In Spanish, the letters B (be, be larga o be grande, depending on the country) and V (uve, ve corta o ve chica, depending on the country) don’t have any phonetic difference, like the ones they have in other languages (English for example).

In a simple way, they’re pronounced the same way. Their sound is very similar to that of the English B. When either letter is between to vowels, their sound can somewhat resemble the one of the English V, but Spanish speakers will not make the sound by touching the lower lip with the upper teeth. Instead they will make it by always touching the upper and lower lip.

One consequence of this is that it is not rare for Spanish speakers to have spelling difficulties with words that have B or V, because there is no way for them to differentiate them from their sound.

Vaca, bote, jabón, envidia (there are no words in Spanish that have a B right after an N), balde, cambio, (M and V can never be togheter) are some examples.

• Why am I learning Spanish? Is it a need? Is it for pleasure?
• How am I going to use my Spanish? Will I speak it? Where? With whom? Will I write? Do I just need to read it?
• What is an realistic, achievable goal?
• How much time do I have (or want) to spend on learning Spanish? Do I have enough time? Is distance learning or online learning an option?
• What kind of a learner am I? How do I learn better? Can I efficiently learn on my own or with little guidance? Do I need structured lessons, with a tutor telling me what to do?
• Am I able to discover and design my learning path? Do I need to trust that to someone else? Can I negotiate it with my tutor?
• How do I work better in class? Do I take the initiative and like to speak? Does it help me to systematically work on drills and exercises? Do I remain focused on what matters when learning through ludic activities?
• What specific topics do I like? What vocabulary area do I need to prioritize?
• Is there anything else I should keep in mind when defining my learning strategy?

Hope it helps.

I am realizing more and more that native Spanish speakers use the verb SER to express location. At least among Argentinians.

Mi casa es en la calle 71.

That’s a sentence I hear a lot. For a Spanish teacher like me, that would be a huge mistake (actually, for anyone). I heard this from professionals and educated people too. But I obviously don’t correct a native speaker.

Every time I hear this, it makes me think of the language. Is this what we call the dynamism of the language? I don’t think so. I think this is related with poor Spanish teaching at school. And it looks like a small detail. They become extended and to some extent, a regionalism.

Spanish learners: there are many native speakers whose Spanish is far from perfect. Don’t let a mistake or your imperfect language skills obstruct your speaking skills. Believe me, you probably are a better speaker than what you think.

We said a few things about por and para a few days ago. Most of the times, explanations about these prepositions look nice and clear but it all becomes confusing when you start using them in conversation.
Out of all of the uses these prepositions have, there are two that probably are the most confusing ones:
Para expresses a purpose, while por a cause, a reason.
Let’s see a two examples:

• Llamaré por teléfono a Carlos ______ pedirle mis cosas.
• ______ levantarte tarde, perdiste el tren.

Which sentence expresses a purpose? Which one a cause? “pedirle mis cosas” is the purpose of the call. Getting up late made me (caused) lose the train.
Now, let´s think of them logically, in terms of time: Temporally, the purpose (not the enunciation of the purpose but its actual fulfillment) comes always after the main action. First, I call Carlos, after that, I will ask for my things. Here, we will always use PARA.
The cause always precedes the main action. I woke up late and only then, for that reason, I lost my train. In this case we will use POR.
Voy a Chile para estudiar español. I go to Chile to learn Spanish. I first go there then, I will study Spanish. The purpose will actually take place after I arrive in Chile.
Estoy triste por lo que le pasó a Miguel. I feel sad for what happened to Miguel. Temporally, something happened to him first and then I feel bad. But the cause takes place first.

One of the most remarkable differences I see between learning Spanish on-site and online is how relaxed the student is.

Some of my students live in New York City. A few of them, after taking face to face lessons, decided to try Hespanica online. And I teach this guy who used to perform okay when visiting him at his office who now that is learning from home is doing incredibly well, compared to what he did in the past.

Being able to take his lessons and not having to worry about a phone call, an interruption or that deadline he has to meet is clearly affecting his Spanish. Our conversation is more fluid and complex. Plus he easily understands and remembers concepts and his learning curve is moving up faster.

Te felicito Mike.