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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…
Las Posadas Songs Posted by Transparent Language on Dec 31, 2007
Posadas is a wonderful Mexican holiday that brings neighbors and friends together for nine festive nights of singing and eating. Beginning December 16th and continuing through Christmas Eve, Posadas reenact the experience of Joseph and Mary as they wandered from house to house, looking for shelter (Posada means inn in Spanish) Traditionally, participants gather together…
The History of the Piñata Posted by Transparent Language on Dec 27, 2007
As the holiday season comes upon us, I felt it timely to clear up a misconception about the piñata.The piñata is widely viewed as a Mexican diversion and has become an indispensable attraction in children’s birthday parties throughout the world.However, in Mexico the piñata makes its most important appearance, not at birthday parties, but…
The Meaning of “Ahorita” Posted by Transparent Language on Dec 18, 2007
I have learned a curious thing about the word ahorita since living in Mexico for a couple of years.It has two seemingly contradictory meanings: “right now” and “in a minute.” When I first studied abroad, I found that when my host mother asked my host sister to do something “ahorita,” she jumped to attention…