Spanish, America's First European Language

by Brian Alcamo

We all know that it’s useful to learn a second language, and many residents in the United States are keen on learning Spanish. Such a goal makes sense, considering it is by far the most commonly spoken second language in the country. But why is that the case? 

The US is the country with the second largest number of Spanish speakers in the world, behind only Mexico (and ahead of Spain itself!). You may think that Spanish is simply common in the United States because of our neighbors to the south in Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and other Latin American countries. Or perhaps you believe that Spanish became prominent in the United States during waves of immigration in the twentieth century. However, it turns out that the history of Spanish in the United States goes way deeper than hispanophone neighbors and newcomers. 

In fact, the Spanish language arrived on modern day US soil before English.

Spanish’s history in the present day United States dates back to the 16th Century, when Spanish colonizers first arrived in what is now the US back in 1513 with a voyage led by Ponce de Léon. Landing in Florida, they brought their language with them. Spanish colonization efforts didn’t pan out as productively in the Southeast US as they did in the Southwest, though, with Spanish colonies in Southeast mainland North America only reaching up towards northern Florida. Spain eventually held control of Louisiana (not the state, the entire territory, remember the Louisiana purchase?) for a short period of time, but it was regions closer to the Pacific in the Southwest and West Coast that maintained a wider-reaching Spanish language presence. 

A map of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires (Spain’s empire is in blue). Look at the West Coast!

According to Rosina Lozano, author of ‘An American Language: The History of Spanish in the United States,’ “In the 19th century, Spanish was the only language that the federal government supported financially by paying for translations of official territorial documents.’ By World War II, Spanish had become the most popular second language of choice for students to learn in both secondary and higher education. 

Spanish in the US is not a cookie-cutter, singular entity, either. It has just as rich a patchwork of dialects, varieties, and accents as English in the US. For example, the Spanish of Colorado features more monophthongal, “pure” vowels evident of older Castilian Spanish whereas most Spanish elsewhere features diphthongs. Besides just difference in accents, though, some regions of the United States have entire proper varieties named after them.

Take New Mexico, for example. In New Mexico, parts of the government and courts even conducted themselves in Spanish for a time. Some local governments in the state still do today. New Mexican Spanish is its own variety of Spanish that has developed and grown in the state over the course of centuries, dating back to the 1500s. Because New Mexico was isolated from both Spain and other Spanish colonies, New Mexican Spanish has held onto properties found in Castilian Spanish that were historically common centuries ago. New Mexican Spanish has vocabulary influenced by the Nahuatl indigenous people as well as indigenous Pueblos indigenous to the upper Rio Grande Valley. It also includes plenty of mexicanismos from their neighbors to the south. Here’s an example of what New Mexican Spanish sounds like:

Unfortunately, New Mexican Spanish is slowly disappearing, being replaced by a combination of English and Mexican Spanish alike. However, the fact that a variety of Spanish exists that has been around long enough to be named after a US state is proof positive that the language is just as entrenched in US culture as English. 

Make no mistake, the Spanish language is not “invading” the United States. It’s been here the whole time. Spanish is a useful language to learn because of its applicability in the future. Of course, more US Spanish speakers are being born every day. Yes, learning Spanish will make you more competitive on the job market. Sure, it will help you interact with immigrant communities across the country. But perhaps it’s time to consider the notion that perhaps learning Spanish is useful to learn because it also puts us in touch with a rich part of history that is inherently and undeniably American. 

Thanks For Reading!

Why are you interested in learning Spanish? Comment your response below, and be sure to share this blog post with a friend.

Upgrade Your Reading Comprehension With These Books Studied By Spanish High Schoolers

by Brian Alcamo

What books do Spanish students read in high school?

Back to school season is upon us. That means that hoards of high school students are returning to their desks, still salty and sandy from the summer. With grades once again being a source of concern for most, they’re bound to get back to a familiar assignment: reading. Here in the US, most high school students are familiar with a few titles, such as The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Catcher In The Rye. These classics unify our often disparate education system (so does algebra, but we’re more keen on the ~written word~ here). But what do students in Spain read? And can you incorporate these works into your Spanish learning? Let’s find out with these Spanish high school classics.

Part One: Obligatory Historical Classics

According to Bea, one of our native Spanish instructors, “everyone in Spain knows these titles and studies some parts of them, but not everyone has fully read them.” Most of these books are… old. Bea says that the books in their most original formats aren’t recommended for Spanish learners. Because of their age, they’re difficult to read front to back, and even native Spanish speakers will often misunderstand the vocabulary and syntax (think about if you’ve ever had to read Beowulf, I bet your teacher was very forgiving about effort). If you want to experience the story, there are tons of learner versions available.

Don Quijote de la Mancha - Miguel de Cervantes (1605)

While Spanish students don’t always have to read this work all the way through, it is usually thought of as the most important book in the Spanish literary canon. Considered the first modern novel, students will study pieces of the book and learn its plot (which follows a noble-turned-knight-errant on a quest to revive chivalry), even without reading it all the way through. Its language is dastardly difficult, so students who do end up reading it all the way through will typically do so with an adaptation. Here’s an adaptation for Spanish learners at the A2 level!

Don Quijote de La Mancha

La Celestina - Fernando de Rojas (1499)

La Celestina follows a young man pursuing a young woman who employs the magical help of a local procuress, named Celestina, who has a reputation for convincing young women to accept the love of the men who crush on them. Raunchy and witchy for the era (we’re talking peak Spanish Inquisition), the book’s sexual bent remains subversive even to this day. While sometimes regarded as the first novel, though not as adamantly as El Quijote is, many believe it to be more of a piece of dramatic literature, since it is composed almost exclusively of scenes of dialogue. The work has been performed and staged all over the world.

 El Lazarillo de Tormes - Anonymous writer (1554)

La vida de Lazarillo de Tormes y de sus fortunas y adversidades (The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes and of His Fortunes and Adversities) is a Spanish novella that follows Lazarillo, who spends his youth as a blind beggar’s apprentice. Subsequent chapters follow him as he works for priests, squires, and friars. La vida’s claim to fame is being the first Picaresque literary work, a satirical genre that follows a picaro or “rogue” who gets by in a corrupt society by using their wit. Containing collections of mini episodes rather than one overarching narrative, picaresque novels attempt to expose social injustices in humorous ways. An English-language take on a picaresque novel is Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

El Lazarillo de Tormes

La vida es sueño - Calderón de la Barca (1635)

La vida es sueño (Life is a Dream) is a play emblematic of the Spanish Golden Age drama, which lasted from around 1590 until 1680. The play follows Segismundo, the (fictional) prince of Poland, who is locked up in a tower by his father, (fictional) King Basilio because of a prophecy saying that the prince would wreak havoc on Poland and cause the king’s demise (by demise we mean death). Segismundo is let out of the tower for a brief period before being locked up again, and he is convinced that this brief period of time extramuros was simply a dream (hence the title). The play is consistently studied as one of Calderón’s best works, and was recently listed by the Independent as one of the 40 best plays of all time.

Vocabulary To Help You In the Library

• Lectura obligatoria - Required reading

• Comprensión de lectura - Reading comprehension

• Pistas de contexto - Context clues

• Personaje principal - Main character

• Escritor - Writer

Part Two: Less Obligatory Popular Contemporary Titles

Spanish students aren’t relegated to titles that may feel a little bit antique, they also read more contemporary works as well. These books aren’t as obligatory across the entire country, but are very common. 

Works by Spanish Authors

La casa de Bernarda Alba - Federico García Lorca ()

La casa de Bernarda Alba, or The House of Bernarda Alba is a play by Federico García Lorca that follows a family of six women (five daughters and one mother) after the death of their father. Bernarda Alba, the matriarch of the family, imposes an eight-year mourning period on her daughters, and makes it her business to ensure that all five daughters are sad all the time mourning their father both in public and in private, black dresses and all. When the prospects of love and sex come up for the sisters, the play errupts into a debate on repression, passion, tradition, and conformity. Lauded for its exclusion of on-stage male characters, the play ups the ante when it comes to dissecting what it means to be a woman looking for the company of a man.

El camino - Miguel Delibes ()

El camino, or The Road, is author Miguel Delibes’ third novel. It follows a boy who moves from the Spanish countryside to the city. It deals with themes such a nature versus city life and deconstructs the social mores that come with urban existence.

Nada - Carmen Laforet (1945)

Considered one of the most important Spanish literary works of the twentieth century, Nada (Nothing) is an existentialist novella that examines Spanish economic stagnation and the poverty felt by Spaniards on a day to day basis after the end of the Spanish Civil War. The novella takes place in Barcelona, and follows eighteen year-old Andrea as she spends her first year at university living with her aunt and uncle.

Fun fact: the book is considered the Catcher in the Rye of Spanish literature!

Nada

Works by Latin American Authors

While Spain has its own distinct literary traditions, Spanish teachers understand that some of the greatest Spanish-language works come from Latin America. Here are four books that have crossed the Atlantic to teach Europeans a thing or two about what goes on in the Spanish-speaking parts of the Western Hemisphere.

Cien años de soledad (1967, Colombia)

Cien años de soledad (100 years of solitude) is a renowned novel from Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez that follows a family headed by patriarch José Arcadio Buendía, who founded the fictional town of Macondo. The book’s magical realist style positioned it as a classic work in the Latin American Boom literary canon, combining European modernism with the Cuban Avant-garde style.

El túnel - Ernesto Sabato (1948, Argentina)

El tunel is an existentialist novel that explores the twisted psyche of Juan Pablo Castel, a painter from Buenos Aires, as he tumbles into the pitfalls of romantic obsession. 

Sor Juana de Inés de la Cruz o Las trampas de la fe - Octavio Paz (1989, Mexico)

At the height of his career, Octavio Paz was the top poet and writer in all of Mexico. His work Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz o Las trampas de la fé (Sister Juana of Inés de la Cruz or The Traps of Faith) explores the life of Sister Juana, a renowned poet and nun from a different century, back when Mexico was known as New Spain. Sor Juana begins her adult life (at the age of fifteen) as the virreina’s protegée. After spending five years at her court, she joins a convent for life, turning the cloistered abbey into a salon with intellectual reaches across the entire hispanophone world. His account of her fascinating life attempts to answer the question of why a woman with such intellectual gifts would become a nun, explorig the patriarchal traditions of New Spain and the annals of seeking feminine freedom behind the walls of the Catholic Church.  

A portrait of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz

Pedro Páramo - Juan Rulfo (1955, Mexico)

Imagine returning to your hometown to visit your father after your mother’s death only to find that the town is inhabited exclusively by ghosts. That’s exactly what happens to this book’s eponymous protagonist, Pedro Páramo. Written by Juan Rulfo in 1955, the book’s reception was initially lackluster, selling only two-thousand copies in its first four years of being published. After some time, the book reached mega-popularity and acclaim. Gabriel Garcia Marquez (see above) credits the book for getting him out of his writer’s block and being the catalyst for his own obra maestra Cien años de soledad.

Thanks For Reading!

Thinking of reading even more? Reading in your target language is a fantastic way to improve your skills. Check out one of the books we mentioned in this post, and be sure to share this list with your friends!

The Words And History That Make Puerto Rican Spanish Unique

by Besanya Santiago

Within Latin America, each country has specific words in their dialect that can be completely foreign to other Spanish speakers. Puerto Rico is no different. Since we’ve already discussed the ins and outs of Puerto Rican slang, now lets move on to some common everyday vocabulary.

Puerto Rican Spanish is largely influenced by Andalusia and The Canary Islands in Spain. Many farmers and commoners from these regions came to Puerto Rico in hopes of establishing a better life in the Americas. After some time, Spaniards from other regions arrived as well as European settlers from France, Italy, Ireland, Scotland and Germany. There was even a large number of Arabs and Chinese that migrated to the island. Puerto Rico has an incredibly diverse history. And when you add to this the languages of the African slaves, the language of the Taínos as well as the English imposed by the United States? That’s a pretty intense melting pot of language.

Although this history gives the dialect depth and originality, using certain words from other varieties of Spanish can result in misunderstandings and confusion. For the most part, they are fairly harmless and usually result in having a good laugh. But there are also words to watch out for in order to avoid offending the wrong person. This isn’t usually a concern, though, since Puerto Ricans tend to be incredibly awesome and easy going people (no bias here whatsoever). So, lets get into some of these variations and continue your journey to sounding like a Boricua.

Naranja vs. China

Commonly mistaken for the country, China actually refers to an Orange. The fruit originated thousands of years ago in Southern China, from where it spread throughout India and parts of Southeast Asia. Portuguese sailors eventually brought these sweet delicacies to Portugal and Spain, where they were called China Oranges (naranjas de la China) to distinguish them from the more tart oranges they were accustomed to. In fact, the word naranja comes from the sanskrit word for orange, naranga. Some of us kept naranja and some of us kept china. So no, jugo de china is not juice from China.

Guineo vs. Banana

Since bananas were originally thought to have originated from West Africa, this is where the word guineo comes in. European settlers used to refer to Africa as Guinea. When the Portuguese brought bananas to Latin America, the name came right along with it. Although it is now known that bananas came from Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, the name guineo stuck. Nothing wrong with being an OG.

Guagua vs. Autobus

Although it does sound like a baby crying (it actually is the word for ‘baby’ in Chile), the term guagua is, in fact, a public bus. This word hails specifically from the Canary Islands. It is believed to have come from the name of the US bus company Wa Wa and Co. that provided public transportation throughout the islands. The pronunciation can vary (wawa vs guagua) but what doesn’t vary are the crazed looks I get in other countries when I use this instead of autobus.

Zafacón vs. Basurero

Zafacón is a trash can in both Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. After the end of the Islamic Era in the Iberian Peninsula, many Arabs joined the Spaniards in their journey to conquer new territories. A zafaca, which is a clay container in Arabic, is what they used to collect the waste that fed pigs. The word later developed into zafacón. As it happens, Arabic is the second-largest language that influenced Spanish, after Latin.

Insectos vs. Bichos

If you don’t remember any of these terms, try to remember this: Do NOT use the term bichos in Puerto Rico. It is the only country in Latin America in which it does not mean insect. It’s very vulgar. Simply use insectos and you’ll be fine. As a Puerto Rican, the most insane thing I constantly hear is: Éste bicho no me quiere dejar quieta (this “insect” won’t leave me alone). I’ll leave it to your Google search to find out why.

Lechosa vs. Papaya

Both of these terms can be used to describe the same fruit. However, the word lechosa was initially used to describe an unripened papaya. In Puerto Rico, there is a popular dessert called dulce de lechosa (candied papaya). To make it, you need to use an unripened papaya. When this type of papaya is cut open, it releases a thick juice that’s milky in quality. Lechosa literally means milky, which is how the fruit got its name.

Sorbeto vs. Pajita

A drinking straw can be translated into tons of different ways in Latin America. From pitillo and popote (Colombia and México) to absorbente and bombilla (Cuba and Chile), things can get confusing very quickly. Here’s the Puerto Rico version: Sorbeto comes from the Spanish word sorber, which means ‘to sip’. That’s it. Yea…we prefer to keep things nice and easy. #islandlife

Bizcocho vs. Pastel

This word for ‘cake’ also came along with the Spaniards. Originating from the Latin word bis-coctus, it describes a type of bread cooked twice to prevent it from spoiling. FYI: Be mindful when using this word in other Latin American countries. Depending on where you go, it can have an entirely different meaning and may even be offensive. And yes, this is a recurring theme in the Spanish speaking world with many seemingly innocent words.

Embuste vs. Mentira

This is a term used very often but whose origins are relatively unknown. An embuste is a lie and an embustero is a liar. You’ll also hear the word paquetero to describe a person who lies all the time. The speculation is that it came from the Latin word impostorem, meaning impostor, and that it was brought over by the French. Interestingly enough, French immigration to Puerto Rico was one of the largest in number, second only to the Spanish.

Enfogonar vs. Enojar

A verb defined as ‘to anger,’ enfogonar came from the Spanish word enfogar, which literally means ‘kindle’ or ‘ignite’. And if you’ve ever angered a Puerto Rican, you should already understand why this is probably the best word choice to describe what you experienced afterwards.

Other Useful Vocabulary

Chiringa – Kite
Muerto – Speed Bump
Marquesina – Garage
Habichuelas – Beans
Mahones – Jeans
Balompié – Soccer
Carro – Car
Brincar – to jump
Pillo – thief

Jíncho (a) – Pale
Sato – Mixed breed dog
Averiguao (a) – Nosy
Gafas – Sunglasses
Espejuelos – Eye glasses
Aguantar – To hold
Abaníco – Fan
Molestar – to bother
Bruto (a) – dumb

Not so bad, right?

These are just some of the many Puerto Rican words you will come across. And of course, they all vary by region. It may be overwhelming to learn them, particularly if you’re more familiar with a contrasting dialect. But know that once you become accustomed to the sounds of the Puerto Rican accent, the words will make more sense. Words and sounds within a language or dialect always work hand-in-hand to create a complementary cultural harmony. So just sit back, relax and listen to the musical notes of each individual phrase. It’s just a matter of time before you’ll be able to compose your own song and easily dance to the intricate rhythms of the Puerto Rican dialect.

About the Author

Besanya Santiago (IG: @besanyasantiago) is is an actress and writer based in New York City. She is best known for her work on the Netflix series Orange is the New Black. As a multi linguist, she enjoys helping others gain a deeper understanding of language and culture. Originally from Puerto Rico, her aim is to bring an authentic perspective about Caribbean life to people from all over the world. Check out her website, www.besanyasantiago.com.

(Thumbnail Photo by Amy Irizarry from Pixabay)

The Sky is Falling! How to Talk About Weather in Spanish.

by Brian Alcamo

Despite this post’s title, falling skies are fortunately not a real weather forecast. That being said, talking about the weather is something we all do so often. Be it part of your small-talk with a cashier, your small-talk with your neighbor, or your small-talk with an estranged relative, weather plays a crucial role in how we see and discuss the world around us. 

Weather shapes how we plan our days, weeks, months and years. It’s one of the first things we check on our phones to help us figure out how to spend our free time, and is a major factor in deciding when to take a much-needed quarantine walk. It’s also becoming a big source of discussion as climate change continues to accelerate, especially in the tropical Spanish-speaking countries of Central and South America.

Missed our Instagram Live where we go over Describing the Weather in Spanish? No worries! Check it out on our IGTV with Isabel.

Photo by yue su on Unsplash

How to Talk About the Weather in Spanish

In Spanish, there are technically two words for weather: el clima and el tiempo. More formally, el clima means “climate,” but over time, its usage has shifted to include everyday weather. You may have learned to talk about the weather using the question “¿Que tiempo hace hoy?” Unfortunately, what the textbooks don’t tell you is that that sentence formation isn’t all that common among native Spanish speakers. So when would you use word el tiempo? Mostly in a longer phrase such as el pronóstico del tiempo or “weather forecast.”

More typically, you’re going to ask either ¿Cómo está el clima? (How’s the weather now?) or  ¿Cómo es el clima? (What’s the weather like in general?).

Here are some responses you may get to the question ¿Como está el clima?

• Está soleado / Está bonito (It’s sunny/It’s nice)

• Está haciendo (mucho) calor (It’s hot today)

• ¡Qué calor! ¡Qué solazo! (it’s so hot! The sun is too strong!)

• Está lloviendo / Va a llover (It’s raining/It’s going to rain)

• Está lloviznando (It’s drizzling)

• Está nublado (It’s overcast/cloudy)

  When someone asks you ¿Como es el clima? you can answer with one of these phrases:

• Es caliente. (It’s always hot)

• Es frío. (It’s always cold)

• Es templado (It’s always mild weather)

  Want to describe a weather phenomenon beyond the base terms like “sunny” and “rainy?” Here are a few words that can be used to describe what’s going on in the sky: 

• Escampar (V: rain that is diminishing in strength, rain that is scattering)

• Lloviznar (V: drizzling, lightly raining)

• Una tormenta (A storm)

• Relámpago (Lighting)

The Forecast (El Pronóstico)

via GIPHY

Weather not only influences how we discuss the present moment. It also helps us plan our future activities. When you want to discuss what the weather will be like in the future, you typically use the future tense. For example: está lloviendo changes to va a llover in conversations. You will sometimes hear the simple future used on the news (lloverá) since it’s a touch more formal.

Knowing el pronóstico helps you figure out what to wear. Here are a few words that will be ever-important depending on what Mother Nature is bringing your way:

• Impermeable (o poncho) (Raincoat)

• Botas de lluvia (Rainboots)

• Lentes o gafas de sol (Sunglasses)

• Protector solar (Sunscreen)

• Paraguas (Umbrella)

• Gorro de invierno (Winter hat)

• Botas de nieve (Snow boots)

Bonus Points: Idiomatic Expressions(Expresiones Idiomáticas)

There are many idiomatic expressions that have to do with the weather. “It’s raining cats and dogs?” they have a saying for that. It’s “un palo de agua.” This term is used most frequently in the countries of South America. Another word that means the same thing is is aguacero. 

Used in a sentence, the phrase functions as follows: Cayó un palo de agua o Cayó un aguacero  (It was pouring rain)

• A brainstorm? More like: “lluvia de ideas”

  “Si así llueve, que no escampe” (If it rains like this, don’t let it slow.)

  This phrase refers to a time of good luck and good things coming to one’s life and the hope that this lucky time won’t end.

“No hay nada nuevo bajo el sol” (There's nothing new under the sun.)

It refers to the idea that everything has already been said or invented.

---

That’s It!

Learning to talk about the weather the right way is a key part of becoming fluent in Spanish. Being able to strike up a conversation about the weather is both a cliché and a necessity. The next time you’re asking about the weather in Spanish, make sure to abandon the textbook-style ¿Que tiempo hace? in favor of the more-native ¿Como está el clima? You’ll be sure to impress your conversation partner.

If you’re looking to read up on climate change news in Spanish, check out http://calentamientoglobal.org/.

Be sure to give this post a “heart,” share with your friends, and discuss your favorite type of weather down in the comments below! ¡Hasta pronto!

(Thumbnail photo by Wim van 't Einde on Unsplash)

The Puerto Rican Dialect: An essential guide to sounding like a Boricua

by Besanya Santiago

Ahhh, Puerto Rico. La Isla del Encanto. The quintessential getaway for any person seeking an enchanting paradise to escape from their day-to-day routine. An island where, even when it’s raining, the sun still radiates through the smiles of its local people. The warmth is palpable in the way the island embraces you the moment you set foot onto it. In every woman, you will find your abuela, your mami, your hermana and titi. And as a Spanish learner, this is the perfect place to arrive, listen to the local language and say to yourself: WHAT THE HELL DID SHE JUST SAY?

Yeeeaaa, I know. Latinos usually agree that the Spanish from Puerto Rico is one of the most challenging dialects to understand. Some time ago, I met a woman from Argentina who said to me: “When Puerto Ricans speak Spanish, they sound like they’re rapping a Reggaeton song during the entire conversation.” She’s not wrong. We speak insanely fast and use slang in every other sentence. Additionally, there are certain words that are more or less the same in other countries but drastically different in Puerto Rico.

Ay dios mio…

Puerto Rico was originally named Borikén, a Taíno word translated as “land of the brave people.” The Taínos are an indigenous people who have lived on the island since prior to Spain’s colonization. When Christopher Columbus arrived in 1493, it was renamed to Puerto Rico, meaning “rich port”. This was due to its abundance of natural resources in addition to having generous amounts of gold nuggets in its rivers. Today, Puerto Ricans refer to themselves as Boricuas in order to illustrate recognition of their Taíno heritage. The dialect is a mix of the Taíno, Spanish and English language with African pronunciations, making it truly distinctive. Locals will be tremendously impressed if you manage to include some Puerto Rican slang into your Spanish. Lets explore this dialect further and get you sounding like a true Boricua.

Nuestro acento

It’s important to mention that accents always vary by region. These language tendencies will not apply to everyone. Some may not use any of them. However, these are the most recognizable characteristics of the Puerto Rican dialect. I just wanted to make that clear to avoid getting bulldozed by a fellow compatriot: “OYE PERO YO NO HABLO ASI!!!!! “

Love you, mi gente. Vamos allá.

The letter “R”

We’re constantly made fun of for this one. We roll our R’s only sometimes. More often than not, the R is pronounced as an L. Puerta is Puelta. Porque is Polque. Verde is Velde. However, this is not the case if the R is at the beginning of a word. Puerto Rico would be pronounced Puelto Rico. In certain regions, the R is never rolled. Instead the guttural R is used, which sounds identical to the R in French.

The letter “D”

Almost non-existent in word endings. We don’t say cerrado. We say cerrao. Pegado is pegao. However, if there is another D in the same word, it is still pronounced. Confundido would be confundio.

The letter “S”

Frankly, I don’t even know why we include this one in our alphabet. Again, almost non-existent and sounds like an H. Cómo estás turns into cómo ehtah. Pescar is Pehcal (don’t forget to make that R an L!) and mezclar is mehclal. The letter Z functions exactly like the S.

Word endings

These tend to be chopped off. The word para is actually pa. Therefore, para nada becomes pa’ na’ and para que becomes pa’ que. It also occurs in feminine words that would ordinarily drop the letter D. For instance, cerrado becomes cerrao but when speaking about a feminine object, it then becomes cerra. So now you can say: La puelta ehta cerra.

Nuestro Dialecto

Slang words are used quite often in Puerto Rico. Try to incorporate some of these fun expressions into your everyday Spanish to truly immerse yourself in the dialect.

“Ay Bendito!”
You cannot leave Puerto Rico without hearing this one. It’s used to express pity, shock, anger and sometimes even sarcasm. Similar to the expression “oh my gosh.”

Example: Ay bendito, pero que te pasó? / Oh my goodness, what happened to you?

“Janguear”
One of the most well-known examples of Spanglish meaning “to hang out.”

Example: Vamos a janguear esta noche? / Are we hanging out tonight?

“Wepa”
This is as Boricua as it gets. You don’t say it. You yell it. It demonstrates pride and joy, particularly in situations where people are feeling patriotic. Which for us is ALL. THE. TIME.

Example: Ricky renunció!!! Weeeeeeeeepaaaaaaaaa!!!!!! / Ricky (Rosselló) quit! YAAAASSSSSS!!!!

“Revolú”
Used to describe loud commotions and disorder. An absolute racket.

Example: Oístes el revolú que hubo anoche? / Did you hear that racket last night?

“Brutal”
A compliment used to describe something that is beyond incredible. It has the same strength as the word “brutal” in English but for something good. And there’s a lot of intensity behind it when spoken.

Example: Nena, el pelo te quedó brutal! / Girl, your hair turned out incredible!

“Pichear”
To forget or ignore something in the maximum way possible. “Ghosting” is probably the most accurate description.

Example: Antes tu me pichabas, ahora yo picheo…. #badbunnyforever / Before you ignored me, now I ignore you…

“Al garete”
Something that is disorganized, out of control or a complete mess. In a more literal sense, it means “without a given path.”

Example: No pongas las manzanas así al garete. / Don’t place the apples like that, all disorganized.

“Bochiche”
Gossip. A person who gossips constantly is called a Bochinchero(a).

Example: Esa madre tuya es una bochinchera. / Your mother is such a gossip.

“Fó”
There is no translation for this. It’s what you say when you smell something awful or see someone doing something gross. Usually preceded by an ay.

Example: Ay, fó! Limpiáte esos pies que apestan! / Ew! Clean your feet, they stink!

“Corillo”
A large group of people or friends. Simply put: your people.

Example: Dile al corillo que vamos pa’ la playa! / Tell the crew we’re going to the beach!

“Pana”
A very close friend. Someone who is a partner-in-crime and you trust completely. Not to be confused with the delicious breadfruit in Puerto Rico also called Pana (even though I would trust that Pana with my life, too.)

Example: Manuel, mi pana, como estamos? / Manuel, my friend, how we doing?

“Perreo / Perrear”

The Boricua way to dance and party. And party hard. And usually to Reggaeton music.

Example: Prepárate que esta noche nos vamos de perreo! / Get ready, tonight we’re gonna party it up!

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Now it’s your turn!

Try them out! And don’t worry if you can’t make it all the way to Puerto Rico. We are everywhere and are especially known for being warm, social beings. So, grab your corillo and head to the nearest discoteca for a long night of perreo. Order some piña coladas and engage is some real life Puerto Rican bochinche. By the end of the night, you’re sure to be officially recognized as a Boricua de corazón. WEPA!

About the Author

Besanya Santiago Ayala (IG: @besanyasantiago) is an actress, world traveler and writer based in New York City. She is best known for her work on the Netflix series Orange is the New Black. As a multilinguist, she enjoys helping others achieve an extensive understanding of language and culture. Originally from Puerto Rico, her aim is to bring an authentic perspective about Caribbean life to people from all over the world. Check out her website, www.besanyasantiago.com.

Thumbnail photo by Ernesto Tapia on Unsplash.

Spending the Holidays in Latin America? These are 5 Phrases You Need To Know.

Felices Fiestas compadres! If you’re spending the holidays in Latin America, you might notice that we Latinos do things a little different. After learning these five phrases, you’ll be tossing back coquito and making sure you’re first in line to eat lechón. But be warned...you may find yourself a little more than tipsy on New Year’s Eve, eating exactly 12 grapes while swinging empty luggage around the block.

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(Puerto Rican coquito)

If you find yourself in Puerto Rico in December, you may hear a lot of rumbling about a parranda. A parranda is a Puerto Rican music tradition and THE social event of the season. Expect a group of friends at your front steps playing loud live music until you let them in. Trumpets, guitars, the whole works. It’s a pachanga, baby! Once inside, the guests are greeted with treats like mofongo (mashed plantains), arroz con dulce (rice pudding), and coquito, whose coconut-sweet goodness puts American eggnog to shame. Warning: NEVER, I repeat, NEVER say whose recipe you liked better. Doing so is a slippery slope and you will become the social pariah of the holidays. Seriously, don’t mess with Puerto Ricans and their coquito.

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Nochebuena

Nochebuena is the night of Christmas Eve. In a lot of Latin American cultures, this is a bigger feast than Christmas Day itself, and it features a big family dinner centered around lechón. Physically, lechón is a roasted pig, but emotionally it’s much much more than that. Cooking it takes sweat, dedication, and a whole lot of love. In Cuban tradition, lechón is cooked in a ‘Caja China’ (a large box) below hot coals. Alongside this good food is a night of drinking and dancing until you stumble your way over to Misa De Gallo (Midnight Mass) which concludes the Christmas celebrations.

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Para pedir Posadas:

(A holiday-themed pinata fest)

In English, this literally translates to ‘asking for a place to stay.’ The translation may sound odd, but the tradition is rooted back in the biblical story of the Nativity. Celebrated in multiple Latin countries, Las Posadas begins on December 16th and ends on Christmas Eve. These nine days or ‘novena’ represent the nine-month pregnancy of Mary. What follows is this: two people dress up as Mary and Joseph and visit houses designated as “inns.” The community walks down the street, singing songs until one house finally lets them in. At the end of each night, everyone celebrates with Christmas carols, food, and piñatas for the kids.

¡Cantemos villancicos!

“Let’s sing carols!” ‘Villancicos’ are Christmas Carols, and the people who sing them are called ‘Cantantes de Villancicos.’  No matter which Latin American country you’re in, you’ll find yourself singing. Make sure to pack some herbal teas and keep that voice warm, because you’ll have a tiring but delightful evening. Here are some villancicos en español (that aren’t “Feliz Navidad”) to get you into the spirit. 

¡Feliz Año Nuevo! / ¡Feliz Año!

 (Año Nuevo in Cartagena)

Just like their other celebrations, Latinx people throw the best New Years parties, infused with some special traditions. Some are universal, like eating twelve grapes (each representing one month of the year) as a symbol of good luck. Others are a bit more unique. In Colombia, people walk around the block with an empty suitcase for hopes of traveling more in the New Year. In Chile, you must sweep the house from inside out to erase the past. For Cubans, throwing a bucket of water outside does the trick. All over Latin America, traditions run deep when ringing in the new year!

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We hope you enjoy your holiday season, and if you find yourself in Latin America, don’t forget to take these phrases with you! Felices Fiestas!

Comment below and let us know your favorite tradition!

Spanish Support For Alexa

Spanish Support For Alexa

Amazon , one of the world’s biggest providers of products has announced it is beta testing a Spanish language Alexa experience for residents in the United States. The program will allow Amazon to incorporate a better understanding of word choice and local humor as it has done with prior language launches in other regions. 

Manufacturers who want to build “Alexa Built-in” products for Spanish-speaking customers can also now request early access to a related Alexa Voice Services (AVS) developer preview with Bose, Facebook and Sony already on board. Developers have also been able to create skills in English in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and India; as well as in German, Japanese, French (in France and in Canada), and Portuguese (in Brazil). 

Last summer, Google Home released user support for Spanish, in addition to launching the device in Spain and Mexico which has given them the upper hand in the “smart home assistant” market. Amazon also trails Apple in terms of support for Spanish in the U.S., as Apple added support for Spanish to their offering in the market, the HomePod, in the U.S., Spain and Mexico in September 2018 which comes a bit as a surprise since Spanish is a widely spoken language in the U.S. with 53 million speakers. 

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We hope you enjoyed learning about how Amazon is developing Spanish Support For Alexa! Looking forward to communicating with your Alexa device in Spanish? Our culturally immersive group classes will have you communicating with the newest version of Alexa in no time! Click below to learn more.

Spanish-Speaking Four Legged Friends

Today, it’s estimated that over 437 million people internationally speak Spanish as their native language, making it the second most spoken language on Earth. That estimate accounts for all the humans who speak Spanish, but what about their four legged companions?

For thousands of years, we’ve suspected that our dogs understand human speech, but in 2016 a group of Hungarian scientists proved that dogs can understand language. Their findings indicated that a dog’s brain processes language with mechanisms very similar to the way humans process language, with both sides of the brain working in tandem to decipher a word’s meaning, tone, and its resulting reaction. Thanks to these findings, it’s safe to say that millions of dogs on our planet speak Spanish too! Here’s a few of the most popular breeds in Spanish speaking countries near and far.

Spanish Greyhounds (Galgo)

These slender small pups are known for their unparalleled speed and agility and powerful sight. Originally bred for hunting hare, Galgos have evolved over centuries into tender companion dogs with timid natures when they’re not on the hunt. Rarely seen outside of Spain, the Galgo is cemented as one of Spain’s classic breeds. Unfortunately, as the Galgo breed grew in population, mistreatment of these loyal companions has been on the rise. In recent years, Spanish shelters have been overrun with Galgos who have fallen victim to fighting rings and puppy mills breeding them for game. You can support efforts to aid Spanish Greyhound rescue with the great folks at Galgo Rescue International Network here: http://www.galgorescue.org/#canvas

Ibizan Hound

This fine-framed hound is known for their smooth or wiry caramel coats and for having “legs for days.” These two traits and an excellent sense of sight and smell make the Ibizan Hound Dog Spain’s most agile tricksters. The Ibizan Hound has roots, dating back to 8th century Egypt’s Tesem breed. The breed was refined as a sight hound on the isle of Eivissa to hunt for rabbits and small game on varied terrain. When the breed first gained popularity, they were used to hunt as a means of survival, but today these polite, little dogs make excellent companions for any adventurer. It’s even rumored in Spanish folklore that the Ibizan Hound will bring it’s companion good luck if well cared for!

Chihuahua

Ah, the famous Chihuahua… a spunky dog that is one of Central America’s most famous exports (though historians have little understanding of how the breed landed on the continent in the first place). Chis are known for their compactness, on average weighing six pounds. When the Aztecs conquered the Toltecs in the 12th century, they refined the Toltec-favored Techichi breed from their larger, stockier frame into the pint size version we see today nestled in travel bags worldwide. The recognizable apple shaped faces and large expressive eyes of these larger than life pups have extended their reach from Central America to laps all over the world.

Xoloitzcuintli (Show-low-eats-Queen-tlee)

The Xoloitzcuintli, or Xolo, is known today for its primarily hairless coat and fierce loyalty, but holds a sacred history and was revered by the Aztecs as a spiritual guide. The Xolo was named for the Aztec god of lightning and death, Xolotl, and evidence of the breed being used to ward off evil spirits and protect homes dates back over 3,500 years. There are accounts of Xolos being buried alongside their owners to act as a spiritual escort on their journey to the underworld. Their impact as a protector has carried the Xolo into modern culture, being dubbed the National Dog of Mexico.

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We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the various Spanish-Speaking Four Legged Friends around the world! Wishing you could understand Spanish as well as these pups? Our culturally immersive group classes and native teachers can help put you on the path to fluency faster than you may think! Click below to learn more.

The Euskera Resurgence

Photo by Daniel Norris

There is a resurgence of linguistic tradition brewing in the Basque region of Spain. A 2016 study concluded that 34% of people in Spain’s Basque region spoke Euskera, the native language of the Basque region of Spain, which is an increase from just under 25% in 1991. The more impressive increase is of Basques under the age of 25 who speak Euskera from 25% to now over 70%.

Euskera was banned throughout much of the four-decade dictatorship of Francisco Franco, whose determination to impose a uniform culture on the country included ensuring the use of Castilian Spanish, to the exclusion of regional languages in areas such as the Basque Country, Catalonia and Galicia. During that time, Euskera was confined to smaller towns and villages and used cautiously.

It wasn’t until the 1960s, as the end of the dictatorship approached, that the policy became more lenient. Basque schools, or ikastolas, were created and the language started to enter the mainstream. Today there are 2 entire generations who can communicate with their children in Euskera as the school system has made the push ensuring its survival. The standardization, at the end of the dictatorship, of a language with many dialects also boosted its use and the nationalist governments that have dominated Basque politics in recent years have made the study of Euskera to the forefront of the culture.

The origins of Euskera remain a matter of debate to this day. Its unusual syntax and reliance on a barrage of prefixes and suffixes make it distinct to the Latin-based languages prevalent in southern Europe. Its shrouded history has given way to some odd theories including the claim by historian Esteban de Garibay that Noah’s grandson, Tubal, brought the language to the Basque Country. That notion has long been ruled out, but links have also been made with Caucasian and Berber languages of North Africa. 

But while Euskera has enjoyed a steady resurgence in recent years, it has also been the cause of political discord. On June 2nd, thousands of people demonstrated on the streets of Pamplona, against what they saw as the imposition of Euskera in the region’s public institutions. The opponents of the language’s spread have linked it to extreme nationalist politics, but Basque nationalists insist there is room for both Spanish and Euskera. 

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We hope you've enjoyed learning about The Euskera Resurgence! What are your thoughts on the reemmergance of popularity of the Euskera language? Do you believe it can exist side by side with the Spanish language? Join the conversation below! 

Taiwan's Spanish Celebration

Taiwan's Spanish Celebration 

 This past March, Taiwan celebrated it’s very first "Spanish Day" in Taipei honoring the world's second-most-spoken language and its cultural heritage, as well as raise interest among local high school students in learning Spanish.

Photo: CNA

Paraguay, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic round out the roster of the campaign initiated by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Taipei to instigate the day. The project to promote Spanish started six months ago, which also won support from representative offices from countries such as Chile, Peru, Mexico and the United States. According to the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, there are about 2,500 students with Spanish as their major in universities in Taiwan, with a further 2,000 students taking it as a second foreign language course.

Although interest in learning Spanish is growing in Taiwan's higher education system there remains a gap to fill among high school students. Considering that the world's Spanish-speaking population is nearly 548 million people, the popularity of the language has not yet received the desired amount of attention in Taiwan's high schools compared with European languages such as French and German.

Photo: Songshanculturalpark.org

The celebration hosted at the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park offered an array of cultural events including a Spanish speaking contest, screenings of Spanish-language movies and performances of art and dance. 

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We hope you've enjoyed learning about Taiwan's Spanish Celebration! What are your thoughts on the campaign to promote the Spanish language by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce? Join the conversation below! 

Day of The Spanish Language

Day of The Spanish Language

On April 23rd, the “Day of the Spanish Language” is celebrated at the United Nations as a gesture to raise awareness about the history, culture and use of Spanish as an official language.

In 2010, the Organization decided to begin celebrating its diversity by creating “Language Days” for its 6 official languages:

March 20 – Day of the French language, coinciding with the International Day of La Francophonie.

April 20 – Day of the Chinese language, dedicated to Tsan Chieh, creator of the Chinese script.

April 23 – Day of the English language, which coincides with the anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, arguably the most famous dramatist and poet in the world of English literature.

April 23 – Day of the Spanish language which shares the date of the death of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, the mind behind the Spanish letters.

June 6 – Day of the Russian language, on the anniversary of the birth of Alexander Pushkin known as the founder of modern Russian literature.

December 18 – Day of the Arabic language, which commemorates the approval in 1973 of Arabic as the official and working language of the General Assembly and its Main Committees.

The Original Day of Spanish (El Día del Idioma Español) dates back to 1926, when writer Vicente Clavel Andrés first proposed the idea of a day dedicated to celebrating Spanish literature. Beginning in Valencia, the tradition quickly spread throughout Spain, and in 1964, it was adopted by all Spanish-speaking countries. Originally, October 12th was chosen as the day of celebration because it is traditionally observed as the day when Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas, marking the beginning of the spread of the Spanish language and culture as well as its lasting impact on the "new world." As of now, there has been no official statement made by the UN as to why the date was changed.

The United Nations encourages companies around the world to celebrate the Days of Languages and organize cultural events that show the importance of multilingualism through music, art, food, and movies.

This year, activities coordinated by the UN will included reading extracts from Don Quixote, a Spanish language test, and a round table discussion about inclusive communication to gender in Spanish.

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We hope you've enjoyed learning about the United Nations' Day of The Spanish Language! What would you like to see the UN include in next year's festivities? Leave a comment below to join the conversation!

6 Spanish Words Adapted from English You Must Know!

6 Spanish Words Adapted from English You Must Know!

While the French and Italians may spend more time than their linguistic counterparts being outwardly vocal about the preservation of their native tongue, the Spanish language is always evolving as well (much to the dismay of the Royal Spanish Academy who has launched their own campaign to slow the change). As globalization continues to become more prevalent, the “englishification” of the Spanish language has been on the rise. We’ve put together a list of a few words that the Spanish have adopted for when traditional Spanish doesn’t quite cut it. Keep in mind that these are slang terms that have been adapted to mean something entirely different than their original English meaning. So, to a native English speaker, they will sound familiar all the while sounding slightly strange. Here are 6 that you must know!

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Footing -  jogging (hacer footing would mean to 'go jogging')

Parking - used to refer to a car park or parking lot

Crack - used to describe someone who's great at doing something - essentially a compliment!

Gin-tonic the Spanish have adopted the English name for the refreshing alcoholic beverage and just dropped the 'and' in the middle.

El office - a pantry or utility room.

Smoking - this term has been adopted specifically in Spain to mean ‘black tie’ and is alternatively spelled 'un esmoquin'.

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We hope you've enjoyed learning about 6 Spanish Words Adapted from English You Must Know! Interested in delving even further into the Spanish language? Our culturally infused group classes taught by native instructors can improve your fluency faster than you may have ever thought possible! Click below to learn more!

Español On Demand

Español On Demand

The popular Spanish-language channel, Univision will be launching an extension of Univision Now with content not only from the broadcaster’s programming library, but Viacom and BBC as a  subscription based video service. The service will cost $2.99 per month if you currently have access to cable TV. For access to live and on-demand content you pay only $8 per month, which is still cheaper than most current subscription based video platforms.

For those unfamiliar, Univision is an American Spanish-language broadcast television network that is owned by Univision Communications. The network's programming is aimed at Hispanic Americans and includes telenovelas, dramas, sportscasts, sitcoms, reality, news programming, and imported films.

Currently, Univision is headquartered in New York City and has its major studios, production facilities, and business operations based in Doral, Florida.

The original iteration of the branch debuted a few years ago to attempt to reach mobile device users, and according to Tonia O’Connor, CRO for Univision, “Since then, what we came to realize is that they (the customer base) can’t get enough of the content on an on-demand basis.” Also, “You should think of this as the Netflix for Spanish-language content. That is what we are building.” 

Univision is also planning to partner with multiple other online companies an social platforms such as: Facebook, Snapchat, & Netflix. For advertisers, Univision will unveil the ad suite: Aperture. This will allow for precision targeted data and will also include Campaign Builder: a self-serve programmatic ad platform designed to measure the impact of campaigns.

Currently the release date of this service is still TBA.

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We hope you've enjoyed learning about how Univision is providing Español On Demand! Want to enjoy all of your favorite Spanish movies, telenovelas, and sportscasts in their most authentic form? Check out our highly-rated immersive group classes and private lessons at JP Linguistics today!

Summer Screams En Español!

Summer Screams En Español 

It’s been a while since we have suggested a particular film for our readers to catch, but there is a new summer horror movie En Español that you absolutely should not miss!

Terror Films has released it’s official trailer and poster for their very first Spanish language horror movie, Forward, which is to be released Tuesday, May 1!

While the history of the Spanish cinema, specifically in the horror genre, is not in mainstream of most North American lives, we highly recommend the documentary, “Horror Europa", which explores the genre all the way from Nosferatu to the modern Spanish cinema. Even if it has been under-appreciated, Spain has long been a master of horror, excelling specifically in the realm of psychological dreads with some of the most drastic plot twists in the genre. 

While Spain has had a horror boom that mirrored the U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s, it wasn’t until nearly 10 years ago that the international community began to take notice. Spain has since emerged as a leader of horror, delivering some of the most terrifying films in recent memory.

In fact, Vulture.com has curated a list of 15 of the best in case you want to catch up.

Written and directed by Henry Bedwell, the film features Harold Torres & Axel Ricco as 2 assassins hired to avenge their boss. Novel concept right?

According to the official press release, “The job leads them to what appears to be an abandoned hotel. However, they soon find themselves in an unexpected maze of madness, where realities intertwine and nightmares come to life. Faced with an evil demon named Larissa – played by Latin America television star Lisette Morelos – the duo realizes that the gates of hell prove to be closer to our plane of existence than either of them could have expected.”

FORWARD has been the the recipient of multiple film festival awards including: 

Best Feature Fiction at the 12 Month Film Festival, 

Winner of Best Fantasy Film at the Feratum Film Festival

the Laurel of Achievement at Cinema Grand Prix.

In addition, Forward also recieved an official selection at: Sustefest, Los Angeles CineFest & BioBio Cine.

Terror Films will release FORWARD exclusively in N. America with English subtitles on Vudu, Amazon Instant, iTunes, Google Play and Xbox Live. Following the North American release, iTunes and Google Play will host Forward in Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Mexico, Costa Rica, & Honduras with a worldwide release on additional platforms in the fall.

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We hope you've enjoyed learning about Summer Screams En Español! Want to nix those pesky subtitles and enjoy all of your favorite Spanish movies in their most authentic form? Check out our highly-rated immersive group classes and private lessons at JP Linguistics today!

The Year of the Spanish Language

The Year of the Spanish Language

Earlier this year, Spain’s Minister of Culture, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, declared "The year 2019 will be declared the Year of the Spanish Language” as part of the Marca España initiative.

Marca España has stated that the Spanish language is “a global agent that produces wealth, identity, culture, and brand which still has great opportunities for expansion and development in the digital era. It is expected that in 30 years there will be over 700 million Spanish speakers.”

There will even be tax incentives (up to 90%) for activities which promote the initiative to help try to drive participation among the private sector. Among these initiatives will be a study grant to generate more university student exchanges, appointing celebrities as “Spanish language ambassadors,” and the designing of a digital platform in Spanish & Portuguese to offer free content in the fields of literature, film, music, art, and science. 

This plan has not been accepted across the country, however, as Spain’s all-encompassing attitude with the proposal has caused some hesitation in Latin American countries. De Vigo was specifically warned that the plan would not be welcomed outside Spain by the director of the Real Academia Española, Darío Villanueva, and of the Cervantes Institute, Juan Manuel Bonet, but has decided to go ahead with it anyway. 

Even in Spain, political groups, apart from the governing Popular Party, have also criticized the plan specifically Basque and Catalan citizens  as they see it as an attack on their own languages. Francisco Javier Pérez, the Venezuelan secretary general of ASALE stated that the desire by Spain to reign control over the common language was “at the very least worrisome.” 

Carmen Millán, director of the Caro y Cuervo Institute in Colombia has a bit of a more optimistic look by stating that “...this is not about rivalries, it is about a sense of belonging to a common language.”

While it remains to be seen whether the effort will succeed in a similar fashion as the cultural promotion efforts of the French, it is without a doubt starting a conversation within the Spanish-speaking community about the need to preserve and promote their beloved language. 

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We hope you've enjoyed learning about how Spain is working to make 2019 The Year of the Spanish Language! Do you think the Marca España initiative will be positive for the promotion of the Spanish language? Comment below!

Perserving Ladino

Reviving Ladino

More than 500 years after expelling Jews from the country, Spain is officially recognizing Ladino as a Spanish language in the hope of saving it from extinction.

Ladino, also known as Judeo-Spanish, was preserved by Spanish Jews following their expulsion from Spain in 1492. Shmuel Rafael, director of Bar-Ilan University’s Salti Center for Ladino Studies stated that “It was the main tool for creating, disseminating and preserving the spoken and written culture of the Spanish Jews." Also that Spain’s decision has been reached from the knowledge that Ladino is a Spanish language in the same way as are Portuguese, Catalan, Basque and the Spanish dialects are Spanish. 

At a conference last week at the Royal Spanish Academy in Madrid, officials announced the establishment of a new Ladino academy to be located in Israel that would put together a historical dictionary of Ladino. With Ladino becoming an official language, Spain will be able to add Ladino words and phrases to its popular online historical dictionary, for the benefit of the world’s 500 million Spanish speakers.

In Israel, Ladino can be studied at Bar-Ilan University, Ben-Gurion University and Hebrew University. The new academy will aim to act as “a crossroads for a vast amount of scholarships,” Rafael stated. “This is a very important moment, a historic moment,” Professor Tamar Alexander, chairwoman of the Ladino authority and a scholar of Spanish-Jewish culture, told the Madrid conference. The new academy is considering to operate out of the Yitzhak Navon heritage center.

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We hope you've enjoyed learning about how Spain plans on Perserving Ladino! Want to learn more about the lingusitic intricacies that the Spanish language has to offer? Our native instructors and fully immersive classes are here to help! Click below to learn more.