Spanish language learning resources and motivation

HAY (Spanish style) – There is/are

Sí señor (or señora),Hay” (pronounced like the English subject pronoun, I or “eye” that you see with)

Hay” – one word in Spanish that means 2 words in English and that can have multiple meanings depending on the subject being either singular or plural.

(see examples below)

Plus, it’s a SUPER common word and it gets miss pronounced ALL THE TIME!

Spanish fluency eye, hay

And here’s just ONE example, but I could go on and on.  (And from now on, YOU will get it right!  Just remember how it’s pronounced because its usage is EASY!)

Earlier this morning I was hearing a wild and sassy French teacher use it correctly but pronouncing it completely wrong while trying to communicate to one of her Student’s Spanish speaking parents.

I overheard this call in the staff lounge. 

It went something like this:  “Buenos Dias, Yo soy. . la profesora. . de Silvia.  Hey. . un programa especial para ella. . pero. . yo necesito información. . de Uds.  Hey. . una oportunidad. . de hablar con UD. . . unos momentos?”

I could see the French teacher waiting for a reply, but it was obvious that time was elapsing and that confusion was winning.

I quickly pointed out to the teacher that she meant to say, “HAY” (pronounced like the“eye” that you see with and not like “hay” that is for horses.)

She smiled and repeated the message anew to the person still trying to understand on the other end of the line.

Whala/Voila/Aquí está

Total comprehension! (At least to that point.  She smiled at me again, and I gave her my card to access Fluency Fox so she would be able to learn enough to continue the conversation in Spanish going forward;-) 

With so many cognates (words that look, sound similar and that  mean the same thing between English and Spanish that you can begin to understand most of the time on the first try) if you practice the most common words (in context) that make up around 80% of spoken Spanish with real life Q n A stories, YOU WILL COMMUNICATE WITH SPANISH SPEAKERS IN LESS TIME AND WITH MORE CONFIDENCE!

That’s Fluency Fox!

Get started NOW!

Hasta Pronto with some more ways to get you to JOIN THE CONVERSATION and LIVE YOUR BILINGUAL DREAM!!!

Marko

p.s.  Here are a few examples: 

1.  Hay un chico en la casa.  ¿Hay un chico en la casa?   Sí, hay un chico en la casa.

2.  Hay 3 chicas en la casa.  ¿Hay 2 chicas en la casa?  No, Hay 3 chicas en la casa.

3.  Hay muchas oportunidades para ti.

*For more help with Spanish pronunciation, go to Fluency Fox Tips n Tricks page and watch the pronunciation video.  (lots of explanations and practice opportunities to get you sounding like a native!)

One quick Spanish essential (Some “hay” to chew on so to speak)

Hey Amigos?

Anyone for,  hay?  No beast of burden puns here, just straight forward useful Spanish.

Sounds strange I know but this one quick Spanish essential word:

Hay” (pronounced like the English subject pronoun, I) is about as handy as any other word out there and you should know it.

In Spanish it means: There is/there are or if it’s used in a question, it means, Is there/are there?

If you are already 100% with this word and understand and use it all the time, then you can stop reading.  Go directly to Fluency Fox and get the audio practice you need to enhance your Spanish fluency.

If that’s not the case, first, let’s learn it once and for all!

Some Positive US Election Result Reasons To Learn Spanish Now More Than EVER!

Nov. 9, 2016, the results are in and new policy is about to be set in motion.  Where ever you stand regarding the results, one thing is clear, immigration is going to be a topic on the main agenda.

It may or may not be something you want to think about, but with a little perspective, we can make the most of the situation as well as be of service to our fellow man.

That’s right.

None of us know for sure what’s about to happen come January 7th, 2017.  Other than the obvious transition of power.

May it be peaceful and beneficial (in the very least in the long run) for ALL.

But like all things different, change can be hard. 

All we can do is be as prepared as possible for the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead.

My guess is that those that possess a decent amount of bilingual English/Spanish speaking skills will be uniquely prepared for what ever does happen.

If mass deportations begin, there will need to be additional border patrol and ICE agents hired to make that happen at all let alone in anything resembling a humane fashion.

But that’s not all, let’s not forget to mention the countless social workers, health care providers, and a slew of other positions across the spectrum that will be created if families are separated according to legal residency or visa status.

We are talking about tens of thousands of jobs whose job requirements will include at least a basic level of conversational Spanish fluency.

We are also talking about helping those millions in need that will have enough to worry about in the immediate future other than lamenting how little English they’ve “picked up” since they’ve been here.

There is a parallel here with the election results and here it is:

This is the situation.  It is what it is, like it or not.

Now, the real question is, what are we going to do about it?

What if we learned enough Spanish so that we could help our gardener find a secure place to sell or store his tools .

What if  we were able to assist a family in need, perhaps our very own housekeeper, to begin to navigate a safe transition for her family before something unfortunate but avoidable happens?

It could be a realistic scenario, very soon, that you could be in a position to help someone you know,in some way, if you understood and spoke more than just a phrase or two in Spanish.

Instead of finding out a week later after he or she hasn’t shown up for work, that this person, a fellow human being and their US citizen children have been lost in “the system” that for all attempts, just isn’t perfect.

The good news is. . . that for most of us, we have had some Spanish in school.

That is in our favor. 

Also, we have 2 months before anything majorly new (politically) is going to happen.  And no more election news!

This is the perfect opportunity to use your time wisely and get the best bang for your buck!

If you want to learn to speak and understand Spanish with fluency, you need the repetition of high frequency words. Understanding and using these words in context builds fluency. STORIES and specifically your recall of stories builds fluency. Fluency Fox builds on these two ideas. You will learn Spanish efficiently. And for an extremely reasonable price.

Fluency Fox will help you learn enough Spanish to interact with Spanish speakers in a way that was previously out of reach.

Imagine the personal satisfaction you will feel and the immense contribution to humanity you will make by taking the Spanish you’ve learned (even if you’ve forgotten most of it) and Make It The Spanish YOU NEED.

In as few as 2 months we will usher in a new era none can predict, you can be ready!

I want to help.

I want to pay it forward because no matter whose side we were on, we are all in this together.

I’ll give you 30% OFF ANY Fluency Fox Pack (Starter, Premium, or Premium Combo) that meets your Spanish language learning goals.

Just use this CUPON CODE:  fluencyfoxadvantage

The time is NOW!

Hasta Pronto,

Marko

If you’ve ever said, “I’ve taken a few years of Spanish but I can’t really speak it at all.” (This one’s for YOU)

fluency fox logoOne first learns to understand a language and then to speak it.

(Research suggests that second language acquisition first occurs through comprehension which then naturally leads to production.)

So how does someone go about doing that?

First, you’ve got to understand what you hear.  If you cannot comprehend what you are listening to, well…there is no meaning to it.  Nothing gained unless you understand something.

Second, it makes sense to learn the words that are used to most.  Every language has certain words that are used more frequently than others so the logical approach is to concentrate on those words first.

Third, learning a language requires repetition.  Practice, practice, practice…but if we accept the first two ideas that there is a need to understand what we hear and that focusing on the most common words makes sense, it would appear that there must be a better way to practice learning a language than just picking up a dictionary and starting with A and going through it until we reach Z.

Finally, stories help us process and remember information.

Let’s do that.  Let’s make sure we understand what we hear, focus on the most common words first, and practice with those words using stories.

BTW, we are not talking about starting with the numbers, colors, greetings, etc.  Been there done that!!!

Oh, one more thing, we want to do it as quickly as possible.  (Don’t waste my time and I won’t waste yours.)

How on earth are we going to do that?

Keep reading…

Fluency Fox is based on comprehensible input of high frequency words using repetition and recall of stories.

Fluency Fox is designed specifically for some one who has had a any previous exposure to Spanish language instruction, but who is frustrated at the lack of practical results resulting from that previous instruction (primarily grammar instruction) and doesn’t feel they have a competent grasp of understanding Spanish conversations nor can they adequately engage beyond common greetings, the use of simple words and/or phrases, or at best simple sentences. 

Fluency Fox resolves this problem by offering the Spanish language learner the maximum comprehension gains with a minimum time effort via a rapid paced audio software program focusing on a manageable/comprehensible progression of the most frequently used Spanish vocabulary in context starting at the advanced beginner and progressing to the middle intermediate level.  

This is accomplished through the telling in Spanish of one continuos story while constantly asking questions relating to that story which prompts the user to mentally or verbally answer those questions guided by the teacher/student role play audio. 

To further assist learners, the spoken Spanish audio is accompanied by both the onscreen synchronized Spanish text and optional English text translation which serves both audio and visual learners alike.   

Also, each chapter lesson has a content rich image relating to that chapter’s content.

Additionally, the embedded quizzes serve to hold learners attention since they know that a question will be asked regarding the story content.

The reason Fluency Fox is so effective is that it offers the needed aural repetitions in context of the high frequency words (HFW) presented throughout the program so that the learner will become familiar with Spanish syntax (word placement) and to realistically integrate those words into their active vocabulary usable in any scenario.  

As the story builds, references are continually made to previous accounts in the story which provide the learner to both visually recall earlier events in the story for review purposes and to solidify that previous learned material as well as a continuous combining of what’s been learned and requiring that knowledge to be applied to the new material that is presented in each successive chapter lesson. 

Most Spanish language learners “get lost” due to a slow mental processing speed of the incoming language.  The primary cause of this is that the not understanding the bulk of the words that make up roughly 80% of spoken Spanish  prevents the listener from using context clues to understand instances of exposure to genuinely unknown vocabulary that would be available to them if they understood (in context) the majority of the HFW. 

The best analogy would be individual bricks representing words while building a wall which is the overall representation of comprehension.  The less bricks in place result in a less solid wall or worse, a collapsed mess of bricks on the ground. Fluency Fox’s concentrated focus on on knowing the HFW in context gives the listener the best chance of overall understanding in the least amount of time.   

Fluency Fox provides this vital link or nexus of the central components of the Spanish spoken language used during normal Spanish conversation. (I.E. the HFW comprehensibly presented repeatedly in Spanish in a multitude of varying and engaging contexts.)  

This method is required in order to increase the learners mental processing of the incoming language.

These comprehensible repetitions throughout the story increase your Spanish language processing speed and expedite the learning curve so that what remains is only the need to decipher uniquely new or unfamiliar vocabulary. 

Herein lies the benefit, while the HFW are practiced in Spanish and understood in context via Fluency Fox, the learner can use what they have learned previously to make sense and respond appropriately to statements and questions made by anyone speaking Spanish.

Why You Should Achieve Spanish fluency And How To Do It

Why You Should Achieve Spanish fluency And How To Do It

Over 400 million people speak Spanish worldwide and almost 50 million people in the United States speak Spanish as their first or second language.

That is a lot of people!

Do you want to be one of them?

If you do, continue reading.

Spanish language in the US is most everywhere and it is not going away.

In fact, the Hispanic community in the US is the fastest growing group of people that are adding to the US population.

Therefore, whether we accept it or not, the Spanish language is, and the vast numbers of individuals that speak it are, here to stay.

Speaking Spanish presents an enormous opportunity for those that can speak it, and as a result access the immense community it represents both in buying power and influence.

Those who don’t speak Spanish may be left behind.

Think of the possibilities for growth in any field.

1. If you are in business and need to acquire customers, speaking Spanish will add to your bottom line by allowing you to attract and communicate with more customers.

2. If you are in education, speaking Spanish will increase your reach by accessing the Spanish speaking students and their families wanting to improve their lives.

3. Speaking Spanish can give you an advantage when applying for jobs in many fields.

4. If you simply want to communicate with those in your local community, speaking Spanish will assist you in doing so.

I can go on and on but by now I hope you get the picture.

There is an undeniable benefit to speaking Spanish.

If you want to benefit from the potential opportunities that speaking Spanish has to offer, now’s the time to get on board.

Here comes the good news (for most of us anyway.)

There is a good chance that you have had some Spanish exposure either in school or in the community where you reside.

Spanish is the most popular language being taught in the US to both elementary and high school students.

There is an obvious reason for this.

Speaking Spanish is the most common foreign language other than English spoken in the US.

That said, if you are looking to go into sales, education, or a multitude of other public relations positions, improving your Spanish fluency will make you a more desirable candidate for most any position.

We have the opportunity to embrace the facts that Hispanics represent a significant portion of the US population and that Spanish is an integral part of our society that will only grow as our population grows. We can take advantage of the opportunity to learn and use Spanish in our modern multicultural society.

Or, we can stay in an isolated world that limits us from the enormous opportunities that speaking Spanish can provide.

The choice is yours.

Make the choice to communicate and broaden your horizons.

Once we’ve made the decision to improve our Spanish, now what?

What do we need to do to enter into the Spanish speaking community?

For starters, let’s talk about what Spanish fluency is and how to go about attaining sufficient proficiency in the language so that we can productively interact with the Spanish speaking community.

What is Spanish fluency?

Fortunately, extensive research has been performed by academics from around the globe that have identified the distinct levels or stages of fluency development.

That said, how does understanding the levels of Spanish fluency help you?

First off, are we referring to conversational fluency or written/grammar fluency?

For the purpose of this writing, let’s focus on conversational or spoken fluency in Spanish.

A little back ground:

Although I’m an American, when it comes to languages I take heed of the more multicultural influence of the European model while defining fluency.

In Europe they have more languages being used and therefore speak to a broader audience by default.

Also, their breakdown and terminology seems to be more specific and meaningful with respect to each developmental stage of fluency.

According to Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, there are 3 general levels of fluency: Basic user, Independent user, and Proficient user.

Each of these levels of fluency are further divided into more specific sub levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2.

Of these, the B1 or otherwise known as the Threshold or Gateway level of fluency is the most difficult to master.

So what is B1 level fluency?

And just as importantly, why is it so important?

This Threshold or Gateway level stage of fluency is of utmost importance because if a language learner is unable to “break through” this level, communication with native speakers is both frustrating and limited.

The Common European Framework recognizes that the transition between the elementary level (A2) and the beginning intermediate threshold conversational level (B1) is challenging, and that vocabulary drills and grammar exercises are limited in achieving the desired results.

Most individuals that have had prior exposure to Spanish language instruction (or any language for that matter) be it in school, online, travel or elsewhere, understand that acquiring the basic greetings, some thematic vocabulary and other “useful” phrases does not constitute anything close to approaching “real” fluency.

So what is a Spanish language learner to do who is at the advanced beginner stage of fluency (A2)?

It depends.

1. Stay at the A2 level perpetually.

2. Commit to breaking through and gaining intermediate level fluency.

If number 2 is the desired result, it is attainable and is going to require some actionable effort.

If you have not yet achieved A2 fluency, there are countless resources online and elsewhere, both free and paid, that you can access to get you there.

The awesome news is that if you want to advance to a level of Spanish fluency where you can communicate with native speakers in more than simple words and phrases, audio material exists that will allow you to do so.

What all language learners have to their advantage is the theory of Recall in Memory.

When you reinitiate and/or continue your studies, you will recall a certain percentage of what you have previously learned.  That, without saying, saves time.

What you have invested in the past still retains value.

Now what?

The first step is to start with audio materials that emphasize Comprehensible Input (CI).  That simply means that you need to assure that you understand what you hear.

Repeat as needed!

The more fun and engaging the CI audio material is the better.

Second, assimilate into your learning strategy story based, question and answer conversations. Ideally you will be asked questions about statements that you have understood so that you can visualize what is happening and answer accordingly.

Third, be consistent for long enough to recognize your gains.

By this I mean, make a commitment to practice routinely and when an opportunity to try out your newly acquired skills and experience presents itself, SPEAK!

That’s it!

Countless people before you have done it with less resources than are available today.

If you want Spanish fluency, it’s yours for the taking.

There are numerous reasons for learning to understand and speak Spanish.

The opportunities, both professionally and personally, abound for everyone willing to make the effort to communicate with the increasingly large number of Spanish speakers both currently living in the United States and abroad.

In addition to these numbers, verbal fluency is distinctly defined and attainable.

Once you realize the opportunities improving Spanish fluency provides and you begin to engage in enhancing your verbal skills through study and by using the language, you will undoubtedly open the door to a new world.

The why, what, and how are clear.

There is no better time than now to commit to your new Spanish speaking adventure!

Technology is making Learning Spanish obsolete

Hola Amigos,

So, yesterday I was talking to mi hermano and he said he doesn’t need to learn Spanish.

He said that those days are over.

Spanish fluency for him is already attainable.

Being that he’s mi hermano and only finished high school Spanish 2 with a B,  I  just had to ask what he was talking about.

According to mi hermano, Pocket translators are now becoming the new Babble Fish.

If any of you remember the book, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, you probably known about the Babble Fish. 

If not, a Babble Fish. is a fish/device that goes in your ear and translates any language that someone is speaking so that you are able to understand it.

I mean I love Sci Fi. if for nothing else it takes me on adventurous travels so of course, I wish that were true as I’ve always wanted a Babble Fish of my own.

I really do.

For any of us that have put in some effort to learn to understand and speak another language, we know that attaining any degree of fluency takes WORK.

A LOT OF WORK!

Who wouldn’t want to by pass all hours memorizing the vocabulary lists and grammar rules, etcetera. 

I would.  I would love to understand all the languages of the world and have all the people I encounter on a daily basis be able to understand me.

That’s a linguists dream come true.  Maybe everyone’s dream in fact.

Come on, he’s mi hermano mayor/older.  I’m suppose to believe him.

The problem is. . .

Technology just hasn’t come that far yet.

Think of Google Translate.  Google is one of the biggest informational technology (IT) companies in the world.

Sure they do a decent job of translating some simple text, however, have you ever tried to rely on one of those translations to complete a business transaction?

If so, I hope it was a penny purchase.  (Just saying.)

On the spot I asked mi hermano to slap down a twenty on how close he could come to correctly translating a Pablo Nerudo poem, but he wisely declined.

That’s probably because I told him that if he lost, and the translation didn’t make much sense to either of us, he would have to send his wife that exact translation as his next anniversary card message. 

But here’s the thing.

Maybe some day there will be major improvements to translation software, and I fully believe there will be.  (Let’s face it, it has come along way and in a pinch, it can help big time.)

But there is something more that needs to be taken into consideration, and this goes to the heart of the matter.

The technology just isn’t reliable enough yet.

But, if you put in 10 minutes of consistent effort a day with Fluency Fox, in as little as 2 to 3 months you will be able to make your way with Spanish speakers on your own.

No batteries required.

Needless to say, mi hermano was convinced and wanted to buy the Starter Pack.

Of course he wanted the family discount so I gave him the coupon code that I’ll give to you too.

fluencyfoxadvantage

If you sign up now you can use that code to get 30% OFF any of the Fluency Fox Packs. (Excluding the Teacher Pack)

If you want to buy a Babble Fish, I’m sure Hogwarts has something tucked away on the upper shelf in the back corner, but if so, Please, don’t bother signing up and using the coupon code as this offer is for serious language learners only.

Gracias,

Marko

Fluency Fox Program Overview

Hola,

Bravo!

I’m so excited that you have made the commitment to taking the Spanish you’ve learned and making it the Spanish you’ve always wanted!

Take a minute and review this as it will greatly enhance your experience with the Fluency Fox Interface.

We are continually working towards giving language learners the best experience we possibly can, so here’s an update to get you motivated and to give you some additional insights into the Fluency Fox Interface so that you can maximize your Spanish learning.

Let’s start on the Profile page:

  1. You can choose an image avatar (or not) to upload that will appear when the student role play audio and text is happening so that your experience is customized in that way.

2.   The quizzes are defaulted to play during the chapter lesson, however, you can select to have the quizzes come at the end if that is your preference.  (This helps for example when you want to listen to the dialogue from start to finish without the pop up quizzes playing in the middle of the dialogue.)

3.   You can turn off the quiz timer if you choose so as to not be rushed while deciding which answer is correct.

Next, let’s have a look at the Fluency Fox Interactive Player:

First off there are the 3 distinct sections that you can choose depending on your learning preference: The Story Overview, the Vocabulary and Grammar Structures Preview and the Story Dialogue (with the quizzes;-)

In the Starter Pack, the Story Overview has the on screen content rich image with a read through of the story in English.  This gives you a first look at what the dialogue will cover and allow you to move through the story with greater ease.  The Premium Pack has an additional read through first in Spanish, then in English and then again in Spanish (but read by a different native speaker so that you get additional exposure to Spanish as spoken from multiple native speakers.  It can also serve as a great review if you have missed a few days of practice and need a refresher).

The optional Vocabulary and Grammar Structures Section will give you the important Vocabulary and Grammar structures introduced in that chapter and helps break down the new material before it is introduced in context during the dialogue.

The Story Dialogue is the heart of the program meaning it is where the story is told in statements and questions are asked about story details.  The Fluency Fox Player features are of exceptional benefit throughout this section and make your experience what you want.

In the Starter Pack, there is a tennis “volley” sound after each question to prompt you to respond before the student role play.  This sound is not audible throughout the Premium Pack.

As you will notice there are interactive player button features that allow you to control how you interact with the story.

For example:  Story statements are generally said twice so that you can listen the first time for comprehension and during the second read through you should try and mentally or verbally “shadow” (repeat) what the instructor says.  This will greatly enhance your verbal proficiency.  If, however, you choose not to you can simply press the fast forward button and move on through the dialogue.  It’s always up to you!

At this point, I will only talk about the key button features that you may not be familiar with so as to return you to your Spanish learning.

If you need the English translation then the select “Two Languages” and you have both languages at your disposal synced with the Spanish audio.

The SLOW button will slow the rate of speech down so that if you can have more time to process what is being said.  You can press is at anytime on or off as needed.  ( Don’t be hesitant to use it if the speakers seem to be speaking too quickly.  Soon you will have the repetitions you need to have full comprehension at normal conversational speed.)

The LOOP button will fully play through a “chat box” and then repeat it over as long as the LOOP button is activated.  Again, it is there for your convenience and should be used when needed.

That should do it for now as you will discover how the FF Player features best suit your needs.

I will add one additional comment as it is something that is not easily recognized at the on set.

After you complete a chapter and it is registered in your profile, there are 3 icons (2 on the left of the chapter number and 1 to the right).  The icon to the farthest left is your progress completion for that chapter.  The next is your quiz score out of 30 ( 10 points max. per quiz/ 3 quizzes per chapter) and the icon to the right of the chapter number is the Fluency Fox logo that indicates that you have earned a bonus for performing well on that chapter’s quizzes.  If you select the icon you will be taken to a short bonus section that might consist of a joke in Spanish, some Spanish word types, or Spanish proverbs/sayings, etc.  (We will continually be updating and changing the Bonuses in the future.)

If you have any questions, please contact us as our purpose is to serve.  The Fluency Fox program is for you and we want to do all we can to assist you in achieving your Spanish language learning goals.

http://www.fluencyfox.com/contact-us/

Sí Se Puede

Enjoy y Buena Suerte!

Gracias,

Marko

FF Chain 3 of 5

After that first magical moment when I realized I really could learn to speak Spanish and was “Hooked” forever, some years later, I did what any passionate teacher and learner would do: I put together the research with experience and came up with the fastest and most effective way to speak Spanish.

But I didn’t stop there.

I also looked at the evolving world and recognized that technology was going to have a huge role.

Sitting in classrooms with expensive tuition and books along with everyone’s busy schedules made it perfectly clear. .  so I took what I knew worked best and combined it with the technology everyone has access to all the time.

It wasn’t easy but with the help of many people I finally put the best of both worlds into the most effective researched and experienced based Spanish conversational learning program you can use anywhere and at any time.
That’s Fluency Fox.

But there is a catch. . .
Fluency Fox is not for everyone.

For example, if you already confidently hold your own with a native speaker or are about to get there, then Light Speed Spanish is what you need.  They do an awesome job refining specific points of grammar and are fun and a great resource for anyone on the Spanish language learning journey.  Please check out their You Tube  channel!

Or if you’re brand new to Spanish, there are numerous free resources to start you off with the bare beginner basics.

Fluency Fox is for people at the advanced beginner or low intermediate level in Spanish that want to quickly move from there and go solidly into the intermediate conversational level.

My epiphany was that what I could do best was to offer specific Spanish instruction so Spanish learners can meaningfully interact with Spanish speakers.

Would you like to do that?

If so, check out the infographic and discover the cornerstones of language learning that will make your dream a reality.

I’ve explained it in further detail below the infographic. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Gracias,
Marko

P.S. Mañana I want to show you a few hidden benefits that being an intermediate independent user of Spanish will give you, benefits that you probably don’t know even exist.  Look for that email mañana.