Fun on the Farm

On November 14th, Pine Village and the South End Branch library collaborated to bring families a Spanish language story time.  Activities were themed around farms and farm animals, and included songs, books, and an art project.  

Karina and Myrna have real fun on the imaginary farm!

The event was a true example of team-work.  Our toddler teacher, Claudia, prepared the art project.  Preschool teacher Karina sang songs about the farm using pictures from her classroom's vocabulary wall.  Myrna, our South End director, read a book, utilizing a felt board and pre-cut images of the animals mentioned. Teachers helped to stick the pictures of the animals on the board giving children the opportunity to see the story as it was read. Everyone was amazed! Children were counting the animals with us and making animal noises, and they learned to repeat the names of the animals, all in Spanish!

The event was free and open to the public and there was an amazing turn-out.  Thank you to the South End library, our wonderful staff, and to all the families, schools, and children who made this event a huge success!  A special thank you to Children's Librarian Margaret, without whom this event would not have been possible!  Spanish Story Time recurs most months during the year.  Please check our events page or the BPL calendar for details.

Spanish Tip of the Week: Meal Times

A sample label for the kitchen

Here at Pine Village, we get asked one question a lot- what is the best way to help my child become or stay bilingual?  As we have stated in previous posts, we believe there is never one "right way" to do anything.  What works best for your family depends on many factors, and whatever makes you all most comfortable and happy will work best for you.  Still, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. 

One thing that works for many families is to set aside a specific time or activity to do together in Spanish daily or weekly.  This is especially great for parents and caregivers who still struggle with Spanish themselves.  If you are looking for a place to start, mealtime can be an easy choice.  You could have breakfast in Spanish each day, or start with one supper a week.  For an added bonus, consider labeling objects in your kitchen so your child can see the word and the picture and begin to associate symbols and print with the real-world objects they represent. Even if you struggle with Spanish yourself, you can look to the labels as a reminder of common mealtime words.

Stay tuned next week for suggested words and phrases to use while cooking with your child!

Spanish Tip of the Week: Traveling

Nos vamos de viaje!

Many families will be traveling this week for the Thanksgiving holiday.  What better time to learn words about travel in Spanish?!

Useful words:

Nouns

A pretend "avión" from our Needham school

el fin de semana: the weekend
el carro: the car
la mochila/el bulto: the backpack/bag
la maleta: the suitcase
el avión: the airplane
la merienda: the snack

Verbs

viajar: to travel
manejar/conducir: to drive
llegar: to arrive

Descriptors

en camino: on the road, on the way

Useful phrases:

¿Puedes llevar tu mochila, por favor?: Can you carry your bag, please?
Vamos a viajar por carro/Estamos manejando: We are going by car/We're driving.
Estamos en camino: We are on our way/We are on the road.
Llegaremos a (la una): We will be there at (one o'clock)
¿Quieres una merienda?: Would you like a snack?

Spanish Tip of the Week: Practicing the Sound "RR" in Spanish

It can be hard to know what to do when you see an "R" in a Spanish word. Two "R"s together sound different than one by itself!  Then When R is used at the beginning of a word or after certain consonants, it is pronounced as "RR". Before you can start worrying about when to use each, though, you must know what they both sound like and learn to make those sounds yourself.

One R makes a short sound similar to "D" or "T" in English.  Two "R"s together ("RR") makes a longer sound called a trill!  Here are some tips to practice each sound alone and with your child!

Why should I learn to trill my “rr"s? 

Because it can change the meaning of the word!  For example, in Spanish, caro means expensive but carro means car.  Ahora means now but ahorra means save!

What is it supposed to sound like?

Many native English speakers see a Spanish word like corre and pronounce the "R" as in “car” or “rich”. Not in español! Try saying these words out loud and pay attention to what your tongue is doing.

• Daddy
• Water
• Butter
• Better

You’ll notice that your tongue is flapping to the roof of your mouth just one time and it sounds more like a soft "D" or "T" sound. Excellent! You have just mastered the "R" sound in Spanish! 

Now apply that sound to these words in Spanish

• Marido (Husband)
• Para (Stop)
• Nevera (Refrigerator)

Keep in mind that the single "R" sound is used whenever the single "R" appears in a word, except when it's at the beginning of a word or after an "L", "N" or "S".  Then the "RR" sound is used.

So you can make the "R" sound.  You’re half way there! Here are some tips to try making that "RR" sound!

1.) Remember that the "RR" is a trilled sound formed by a flapping of the tongue against the front roof of the mouth, not the back.

2.) Keep saying those words in English, Daddy, Water, Butter, Better, but add more air each time you practice it and you should eventually get it.

3.) Visualize the front of your tongue as a flag flapping in a vigorous breeze. If your tongue touches your teeth, then you will block all air and get no sound.

• Try purring like a cat. If you've succeeded, you are approximating the RR sound
• Alternatively, relax and pretend you're a child making the sound of a revving-up motor.
• Another way is to pretend it is extremely cold. Now make the sound of exhaling with your lips flapping together. Now do the same thing with your tongue against the roof of your mouth.

Try this Spanish Tongue Twister now that you can trill your RR’s!!!
 
R con R guitarra, R con R barril, Rápido corren los carros del férrocarril!

Keep practicing and pretty soon you'll be a pro!  Tell us below, do you have any tips or tricks to learning to trill your "RR"s?  Are there other sounds that you have trouble making en español?

Spanish Tip of the Week: Regional Word Variations

Sometimes, traveling teaches us words that we have never heard before, even if we are fluent in the dominant language of the region.  When we travel to England, for example, the American English-speaker may be surprised to hear the diaper referred to as a "nappy" or the stroller referred to as a "pram".  

The same is true of Spanish.  There are several Spanish synonyms as you travel throughout Spanish-speaking countries... and even within the countries themselves! Different words can be used to refer to the same thing, and the same word can mean different things in different places!

Here is a list of different vocabulary words that you can learn to expand your vocabulary.  Practice with your children at home or when you visit any Spanish-speaking country.

English:	Spanish:	Notes:
Cake	Most: pastel Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru: torta Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico: bizcocho Spain: tarta	"Torta" in Mexico means "sandwich" (torta de jamón)
Baby	Most: bebé Argentina, Uruguay: beba (girl), bebe (boy) Chile, Bolivia: guagua	In Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, a "guagua" is a bus.
Popcorn	Cuba: rositas de maíz Argentina: pochoclo Venezuela: cotufa Spain, Mexico: palomitas, palomitas de maíz
Jacket	Most: chaqueta Argentina: campera Dominican Republic, Panama: saco Mexico: chamarra Peru: casca Puerto Rico: blazer (women), gabán (men)	In Spain, a "saco" is a large bag, for example, a large bag of potatoes. In Mexico "saco" is used for suits.