Increasing Your Spanish Fluency

Here is a list of ways to increase your Spanish fluency courtesy of Explore and Retire in Mexico

Make the effort to read or listen to Spanish for at least 10 to 20 minutes each day (and if possible, speak, even to yourself).

• Television: Watch Spanish language television. Telenovelas (Spanish Soap Operas) are a good choice because the characters have a tendency to speak a bit slower for dramatic effect. News programs are also helpful as you can often infer meaning from the program's context.


• Community Education Programs: Local junior colleges or high schools havecommunity education programs day and evening. Typical offerings are "Conversational Spanish" (usually in 3-8 quater/semester segements) and more focused and shorter classes susch as "Spanish for Travelers". Don’t be afraid to mix it up or repeat a class. It’s good to get exposured to variety teaching methods as you start your Spanish learning to find one you're comfortable with.


• Start a Local Conversational Group: Place an ad on a community billboard (online too! Use craigslist.org if you’re in a metro area).


• Rent Spanish language DVDs: This method has some good options - you have control - watch with or without English sub-titles. Repeat segments. many libraries also carry dual/multi language DVD - you can check them out longer and they're usually free.


• The Library: While it seems so old school, most libraries have foreign language CDs or tapes. CDs can be ripped into MP3 files and you can listen to them on an iPod or in your car.


• Go online to Borders or Amazon: they have a huge inventory of Spanish books, a few of which I have used personally and are listed below.


• Latin Music: On of the most influential sources of musical inspiration, whether it be Son Jarocho, Tango or Tex-Mex, there is a tremendous amount of great Latino music out there. For translations of the lyrics just type in the song and/or some of the lyrics into a search box and you’ll probably find the both Spanish and English versions to follow along with.


• Volunteer for an ESL program: As more and more Hispanic migrants arrive in this country, the need for assimilation grows. Volunteering as an ESL teacher or assistant will give you vital interaction with native speakers of Spanish – people eager to learn your language and culture as well as share their culture with you.


• The Internet: True, you’re reading this because you're ON the Internet and you've found this blog post. One useful resource is Spanish.About.com. I'll be adding more in the future.

Some Snappy Answers

A few years back I came across a very fascinating book that I frequently go back to whenever I feel stuck in a rut with my Spanish learning. I use it as a sort of sampler to expand my horizons, to get in the vernacular of the language maybe so I might feel more like a local (¡Seguro! meaning yeah, right). It's called "Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish" and the author is a gringo and longtime Mexican resident Joseph Keenan. He has a very keen sense of humor, making amusing points in regards to incorrect usage. I highly recommend it.

The chapters in Mr. Keenan's book have very amusing and compelling titles, and I'll mine a favorite of mine called "Snappy Answers" for today's blog post.

• ¿Como? - A great ways to mildly suggest disbelief - such as when a taxista informs you the fare is going to be $100 to get to the airport. You say ¡Como! - this is a politer way of saying what the.... You can try adding decir to it for some embellishment, ¿Como dijo? or ¡Como dice!
• ¿Y Que - Essentially "So What?" - here your inflection denotes the level rudeness to want to convey, if the situation is friendly, it comes off as "What's the point" ¿Y eso que? is another variation.
• N'ombre - An abbreviation of No hombre, it sounds more like nombre, a slangy way of saying no way with a fair amount of emphasis or surprise.
• Ni Loco - Notching up "no way" to a more insistent level using this term - as in in even if I was crazy I wouldn't jaywalk across that street in rush hour. Remember to match the gender with the action - Ni loca, ni locos, ni locas.

Some Spanish Useful Phrases

I always like picking up useful idioms or descriptive phrases that aren't usually included in most formal curriculum or textbooks. Here are few that I'm trying to incorporate in my everyday use (or at least if I'm afforded the opportunity).

• Asi es - the way it is. Asi es la vida.
• Está bien - Literally "it is good" but it's also a better way to say "okay" as some English uses of okay can't be Spanglished with okay. Also good for meaning all right. So when I say to I'll call you later, you can say Está bien or even slangier you can say 'tá bien.
• Claro - generally defined as meaning "of course", another more casual way is to regard it is as meaning "sure"
• Para nada - no way. Your reply when I ask you if you want hear me sing.
• Ya basta - enough already, or "cut it out" if I ask again.
• En este momento - at this moment...and it's companion, en ese momento - at that moment.

¿Para o Por? ¿Cuál usar?

When to use por and when to use para? This is still somewhat of a confusing issue for me - sometimes I really have to think hard to choose the correct usage, other times it's a bit of a wild guess when I'm unsure of the usage bucket (concept) it falls into. However I do have it down at the nearby taco shop as I can usually say "para aquí" before they ask if I want for here or to go!

So here are the buckets that helped me sort the uses out - let's start by looking at the emytology of the root words that form para and por - por comes from the Latin root pro and means for - that's pretty straight forward. Think pro bono, meaning "for good". Para comes from pro plus ad, meaning to. So her goes:

The uses of Por:

1. Tiempo de límite - a time period (during, in, for) - Están aquí por una semana - They are here for a week. Trabajo por la noche - I work at night.
2. Por medio de - through or by means of (along, by, around) - Él pasó por su casa - He passed by your house. Llegué por autobús - I arrived by bus.
3. A cuasa de - because of (on account of, on behalf of) - No fui por el frío a Nueva York - I didn't go to New York because of the cold.
4. A cambio de - in exchange for - Pago 20 dólares para el libro - I paid $20 for the book.
5. En medidas - in measurements (by, per, for) - Sesenta millas por hora - Sixty miles per hour. Recibí un descuento de 20 por ciento - I got a 20 percent discount.
6. En busca de - in search of, for - Voy a venir por ti a las siente - I'll cll come by for you at seven.
   

The uses of Para:

1. Destino - destination - Salí para Arizona hoy - I left for Arizona today.
2. Futuro objetivo - future goal (by or for a certain time) - Quiero el coche para el lunes - I want the car for Monday. Debo estar allí para el mes de febrero - I must be there by the month of February.
3. Para quien o qué algo es - whom or what something is for - Compré una cama nueva para mi sala - I bought a new bed for my room. Él compra flores cada día para su madre - he buys flowers every day for his mother.
4. A fin de a - in order to - Él necesita más dinero para pagar el viaje a Mérida. - He needs more money inorder to pay fr the trip to Merida.
5. Proposito corriente - current goal - Mi esposa estudia para médica - My wife is studying to be a doctor.

Once you feel you've mastered the nuances, take this quiz at spanish.about.com