Learning imperfectly is progress...

Here's a Ted Talk by Benny Lewis with some interesting ideas about language learning. 

(His accent is a bonus.)

I don't agree with everything he says, but these points ring true - 

• Anyone can learn a second language 

• Learning a language is a decision

• Language learning is more about hard work than about talent 

• You can make a lot of progress in a language even when you can't travel 

And I agree most with this statement: “Perfectionism is a really bad thing in language learning.” Perfection prevents language learning. Mistakes are required. If it's worth doing at all, it's worth doing imperfectly. And that's the idea behind the name of this blog. Even if you aren't as immersed as you want to be, you can still make progress in a second language. 

Mark Twain said, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do." Many people have told me they wish they had learned a second language years ago when they had the chance. I've never heard of anyone who was sorry they studied a second language. The great part is you never finish, and you always have something new to learn. 

Ten years on, this is how you'll feel: 

Actividad 2 - Miguel Servet / Activity 2 - Michael Servetus

Primero, mira el video MIGUEL SERVET

Note: "Miguel Servet" is the native Spanish form of Miguel's last name. Due to his living among several other languages, and changing his name to protect his identity, many other forms and spellings are common. "Miguel Servet" appears on the  Spanish stamps and memorial statues at the end of the video. The standard English form is "Michael Servetus," using the Latin form of his last name. 

 

Usando los sitios abajo (u otros),  escribe un párrafo en español contestando tres las siguientes preguntas. / Using the sites listed below (or others), write a paragraph in Spanish answering three of the following questions.  

1. ¿Qué podemos concluir sobre Espana y Europa durante esa epoca por estudiar la vida de Miguel Servet? / What can we conclude about Spain and Europe during this era by studying the life of Michael Servetus?  

2. ¿Qué razones piensas que Servet tenía en quebrar las leyes y tradiciones de su día? ¿Explica porqué sus crímenes eran castigado con la muerte? / What reasons do you think Servetus had to justify breaking the law and traditions of his day? Why do you think his crimes were allowed to be punishable by death?

3. Winston Churchill dijo, “La historia es escrito por los vencedores.” ¿Estás de acuerdo con este dicho? ¿Es verdad en el caso de Servetus? / Winston Churchill said, “History is written by the victors.” Do you agree with this statement? Is it true in the case of Servetus?

4. ¿Cómo afecta el contexto nuestro conocimiento de una obra de literatura? ¿Si podríamos estudiar las escrituras de Servet, cómo afectaría el contexto histórico nuestras conclusiones sobre él? / How does understanding context affect our understanding of a piece of literature?  If we could examine more of Servetus’ writings, how would the historical context affect our conclusions about him? 

5. ¿Piensas que la historia tal como lo conocemos es completo o no completo? ¿Qué podemos saber de la historia por estudiar la literatura? / Do you think history as we know it is complete or incomplete? What can we know of history from studying literature?

¿Quieres saber mas? / Want to know more? 

•  The University of Edinburgh’s scanned images ofChristianismi Restitutio.

• www.Octavo.com  has examples of other rare medieval books.

• http://miguelservet.org/ The Miguel Servet Institute

• http://www.miguelservetinvestigacion.com/vida.html A webpage dedicated to Servet’s story

Actividad 1 - Café de Colombia / Activity 1 - Colombian coffee

Primero, mira el video: CAFÉ DE COLOMBIA

Usando los sitios abajo (u otros),  escribe un párrafo en español sobre uno de los siguientes sujetos. / Using the sites listed below (or others), write a paragraph in Spanish about one of the following subjects. 

1. El proceso de cultivar y procesar café desde el árbol hasta la taza / The process of farming and processing coffee from the tree to the cup 

2. La importancia de la industria de café en Colombia. / The importance of the coffee industry in Colombia 

3. Las razones por la calidad alta de café colombiano / The reasons for Colombian coffee’s high quality 

Español http://cafedecolombia.com/particulares/

Ingles http://cafedecolombia.com/particulares/en/

 

Información botánica sobre el árbol de café:

Ingles

http://www.cafedecolombia.com/particulares/en/sobre_el_cafe/el_cafe/el_arbol_y_el_entorno/ 

Espanol

http://www.cafedecolombia.com/particulares/es/sobre_el_cafe/el_cafe/el_arbol_y_el_entorno/

 

Información sobre “Fair Trade”

http://www.benzinga.com/general/entrepreneurship/13/05/3612353/these-ridiculous-facts-about-the-coffee-industry-will-blow-yo

Federación de Cafeteros http://www.federaciondecafeteros.org/particulares/en/

Café de Colombia http://www.cafedecolombia.com/familia

¿Quieres saber mas? / Want to know more? 
Coffee in the Global Economy http://www.globalexchange.org/fairtrade/coffee/faq

Canal de Youtube, Café de Colombia http://www.youtube.com/user/100porcientocc/videos

Mapa 3 - Machu Picchu / Map 3 - Machu Picchu

Bienvenido a Machu Picchu, el sitio más visitado por turistas en Perú, y las ruinas más populares en Sudamérica. / Welcome to Machu Picchu, the site visited by the most tourists in Peru, and the most popular ruins in South America.

El sitio de las ruinas es una ciudad construido y luego abandonado por los incas. El nombre “Machu Picchu” significa “old peak” en Quechua, el idioma local. Es un lugar rico con belleza natural, y la construcción de la ciudad tiene una historia misteriosa. Algunas teorías dicen que era un sitio religioso, o un sitio por miembros de la realeza. Hay 150 edificios, y muchas terrazas y paredes de piedra que parecen mezclar naturalmente con la montaña.

/

The site of the ruins is a city that was built and later abandoned by the Incas. The name “Machu Picchu” means “old peak” in Quechua, the local language. The site is rich in natural beauty, and the construction of the city has a mysterious history. Some theories say it was a religious site, others a site for the royals. There are 150 buildings, and many  stone terraces and walls that seem to blend naturally into the mountain.

Haz clic en el enlace / Click the link

Machu Picchu  

-- Completa tres de estas oraciones en español… / Complete three of these sentences in Spanish… 

1. Machu Picchu es…

2. Machu Picchu está…

3. Machu Picchu tiene…

4. En Machu Picchu me interesa(n)…

5. Quiero /o no quiero visitar Machu Picchu porque…

-- Escribe un párrafo corto explicando algunas razones porque Machu Picchu es tan popular hoy en día. 

¿Quieres saber mas? / Want to know more? 

Un viaje virtual: http://www.peru-machu-picchu.com/

Cómo viajar a Machu Picchu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMU4amk7FDM

___________________________________

Fuentes
-- whc.unesco.org/en/list/274/gallery/
-- www.history.com/topics/machu-picchu
-- www.360cities.net