How to make “Turrón Blando Casero” (Homemade Soft Nougat)
Typical Spanish Christmas sweet
One of the most traditional and delicious foods to eat in Spain at Christmas is “turrón” (nougat). There are many different flavours and varieties but the most typical is probably “turrón blando” also known as “turrón de Jijona” (soft nougat) made from crushed almonds, hazelnuts, honey and sugar. Try out the following recipe by watching the Youtube video and reading the method below (in Spanish and English):
Vamos a preparar ‘Turrón Blando Casero’.
We are going to prepare ‘Homemade Soft Nougat’.
Los ingredientes que necesitamos son:
(The ingredients that we need are:)
250g almendras cruda pelada / 250g peeled raw almonds
100g avellanas / 100g hazelnuts
1 clara de huevo / 1 egg white
200g miel / 200g honey
100g azúcar / 100g sugar
esencia de limón / lemon essence
canela / cinnamon Continue reading
Learn Portuguese by Skype!
Whether you’re getting ready for a new life in Portugal, already there and needing to improve or learn Portuguese or simply studying the language for yourself, taking lessons over Skype is a great way to learn. From the comfort of your home, enjoy lessons without needing to spend time and money travelling.
We can start right from the beginning or build on your existing knowledge of the language, and will go at a pace you are comfortable with. The lessons will keep you motivated by being interesting, well organised and tailored to you and your needs.
In addition to the audio and screen sharing over an ordinary skype call, we go to the virtual classroom, complete with a virtual whiteboard and the best of the technological teaching tools available today. Continue reading
Pronunciation tips for Spanish beginners: Consonants
Here are the key sounds in Spanish to watch out for, helping you sound like a native-speaker. Part of learning a language is obviously learning new vocabulary, but if you don’t pronounce the words correctly you may not be understood.
B and V:
In Spanish, a “b” and “v” are the same sound. They are both pronounced like an English “b”. So, for example, when you say the word for “wine”, “vino” you should really pronounce it “bino”. See more about this sound in the previous post: “Spanish Pronunciation of B and V”.
C
The “c” in Spanish is usually pronounced as the “c” in “car”: “coche”, “acabar”, “caminar”.
However, when the “c” comes before an “e” or an “i” it changes sound. In most of Spain, a “ce” and a “ci” is pronounced as a “th” sound:
“gracias” (thank you) is pronounced as “grathias”.
“La cena” (dinner) is pronounced as “la thena”.
In southern Spain such as Andalucía and parts of South America it is pronounced as an “s”: “Grasias” Continue reading
Spanish pronunciation of “B” and “V”
In Spanish, the “b” and the “v” are almost the same sound. They are both pronounced like an English “b”. So, for example, when you say the word for “wine”, “vino” you should really pronounce it “bino”. The English “v” sound does not exist in Spanish.
If a word begins with a “v” it is identical to the English “b” sound. However, if the “v” occurs in the middle of a word, or after an “m” or “n”, it is a softer sound, which we do not have in English. It is more of a combination sound between a “v” and a “b”, a softer “b”. It is like an English “v” but with the two lips touching instead of the lower lip and teeth.
Spelling problems
Because the “b” and “v” sound the same in Spanish, this causes spelling problems for both Spanish people as well as people learning Spanish. Therefore you often see certain words spelt differently. For example, “cebiche” is sometimes spelt “ceviche”, (a shellfish dish).
So when spelling words out loud, to distinguish between the sounds you often hear the letter “b” “be alta” or “be larga” and the “v” as “be baja” or “be corta”.
Miscommunication
I know from experience that not pronouncing a word in the correct way can lead to misunderstandings. When I first started living in Spain, I remember not pronouncing a word spelt with “v” as a “b” sound and I was therefore not understood. However, as soon as I pronounced it with a “b” sound, I was understood straight away.
European Day of Languages
A day to celebrate language learning!
September 26th 2014 is the European Day of Languages organised by the Council of Europe and the European Union. It is celebrated to promote language learning throughout the world.
Why is the European Day of Languages held?
• To raise awareness amongst the general public of the importance of learning languages at any age whether for professional or academic purposes or for leisure.
• To make people aware of the large number of languages there are in Europe and the world and to encourage cultural awareness.
Interesting language facts
• There are as many as 7000 languages spoken in the world, spoken by 7 billion people.
• There are 225 indigenous languages in Europe – around 3% of the total worldwide.
• People living in Europe are coming across foreign languages more and more in their daily lives, therefore it is essential to promote interest in learning new langauges.
• Although some languages have over 50,000 words, each speaker usually knows only a fraction of that vocabulary!
• If you know one other foreign language, you will find it much easier to learn a third and fourth language and possibly more!
• Knowing other languages brings economic benefits: more jobs will be available to you if you speak other languages. Multilingual companies can compete in foreign markets, increasing their competitive edge.
• Due to immigration, in London 300 different languages are now spoken.
Find out everything you need to know about the European Day of Languages from the Council of Europe.
Find out about events that took place across Europe in previous years here.
Why Spanish is THE language to learn!
According to Andrew Hall, Chief Executive of the AQA exam board, Spanish is set to become the “dominant language” taught in UK schools. He says, “I think more and more people are speaking Spanish. I think students recognize that it is a very important language to have.”
Reports from examiners have shown a rise in the number of students taking GCSE Spanish whereas numbers sitting French and German exams have dropped. According to The Telegraph, the number of pupils who sat GCSE Spanish this year increased by nearly 2,000 to a total of 93,000, a record high. This is a 50% increase over the past ten years and almost three times the number in the 80’s.
Reasons for the rise in popularity of Spanish:
Exposure to Hispanic culture
Receta: Flan (Recipe: Crème Caramel)
“Flan de huevo” is a typical Spanish dessert you will have probably seen on the dessert menu in Spanish restaurants. It is a firm family favourite in Spain and is simple to make. Try this recipe below and learn some Spanish at the same time!
Hoy vamos a preparar flan de huevo.
Today we are going to prepare crème caramel. Continue reading
Language Acquisition: Why it is easier to learn foreign languages once you have mastered one.
If your aim is to learn more than one foreign language, it is best to start with one of the easier foreign languages to learn such as one of the Western European languages. If your learning approach for your first foreign language was efficient then you will find it much easier to master additional languages. The reasons why more languages are easier to learn are as follows: Continue reading
Muy v. Mucho in Spanish
“Muy” and “mucho” in Spanish are often mixed up and people get confused as to when to use which one. They are not interchangeable, “muy” is the adverb meaning “very”, whereas “mucho” can be used as an adverb, an adjective or a pronoun and is normally translated as “many”, “much”, “a lot of” although in other contexts it is translated differently. Here we will compare the two and show you when to use each one.
Continue reading
10 Common mistakes to avoid when learning Spanish
When learning a foreign language it is impossible not to make your fair share of mistakes. Here are the most common mistakes to avoid in Spanish:
(1) To say “another …” in Spanish you don’t need to use “un” or “una”:
“Another book” isn’t, “un otro libro”, just “otro libro”.
Follow Us
