Archive for January, 2008
Archaeological Discovery in Mexico City Posted by Transparent Language on Jan 31, 2008
An exciting archaeological discovery in Mexico City is shaking things up for pre-Hispanic historians. Salvador Guilliem Arroyo announced that his team had uncovered ancient ruins in Tlatelolco, a neighborhood in the center of the sprawling capital. Believed to be built between 800 and 1,100 A.D., the site’s Templo Mayor (Main Temple) could be 225…
Report on the State of Poverty in Latin America: ECLAC Posted by Transparent Language on Jan 28, 2008
In he midst of much negative press coming out of Latin America, there is one piece of news that is cause for celebration. Last month, the UN’s Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) released its report on the current state of poverty in the region, Social Panorama of Latin America 2007, applauding…
El Museo Nacional del Prado Posted by Transparent Language on Jan 25, 2008
Spain has been the birthplace of some of the world’s most illustrious art masters.From El Greco and Velásquez to Picasso and Salvador Dalí, the Iberian nation has produced centuries of groundbreaking artistic expression in painting and sculpture.Many of the most important early works (from the 12th to the 19th centuries) are displayed in Madrid’s…
Homophones Posted by Transparent Language on Jan 10, 2008
[editor: Today we welcome a new contributor, Adir Ferreira to the Spanish Blog. Adir has many years experience teaching both English and Spanish; I am sure you will enjoy his helpful and thorough approach to language learning!] Homophones (from Greek homós ‘same’ y phoné ‘sound’) are words that have exactly the same sound (pronunciation) but…
Latin American Literature Reading List Posted by Transparent Language on Jan 7, 2008
As we greet the New Year, now might be just the time to introduce a loved one (or yourself!) to the varied and delicious world of Latin American literature.The following is a partial list of some of my favorite Spanish-language novels (in no particular order), all of which are easy to find in Spanish…
Apenas Posted by Transparent Language on Jan 2, 2008
Apenas is an adverb frequently used in the Spanish language, and one that has a multiplicity of meanings and applications.It’s one of those words that require you to use the context to determine which meaning the speaker intends.My Spanish students would often complain about this phenomenon, until I reminded them how context-driven oral English…