miércoles, el veintiuno de abril del dos mil diez

Español Uno (1) y Dos (2):

Today’s Agenda:

…Well, it wasn’t what I planned, but today’s 40-minute conversation about Spanish, learning languages, studying/living abroad, etc. was fascinating and worth the sacrifice of what we were going to originally do.

Thanks for sharing all of your curiosities with me! If you missed class, here are some of the questions you raised:

--Does it really matter if you “punch” (stress) a word correctly in Spanish? Why?
--“I’ve noticed a lot of Spanish speakers don’t use accents when writing online. Why?”
--What are some stereotypes people in Spain have about the US?
--“Are you going to talk in Spanish to your baby, Profe Nick?”
--“When is your baby due?...Will we get to see pictures?”
--When should I study abroad?
--“Can we learn some swear words in Spanish?”
--“Why don’t we use the text in class?”
--"Why did you want to learn Spanish, Profe Nick? Do your family members speak it, too?"
--“How long did you study Spanish, Profe Nick?”
--How long does it take to become “fluent” / “proficient”?
--“How long did it take you, Profe Nick, to become fluent?”
--Does immersion really work?
--Do language videos for babies really work?
--Does the Rosetta Stone software work?
--When do Spanish speakers start studying English (or other languages) in school?
--“What grade equivalency am I? Do I speak/write Spanish like a 5th grader?”
--Why do kids sometimes refuse to speak back in their parents’ language if surrounded by English?
--Will it be harder to learn another foreign language?
--Is language-learning the same in college?
--Will I be “fluent” by the end of Spanish 4?
--Which teaches you a language better: studying in a class or living abroad?
--Why do little kids seem to pick up another language easier?
--“What’s your favorite food from a Spanish-speaking country? What’s your favorite word in Spanish?”
--Is Spanish really different in Spain and Mexico?
--etc.

See you tomorrow!