To add to the tv/movie option, doesn't hulu have spanish now too? Maybe something that involves the practice of inference too.. I'll keep thinking. On Feb 20, 2012 8:10 PM, "Nanosh Lucas" <nanoshlucas@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Hey, all, > > I'm working up a list for students to think about while they're > outside of class. Here is the copy I have so far... Can you help add > more ideas? I'll give you back the final version. I'll probably print > it for students either tomorrow or Wednesday, depending. Any error > correction or issues would be great, too. > > Thanks, > > Nanosh > > Learning Spanish on your own > > I wrote this document for students of Spanish who are struggling in > class and would like to do something about it. I also wrote it for > those students who recognize where they are in the process and would > like to push themselves a little further in the process. First, check > your level (this is an oversimplification of the levels but a good > place to start): > > Novice-Low – 20 words. Do you know less than twenty words in Spanish? > This is about where you are. > Novice-Mid – Memorized phrases: ¿Cómo te llamas? Me llamo… and etc. > Novice-High – Starting to create with the language. You are using > complete sentences a lot of the time. > Intermediate-Low – You are creating with the language and using > complete sentences all of the time. You can describe with supporting > details. You still use independent sentences. > Intermediate-Mid – You are creating with the language, making strings > of connected sentences, communicating ideas and able to control the > past and future tenses some of the time. > Intermediate-High – You are speaking in paragraph-length discourse > most of the time and almost able to handle advanced level topics some > of the time. > > Ways to improve your Spanish: > > 1. Bring an attitude of forgiveness to class. It isn’t always going to > be easy; you will experience frustration – this is normal for > everybody at any level. Forgive yourself for not being a Spanish > superstar. Have patience for others no matter where they are in > Spanish. The trick is to remember that the more you try, the more you > create an atmosphere of success in the class just with your positive > attitude. You will find your frustration reduce the more you relax and > just let it happen. > 2. Spend time speaking/hanging out with a native Spanish speaker. > There is no substitute for this experience. You can learn a lot about > different Spanish-speaking cultures this way, and this will help keep > you curious and motivated. > 3. Speak in Spanish to another English speaker who speaks Spanish. Set > aside time and practice with one another person. It sounds like it > might be silly, but if you attach it to another activity, such as > playing Legos or doing a puzzle together, it can be fun, and you will > notice your Spanish improve quite a bit. > 4. Teach someone some Spanish. There is a great body of evidence to > show that when you can teach someone something, you have mastered it. > You can teach something simple that you already know, or you can do > some research and learn the material in order to teach it to someone > else. > 5. Carry around a small notebook or place to write in. When you are in > a conversation and can’t come up with a word or need to work around it > (circumlocute) write it down, so that you remember to look it up > later. > 6. Watch Univision and Telemundo. If you like watching TV, this is a > great way to do it. You’ll learn more about Spanish-speaking cultures > and your auditory comprehension (ability to hear and understand) > Spanish will go through the roof. > 7. Watch movies in Spanish. You can watch movies you already have in > Spanish, or you can get movies with Spanish as the original language. > Netflix has a great selection, if you have it, and even Redbox has > Spanish-language films. > 8. Listen to the radio in Spanish. 610 AM plays news, music, and all > sorts of stuff in the Southern Oregon region. > 9. Get to know wordreference.com. This is quite possibly the raddest > dictionary in the universe. Quick, how do you say _________? > 10. Bring content to your home. Label things and put vocabulary on > your bathroom mirror that you are working on. > 11. Talk to yourself in Spanish. Narrate what you are doing to > yourself in Spanish; it’s great fun – people will think you are crazy. > 12. Think to yourself in Spanish. Your mind is a very powerful tool – > this will help sharpen it! > 13. Bring content to the class. Bring your interests to class EVERY > DAY and raise your hand to talk about it EVERY DAY. We do our best to > listen to you and make sure what you are interested in becomes the > focus of the class. Bring personal items to share or stories that you > have. Bring new vocabulary you learned or experiences. > >