Spanish Language Learning: PUZZLE IT OUT!!

Spanish Language LearningOf 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 🙂

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Focus on Vocabulary Building

Vocabulary building is one of the most effective techniques to develop for efficient language learning. Certainly there is more to language than vocabulary; the grammar puts the words together, and practice makes the sentences you create useful. But without vocabulary you have no sentences to construct, nothing to say, nothing to understand. As you strive to become bilingual, you should focus more and more on vocabulary building because the broader the range of your word choices, the more you can express yourself. That is what fluency is all about!

There are several methods for acquiring a larger vocabulary, but the most important thing is to make learning a full time experience. That is, instead of looking at your allotted study time as the only time you learn, you should incorporate vocabulary into your everyday life. One way to do this is to place sticky notes around your home. Labeling cabinets, appliances, furniture and other familiar items will make you conscious of their meanings as you go about your daily activities. Say the words aloud until they become automatic in your mind. If possible you can do this at work, in the car, and any other place you inhabit. Another method is to carry vocabulary cards to use when you have a few moments to spare. These cards have English on one side and translation on the reverse so you can memorize words at any time. These kinds of things are simple and can be handmade by you, using card stock or even plain paper.

Probably the most popular and effective technique is to use vocabulary CDs. You can play these in the car, around the house, even on your MP3 player so that you have vocabulary learning going on whether you are driving, doing dishes, or taking your daily walk. CDs can be stopped and started, repeated and replayed, and hundreds of words are available to you. They are good for self-testing and reviewing, and they are convenient for almost all situations. The most significant advantage to CDs is that you can hear the correct pronunciation; when you repeat the word you are hearing, you get to focus on the sounds as well as the meaning.

It doesn’t matter which language you decide to learn, just remember to incorporate vocabulary building into your daily routine. The other parts of language learning will fall into place faster if you have lots of words available to you.

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Spanish Vocabulary Exercises

Our Spanish and Portuguese Classes are now offered live on Zoom

Visit https://marialanguages.com/classes/adulteducationclasses.shtml for available dates.

Spanish VocabularyCertainly there is more to language than vocabulary; the grammar puts the words together and clarifies meaning. But without vocabulary you have no sentences to construct, nothing to say, nothing to understand. If your goal is fluency, remember that the broader the range of your word choices, the more accurately you can express yourself. And the stronger your word options, the more confident you become when you speak.
Let’s look at several Spanish Vocabulary Exercises for increasing your second language vocabulary.
In order to get the right answers accents are required. Check codes here:How do I add Spanish accents when typing a document on my computer?   Or copy and paste them when you need!  á  é  í  ó  ú  ñ

Each Spanish Vocabulary Practice Exercise offers additional practice for the vocabulary presented on the Conversational Spanish Volume 2  “Conversational Spanish Volume 2”  For more practice exercises, check this blog often.

Maria Oliveira Language Learning Center
Serving Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Marin County,
Sacramento County, San Francisco County, and Solano County

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Online English Lessons

Our Spanish and Portuguese Language Classes are now offered live online via ZOOM

English courses online

Spanish, Portuguese and English Available Live via Zoom!

Online English Lessons: Portuguese-speakers who wish to learn English are now able to use online lessons to accomplish their goal. Our online English lessons for Portuguese Speakers are available wherever there is access to the internet, and the ability to self-test with quizzes and puzzles makes the process of learning English both efficient and flexible. The use of audio bits enables the user to hear the correct English pronunciation for the words. By replaying the sound as many times as necessary, the student can hear and repeat until they’ve mastered the lesson. The subject of each lesson is always relevant and useful; taken from everyday situations; the vocabulary offered can be used immediately.

Using online lessons is a well-regarded method for language learning because the lessons combine reading skills with verbal practice. Hearing, speaking, reading, and comprehending English words builds confidence and leads to efficient learning. And being able to re-sort the quizzes allows effective review and retention and discourages rote memorization. Thus the student is in control of their own learning experience in a fun and absorbing way.

Our online English for Portuguese Speakers course is affordable and efficient. The useful vocabulary and relevant phrases presented in 32 lessons enable students to engage successfully with native English-speakers. Practicing and self-testing with over 100 interactive exercises is easy in the digital format provided; access is assured on any electronic device, from computer to hand-held.

All the lessons include audio expressions for correct pronunciation of American English.English Classes Online Practice lessons can be repeated as often as necessary enabling students to learn at their own pace. This online course is an excellent beginning for Portuguese natives who are planning to live in an English-speaking country, and it is equally practical for visitors who need English language skills for touring or doing business internationally.

Online English Lessons for Portuguese Speakers

 Inglês para Portugueses – Curso Online

Apresentamos-lhe um curso prático e eficaz, com o qual aprenderá rapidamente Inglês. São 32 lições que contêm vocabulário e frases essenciais para uma aprendizagem garantida do Inglês. Além disso, contém ainda mais de 100 exercícios interativos e simples, com os quais aprende naturalmente e sem demasiado esforço. Cada uma destas lições é acompanhada por uma parte auditiva, para que treine, não só o seu ouvido, mas sobretudo a sua pronúncia de Inglês americano. Podendo repetir estas lições práticas as vezes que desejar, seguindo assim, o seu próprio ritmo.

Este curso é uma ótima oportunidade para quem queira aprender Inglês, sendo especialmente pensado para os falantes nativos de Português. Todo o curso é oferecido em formato digital, permitindo-lhe estudar em qualquer dispositivo eletrónico, desde que tenha ligação à internet, e assim, em qualquer lugar e hora.

Se vive ou pensa viver num país de língua inglesa, fazer negócios internacionais ou simplesmente comunicar, este será o curso ideal para si! Agarre já esta oportunidade e comece agora mesmo a aprender a língua mais falada do mundo.

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PUZZLE IT OUT!!

Our Spanish and Portuguese Language Classes are offered live online via Zoom. For more information visit https://marialanguages.com/classes/adulteducationclasses.shtml

Spanish VocabularyOf all the fun ways to tweak your language skills, puzzles and riddles are at the top of the list. These exercises are like a mini language learning immersion as you face the challenges of reading, translating, comprehending, and responding to the puzzle or riddle. For the riddles, often the answer is not as obvious as you might think; you need to interpret the words before you can truly grasp their meaning. In this process you are exercising your brain which, in turn, helps you to retain the vocabulary used in the riddle. Here are a puzzle and a couple of riddles that are fun to solve while you practice your language skills. Give it a try.

In order to get the right answers accents are required. Check codes here:How do I add Spanish accents when typing a document on my computer?   Or copy and paste them when you need!  á  é  í  ó  ú  ñ

Language learning – Riddle # 1

Pobre me echó Dios al mundo,
sin plata ni que tener,
me quitan el alimento,
ya me dejan padecer.

¿Qué es?

Language learning – Riddle # 2

En los campos enterrado,
la mejor parte sumido,
blanco es y muy barbado,
y el olor muy conocido.
Tiene dientes y no boca,
tiene cabeza y no pies.

¿Qué es?

Language Learning – Riddle # 3

Quién es quién va caminando,
que no es dueño de sus pies,
que lleva el cuerpo al revés,
y el espinazo arrastrando.
Que los pasos que va dando,
no hay nadie que se los cuente.
Cuando quiere descansar,
mete sus pies en su vientre.

¿Qué es?

To increase your vocabulary look up the words you don’t know and write down the meanings.  After knowing the meaning of each word, try to think of items that may fit the description.  Enjoy! 🙂

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