A special note from Kay and Meredith, Directors
      We want you to know that we relate to all our students, past and future, in these difficult economic times.  It has reinforced our commitment to make our study experiences as affordable as possible.  Of course, unlike our competitors, we have  always charged the exact same fees as the schools themselves with nothing added and will continue to do so, and we are encouraging all our schools to keep their fee increases as low as possible.  We want to find a way to help you make your dreams a reality.

Tips and information about learning Spanish and the people who speak it. Personal attention is what has made Language Link grow, and we value your contributions. Email us at info@langlink.com.
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

Do You Get It?

    These days we are hearing such phrases as a presidential candidate who doesn’t “get it”. Get is one of those English verbs that may drive you crazy in Spanish. English speakers use it for everything, just as they overuse the word nice. To use this verb successfully in Spanish, you need to get behind the meaning. It helps to think in more formal language. Shall we say you need to arrive behind the meaning?
     Here are some of the most common meanings of "get" and ways to say them in Spanish: 
     To obtain - Common verbs with this meaning include obtener and conseguir
Voy a obtener el puesto que quería. I am going to get the position that I wanted.
La máquina recibe su fuerza de las pilas. The machine gets its power from the batteries.
La familia consiguió su dinero de muchas fábricas. The family got its money from a lot of factories.
Voy a conseguirte el mejor precio. I’m going to get the best price for you.
       If you want to use the verb meaning to get and to also bring, use traer. Tráigame los libros, por favor. Get me the books, please.
       Recibir is often used with certain nouns: recibir una respuesta, to get a response; recibir un e-mail, to get an email
     Change in emotion - English speakers say that a person gets angry, gets sad, gets happy, even gets lucky. In Spanish these would be expressed by particular verbs. Notice that they all are reflexive verbs. enojarse, to get angry; entristecerse, to get sad; preocuparse, to get worried; confundirse, to get confused; enfermarse, to get sick.  Use the verb ponerse to indicate a change in emotions.
Me enojé muchísimo. I got really, really mad.
Ella se entristece durante las películas sentimentales. She gets sad during sappy movies.
Me preocupo cuando llegas a casa tarde. I get worried when you come home late.
Discúlpeme. Me confundí la calle. Excuse me. I got mixed up, confused, with the street.
El niño se puso muy enfermo. The child got very sick.
My favorite is when Mexicans are describing flowers. If they are wilted, they will say Se pusieron muy tristes las flores.
     To understand - Use either entender or comprender
No lo entiendo/comprendo. I don't get it. 
     To earn - Use ganar.
Gana cien pesos por hora. She gets 100 pesos an hour.
      To arrive  - Use llegar.
¿A qué hora llegamos? What time do we get there?
      To get lucky. Here you must think of being touched by luck.
Me tocó la suerte. I got lucky.

Cocina Cooking

Zesty Relleno Bites
      This is a fast and easy, delicious recipe that will disappear fast.  One 9 x 14 pan will serve about 15 to 20 people.
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (set aside 1/2 cup for topping)
4 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (set aside 1/2 cup for topping)
6 seven ounce cans diced green chiles (mild)
6 eggs, well beaten
6 tbsp flour
1 10 ounce can evaporated milk
2  seven 1/2 ounce cans salsa verde
      Remove chiles from can, spread on a paper towel and pat dry. Grease a 9 x 14 inch pan. Layer 1/3 of chiles and 1/3 of remaining cheese. Repeat twice, for a total of three layers. Add flour and milk to eggs. Blend well. Pour over chiles and cheese. At this point, the dish can be refrigerated up to 24 hours. Bake at  350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, top with salsa verde and remaining cheese and bake an additional 15 minutes. Cool until warm, cut into one inch squares, serve and watch them vanish!

Culture Clips

      I am reading information from the United Nations, which has declared 2008 to be the International Year of Languages. Spanish ranks as the second most widely spoken language in the world, after Chinese, followed by English. There are over 350 million native speakers of Spanish, and Spanish is the official language in more than 20 countries. In the United States, Hispanics are the the fastest growing ethnic group, and according to a recent US census data, people of Hispanic or Latino descent comprised approximately 15% of the population.
   The U.N. official release states that languages, with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development, are of strategic importance for people and planet. Yet they are increasingly under threat, or disappearing altogether. When languages fade, so does the world’s rich tapestry of cultural diversity. Opportunities, traditions, memory, unique modes of thinking and expression – valuable resources for ensuring a better future are also lost. It is reported that half of the 6,000 or so languages spoken in the world are endangered, and with them an irreplaceable dimension of our knowledge and understanding of human thought. 
       As I ponder this, I remember that I am proudly privileged to work with the  Fundación Proyecto Linguístico Francisco Marroquín.  With all students who study there, the profits from the Spanish school support the preservation of the Mayan languages spoken in Guatemala.  This is accomplished by being a proactive voice for the Mayan culture and for these 21 languages, ranging from Mam to Tz'utujil, and by the production of grammars and dictionaries. It is such significant work!  It is hard to believe in our modern communicative era that these languages were not put in writing until the last 60 years, some not until PLFM's project.  Most people do not realize that although in the same linguistic family, each Mayan language is quite different, not just a dialect of the same.  A Mayan from one village will not be able to communicate with another Mayan from another area.  
      A strong impression was made upon me the first time I heard a Mayan language spoken.  It occurred in the Guatemala City airport, and I must confess in telling the story that I am a hopeless eavesdropper when traveling.  It often gives me an inside look at people's lives, especially if they are speaking Spanish and don't realize that the fair haired gringa nearby can understand it all.  I'm at least acquainted with a few other languages, enough to identify them when heard.  But these sounds were unlike anything I had heard.  My ears perked up as I realized I could not pick out the meaning of a single word.  Other than being in traditional clothing, the speakers' faces looked quite similar to the board of directors of PLFM, required by charter to be 100% Mayan.  However, I had comfortably spoken only Spanish with them. 
     What different worlds languages unlock!  This is a feeling I have greatly relished through the years, and this experience was a good reminder of its value, as I felt locked out of this other world of the Maya. 
      I was then reminded of one of my suitcases, as I struggled under its ponderous weight.  It was filled with thirty of PLFM's Mayan dictionaries and grammars which we sell through our website. Not only are our students learning Spanish, but all of us are helping to protect and preserve 22 Mayan languages.  We are enriching our lives through Spanish, but we are also enriching the world of other languages much in need of our help.

   Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living. - Miriam Beard  

Language Link’s Latest

      With our partner schools we are busy developing many medical programs with observation components.  If you're in the medical field, ask us for a sneak preview.  This will be a great opportunity to form a group from a hospital or medical area.  With a group of 10 to 15 you can benefit from many complimentaries, as well as enrich yourself professionally.

     There is exciting news from one of our best programs, CLIC International House of Seville, Spain. They have been short listed for Language Travel Magazine’s Top Spanish School  2008. An established fixture now in the industry scene, the LTM Star Awards are now in their third year and evolving with each event. It is a wonderful accolade to receive, and we know from having worked with this school for many years, that it is richly deserved. Congratulations!

     CLIC of Seville has also started a new partnership with the Museo del Baile Flamenco de Sevilla. Flamenco is an integral part of the Spanish culture, and now the foremost flamenco institution in Andalusia and CLIC have collaborated on a new Spanish and Flamenco Course. Students will now be able to combine their Spanish classes at CLIC with 4 or 8 hours a week of flamenco classes with the best professionals in the stunning environment of the Museo del Baile Flamenco. We will have information on the website soon under CLIC in the Spain section.

     Thanks to Linda K. for a wonderful suggestion for continuing your Spanish.
      To have a Spanish word of the day sent to your email, go to Spanish Word of the Day http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/es/
      Our last issue told you how to use your computer to make accent marks, etc. Here’s an alternate way sent to us by Mary Romano. Instead of accessing the Spanish keyboard which is different from the American keyboard, you can follow these instructions, and your keyboard will not change. (Depending on the computer, the steps may vary.) Instructions for Spanish Accents on Computers with Windows XP, Vista, 2000
Click on Settings, Control panel.
Click on Date, Time, Language, Regional Options
Click on Regional Options
Click on the Languages tab
Click on Details
Click on Add
Check the keyboard layout/IME box
Select United States International
Click OK
      A little keyboard icon should appear on the toolbar.
For each document, select either English or United States International by clicking on the appropriate popup.
For each document, using the toolbar icon, switch to United States-International
Type ‘a ( It appears as á )
      All accented characters are generated by apostrophe followed by the character. Tildes are generated by typing ~ followed by the character. Leading question and exclamation marks are created by holding down the right hand alt-key and typing ?

OJO (Special deals)

     Register for your 2009 classes before October 31, and in almost all our schools you can receive 2008 prices.  In some cases this is a significant savings!

      Through American Airlines and for a limited time, you can save 15% off travel from the Continental U.S. to Lima, Peru.  (Then fly on to Cuzco to study there!)  Book your flight before October 27, 2008, and use the exclusive promotion code that is provided below in order to save! Discount is valid for travel beginning September 10, 2008. All travel must be completed by January 31, 2009 and booked online at aa.com.
Promotion Code: HSDD5X9JS8YY 

      Another exciting contest, and this time it’s for two weeks of free classes and homestay in one of our most highly rated programs, the Spanish Language Institute of Cuernavaca, Mexico. Just enter your name and a brief comment through our contest box on the website, and cross your fingers that you’ll be the lucky one. You’ll enjoy six hours daily of Spanish group classes and a homestay with private room and two meals daily. We’re even including a dinner out in one of Cuernavaca’s fabulous garden restaurants with director Kay Godfrey as your culinary host. Dream of the sublime climate of Cuernavaca, excellent Spanish instruction, and enter your name!

       Prepare a vlog (a video blog) about your Language Link trip and receive a significant discount on the cost of your study.  Contact Meredith at info@langlink.com for details.

Rhythm & Book Blurbs

     Book - This I Believe: An A to Z of a Life by Carlos Fuentes who will turn 80 this year and will be greatly feted in Mexico.
"I hope that the reader of this book will discover the various kinds of love... contained in each chapter of my personal alphabet," acclaimed Mexican novelist Fuentes (The Old Gringo) declares in this lovingly crafted abecedary of his life. In his characteristically luminous prose, Fuentes traces the power of love to transform and to endure through his relationships with his children, his writing, his favorite writers and film directors, and his encounters with the devastation and hope of revolution. Meditations of several pages each range over topics from globalization and revolution to Balzac, sex and God.

     Music - Piel de Aceituna by María Montalvo, a Chilean exile who has lived in Paris for thirty years. Her sensuous voice invites comparisons to the legendary Argentinian Mercedes Sosa, stays firmly within the traditions of nueva canción--a Latin American musical style founded in part by Sosa in the 1960s that fused indigenous South American music and poetry in a brilliantly varied, lyrical style. But on Piel De Aceituna, Montalvo shows just how sprawling the nuevo cancion style can be--jumping from the reggae of "Sudamericano" to a gorgeous vocal duet that hints at Cuban son to a reworking of Frenchman Jacques Brel's "La Canción de los Amantes," complete with accordion and violin. Through it all, Montalvo's voice is enthralling, and her pronunciation is quite clear, a big help in learning to sing the lyrics.

All recommended books and music are available through the Language Link Shop on our website.

Been There, Loved That

      Intercultura of Samara Beach, Costa Rica - My experience of learning Spanish in a foreign country was priceless. It makes a world of difference to simply be immersed in the language and culture. It greatly facilitates the speed of learning and understanding the language and culture. I learned a lot, about the language and the culture as well. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of being in the language school. Definitely an experience I will never forget! - Kim Ngoc Ngo, Medical Student, Los Angeles, California
     Becari of Oaxaca, Mexico – I would rate my experience as Superior. Alfonso and Manuel were both great instructors. They took the time to explain things thoroughly in a very relaxed yet professional manner. Accomodations were great and the food was even better. The family really made an effort to ask me questions and keep the conversation lively. – Giovanni Bui, Educator, San Jose, California
     Spanish Language Institute, Cuernavaca, Mexico - I knew no Spanish and wanted to experience the culture while learning the language. All expectations were met and exceeded with the unexpected addition of a cultural class for teachers. Being a teacher, the added experience of visiting local schools and learning about the educational system was wonderful.
All information provided prior to the trip was very detailed. I had never traveled out of the country and I was traveling alone but I don’t think there was anything else I needed to know- I was prepared and well informed. The entire trip was positive! - Laura Webb, Teacher, Murray, Kentucky
      A few quotes from recent contest entries –
      Linda Khamsyvoravong – I have attended five different Language Link programs. All superb!
     Mitch Kotula – You have one of the best, most comprehensive and diversified programs out there. Anyone can find a fit.
     Mary Joan Dickson - After using your wonderful service for 3 months of classes at Intercultura in Heredia, Costa Rica I fell in love with that country and its people… All of my life I’d longed to learn Spanish; thanks to you all, I did that, and more.
     William Kern - Thank you for the outstanding service you provide, and you have provided me over the years when I’ve gone south to study Spanish. I continue to recommend you to my friends.
      Sara K Benedetto - I go to a Spanish-speaking country every summer with Language Link to continue to improve. I am a senior citizen who began studying Spanish about 5 years ago, because I so love the language. I am now teaching Spanish in a middle school.
     Rebekah Salt - I’ve used Language Link for full immersion courses in Guatemala and Spain and each experience was phenomenal. Thank you Language Link for offering life-changing opportunities.
      Gail Gold - After studying at 2 Language Link schools (San Sebastian and Oaxaca), I cannot rave enough about the instruction, homestays, and side trips the schools provided. Continue the good work!!!

Likeable Links

 http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php- URL_ID=35832&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html – proclamation of the United Nations
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayan_languages - general overview of Mayan languages
http://mayamayan.homestead.com/about.html - speakers of the Mayan languages
http://www.amazon.com/Code-Kings-Language-Sacred-Temples/dp/0684852098/ref=pd_sim_b_3 -
a link to a book about breaking the Mayan code. If you want to get behind the Mayan language, move on to the hieroglyphics.
http://www.yucatanliving.com/yucatan-survivor/mayan-language-for-beginners.htm - a guide to speaking Mayan (but this is the form spoken in the Yucatán of Mexico) and how it’s becoming “cool” to speak Mayan

We hope you enjoyed our news. Please visit us at www.langlink.com. Call us at 800.552.2051. Central Time with hours 9:00 to 5:00.
Kay Godfrey, Director Latin America Office
Meredith Butler, Director U.S. Office
Language Link, P.O.B. 3006, Peoria, IL 61612 USA
Worldwide 309.673.9220, Toll Free 800.552.2051
info@langlink.com ¡Hasta luego!

 

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