Spanish Teaching

Travel tips and a bit of Spanish language

Paqui — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:29:17 +0200

Every month in don Quijote's newsletter we offer you travel tips for Spain and Latin America as well as bits of Spanish language to practice and learn.

Subscribing is free and you will receive your newsletter in English and Spanish every month with: News about Spain and Latin America, a Spanish proverb, some Spanish slang to learn, a recipe, learning resources and information about offers in Spanish courses.

Have a look at our latest newsletters and start practicing now!

Teacher Appreciation Week 2008

Stacey — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:19:45 +0200

Teacher Appreciation Week in the United States is from May 6 - May 10. It's a week of honoring and thanking the special people that help to contribute in making a difference in the world by molding, guiding, enlightening and inspiring the minds of the future.

La lengua española más joven que nunca

Paqui — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:55:41 +0200

Ayer se inauguró en la Rioja el seminario el español de los jóvenes, en el que se debatirán las nuevas jergas y usos de la lengua Española.

Three great resources for intermediate and advanced students

Erin — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 13:00:00 +0100

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:

An excellent "dictionary" of dichos y refranes

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.

Photoblog of Guanajuato

Paqui — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 09:46:06 +0200

Here is a blog full of great photos of Guanajuato by one of our former students. An excellent way to see a bit more of Mexico and about don Quijote Spanish school in Guanajuato.

http://justsoyoucansee.blogspot.com/

If you want more information about learning Spanish in Mexico ask for a free brochure here.

Virtual visit to Salamanca

Paqui — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 11:13:36 +0200

A virtual visit to Salamanca in images, have a look at this video, discover this amazing Spanish city full of history and culture, and see our first school of Spanish, don Quijote Salamanca school.

Get more information about Salamanca, ask for a free brochure! .

A new star is born

Paqui — Wed, 30 May 2007 15:33:40 +0200

Blogging Spanish is our new blog of Spanish language. A blog for students, teachers and for anyone interested in Spanish language and culture.

In Blogging Spanish we will offer you the latest news about don Quijote, the world's leading institution for Spanish in-country courses. You will find the best offers for your Spanish course abroad, news about Spanish language, useful resources and information about Spanish-speaking countries and cultures.

A new star is born, go to h ttp://blog.donquijote.org and visit our new blog.
We want to hear what you think, please leave us your comments.

Do you teach Spanish?

Paqui — Mon, 28 May 2007 11:38:06 +0200

If your answer is yes, congratulations! We have a special deal for you this summer.

At don Quijote Spanish schools we want to reward Spanish teachers, instructors, and professors with a special offer this summer.

Participate in our Spanish for teachers course in Barcelona starting in July and you will get a free set of didactic materials composed of 6 excellent books to take home with you.

We will also give you the chance to explore Spain and/or visit your friends, with a voucher for up to three nights stay in selected hotels in Spain, Andorra and Portugal.

Don’t miss this opportunity to participate in a specialized program for Spanish language teachers, to refresh your Spanish, to perfect your teaching methods and to share your experience with other teachers from different countries.

Request a free course brochure and more information

Read all the details about this offer here

Volunteer programs in Latin America

Paqui — Tue, 22 May 2007 13:44:55 +0200

Last week we had Pedro, the director of our Spanish school in Guanajuato, visiting us here in Salamanca. He told us about don Quijote's beautiful school in Mexico, about the students (here is a picture), and about the volunteer programs.

If you want to learn or improve Spanish adding a special something to your Spanish course, try our volunteer programs in México.

don Quijote offers you a four week Spanish course followed by a four week volunteer experience in various social institutions. A chance to work with people less fortunate and make a difference in their lives. While helping those in need you will be able to improve your Spanish and enjoy the beautiful Mexican city of Guanajuato.

Volunteer programs are also available in Ecuador, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Peru and Guatemala.

Request more information here

Teacher Appreciation Week

Celine — Fri, 04 May 2007 12:10:29 +0200

We can’t forget that the week of May 6 - May 12 is Teacher Appreciation Week, a time to draw attention to the important role teachers play in making sure every student receives the quality education they deserve. This special week was established in 1984 by the National PTA to honour the dedicated men and women who lend their time, patience and expertise to our education.

Could you start your immersion in Spanish right where you are?

Erin — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 09:00:00 +0200

I ran across an idea-inspiring article from a US newspaper on the web today. A Spanish teacher from New Jersey took her high school Spanish students on a 20 minute bus ride to a largely Hispanic town, and then sent them off to practice their Spanish with the locals.

Tips and news about Spanish culture every month

Paqui — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 14:44:26 +0200

don Quijote monthly newsletter is packed with interesting information about Spain and Latin America, travel resources and language bits to learn every month: Spanish slang, a Spanish phrase and a piropo (love phrase).

Subscription is free, so don't think it twice and subscribe now to start receiving don Quijote's monthly newsletter.

You can also check past issues in our newsletter archive.

Practica español con la revista Punto y Coma

Paqui — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 10:38:00 +0100

Mantener un buen nivel de un idioma extranjero no es fácil, especialmente si no tienes muchas ocasiones para practicar la lengua. Aqui te recomendamos un recurso estupendo para practicar español desde tu casa: la revista Punto y Coma, dirigida a estudiantes de español con nivel intermedio o avanzado. Todos los artículos de la revista se presentan con un glosario de traducciones y en muchos de ellos hay ejercicios con sus correspondientes soluciones, además la revista se acompaña con un cd de audio.

Leyendo sus artículos mejorarás tu comprensión y aprenderás nuevo vocabulario, también puedes practicar lo que has aprendido con los ejercicios que incluyen y mejorar tu pronunciación y comprensión oral con el cd de audio.

Recibir el primer número es gratuito, puedes pedirlo aqui y si quieres recibir todos sus números, puedes suscribirte en su página web: www.pyc-revista.com

Discover Seville in 2007

Paqui — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 14:07:33 +0100

Seville is a beautiful city in the South of Spain. Here is a video where you can see a bit of Seville:

Request here free information about don Quijote's Spanish school in Seville

See Spain with your own eyes

Paqui — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 09:19:24 +0100

See a bit of Spain with your own eyes, have a look at this video with images of Spanish cities like Madrid, landscapes, people, forests and beaches.

An interview with Victor Garcia de la Concha, director of the Real Academia Española

Erin — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 08:00:00 +0100

"To learn Spanish well, it is wise to choose an accredited center and, if possible, a center in a Spanish-speaking country, in order to pick up the everyday language".

Back in March of 2004, our director of studies, Caridad Santana, spent some time talking with the director of the Real Academia Española about Spanglish, the future of the Spanish language, and what advice he would offer to students looking for a Spanish language school and teachers entrusted with the teaching of the language of Cervantes:

Entrevista a Victor García de la Concha, director de la Real Academia Española

Erin — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 08:00:00 +0100

"Para aprender bien español conviene elegir un centro acreditado y, si es posible, en un país hispanohablante para poder captar bien los usos de la calle".

Entrevista a Víctor García de la Concha, director de la Real Academia Española y premio Príncipe de Asturias 2000.
Salamanca, marzo de 2004

Caridad Santana, directora de estudios, don Quijote

P: Dados los tiempos que corren en España en cuanto a políticas lingüísticas se refiere, ¿español o castellano?

Conoce a los Profes: Salomé, Jefa de Estudios, don Quijote Tenerife

Erin — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 15:30:18 +0200

Hoy, hablamos con Salomé Torres González, Jefa de Estudios, don Quijote Tenerife.

20 versiones del Español

Cristina — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 13:57:45 +0200

En los 22 países que componen Iberoamérica a excepción de Portugal y Brasil el español es la lengua oficial

Conoce a los profes - Hoy, desde Guanajuato, os presentamos a Aracely

Erin — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 10:54:15 +0200

Esta semana en Conoce a los Profes viajamos a Guanajuato, México, para hablar un rato con Aracely Judith Hernández Delgado. ¿Qué consejos daría Aracely a los estudiantes de español?

Meet Our Teachers: Today from Guanajuato, we present Aracely

Erin — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 10:46:10 +0200

In this week's interview with a don Quijote teacher, we stop by the don Quijote school in Guanajuato, México, to talk a while with Aracely Judith Hernández Delgado. Aracely's advice to students of Spanish? Take the risk, and approach native speakers.

Conoce a los profes: Hoy desde Granada, os presentamos a Raquel

Erin — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 13:54:39 +0200

Hoy estrenamos una sección nueva de nuestro blog: Conoce a los Profes. ¡Vamos a entrevistar a nuestros profes! Una vez a la semana, os presentaremos a un profesor de una de las escuelas de don Quijote. Publicaremos las entrevistas en español y inglés en la categoría nueva - Meet our Teachers, en las entradas en inglés.

Hoy, desde Granada, os presentamos a Raquel Ramos Josa:

Meet our Teachers: Today, from Granada, we present Raquel

Erin — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 13:40:09 +0200

Today, we're pleased to launch a new feature on Spanish Teaching: Interviews with the don Quijote teachers! Each week we'll introduce you to a profe at one if the don Quijote schools. We'll publish the interviews in Spanish and English, in a category we'll call Conoce a los profes - Meet Our Teachers, in the English posts.

Today, from Granada, say hello to Raquel Ramos Josa. Raquel's been teaching at don Quijote for 10 years, first at don Quijote Barcelona, and for the last 7 years, in Granada. She's got some good book recommendations for students of Spanish...wait, we'll let Raquel speak for herself:

Wikipedia on the Spanish language: a goldmine of resources!

Erin — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 12:10:12 +0200

A quick Google search for "Spanish language" this morning led me to the Spanish Language page of Wikipedia. Hours later, I am still browsing and following links. The page is a goldmine of information and links for everything from a list of all the countries in which Spanish is the official language, to handy phrases you can listen to, a detailed pronunciation guide, comparisons with related languages, history and a look at regional versions of Spanish - how you might alter your Spanish-learned Castilian to carry on a conversation in Argentina or Peru.

Mysterious Spanish cities

Paqui — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 12:52:13 +0200

Here is a picture of a Spanish city, but this time I am not telling you which, so take a guess...Do you know this place? In which city was this picture taken? Do you know where in Spain it is??

If you want to see more pictures you can have a look at the student's photo albums in the don Quijote website.

...I will give you the answer to the mysterious city soon.

Work with the sweet murmur of Spanish behind you: RNE Radio 3

Erin — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 12:37:11 +0200

As someone who is sure to be a lifelong student of Spanish, I have good news and bad news.

The good news is you'll be astounded by how quickly you can improve your Spanish living in a Spanish-speaking country. Before I moved to Spain, I used to pop over regularly for immersion courses - a month here, 2 months there- and even then I was amazed by how important immersion is to language learning. Speaking a language. Listening to it, all day long. Hearing it in the background, having to spit out that sentence if you want to buy a train ticket.

The bad news is that even after years, it still takes effort to keep my Spanish in shape. To communicate the way I want to.

I was whining to my Spanish teacher about all the time I spend writing in English (because that's how I pay my bills) recently. I feel the impact of all of that English on my ability to be quick and fluent and funny and well, me, in Spanish at the end of the work day.

And she gave me the perfect prescription: RNE Radio 3

Teaching Spanish is my passion

Salomé — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 17:08:29 +0200

Hello everybody, my name is Salomé Torres. I am Head of Studies at the don Quijote language school in Tenerife and would like to use this chance to introduce our school and of course myself a bit more.

I love teaching Spanish

Salomé — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 11:27:34 +0200

Salomé Torres is chief of studies at don Quijote Tenerife school.
Meet her and discover our Spanish school in Tenerife, 'the Island of eternal Spring'. Known for its amazing beaches, breathtaking landscapes, lively atmosphere and charming people. Read this article (in Spanish).....

La palabra más bonita del español

Paqui — Tue, 16 May 2006 09:48:58 +0200

41.000 internautas han participado con sus votos en la elección de la palabra más bonita del español.

Entre las más votadas están las palabras libertad, paz, vida, azahar, esperanza, madre, mamá, amistad y libélula. Los internautas hispanohablantes han elegido el vocablo amor como el más bello de la lengua castellana, con 3364 votos.
Lee más sobre el concurso aqui
Aprende una palabra en español cada día con la Palabra del día

Spanish for beginners

Paqui — Thu, 11 May 2006 11:13:23 +0200

Here are some great ideas for beginners in Spanish:

Free Spanish lessons by email
don Quijote members is a community with free services and resources for anyone wanting to learn or practice Spanish. You'll get free access to weekly Spanish lessons by e-mail, language learning tools, Spanish word of the day, Spanish verbs conjugator, penpals... 70,000 members, strong and growing!!

Spanish courses abroad

The best way to learn a language is through an immersion course in the country. It's the fastest method to learn Spanish and also the most funny, besides learning the language you also learn about the culture and it's a great opportunity to meet friends from all over the world who share your interests. You don't need to spend a great amount of money and it will be for sure the best investment of your life.

Montly newsletter
A small taste of Spain, Latin america, Hispanic culture and Spanish language, every month in your mailbox. You’ll find fresh information on Spanish culture, what’s on in Spain, news, a Spanish slang survival kit, a recipe, and much more. It’s delivered to your inbox in English and Spanish. Check out some past examples from the newsletter archive