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Spanish language learning resources and motivation

Base Knowledge: Language Learning Essentials

April 12, 2020/0 Comments/in A2B2 Blog /by Marko Sanden

Foreign Language at a glance: Just start speaking or study first?

I just read a blog about a course designed for the”shy/introvert” personality and how that relates and helps to approaching using a new language (if that’s your personality type).

Obviously, there is a spectrum between introvert and extrovert. That said, the most important starting point is defining where you are both in terms of personality and language knowledge base.

Where you are is perfect.

Spanish language learning and conversation ideas It’s the starting point and its always good to know where you stand.

Trying to be something you are not will not help in the long run anyway, as it will soon become apparent that you are fooling yourself and if you use a method that is designed for someone else (personality type, level, learning style, etc.), you won’t maximize the success with that approach like you would with one that fits your needs.

However, there is one more thing to take into consideration. Should you get a refresher course or just start speaking the target language with native speakers and go for broke?

Since there are no absolutes, I cannot say that just a “going for broke” method will not work.

What I can say is that if you want to verbally engage native speakers in the target language, having some base knowledge will most always help.

Its sort of like trying to find an object in a dark room. Unless you have night vision googles, its most likely going to take longer to achieve the goal. Therefor, the more light the better.

That’s base knowledge. You do not have to be perfect and/or attain complete native like fluency before you start to speak. However, if you want to both make gains and not bore the person you have chosen to speak with to death as well as become frustrated yourself, base knowledge is the way to start.

So, it begs the question. What is the goal?

If you want to speak the target language (and we are assuming that you do) brushing up on the basics is good general practice.

If you want to read a book, stay at your desk and have at it.

Again, if you desire to converse in the target language with another person who also speaks that language, start with something that will effectively make that a possibility.

By this I mean, review some vocabulary if that’s your thing. Nothing wrong with that.

However, to make the most of your future conversational attempts, find material that simulates real conversation.

Words and phrases are fine and necessary but putting them together into comprehension and speech is what is going to be required if you intend to have a meaningful conversation.

So, I suggest that you find some audio material that is at your current level and make sure that it is comprehensible. If you don’t understand what you are hearing then you will not be able to make sense of it and it will have little to no value.

The concept of comprehensible input is the first key that you want to consider immediately after you decide what your goal is.

If you are not familiar with Comprehensible Input, it is nothing more than understanding and being able to make sense of what you hear.

For example, 10 hours listening to the radio in a target language or watching the news for that matter will have little effect on learning unless you understand what you hear.

Listening to information that you do understand and then being asked questions about that understood information will confirm that you are engaged correctly in the exchange of information.

Its hard to overstate this point. You will gain so much more from understanding what you hear than just listening to the target language that you don’t.

It is best to pick a few common words (high frequency nouns, verbs, etc.) and become proficient with them. In most cases 100 of the high frequency words account for 80% of the spoken language so start there.

If they are used in multiple contexts with a bunch of repetitions, you’ll have the base knowledge to venture into a conversation and have a good shot of being an active participant in the conversation.

If you have ever not prepared before trying to converse with a native speaker in the target language, you’ll know what I mean. You will still experience moments when you “get lost”, but if you have the right base knowledge the rewards will be far more rewarding.

So solidify your base and speak your truth, even if your voice trembles.

Verb Conjugation 102

April 12, 2020/0 Comments/in A2B2 Blog /by Marko Sanden

intermediate Spanish verb conversation A2B2

Spanish Verb Conjugation: 102

Understanding verb conjugation can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be.

Verb conjugation is the process of taking the base form of a verb which is the simplest form of a verb, without a special ending (or suffix). It’s the form that appears in dictionary entries. Also known as the plain form, simple form, or stem.

Conjugated verbs are verbs which have been changed from their base form to communicate one or more of the following: person, number, gender, tense, aspect, mood, or voice.

So now what?

Do you need to drill “to death” every conjugation of every verb or is there another way?

Well, if you want to speed up your mental processing speed and free up some working memory, the brain has to ensure that each lexical (grammatical) item is arranged in the correct syntactic (well-formed) order and that the rules of tense and agreement (in relation to the subject) are applied correctly.

This requires a number of cognitive (mental) operations some of which involve sub-operations (an operation that forms a specific phase of a larger operation or process.)

So the answer is . . . if you want to enhance your target language output, then there is a benefit to practicing your verb conjugations.

First, let’s break down a verb into its essential components.

1. According to Merriam’s Dictionary simple definition of a verb: (grammar) a word (such as jump, think, happen, or exist ) that is usually one of the main parts of a sentence and that expresses an action, an occurrence, or a state of being.

2. “To” is a function word (or an infinitive marker) and when used before a verb its function is to show that the verb is an infinitive, meaning it has no tense nor subject.

When you combine a subject with an infinitive, you drop the “to” and conjugate the verb.

In Spanish the -ar, -er, and -ir attached to the back of the root or stem of the verb is the equivalent to the English infinitive marker word “to”.

So when you combine a subject with a Spanish infinitive verb, you drop the “-ar, -er, and -ir” and conjugate the verb by replacing the -ar, -er, and -ir with the representation of the corresponding subject or subject pronoun which also indicates the tense/mood of the verb.

(Note: One syllable Spanish verbs like, ir, ser, and ver are exceptions and are considered to be irregular verbs and do not follow the standard conjugation procedure described here but will be addressed in future posts.)

What is crucial to conjugating Spanish verbs is to remember that every Spanish verb has 2 parts:

The root or stem of the verb
The English function word (infinitive marker) equivalent (-ar, -er, and -ir).

Here are some examples: (stem in brown, infinitive marker in red)

habl–ar/to speak

com–er/to eat

viv–ir/to live

Once you understand these basic components of a Spanish verb, you will get a clearer picture of what happens when its time to conjugate it.

The next step is to learn about the endings that will replace the infinitive marker that will indicate both the subject and the tense.

In order to demonstrate the basic concept here are a few subject pronouns (English/Spanish) and their equivalent endings for present tense -ar verbs with an example of the fully conjugated Spanish verb: (stem in brown, subject and tense indicator in red)

To speak / Hablar

I/yo – o, I speak / (Yo) hablo

You/tú – as, You speak / (Tú) hablas

He/él – a, He speaks / (Él) habla

She/ella – a, She speaks / (Ella) habla

We/nosotros – amos, We speak / (Nosotros) hablamos

You guys/ustedes – an, You guys speak / (Uds.) hablan

They/ellos – an, They speak / (Ellos) hablan

If you consider both the stem of the verb and how the ending that is attached to the back of the verb and how they work in concert, you will understand what the process of conjugation is and how to apply it depending on the contextual requirement.

This takes English speakers learning Spanish some getting used to because in Spanish, one word, the Spanish conjugated verb, contains both the subject and the verb (in its appropriate tense.)

There is no need to include the subject separately once said subject has been established.

This is not the case in English as the subject must always be expressly written or spoken in addition to the verb.

Again, it is worth restating that every Spanish verb has two parts: The root or stem of the verb and the infinitive marker or the representation of the corresponding subject or subject pronoun which also indicates the tense/mood of the verb which is attached to the back of the stem.

Once this difference is thoroughly understood and practiced, language output will be increased both in speed and accuracy.

Is learning to conjugate really necessary?

Understanding how conjugation works is beneficial to language production in terms of determining which verb ending is contextually appropriate for both the subject and tense.

An in depth study of verb conjugation may or may not be essential for gaining fluency, but it will assist the learner nonetheless.

Once obtained, it can be applied through out the learning input and output language spectrum because you will have the base knowledge to understand what you are hearing and how it relates to the context.

Making sense of verb conjugation will allow you to effectively use your vocabulary and get the most out of your communications in Spanish.

If you are ready and willing, put your verbs to use.

It will make a world of difference when you start to understand and speak Spanish!

The Best 3 Ways To Learn Spanish

April 10, 2020/0 Comments/in A2B2 Blog /by Marko Sanden

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The Best 3 Ways To Learn Spanish

The first way to learn Spanish is to live in a Spanish speaking country.

2. The second best way is to find a partner that speaks the language you want to learn.

3. The third way is . . . to do what most of us have to do in the beginning. Go to some kind of school.

The problem with the third way is that we most likely thought it would be “cool” to learn another language but in reality it didn’t work out quite as we would have hoped.

Just like almost everything, we think at the on set of the endeavor: we are going to start something and in no time at all we will finish what we set out to do and go on to the next thing.

Well, that’s about half of what happens.

We do move on to the next thing.

Say exactly what you mean Spanish lesson and motivation The problem is that, we didn’t always accomplish what we started out to accomplish before we moved on to the next “thing”.

That said, it just doesn’t matter.

We can always pick up from where we left off.

I will state it once more, Recall of Memory.

Let’s say that after numerous attempts at creating the light bulb, we fail at each attempt.

Does that mean that it cannot be done?

It means that we are in the process of finding the path that will lead us to the light. (so to speak)

What we can do on a daily basis is continue to strive to be a bit more than we were yesterday.

That is not to be taken lightly. There is something noble to not only wishing upon a star, but actually holding that vision long enough to reach out and touch it.

Can you remember the last time you wanted to express yourself in a conversation but just could not find the words.

Let’s face it, that happens in any language we might be fluent in speaking.

Now the issue becomes, What do we say in either language that communicates what we feel?

The answer is simple. It’s not the language of words that we speak. It is the language of the heart and mind that carries us through.

As my most trusted Spanish resource through out the years has boldly typed on its cover:

“Say it in Spanish

Say it in English, but . . .

Say exactly what you mean.”

How important is a “good” Spanish accent?

April 9, 2020/0 Comments/in A2B2 Blog /by Marko Sanden

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intermediate Spanish accents and conversation

Quite often I begin with the answer to a nonspecific question with the following: “It depends.”

And so it does especially in regard to spoken language accents.

For starters, one must recognize that even a native speaker from one distinct region will sound quite different than a native speaker from that same country who prevails from another region.

You don’t need foreign travel experience to know the validity of this.

If you are from the US than you most likely know that a southern drawl is something very different than a mid western twang. Similarly, it’s easy to tell the difference between a New Yorker and a born and bread Southern California native.

Who’s to say which is better?

Let’s just recognize that their accents are different and leave it at that. It’s still English either way.

With that said, let’s move into Spanish and what constitutes a “good” Spanish accent.

How’s your Spanish accent?

I’ll start by saying that there are indeed some pronunciation rules in Spanish. If you know them, then you are well on your way to getting it right in terms of being able to be understood by other native Spanish speakers.

If one doesn’t know those rules it is akin to an English learner walking into a store and asking to purchase vine-gar when what they want is vinegar. (Hopefully, the sales clerk has some patience and a sense of humor so that they eventually walk out with what they wanted.)

And so it is with your Spanish accent.

If you are fortunate enough to have access to audio language learning materials then you are bound to learn the accent of the country and region of the the speaker or speakers performing the audio.

Here in lies what is know as acquired accent learning.

It is unavoidable and beneficial. The more you listen, not simply hear, and attempt to reproduce both the cadence and intonation of the material you’re using the more you will sound like a speaker who originates from that part of the world.

At this point, the question should be raised, what is this based upon?

It’s a valid question and here’s the answer.

I’ve had the opportunity to acquire a few unique accents along the way in my Spanish language learning journey.

At this stage, after some 25 plus years, I’ve cultured my own Spanish accent and sound quite unique and hard to pin down as far as country of origin.

In the beginning I had a very distinct Mexican accent. I started learning Spanish in high school surrounded by Mexicans and using audio material generated by neutral Mexican native speaker accents.

Since I was new to Spanish, I repeated what I heard. It’s as simple as that.

In most audio language programs, the idea is to be as neutral accent orientated as possible in order to reach as wide of an audience as possible.

That makes sense and is what happens.

Imagine if you were trying to learn English and your audio material was heavily deep south accented and orientated. For starters, it would present learning challenges as there are deviations from the standard pronunciation guidelines. (Hopefully, if you have ever been through Louisiana, you get the picture.)

Later, I moved to Spain to further my Spanish at the university in Madrid. You might think that I ended up with a Castilian accent and I would have, except for one major development. I ended up living with an Argentinian roommate, and I witnessed how Spanish speakers preferred that accent over their own. (Not all but many, especially females.)

Because I was still formulating my Spanish both in word choice/vernacular and with respect to my pronunciation/accent, I choose to emulate the Argentinian accent over Castilian.

Since then and after a number of other moves and travels, my accent has changed evermore over time. As I mentioned earlier, I am generally recognized as a native speaker, but listeners are not quite sure from where I hail.

This brings us to the next point.

It is important to note that no matter what your accent preference may end up to be, pronunciation rules still apply. For instance, the consonant “d” in between vowels is pronounced like the English “th”.

Give these examples a try: todo, ciudad, dedo.

If one disregards that, no matter what country and/or region the rest of the accent might sound like, you will be recognized as non native. Plain and simple.

Therefore, if you want to have a “good” Spanish accent, start with the pronunciation rules and then you can pick and choose to delve deeper into the specific geographical accent you most prefer.

Personally, I never cared whether or not I could pass as a Mexican, a Spaniard or an Argentinian, what I wanted and still strive for is to pass as a native Spanish speaker.

For me that’s enough!

What The Heck is Word Derivation and How To Use It To Your Advantage

April 8, 2020/0 Comments/in A2B2 Blog /by Marko Sanden

So You Want To Be Fluent In Spanish

Great!

What is fluency?

Well, it depends.

On What?

What is your goal?

“I want to speak with native speakers with ease for both parties and have in-depth conversations covering a broad range of topics.”

That is a lofty goal and I commend you. You will!

However, depending on from where your starting point is, you may have some linguistic ground to cover.

That said, it can be done.

The trick is to start from where you are and celebrate the wins. Each and every one of them, because there will be many. Language learning is a life long practice. If you pick up one word you can use, that is a win. If you take that word and learn all its derivations, that is a win plus. If you do that 5 out of seven times in a week, you will have won that week in a big way.

Think of what you will learn in one month.

20 useful words that you can apply to situations that interest you.

For example, learn, learned, learning. If you take what you learn in a week and combine it with what you learned in high school or where ever, you are learning the language.

Do that consistently and you will be speaking with native speakers as soon as you want to venture into the conversation fray.

Make no mistake, It requires effort. I know because I’ve done it. But, the rewards are worth it.

So what is the definition of derivation?

Definition of derivation:

In morphology, derivation is the process of creating a new word out of an old word, usually by adding a prefix or a suffix. (Or as shown below, conjugating the infinitive verb.)

Here’s a quick start so that all you have to do is carry on from here. (Pick one or find one that most interests you and learn some of its derivations)

Estudiar – To study, Yo estudio – I study, Tú estudias – You study, (etc.), Estudiado (past participle) – Studied, Estudiando (gerund) – Studying, Estudiante – Student, Estudios – Studies
Querer – to want/desire, Yo quiero – I want/desire, Tú quieres – You want/desire, (etc.), Querido (past participle) – Wanted/Desired, Querido (noun) – Loved one (male), Querida (noun) – Loved one (female), Queriendo (gerund) – Wanting/Desiring
Dar – to give, Yo doy – I give, Tú das – You give, (etc.), Dado (past participle/adjective) – Given, Dando (gerund) – Giving, Dado (noun masculine) – Dice/Die
Chico (noun masculine singular) – boy, Chico/a/os/as (adjective) – Small, Chica (noun feminine singular) – Girl, Chicos (noun masculine plural) – Boys, Chicas Chico (noun feminine plural) – girls

If you combine this technique of learning a word and its derivations with Fluency Fox, you’ll get a jump start to the fastest way possible to reinvigorate your Spanish and take it to the next level.

If you have some background in Spanish you will begin to refresh what you have already learned and start to apply it to the newly acquired words and their derivations.

It sounds basic, but if you try it for a week you may find it to be the most useful tool that is in your immediate arsenal. One way to look at it is to consider language learning as waging an enlightening war with the unknown. You are going after something that you know you can attain. You know this because there are countless others that have done it.

It will take time and effort to achieve.

Strategize and you will succeed.

Do It!!!

Stay tuned to the Fluency Fox Weekly Tricks and make your bilingual dream a reality.

Why have you failed to learn to speak Spanish?

April 7, 2020/0 Comments/in A2B2 Blog /by Marko Sanden

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Why have you failed to learn to speak Spanish?

The main reason most people fail to speak Spanish is very simple.

Most Spanish instruction is based on a grammar approach and not geared towards conversational Spanish.

Let’s look at the facts.

The vast majority of people that have studied Spanish only a small fraction actually feel confident speaking Spanish with native speakers.

If you are one of those in the majority of failed language learns, it is not your fault.

This doesn’t have to be you!

You can learn to speak Spanish!

However, a word of philosophical caution: If you attempt to go about something again and again the same way expecting different results, it just won’t happen as that is the definition of insanity.

Yes, it is unfortunate, but it can be overcome.

You can break through the Spanish speaking language barrier if you know what your goal is and if you know how to find the appropriate materials that will allow you to reach that goal.

As always, establishing what your goal is will be the first step in determining what course of action you’ll need to take.

Since we are all unique, the only one to answer this question is you.

Take a minute and think about why you want to speak Spanish.

Do you want to travel to a Spanish speaking country?
Maybe you have a significant other that speaks Spanish and you want to communicate with that person and or their family.
You want to check off learning a foreign language from your bucket list.
Maybe you hope to finally get a realistic return on your investment for all the hours that you spent studying Spanish years ago.

What ever your reason may be, evaluate how much fulfilling that desire means to you.

You might also want to articulate (at least to yourself) what you are willing to do in order to attain that goal.

Chances are that you have, at some point, studied Spanish with the hopes of communicating with native speakers.

Also, chances are that you have never felt confident doing it.

It’s quite possible that you feel that although you want it to become a reality, it just isn’t possible.

Fortunately, that is a misconception.

Speaking Spanish at any age is attainable.

This statement bears repeating, Speaking Spanish at any age is attainable.

It’s the “Sí Se Puede” attitude.

It won’t happen overnight, but if you persist, you can do it!

For starters, you’ve more than likely had so many failed attempts at feeling inadequate when you’ve tried to speak Spanish and either gotten so tongue tied or frustrated that you’ve given up all hope that you will ever speak Spanish.

You are not alone.

The good news is that even though you may not believe it, you probably know more Spanish than you think.

And, that knowledge will help you progress faster than you might expect.

The theory of Recall of Memory states that you will begin to remember what you have previously learned once you reinitiate your studies.

So, if you determine what your goal is, commit to what will be necessary to accomplish it, and access the right materials that meet your needs, you will have the action plan that will get you to where you want to go.

Learning a Foreign Language and Using Social Media

April 6, 2020/0 Comments/in A2B2 Blog /by Marko Sanden

Learning a foreign language and using social media to help streamline conversation

With so many resources available online to connect and share in the language of your choice, where should you begin?

Well, that depends.

Normally the goal of your communication would be Priority One.

That said, to get the most out of any communication, you will want to have something of interest to share.

From there you only have to communicate it well enough to be understood.

However, if you cannot depend on your foreign language ability to confidently communicate your message, you might want to hone your skills a bit first and then take it from there.

The good news is that there are available resources for both:

To connect with the appropriate audience
Utilize resources that will quickly get you up to speed so that you cannot only push your ideas but also to respond to the inevitable queries that will come back to you.

Before going into the social media outlets you might choose, it would be of benefit to get familiar with the language in which you want to use to communicate. Your message may come easily enough but if you cannot articulate that message in the language of your audience, then you will have “issues.”

Again, and fortunately, there are many.

It is not necessary to become a Rhodes scholar in linguistics to share either your language experience/aspirations or to make connections on social media. What you will need is the foundation to draft an introduction of your intent to which others can meaningfully respond to you. Keep in mind, without a common language, communication is (to put it mildly) tough.

One of the great things is that social media allows for mistakes. We all might want to be perfect but that kind of lofty goal is for the ivory tower and not the real world.

People want to help via social media, its all about the connections, and if they see you making an effort they will be there to assist. That in turn builds relationships. And that is the beauty of social media.

Presumably you have some interest in language if you are wanting to use social media on a multi language platform. That said, you probably have at least a basic beginner level proficiency. If this is indeed the case, then you are in luck.

If you want to start from where you currently are now, try typing your missive and translate it using Google Translate. It will give you a starting point and you can add what you think are required changes. But beware, software translations are not perfect. They do a good job for the most part but cannot be completely trusted and most often require additional editing.

If you are not confident assessing the results from the software translation nor do you want to have to depend entirely on translations for every back and forth communication, there is a solution.

Do a search for online resources in the target language that compliment your level of fluency and dedicate some time to enhancing your basic skills in that language. You will be promoted to a space that will have you yearning for access to others that can relate to you in that language. The real benefit of this is to refresh your base knowledge so that you will get the most out of the experience you will have with your audience.

Think of this in terms of your intended audience.

Your target is your audience and your message is your goal.

If you show that you have made an effort, they will undoubtably want to recognize you for said effort and in that you will gain access, albeit preliminarily, in to their world. That is the start of cross cultural communication. Persistence and practice will follow. From there, there are no bounds!

Now, let’s look at some social media outlets at your disposal.

Blogging
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
Video
SlideShare
LiveMocha
Duolingo

These are but starting points. There are so many more but start with the big audiences and the road to adventure will open before you.

Every journey starts with the first step. Take it!

Speak Spanish and they will come.

April 5, 2020/0 Comments/in A2B2 Blog /by Marko Sanden

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Speak Spanish and they will come.

Let’s imagine,

You just encountered a native speaker and the circumstances were right so you tried out some phrase you had learned along the way and it went off pretty well.

Now, if you are like most of us you want that phrase and that experience to carry you through to the next time and the time after that.

Well, maybe.

But remember, things change and so do the circumstances.

You might try and repeat that event the next time you have the chance but even if that works, it will not feel the same.

There is no growth in repeating what you already know.

You might feel good that you can replicate some part of a preplanned conversation but. . .

It’s just like most things: you do it once and then you keep on improving.

There are 2 distinct reasons for this.

You enjoy the event.
If you stop, it won’t have a chance to repeat itself.

That’s the way it is with your language adventure.

You must appreciate the successful moments and then learn some more and go out and try it again.

It’s not always going to have the same outcome, but wisdom and experience assure that if you persevere, you will improve.

The great thing about this process is that the rewards and self satisfaction gain traction and become more rewarding at each new stage.

You can become over whelmed quite easily if you bite off more than you can chew.

For example, try for minute to recall the last time you set out to engage a Spanish speaker as if you were a native (or at least knew more than you did) with the hopes of pulling it off.

How did that go?

Frustration and some embarrassment are probably the memories that come to mind.

Now, think about the time that you engaged a waiter at a local Mexican restaurant in some small talk over the dinner menu.

If you’ve had some Spanish in school or where ever, you might have had significant success in both getting the food you ordered as well as a feeling of confidence that lasted through the meal.

That is what I mean by “doing it and keep on improving”.

That’s something you own and of which you can be proud.

If you are further advanced than just ordering food and you want to talk to a person you meet while standing in line waiting for tickets to your favorite show or maybe a movie, you might sense a similar satisfaction and even make a friend.

That’s something you own and of which you can be proud.

But regardless of where your are on the language learning spectrum, given the opportunity, you can always attempt to try out what you know and if you are humble enough not to overstate your language prowess, you will succeed in as far as bridging the imaginary language barrier to the extent that you are able in that moment.

The greatest reward is that you will be that much more confident and hopefully motivated to try again when the next speaking opportunity presents itself.

If you take it to the next level and practice a bit more you will be that much more prepared and ready to advance accordingly.

That’s the process.

The pyramids weren’t built in a day and neither will you become fluent in any language in a day much less in one conversation.

You will however start building a stronger and stronger foundation that will get you further along your language learning goals.

Each stone counts like each attempt.

You have the choice of how fast or slow the stones get placed and how firmly they are laid.

Don’t rush it but don’t waste time either.

Make your efforts worth while.

Study and speak.

They work together in concert.

One without the other is like planning without building or building without a plan.

Plan and execute. Study and speak.

Try it and see.

You may just like what you create.

Some Positive US Election Result Reasons To Learn Spanish Now More Than EVER!

April 3, 2020/0 Comments/in A2B2 Blog /by Marko Sanden

Nov. 9, 2016, the results are in and new policy is about to be set in motion. Where ever you stand regarding the results, one thing is clear, immigration is going to be a topic on the main agenda.

It may or may not be something you want to think about, but with a little perspective, we can make the most of the situation as well as be of service to our fellow man.

That’s right.

None of us know for sure what’s about to happen come January 7th, 2017. Other than the obvious transition of power.

May it be peaceful and beneficial (in the very least in the long run) for ALL.

But like all things different, change can be hard.

All we can do is be as prepared as possible for the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead.

My guess is that those that possess a decent amount of bilingual English/Spanish speaking skills will be uniquely prepared for what ever does happen.

If mass deportations begin, there will need to be additional border patrol and ICE agents hired to make that happen at all let alone in anything resembling a humane fashion.

But that’s not all, let’s not forget to mention the countless social workers, health care providers, and a slew of other positions across the spectrum that will be created if families are separated according to legal residency or visa status.

We are talking about tens of thousands of jobs whose job requirements will include at least a basic level of conversational Spanish fluency.

We are also talking about helping those millions in need that will have enough to worry about in the immediate future other than lamenting how little English they’ve “picked up” since they’ve been here.

There is a parallel here with the election results and here it is:

This is the situation. It is what it is, like it or not.

Now, the real question is, what are we going to do about it?

What if we learned enough Spanish so that we could help our gardener find a secure place to sell or store his tools .

What if we were able to assist a family in need, perhaps our very own housekeeper, to begin to navigate a safe transition for her family before something unfortunate but avoidable happens?

It could be a realistic scenario, very soon, that you could be in a position to help someone you know,in some way, if you understood and spoke more than just a phrase or two in Spanish.

Instead of finding out a week later after he or she hasn’t shown up for work, that this person, a fellow human being and their US citizen children have been lost in “the system” that for all attempts, just isn’t perfect.

The good news is. . . that for most of us, we have had some Spanish in school.

That is in our favor.

Also, we have 2 months before anything majorly new (politically) is going to happen. And no more election news!

This is the perfect opportunity to use your time wisely and get the best bang for your buck!

If you want to learn to speak and understand Spanish with fluency, you need the repetition of high frequency words. Understanding and using these words in context builds fluency. STORIES and specifically your recall of stories builds fluency. Fluency Fox builds on these two ideas. You will learn Spanish efficiently. And for an extremely reasonable price.

Fluency Fox will help you learn enough Spanish to interact with Spanish speakers in a way that was previously out of reach.

Imagine the personal satisfaction you will feel and the immense contribution to humanity you will make by taking the Spanish you’ve learned (even if you’ve forgotten most of it) and Make It The Spanish YOU NEED.

In as few as 2 months we will usher in a new era none can predict, you can be ready!

I want to help.

I want to pay it forward because no matter whose side we were on, we are all in this together.

I’ll give you 30% OFF ANY Fluency Fox Pack (Starter, Premium, or Premium Combo) that meets your Spanish language learning goals.

Just use this CUPON CODE: fluencyfoxadvantage

The time is NOW!

Hasta Pronto,

Marko

Fluency Fox Program Overview

April 2, 2020/0 Comments/in A2B2 Blog /by Marko Sanden

Hola,

Bravo!

I’m so excited that you have made the commitment to taking the Spanish you’ve learned and making it the Spanish you’ve always wanted!

Take a minute and review this as it will greatly enhance your experience with the Fluency Fox Interface.

We are continually working towards giving language learners the best experience we possibly can, so here’s an update to get you motivated and to give you some additional insights into the Fluency Fox Interface so that you can maximize your Spanish learning.

Let’s start on the Profile page:

You can choose an image avatar (or not) to upload that will appear when the student role play audio and text is happening so that your experience is customized in that way.

2. The quizzes are defaulted to play during the chapter lesson, however, you can select to have the quizzes come at the end if that is your preference. (This helps for example when you want to listen to the dialogue from start to finish without the pop up quizzes playing in the middle of the dialogue.)

3. You can turn off the quiz timer if you choose so as to not be rushed while deciding which answer is correct.

Next, let’s have a look at the Fluency Fox Interactive Player:

First off there are the 3 distinct sections that you can choose depending on your learning preference: The Story Overview, the Vocabulary and Grammar Structures Preview and the Story Dialogue (with the quizzes;-)

In the Starter Pack, the Story Overview has the on screen content rich image with a read through of the story in English. This gives you a first look at what the dialogue will cover and allow you to move through the story with greater ease. The Premium Pack has an additional read through first in Spanish, then in English and then again in Spanish (but read by a different native speaker so that you get additional exposure to Spanish as spoken from multiple native speakers. It can also serve as a great review if you have missed a few days of practice and need a refresher).

The optional Vocabulary and Grammar Structures Section will give you the important Vocabulary and Grammar structures introduced in that chapter and helps break down the new material before it is introduced in context during the dialogue.

The Story Dialogue is the heart of the program meaning it is where the story is told in statements and questions are asked about story details. The Fluency Fox Player features are of exceptional benefit throughout this section and make your experience what you want.

In the Starter Pack, there is a tennis “volley” sound after each question to prompt you to respond before the student role play. This sound is not audible throughout the Premium Pack.

As you will notice there are interactive player button features that allow you to control how you interact with the story.

For example: Story statements are generally said twice so that you can listen the first time for comprehension and during the second read through you should try and mentally or verbally “shadow” (repeat) what the instructor says. This will greatly enhance your verbal proficiency. If, however, you choose not to you can simply press the fast forward button and move on through the dialogue. It’s always up to you!

At this point, I will only talk about the key button features that you may not be familiar with so as to return you to your Spanish learning.

If you need the English translation then the select “Two Languages” and you have both languages at your disposal synced with the Spanish audio.

The SLOW button will slow the rate of speech down so that if you can have more time to process what is being said. You can press is at anytime on or off as needed. ( Don’t be hesitant to use it if the speakers seem to be speaking too quickly. Soon you will have the repetitions you need to have full comprehension at normal conversational speed.)

The LOOP button will fully play through a “chat box” and then repeat it over as long as the LOOP button is activated. Again, it is there for your convenience and should be used when needed.

That should do it for now as you will discover how the FF Player features best suit your needs.

I will add one additional comment as it is something that is not easily recognized at the on set.

After you complete a chapter and it is registered in your profile, there are 3 icons (2 on the left of the chapter number and 1 to the right). The icon to the farthest left is your progress completion for that chapter. The next is your quiz score out of 30 ( 10 points max. per quiz/ 3 quizzes per chapter) and the icon to the right of the chapter number is the Fluency Fox logo that indicates that you have earned a bonus for performing well on that chapter’s quizzes. If you select the icon you will be taken to a short bonus section that might consist of a joke in Spanish, some Spanish word types, or Spanish proverbs/sayings, etc. (We will continually be updating and changing the Bonuses in the future.)

If you have any questions, please contact us as our purpose is to serve. The Fluency Fox program is for you and we want to do all we can to assist you in achieving your Spanish language learning goals.

http://sp1fluencyfox.wpengine.com/contact-us/

Sí Se Puede

Enjoy y Buena Suerte!

Gracias,

Marko