Chrome extensions, Latin Heritage, Voseo, Language learning pro tips

Lingoda

Lingoda is having a Back to School Sale. That means you can save some cash. Get 25% off all Monthly Subscriptions.

Use the code KICKSTART25

Available until October 3

Latin Heritage Month 2022

If you're looking to explore the Hispanic culture through literature, this is the list for you. Check out these amazing books by Latinos authors - perfect for giving you a deeper understanding of the countries that speak Spanish.

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with 20% off Bookshop.org’s curated list of Latino authors. Use code HispanicHeritage at checkout to receive 20% off these titles.

By the way, Bookshop is a website worth patronising. The mission is to financially support local, independent bookshops and the company believes that bookshops are essential to a healthy culture. So, skip Amazon, and support bookshops and authors directly.

Recommendations:

👉 Isabel Allende - Violeta [English Edition]
👉 Isabel Allende - Violeta [Spanish Edition]
👉 Javier Zamora - Solito: A Memoir
👉 Javier Zamora - Solito (Spanish Edition)
👉 Mariana Enriquez - The Dangers of Smoking in Bed: Stories

Chrome Extensions For Language Learning

There are many ways to learn a language. Total immersion, language schools, online tutoring, and self-study. But one of the most enjoyable and almost passive ways of learning a language is to use a Chrome browser extension (or two) that helps you learn while you work, read articles, and watch movies.

These mostly free plugins for your web browser make it a lot easier to stay sharp and use a new language on a daily basis. Let’s look at some of the best browser extensions for language learning.

Language learning pro tip

Here's a pro tip for learning Spanish. I already do this myself and have used it to great advantage in the past. 

It takes some determination but it can reap big rewards. This video will teach you the tip and also help you practice your listening skills [Intermediate].

Voseo

The Uruguayan linguist Virginia Bertolotti states that there exist six different forms of address in Latin America:
Tú: second person singular informal pronoun; used in close relations (in Mexico, for example)

– Vos: second person singular informal pronoun; used in close relations (in Argentina, for example)

– Usted: second person singular formal pronoun; used in formal contexts (in all Latin American countries and Spain)

– Usted: second person singular informal pronoun; used in close relations (in Colombia, for example)

– Ustedes: plural you (in all Latin American countries)

According to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), vos in Spanish is used in most countries in Spanish America, although its uses and social acceptance vary from one region to another.

In Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, vos is used openly by all social classes both in spoken and written discourse.

On the contrary, tú is used almost exclusively in Mexico, most areas in Peru and Venezuela, the Antilles, and the Atlantic coast in Colombia.

In other countries, tú is the educated form while vos is considered uneducated. This is so in the North and South of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, small areas in the Venezuelan Andes, most of Colombia, Panama, and Eastern Cuba.

In Chile, tú is used in relatively formal contexts, and vos in highly informal, familiar contexts.

Voseo is not commonly found in Spain, Equatorial Guinea, the Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico.

Voseo 101

Spanish dialects around the world

How to describe the weather in Spanish

Talking about the weather is probably one of the most common icebreakers when we’re traveling and we want to make new friends. Today, we will learn when to use SER and ESTAR to talk about the weather.

We will also explore the most common verbs and structures, and useful weather words and expressions to hold a conversation about the weather in Spanish.

This list of common expressions and verb usage is all you need to start talking about the weather with your Spanish-speaking friends and people you meet.

How listening to foreign languages can enrich your writing

An author and essayist listens to stories in in their native tongues to hear new rhythms, phrasing and metaphor.

Read here

Polyglot Speaks 20 Languages & Makes Mistakes

I believe that travel and languages go hand in hand. I always try to learn some of the vocabulary of the language of the country I'm visiting (caveat: as long as it's more than a day or two).

Most people struggle with languages because they feel silly. They often prefer to 'wait' until they're fluent before speaking in public. But this can't happen. You need to get out there and make mistakes.

Here's a video of well-known polyglot Steve Kauffman speaking 20 languages in one video (including Spanish). He makes mistakes. But the important thing is that he tries his best.

Polyglot Speaks 20 Languages & Makes Mistakes

Steve is also the founder of a language app called LingQ which takes a unique approach to learning a language. The concept is that you study while consuming content that you already enjoy, like your favourite YouTube videos, blog posts, and news websites.

Lingopie

Learn Spanish watching TV shows 📺

Language learning is made easier by technology such as Lingopie, a website where you can immerse yourself in videos and watch a variety of genres such as interviews or TV shows. 

Think of it as bilingual TV! If you’re struggling to find a way to learn languages, Lingopie has been designed specifically for these types of learners and their needs.