Work Unit Two: Todo es rápido en la ciudad
How do you a say a simple word such as "the" in Spanish? The answer may not be as simple as it would first appear, at least for those new to the language, because there are four words that commonly have that meaning. We learned two of them (el and la) in the last lesson, and this week we learn two more: los and las.| Read, listen and learn in the About.com
virtual Spanish classroom:
1. You're free to join the class at any time and study on your own schedule. For textbook and other organizational information, see the class introduction.
4. Feel free to email the instructor, although answers to questions of interest to others in the class will probably be posted on the bulletin board rather than be sent individually. |
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Despite such obvious differences in Spanish and English, by now you should see that there are also many similarities. Spanish sentences are often structured similarly to English ones, with the verb often (although not necessarily) following the noun. And there are many words that the languages share.
Assignment
First, briefly review the pronunciation lesson on page xi. Review in particular the pronunciation of the letters b and v, although keep in mind that the explanation given is oversimplified. A more thorough explanation is given below.Next, go through the lesson on pages 13-19. As you study, look for Spanish and English words that are similar.
It is important in lessons such as these to make certain that you understand the concepts before you go on to the future lessons. If you have a question, do not hesitate to ask on the bulletin board. The bulletin board also is the place to go to ask if you doubt whether your answers to the problems are correct. Because the textbook we're using often is used as a classroom textbook, I can't simply post the answers. But if you are uncertain how to answer a specific question, don't hesitate to ask, and you'll be an answer either from me or another student.
Background
Although English is a Germanic language rather than a Romantic language as Spanish is, we get much of our vocabulary indirectly from Latin. Therefore, it is easy to find cognates, words that are the same or very similar in both languages. Among the words like that in this lesson are teatro (theater), parque (park), edificio (edifice or building), visitar (to visit), and restaurante (restaurant). The similarity of many words helps make Spanish one of the easiest languages to learn for English-speakers.Note also the Spanish words that are related to English words, perhaps as cousins rather than as brothers or sisters as the cognates are. For example, aldea (town) comes from the same root as does "alderman." Deseo (I want) is related to "desire," and vivir (to live) is related to words such as "revive" and "survive."
The main emphasis in this lesson is on the words los and las, which are the plural definite article and are translated as "the." Note that they are used with plural nouns, which also end in s. El and los are used with masculine nouns, while la and las are used with feminine ones.
Make sure you learn the rules for making plurals. You can explore this concept further in an online lesson and an interactive quiz.
Pronunciation
One concept that's difficult for some beginning Spanish students to realize
is that the letters b and v are pronounced exactly
the same in Spanish. In fact, one of the two main spelling problems that
many Spanish-speakers have is remembering which letter to use (the other
problem many have involves the letter h, which is silent.)
In other words, do not pronounce those two consonants as you would in English. Remember that they are interchangeable.
At the beginning of a breath group (such as at the beginning of a sentence) the two letters are pronounced pretty much like the English "b," except not as explosively as it can be in English. The sound is the same after an m or n. (Often the n ends up sounding like an m in such a combination.)
But between vowels, the sound is different. It might sound to some like the "v" sound in English. In actuality, though, the sound generally is made like an English v, but with sound coming from the two lips touching rather than the lower lip and top teeth. Listen to the sound.
Coming up:
In the next lesson, we're start learning how verbs function.
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