Follow up on the subjunctive

This is an excellent slide show I found on the subjunctive!

Book notes: The Spanish Subjunctive Up Close

Like many other Spanish learners, one of my greatest weaknesses is using, or failing to use, the subjunctive.  As part of an ongoing effort to improve upon this I have read and done all of the exercises in the book The Spanish Subjunctive Up Close by Eric Vogt.  These are some notes and observations from the book.    

One thing that Mr. Vogt makes clear at the beginning of the book is that the subjunctive is not a tense, but a mood that includes 4 tenses (present, imperfect, present perfect, and pluperfect).  What determines the use of the subjunctive is the relationship between dependent and independent clauses, not the time when an action happens.  The time when the action happens in relation to the verb in the main clause determines which tense of the subjunctive should be used.    

One type of clause in which the subjunctive may be called for are subordinated noun clauses.  The author provides an easy formula for determining when the subjunctive is needed for subordinated noun clauses (the second, or dependent clause).  

S1+V1 que S2+V2  where S1≠S2

Subject 1 & Verb 1 + Subject 2 & Verb 2 where subject 2 is not equal to subject 1, and verb 1 is a W.E.I.R.D.O. verb.  W.E.I.R.D.O. is a handy acronym for verbs of Wishing (or wanting, willing, desiring, etc.), Emotion (alegrarse, enojarse, etc.), Indirect statements/commands (que traiga, etc.), Doubt/Denial (dudar), and Ojalá.  The importance of the change in subject with W.E.I.R.D.O. cannot be overstated, if the subject does not change the subjunctive is not used.   

Subordinated noun clauses are not the only types of clause that require the subjunctive to follow; some adjective and adverbial clauses also require the subjunctive to follow.  The subjunctive is used in adjective phrases when the antecedent, or noun of the first clause, is vague, non-existent, or indefinite.  The example provided by the book is “necesitamos una computadora que funcione”.  The “computadora que funcione” describes a computer that is vague, may or may not exist, and indefinite (just a computer that works, not the computer that works).  For adverbial clauses, there is one group of these clauses that always requires the subjunctive and another group that sometimes requires the subjunctive, depending on the certainty of the speaker about an event.  The group of clauses that always requires the subjunctive includes:  

a menos que/a no ser que  (unless)

antes de que  (before)

como si  (as if)

con tal de que, siempre y cuando  (provided that/as long as)

el hecho de que (the fact that)

en caso de que (in case that)

para que, a fin de que  (in order that)

sin que (without)

(pg. 48)

The other group sometimes requires the subjunctive.  To determine whether or not the subjunctive is required we need to look at the speaker’s attitude about the dependent clause, the adverbial phrase is describing, such as uncertainty or doubt about the clause.   

a pesar de que  (despite, in spite of)

acaso, tal vez, quizá  (perhaps)

así que, así como (such that)

aunque  (although)

cuando (when)

de modo que, de manera que  (in such a way that)

después de que, luego que (after)

hasta que  (until)

mientras  (while)

por más que, por mucho que (no matter how much)

siempre que (as long as)

tan pronto como, en cuanto  (as soon as)

una vez que  (once you have)

(pg. 49)

The exercises in the book are plentiful and extensive.  Some are as simple as matching exercises.  Other more difficult exercises involve translating sentences that may or may not involve the subjunctive.  Each chapter has 5 or 6 sets of exercises, so one can feel comfortable with the content before moving on (or review the chapter more).   The entire last chapter is comprehensive exercises on material learned in all of the chapters.  I feel I personally gained the most from the exercises, though the explanations were good as well.

The Spanish Subjunctive Up Close has been a useful tool that has helped me become more confident with the subjunctive.  I would highly recommend it as a resource for anyone interested in improving their use of the subjunctive.

¡Que lo lean!  

              

Some excellent movies to enjoy while learning about Latin American culture!

 

También la Lluvia  -  Set in Bolivia, a Spanish film crew employs Native Americans to make a film about Christopher Columbus.  Maybe employs isn’t really accurate, exploits might be a better term.   Against the backdrop of the Bolivian government privatizing the water supply and the social unrest that follows; action, emotion, and inspiration follow.  This is a truly inspirational film, and is one of my favorites in any language.   

¡No!  -  A marketing campaign that brought down a dictator.  Awesome, true story.  You can see the real ad portrayed in the movie here. 

La Misma Luna  -  A heart-touching story of a young boy who crosses the US/Mexican border by himself to find his mother.  His journey shows the perils of this journey that many like him take every day.  He also finds an unlikely friend and hero.  

The Motorcycle Diaries  -  An adventure through the continent of South America.  Great cinematography of the varied landscapes of the continent.   Learn the beginnings of the infamous “Che”.    

Romero  -  This movie is in English, but is culturally and historically relevant.  In my opinion, when one mentions the great non-violent leaders of the 20th century Bishop Romero should be right up there with Martin Luther King and Gandhi.  The story of a hero who knew he would be killed for doing the right thing and went ahead and did it anyway.  Excellent movie!   

Any suggestions or favorites that I missed?  Feel free to comment!

My Spanish Goals

The previous post on this blog was about measuring progress and learning from mistakes. I mentioned that I noticed some mistakes I was making in speech while we were in Panama, and that I plan on making a study plan to address those mistakes.  This post is that plan and the specific subjects I will address to improve in those areas.  

One of the first problems I noticed was making mistakes with the subjunctive tenses.  I plan on addressing this through reading and doing the exercises in the book The Spanish Subjunctive Up Close  by Eric Vogt.  I’ve read through this book before, but could certainly use a review, and doing the exercises may help train my brain to pick the proper tenses.   I will also try to incorporate the subjunctive into my speech with my wife more, and she is definitely not shy about letting me know when I’m wrong.      

Another issue that I feel I could use some reinforcement on is choosing the proper pronoun.  Most of the time I feel confident with pronouns, but I get confused sometimes with when to use “la” or “le”.  I plan on addressing these issues by reading and doing the exercises in the book Spanish Pronouns and Prepositions by Dorothy Richmond.  I don't feel this problem was quite as extensive as my problem with the subjunctive, so I think a little review will be all it takes to clear it up.       

One final issue I’d like to address with my Spanish is to add more natural transitions in speech.  This one is harder to quantify, but I want to utilize phrases like “a proposito” and “por cierto” more.  Even transition words like “bueno”, “pues”, and “así que”  will make my speech pattern more natural and closer to sounding like a native speaker.   This is just something  I will have to be mindful of when speaking, as I don’t have  books or exercises to do.   I also plan on writing a blog post about colloquial expressions in the near future, so I will observe natural  speech  more so than usual.   Compiling that info should be a great help to me, and hopefully to you all.      

I’m sure after I improve on these areas, new problems will creep up.  Learning a second language as an adult is a lifelong venture.  I’m just glad that it is something I enjoy, and it is truly the journey and not the destination that is the best part.    My Spanish has helped me make new friends, and develop better relationships with my family.  That makes all of it so worthwhile.   I hope your Spanish journey is as enjoyable for you as mine is for me!  

Progress

Progress and measurement

Sometimes progress feels hard to come by for foreign language learners, especially those who do not live in a country where their target language is spoken.  I have been fortunate to have an annual event to measure my Spanish progress, our yearly trip to visit my in-laws in Panama.  Thinking back on these trips gives me gratitude for my in-laws, who have been tremendously supportive of me in my Spanish learning, and grateful for the opportunity to travel and be immersed in the language and culture, which of course is very helpful!

When I think back to our first trip to Panama in 2007, I had just 2 semesters of college Spanish and some solo study under my belt.  With the in-laws I could greet and ask some basic questions, but I mostly relied on my wife for translation.  This was of course very tiring for her, and luckily through subsequent trips I have managed to attain fluency and no longer require someone to translate. 

The bulk of my learning happened at home: listening to Spanish podcasts, reading grammar and vocabulary books, enjoying Spanish media, and jumping on every opportunity to practice speaking.  I also had the incredible fortune of a mother in law who visited for 3 months after the births of our 2 daughters, and during these visits did not use her English.  Progress was hard for me to measure day by day, but our yearly trips created a great yardstick for comparison.  

This year, I received many compliments on my Spanish from our relatives in Panama.  I also felt that I incorporated natural and colloquial expressions into my speech.  I understood nearly everything and, with very few exceptions, almost never had to ask a speaker to repeat.   I also managed to note a lot of mistakes in my speech, most notably a lot of problems with subjunctive tenses.  I love mistakes, especially when I notice them, because that means I know what I need to work on, I’m already aware of a problem, and I know what resources I can turn to for improvement in that area (Book: Spanish Subjunctive Up Close).  

Now I know not every reader has the good fortune of being able to travel to Latin America frequently, but there are other annual events that could be used as a measuring stick for your Spanish learning.  A local Latin American festival is a great place to mingle and converse (If you are in Pittsburgh that could be the Latin American and Caribbean Festival at Pitt).  Many cities have Spanish language groups on Meetup.com.   Even a bi-monthly trip to your favorite Mexican restaurant or grocery store can be used to measure your progress, you might even get the confidence boost of a compliment from your waiter!  You’ll also notice the places you lack in your conversational skills, and will be able to make a study plan based on what you find.  Buena Suerte!         

Talking to strangers in a crowded elevator

Airport gates are not usually the place for lots of strangers jovially sharing stories, laughing out loud, and meeting new people. That's what I thought, anyway. Yet, I was surrounded by this scene, people seemed like they were in a bar, or at a party, and certainly not at an airport. Yes, I was at Miami international, in the United States waiting for my first flight to Latin America, but, No, these were not your usual business travellers. In our destination, at my inlaws' home, a friend from the USA’s father came to pick up some photos. After some chatting, he ended up staying for lunch. These interactions show how Latin American is more social and outgoing than the USA. For Spanish learners, this is great news! Many of the people who speak the language you wish to learn are social, outgoing, and used to chatting it up with strangers!

Cultural differences between the United States and Latin America are definitely present and knowledge of these differences can help you communicate better in Spanish. In Latin America people are approachable and responsive. Rest assured knowing that in Latin America you can say hello to strangers, it is even acceptable in a crowded elevator!      

Common Sense

Do what you do, but in Spanish!


The title pretty much says it all, and it may be obvious, but some people don’t think about these things. Many of the students I work with in the library lack practice partners and perceive this as a barricade to learning . Pittsburgh has a growing but very small Latino population. Even without native speakers you can learn and progress or maintain your Spanish. Just do what you usually do, but do it in Spanish (for intermediate learners)!

Reading is a great way to do this. I’ve always loved reading the news, but if I switch to reading the news in Spanish, I’m killing two birds with one stone. This may be laborious for the novice, who should probably read short articles with a dictionary handy. If you are not interested in the news there are Spanish websites about everything. Whether you like movies, gossip, sports, or business you can find reading material. (I’ll list some websites at the bottom of this post). Even children’s books are a great way to practice. Check to see if your local library has the Diario de Greg series (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) for some laughs!

Watching TV, like reading, builds language muscles. In my opinion watching tv may be even more valuable than reading. You can tune your ear to the language and become accustomed to different voices and accents. If you like soap operas you’ll love Spanish tv. If you don’t there are plenty of other options. Sabado Gigante is a variety show on Saturday nights that has segments ranging from singing contests, to comedy, and everything in between. Sports programming is something on almost all Spanish networks, so if you love sports you can learn some great sports vocabulary watching futbol or boxeo in Spanish. Often you can watch american programs in Spanish by going to the SAP option in your tv settings. Media isn’t the only way to practice, and you can actually practice with nothing but yourself and your own thoughts.

Thinking in Spanish is a great way to keep Spanish at the forefront of your mind. I know that noone is there to correct you and you very well may make errors, but that is okay. The benefit of keeping your vocabulary cycling through your thoughts is much more important than thinking perfectly correct grammar. Don’t commit to thinking in Spanish all of the time, that would be overwhelming! Just try to run through some things: Translating recent conversations you’ve had, recite what you’ll talk to your Spanish speaking friend at work about, even run through your imaginary grammy acceptance speech!

Our success in learning Spanish will be the direct result of our learning habits. For those of us who are past the beginner level, doing some of our regular activity in Spanish can help our Spanish progress or keep us from forgetting. Try out some of these approaches to see if any will fit your life! Feel free to share any Spanish websites you like to read!

Good Spanish Websites:

www.bbcmundo.com The BBC’s Spanish language site. Great coverage of Latin America and the world.
www.univision.com - Great news from Latin America and news relevant to Latinos in the United States, plus lots of great entertainment and music news.

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Portada Wipedia’s web portal, if you want to learn about something you might as well do it in Spanish.

http://latino.msn.com/ - msn’s spanish content