We’ve finally reached the end of week four, therefore, class 24 was the standard end-of-the-week review. Don’t be lulled to sleep though – Bueno, entonces…learn Spanish worked its usual magic by introducing many new concepts, even more than they generally do. In addition to reviewing por vs para and ser vs estar, we also learned how to express opinions. I learned some of the subtleties between creer (to believe) and paracer (to seem/opinion), and also learned how to say that I am in agreement with someone/something more formally.

Another thing that was particularly apparent today was that the speed of conversation has increased drastically. Jimena seems to be talking at the speed of the native speaker she is, and David’s Spanish is improving enough for him to be holding his own. I found myself needing to read more of the dialogue as I was missing small details when only listening. It’s nice to see the class kicked into another gear with one week left – they’re kicking us out of the nest and telling us to fly.

Despite the abundance of teaching, Bueno, entonces… Learn Spanish still found time to provide comic relief. The class started with Jimena telling David she was following her boyfriend through the mall to see if he was cheating on her. This was followed by David confessing to Jimena that he was trailing his mother in Mendoza to see how she was behaving with her new adolescent boyfriend. There were several times I actually found myself laughing out loud at the dialogue – kind of embarrassing, but I think this says a lot about how fun Bueno, entonces… Learn Spanish makes learning a new language.

I’m super-excited for tomorrow’s class where we will supposedly be covering “hard-core verb tenses.” I’m not sure what to expect judging from prior topics, but I hope we delve into the past and future.

Want to view some clips of our Spanish classes? Head on over to the Youtube channel and see why people are raving about the hilarious new language learning software!

Ready to stop shamelessly sounding like a Gringo and learn some Spanish? Check out this instructive clip about ordering at a restaurant:

HOW IT WORKS: In Spanish different situations call for different verb conjugations and word choices, por ejemplo… when ordering in a classy restaurant you speak formally, like they did in the clip:

You want to speak politely to this waitress!

Puede traerme- means “can you bring me” and is appropriate for a formal situation because “puede” is the 3rd person formal conjugation of the verb poder (meaning to be able).

The associated formal pronoun, usted, is implied by the conjugation of the verb.

On the other hand, if you were hanging out at a friend’s apartment and wanted to shout for your friend to grab you a beer, you would use an informal construction like: Amigo, traeme una cerveza- dude gimme a beer!

Don’t worry, Bueno, entonces… uses easy-to-understand symbols that let you know if what you are learning is slang, formal or informal speech, so your brain picks up on what phrases to use in specific situations without you even realizing it!

Here is a list of phrases:

Buenas tardes. ¿Qué me recomienda? Good afternoon. What do you recommend?

Pues, hoy tenemos un revuelto de setas buenísimo. Well, today we have a great wild mushroom omelette.

Me pone una tapa, y una ración de solomillo, pero que esté muy hecho. I’ll have a small dish of that, and a full portion of the tenderloin, but make it well done.

De acuerdo, aunque está mas sabroso vuelta y vuelta. All right, although it’s tastier when just seared.

Vale, me fío de usted. Y tráigame una copa de rioja. OK, I trust you. Also bring me a glass of rioja.

Aquí tiene. ¡Buen provecho! Here you go. Enjoy your meal!

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

PLUS: Bueno, entonces… teaches you verbs in two ways so you’re sure to get it.

First, we us road signs indicating tenses, so you quickly absorb the conjugation rules.

Second, the root verb and pronoun are always shown on screen to help connect the usage with the derivation.

Check out more verb explanations online: http://www.generallinguistics.com/conjugate-spanish-verbs/

Hungry for more? Bueno, entonces… Learn Spanish Levels I & II teaches you the Spanish you want to learn at a price you can afford. At only 1/3 the cost of Rosetta Stone, you’ll even have some dinero leftover for dessert!

Prefer to learn on your PC or TV? Now you can get the Bueno, entonces… 6 DVD set or Instant Download online. Just head here: http://www.generallinguistics.com

CLICK FOR AN SPECIAL OFFER

Made it through the original 30 Bueno, entonces… classes? Ready to tackle the hard grammar stuff? Then welcome to the advanced classes. You’ve learned the vocab and now you want to know the past, the imperative, and all those other tenses. Plus, you can broaden your slang, pronunciation skills and comprehension to the rest of the South America. So get ready to get better in Español!

Don’t have Advanced Class 1 yet? You can preview what will be covered here and then buy it online.

You can purchase Bueno, entonces… Advanced Class 1 from iTunes: http://bit.ly/getatitunes for $1.99 or buy all four classes for $4.99.

Haven’t seen ANY Bueno, entonces…? Starting now you can view the first class for free- simply go to http://www.generallinguistics.com to start!

Advanced Class 1

Now that you’ve finished the first advanced class, you might be saying “Woah! Slow down there!” Well, fret now – we don’t slow down the speed, or your comprehension, but you can check it out all over again here. See it written out and then listen to the class again to get the full impact.

Scroll down for a review/preview for Bueno, entonces… Advanced Class 1 and meet the teacher and student of the new series!

OBJECTIVOS

• Presentarse, saludar y despedirse
• Dar y pedir información personal
• Hablar de uno mismo
• Hablar de gustos y hobbies
• Hobbies.
• Actividades de tiempo libre
• Repaso del presente
• Vos – Tú
• Vosotros – Ustedes
• Sonidos nuevos:
• LL-Y (no rehilados)
• S (tensa frente a consonantes)
• El español en el mundo

INFORMACIÓN DE REFERENCIA

Pronunciation Tip:

You will have probably noticed that Jimena and Victoria do not sound the same. Of course not! In Colombia and much of the rest of Latin America, certain sounds are pronounced differently than they are in Argentina. In fact there are differences between all the Spanish speakers’ pronunciations, however it does not impede on communication. Check it out:

-Between different countries in latin America and Spain, the majority of differences are with the sounds for the letters Y – LL and S- C- Z
- The “ll” sound in “ me llamo”. In Argentina this sounds like “Sh”, or /š/. In Colombia it sounds more like “ya” or /i/.
- The “s” sound in “español”. In colombia the “S” is harder and more pronounced. In Argentina, it is breathed out and not very obvious. Say it more ‘suavely’.

REVIEW:

Remember the sentence structures for expressing likes, hobbies, family, job and plans?

• Sus gustos (your likes)
o Me gusta + verbo en infinitivo
o Me gusta +artículo + sustantivo singular
o Me gustan + sustantivo plural
o Me encanta/an…

• Sus hobbies (your hobbies)
o Los fines de semana + presente
o Todos los días + presente
o Una vez por mes + presente
o Muy de vez en cuando + presente

• Su familia (your family)
o Tengo … hermano/os/a/as
o Mis padres viven en…
o Mi novio/a se llama…

• Su trabajo (your job)
o Soy + profesión
o Me dedico a + verbo en infinitivo
o En mi trabajo + presente

• Sus planes (your plans)
o Este fin de semana voy a + infinitivo
o El mes próximo voy a + infinitivo

GRAMATICA

Remember the differences between VOS, TÚ and VOSOTROS? Review here:

VOS se usa en lugar de TÚ en toda Argentina, en gran parte de Uruguay y en zonas de Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Guatemala, Costa Rica y Perú, mientras que TÚ está extendido en toda Latinoamérica y en España. (VOS is used in place of TÚ is all of Argentina, in large parts of Uruguay, and places in Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Peru, while TÚ is extended throughout all of Latin America and Spain.)

En España, para referirse a la segunda persona del plural informal se usa el pronombre VOSOTROS, es el plural de TÚ. El plural de USTED (formal) es USTEDES. (In Spain, to refer to the second person informal plural, they use the pronoun VOSOTROS, the plural of TÚ. The plural of USTED (formal) is USTEDES.)

En Latinoamérica y España Insular se usa siempre USTEDES. (In Latin America and Internal Spain they always use USTEDES).

RESUMEN GRAMATICAL – Conjugation

PRESENTE DEL INDICATIVO

Verbos regulares

Verbos irregulares

1. Verbos irregulares en todas las personas

2. Verbos irregulares sólo en YO

Terminación -ZCO
-AR: no hay
-ER: agradecer – conocer – conducir – obedecer – aparecer – carecer – establecer – entristecer – nacer – ofrecer – padecer – parecer – pertenecer – reconocer
-IR: conducir – traducir – producir – deducir – introducir – inducir – lucir – relucir

Terminación -(I)GO
-AR: no hay
-ER: hacer (y todos sus compuestos) –  poner (y todos sus compuestos) – satisfacer – valer – raer – equivaler – traer* (y todos sus compuestos) – traer* (y todos sus compuestos)
* Agregan i antes de la g
-IR: salir – sobresalir – asir – desasir

Terminación -OY
-AR: dar – estar (verbo agudo)
-ER: no hay
-IR: no hay

Otras terminaciones
saber: sé
caber: quepo
ver: veo

3. Verbos irregulares en YO, TÚ, ÉL Y ELLOS

Otros Verbos E – IE:
-AR: pensar – cerrar – comenzar – sentar – calentar – despertar – empezar – etc
-ER: querer – entender – perder – encender – tender – ascender – etc
-IR: adquirir – sentir – mentir – referir – sugerir – convertir – herir – etc.

Otros Verbos: O – UE
-AR: acostar – almorzar – acostar – encontrar – mostrar – probar – Jugar, etc.
-ER: volver – poder – mover – soler – torcer – morder – retorcer – etc.
-IR: dormir – morir

Otros Verbos: E – I
-IR: servir – medir – vestir – reír -

Cambio -Y-
estos verbos cambian la -i- del radical por una -y-

Otros Verbos:
Todos los terminados en -UIR

4. Verbos que combinan las dos irregularidades anteriores

Estos verbos cambian en Yo (-go) y en forma distinta en Él y ELLOS

GLOSARIO

Check out all the new words you learned!

Remember the Color coding? We’ve used it here too:

Feminine Nouns / endings

Masculine Nouns / endings

Adjectives / Adverbs

Verbs – are all seen in the INFINITIVE form, click on them to see all their many conjugations.

Or look at our handy Verb Page to see them all!

http://www.generallinguistics.com/conjugate-spanish-verbs/

USEFUL PHRASES:
¿O es que no te gusto? (Or is it that you don’t like me?)
¿O es que no te caigo bien? (Or is it that I don’t get along with you?)
¡Eso no puede ser! (It can’t be true!)
Ahora te toca a ti (Now it is your turn)
Me dedico a llamar a gente (I dedicate myself to calling people)

Slang:
Chévere - great (Colombian)
A full – a ton (Argentine)
Copada – great (Argentine)
Rolos – People from Bogota (Colombian)
Recital – concert (Argentine)
Concierto – concert (Colombian)
Ir de joda (hang out) – Argentine
Ir/ salir??? de rumba (hang out) – Colombian
Andar en la caminadora (hit the treadmill) – Colombian
Ir a la cinta (go on the treadmill) – Argentine
Carro (car) – Colombian
La Pelada (girl) – Colombian
Vamos m’hija (Let’s go my daughter) -Colombian
El Aguardientico (Colombian liquor)
Deja de ser tan esquiva (Stop being so elusive) – Colombian
Vamos a una fiestecita, mamita rica (Let’s go to a little party, hot mama) – Colombian
Güevón (sucka) – Colombian (friendly term to say hello)
¿Qué más güevón? (what’s up sucka?) -Colombian
Hole, ¿qué hubo? (Hey, what’s goin’ on?)

EJERCICIOS ESCRITOS

1. Reorder the words to form the queations and answers in the dialouge.

- ¡Hola! estás¿? Cómo
- tú Muy, ¿y ? bien
- llamas te Muy! ¿Cómo? bien
- tú Me Y Jeff ¿? llamo
- Victoria Me. ¿ dónde De Jeff eres ? llamo
- de tú Unidos ¿Y? Estados Soy
- Colombiana Soy, de. Vives ¿? Bogotá Dónde
- Aires Vivo Buenos en, barrio en de el ¿ Y ? tú Palermo
- también Yo en Aires, Buenos vivo en el de barrio pero Belgrano.
- dedicas ¿ Y a te ? qué
- Soy español de profesora

Expresar gustos
2. Complete with “gusta” or “gustan” and with the pronoun that corresponds
(me, te, les, nos o les).

1. ___ ____________ las películas de ciencia ficción. (Yo)
2. A ti no ___ ____________ para nada los gatos.
3. A Javier ___ ____________ jugar en la Playstation.
4. A mis amigos no __ ____________ chatear por facebook.
5. A nosotros, no __ ____________ comprar regalos para Navidad.
6. ¿___ ____________ las casas en este barrio? (Tú)
7. A Juan y a Florencia no __ ____________ las vacaciones en la playa.
8. A los argentinos no __ ____________ la comida muy picante.
9. No __ ____________ ir al gimnasio solo. (Yo)
10. A ellas __ ____________ mucho el arroz cocido.

3. Complete the table with the correct corresponding person.

CLASE 1 – SOLUCIONES

1.
- ¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás?
- Muy bien, ¿y tú?
- Muy bien! ¿Cómo te llamas?
- Me llamo Jeff ¿Y tú?
- Me llamo Victoria. ¿De dónde eres Jeff?
- Soy de Estados Unidos ¿Y tú?
- Soy Colombiana, de Bogotá. ¿Dónde vives?
- Vivo en Buenos Aires, en el barrio de Palermo ¿Y tú?
- Yo también vivo en Buenos Aires, pero en el barrio de Belgrano.
- ¿Y a qué te dedicas?
- Soy profesora de español

2.

1. Me gustan las películas de ciencia ficción. (Yo)
2. A ti no te gustan para nada los gatos.
3. A Javier le gusta jugar en la Playstation.
4. A mis amigos no les gusta chatear por facebook.
5. A nosotros, no nos gusta comprar regalos para Navidad.
6. ¿Te gustan las casas en este barrio? (Tú)
7. A Juan y a Florencia no les gustan las vacaciones en la playa.
8. A los argentinos no les gusta la comida muy picante.
9. No me gusta ir al gimnasio solo. (Yo)
10. A ellas les gusta mucho el arroz cocido.

3.

PRÓXIMAMENTE

Start to learn the imperative and follow Jeff and Victoria as they wander the sites and drink cold beers in Bogota.

Don’t have Bueno, entonces… Advanced Class 2 yet? Don’t worry! You can always buy it individually on iTunes or better yet, get the whole 30 class course for half off!

You can also buy the instant download or 6 DVD set, just case you want to learn on your PC or TV.

Grab it all, including the first class FREE at http://www.generallinguistics.com

Have an iPhone or iPad? You can download the Bueno, entonces… app for nada!

Find out more here: http://bit.ly/iPhoneLearnSpanish

And, as always, please let us know what you think of the study materials and the Bueno, entonces… Learn Spanish I & II program.

Scroll to the end and write a review here: http://bit.ly/iPhoneLearnSpanish

Like to see ALL of the Support Materials?

You can view the most recent and up to date support materials here:

http://blog.buenoentonces.com/2011/01/see-all-the-support-materials/

Let us know if you have any ideas or suggestions on the new materials in the comment section. Muchas Gracias!

Today we don’t have a lesson, but we have a beautiful experience by one of our oyentes!

Anne van Vlerken from Holland has been volunteering for about 2 months already and she is loving it. She wrote us telling us her experience and the best of all she wrote it in perfect Spanish! Here is what she wrote!

Catorce extranjeros, un proyecto social,  y un país lleno de Colombianos…

Estoy disfrutando los 3 meses que estoy en Bogotá, Colombia. Increíble que el tiempo pase tan rápido. Llevo la mitad de mi tiempo aquí, y ya sé que será una experiencia inolvidable: una experiencia que cambia mi vida y las vidas de cientos de niños.

Catorce estudiantes de todo el mundo vinieron aquí para enseñar a alumnos en colegios cerca de Bogotá con un solo objetivo: crear el mundo dentro de una escuela. La mayoría de los alumnos en los colegios no tienen la oportunidad de viajar a otros países. Por eso enseñamos sobre nuestros países, diversidad cultural, pero también sobre sostenibilidad, desarrollo personal e innovación. ¡A los alumnos les encanta! Cuando entramos al salón, empiezan a gritar y cantar.

No solo los niños aprenden en este proyecto. Quienes también aprenden mucho son los extranjeros, los voluntarios, los estudiantes de todo el mundo: nosotros catorce extranjeros. Aprendemos la cultura colombiana, trabajamos con gente de diferentes culturas, desarrollamos nuestras personalidades y  aprendemos la lengua español. También aprendemos que los colombianos son muy hospitalarios, que levantarse a las 7:00 es un lujo, que la palabra chévere sirve para expresar todo lo que te gusta, que aguardiente te da noches divertidas pero las mañanas siguientes son menos divertidas, que los Colombianos apuntan las cosas con sus bocas y que hay perros en todos los sitios, incluso dentro de los salones de los colegios.

Antes de volver a Holanda, hay tantas cosas para hacer, descubrir, aprender y ensenar… El objetivo principal es disfrutar la vida como la disfrutan los colombianos.

Here is the translation:

Happy Music Monday!  To start off the week we have an amazing song from the crazy Argentine  El Guincho.

SING A LONG!

Te miro desde arriba por si todo se termina
quiero que me recuerdes como las primeras veces
hay algo que no atino a saber por que no camina
que sera lo que no me deja ver lo que tengo enfrente?

Ya no somos pequeños aprendimos de las cosas
que nos fueron pasando en lugares diferentes
no te vayas a China que alli no tienen cortinas
como las que nos escondieron de todos los demas

Te mueves sn sombrilla paseando por las orillas
de la isla que encima se enfada cuando no vulevo
no todo es culpa mia ahora esto es muy diferente
y si no lo ves es que no lo quieres ver
o es que no me puedes ver

Algo que un dia brilla tambien podra repertirse
intentaras que me lo crea pero me parece un cuento
hace 200 dias que no me sale una linea y ademas
no parece que vaya a cambiar aunque me escuches

solo yo te pido que te quedes en…
donde puedas alcanzar lo que quieras conseguir
Y en cambio tú me pides que me quede donde puedas vigilarme hasta que te canses de… buscar

How’d you do? It’s Fast, real fast- but then again that’s how people really speak in Spanish. And unfortunately, you can’t always expect everyone to slow down their speech just for you.

So, if you want to be able to understand Spanish at REAL speed, you need to LEARN Spanish at the real speed. And if you want to do that, you better watch Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanish I & II- a program unique in it’s format and structure. It mimics the immersion process while ensuring you don’t get left behind. Oh, and it’s funny, so you keep watching and keep practicing.

Check out Bueno, entonces… today and get the first class free, so you can see if it’s right for you: http://www.generallinguistics.com

 We found this amazing video about how girls would hit on guys!

If women were… this would be what men would listen when passing by:

1) Güero, yo te encuero. (Guy ,i will get you naked)

2) Con esos … si me quito los calzones. (With does… if I pull my panties off)

3) Esos huevitos si están para estrellarlos. (Those eggs are ready for crashing)

4) De que juguetería saliste.. muñeco. (From what toy store did you walk out… toy)

5) Amor, si amarte fuera trabajo, no existiría el desempleo. (Love, if loving you was a job, unemployment wouldn’t exist)

Funny Right?

See how quick and painless that was? Bueno, entonces… is the most effective, entertaining Spanish learning software on the market–and our user community is growing rapidly because of it. Join us on our Learn Spanish Facebook Page!

Want to watch the first Bueno, entonces… class for Free? Check us out here: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Click here to order the 6-DVD set or Instant Download and learn Spanish today!

Not only Argentines have body Language in South America! 

We ran into this video from Mantaraya Travel that explains all about Colombians body language. It includes slang words, and important gestures when communicating with body language!

There you have it– all the necessary vocabulary to get by in the day-to-day colombian body language!  Can you think of any other gesture or Spanish phrases that might be useful?  Add them in the comments section here or on our Facebook page – and check our more clips of our Spanish lessons on our Youtube Page. If you want to really learn Spanish, then head on over to our language learning software page get your hands on Bueno, entonces…- you’ll be speaking conversational Spanish in just five weeks!

Today’s mini lesson is all about grammar tips! We are going to express obligation. Like I have to… Tener + que + infinitivo:

In Spanish you use the phrase “Tener + que + infinitivo” to express obligation. It is similar to the English “I have to…” or “I must…”. In fact “Tener + que” is used more frequently than “Necesito” (I need).

For example:
Tengo que ir al baño. (I have to go to the bathroom).
Tengo que comprar ese vestido. (I have to buy that dress).

It is also used for negative as well, but is a command rather than a desire. Such as:
No tienes que tomar si manejas. (You mustn’t drink if you drive).

Have any other Spanish phrases or questions about saber vs conocer you can see it on Class 7 in Bueno, entonces…  or leave you questions or comment on our Facebook page!

If you want to learn to speak Spanish in a fun and entertaining way, check out Bueno, entonces…and learn conversational Spanish in five weeks! (Trust us, a Spanish dictionary will only get you so far).

Head here today and get the first 40 minute Spanish class completely free! http://www.generallinguistics.com

It’s almost the end of winter now and it’s time to look where we want to go during summer.

A place to RELAX, with lots of history from the Mayan culture is where we are taking today. The place Playa Blanca, Izabal in Guatemala! It’s considered by many as the best beach in Guatemala. It’s white sand mixes with light blue sea that creates a perfect combination to relax while you practice your spanish. (Get Bueno, entonces… and start learning español)

It’s a really laid back beach to camp, since the place it’s a virgin beach. There are no hotels or restaurants in the area, but in the other hand you will have the nature and a perfect quiet place.

Nearby you will find places that are worth visiting, like Siete Altares, Río Cocolí, El Biotopo Chocón Machacas and a few others.

So if you guys are in Guatemala, make sure to visit Playa Blanca. Is about 4 hours away from Guatemala city, the nearest town to the beach is Livingstone. It’s only 30 min away by boat and it has an amazing night life! If you have the time pack your bags, the location is not expensive, go to the white beaches of playa blanca in guatemala!

Feel like learning Spanish to travel all over South America? Get Bueno, entonces… now and you’ll be speaking and understanding native Spanish in just five weeks! We also have clips of our Spanish classes on Youtube – go check ‘em out and get a taste of our teaching style.

Point B shows Livingstone Point A is Playa Blanca

Better yet – you can now get the first 40 minute class for free! Try it out here: http://www.generallinguistics.com Learn Spanish while travelling!

Real mom’s are the ones we see at home, not the ones that we see in Advertising until…

Lucchetti is a brand in Argentina that makes pasta, rice soups etc. Their business was going down and competitors where about to take over them, until they started with this campaign about Real Mothers. The mothers that get tired, complain, that have sense of humor, and that love their families. The advertisements were really funny so we thought that we would share some of them and translate them for you. Enjoy!

Licuadora

Kid: Mom Mom wo. would you buy me a robot that i just saw here aroun…

Blender ON

Kid: Sorry, I was saying if you could buy me a robot…

Blender ON

Kid: If you could….

Blender ON

Kid: Bu….

Blender ON

Kid: Buy…

Blender On

Kid: Ok

Diana Arroz

Mom: For today we have rice. What would you like it with? With chicken, with butter or with Diana.

Kid: With Diana?

Mom: Yes with Diana Arroz (With Diana Rice that sound in Spanish like Diana Ross)

(Starts Singing)

Today I cooked rice,

I did it for you,

I am Diana Arroz,

Producer: Cut, Cut, Cut – I have a doubt is it spell Arroz or Roz?

Mom: Arroz

Producer: Ok team, it was my mistake lets shoot that again.

Sorry Team

It’s wrong

My bad

Fun right?? Where you able to understand without reading the translations a little bit?? If not, you still can, just start your Spanish Classes! You can also do it with Spanish classes that actually make you laugh while learning.

In fact, you can check out the first Bueno, entonces… class for free, so you’ve got nothing to lose. See the 40 minute lesson here: http://www.generallinguistics.com