Nothing is more confusing for the beginner student of a language than words that look similar. Over the years I have seen students struggle with remembering the following verbs simply because they are common and all begin with a the letter ‘v’. In addition, a large number of them also have to do with travel. Below is a complete list of these verbs along with some example sentences.
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The practice of holding a Christmas market or Weinachstmarkt in Germany, Austria and Switzerland among other countries dates back to the Middle Ages. Markets are held in accordance with Advent traditions, namely opening on the Sunday four weeks before Christmas. These markets are traditionally held in the main plaza of the city or town and spill out into adjacent streets. The size of the market depends on the size of the town. Some of the more famous markets are held in the cities of Nuremberg, Dresden, Berlin and Munich.
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Nothing is more confusing for the beginner student of a language than words that look similar. Over the years I have seen students struggle with remembering the following verbs simply because they are common and all begin with a double ‘l’ combination. Below is a complete list of these verbs along with some examples sentences.
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I’m often asked by potential clients how long it will take them to become “fluent” in their target language. I always ask in return what it means to them to be fluent. People have varying ideas about what it means to be fluent in a foreign language. Some people perceive it as being able to communicate on a very basic level without much difficulty while others view it as being equivalent to a native speaker and everything in between.
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As Spanish only has roughly one-third the vocabulary of English, around 330,000 versus 1 million words, it is only natural to see the same linking words used frequently. This sometimes feels unnatural for English speakers who were taught to never repeat the same linking word in essays or reports. Keep in mind however, it is very frequent in Spanish that one word has various meanings in English. It is always the context which helps determine which word is meant. The following words are extremely useful when writing short stories or essays and are paramount when you are recounting a story or something that happened to you. They should be at the top of the vocabulary list for new learners to the language.
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The Spanish verb estar has many idiomatic expressions associated with it. Idioms are phrases or sentences that do not translate directly from one language to another. A common example in English is ‘ it’s raining cats and dogs.’ Idioms developed over time in languages and sometimes the origin of them is known and other times it is unknown. They are a colourful part of any language and should be learned along with regular vocabulary and grammar to become a fluent speaker. Here are some of the more common idioms with estar:
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Navigating beer in Germany as a foreigner can be daunting. There are over four dozen official varieties, each stemming from the various regions of Germany and owing to specialized brewing techniques. Here we will look at the basics as well as some cultural tips surrounding pure consumption.
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I recently purchased the book, Those Crazy Germans! by Stephen Somers. I was looking for a lighthearted book about German culture to lend to my students. This book met all my needs.
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Ya is a tricky word in Spanish. In the dictionary, it usually translates as now or already. However, it can also have other nuanced meanings including emotions such as agreement or impatience. Tone in your delivery also plays an important role in deciphering meaning. Finally, one finds ya more in casual speech than in formal written Spanish. Below are some possible translations with example sentences.
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The present tense in the Spanish language can be tricky for newcomers, as one finds more than a few irregular verbs that need to be memorized. It may be helpful to think of present tense verbs belonging to one of four categories in the present tense: regular, stem-changing, first-person irregular and totally irregular.
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