martes, 26 de marzo de 2024

RESISTANCE IN LANGUAGE LEARNING



We all know the feeling of dismay, despondency, and disinterest that Steven Pressfield calls Resistance (with a capital r) when the thought that we are not getting anywhere grips us and makes us falter. I am referring to any task or endeavor we are undertaking. In our case, it is language learning. In older times we knew this as a plateau, a stage where we hesitate and believe firmly that all our efforts are worthless, that we are wasting our time, and even worse, that we are not up to the project, are not cut out for it. We think that no matter our efforts, we will never accomplish or master anything. Be assured that this happens often (I refer you to The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield) and we must redouble our efforts, say vade retro, satanas, and keep on going. We will learn the language and not let up, knowing that this is a life project and that we are in no hurry. At my age, I still doubt myself, but I keep on tilting at windmills and will struggle till the end.      

domingo, 24 de marzo de 2024

CÓMO SE EMPLEA "THE"



El artículo THE se emplea en inglés así:

1) Cuando empleamos un sustantivo de manera general no se usa: "Teachers are underpaid" implica que todos los maestros tienen pagas deficientes. "Mexicans are short, women are right, men are wrong..."

2) Cuando nos referimos a un grupo en particular emplearemos el artículo THE: "The teachers (de los que hemos hablado) are underpaid." Y por eso nos referiremos a un grupo minoritario especial, al decir "The Mexicans (que conocimos ayer) are short, the women are right, the men are wrong." Es cierto que los llamados nativos cometen este error en ocasiones. Por ejemplo: "The teachers are not the problem. Parents are the problem." que confunde al más pintado.     

-ÍSIMO - SPANISH SUFFIX



Languages solve the communication problems in different ways. The English language does not have a superlative suffix to express exceedingly, extremely, super: This cake is extremely good. This game is super fun. Spanish solved this way of expressing a superlative with the suffix -ísimo (-ísima, -ísimos, -ísimas). If someone is exceedingly tall, we will say "es altísimo" instead of saying "muy alto." When we find something exceedingly expensive, we say "es carísimo." This suffix is very handy and easy to use and certainly trumps "muy, súper" that even natives are prone to use. "Blanquísimo, buenísimo, facilísimo, malísimo, guapísima, riquísimo, durísimo, divertidísimo." Do not hesitate to use this convenient suffix. 

sábado, 23 de marzo de 2024

ASCUA

 


Arrimar el ascua a la sardina de uno Look after number one, draw water to one’s mill, feather one’s nest, one must look out for himself

Debemos siempre arrimar el ascua a nuestra sardina We must always look after number one

“El taurino es un hombre que vive alrededor de los toreros, prestándoles servicios accesorios, que apaña sus comisiones, que actúa de corifeo y que pontifica en las discusiones, arrimando el ascua a su sardina.” Antonio Díaz-Cañabate, Historia de una tertulia, 1952. Esp.

Estar en ascuas On tenterhooks, uneasy, on the edge of one’s seat, bated breath, on pins and needles

Cuéntamelo todo rápido porque estoy en ascuas Tell me everything fast because I’m on tenterhooks

“No viviría más con aquella pesadilla encima, siempre sobre ascuas, temiendo un disparo de todo el que en cualquier lugar se le acercara.” Daniel Chavarría, El rojo en la pluma del loro, 2002. Urug.

Pasar (como) sobre ascuas Tiptoe over something

No explicó mucho y pasó como sobre ascuas del tema de la boda He didn’t explain much and he tiptoed ove the business of the wedding

“El titular de la Presidencia pasó como sobre ascuas al contestar a las numerosas preguntas sobre…” La Vanguardia, 16/09/1995. Esp.

PERFECTION IN LANGUAGE



I know that perfection in language is an idle fancy, but I also have my foibles and quirks, and since early childhood, I have been collecting words and phrases and different pronunciations. I am still at it 24/7, as they say now. As far as language is concerned (or otherwise) I am no minimalist! I never have enough and I always want more. Aside from reading aloud, and moving my lips and tongue, I also close the day listening to English or Spanish in bed until grogginess overcomes me. And I have paper and pen in hand to write down whatever expression tickles me, lest I cannot recall it in the morning. Language learning is no walk in the park, at least for me, and we must toil at it constantly.   

viernes, 22 de marzo de 2024

NABOKOV - READING MOVING YOUR LIPS


 

In the Preface to his The Defence, Vladimir Nabokov, lashes out against book reviewers and others, saying: "... I would like to spare the time and effort of hack reviewers - and, generally persons who move their lips when reading...". As I understand it, those who read moving their lips are equated in intellectual stature to hack reviewers. I promote reading a foreign language with the lips and in a whisper. Reading in the brain does not exercise the mechanical part of the language: throat, lips, teeth, alveolar ridges, nose, air, vocal cords, and even the saliva that make language what it is. We may scoff at those who read with their lips as ignorant intellectual dwarfs but in language learning it is essential to drill out loud moving the lips, the tongue, and everything else. Perhaps Nabokov, a polyglot himself, was blinded in this instance by his dislike of book reviewers, probably rightly so. So, you should practice the language you are studying by reading aloud, in a hush, but out loud. You will thank me for it.        

FRUIT

 


Bear fruit Dar fruto

The work has borne fruit and we have more clients now El trabajo ha dado fruto y tenemos más clients ahora

By their fruits you shall know them Por sus frutos les conoceréis

Matthew tells us, 7:19-20, by their fruits you shall know them San Mateo, 7:19-20, nos dice que por sus frutos les conoceréis

He that would have (eat) the fruit, must climb the tree No dan a quien no acude, quien algo quiere, algo le cuesta

Ask for the job; he that would have the fruit, must climb the tree Pide el puesto; no dan a quien no acude

Stolen fruit (water) is sweetest El fruto prohibido es el más apetecido

It is said that stolen fruit is sweetest Ya se dice que el fruto prohibido es el más apetecido