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Easter in Argentina: Music & Tradition

by Kelly
April 16, 2017
Latin America, Uncategorized

In South America Easter Week; Semana Santa is one of the most anticipated holidays. As Argentina is predominately a Catholic country there are many regional and local celebrations all over the country during Semana Santa.

In Argentina pascua is celebrated as the resurrection of Christ with carnivals, music and dancing aswell as traditional food. Music with the Charango is played. The charango “guitarra criolla” is a small Andean stringed instrument, which originated in the Quechua and Aymara populations in post-Columbian times. The instrument is widespread today throughout the Andean regions of Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, northern Chile and northwestern Argentina. The tuning of the Charango is very similar to a ukulele, you can use the familiar ukulele chords to play it. The scary part about the charango however is that it is traditionally made from the shell of an armadillo!Read More »Easter in Argentina: Music & Tradition

Eight ways to practice speaking Spanish for free

by Kelly
January 20, 2017June 14, 2024
Tips

Updated 14/06/2024 – In this blog post I provide some methods that will get you practicing your Spanish every day and won’t cost a penny (except for maybe the odd coffee). Exchange programmes can be expensive and are only usually for a few weeks of the year and if you’ve already signed up for a course you really want additional conversation opportunities to put into practice everything you are learning. What you need when you’re learning a second language is plenty of practice and consistency.

The Speekee® Accelerate Programme: An OnLine Spanish course for kids!

by Kelly
November 30, 2016
speekee review

Wowzers! Here it is folks…my concluding post about the Speekee Accelerate Programme. What a journey we have been on with this – it’s been ¡fantástico!

If you’ve only just joined us, worry not as at the end of this post you will find links to the blog posts covering our year-long Spanish learning programme with the Speekee Accelerate Programme.Read More »The Speekee® Accelerate Programme: An OnLine Spanish course for kids!

Speekee® Accelerate Review: Weeks 33 – 36

by Kelly
November 22, 2016
speekee review

Weeks 33 & 34

This unit covers restaurants and is mainly about food and drink. We set up a restaurant and gave it a name. Then used the workseets for some role play. We used the following vocabulary:

¿Qué quieres para beber?” (What do you want to drink?)

“Gracias” (Thank you) replying with “De nada” (You are welcome).Read More »Speekee® Accelerate Review: Weeks 33 – 36

Speekee® Accelerate Review: Weeks 27 – 32

by Kelly
October 6, 2016
Reviews

Weeks 27 & 28

Audio files have now been added to the entire programme which is great as it gives additional listening practice to each video.

As a change to the previous videos, week 27 is a silent movie about being in a fairground. We discussed the different types of rides, which are our favourites and which go “rapidamente”, “arriba” and “abajo”. We set up an obstacle course at home to practice the words “arriba” “abajo” in Spanish. Read More »Speekee® Accelerate Review: Weeks 27 – 32

The Day of The Dead Festival

by Kelly
October 3, 2016November 4, 2024
Latin America, Resources for children

*Updated 14/10/24* The El Día de los Muertos (Day of The Dead) Festival in Mexico is celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of November each year. On these dates people remember their loved ones who have passed away. Sound a bit morbid? Well it’s not at all. Read on to learn more about this intriguing festival.

Am I Nearly There Yet? (¿Ya Estoy Llegando?)

I’m so excited to be writing this post…it’s an exhilarating time for me as I announce the launch date for my first bilingual children’s book with acclaimed author Jude Lennon.

“Am I Nearly There Yet?” (¿Ya Estoy Llegando?) Follows the adventures of Frida a Monarch butterfly as she makes her migratory journey down to Mexico for the ‘Day of the Dead Festival’. But, Frida is a day dreamer. She wasn’t paying attention and the other butterflies have left without her. Who will help Frida find her way? And, will she get to the festival on time?

Front Cover.jpg

On Line Spanish Conversation Workshop

by Kelly
July 19, 2016
Courses

Following the success of my last Six-Week On Line Spanish Course I have designed a two-hour conversation workshop in which beginners can improve the speaking and listening skills gained in previous courses. Tickets are just £35 per person and are available via Eventbrite. Read More »On Line Spanish Conversation Workshop

¡Leo en Español! (I can read in Spanish)

by Kelly
July 3, 2016
Uncategorized

Yay! We have finished the Spanish Playground Summer Reading Challenge, a free programme designed to encourage children of all ages to read in Spanish. Between the 15th May and 1st August children read as many books in Spanish as they want. These can be all types of books from electronic books to poems. Parents are provided with books lists and online reading resources as well as tips on how to encourage your child to read more. At the end of the challenge the children receive a certificate!

Spanish reading challege — My snow lepoard (7) & shy jaguar (5) proudly showing off their certificates.

Why is the 25 de Mayo celebrated in Argentina?

by Kelly
May 25, 2016
Latin America

There are two important dates around Argentina’s independence from Spain; 9 de Julio which is the day Independence was declared and the 25 de Mayo which is when the first local government was established in Buenos Aires in 1810. 25 de Mayo is known as The May Revolution (Revolución de Mayo) or Revolution Day (El día de la Revolución). The famous Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires is named in honor of this event.

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