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To Become or Not to Become? Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 10, 2008
Spanish is widely known for having various ways of expressing some ideas. The verb “to become” is one of them. It takes many forms depending on several factors. Here are some uses: 1. If you want to indicate physical or emotional change, often involuntary, use ponerse. (Yo me pongo, yo me puse, yo me he…
Common Mexican Expressions Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 27, 2008
In this post we will learn some words and expressions typically used in Mexican Spanish in everyday speech . Let´s take a look at them: Agüitado – sad A poco no … – I bet you didn´t .. Fresa – snob person, high class person Güera – blond (for a girl) Escuincle/escuincla – boy, girl…
Pablo Neruda Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 19, 2008
As I mentioned in my Reading List the previous month, one of my favorite poets is Pablo Neruda. Originally from Parral, Chile, Neruda is widely acclaimed as one of the world’s most influential poets and was the recipient of the Nobel Prize in 1971. Neruda’s poetry runs the gamut from sensual love sonnets to politically…
Pronunciation, Natural Stress, and Written Accents Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 11, 2008
PART I One of the things I often noticed about my Spanish students was the difficulty they had knowing where to place the stress when pronouncing words. I don’t remember learning this explicitly in my high school Spanish classes (although I probably did) and I suppose I expected my students to intuit this aspect of…
Refranes: Spanish Proverbs and Sayings Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 4, 2008
Today we will learn about “refranes” in Spanish. “Refranes” are sayings or proverbs and they are part of a country´s histoy and folklore. Below are some Spanish refranes, their correspondent in English and their literal translation. 1. El que no oye consejo no llega a viejo. (He who hears no advice will not reach an…
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…