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January 2007 Online Newsletter...sent every other month
Tips and information about learning Spanish and about the people who speak it.  Personal attention is what has made Language Link grow, and we value your contributions.  Please send an email to remove if you do not want to receive our news or if you or a friend would like to be added to our newsletter list.
What's in this edition
Online Lesson, Cocina Cooking, Culture Clips, Language Link's Latest, OJO (special deals), Rhythm & Book Blurbs, Been There, Loved That (reports from participants), Likeable Links
Online Lesson
You, You, You
     Usted versus Tú (and don't forget the accent on the subject word, as without it means your)    Understand that there are many variables in the subject words for "you" in Spanish.  It's handy to think of tú as the first name, informal version of you.  Then think of usted as a shortened form of Your Grace, which is how people in the past addressed the king.  Also, thinking of it this way makes it easy to remember that usted is third person singular.  Think of...Are you happy, good friend? as opposed to...IS your grace happy today?  In Latin America the ustedes form is used for the plural (think Southern you all) form of both tú and usted.  In Spain, however, the vosotros form is used for the plural you.  Those are the basics, but there are many cultural and geographical nuances.  Some countries (Spain) move quickly to tú (using the verb tutear or the idiom romper el turrón (a kind of nougat candy), while in Costa Rica even good friends and family are addressed as usted.  It's best to keep your ears open on this one and follow the local lead.  In general, use usted with strangers, in public situations (clerks, taxi drivers), people for whom you wish to show respect (an older grandmother, a person of importance and rank in business) or to keep a professional distance.  Use tú when speaking to a child, to family members, when praying (denoting closeness), when you and the other person have agreed to use tú or asks you to address them that way.  It is commonly used among people of the same status and position.  However, it's always better to err on the side of being too formal than too familiar, so keep your usted form close at hand.
     Also, pay close attention to learning all the irregular positive command forms for tú.  Most of them are short, one syllable words - hacer: haz-do, decir: di-tell or say, dar: da-give, poner: pon-put, salir: sal-leave, tener: ten-have
     One possible theory for these short forms is that it makes them very convenient to order your children around when they are sacándole las canas verdes, literally pulling out your green gray hairs, but figuratively driving you crazy.
Cocina Cooking
Sopa Seca - serves 4 to 6
     Sopa seca literally means dry soup in Mexican cooking and is a catchall term for rice and pasta.  The pasta is not quite as saucy as in Italian cooking, and it is spicer and cooked softer than al dente.  Thin vermicelli or angel hair pasta is called fideo.
1/4 C. olive oil, 1/2 lb. vermicelli, broken up, 1 small finely chopped onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, 3 medium tomatoes in chunks, 1 canned finely chopped chipotle chili, 1 tsp. dried oregano, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 4 C. chicken or vegetable stock, 1 C. grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 C. chopped fresh parsley
     Pour oil into large pot and healt until beginning to smoke.  Add vermicelli and stir fry until well coated and starting to turn golden, about 1 minute.  Add the onion and garlic and continue stirring until onion softens slightly, about a minute.  Add tomatoes, chili, oregano, salt and pepper and simmer until tomatoes soften, about 3 minutes.  Stir in stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle cheese and parsley on top, and serve immediately.
Culture Clips
Náhuatl - a forgotten language?
     On a Sunday afternoon jaunt, I find myself walking through the market of a small village called Tepoztlán.  Quite near Cuernavaca, Mexico, it takes me only half an hour to arrive.  Some people have told me that the mountains surrounding this town are reminiscent of those in China, due to their rounded shapes.  Rather than their shapes, the locals are more interested in telling you about their magnetic qualities, and they revel in stories emphasizing the magic of their pueblo.  Punctuating the town is a small, high pyramid, the Tepozteco, looming overhead.  Built in the 1400s and dedicated to the God of Pulque, it still challenges the physically fit to ascend it.  Not for me...I'll stay on the ground and stroll through the market.
     But will what I see and hear be influenced by the Náhuatl  language spoken by the people who built the pyramid before the arrival of the Spanish in 1519?  I have the feeling that I will hear a Spanish liberally sprinkled with derivations of ancient words.  Those trying to learn a language only from a book realize quickly that language is a living and changing thing, incorporating words as it evolves.  The influence of Náhuatl on the Castellano brought from Spain is a perfect example of this.  The very name of this town (and the tl is a tipoff that it's in Náhuatl ), Tepoztlán, means place of the broken stone in English.  The market is often called the tianguis, a very old word for a traditional place of trade.  As I walk along, I hear a mother describe a child as escuincle, an Aztec word for a dog, but now referring to a child.  I overhear two friends greeting each other as cuate, from the old word for a twin and now a slang term such as blood brother.  In artful mounds I see jitomates (red tomatoes), as once again the original name of something unknown in Europe before the conquest surfaces in contemporary life.  It comes from the Náhuatl  xictomatl. The ice cream vendors are selling tequila flavored treats, but I focus on the chocolate flavors, remembering that this chokolatl was also a contribution of the Aztecs.
     As I walk along, one of the items catching my eye is a bunch of brightly colored paper flowers.  Thinking they would brighten a corner in my house, I ask the price.  Wait!  I notice that there are some water spots on some of the petals.  When I ask about them in an effort to reduce the price, the vendor answers, "Ay, señora, son las lagrimitas de los angelitos en el cielo."  Of course, I wouldn't dare ask a lower price for little angels' tears in heaven, so I pay what is asked with an amused smile.  It reminds me of the extended metaphors commonly used by the Aztecs.  The word for poetry was expressed by a combination of two words - flower and song.  When combined together, the metaphor became something with a meaning even beyond the original words.  So even while the words change with an evolving culture, the ancient styles of speaking are still present.  It's like listening to the familiar strains of Spanish, but with a little Mexican chile tossed in.
     What an interesting language is this Spanish...from incorporated words of ancient origins to the new techno words I hear on nightly television.  But please forgive me...I must continue in the market and pick up some beautiful avocados at a great price, all the while thinking of auakatl, the Nahúatl word which I can easily see transformed into aguacate.  Both my stomach and my ears remain grateful for these contributions of Náhuatl.

   If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home. - James Michener

Language Link's Latest 
    At long last our second office in Mexico is open and running efficiently.  This location gives us even more opportunities to meet you personally, and we are close to the action in Latin America.  Although we do not have toll free service in Mexico, we will return your call through your message left on our U.S. toll free number.  To email Mexico directly, please write to kay@langlink.com
     You may be aware that there were recent problems in Oaxaca, Mexico, which disrupted travel and daily life.  We are very pleased to now confidently recommend a return to travel and study in this beautiful part of Mexico.  We are certain that this excellent program will securely return in popularity.
     We are pleased to announce the winner of our Costa Rica free study trip.  Nancy Silva of Plum Island, Massachusetts, is very excited that after two years of entering our contests, she was chosen.  Nancy is an accountant and realizes that complete immersion is the only way to achieve her goal to become bilingual.  We're confident her Costa Rica experience will help push her to the top.
     Check out our 2007 teen programs now posted on the website.  Teens can come alone, with a friend, or we can organize closed groups.  We have high interest in these programs, as they are truly life changing experiences.
     Please reserve early for summer programs!  Our summer reservations are already pouring in.  Some of these programs will reach the point of waiting lists.  Don't be disappointed by the news that the school is already filled on the dates you wanted to study.
OJO (Special Deals)
    A new contest! Since our Costa Rica contest ended, we are now offering a free two week study trip to charming Antigua, Guatemala.  The winner will study at PLFM with a private instructor for six hours daily and will have a private room and three meals daily (except Sundays) with a local Guatemala family.  Click on the contest box on our website, enter your name and a brief comment, and dream of Antigua!
Rhythm & Book Blurbs
Book - El día del amor y la amistad (Feb 14) is approaching.  Get your romantic skills in order and improve your Spanish by reading 100 Love Sonnets, Cien sonets de amor, by Pablo Neruda, translated by S. Tapscott.  This is terrific vocabulary development, with English on one side of the page and Spanish on the opposing.  Neruda contributes a voice of intelligent, sensual joy in this work which is one of the most popular in South America.  If you've ever wished for a fresh, imaginative way of saying "I love you", this is it.
Music - Blanco Fácil by Mexican artist Chetes is described as Mexican sound meeting a Nashville accent.  This album has gone gold in Mexico and received a 2006 Latin Grammy nomination.  This is indie/pop/alternative music inspired by byone American pop, while still resonating on Mexican soil.  The songs are full of warm melodies and dreamy harmonies - classic without being superficially retro.  The nickname Chetes is Spanish shorthand for cachetes, as the artist has boyish, pale and round cheeks.
Purchase these items through our Language Link Shop.
Been There, Loved That
     PLFM of Antigua, Guatemala - The school exceeded my expectations in all ways.  I was impressed by the structure and efficiency of the program.  I ended up learning more than I would ever have thought possible.  I wish I had spent longer than six weeks there - it was fantastic!  - Vikki Katz, University Lecturer & Ph.D. Candidate, Los Angeles, California
     From a student who attended three different programs, one following another: 
I had an incredible year.  I have some amazing memories and stories which will forever be unforgettable. - Megan Cowell, College Student, Johnston, Iowa
     Spanish Language Institute of Cuernavaca, Mexico - I went to SLI knowing only the basics.  They worked with me on exactly what I needed.  They taught in a teaching style perfect for my needs and were very encouraging through my entire time there.  I was there for four months and felt as family.  I enjoyed every bit of the experience!
     Academia de Español Quito, Ecuador (Anaconda Amazon jungle program) This was something I never dreamed of doing, and I immediately loved the beauty of the rainforest.  Doing activities like rafting, hiking, meeting an indigenous tribe, learning about jungle plants and animals...my life definitely will never be the same.  It was one of the most amazing weeks of my life, and the instruction was incredible.
     CLIC of Seville, Spain - The culture program is wonderful and allows you to get to know other students quickly.  One thing I especially loved is that CLIC attracts many international students, thus I got the opportunity to learn about many different cultures and make friends from all over the world.
     Lacunza of San Sebastián, Spain - This was amazing!! The city is gorgeous, and the school was great.  I met so many amazing people and learned SO much!! - Elise Dahlin, College Student, San Carlos, California
Likeable Links
A general overview of the Náhuatl language
Some history of speakers and current statistics
Vocabulary list
Article linking Náhuatl  to medical anthropology

We hope you enjoyed our news.  Visit us at www.langlink.com
If you like a real voice, call us at 800.552.2051, Central Time, office hours 9 to 5.
Kay Godfrey, Director Latin America Office / Meredith Butler, Director U.S. Office
Language Link, P.O.B. 3006, Peoria, Illinois 61612 USA, Fax 309.673.9221, Worldwide Telephone 309.673.9220, Toll Free 800.552.2051  info@langlink.com
¡Hasta luego!

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