Spanish Learning Tips
Graciela's Famous Flashcards
Flashcards aren't really a revolutionary, cutting-edge idea, but they remain one of the best ways to really boost your vocabulary. And incidentally, one of the best ways to do it isn't to associate the Spanish word with the English word, but with the image or idea of what the word represents.
Graciela spent a LOT of time creating flash cards that are now famous among the students - partly because of her quizes, but mostly because nearly everyone has benefited from using them to learn new verbs. She's selected images for well over 300 commonly-used Spanish verbs.
I've uploaded the Word Document files of her flashcards, which you can use to print out and paste to notecards. Write the English translation on the back and quiz yourself. If you learn all these verbs your vocabulary will increase significantly.
TIP: Another great way to learn these verbs is to use your computer to cycle through them on slideshow mode and test yourself. Or, one super-awesome way is to put them on your iPod and then you have the whole batch with you to study whereever you go. For directions on how to do that, read this article here.
iVerbos
As mentioned in a previous article, flashcards are a great way to learn new vocabulary. Graziella has put together a great selection of over 300 frequently used verbs. I've posted these verbs in a format that you can use to test yourself on your computer, or by syncing them with your iPod.
Download and unzip the file somewhere on your computer, and if you want to test yourself on the verbs using the computer, just open one of the photos and then put the computer into slideshow mode. Click the Pause button, and then you can control the pace of the slideshow.
To use the flashcards on your iPod, simply unzip the file somewhere on your computer. When you plug in your iPod, click the iPod device in iTunes, and then click the Photos tab. You can then select a folder to sync with. Either select the folder with your iVerbos, or place the iVerbos folder in a place where it will sync with your iPod.
These last 9 months at the Institute have truly been nothing but a joyous experience. I came to the Institute with absolutely no Spanish background and will be graduating in December with the ability to not only speak, but to write and read in this beautiful language, as well. The faculty and teachers as a whole have such vision and passion to see the students succeed and take personal interest in seeing this come to pass. The atmosphere is a blessing to come to each day...and I thank God for the opportunity to study at a school that strives for excellence and to be surrounded by such positive influence pointing me towards Christ in my learning.