tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67752183779885528182012-02-16T14:59:19.958-06:00Blogging about learning and teaching Spanish language, Latino culture, Hispanic literature, and service learning.Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.comBlogger501100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-76950719779548491112011-10-13T14:35:00.001-05:002011-10-13T14:35:29.792-05:00

Con sangre de atole....comienzo el semestre del otoño sin haber escrito nada en el blog Spanish Sí y quisiera pedir disculpas por mi tardanza.  La llegada de nuestro recién nacido hijo me ha dejado, "girando come una trotola" como dicen los italianos, "running around like a chicken with its head cut off" como se dice en inglés, corriendo de aquí por allá y en poco tiempo podré regresar a la

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-73126286215735670612011-05-09T12:17:00.001-05:002011-05-09T12:18:53.191-05:00

Today as part of the final exam in the Spanish for Service Professionals class, the students will be interviewing a panel of recent immigrants about their experiences in becoming integrated into life in the United States. What are the local institutions and agencies that have been welcoming, and how? What challenges do newcomers to the US and to NW Indiana face? How can we be a community of

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-70754891792029241792011-04-11T17:30:00.000-05:002011-04-11T17:30:08.336-05:00

Hoy en la clase de Español para Profesionales de Servicio Social, hicimos una actividad de reflexión y evaluación de varios aspectos del servicio que se está llevando a cabo este semestre en varias agencias de la comunidad local en Valparaiso:  La escuela Central Elementary, la Misión Hispana Luterana Gloria Dei, el Centro Internacional de Valparaiso, la clínica HealthLinc, Porter County 

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-40167579842456153872011-04-03T08:44:00.001-05:002011-04-03T08:52:30.402-05:00

There are a many options for learning and practicing Spanish around NW Indiana. When you make the brave step to begin using Spanish with native speakers, you'll get lots of chances to use the language in the local community.  Speaking in a real life context is the fastest way to become fluent.  Grammar and vocabulary in a classroom can boost your confidence and help you become easier to converse

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-79148148592927458412011-01-31T14:06:00.000-06:002011-01-31T14:06:08.280-06:00

Colby College is a college in Maine.  Prof. Barbara Nelson teaches Spanish and for over 10 years she has been sharing self-correcting grammar exercises and culture activities online, for students to practice the concepts they're learning in class.  http://www.colby.edu/~bknelson/SLC/index.php My favorites are the song "Ojalá que llueva café" and the beautiful images for the Día de los Muertos

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-14566689089594324742011-01-20T09:04:00.000-06:002011-01-20T09:04:45.411-06:00

Ayer en la clase de Español 308, Spanish for Service Professionals, los estudiantes hicieron una práctica en clase de la interpretación.  Una representante de HealthLinc, una clínica médica local, vino a dar una orientación al trabajo en la comunidad con su organización.  Los estudiantes se turnaron para traducir la plática de la representante del inglés al español para el público de sus

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-40818439177044056562010-12-14T08:35:00.000-06:002010-12-14T08:35:40.952-06:00

Language immersion camps have been around for a long time.  Middlebury in Vermont is an example with a long history:  http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/approach/pledge  Like study "abroad" at home, the programs offer students an academic environment for learning the language through immersion without leaving the country.  In the Midwest, there are the Concordia Language Villages:  http://

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-38678629433312431322010-11-05T00:37:00.000-05:002010-11-05T00:37:24.848-05:00

Omar Weber published a book of prayers, a series of conversations with God about day-to-day matters of joy and concern, written in Spanish, which was a delight to me when I ordered a copy from Concordia Publishing House, entitled _En el nombre de Jesús_.  Our God is not just a god who sits in the heavens and looks down on us as sinful scoundrels making mistakes as he points and laughs at the

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-72134498180290668702010-10-14T08:37:00.000-05:002010-10-14T08:37:25.058-05:00

Without knowing whether the outside world was aware of their plight, "los 33" spent seventeen days in isolation below ground, rationing their eating to two spoonfuls of tuna every other day.  When they received the first contact from the outside, they scrawled a note in red marker and sent it to the surface in a ziplock bag: "Estamos bien en el refugio los 33".  The tenacity for survival in the

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-76129657281914324642010-09-22T22:47:00.000-05:002010-09-22T22:47:51.863-05:00

The border between the United States and Mexico is an arbitrary line with a history that is increasingly less fluid.  As border "security" is tightened, families from Mexico and other parts of Latin America are left feeling much less than secure as deportation and the border keep parents, siblings, spouses and children apart. If the family in this video were the only one, this would be a very 

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-5080597145451711682010-08-07T06:57:00.000-05:002010-08-07T06:57:12.021-05:00

Thanks to online learning options and disciplined young scholars, students entering a brick and mortar college from homeschooling may come in with as many as two years of college credits already earned.  Students from public, private and home- schools may have questions about receiving credit for their previous studies in a language, or may wish to take CLEP exams or placement exams to place into

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-50835693826362742942010-07-10T20:15:00.001-05:002010-07-10T20:16:32.640-05:00

Summer school is always an adventure.... packing sixteen weeks of Spanish into an accelerated format means taking a deep breath and diving in.  On the first day of class, it is important to set the tone for a comfortable learning environment.  How to do that is a challenge, when the teacher and students don't know each other.  Some students are shy to speak aloud in class--and especially in a

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-75075976003078945382009-06-02T18:46:00.002-05:002009-06-02T18:55:33.868-05:00

I'm teaching a crash course---one year of Spanish in two weeks for a homeschool student. I encouraged him to study a few minutes at a time, several times per day. "Just ten minutes!" I said. "In your car, before you go into work. Then review a vocab list as you eat lunch." Learning language in small bursts works better than trying to do marathon study sessions when you're already tired. Many

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-72591416285670551152009-05-20T08:02:00.002-05:002009-05-20T08:10:04.333-05:00

When studying something new, variety in approaches to learning can keep our minds engaged for longer periods of time.When children approach Spanish for the first time, they quickly become bored by bookwork. Memorizing vocabulary lists is tedious work. And learning English and Spanish equivalents requires processing all new language input through the mind's translator: not a very efficient way

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-1487474192118795362009-05-07T11:57:00.002-05:002009-05-07T12:02:46.352-05:00

Ivy Tech Community College requires students in Spanish 101 on-line to conduct an intercultural project. They're encouraged to get out of their comfort zone, and to immerse themselves in Hispanic culture through visiting in someone's home, attending a cultural event or religious service, or interacting through a social networking site. My students attended a birthday party, a quinceañera, a

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-42997599444865694112009-03-22T21:24:00.002-05:002009-03-22T21:32:41.080-05:00

I love teaching language to children. "Teaching" might not be the right word. Perhaps it is more accurate to say I love surrounding children with language. Their brains absorb the substance in which they're absorbed...or something like that. Some children react to a new language by listening. They stop. Their eyes become wide--and they seem to be full of wonder. Some children cooperate in

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-22578401508801254672009-02-27T19:11:00.003-06:002009-02-27T19:49:17.839-06:00

Hace unas semanas, tuve la oportunidad de dar una clase en una universidad cristiana. Me puse a pensar en la Biblia como un texto, con elementos de la gramática, que puedo usar para practicar la gramática con mis clases. El proceso mental fue, como la mayoría de mis peregrinaciones cerebrales, una serie de conexiones extrañas. Primero, durante mis devociones un lunes por la madrugada, me topé

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-68373960048140661822009-02-09T17:55:00.002-06:002009-02-09T18:04:03.362-06:00

Technology is no excuse for bad grammar. There's a FaceBook group out there with a name something like, "I Judge You Based on Your Grammar" or something like that. I appreciate the reminder that good impressions are earned. Writing in Spanish on an English-based computer is no excuse to leave off accent marks. It's easy to update your computer to allow other languages' keyboard settings. Go

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-44034880088347481702009-01-31T15:05:00.003-06:002009-01-31T15:22:41.025-06:00

I received a very pleasant note from a student in my on-line Spanish class who is enjoying doing each and every available grammar exercise in En Linea, the Quia textbook published by Vista that we are using in class. I'm delighted to see a student taking advantage of the opportunity to learn another language, and I said so to the student and the group:I appreciate your good attitude. Yes,

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-79967908417092843252009-01-15T19:14:00.002-06:002009-01-15T19:46:41.392-06:00

Esta semana comienza el nuevo semestre y, para muchas universidades incluso las mías, ha habido cancelaciones de clases debido al frío y a la nieve. Cuando el lunes pasé el día en la cama, sufriendo de una gripe terrible, se me ocurrió la posibilidad de que iba a tener que cancelar el primer día de mi clase. El martes, de todos modos, me desperté mejor...me di cuenta de que quizás el cuerpo no

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-71329629431200234012009-01-06T18:16:00.002-06:002009-01-06T18:21:16.370-06:00

Happy Epiphany!In Hispanic cultures around the world, children leave their shoes out with some hay, and receive their gifts from the Reyes Magos on this twelfth night, which reflects back upon the wise and wealthy visitors who brought rich gifts to baby Jesus and recognized His royalty. So put your shoes by the door, and see what surprises await you!May the light of this night, and the special

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-61819580033476958822009-01-06T17:51:00.002-06:002009-01-06T18:13:34.524-06:00

Happy Epiphany!This twelfth day of Christmas is a special multicultural encounter, in which we reflect on the arrival of wise easterners journeying westward in pursuit of a newly-appeared star that marked the birthplace of a tiny but important world figure. In Hispanic countries, children wait until this day, Reyes, to receive their gifts. Put your shoes out--see what happens!As the world spins

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-69850458132725393062008-12-19T13:03:00.004-06:002008-12-20T17:01:58.428-06:00

What does this mean to this language teacher, mother, reader, and blogger, to consider that the Creator of the universe, who uttered a word and spoke oceans and continents and species into existence, elected to become the Word made flesh and to dwell as a human being, as a brother in the flesh of a real body?"Words, words, words," Shakespeare places into Hamlet's mouth, leaving him with a bitter

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-11604455351669201842008-12-04T08:27:00.002-06:002008-12-04T09:20:41.788-06:00

En nuestras vidas, llenas de horarios, presupuestos, eventos especiales y no tan especiales, y paradas regulares en la gasolinera para poder seguir el ritmo de la marcha, no es muy frecuente que tengamos la oportunidad de gozar de la tertulia. La libre expresión de ideas tranquiliza al alma y enriquece la expresión.Es importante darnos la oportunidad de practicar el idioma en su forma más

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-29419519192243560892008-11-26T10:23:00.002-06:002008-11-26T10:35:28.899-06:00

Modern existence sometimes feels out of control. Economic pressures, personal differences, traffic, demanding schedules, and the uncertainties and dissatisfactions that arise from the high expectations we place on health and on love leave us, oftentimes, restless and discontent. Life seems unfair and monotonous.Expressions of gratitude moderate stress and allow us to experience that ephemeral

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-38922895567704987982008-11-23T21:53:00.003-06:002008-11-23T22:15:55.248-06:00

Hoy un señor de familia puertorriqueña, que habla un poco de español, me preguntó acerca de una clase o una tutoría particular porque quiere aprender a hablar más, pero quiere hablar "bien". Me dijo que no quería aprender a hablar "puertorriqueño" sino que le interesaba aprender a hablar un español "auténtico y correcto".Me vino a la mente lo que aprendí hace años en una clase de lingu:ísitica

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-84405516401108217902008-11-20T07:38:00.002-06:002008-11-20T07:52:58.179-06:00

A veces los niños se identifican como hijos de sus padres por las cosas que pronuncian…tan inocentes, pero tan puramente sacadas de las conversaciones diarias de sus casas.Ayer, por ejemplo, nuestro hijo John se puso una pashmina de color azul que mi hermano Luke le había regalado a mi hija Anna el año pasado. (Una pashmina es un chal o un rebozo, una bufanda ancha que da color y abrigo—viene de

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-86962615041260216732008-11-19T21:04:00.003-06:002008-11-20T07:38:43.742-06:00

One of the rich blessings of learning a second language is the joy of recalling exactly where you were and what you were doing when you learned certain simple words. There are words that will be with me forever, along with the context of their acquisition. These words are the special ones. I have this experience in my first language, also--but for bigger words, rare words, that entered my world

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-91822152293323297542008-11-07T13:08:00.002-06:002008-11-07T13:17:31.517-06:00

I learned about dictations from a Catalan professor at Columbia, Xavier Vila, who wrote funny skits and invited us to write down what we heard in class on paper, and then put a sentence on the board for correction.Dictation invites students to listen carefully. We are trained to understand, but not always to listen in detail beyond simple comprehension. My students are often challenged to write

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-45185743148893171682008-11-04T12:05:00.003-06:002008-11-04T12:23:07.396-06:00

Deeply exploring a second language for the first time often leads learners to question why the language they're acquiring doesn't match up neatly with their first language. I have had students throw a fit about such challenges as syntax and gender. For English speakers, the idea of nouns having to be feminine or masculine can be daunting and even confusing. Students ask why are some of the

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-9107466134162059322008-10-22T14:22:00.002-05:002008-10-22T14:30:32.408-05:00

At any level of language acquisition, reading poetry is beneficial. Few people make a living reading or writing poems these days. So in a world of "Spanish for Business" and "Medical Spanish," why are poems important?Poetry requires a writer to eliminate words and keep only the bare essentials. Rarely in this life are we presented with a choice that requires us to "forsake all others."

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-82929622994822845052008-10-11T22:17:00.002-05:002008-10-11T22:25:23.775-05:00

Windmills, giants, barbers, innkeepers, knights errant, and libraries might not be your cup of tea. So why is Don Quixote a great book, and why does it make sense for an American to take the trouble to read this great book in Spanish?Don Quixote asks us to ponder the questions about our humanity. What is the purpose of living? Why are we here? What do we need? What do we believe and why?

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-50737976932158672412008-10-04T13:23:00.002-05:002008-10-04T13:28:43.328-05:00

"Your class is too hard. Some students went to the other section," greeted me today as I took roll for a college-level beginning Spanish class. While I'm not covering as many chapters as another professor, the students have noticed that we are going in-depth. I share what I know with my classes, what I have learned, what I have studied, and waht I have been taught by my professors and by years

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-34516887861006604402008-10-03T00:02:00.002-05:002008-10-03T00:07:18.224-05:00

In English we say "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Today I did a medical translation. It is a blessing to have access to good medical care. A translator can be nice, too, if the doctor and patient don't speak the same language. How do you keep the translator away? What is the "apple a day" that will help you polish up your Spanish language skills before you embark on a journey where

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-73136749287716749762008-08-18T09:55:00.002-05:002008-08-18T10:01:06.999-05:00

Translations can be tedious. Translations can be challenging. But translations can also be beneficial and, in time, can yield joy. I love to translate texts that really move me, because when I slow down to think about each word, savor it, and select a word in another language as it's "equivalent", I have taken the time to enjoy the text and meditate on it.I encourage my students to write essays

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-32642700260411956812008-08-18T09:52:00.002-05:002008-08-18T09:55:27.160-05:00

Coming this fall and continuing classes are listed here:Spanish for Travel: a class for adult beginners, hosted by the Munster Parks Department, and held in Munster, Indiana.Spanish for All Ages: continuing in Highland, Indiana.Mommy and Me Spanish: continuing in Porter County, for toddlers, preschoolers, and a caregiver or parent.Spanish for Ministry: Location and times TBA... as well as

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-19491289382193143802008-08-03T17:50:00.003-05:002008-08-03T17:54:06.885-05:00

Querido Amigo,This week, in two Spanish classes, we are writing letters.One group, that meets at our church, is writing letters to children who attend school in Guatemala, with A Servant's Heart--a Lutheran ministry to families who live on a garbage dump. Four children have been receiving support from Redeemer's Sunday School, and now our group of Spanish students are writing personal letters to

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-51961892254520446562008-07-16T06:56:00.002-05:002008-07-16T07:19:06.875-05:00

We had an emotional blowout yesterday during Mommy and me Spanish.I tried bringing my three kids to our small class, which met in our living room this time, while Carl went next door to do something handymanly at the neighbors' house.Within moments, we were up to our ears in some serious "berrinche," complete with "gritos" and "acusasiones". I guess that's the last time I do the class para mama

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-11973388393529274162008-07-11T07:00:00.003-05:002008-07-11T07:09:57.160-05:00

Naming Spanish Sí was not something that happened overnight.I started with Se Habla Español, but the amazing SCORE coaches who provide consulting through the Small Business Administration suggested that to a monolingual American grandma who might want to hire a Spanish tutor for her grandchild, the phrase Se Habla Español would mean absolutely nothing. They suggested Conversational Spanish, and

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-40151233577994233822008-07-11T06:31:00.007-05:002008-07-11T19:44:40.345-05:00

Recently I invited someone to learn Spanish with a group of friends, by attending a very fun event that repeats regularly, which happens almost entirely in Spanish, and involves learning something useful and new. I know that the person I invited is at least moderately interested in learning the skill in question. He is also rather desperate to learn Spanish, for personal (romantic) reasons.

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-26051293942647489512008-07-11T06:19:00.004-05:002008-07-11T19:46:05.303-05:00

Yesterday in our multi-age class at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Highland, we acted out the story of Moses and the bullrushes from the Old Testament.One of the moms read the Arch Books version of the story, in Spanish, in rhyme (published by Editorial Concordia, part of http://www.cph.org/). Another mom dressed up as "el faraón" with a colorful blanket as a kingly cloak. Two girls wanted to be the

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-56927825161916891062008-07-02T23:08:00.003-05:002008-07-11T19:46:39.240-05:00

"Breaking up is never easy, I know," sings ABBA, el conjunto de rock de los años setenta. But a veces, saying goodbye causes us to look back, to appreciate, and reflejar on the past.Today a very special class, Spanish for ministry, finished its initial semestre. What a clase--with students from Lutheran, Methodist, Jewish and Presbyterian backgrounds, with an age span from 8 months (my daughter,

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-6013039577010592192008-06-24T21:45:00.002-05:002008-06-24T21:55:26.677-05:00

My first Spanish class was in Irving, Texas at the park district, with a teacher had two thick grey pigtails. She was named María and she spoke English with a beautiful accent and a big smile. She was from Brazil and her first language was Portuguese. I had learned a tiny bit of Spanish prior to that from a sort of homeschool swap that my mom did, perhaps in exchange for babysitting, from a

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-6960153638981639952008-06-22T23:54:00.002-05:002008-06-23T00:01:28.345-05:00

Singing in another language is common practice for experienced singers. It's a great technique for learning language, also.Music makes poetry memorable. With the notes, the words are easier to recall. The melody carries a sentence as it floats along, and the rhythm and rhyme harmonize in an unforgettable way that is attuned to the way our brains think. To teach a song in a new language, I

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-13753439697199158592008-06-16T13:54:00.002-05:002008-06-16T14:13:42.533-05:00

“How do I know when I’m fluent in Spanish?” is a question that language students sometimes wonder. I have given thought to this question, first as a learner and then as a teacher of languages. What are the defining characteristics of a person who has achieved complete linguistic fluency? I’m not sure I have the answer, but here are some thoughts about the question.A common assumption I hear

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-62962546234518399632008-06-12T08:11:00.003-05:002008-06-16T13:53:59.188-05:00

How do I practice between classes for myself or with my kids?Thanks to a great question from Cyndy, mother to three of my students.Working Spanish phrases into your daily routine as you learn new expressions is a great way to practice in context. Learn to set the table in Spanish in class--and then go home and do it every night for a week. Owe someone a thank-you note? Write it in Spanish (and

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-117960519875359592008-06-12T08:09:00.002-05:002008-06-12T08:11:49.483-05:00

We're meeting at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Highland, Indiana. We'll be learning at mixed levels and mixed ages (mostly beginners). This class is for members and friends of Redeemer Lutheran Church. Welcome! Join us if you'd like to learn some conversational Spanish.In previous sessions we have done: colors, numbers, introductions, greetings, animals and sounds, giving directions around

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-7417230725442804582008-06-07T14:59:00.004-05:002008-06-07T15:24:27.796-05:00

As an undergraduate at the University of Illinois, I took a class in psycholinguistics. The professor cited a study in one of her lectures about how babies learn to distinguish between the sounds of their native language even before birth. Language scientists found that French-Canadian babies could tell the difference between the sounds corresponding with the letters "P" and "B" (as defined by

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-18387159260245995592008-06-04T08:13:00.000-05:002008-06-04T08:14:54.952-05:00

Mommy and Me Spanish for babies, toddlers, and mamás is beginning next week in Valparaiso Indiana. Class location will be Au Naturel Market. We will learn greetings, colors, and numbers, using puppets, singing, and movement. Wear comfy clothes in case we sit on the floor. E-mail for more information if you're interested in joining us.

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6775218377988552818.post-34581679820135203552008-06-04T07:30:00.002-05:002008-06-12T08:58:35.744-05:00

Spanish Sí has been a brainchild for years. We are now a reality. Launched in 2008, Spanish Sí is a small business providing classes, tutoring and translation in Northwest Indiana.The organization offers reasonably-priced Spanish classes for individuals and small groups, from beginners through advanced, and available to all ages. Specializing in classes geared for the student's unique needs,

Sarah Degnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839139441584966854noreply@blogger.com0