Vaughan Radio y Televisión

Pronunciation Extra - When are you (UÉNAYA)

2012-01-25T10:00:00.000+01:00

Yet another look at the way we slide one word into another creating “new words” which sound unintelligible to a Spaniard. For example, when we say “itsa” we are actually using three words you know perfectly well - it + is + a. It is essential to learn these “new words” as it will help your understanding of the spoken language enormously. Recognizing these contractions is the key to reaching a better understanding of English as spoken by native speakers.

The “new word” we’re going to look at this month is the way we pronounce the words “when + are + you” when we speak at a normal speed. Learning these verbal “short cuts” (atajos) can greatly improve your fluency when it comes to expressing yourself in English.

UÉNAYA coming?

¿Cuándo vienes?

When are you coming?

UÉNAYA arriving?

¿Cuándo llegas?

When are you arriving?

UÉNAYA meeting them?

¿Cuándo has quedado con ellos?

When are you meeting them?

UÉNAYA flying to London?

¿Cuándo vuelas a Londres?

When are you flying to London?

UÉNAYA working next week?

¿Cuándo trabajas la semana que viene?

When are you working next week?

UÉNAYA going to tell him?

¿Cuándo vas a contárselo?

When are you going to tell him?

UÉNAYA going to get married?

¿Cuándo vais a casaros?

When are you going to get married?

UÉNAYA leaving?

¿Cuándo te marchas?

When are you leaving?

More "Pronunciation" articles here.

Whilst doing

2012-01-24T10:00:00.001+01:00

En realidad existen dos palabras para “mientras” en inglés. Los británicos suelen emplear “while” cuando hay dos sujetos y “whilst” cuando solamente hay uno.

Mientras trabajaba en el jardín, vi a un zorro.
Whilst doing the gardening, I saw a fox.

Vi ocurrir el accidente mientras conducía cerca de Valencia.
I saw the accident happen whilst driving close to Valencia.

Lo podemos hablar mientras vamos al aeropuerto.
We can discuss it whilst going to the airport.

Le expliqué la situación a mi mujer mientras me afeitaba.
I explained the situation to my wife whilst shaving.

Me corté la mano mientras intentaba abrir una lata de tomates.
I cut my hand whilst trying to open a tin of tomatoes.

En cambio, los norteamericanos siempre emplean la palabra “while”.
Veamos más ejemplos con un solo sujeto para dos verbos.

Jim se cayó mientras intentaba rescatar al gatito.
Jim fell off the ladder while trying to rescue the kitten.

Se hizo un esguince en el tobillo mientras jugaba al fútbol.
He sprained his ankle while playing football.

No te quedes dormido mientras lees este artículo.
Don’t go to sleep while reading this article.

Siempre se me ocurren mis mejores ideas mientras me ducho.
I always come up with my best ideas while having a shower.

El futbolista rompió a llorar mientras anunciaba su retirada.
The footballer broke down in tears while announcing his retirement.

More "Tid Bits" articles here.

Racking my brains…

2012-01-23T10:00:00.007+01:00

Torture rack: Photo by David Bjorgen

Mention the word "rack" nowadays and most people immediately think of a luggage rack (portaequipaje) where you put your bags on a train, or, alternatively, of a toast rack (rejilla para las tostadas) where you leave toast to steam in an upright position (we almost always say "upright position" and hardly ever "vertical position") so it doesn't go soft. All very mundane (banal). Mention the same word "rack" to a mediaeval audience and you might well (muy probablemente) get a very different reaction. The rack (potro) was that particularly cruel form of torture (what form of torture is not particularly cruel?) where the victim was stretched out (estirada) on and tied to (atada a) a contraption which, as the torturer turned a wheel, would gradually stretch the limbs (extremidades) of his victim until the latter (esta última) either said what the torturer wanted them to say or the aforementioned (susodichas) limbs were torn (arrancadas) from their body. Knowing this, you can probably guess what the metaphorical expression "to rack your brains" means (estrujarse el cerebro).

Anyway (Bueno), today I'm racking my brains, desperately thinking of something to write about for this blog. "Racking" seems quite appropriate as the pain and anguish (angustia) I'm going through is similar to torture. Anyway, it's no good. My mind is completely empty so as I have to go on a trip tomorrow (fíjate en que decimos “to go on a trip” y no “to go in a trip”), I decide to pack my suitcases. In English we don't “do” our suitcases like you do in Spanish, we “pack” them. So, it’s time to stop "racking" and start "packing".

First, I look for my suitcase, or ‘case’, as we also say. I open it by unzipping (abriendo la cremallera) it and it's time to make an important decision. Shall I pack it by folding all my clothes and place them neatly inside, or shall I just stuff (meter a presión) everything in? Stuffing is ok when you're coming back home with dirty clothes, but when I'm about to go away, I like to fold my clothes (don't even think about “doubling” your clothes as that has nothing to do with packing a suitcase - "to double" means ‘duplicar’ and not ‘doblar’). I start by folding my trousers and putting them at the bottom of the case. Then I fold a jumper and put it on top of the trousers. After folding and packing three shirts and a couple of T-shirts, I realise that I'm going to need a bigger suitcase, so I unpack the T-shirts, unpack the shirts, unpack the jumper and unpack my trousers, zip up the case, get out another one, unzip it and start packing again.

I pack some socks and pants (don't forget I'm English rather than (y no) American, so here I'm referring to my underwear and not my trousers) and then look for my toiletry bag. It's funny how we say "toiletry bag" when everything that goes into a toiletry bag has nothing to do with the toilet (inodoro) itself. Equally inexplicable is the fact that when Americans say "bathroom" they are often not referring to the room where you have a bath or shower, but rather (sino) the toilet. Language is never entirely logical! Anyway, back to my toiletry bag. First, I unzip it and then put my toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, hairbrush and razor in. I don't imagine I'll need soap or shampoo as the hotel is bound to have some. It's also bound to provide (proporcionar) towels and a hairdryer. When we take something for granted (dar algo por hecho) we say "it's bound to happen", which literally means that it's predestined to happen. So, my hotel, if you like, is "predestined" to provide soap and shampoo. It's bound to provide a shower cap too, so I don't ruin my hair!

I pack my toiletry bag and zip my suitcase up only to realise that I need to unzip it again because I have forgotten about my hand luggage allowance (límite de equipaje de mano). I'm not planning to (no pienso) check in (facturar) any luggage, so my suitcase will be my hand luggage and I need to put all my papers - passport, plane tickets, hotel reservation etc. - inside together with my book. After putting all this inside, I zip up the case again, stop for a second, change my mind (cambio de opinión), unzip it, take my passport and plane tickets out, unzip the outer (exterior) pocket, put them in the outer pocket and zip the outer pocket up again.

As soon as I finish packing, I start racking my brains again desperately looking for something to write about. Unfortunately, my brain rack is not as effective as a mediaeval torture rack. In fact, the more I rack my brains, the emptier my mind becomes. Then, suddenly I hit on (doy con) an idea. As I'm going on a trip tomorrow, perhaps I could write about suitcases…

Written by Richard Brown
Edited by Vaughan Radio y TV
More "Read Up" articles here.

Pronunciation Extra - The thing is (DEZÍNGUIS)

2012-01-18T10:00:00.001+01:00

Yet another look at the way we slide one word into another creating “new words” which sound unintelligible to a Spaniard. For example, when we say “itsa” we are actually using three words you know perfectly well - it + is + a. It is essential to learn these “new words” as it will help your understanding of the spoken language enormously. Recognizing these contractions is the key to reaching a better understanding of English as spoken by native speakers.

This example of real spoken English is the way many natives tend to slide the words “the thing is…” (“lo que pasa es que…” / “es que…”) together in everyday speech.

DEZÍNGUIS we’ve run out of milk.

Lo que pasa es que nos hemos quedado sin leche.

The thing is we’ve run out of milk.

DEZÍNGUIS that I’ve lost my mobile.

Lo que pasa es que he perdido mi móvil.

The thing is that I’ve lost my mobile.

DEZÍNGUIS that everyone’s gone home.

Lo que pasa es que todo el mundo se ha marchado a casa.

The thing is that everyone’s gone home.

DEZÍNGUIS that I forgot to tell him.

Lo que pasa es que se me olvidó decírselo.

The thing is that I forgot to tell him.

DEZÍNGUIS he doesn’t have any money.

Lo que pasa es que él no tiene dinero.

The thing is he doesn’t have any money.

DEZÍNGUIS we have to leave soon.

Lo que pasa es que tenemos que irnos pronto.

The thing is we have to leave soon.

DEZÍNGUIS that we can’t afford it.

Lo que pasa es que no nos lo podemos permitir.

The thing is that we can’t afford it.

DEZÍNGUIS that we don’t have their number.

Lo que pasa es que no tenemos su número.

The thing is that we don’t have their number.

More "Pronunciation" articles here.

After doing

2012-01-17T10:00:00.000+01:00

Igual que ocurre con la preposición “before”, cuando una persona hace algo después de hacer otra cosa empleamos el gerundio (verbo + "ing") después de la preposición “after”.

Después de desayunar, hice la compra.
After having breakfast, I did the shopping.

Después de hacer la compra, me fui al oculista.
After doing the shopping, I went to the optician’s.

Después de ver al oculista, compré un helado.
After seeing the optician, I bought an ice cream.

Después de comer mi helado, llamé a mi mujer.
After eating my ice cream, I phoned my wife.

Después de hablar con mi mujer, cogí un taxi.
After speaking to my wife, I caught a taxi.

Recuerda que sólo empleamos el gerundio después de “after” cuando no hay un cambio de sujeto.
¡Ojo con la pronunciación de la palabra “after”! Decimos /afta/.

Decidí buscar otro empleo después de hablar con mi jefe.
I decided to look for another job after speaking to my boss.

Mi jefe escribió una carta de reclamación después de leer el editorial.
My boss wrote a letter of complaint after reading the editorial.

Me sentí mal después de comer unas gambas.
I felt ill after eating some prawns.

Jeremy se derrumbó después de terminar el maratón.
Jeremy collapsed after finishing the marathon.

Phillip puso la mesa después de abrir la botella de vino.
Phillip laid the table after opening the bottle of wine.

More "Tid Bits" articles here.

Ps, Qs and Yous

2012-01-16T10:00:00.000+01:00

There are many reasons why I’m looking forward to growing old in Spain: being able to sit in a park on a bright spring day, sipping wine and playing dominoes or “petanca” with the other oldies ranks high among them (ocupan una posición privilegiada entre ellas), as does the fact that anyone younger than I am will have to use the “usted” form when they talk to me. And if they dare not to, you can be sure that I’ll relish telling them (les diré con deleite) “¡Trátame de usted, jovenzuelo!”. Contrary to most Spaniards, who seem to consider being spoken to in the “usted” form as the first sign that they’re about to be shipped off (como si estuvieran a punto de ser enviados) to a geriatrics’ home, I can’t wait to reach that age where people suddenly start addressing me (se empiezan a dirigir a mi) in such a directly respectful way: it appeals to the pompous, excessively polite Englishman in me.

I think it’s fantastic that any language should have a subject pronoun such as “usted” and “ustedes” which is a marker of immediate respect towards the person that you are talking to. English is sadly lacking (carece) in such a pronoun. Spanish is much more precise in the fact that it has the “tú”, “usted”, “vosotros” and “ustedes” forms, whereas in English all we have is the simple, old ‘you’. ‘You’ if you’re speaking to a friend; ‘you’ if you’re speaking to Nelson Mandela; ‘you’ if you’re speaking to your mates (colegas); ‘you’ if you’re speaking to a group of bishops (obispos)… Oh come on, what do you mean you don’t usually speak to a group of bishops?!

All of which begs the following questions (nos lleva a preguntarnos): how do you know which ‘you’ English speakers are referring to when they’re speaking? And why, especially considering that we’re renowned for being such a supposedly polite nation, is there no equivalent of the “usted” form in English? It’s actually pretty easy to know when English speakers are using ‘you’ in the sense of “vosotros” because these days ‘you guys’ and ‘you lot’ have almost become the standard forms of address when speaking in the plural, or at least in informal contexts. It’s also very common if you wish to refer to two or three people to say ‘you two’ or ‘you three’. Beyond three (mas allá de tres) it’s recommendable to use ‘you lot’ or ‘you guys’; it would sound a little ridiculous to say ‘Hey, what are you seven doing tonight?’ You could also use ‘you all’ which is shortened to ‘y’all’ in the southern states of the US.

What should you do then to compensate for the lack of an “usted” form in English when you want to show respect to someone who is older than you or who is in a position of higher seniority (que tiene más antigüedad) than you are? The simple answer is that you should ‘mind your Ps and Qs’. This expression means that you should remember to be polite at all times by saying ‘your Ps’ which means ‘please’ and ‘your Qs’ which means ‘thank you’ (la pronunciación in inglés es como si estuvieras diciendo “than Q”). As we don’t have the “usted” form, it’s essential that you choose your words wisely when speaking to someone worthy (digno) of an “usted” in English. Apart from ‘minding your Ps and Qs’ it’s also a very good idea to use conditional tenses as much as possible when making requests or if you have to give an order. In fact, if you have to give an order, it’s always best if you want to appear truly English, to disguise (disfrazar) it as a request anyway.

Here’s a quick guide. When requesting things, always say:

‘I would like…’ instead of ‘I want…’.

It’s much better to say:

‘Could you…?’ or ‘Would you…?’

instead of ‘Can you…?’ and ‘Will you…?’.

Once you have mastered these fundamental basics you can start jazzing things up (embellecer) by throwing in some adverbs and other pearls of politeness:

‘Could you possibly…?’

‘Would you mind awfully…?’

‘I’m terribly sorry but could you…?’

‘I don’t suppose you could…‘

‘Would you be so kind as to…?’

‘Is there any chance you could…?’

And don’t forget to say ‘Excuse me…’ and ‘Sorry…’ as much as you possibly can either:

‘Excuse me, I’m sorry but do you have the time?’

‘Sorry, do you have a light please?’

‘Sorry, I think you’re standing on my wife’s foot’.

Being English means always having to say you’re sorry for everything!

And, indeed, I’m terribly sorry too as I would like to be able to explain why we English are so damned polite in the first place, but I’m rather afraid I seem to be running out of (me temo que se me está acabando) space. Would you mind awfully reading my next blog and I’ll tell you all about it then? I don’t suppose there’s any chance you could do that, is there? Please? It would be really marvellous if you could, thanks….
….and again, I’m really, awfully, dreadfully sorry.

Written by Conor McAlinden

Edited by Vaughan Radio y TV

More "Read Up" articles here.

Idioms With Parts of the Body

2012-01-13T10:00:00.009+01:00

Idioms with Parts of the Body

We often hear idioms, no not the kind you think, not in the sense of a language but more of an expression that has a figurative rather than a literal meaning. For example, when we say ''keep an eye on it'', we can't do that literally, in that case it means to watch something for a determined period of time. Other examples are:
-To keep one's head above water: To stay out of debt (deuda)

''I'm not earning much at my current job right now, I'm trying to keep my head over water''

-To keep someone at arm's length: Not to get too close to someone, keep them at a distance

''I don't know her well, so I try to keep her at arm's length''

-To play by ear: To improvise (improvisar), act in the moment.

''Tomorrow's meeting is not planned very well, we're going to have to play it by ear''

-To know something like the back of one's hand: To be very familiar with something, or to know something very well.
''I know this city like the back of my hand''

-To see eye to eye (with someone) (on something): To agree (estar de acuerdo) with a person or a situation.
''By the end of the meeting we all saw eye to eye on the project''

-To lose heart: To become discouraged (desanimado)
''This project is getting harder and harder, I'm beginning to lose heart''

-To hold one's tongue: To stay quiet, to say nothing
''I was going to tell her the truth but I held my tongue''

Idioms are very helpful. These sentences have been made up (inventadas) by culture and we hear them everyday. They are like ''sayings'' (dichos). We can find idioms with parts of the body, colors, flavors, and even animals.

What's the point of...?

2012-01-12T10:00:00.002+01:00

¿De qué sirve...? No olvides que después de la preposición "of" hace falta un verbo en gerundio "ing".

¿De qué sirve levantarte temprano si luego te entra sueño?
What's the point of getting up early if it makes you feel sleepy later in the day?

¿De qué sirve trabajar si no te gusta?
What's the point of working if you don't enjoy it?

¿De qué sirve estudiar inglés si no estás dispuesto a utilizarlo en la vida real?
What's the point of studying English if you're not prepared to use it in real life situations?

¿De qué sirve ser puntual si los demás llegan tarde?
What's the point of being punctual if everyone else is late?

¿De qué sirve enfadarse por eso?
What's the point of getting angry about it?

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Pronunciation Extra - Who is the (JUSA)

2012-01-11T10:00:00.001+01:00

Yet another look at the way we slide one word into another creating “new words” which sound unintelligible to a Spaniard. For example, when we say “itsa” we are actually using three words you know perfectly well - it + is + a. It is essential to learn these “new words” as it will help your understanding of the spoken language enormously. Recognizing these contractions is the key to reaching a better understanding of English as spoken by native speakers.

This example of real spoken English is the way we tend to ask the question “who is the…?” when not thinking about trying to make ourselves understood to non-native speakers or people with hearing difficulties.

JUSA boss around here?

¿Quién es el jefe aquí?

Who is the boss around here?

JUSA person in charge?

¿Quién es el responsable?

Who is the person in charge?

JUSA man talking to the police officer?

¿Quién es el hombre que está hablando con el policía?

Who is the man talking to the police officer?

JUSA woman in the blue dress?

¿Quién es la mujer con el vestido azul?

Who is the woman in the blue dress?

JUSA present for?

¿Para quién es el regalo?

Who is the present for?

JUSA boss’s secretary with?

¿Con quién está la secretaria del jefe?

Who is the boss’s secretary with?

JUSA song dedicated to?

¿A quién está dedicada la canción?

Who is the song dedicated to?

JUSA course aimed at?

¿A quién está dirigido el curso?

Who is the course aimed at?

More "Pronunciation" articles here.

Before doing

2012-01-10T10:00:00.000+01:00

Cuando alguien hace algo antes de hacer otra cosa empleamos un verbo en gerundio (acabado en “-ing”) directamente después de la preposición “before”. No es necesario repetir el sujeto.

Fui al supermercado antes de ir a Correos.
I went to the supermarket before going to the Post Office.

Él se tomó un sorbo de agua antes de empezar su discurso.
He had a sip of water before beginning his speech.

Vendimos nuestro piso antes de buscar otro.
We sold our flat before looking for another one.

Registraron nuestras maletas antes de dejarnos pasar.
They searched our suitcases before letting us go past.

Ella habló con sus padres antes de tomar una decisión.
She spoke to her parents before making a decision.

Recuerda que sólo empleamos un gerundio después de la palabra “before” cuando no hay un cambio de sujeto.
Por ejemplo, compara estas dos frases: “I sent her some flowers before asking her to marry me” con “I sent her some flowers before she asked me to marry her”.

Fumé un cigarro antes de pedir la cuenta.
I smoked a cigarette before asking for the bill.

El profesor se rió antes de contestar a la pregunta.
The teacher laughed before answering the question.

Harry se lo pensó un rato antes de decidir qué hacer.
Harry thought about it for a while before deciding what to do.

Ella se secó el pelo antes de irse al trabajo.
She dried her hair before leaving for work.

Llamé a mi madre antes de irme de la oficina.
I phoned my mother before leaving the office.

More "Tid Bits" articles here.

Janus

2012-01-09T10:00:00.002+01:00

In Roman mythology Janus was the god of doorways. Always depicted with two faces, one looking forward and the other looking backward, he traditionally represented change, from the past to the future. His most enduring legacy (legado duradero) to modern culture is to be found in the month of January, a word etymologically derived from his name.

Just as (igual que) the image of Janus would stand over the doorways of well-to-do (acomodados) Roman households, so January stands at the gateway to the new year providing us with an opportunity to look back as well as forward.

Perhaps we should all keep the figure of the twin faced Janus in mind at this time of year in order not only to make our usual list of futile New Year’s resolutions but also to reflect upon the previous year, analyse our performance and learn from our mistakes.

Mistakes have always had a very bad press (mala prensa). This is perhaps why, associating them with something very negative, we tend to do our very best to forget about them as soon as possible. As far as I’m concerned, this in itself is a big mistake. As a general rule we learn very little from our successes. The very nature of success means that the euphoria it brings normally blinds us (nos ciega), thereby (así) preventing us from analysing exactly what went right and why. Mistakes on the other hand are a different matter as they leave us in a perfect state of mind to question and examine the behaviour or sequence of events that led up to them in order to ensure we don’t follow the same behavioural pattern in the future.

Looking forward again, January is a classic moment to make mistakes. We all make them when making our New Year’s resolutions, setting ourselves unrealistic objectives whilst not developing any clear action plan as to how to go about achieving them. A classic example is the resolution thousands of Spaniards make at this time of the year: “This year is going to be the year of English, the year I’m really going to set my mind to (tomármelo en serio) mastering the language of Shakespeare.”

This resolution in itself can be highly damaging (dañino) to your progress in learning English, particularly when, as time goes by, you find yourself unable to make it happen (hacerlo realidad). Not living up to (logrando) your goals and turning them (convirtiéndolos) into a series of failures is one of the biggest causes of personal frustration and demotivation. Learning English is an obvious case. As soon as you drop your guard and stop devoting enough time to it, you will cease to notice any improvement. When you no longer notice any improvement, you will make even less effort and will start to get into a pathetic vicious circle which usually ends with the conclusion that you just aren’t cut out for learning languages (que los idiomas no son lo tuyo).
Everybody is cut out for learning languages. But successfully learning a foreign language when you’re not surrounded by it 24 hours a day requires an enormous amount of self-discipline and effort. If you’re not prepared to devote a minimum of 20 minutes to English every day, you will never make any progress and, psychologically, you will always associate English with failure.

If this was your case last year, make sure that this year you associate learning English with success by exposing yourself to the language every single day of 2012, whether by watching the news on TV, listening to the radio (Vaughan Radio is a good place to start), reading the newspaper, surfing the Internet, watching Vaughan TV videos online, studying the pages of the Vaughan Review (but not just once), trying to read a novel in English, using English at every available opportunity.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to a question of mathematics. The more English you expose yourself to, the more English you will learn. It’s not exactly rocket science but it’s surprising just how many people fail to understand this most basic of formulae. It just leaves me to wish you a very happy new year: make 2012 the year you crack the English nut (solucionar el problema del inglés).

Written By Richard Brown
Edited by Vaughan Radio y Televisión
More "Read Up" articles here.

Manolo's Missives Part 12

2012-01-05T10:00:00.004+01:00

This is the twelfth letter that our friend and student asked us to clean up for him before sending it to the U.S. It took us some time to fix it up. Below is the raw version as originally handed over for correction. I hope you can make sense out of it. It took us a few minutes to figure it out, but when we did, we learned a few new and curious things about our friend Manolo.

Estimated Charles:

I am of better humor ultimately. Less bad. Until my woman noted me rare. Have been two the things, in my opinion, that have joined themselves for to lift me the cheers. First, the Bishopric fertilized in only three days my first invoice, with the which I ingressed more of a million of euros in my bank account. Finished themselves of blow all my treasury anguishes. It has been a ball of oxygen for the enterprise.

Second, I tripped with Palmyra in the cafeteria to the side of my office. She was with another uncle, a man low, fat and ugly. He would have some 50 years like minimum. I put myself in the other side of the bar and asked for a coffee long of water, how the coffees that you take the Americans. I was not able to avoid to lift the view for to look her to Palmyra. What woman! What face! What body! While she spoke with the uncle, she threw away looks in my direction and she smiled. I had a knot in the gorge. I caught the newspaper to the side of the register box and put myself to read, for not to look her. Passed a minute more or less, I heard a voice to my backs to say: “Hello colleague, what do you count yourself?” I put a sad face and said: “Hello Palmyra, what such are you?” She asked me for pardon for the form in that she comported herself with me the night in that I carried her to my dispatch. She said me: “I was so surprised that I reactioned of manner a little brusque. I feel it. Do you pardon me? I promise that I will comport myself. And to purpose, I am not married. I am free and without compromise.” I smiled and said a Spanish refrain: “Women who cause lust, are women of no trust”. In reality, I finish of to invent this refrain in this same moment. I did not tell her it. I told a refrain in Spansh that it is a little similar. It treats itself of a refrain of mariners. It goes thus: “De las mujeres y de la mar, no te has de fiar”. Are you of accord with me, friend of mine? Do you understand it? Don’t show her it to Betty... she will catch me mania.

In another order of things, my major son Raúl made his SAT and is hoping the results. If he takes out a good note, he has grand possibilities of to be admitted to Harvard. The uncle is a phenomenon. I do not know where he got his intelligence. He remembers me a lot an old friend of the family, until in the face of pecks that they have the two.

Well, Charles, I wait that all goes well for you and the yours. Much luck with your project with the NASA.

Like always, a cordial salute of your friend

Manolo

Pronunciation Extra - Been to (BINTA)

2012-01-04T10:00:00.001+01:00

Yet another look at the way we slide one word into another creating “new words” which sound unintelligible to a Spaniard. For example, when we say “itsa” we are actually using three words you know perfectly well - it + is + a. It is essential to learn these “new words” as it will help your understanding of the spoken language enormously. Recognizing these contractions is the key to reaching a better understanding of English as spoken by native speakers.

We’re going to look at the way we tend to pronounce “been + to” (estado / ido a) when we speak at a normal speed. Remember that the more you can assimilate these verbal short cuts (atajos) into your spoken English, the more natural sounding you’ll become. To get a better idea of how we say this new word, listen carefully to the video.

Have you ever BINTA New York?

¿Has estado alguna vez en Nueva York?

Have you ever been to New York?

No, I’ve never BINTA New York.

No, nunca he estado en Nueva York.

No, I’ve never been to New York.

I haven’t BINTA the dentist this year.

No he ido al dentista este año.

I haven’t been to the dentist this year.

We’ve BINTA lots of parties this year.

Hemos ido a muchas fiestas este año.

We’ve been to lots of parties this year.

Have you BINTA the new exhibition?

¿Has ido a la exposición nueva?

Have you been to the new exhibition?

They haven’t BINTA the supermarket yet.

No han ido al supermercado todavía.

They haven’t been to the supermarket yet.

He’s already BINTA my house.

Él ya ha estado en mi casa.

He’s already been to my house.

She’s BINTA quite a few football matches.

Ella ha asistido a bastantes partidos de fútbol.

She’s been to quite a few football matches.

More "Pronunciation" articles here.

Expressions with...Stick

2012-01-03T10:00:00.000+01:00

I think you’ve got the wrong end of the stick.
Creo que lo has entendido todo al revés.

He’s been getting some stick for that.
Ha estado recibiendo palos por eso.

They’re using it as a stick with which to beat him.
Están usándolo como arma para atacarle.

Don’t be such a stick in the mud!
¡No seas aguafiestas!

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
A palabras necias, oídos sordos.

We have more customers than you can shake a stick at.
Tenemos clientes a montones.

It looks like I’ve got the short end of the stick.
Parece que me he llevado la peor parte.

Sheila lives out in the stick.
Sheila vive en el quinto pino.

I can hardly draw a stick man.
Apenas puedo dibujar un monigote.

Make sure you give him some stick.
Asegúrate de darle caña.

More "Tid Bits" articles here.

Pronunciation of Regular Verbs

2011-12-30T10:00:00.034+01:00

In today’s blog, I’d like to explain some rules for an important, but often ignored topic when studying English – The pronunciation of regular verbs.

The conjugation of regular verbs in English is easy and I suppose that’s why many people make the mistake of overlooking regular verbs entirely when they’re allocating their study time. To conjugate them we simply add either a “D” or an “ED” to the end. In the case of verbs ending in “Y” we remove the “Y” and add “IED”.

The problem isn’t generally the conjugation, but rater the pronunciation. Hopefully, with a little review and some practice reading and pronouncing the conjugations out loud (en voz alta) you can master these very common regular verbs, 60 or so of which (de las cuales) make up a tremendous portion of our everyday speech.

With a few simple rules, you can add an “understanding” of their pronunciation, and therefore be able to recognize whether or not you’re pronouncing the word correctly without your teacher standing over your shoulder.

First, let’s break down all regular verbs into 2 categories:
- Infinitives that end in “T” or “D”
- Infinitives that don’t end in “T” or “D”

1. “T” or “D” Ending Infinitives

These verbs will receive an extra syllable when pronounced in the past. An example is the verb “to divide” which is pronounced with two syllables in the infinitive form and in the past, three:

Every day I di-vide → Yesterday I di-vi-ded.
Similarly, the verb “To Act” changes from one syllable to two:
Every day I act → Yesterday I act-ed.

2. Non-“T” or “D” Ending Infinitives

These verbs are pronounced in the past without an extra syllable. Within this collection of verbs, there are two possible pronunciations: the hard “D” sound and the “T” sound.

The “T” sound

All of the verbs in this category are spelled with an “ED” ending in their past form however, it is often difficult to pronounce the “D” so in this case we have developed the habit of pronouncing the ending as if it were a “T”.

In terms of pronunciation, the “T” sound occurs with verbs ending in certain sounds such as “K” as in “to look”, “to check”, “to ask” or “to walk”.

They will be pronounced as follows:
Every day I look→ Yesterday I lookt (looked).
Every day I check → Yesterday I chekt (checked).
Every day I ask → Yesterday I askt (asked).
Every day I walk → Yesterday I walkt (walked).

We also use the “T” sound ending with verbs ending in S, P, SH, CH and F sounds.

S:
Every day I cross→ Yesterday I crost (crossed).
Every day I dance→ Yesterday I danst (danced). **“S” sounding ending in the infinitive

P:
Every day I help→ Yesterday I helpt (helped).
Every day I stop→ Yesterday I stopt (stopped).

SH:
Every day I wash→ Yesterday I washt (washed).
Every day I wish→ Yesterday I wisht (wished).
Every day I smash→ Yesterday I smasht (smashed).

CH:
Every day I watch→ Yesterday I watcht (watched).

F:
Every day I laugh→ Yesterday I laft (laughed). **“F” sounding ending in the infinitive

The hard “D” ending

The rest of the regular verbs are pronounced with the hard “D” sound ending. In the past (and participle) forms, these verbs are spelled by adding “ED”, or simply a “D” when the infinitive ends in the letter “E”. Additionally, we have some verbs which end in a “Y”, in which case we remove the “Y” and add “IED”.

The pronunciation of these verbs in the past is often difficult for many Spaniards. In English we often link these verbs onto the following word, for example: We arrived at 9:00 = We arrive-dat 9:00.

Some of these verbs are:

To Agree:
Every day I agree→ Yesterday I agreed.

To Believe:
Every day I believe→ Yesterday I believed.

To Call:
Every day I call→ Yesterday I called.

To Earn:
Every day I earn→ Yesterday I earned.

To Live:
Every day I live→ Yesterday I lived.

To gain agility with these verbs and an ability to consistently pronounce them correctly, I strongly recommend practicing regularly, by reading them out loud, and forming the short sentences as I have shown above.

For a more complete list of all the most important regular verbs, see the Vaughan Student Manual 1 or 2. You can get a copy at the Vaughan Tienda.

Good Luck!

Kyle

**Follow Kyle Millar on Twitter: @imkylemillar . Have your grammar and general English questions answered by writing to: byrequest@grupovaughan.com

Manolo's Missives Part 11

2011-12-29T10:00:00.004+01:00

This is the eleventh letter that our friend and student asked us to clean up for him before sending it to the U.S. It took us some time to fix it up. Below is the raw version as originally handed over for correction. I hope you can make sense out of it. It took us a few minutes to figure it out, but when we did, we learned a few new and curious things about our friend Manolo.

My wanted friend:

Thank you to you I am a new man. Your advices to favor of to leave that Paquita works have opened me the eyes. Since it makes years, so much Paquita how Purita, her better friend, cross me out of machist. Never I have considered myself machist, but who knows, to the better yes.

It is not that I do not want that my woman works. It is simply that...

Charles, I am going to be you sincere. I work from sun to sun. I leave the skin in my enterprise. I make it because I am a family father. In certain mode, I am how the horsemen of the round board, or the famous heroes of the medieval epoch. After to kill the dragons, I want that my checker be waiting for to console me. I do not want that when I arrive to the castle my checker finds herself absent killing other dragons besides of I the mines. Cross me out of machist if you want, but how told Ortega “I am I and my circunstances”. I have my circunstances, that yes. But also I am I. The life is short, friend of mine, and after, nothing is known. I have one only life to compart and it is the mine. I have not none other. In my life, I need that my checker wait me and console me. If no, I must to find other woman disposed to be my checker. Call me an antiquated, it gives me the same, but I am a man that needs his checker. Since the start of the times, the men and the women have divided the labors. After of so many millenniums, the men we are genetically programmed to kill the mammoths while that the women they care the children and prepare the meal. It treats itself of many millenniums, Charles. It can that I be different, but I cannot, in only ten years, change my genetic composition.

Pardon me if I have put myself serious. I am some deprimed since that Palmyra rejected me. I am not how my friend Paco. Paco calls himself “the shotgun of recut canyons”. He goes behind of all woman that carry skirt and intends to seduce her. He tells that it is a question of numbers. To how much more women he proposes them it, major is the probability of that one will say that yes. It is how when you shoot a shotgun to a bandade of birds. If it treats itself of a shotgun of recut canyons, sure that falls one bird for the least. Paco does not fall in a depression if he does not arrive to conquer to a woman in a determined day. The truth is that Paco is a bird of much care. He has many histories to count. Already I will count you some when I can.

While so much, memories to the family,

An embrace,

Manolo

Pronunciation Extra - Out of the (AÚDUZA)

2011-12-28T10:00:00.001+01:00

Yet another look at the way we slide one word into another creating “new words” which sound unintelligible to a Spaniard. For example, when we say “itsa” we are actually using three words you know perfectly well - it + is + a. It is essential to learn these “new words” as it will help your understanding of the spoken language enormously. Recognizing these contractions is the key to reaching a better understanding of English as spoken by native speakers.

¡No! ¡No es el último modelo de coche de la marca Toyota! Es simplemente la forma en que pronunciamos las palabras “out of the” cuando hablamos a una velocidad normal.

I moved my son’s toys AÚDUZA way.

Quité los juguetes de mi hijo de en medio.

I moved my son’s toys out of the way.

It took three men to lift the piano AÚDUZA house.

Hicieron falta tres hombres para sacar el piano de la casa.

It took three men to lift the piano out of the house.

He took the books AÚDUZA box.

Él sacó los libros de la caja.

He took the books out of the box.

I got AÚDUZA car at the traffic lights.

Salí del coche en el semáforo.

I got out of the car at the traffic lights.

I can’t believe you jumped AÚDUZA plane!

No me puedo creer que saltaras del avión.

I can’t believe you jumped out of the plane!

How are we going to get the Mona Lisa AÚDUZA museum?

¿Cómo vamos a sacar a la Gioconda del museo?

How are we going to get the Mona Lisa out of the museum?

He turned up on my doorstep AÚDUZA blue.

Él se presentó en mi puerta cuando menos lo esperaba.

He turned up on my doorstep out of the blue.

Get AÚDUZA room, now!

¡Sal de la habitación ahora mismo!

Get out of the room, now!

More "Pronunciation" articles here.

Adjectives meaning "Very Small"

2011-12-27T10:00:00.000+01:00

En este blog te presentamos una lista de adjetivos sinónimos de “muy pequeño”.

Microscopic Microscópico

Did you know that your bed is full of microscopic bugs?

¿Sabías que tu cama está llena de bichos microscópicos?

/maicrouscópic/

Miniature Miniatura

Simon is a miniature version of his father.

Simon es una versión en miniatura de su padre.

/mínicha/

Minuscule Minúsculo

The margin of error for a pilot is minuscule.

El márgen de error para un piloto es minúsculo.

/míniskiul/

Minute Minucioso

If you look at the canvas closely, you can appreciate the minute details.

Si miras el lienzo de cerca, se pueden apreciar los detalles minuciosos.

/mainiút/

Petite Chiquita

I’d call Sandra petite rather than short.

Yo describiría a Sandra como chiquita más que bajita.

/petíiit/

Pocket-sized Tamaño de bolsillo

Pocket-sized computers are all the rage nowadays.

Los ordenadores de bolsillo están de moda hoy en día.

/pókit-saist/

Teeny weeny Pequeñito

I’m a teeny weeny bit disappointed at not winning.

Estoy un poquitito decepcionado por no haber ganado.

/tiiini uiiini/

Tiny Diminuto

Martha gave Nelson a tiny kitten on his birthday.

Martha le regaló a Nelson un gatito diminuto en su cumpleaños.

/taini/

Wee Pequeñito

Would you like a wee drink before your dinner?

¿Le apetece una copita antes de la cena?

/uiii/

More "Tid Bits" articles here.

Sole-Searching

2011-12-26T10:00:00.000+01:00

In a previous article I looked for my inspiration in a steaming hot cup of coffee. I’m trying to do the same this month, but it’s not working and so I decide to go for a walk. I take my flippers (zapatillas) off (this wouldn’t be the first time I’ve gone out for a walk in my slippers!), bend down (me agacho) and put my shoes on, doing up the laces (atándome los cordones) as quickly as possible. As soon as I walk out the front door, however, I start to feel uncomfortable. I look down and see that my shoelaces have come undone. How they came undone I don’t know, as I’ve only just done them up. I suppose I didn’t do them up properly (correctamente). How careless!

This time I bend down and carefully do the right shoe lace up, then, with equal care, I do the left shoe up. Then, I realize (me doy cuenta) I have a stone in my left shoe, so I undo it, take it off, shake it upside down until the stone falls out, put it back on and do it up again. “Do your shoelaces up” sounds so unpoetic and yet it is the verb we use more frequently. You can also “tie your shoelaces” or “tie your laces up”, but “do”, for all its vulgarity, feels so much better on the tongue (lengua).

Talking of tongues, when you stop to think about it, shoes are really quite sophisticated “beings” (seres). Like us, they have a “tongue” (lengüeta), one that doesn’t say very much, but a “tongue” nevertheless (no obstante) (perhaps we can learn something from them here!). Similarly, shoes can “smell”. OK, they don’t have a sense of smell like we do, but they can smell just as we can, in the sense of giving off (desprender) an odour. But where shoes beat us hands down (what a nice way to say ‘arrasan con nosotros’!) is in things spiritual – I’m talking about their soles. “What do you mean, soles?” you ask. That’s right, a shoe doesn’t just (please learn this word as “just” is a much, much, much more common way of saying ‘solamente’ – forget “only”) have one soul like human beings. It has two! Yes! Two soles! Well, at least some of them do. Like most human souls (almas), the soles (suelas) of most shoes are black and dirty – pure, clean soles are only to be found in “baby” shoes – shoes that have just left the shoe shop. But for shoes, having a dirty, black sole doesn’t mean eternal damnation because in the innermost sanctuary of their being they have another sole – an inner sole (plantilla). A sole protected from the impurities soles pick up along life’s path (camino). Pure and immaculate. In fact, the sole difference (hey, there’s another word we pronounce the same as “sole” and
“soul” that means ‘única’) between an inner sole and an angel’s soul is probably the smell. Or maybe angels’ souls smell a bit whiffy too. I don’t know; I’ve never met one.

Anyway, after all this sole-searching (or was it soul-searching?), I carry on (continuar) walking, looking for inspiration. The problem is, the only thing I can think about is how much I love the word “whiffy”. Now, if you ever want to say that something, somewhere or someone smells a little unpleasant (desagradable), then “whiffy” is a great adjective to use. It’s a great way to talk about an unpleasant smell because it is probably the least (el menos) offensive of all your options. Of course, you could say “It smells in here”, “It stinks in here”, “It reeks in here”, “It mings in here” or even “There’s a foul stench in here”, but if you simply say “It’s a bit whiffy in here”, you won’t offend anyone.

Now, what I didn’t tell you is that when I undid my shoelaces and took off my shoe to get the stone out, the inside of my shoe gave off a bit of a smell. In fact, it was incredibly whiffy! “It must be my shoe; it can’t be my foot… (!)”, I think to myself. And so, I turn around (me doy la vuelta), go back into the house, undo my shoelaces, take off my shoes, put some different shoes on and start doing up the shoelaces. But as I’m doing up my right shoelace, I start to lose interest in the idea of going out for a walk. In fact, I give up on the idea altogether (renuncio a la idea por completo). So (así que) I undo my shoelaces, take off my shoes, put my slippers back on and sit down in front of the fire. In fact, I’ve given up altogether on writing today. I’m sure I’ll think of something tomorrow…

Written by Richard Brown

Edited by Vaughan Radio y TV

More "Read Up" articles here.

One Christmas Tree is Enough

2011-12-23T10:00:00.001+01:00

I recently read where the American Christmas Tree Association is now pushing people into buying a second Christmas tree. Well, at least I assumed they were talking about a second tree until I read a little further. The article refers to “multiple” Christmas trees. Multiple Christmas trees? How many do you need? Decorating additional rooms in the house is great, but there are other festive items that can do the trick (que pueden servir de apaño). Why not set up a nativity scene (belén)?

The nativity scene is more of a Spanish tradition than an American one, and we used to set one up every year. My mother would place it in the dining room, on the window ledge (alfeízar) below the bay window. I would spend time looking at the nativity scene, with the Three Wise Men (Los Reyes Magos) and the infant Jesus lying in a manger (pesebre), imagining what the first Christmas must have been like.

Instead of buying a second Christmas tree you could put up a wreath (corona). This is one of the most traditional American Christmas decorations. A wreath is about as simple as it gets, yet perhaps it’s more appropriate than a tree for ringing in (dar la bienvenida) the holiday season. It resembles a ring and it’s made from real (or fake) evergreen trees and usually has a ribbon (cinta) tied around it, along with a few holly berries and pinecones (piñas). Placing it on your front door is like announcing to passersby, “Hey, this household is now in 100% holiday mode!”

Along with the nativity scene and the wreath, there was something else we always used for decorating: figures of golden angels playing chimes (campanillas) as they circled above burning candles. The heat from the flames served as their “fuel” (combustible). My mother would always place the angles on the mantel (repisa de la chimenea) above the fireplace. The sound of the melodic chimes and the mesmerizing glow of the candles captured my imagination year after year.

More than a decoration, buying a Christmas tree is more like an event because of the process involved in setting it up. As a kid I could barely wait for when the day came for buying the tree. We would visit several lots (descampados), look over the offering and choose the one that was just right. Selection criteria included a uniform look (no missing branches!) and the right height (reaching just below the ceiling). Once we managed to stuff the tree inside the car, we drove it home and set it up. This involved carefully placing it in the stand (soporte). This is where we see a big difference between American and Spanish Christmas trees: American ones don’t have a root ball (cepellón) and Spanish ones do. I prefer the Spanish version because you can replant the tree and continue enjoying it. In fact, my tree from 2009 continues to thrive (prosperar) in my backyard.

Once the tree has been properly placed in the stand (or bucket (cubo), if it’s a Spanish tree), it’s time to decorate it. Along with the ornaments and lights, as a kid we used colored paper rings, a popcorn chain, garland (guirnalda) and candy canes. With so many things weighing down the tree, it’s a wonder it didn’t fall over!

True, the most important of all Christmas decorations in the United States is the Christmas tree, but…ONE CHRISTMAS TREE! Sorry American Christmas Tree Association. I don’t mean to take away (quitarte) your sales; it’s just that there are so many unique and equally traditional ways to decorate this Christmas season.

Manolo's Missives Part 10

2011-12-22T10:00:00.001+01:00

This is the tenth letter that our friend and student asked us to clean up for him before sending it to the U.S. It took us some time to fix it up. Below is the raw version as originally handed over for correction. I hope you can make sense out of it. It took us a few minutes to figure it out, but when we did, we learned a few new and curious things about our friend Manolo.

Wanted friend:

Yesterday by the morning I said my secretary that she correct a letter that I had written to hand in English. She caught the two leaves and returned to her table. Transcurred some seconds, was heard a cry. I left of my dispatch for to know what passed and I saw to my secretary with the mouth open and with the eyes that left from their place.

In resumed accounts, my secretary denied herself to correct my letter. She said me that in her life she had seen a letter with so many errors. She put herself of knees and supplicated me that I wrote my letters in Spanish. Charles: are they so bad the letters that I command you? Say me the truth. The yours sin of some that other error but they understand themselves, we go. If the mine are so horrorous how says my secretary, you have to say me it. If you do not say me nothing, I believe that I am doing the things well. The sincerity is the mark of the amity. For that are the friends.

Do you accord yourself of my problems with the Bishopric? By the seen, all is resolved. I redacted a long letter for the Madrid Bishop presenting a serie of arguments in against of the paper represented by the administratives of the Bishopric. I could demonstrate, with proofs, that the intervention of those jerks incremented the global cost in a 40 by hundred. I had an audience with the Bishop, a stupendous uncle, and we arrived to an accord in an open and close of eyes. Results that the minor brother of the Bishop is a boss of work in a big building enterprise. Of done, the Bishop was studying for to be an engineer of roads, channels and ports during two years until that he found his religious vocation. The reverend father knows so much how I in all the relationed with the works. He is a ready uncle.

Paquita wants to return to work. She says that she bores herself in house. What opines you? Must I to leave her to work? Paquita is not how Betty. She is not titled. I knew her when I was of professor during one year in a center of professional formation. She had a body divine and a face very monkey. I knew no more to see her that she would be the mother of my sons. She was two years working in a tailory and the extra money did not compensate the disgusts in house. I want a wife and mother, no a work partner. Give me advices.

I stay to the wait of your notices.

An embrace,

Manolo

Pronunciation Extra - Want to be (UÁNABI)

2011-12-21T10:00:00.001+01:00

Yet another look at the way we slide one word into another creating “new words” which sound unintelligible to a Spaniard. For example, when we say “itsa” we are actually using three words you know perfectly well - it + is + a. It is essential to learn these “new words” as it will help your understanding of the spoken language enormously. Recognizing these contractions is the key to reaching a better understanding of English as spoken by native speakers.

This word is the way we pronounce “want to be” (querer ser) when we speak at a normal speed. In fact, this expression is so common that it has become a noun. A “wannabe” refers to a person who wants to be “something” or emulate “someone” but doesn’t have enough talent to achieve it.

I UÁNABI rich!

¡Quiero ser rico!

I want to be rich!

I UÁNABI famous!

¡Quiero ser famoso!

I want to be famous!

I UÁNABI sure.

Quiero estar seguro.

I want to be sure.

I UÁNABI promoted.

Quiero que me asciendan.

I want to be promoted.

I UÁNABI there when he arrives.

Quiero estar alli cuando él llegue.

I want to be there when he arrives.

I UÁNABI a millionaire!

Quiero ser millonario.

I want to be a millionaire!

I UÁNABI like you.

Quiero ser como tú.

I want to be like you.

I UÁNABI there when they leave.

Quiero estar allí cuando se marchen.

I want to be there when they leave.

More "Pronunciation" articles here.

To sell out

2011-12-20T10:00:00.000+01:00

To sell out

Este “phrasal verb” significa “agotar existencias” y se emplea para cualquier tipo de mercancía. Es bueno saberlo porque si llegas a una taquilla y ves la pancarta “sold out”, ya sabes que no te servirá de nada unirte a la cola.

Si hubiera una falta de combustible, la gasolina se agotaría en seguida.
If there were a fuel shortage, petrol would sell out immediately.

¿No cuesta creer que las entradas para el concierto de reencuentro de las Spice Girls se agotaron en 38 segundos?
Isn’t it hard to believe that tickets for the Spice Girls reunion concert sold out in 38 seconds?

No encuentro la mayonesa en ninguna parte. ¿Se ha agotado?
I can’t find mayonnaise anywhere. Have you sold out?

Ya hemos vendido cientos de entradas. Creo que para el fin de semana que viene se habrán agotado.
We’ve already sold hundreds of tickets. I think by next weekend, we’ll have sold out.

¡Nunca se nos han agotado tan rápido!
We’ve never sold out so quickly!

Sin complemento decimos simplemente “to sell out” mientras que cuando le sigue un complemento añadimos la preposición “of”: “to sell out of something”.

Se les agotaron las entradas en seguida.
They sold out of tickets immediately.

Los plátanos se nos han agotado.
We’ve sold out of bananas.

Llegue allí pronto, se les suele agotar todo muy rápido.
Get there early; they usually sell out of everything very quickly.

Se les han agotado todos los ejemplares de ese libro.
They’ve sold out of all copies of that book.

¿Por qué siempre se te agotan los periódicos? Deberíais tener más.
Why do you always sell out of newspapers? You should have more.

More "Phrasal Verb" articles here.

Talking about cars

2011-12-19T10:00:00.003+01:00

I’m sitting at my desk and ideas are just not coming to me today. So, I decide to go to the supermarket to get some coffee to take my mind off (para no pensar en) work. I get out (saco) my car keys and get in the car (the only thing that gets “on” cars are cats; the rest of us always get “in” them), put my seat belt (cinturón de seguridad) on and put the key in the ignition switch. Well, I try to put the key in the ignition switch, but it doesn’t seem to want to go in. The ignition switch on my car is a bit stiff (dura). I wiggle the key a little bit and, eventually, it goes into the ignition switch. I turn (giro) the car key and the engine comes to life. I always leave the car in neutral (en punto muerto), so I immediately grab the gear stick (palanca de cambio) (Americans call it the “shift stick”) and put it into first gear (meto la primera marcha). I’m a bit absent-minded (too many articles to write!), so I put it into second gear by mistake (por error). As soon as I press down the accelerator (piso el acelerador) with my foot, the car immediately stalls (se cala). It stalls because it’s in the wrong gear. I put it back in neutral and turn the ignition switch and I put it in first gear, except that this time I put it into reverse gear (marcha atrás) by mistake and start backing up the drive as soon as I press down the accelerator. “Pull yourself together!”, I say to myself and I put the car in first gear, press down the accelerator and pull away (salgo). I pull away slowly because there are a lot of cats in my neighbourhood, and the last thing I want to do is run one over (atropellar a uno). I’ve never run over a cat before, but the last time I pulled away fast I nearly ran one over.

I can’t see very much because my windscreen (parabrisas) is misted up (empañado), so I put the demister (desempañador) on. My windscreen often mists up in the winter, but never mists up in the summer. An interesting verb: “to mist up” – “mist” normally means ‘neblina’ – that we also use when referring to car windscreens, glasses, sunglasses or even bathroom mirrors, although in the case of bathroom mirrors, the most common verb is “to steam up”. Anyway, back to my car trip to the supermarket... After about five minutes, my windscreen finally demists and I can see where I’m going.

Suddenly, I have to brake (frenar) hard. I have to brake hard in order not to run over a dog running in front of my car. Good job (menos mal) I put my seatbelt on! I know I haven’t run over the dog because
I see it out of my rear window. This makes my heart pump like crazy, so I decide to get some fresh air and wind my window down (bajo la ventanilla). Well, I don’t actually “wind” (giro la manivela) it down
as, like in every car nowadays, my car has electric windows, but we still use the verb “to wind down”, a verb that rhymes with the word “mind” and not “wind”. As I mentioned before, I’m a bit absentminded,
so I wind the wrong window down and when I realise and try to wind it up again, I press the wrong button and wind one of the rear windows (ventanillas de atrás) down by mistake. Then, when I try to wind this one up, I wind down the other rear window and the three hairs I have left on my head are blowing about like crazy in the wind-filled car – if I had any more, this would be dangerous! I eventually find the right button and wind the two rear windows up, wind the passenger window (ventanilla del copiloto) up (we don’t call them “co-pilots” in English!) and decide not to wind my window down as I have already had enough fresh air.

Eventually (Al final) I make it (llego) to the supermarket and park the car miles from the shopping centre itself – I park miles away because I am officially The World’s Worst Parker and have won the past five world championships (held every two years). I can’t park to save my life (but I can park to win world bad-parking titles!). And as I take the car key out of the ignition switch and take my seatbelt
off, I suddenly realize that I can’t remember what I came to the supermarket for. No idea! With all this gear-changing, nearly running over a dog, winding up and winding down of windows, worrying about the article and parking, I’ve completely forgotten why I’ve come to the supermarket. Well, I put my seatbelt back on, put the car key in the ignition switch, put the car into first gear and pull away fast, running over a bird in the process. Now I feel horrible!

Oh well, even though I don’t have any coffee, I have managed to kill two birds with one stone – the bird I ran over and the idea for the article I have just had: I can write about driving a car!

Reto: A ver si eres capaz de identificar todas las veces que aparece la palabra “wind” en este artículo y luego acertar cuando se pronuncia /uínd/ y cuando es /uaind/.

Written by Richard Brown
Edited by Vaughan Radio y Television

Why is it that here in Spain...?

2011-12-16T10:00:00.002+01:00

These are a few simple questions that I invite our blog-readers to answer:

If you see that your friends have a water stain (mancha) on their kitchen wall and you recommend a construction worker, a true professional, who could help them with their problem, they will thank you (te darán las gracias), write down the number and make the call. The problem will almost certainly be solved!

If you see that your friends have persistent pain and muscular tension and you recommend a good physical therapist to them, they will be grateful (estarán agradecidos) for the thought even if they don’t make an appointment. The problem might be solved. At least, it’s possible.

But if you see that everyone in the family is driving the others crazy and that the situation is increasingly out of control, and you recommend a family counselor, they will look at you as if you had slapped them in the face (como si les hubieras dado una bofetada). The problem will continue, on and on, with no attempt made to resolve it.

I remember the case of a mother with a teenage child, who had just spent half an hour complaining about how the child was ruining her life. I agreed that the situation was deteriorating and I suggested that they try to find an objective, professional opinion about how to solve the problem. She responded: “Go to a shrink? Send my family? I’d do anything but that!” (¿Acudir a un loquero? ¿Mandar a mi familia? ¡Haría cuálquier cosa menos eso!)

Anything? Really? Why do you insist that “anything” should happen? We read statistics and newspaper stories of acts of domestic violence, delinquency, automobile accidents due imprudent or reckless (temerario) driving and behaviour that leads to (comportamiento que lleva a) self-destruction. Much of this is preventable. Are you sure that “anything” is preferable to looking for professional help?

You can stop a simple spot on your skin from turning into basal-cell carcinoma by seeing a specialist at the right moment, early, when it’s easy to cure. Likewise (de la misma manera), if you have an internal problem, the results of a magnetic-resonance tomography exam can help in the diagnosis and treatment – if only by eliminating the improbable. Why then, would you be reluctant (reaccio) to go to a specialist about your difficulties coping with everyday life (lidiando la vida cotidiana)? Why would a family not go together as a unit? As a team?

1 - Is it because the screaming, the pain and emotional blackmail (chantaje) becomes an integral part of the constitution of a family? Part of their common identity? People can fall in love with their problems. An entire family can fall in love with its problems. It makes them who they are. Is that the case here?

2 - Is it because people are worried that a stranger would hear their problems and judge them? And maybe their intimate details would seem amusing or pathetic? Is it because they doubt the professionalism of the person they would be speaking to?

3 - Is it motivated by the pride (soberbia) or coyness (coquetería) of people who would prefer to look good than to feel good? Is it that most people have such a high opinion of themselves that admitting the existence of a problem would destroy the image they are trying to project? And what if the neighbours found out (se enterasen los vecinos)?

4 - Is it because of the terrible (but true) image that the psychiatric profession had in Spain in the past with extreme patients submitted to barbaric treatments? Are you afraid of the men in the white laboratory coats (batas) and the brutality they used to practice a long time ago?

5 - Or is it like the coyote in the cartoon (dibujo animado) who follows the roadrunner (correcaminos), chasing him off the cliff (acantilado)? Do you think that it is only when you look down into the abyss of your problem, and begin to comprehend its gravity and depth, that you will stop walking on air and begin to fall?

6 – Could it be a combination of the reasons I mentioned above or more. Is there anything I’m missing? (¿algo se me olvida?)

In English we say:

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” (Una onza de prevención equivale una libra de sanación.)

I might be wrong, but it looks to me that Anglo-Saxon cultures are more pragmatic about getting help and people who need help are less stigmatized than they are here in Spain.

What do you think? How does it look to you? Please respond.

By Guy Williams
Listen to Guy Williams on Vaughan Radio on his show "Mens Sana in Corpore Sano".
More "A Sound Mind" articles here.