What's So Funny?

I've been making a concerted effort to use the site Lang-8 to get some written feedback about my Spanish and my French.  Even though I'm much more comfy with French than with Spanish, I get way more 'This sentence is perfect' markings for my Spanish entries than I do for my French attempts.  I'm not sure why that is; perhaps Spanish is a little more flexible?  A little more forgiving of grammar mistakes? 

Though I don't want to generalize, it also seems that it's easier to use irony when writing in French than it is to use it in Spanish.  When I try to use a bit of humor in my Spanish on Lang-8, it falls flat.  Usually I have to spend several sentences trying to explain what I meant.  When I'm writing in French, on the other hand, the irony and humor just seem to flow.  I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the fact that I'm just more advanced with my French studies.  I am able to develop more complex ideas and thoughts because I have the requisite vocabulary and knowledge of structure. 

At any rate, the site has been helpful to me and I feel I've made a bit of progress in both languages.  It's also very satisfying to be able to return the favor of someone correcting my entries by in turn correcting theirs.  The most helpful editors are those who don't just mark the mistakes and add the correct version, but those who take the time to explain their corrections.  I try to do this also when I edit others' work. 

Hula-dancing with Hulu

If you're looking for films and TV shows in Spanish to watch for free online, then look no further.  The streaming video site Hulu has an entire Spanish (Latino) language category that offers such quality TV shows as Gran Hotel and Los Hombres de Paco.  It doesn't offer every season of these shows, but there is a good sampling.  And, the best part, it's totally free.  This is not the Hulu Premium version, just regular Hulu.  Many offer close-captioning in Spanish (and I think a few also have English subtitles).  There is also a good sampling of movies, including Pedro Almodovar's Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down, which I believe was his first huge international hit. I think there may be some ads, but still for free it's not bad. 

I just finished watching the entire series Gran Hotel (not on Hulu, but on NetFlix, which has the entire run).  I have to admit that the plot line ranged from the unlikely to the ridiculous, but for the 40+ episodes, it did keep me entertained for several weeks and I sort of hated to see it end.  It was in Castillian Spanish with English subtitles.  The acting was very good.  Poor Andres--at least he finally got his well-deserved reward at the end.

Smile, When You Dub That, Partner

Perhaps I'm just reading things into it that really aren't there, but it often seems to me that Spanish is sometimes very forceful sounding when spoken.  When I practicing speaking French, I usually feel, well, polite and somewhat dignified.  When I speak Italian, I feel as if I'm reciting.  Now, that doesn't mean that Spanish can't sound dignified--indeed it often does sound quite elegant and sophisticated.  It's just that I feel more in charge somehow, when I'm attempting to express something in Spanish.  Maybe it's those trilled r's.  In European Spanish, it's perhaps the frequent th sound of some of the c's.  I've definitely noticed it when I watch western TV shows, such as Bonanza or The Wild Wild West dubbed in Spanish.  Those shows often use dialogue that is delivered with vigor and sometimes anger or other strong emotion.  These shows are very difficult to find in French or Italian, and when you do find them, the dubbed language seems incongruent and artificial. 

On the other hand, romantic comedies and dramas seem tailor-made for French.  Of course it's all just Hollywood and the way it's associated traits with certain cultures that probably are not really valid.  Still, there are times when I feel good speaking Spanish; it's as though it makes me feel more self-assured and assertive.  All this is good.  Now, if I could just learn to speak it right :)

Destino: Fluidez en español

I re-discovered a good video series for learning Spanish yesterday.  It was only after I started watching the first episode that I realized I had visited the site several years ago.  It's called Destinos and was apparently at one time only available to licensed schools. 

Here's a sample:  Destinos

It sort of reminds me of the BBC Spanish series Mi Vida Loca, which is also very good.  Destinos consists of 52 videos, which use an international setting to tell an intriguing mystery story about a dying patriarch and a mysterious letter.  One of the most valuable aspects of the series is that you can turn on Spanish subtitles (or turn them off once you get the Spanish down pat).  There are exercises and another nice thing is that after the story is acted out, a narrator sums up the action--repetition is crucial in learning a language.

And of course it's fantastic that it's completely free.  No emails asking for money.  And the plot-line really is interesting and suspenseful, with good direction and fine acting.  In the first episode viewers are introduced to the main characters in the story--a large extended family who are currently residing in Spain, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.  The scenery is nice and it's a little like getting to visit those places.  Anyway, the first lesson is mostly about vocabulary related to the family.  We learn the words for father, wife, son, uncle, etc.  And it's all free of vocabulary lists that demand to be memorized and artificial sounding dialogue.  I really like the method.  I hope to be able to watch it first with Spanish subtitles and then several times without them.  Since there are over 50 episodes, this should keep me busy for quite some time.

Hasta pronto...