There are few things in the Spanish language more difficult for English speakers to get a grasp on than the subjunctive. One common fallacy is that students believe the subjunctive is a tense when in fact it is a mood. There are two moods in the Spanish-language: the indicative and subjunctive. The indicative mood is used to describe all that is concrete and habitual whereas the subjunctive describes that which is in any way hypothetical.
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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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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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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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A number of German words have made their way into the English language. Some of them we accept as a matter of course as they have been around for a long time. Others, have come into English rather recently. While most words maintain the same or similar meaning some change their meaning slightly when transplanted from one language to another. For example, the word angst. Below you will find a list of common German words and phrases used in English.
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Proper pronunciation is key to communicating in any language. Without proper pronunciation, it can become very difficult to make yourself understood. Review the guidelines below to better understand Spanish word syllabification and stress.
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Historically, German and English have shared a number of similar or even identically spelled words such as:
der Student, das Haus, die Maus, die Medizin
This is due to the fact that both languages stem from a common proto-Germanic language as well as the fact that they have imported words from the same languages such as French. Over time, these words have come to be part of each language without people giving much thought to it. However, in recent history a large number of English words have been adopted by German speakers, especially the youth culture.
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Other than Latin, Arabic is the language with the greatest influence on the Spanish-language. Arabic speakers entered the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain and Portugal) in the year 711. Accompanied by Berbers, these Arabic speakers were pushing into Europe to spread the new faith of Islam that had been founded in 622.
Read moreNew students often ask me: how long will it take for me to become fluent?
This is a very difficult question to answer. Many factors go into a person’s ability to learn a language. I often discuss how long it takes my average student to achieve certain milestones, such as being comfortable in everyday conversations, or being confident in a business setting.
After I work with students for a few sessions and get to know their learning styles, I can answer this question with greater certainty. There are five key factors that I believe determine how fast someone can learn a new language:
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