Homework study procedure

You should be studying vocabulary at least 15 minutes every day. Begin studying the most recent structures.

  1. MAKE FLASHCARDS for the structures that you don’t know (either homemade or on quizlet.com) Using flashcards serves two purposes:
  • You get another chance to practice writing the structure down
  • When you study, you can shuffle the cards so that they don’t always appear in the same order that they appear in the cuaderno. Studying structures in the same order gives you a false sense of security because even if you don’t realize it, you are anticipating what the next word will be because you’ve always seen them in that order.
  1. STUDY SPANISH TO ENGLISH first. It is easier for most students.

LISTENING/ORAL practice

  1. As you look at the structure in Spanish say it out loud in Spanish and if there is a gesture, do the gesture. Then say what it is out loud in English. You will retain more if you are reading it, saying it, hearing it.and have a “muscle memory” of the structure from the gesture.
  2. Have someone else read you the words in Spanish and you tell them what it is in English and show them the gesture
  3. Put the structures on quizlet.com. Quizlet has a feature where you can click on the structure and hear a native speaker say it in Spanish. This is good for training your ear.
  4. Record yourself saying the structures

WRITTEN PRACTICE

  1. Make up your own test on the words by numbering a sheet of paper from #1 to the number for the total of words. Mix up your flashcards with just the Spanish side is showing. Read the Spanish out loud and write the English translation. Don’t look at the answer until the end. Remember to keep the cards in order until the end of your "test." When you have written the English translation for each card, while keeping the cards in the same order, turn the cards over to see how many translations you got correct. Set aside the words you got correct and quiz yourself with the words you didn’t know.
  1. STUDY ENGLISH TO SPANISH

LISTENING/ORAL practice

  1. As you look at the structures in English, say the translation out loud in Spanish and do the accompanying gesture (if there is one).
  2. Have someone else show you the flashcards and help you study.
  3. Study with quizlet.com

WRITTEN PRACTICE

  1. Make up your own test AGAIN but this time have the English side facing up. Read the English and write the Spanish translation. Don’t look at the answer until the end. Remember to keep the cards in order until the end of your "test." When you have written the Spanis translation for each card, while keeping the cards in the same order, turn the cards over to see how many translations you got correct. Set aside the words you got correct and quiz yourself with the words you didn’t know.
  2. Four columns study technique. Take out a piece of paper and divide it into 4 vertical columns. Identify 10 structures(or words from vocabulary list) that are difficult for you. In the first column write those 10 words in Spanish. Without looking at the vocabulary list try to remember the English meaning for the 10 Spanish words you wrote. When you have written down the English equivalents you can remember, check your list and copy down the remaining English definitions. Then, fold back or cover the first column (Spanish words) so that you are looking at only the English words. Try to write down as many of the Spanish equivalents as possible. When you can’t think of any more, check the first column and fill in the words you are missing. Now only look at the 3rd column (in Spanish) and see how many English definitions you can remember.

VERY IMPORTANT INFO ON NEXT PAGE

  1. VERY IMPORTANT – TAKE APART STRUCTURES AND CREATE SOMETHING NEW. The structure in the cuaderno is the most basic element that you need to know. However, you also need to know how to manipulate those structures for different subjects or tenses because that also will show up on assessments.

Here are some ideas on how to do that:

WITH VERBS

  1. Write with other subjects in the same tense. . You already knoe the Elella/ ud form. Now write the others. Example “se acuesta” = he/she goes to bed

Yo me acuesto = I go to bed/lie down

Tú te acuestas = you go to bed/lie down

Nosotros nos acostamos = we go to bed/lie down

Ellas/ellas/Ustedes se acuestan = they/you guys go to bed/ lie down

  1. Write the verb in different tenses (see page 6-7)

Preterite se acostó = he/she went to bed/lay down

Imperfect seacostaba = he/she used to go to bed/lie down

Present progressive = se está acostando = he/she is going to bed/lying down

WHEN “LE” OR “LO=him” OR “LA=her” ARE IN THE EXPRESSION

You know that “le” means “to him/ to her”
EXAMPLE: le dice = says to him/to her / You know that “lo” means him
Example: lo dejó = left him behind
Says to me = me dice
Says to you = te dice
Says to us = nos dice
Says to them/you guys = les dice / Left me = me dejó
Left you = te dejó
Left us = nos dejó
Left them (boys) = los dejó
Left them (girls) = las dejó
You can even mix it up / Mix it up
I say to you = te digo
You say to me = me dices
We say to you = te decimos
They say to us = nos dicen / I left you = te dejé
You left us = nos dejaste
We left them = los dejamos
They left me = me dejaron

*Notice that I’m not putting “yo, tú, nosotros ,ellos” in front of the verb. In Spanish you won’t always see (or hear) a subject. You need to get used to NOT relying on the subject, but rather relying on the verb to figure out who the subject is