Saturday, January 30, 2010

En una semana típica

For this week, please make a list of 10 activities that you do in a typical week. Pay attention to verb forms, and use vocabulary that we've covered in class. You can repeat verbs, but don't use the same verb more than twice. (Don't use "gustar".)

En una semana típica...

1. ...tomo mucha Coca-Cola.
2. ...trabajo en la computadora mucho.
3. ...escucho la música jazz todos los días.
4. ...hablo con mi esposo y mi hermana.
5. ...a veces (sometimes) miro la televisión.
6. ...navego la red todos los días.
7. ...enseño muchas clases.
8. ...hablo con mis estudiantes.
9. ...deseo dormir más.
10. ...necesito escribir más.

Friday, January 22, 2010

¡A leer!

This week, I'd like you to work on reading skills.

Go to one of these sites to find an article:
1. http://www.bbcmundo.com
2. http://www.elpais.com
3. http://latino.msn.com

Read the article, using the following strategies:
1. Figure out the meaning of the title (and subtitles, if applicable) so you know what the article is discussing.
2. Look for cognates. (Words that look the same in English and Spanish.)
3. Guess at word meanings based on context and your knowledge of the topic being discussed.
4. If you get stuck, go to this site and paste the URL of your article in the text box and click "Read!" This will open your article in a web-reader that will provide you with translations and pronunciations as you mouse over words.

For your post, do the following:
1. Post the link to the article (use the link button right next to the italics button to create a hyperlink).
2. Write a brief summary (one or two sentences) of the article in English.
3. Give your opinion about the article in English. (100-150 words)
4. List five words you didn't know with their definitions.

MODELO:
1.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/ciencia_tecnologia/2010/01/100121_contrasenas_internet_seguridad.shtml

2. This article lists the 10 passwords that are most susceptible to hacking, according to a recent analysis of internet passwords.

3. I decided to read this article because I wanted to see if any of my passwords were on the list. :D (They're not.) For me, the need to create passwords for everything is one of the most irritating things about the internet. I understand that for certain sites, you need to create an account with a password due to the nature of the site (blogs, social networking, banking, etc.). What gets really frustrating is the need to create an account and password to access certain kinds of free content. A lot of online newspapers, for example, allow free access to their content as long as you create an account. The article recommends using a different password for each site, but if you did that, the average person would have more passwords than they could possibly remember. Fortunately, a lot of these are now allowing you to use a social networking account such as Facebook or Twitter to access their content, eliminating the need to create yet another account.

My personal password philosophy is somewhere in the middle, between the really easily-hacked passwords that are used for multiple sites, and a strong, difficult-to-hack, password for every single site I visit. The important sites (anything school related, e-mail, financial, social networking, etc.) all have their own unique password, which is a strong password. I use the same password (also a strong password) for all sites that don't store any sensitive information, because if someone were to hack my account, it wouldn't really matter.

4. There was only one word I didn't know, listed below.

jergas = slang

Friday, January 15, 2010

Me gusta/No me gusta

For week 2, please follow the model, and write 5 things you like and 5 things you don't like. Pay attention to the form of "gustar"...should it be "gusta" or "gustan"?

Me gusta...
1. Me gusta la Coca-Cola.
2. Me gustan mis gatos.
3. Me gusta el chocolate.
4. Me gusta la comida china.
5. Me gusta enseñar español. :)

No me gusta...
1. No me gusta despertarme (wake up).
2. No me gustan las verduras.
3. No me gustan los desastres naturales.
4. No me gusta el café.
5. No me gusta la cerveza.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

¡Bienvenidos!

Welcome to Spanish 1110!

To get started, please introduce briefly in Spanish, following the model below. Then (in English), list 5 things you'd like to get from this class.

¡Hola! Me llamo Anita, y soy de York, Nebraska originalmente. También he vivido en Lincoln, NE; Urbana, IL; y Heredia, Costa Rica. Ahora vivo en Omaha, NE. Me gusta enseñar español, leer y pasar tiempo con mi esposo, mi familia y mis amigos.

5 things I'd like to get from Span 1110:
1. I would like to see all of my students be able to carry on basic conversations in Spanish at the end of the semester.
2. I want all of my students to be well-prepared for Spanish 1120.
3. I want to convince all of my students to complete a study abroad program.
4. I want all of my students' work to be so fabulous that grading exams only takes an hour. :D
5. I want all of my students to know that verbs and vocabulary are the most important parts of the class.