So about all that stuff that we posted regarding el matrimonio homosexual (gay marriage) in Argentina… ya, apparently (as expected, I suppose) there is still a bit of fight going on against it.

The two men that are trying to get married are still going through various rulings before the actual wedding was supposed to take place this week.  In one of the more recent rulings, however, one of the judges ruled against the marriage, which put a bit of a damper on the whole situation.  Judge Marta Gomez Alsina stated that she would rule against the marriage until it could be dealt with by the Supreme Court.  However, the couple’s lawyer does not feel that this ruling should affect the legality of the marriage, and the wedding will still be taking place.

As mentioned in our original post about the matrimonios homosexuales, Argentina is a Catholic country, so making this move towards gay marriages is huge– especially considering they are the first in all of Latin America to do so.  Once the ruling came out, there was obviously a lot of uproar in the city, and unending arguments regarding the topic.  People began to question their Mayor, Governor, and President, as this sort was ruling was not something that most people expected of them.  Nonetheless, it looks as though the marriage will still be taking place until further notice, and obstacles such as this one were to be expected in such a major change to a country’s laws.

To read a bit more on the topic, check out BBC’s article about it.

So there’s many ways to woo, but our favorite is through the art of piropos (pick-up lines).  Here, we provide you with yet another piropo to woo the crowds:

Si la felicidad es agua y el amor es fuego, ¡Como me gustarí­a ser tu bombero!

Alright, so the literal translation for this one is If happiness is water, and love is fire, how I would love to be your fireman! Are you weak in the knees yet?

The form of the verb gustaria might be in a form that you are not familiar with.  This form is called the condicional (conditional), or sometimes referred to as the futuro hipotetico (hypothetical future).  It is primarily used in two different situations:

First, the condicional tense is used when asking a formal request.  For example, ¿Me prestarias una lapicera? (Would you lend me a pen?).  You also use the condicional for simple things like ordering a coffee in a cafe– a safe way to be sure you are not being rude when asking anyone outside your circle of friends for a favor.

Second, the futuro hipotetico is used when referring to a ‘would be’ situation.  For example, ¡Como me gustaria ser tu bombero! (Again, how I would love to be your fireman!)  In this situation, you are referring to something in the future that you could or could not happen– it’s all hypothetical.

So there you have it– go out and find your next victi–erm, potential soulmate.

Here at Bueno, entonces… we love piropos to help us learn Spanish, because 1) they keep our loves lives thriving, and 2) they are entertaining, and therefore easier to remember.  

So learn Spanish in a fun, witty and comprehensive manner with Bueno, entonces…. Get the instant download or 6 DVD set today at: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Let us know if you have any other favorite tools you use to learn or remember Spanish, or just let us know if you have any comments or suggestions for the blog. You can check out more clips from each Spanish class on Youtube, or become a fan on our Facebook Page and learn some useful Spanish phrases!

So by this point in time, David has definitely learned to put together sentences and actually SPEAK Spanish (and hopefully you have, too!)  Unfortunately, when speaking a new language, we all fall into the robot trap at one time or another.

What is the robot trap, you ask?  Watch and learn.  Well, no, don’t learn it– but be aware so you don’t fall into it, too!

See?  It’s tricky, when you get into the mindset of focusing so much on what you are saying and the conjugations, you sometimes forget that someone is listening to you.  Thus, you stop using intonation or any form of enthusiasm, so your listener loses interest within the first 30 seconds.  It’s bound to happen at one point or another, but we just want to warn you so you can be aware when it does!

If you think this way of learning on the Pizarra Mí¡gica is useful, check out our Color & Symbol Code to help you better understand exactly what is going on.  The Pizarra Magica is the base of the Bueno, entonces… program, and we feel that it combines several teaching concepts in such a way that your learning ability is maximized.  

AND we make sure that our classes stay fun, quirky, and at times a little risque, to that you, the student, will stay interested.  

Check it out: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Go today and you can watch the first class for nada!

Rejection.  It’s just a fact of life.  For some, it is more common than others, but at one point or another, everyone gets rejected.  That is why we have dedicated a clip of Bueno, entonces… to the art of Spanish rejection.

And, aside from David being all-too-familiar with rejections from Jimena, we brought in another pair of experts to help you out– Wayne and Garth from Wayne’s World!

No Way!

Way!

You’ll laugh.  You’ll cry.  You’ll hurl.  Check it out!

Man, you gotta love them.  The colors and symbols used on the Pizarra Magica (Magic Whiteboard) are the key to our subliminal teaching method– your brain picks up on what these colors and symbols represent, and CHAN!  You’re learning without even knowing it!  However, to speed up that process a bit, go ahead and take a look at the Color & Symbol Key.

Take a look at a review of this class as well as the rest of the posts in the series by going to http://juniperenbsas.blogspot.com

If you like this way of learning and want to look at a few more demos, visit the Bueno, entonces… website http://www.generallinguistics.com– and watch the first class for absolutely nada. Now how convenient is that?

When learning a language, cognates become your best amigo. What are cognates? Cognates are words that have the same meaning, and look the same in two different languages. Examples: Alcohol = Alcohol, Falso = False, Ofender = Offend… you get the idea. Now, all is good and fun with these cognates until they become your amigo falso (false friend).

Embarrassed and embarazada

Amigos falsos, or what we like to call cog-nots, are words in Spanish that look like an English word, but actually mean something completely different. Example: Carpeta doesn’t mean carpet, it mean’s folder. They’re nasty little words that no one likes, but you’re just going to have to learn to deal with them. Here, we will give you fair warning of a few amigos falsos that you might come across in your Spanish studies.

First and foremost, one of the most common amigos falsos that is notorious for causing embarrassment is… well, embarazada. Estoy embarazada, more specifically. I am embarrassed? Nope. Embarazada actually means pregnant, so when you exclaim that you are so embarazada,’ for something you just did, you’re really just making things worse for yourself.

Secondly, estoy excitado/a does not mean that you are excited. Well, it somewhat does, but in Spanish, excitado/a is typically associated with sexual excitement rather than regular excitement. Instead, you might want to say estoy emocionado/a.

Here are a couple other amigos falsos to be aware of:

Sensible = Sensitive, sensible

Éxito = Success, exit

Actual = Current, actual

Assistir = To Attend, assist

Atender = To Serve/ To Take Care Of, attend

… And the list goes on…

There are loads of amigos falsos in Spanish, but you will learn them as you come across them in your studies. Don’t be too worried about them now, though. Just make sure you’re aware that cognates can also be cog-nots!

To check out David and Jimena’s conversation about amigos falsos, along with the rest of the program, visit the Bueno, entonces…learn Spanish website and become a fan on Facebook to learn useful Spanish phrases.

Want to see clips of our Spanish classes to see how they’re set up? Check out our Youtube page!