The grand opening of our brand new school in Barcelona and the fast approaching 2009 20th anniversary of the opening of the first don Quijote school in Spain are HUGE reasons to celebrate!
To get the party going, we’re offering away a 10% discount on our Intensive Spanish course in Barcelona!
Here's how easy it is to enjoy an unforgettable Spanish course in Barcelona at a discounted price:
*Just book our most popular course, Intensive Spanish, with don Quijote accommodation and an arrival date between September 1st and December 31st of 2008. Yep... that’s it!
So if you’ve been dreaming about a Spanish course in Spain, don’t miss this chance! Where better to experience the thrill of learning this passionate language than in the pulsating, culturally explosive city of Barcelona? And in our state of the art, ideally located new school in the heart of Barcelona's L'Eixample district?
Start planning your stay in Barcelona today by contacting our course counsellors or requesting your copy of our free brochure!.
Act quickly to reserve your place and your first choice of accommodation! This special offer is subject to availabilty.
Conditions: - Discount cannot be combined with any other offer. - Discount must be requested at time of booking. - Discount not applicable to changes from one school to another, with the exception of extending or lengthening your stay, prior to your arrival. - Offer subject to availability. Expires December 31, 2008.
Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar is working on a new film, Los abrazos rotos. And in the process, he's created a wonderful opportunity for film fans and Spanish students to get an inside look at how a film is made: a blog, where he muses on the script, the best translation for an English title (he decided the title's abrazos are more "embraces" than "hugs"), Penelope Cruz's hairstyle and, seemingly, whatever crosses his mind.
Blogpedroalmodóvar is written in Spanish, with English and French translations. (Access the translations through the blog's main page, www.pedroalmodovar.es .) If you're an intermediate or high beginner student of Spanish, the translations will provide a quick way for you to understand vocabulary or colloquialisms new to you, before carrying on reading the blog in Spanish.
El Castellano published an intriguing article a few weeks back about the effects of bilingualism on the brain. The article, titled "Los idiomas entrenan el cerebro" (Languages train the brain), describes the results of a number of studies on bilingualism. My favorite finding? It never is too late to learn a language. In fact, learning a second language late in life has beneficial effects beyond being able to communicate with a whole new crowd.
The studies shed some light on why young children learn multiple languages so effortlessly and completely, as well.
And the article is in Spanish, so reading it alone will be a good workout. :)
Kamila Hazdrová from the CzechRepublic has won a free 2 week Spanish course with don Quijote.
In September 2007, we held a contest in our Monthly Newsletter offering a student the possibility to win a free Spanish course at don Quijote. We are very happy to announce our winner.
24 year old Kamila Hazdrová from the Czech Republic, a subscriber to our Monthly Newsletter, participated in the draw and won a free 2 week Intensive Spanish course with accommodation. The destination Kamila has chosen for her course is don Quijote Granada school where she will study for two weeks in May.
Congratulations once again!
We would like to thank all our participants and remind you to keep your eyes peeled for future contests.
If you have not yet signed up for our Monthly Newsletter sign up to find out all about our special offers, programs and contests.
Do you also want to study abroad with don Quijote?Order your free brochure to get more information about our courses
don Quijote offers a Work & Study program which combines a Spanish course in any don Quijote destination followed by a job placement in Marbella, a resort town in southern Spain. You won’t get rich, but you will earn enough to cover basic expenses. This is a great opportunity to get working experience abroad while learning or improving your Spanish and most of all to have a really fun time and meet lots of new people. This program has had great reviews from many of happy students.
Check out a few videos of our student testimonials and hear about their experience working in Spain.
If you book before March 31st you will get an incredible discount on our Study and Work program. Find out more about this offer.
If you want to study and work in Spain, here is a great opportunity for you.
don Quijote's Study and Work program in Marbella provides students from European Union countries a unique opportunity to learn Spanish in Spain while working to cover their expenses and improving their CV.
And even better news is that you can now book your Spanish course and work placement in Spain for an unbeatable price.
Book before March 31st and get a special discount on the price of don Quijote's Study and Work program that will allow you to save 25% on the price of the course.
I've just discovered three great resources for students and newer practicioners (like myself) of Spanish. All three are projects of Fundeú BBVA , a nonprofit organization formed to "collaborate in the good use of the Spanish language". All three are well worth a bookmark:
Vademécum, where you can search for all sort of common mistakes and "made phrases" you may not recognize or be sure you're using correctly.
And the newest of the three, Wikilengua, a wiki of Spanish grammar, spelling, expressions and vocabulary. Here you'll find glossaries (of sports, "new" slang and extranjerismos, so far), a in-depth table of the words associated with places world-wide (ever wonder where abulenses live or what to call the residents of London in Spanish?), links to Spanish language dictionaries online, and lots more.
(Tener aspecto serio o enfadado) (To look sad or angry)
Ejemplo: Esta mañana he visto a Pedro y tenía cara de pocos amigos. No le gustó lo que le dijimos ayer.
Ir/andar a cara descubierta
(actuar públicamente, claramente, sin ocultar las intenciones.) (To act or speak openly)
Ejemplo: Ana siempre tiene problemas con su jefa porque va a cara descubierta y a su jefa no le gusta escuchar ciertas cosas.
Caérsele a alguien la cara de vergüenza
(Salir los colores al rostro mostrando vergüenza ante una situación) (To be ashamed)
Ejemplo: Anoche se me caía la cara de vergüenza cuando me contaron vuestro comportamiento. No volveré a invitaros.
Dar la cara
(Responder de los propios actos y afrontar las consecuencias.) (To face the consequences of what one has done)
Ejemplo: Alberto siempre da la cara, así que no habrá problema para corregir esos errores.
Sacar/Dar la cara por alguien
(Apoyar a otra persona o responder por él) (To stand up for somebody, To stick up for somebody)
Ejemplo: Estoy muy contenta con mi jefa. Ayer sacó la cara por mí cuando me acusaron de estropear los planes de la empresa.
Echar algo en cara (a alguien)
(Recordarle algún beneficio que se le ha hecho) (To reproach, to throw something in somebody's face)
Ejemplo: Cuando pedí un aumento de sueldo me dijeron que no y me echaron en cara que era el que más cobraba de todo el grupo. . Costar un ojo de la cara
(Ser muy caro) (To be really expensive, to cost an arm and a leg)
Ejemplo: No podemos comprar ese coche, cuesta un ojo de la cara.
Every month I surf my way across the web and through the refraneros we keep around the office, searching for the "expression of the month" to be published in don Quijote's monthly newsletter.
Today I stumbled upon a fabulous resource: a blog of Spanish expressions and commonly heard idioms, entirely in Spanish.
The writing is clear and down-to-earth and, with archives from as far back as January 2007, the site offers an extensive library of Spanish expressions.
Pili from Salamanca recently left a comment on several of our posts, so I wandered over to check out her site. It's a perfect addition to any how-I-can-learn-Spanish-from-home list. Here's a snippet from her About Me:
"My name is Pili and I’m a Spanish girl. I’m 20 years old and I’m studing Fine Arts at the University of Salamanca. I’d like to be a painter. I like to go to “tapear” (to a Spanish bar, you know) go to some parties, but specially I like to travel around the world. Last year I studied in USA, when I met my friend Lucy. She is studing Spanish there. I write a spoken diary for her and for all of you. You can visit me every week in www.dpili.com and download a free podcast."
Once a week Pili posts a short podcast in Spanish with an accompanying PDF in Spanish. Each podcast is a letter to her American friend Lucy, back in Ohio and is a fun and realistic look at the life of a university student here in Salamanca.
Yet another good way to build up your Spanish from home!
Here's the perfect blog to read regularly if you want to practice your Spanish, learn commonly used colloquial phrases and practice writing in Spanish by leaving comments. What's more, you will learn about Spanish culture, history and everyday life while you're at it.
Best of all, it's a warm, funny, and thoroughly interesting read.
A mis 95 años is the blog of María Amelia, who lives in a pueblo in Galicia. On her 95th birthday her grandson gave her a blog, and she's been diligently blogging ever since. She's talked about life in her pueblo and much of the history she's seen in Spain, including the civil war and the transition to democracy. María Amelia gets dozens of comments daily from all over the world, so you can feel comfortable leaving her a little note in less than perfect Spanish.
Here's how she opens her blog:
"Amigos de Internet, hoy cumplo 95 años. Me llamo María Amelia y nací en Muxía (A Coruña) el 23 de Diciembre de 1911. Hoy es mi cumpleaños y mi nieto como es muy cutre me regaló un blog. Espero poder escribir mucho y contaros las vivencias de una señora de mi edad."
Here's a 100% free way to improve your Spanish, boost your "slang" quotient, build vocabulary and learn to use expressions as natives do - read Spanish language blogs. (And leave comments in Spanish!) If you're truly committed, you might want to try your hand at writing one...or perhaps a bilingual blog, for other students of Spanish in your country?
You can set up your own Spanish language blog at Bitácoras.com . Blogger offers a full (free) Spanish language blogging interface, as well.
Here are a few resources bound to help you identify some
Spanish blogs you'd like to read regularly:
King Juan Carlos, according to the 3000 Spaniards who participated in a television show called "The Spaniard of History" in May.
Miguel de Cervantes and Christopher Columbus (why, yes, in fact he was Italian, but apparently Spanish employees count), finished in 2nd and 3rd place, well behind King Juan Carlos.
Those voting for the King cited his "decisive role in the transition and in the attempted military coup of Febuary 23, 1981, known as 23-F in Spain. Just a week ago Spain celebrated the 30th anniversary of the first Voting Day of the new democratic Spain - a key moment... more»
Cafe Babel features Eduardo Dávila Miura, a 33 year old Spanish bullfighter who retired in 2006, in their June "Brunch" interview.
Makes for interesting reading, whether you love, hate, or are indifferent to bullfighting: an inside look at one of Spain's most fascinating subcultures. Better yet, read the interview in Spanish here.
Come work in Spain and experience Spanish culture first hand!!
It is not always easy to get a job in a foreign country, although it’s the best way to truly get to know a different culture. don Quijote can make your dreams come true with the new Study and Work in Spanish Hotels program open to participants from all nationalities. Request more information heremore»
A new, international exam and proficiency certificate for the Spanish language was unveiled by Spanish language experts at last month's Congress of Spanish Language Academies in Medellin, Colombia.
The new proficiency program will be titled "International System of Spanish as a Foreign Language, or SICELE for its Spanish initials.
In this article, we'll tell you a bit about the new test, and give you all the current details on the current Spanish proficiency exam, the DELE, and don Quijote's guaranteed prep courses.
Immersion totale en famille, séjours d’été, petit job… des formules pour vraiment maîtriser une langue étrangère.
Chaque année, quelques 350.000 jeunes en France décident de partir à l’étranger pendant deux, trois ou quatre semaines. La raison : l’immersion se présente comme la manière la plus efficace de bien maîtriser une langue. Séjours de courte ou longue durée, intensifs, plus ou moins libres, il y a des formules pour tous les publics. À don Quijote, vous trouverez toute une variété de cours et hébergements adaptés à vos besoins. Voici quelques offres... more»
As part of the celebrations surrounding the 4th International Congress of the Spanish Language, taking place this week in Cartagena de las Indias in Colombia, the Colombian magazine Semana asked 81 writers, literary critics, teachers and cultural journalists from Spain and Latin America to select the best novels written in the language of Cervantes during the last quarter century.
Sounds like a good enough recommendation to add a few of these titles to your Spanish reading list. The top 10:
Para celebrar el IV Congreso Internacional de la Lengua Española, que se celebra esta semana en Cartagena de las Indias, la revista colombiana Semana pidió a 81 escritores, críticos literarios, profesores y periodistas culturales que eligieran las 100 mejores novelas escritas en el idioma de Cervantes durante el último cuarto del siglo.more»
To get the party going, we’re offering away a 10% discount on our Intensive Spanish course in Barcelona!
course counsellors or requesting your copy of our 
Kamila Hazdrová from the 
Come work in Spain and experience Spanish culture first hand!! 
Recent Comments
Month Archive
