Friday, October 3, 2008

Una manzana al día

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 you might have to use your emergency Spanish in a real world context?

Here's Señora Fields' "Apple A Day" technique for learning Spanish effectively. My Ivy Tech classes meet weekly, as do my Spanish Bible Stories students. Practicing every day or even a couple times a day helps Spanish language really begin to "stick" so I give suggestions like:

+ Count in Spanish when you climb stairs
+ Practice Spanish sounds when you ride around on your bike
+ Listen to the radio in Spanish
+ Pick up a Spanish edition of the newspaper
+ Have someone ask you the time in Spanish (¿Qué hora es?) and see if you can answer

Practicing a little every day makes a BIG difference in how quickly you learn.

Keep up the good work!

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