable pieces.
Practice makes sure you have learned the material. It includes speaking or reading aloud, interacting with others, and using repetition. Look for materials that require you to fill in blanks, rearrange sentences, and answer questions. Look for quizzes, puzzles, and illustrations that will elicit correct answers from your memory. Repeating words or sentences gets you started, but using what you have learned in new constructions, created by you, means you have stored the material in your brain for future use. Use television and radio and CDs to listen and repeat; use classmates and teachers for interactions; seek out community members to exchange greetings and pleasantries. Practice leads to fluency!
Language learning is clearly a process that starts with words, builds to sentences, and finally, with practice, becomes a means of full expression. But perhaps we should include a fourth key: hard work! Individual effort and self-motivation support successful language learning, and people who become articulate in a second language are, without exception, rewarded by the achievement in many ways. Become bilingual; make it your goal!
IMPROVE YOUR PORTUGUESE VOCABULARY SKILLS AND HAVE FUN DOING IT
Learning Portuguese vocabulary is definitely not “all work and no play!” Try our Portuguese crossword puzzles for fun and entertainment, and you will be pleasantly surprised at the number of words you absorb into your personal Portuguese word bank. That’s because it is well-proven that language learning is made more efficient and effective if the student is having fun! With our puzzles you first must pick the right word, come up with its correct spelling, and then look for the reward of acceptance by the online mechanism. Try it, and see how the interactivity of online learning can be a language learning aid for you!
Note: Accents are required. Copy and paste them when you need! á é í ó ú ã ç ê õ
Portuguese Vocabulary – Perfect for the independent, motivated language learner!
Learn hundreds of Portuguese words in 13 lessons on one convenient CD. Practice new words for family, nature, travel, shopping, business, and more. Increase your communication skills by practicing correct pronunciation, taught by a native speaker. Included are reference cards for a quick spell check. The portable CD allows you to study where and when you wish, and set your own pace and goals in your ongoing studies.
Of all the fun ways to tweak your Spanish language skills, riddles are at the top of the list. When you solve riddles it is like a mini language immersion; the challenges of reading, translating, comprehending, and responding to the riddle use all your Spanish language skills.
Often the answer to the riddle is not as obvious as you might think; you need to interpret the words before you can truly grasp their meanings. That’s when your Spanish language vocabulary skills kick in. And that’s when your Spanish language vocabulary skills also expand, but without the boredom of rote memorization. You are learning new words every time you translate the riddle, look up a word, and put everything into context.
Context is what seals the deal! Instead of memorizing Spanish language vocabulary lists without any connection to real sentences, you are viewing the new words as they are laid out in normal usage, as if someone were talking or writing to you. Your brain loves this! When you exercise your brain using this process, you retain the new information so much faster, and more completely.
Retaining vocabulary is often a Spanish language student’s biggest challenge. Puzzles teach you new words while you are enjoying yourself. When you meet the challenge, you expand your vocabulary, and absorb proper word placement in sentences, as well!
Grammar and word placement in Spanish language sentences is learned from your books and in your courses, but when you view a sentence in a riddle, or in any puzzle that asks questions, you become adjusted to the formation of the sentence without really thinking about it. That’s because the puzzles make you focus on the meaning of the words and on the answers you need to provide. The more puzzles you try to do, the more accustomed to the sentence formations you become. Learning correct sentence structure is actually secondary to the puzzle questions and answers, but this is no less effective than hours of study.
Here are a couple of riddles that are fun to solve while you practice your language skills. Give it a try!
Me formo en el cielo, con gran alborozo;
y de lindos colores,
hago un arco hermoso.
¿Qué es?_______
Soy chiquito, soy bonito;
mi casa llevo
sobre mi lomito. ¿Qué es?________
For more Spanish language learning tips visit mariaoliveira.com
In our Spanish language learning lessons we spend some time exploring the differences between words that look alike or sound alike. In fact, these words are used in very specific, and separate, ways. When students practice their Spanish conversation skills, recognizing and understanding the differences between these words increases their comprehension level. Let’s clarify the finer points that separate these words. Here are five examples of similar, but definitely different, word pairs that may have puzzled you in the past.
