Re: first lesson
 

the goch at the end would be the strong syllable

Re: first lesson
 

Spanish school text books call them tildes

maybe they are calling them acentos because they wouldn't expect a foreigner to know what a tilde is

Re: first lesson
 

I agree with jackytoo here. Spanish people usually say acento e.g. "el acento en la "a" de Águilar"

Tilda is a written thing i.e. the actual name of the symbol

Re: first lesson
 

I think you probably know the answer to that ;)

I'm not sure I'd actually get that far to worry about it

Re: first lesson
 

if you could get that far you wouldn't NEED to :rofl:

Re: first lesson
 

Is there an abreiviation for the Welsh town,?

Re: first lesson
 

Yes

Dontfeckingothere

Re: first lesson
 

Coín - always gets 'em.

Usually pronounced "coe inn" with emphasis on the "coe". A friend of mine used to live there and swore that was how to pronounce it and that's how the Spanish did.

I suppose it's possible that they did to humour the Brits.

The Welsh town is usually called Llanfair PG

Re: first lesson
 

Good job, I am sure most of the inhabitants would have moved out long ago if the had to write lot as their address.:rofl:

Re: first lesson
 

We have loads here that people struggle with

Xeresa
Xativa
Cullera
Alfauir
Xeraco


What is it with all these X's :D

Re: first lesson
 

Llanfair P.G :)

Re: first lesson
 

I think it's the Valenciana. Makes things even more confusing. Javea or Xabia etc

Re: first lesson
 

and XÃ bia

all those with the X are Valenciano names for the towns

X is barely used at all in Castellano

it doesn't help that the Valenciano X doesn't sound the same as the Castellano J either, so towns can have totally different sounding names depending on what language you are speaking



eta..........note to self - check whole thread before posting

Re: first lesson
 

Polite guffaws from those of us living in the Axarquia;)



though to be fair you did say rarely.........;)


*ahem* barely

Re: first lesson
 

:p

Re: first lesson
 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanfairpwllgwyngyll

Re: first lesson
 

A nightmare!!!! :confused: We have 5 plain direct vowels, not your undecided mixed ones! Was it really so difficult to decide how to pronounce a vowel??? :p

Really, after maybe 20 years learning English (first lesson: alphabet and numbers) plus 11 years living there I'm still not able to pronounce your vowels properly. At least I can communicate, but when I meet your natives for the first time they usually get their eyebrows moving all over the place while trying not to make funny faces. :thumbdown:

BUT, and a very big but... on the other hand your verbs are sooooo easy, they more than compensate for your shy vowels and awful phrasal verbs... not to mention your funny accents :D

It is very hard to become fluent in any second language unless you are lucky enough to be exposed to both of them since you are a baby. Even being fluent there will always be a lot of little things that only natives will know because they are popular culture, such as old celebrities, TV catchphrases, etc that become popular many years before you went there.

¡Buena suerte!

Re: first lesson
 

What's a phrasal verb?

Re: first lesson
 

As a Spanish woman married to a Welsh guy, please let me answer.... I start with jlanfeir... forget all the stuff in the middle which I substitute with lots of jlas an rrrrs, and then finish with a magnificent gogogoj!

The worst thing is that I can't counterattack with Spanish J's an R's as most Welsh people can pronounce them perfectly... not English people though!

For them I simply use the "Perro de San Roque" thingy and my silly honour is saved; I can do the "She sells sea shells in the seashore". :p

"El perro de San Roque no tiene rabo porque Ramón Rodríguez se lo ha cortado"

Re: first lesson
 

When you have a verb and then a preposition. Problem is that the preoposition completely changes the meaning the verb would have with another one. Most of them make no sense in Spanish, and some are completely the opposite a Spaniard would use.

That is one of the most difficult things to learn in English for a non native.

Re: first lesson
 

Phrasal verbs are usually a verb with a preposition and has a meaning totally different to the literal meaning verb alone.

look after, look up (as ina dictionary) put up with, piss off ,do in (kill) are just some examples.

Re: first lesson
 

Like "catch up" or "run out".:confused:

Is it a bit like "matar a" in Spanish?

Re: first lesson
 

Catch up and run out are phrasal verbs.

Matar a - is not.

Re: first lesson
 

me!! me!!!

I know!!! I know!!

things like run into, and show up - where the addition of another word (preposition or adverb) changes the meaning of the verb






aren't you glad you asked :lol:

Re: first lesson
 

Believe me, I'm NOT glad I had to study them! So many years and I'm still making mistakes! :thumbdown:

But, other than that your verbs and grammar are very easy, so I cannot really complain. :cool:

Re: first lesson
 

the thing is - not many native English speakers have a clue about grammar to that level

we just 'do it' without knowing all the terms

Re: first lesson
 

The 'a' is when the direct object of the verb is a person.

I remember one of the first sentances in the Hugo book I was studying all those years ago was ' ¿Que hombre no ama A su madre?'

Re: first lesson
 

Lots of people (Spanish, British and from anywhere) haven't got a clue about grammar, they simply speak their language.

It makes it quite difficult to learn a second one, as they do teach a lot of grammar you don't know in your own... subject? verb? adjective? what's that???

When I was learning in Spain I had a language teacher who used to throw anything handy if you made "silly" mistakes... I hated to get the duster on my face, but I did learn grammar! (I also learned to duck quickly and let the duster hit the pupil sat behind me!) :p

Re: first lesson
 

It's ridiculous that grammar and punctuation aren't taught as subjects in their own right.

Re: first lesson
 

agreed



even though I rarely use any on the forum ;)

Re: first lesson
 

:)I seem to remember that they were, when I took my English GCE 55 years ago!

' lluego!

'o nonno

Re: first lesson
 

We were taught English Language which included grammar and all - mind you I did go to a Grammar School. We were not taught English Literature at all. :confused:

Re: first lesson
 

Thanks for that. I actually got a Grade one for my GCE English Language (in the days when they taught grammar). I seem to have forgottenall of it!

Re: first lesson
 

I got taught grammar, punctuation, how to precis, all that stuff.

Re: first lesson
 

Yes, so did I.

Re: first lesson
 

We sound like frigging geriatrics.....

Re: first lesson
 

No, first flush of seniority.

Re: first lesson
 

There - fixed it for you.:thumbup:

Re: first lesson
 

If you can't find the right words, chaps.................. !!!!!!!!

Grade 1 GCE Eng Lang Grace 3 Eng Lit Oxf Cert Proficiency in the, Use of English, National Award for Best Use of English in my NCTJ Exam.............. :rofl::rofl: I prefer 'mature memory function' ;)

No, I prefer superior mature memory function!!!

Re: first lesson
 

While we are being geriatrics, have you noticed how poor hand writing is these days?