Tips and information about learning Spanish and the people who speak it.

Be sure to check the time sensitive bargains in our OJO section. Some expire July 31!

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

Hamlet’s To Be Or Not To Be With Complications
      To be is expressed in Spanish by either ser or estar, but we all know they’re not the same thing. When these verbs are used with adjectives, the meaning of the adjective can change, depending upon whether you combine it with ser or estar. Let’s look at a few examples. Remember to make your adjectives agree with the subject.
      Ser listo(a) – means that someone is “sharp”, clever or intelligent. Pablo es muy listo.
      Estar listo(a)- means that someone is in a state of readiness Rosita, ¿estás lista?
Ser aburrido – to be boring. Este libro es muy aburrido.
Estar aburrido – to be bored  Quiero ir a la playa porque estoy muy aburrido.
       Ser guapo – to be handsome, good looking Ese actor es muy guapo.
      Estar guapo – to look good, pretty for the moment Tita, ¡estás muy guapa!
Ser cansado – to be tiresome Hacer mi tarea es cansado.
Estar cansado – to be tired Están (make it even more just for fun) cansadísimos de tanto estudiar.
      Ser bueno – to be good  La leche es buena para la salud de los niños.
       Estar bueno – to be tasty, fresh Estas papas están muy buenas.
Ser malo – to be bad. Este trato es muy malo.
Estar malo – to be in bad shape, condition Los frenos del auto están malos.
      Ser enfermo – to be sickly Su mamá llegó a ser enferma.
       Estar enfermo- to be sick Ayer estaba enfermo del estómago.
Ser interesado - to be selfish Tiene un hijo que es muy interesado.
Estar interesado – to be interested No estoy muy interesado en el asunto.
      Ser seguro – to be safe ¿Es seguro caminar por el parque?
      Estar seguro – to be certain Ella no está segura de la cantidad de dinero.
**A few tricky ones
      Ser or estar casado (marital status) These are almost interchangeable, even though there may be slight differences at times. Estar is heard more when there has been a recent change of marital status. For instance, are you still married or did you get married – ¿Estás casada? Where with meeting someone for the first time, you might learn more toward ¿Es usted casado?
Ser or estar gordo (fat) and delgado (thin) El es muy delgado. This would be more descriptive of his permanent ongoing situation. Whereas if someone has recently lost weight and you comment on it in the sense of how he looks right now, Ay, Paco, ¡estás muy delgado!

Cocina Cooking

Summer absolutely calls out for refreshing gazpacho, the cold soup of Spain. It’s healthy, easy to prepare, and there are many ways to fashion it. Here are two versions.
Very Easy Gazpacho – Serves 6
Ingredients: 2 lbs. of fresh diced tomatoes, 1 unpeeled and chopped English cucumber, 1 chopped green pepper, ¼ C. chopped onion, 1 diced garlic clove, 2 T. chopped fresh parsley, salt & pepper to taste, ½ C. bottled Italian dressing, 16 oz. tomato or V8 juice
Garnish – 6 T. sour cream, croutons
Blend all ingredients in a blender. Chill well until ready to serve. Top with sour cream and croutons.

Gazpacho Blanco - Serves 6
3 peeled and chopped medium cucumbers, 3 cloves chopped garlic, 16 oz. sour cream, 8 oz. plain yogurt, 8 oz. chicken broth, salt & pepper to taste, dash Tabasco sauce
Garnish with generous amount of slivered almonds and halved seedless green grapes
Combine all ingredients in blender. Child well, several hours or overnight, until ready to serve. Serve garnished with almonds and grapes.

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure - self-determined, self-motivated, often risky - forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” - Mark Jenkins

Culture Clips

Sueño Dorado in Quito, Ecuador
      Once again I find myself in Quito, one of the most treasured colonial cities of Latin America. I’ve had a few days to acclimatize to the 9,000 feet elevation, and I still marvel at being surrounded by volcanoes. There is so much to do in this richly diverse country, but today I’m just focusing on the historic center of the capital, the “Old City”. Replete with narrow and winding cobblestone streets, magnificent churches and spacious plazas, it’s easy to see why UNESCO declared Quito a Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 1979. Spanish colonial influence is easily identified with balconies, red tile roofs, arches, columns and central patios.
      The origins of this city go back such a long way. A wonderful legend of the indigenous foundation tells that many, many years ago, on a clear night, the inhabitants of the town of Cochasquí saw a falling star. They were frightened and raced to the palace to tell their king about this happening. The king, who was also a priest and a shaman, requested that they calm down and be patient. He was to arrange things with the gods. He took, a glass of chicha (an alcoholic beverage still consumed today) in his hands and recited a magic spell. He drank until he fell into a deep sleep. When he woke, the king gathered the people from the community to share his vision. "The gods are not angry at us," he said, "But they want us to leave this place and go to a richer, fertile, more beautiful land. We are to follow the signal of this falling star. Wherever it falls, we must found our new city." They followed the trace of the star until they reached the foot of the Pichincha volcano. That was the place where they founded their new city, building huts, planting crops and constructing temples for the Sun and Moon. That was the beginning of what is now the city of Quito.
     The Old City of Quito lies over the ruins of the pre-Incan city of Kitu, principle city of the Shyris (12th Century). Kitu was later replaced by the capital of Atahualpa's Incan empire (16th century). The city was razed by the Incan general Rumiñahui as a measure of resistance against the conquering Spanish. The city was founded as San Francisco de Quito on December 6,1534, by the Spanish conquistadors.
      Historic Quito is the oldest and best preserved colonial sector in South America. The famous Escuela de Arte de Quito flourished in the old city and is well known for its unique baroque style. This style is reflected in the rich and ornate decorations of the interiors of many of Quito's churches. These European influences were combined with the inspiration of indigenous art to create a unique Quiteño style. For its artwork, Quito has been termed the "Florence of America."
     What a delight to stroll this area, overflowing with charm and history. The churches alone are well worth a visit, but I decide to concentrate on just one. Started in 1605, La Compañía de Jesús, Ecuador’s most ornate church, was built by the Jesuits and is decorated with some great works of art. Supposedly seven tons of 23 karat gold were used to gild the entire interior. I valiantly strive not to think of the human cost and labor involved in extracting this precious metal and choose instead to be dazzled by the interior glow. Known as the most beautiful church in Ecuador, this is definitely the one to see.
     The feeling of walking through centuries of history has always intrigued me while traveling in Latin America (and Spain), and most certainly the Old City section of Quito affords me this opportunity. Cap it off with visions of a sueño dorado or golden dream, and it’s been a perfect day.

Language Link's Latest

     Meredith, head of our U.S. office, has just returned from visiting sights and schools in the Andalucía region of Spain. She’s full of tapas and ideas about Spain to share with you.
     Our newest program in Guadalajara IMAC has been garnering many accolades. They have just been incorporated into the Bildungsurlaud program, paid educational leave from work for German citizens. It’s an honor to be a part of this program.
     IMAC has also been accredited by the Instituto Cervantes and is an official examination center for the prestigious DELE (Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera). IMAC is probably the only language center in Mexico with official accreditation for this DELE testing from The Ministry for Education of Spain and The Teaching of Spanish as a Foreign Language from The Secretary of Education of Mexico.
     Intercultura of Sámara Beach, Costa Rica, has announced that they will uncharacteristically be open until December 18th fthis year. This is absolutely the best time of the year there, with sunny skies, cool breezes and everything green and lush from the recent rains! The school now offers high speed internet access and a dedicated student phone line which can be used with discount calling cards sold locally with proceeds going to a local non-profit organization.
      Our contest (AND GOOD FOR UP TO A YEAR FROM THE DATE YOU WIN) for two weeks of free classes and homestay in one of our most highly rated programs, the Spanish Language Institute of Cuernavaca, Mexico, continues. Just enter your name and a brief comment through our contest box on the website. 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 host. Dream of the sublime climate of Cuernavaca, excellent Spanish instruction, and enter your name! 

OJO (Special Deals!)

      More than ever! Some unprecedented bargains for this time of year. Please note the time deadlines.
CLIC of Seville, Spain
       Free activities for study in July and August
2 weeks – 1 free activity, 3 weeks – 2 free activities, 4 weeks – 3 free activities
       Choose from the following:
1. A kayaking trip on the legendary Guadalquivir River
2. Summer Nights of Wonder and Delights in Seville – this might include a concert held in the amazing gardens of the Royal Alcázar
3. A day at an impressive beach, Cuesta Manali, in the province of Huelva and part of the finest nature park in Europe
4. A top level flamenco performance by the Museo de Flamenco, held in a flower filled Sevillan patio
*These activities are in addition to the regular weekly cultural program. Be sure to mention Summer Activity Special on your registration form.
Cuernavaca, Mexico
      The Spanish Language Institute of Cuernavaca is offering an extraordinary summer special for all study from May through August. Pay regular tuition for two weeks, and you will receive the third week’s classes for FREE! You will even get a 50% reduction on the homestay cost for your third week. This means that with a shared room (school will assign a same sex roommate) you can have three weeks of classes and your lodging and meals for only $740.
Santiago, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina – Must register by July 31st!
ECELA specials
      Group Classes
1 to 6 weeks $30 US dollars discount per week
7 weeks and more $50 US dollars discount per week
     Shared Apartment
$10 US dollars discount per week, May be used for single or double rooms.
Antigua, Guatemala
$25 off registration fee for registrations made until September 15, 2009
IMAC of Guadalajara, Mexico
Valid through July 30 (classes must be completed by September 18, 2009)
20% off all tuition any type of classes
Lacunza of San Sebastian, Spain
Offer valid for classes between July 13 and September 4
25 euros off per week for Group, Group Combination, and Teen Program

Rhythm & Book Blurbs

Book – The Ecuador Reader: History, Culture, Politics (The Latin American Readers) edited by Carlos de la Torre & Steve Striffler
       Encompassing Amazonian rainforests, Andean peaks, coastal lowlands, and the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador’s geography is notably diverse. So, too, are its history, culture, and politics, all of which are examined from many perspectives in The Ecuador Reader. Spanning the years before the arrival of the Spanish in the early 1500s to the present, this rich anthology addresses colonialism, independence, the nation’s integration into the world economy, and its tumultuous twentieth century.
Music Antecedente by Rubén Blades
        Panamanian Rubén Blades has been a distinguished singer, composer, actor, and political figure. If you have missed him as a salsero, now is the time to introduce him. This album has liner notes in both Spanish and English, a good learning tool. If there ever was a songwriter who touches the essence of Latin American culture it is Blades. This album is an excellent example of the marriage of rhythm, lyrics, melody, and a compelling story. 
      All recommended books and music are available through the Language Link Shop on our website.

Been There, Loved That

      In addition to these student comments, we will add that we’ve had the privilege of making all sorts of special arrangements this season. These have included among others: A Passover Seder dinner for a group in Quito, the timing of study for a musician to participate in the International Jazz Festival in San Sebastian, Spain, pretour study in Guatemala for some Yale Alumni Chorus members, a special course of study in Mexico concentrating on social service work, culture-language courses during Semana Santa in Antigua, and in the works, a group of 100 diabetes educators in Cuernavaca.  We thrive on the challenges!
      PLFM of Antigua, Guatemala – I have studied Spanish in high school and college and have been a medical interpreter for several years now. It never ceases to amaze me how much more work I need to do to continually improve my Spanish as a non-native speaker. I am always humbled when I return to Guatemala for a repaso, but am always glad I went. I come home knowing more and wanting to return again as soon as possible! Marleny was selected for me by Language Link for classes and she was great. She knew her stuff and drilled me, but we had a lot of fun as well. You do a great job of informing/reminding us about things to expect, etc. Students from other schools do not get such great preparation.- Tim Moriarty, Manager of Interpreter & Translation Services, Springfield, MA
      Academia de Español of Quito, Ecuador - EVERYTHING went very well during our tour. We all loved our trip! - J. Dixon with a group of high school students through the American Council for International Studies of Boston, MA
      Intercultura of Sámara Beach, Costa Rica This was one of the best experiences of my life. I have already returned twice after completing my Spanish program, and am currently planning my next trip to Sámara, a magically wonderful place. I love it. It has become like my home. I have made so many amazing friendships, with locals and with students. The school is very well organized, welcoming, and fun. I would recommend Intercultura to anyone and everyone considering studying Spanish abroad. All the classes were great, and the instructors wonderful. They are all very dynamic, knowledgeable,and fun. It's great because they really become your friends. - Rosanna Wyatt, Student, Warwick MA

Likeable Links

http://www.goecuador.com – general information about Ecuador
http://quito.com/ - general information about Quito
http://www.travel-images.com/ecuador.html - many photographs of Ecuador
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quito - history of Quito and other information
http://www.worldbigcities.com/album_Quito.htm - photographs of Quito
We hope you enjoyed our news. Please visit us at www.langlink.com. Call us at 800.552.2051.
Central Standard Time with hours 9:00 to 5:00.
Meredith Butler, Director U.S. Office
Kay Godfrey, Director Latin America Office
Language Link, 2008 W. Kellogg Ave., Peoria, IL 61612 USA
Worldwide 309.673.9220, Toll Free 800.552.2051
info@langlink.com, www.langlink.com ¡Hasta luego!

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