Platte River Corridor Project

Level One Training Workshop

Basic Conversational Spanish for Educators

Summer 2002

2002 Donna Shelton, PhD

Table of Contents
Spanish Pronunciation .....................................................................................................1 Greetings and Introductions........................................................................................ 5 Health Inquiries ............................................................................................................ 12 Family and School Relationships................................................................................ 17 Numbers......................................................................................................................... 25 School Places and Objects ........................................................................................ 26 Supplemental Vocabulary ............................................................................................ 31

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Spanish Pronunciation
The Spanish alphabet serves as a good introduction to Spanish pronunciation. Scan the letters in the first column. What differences do you find between the Spanish and English alphabets? Letter of the Alphabet Name of the Letter (what you say when you spell out loud) a be (be burro) ce che de e efe ge hache i jota ka ele elle eme ene ee o pe cu ere erre ese te u ve (ve vaca) doble ve equis i griega zeta Pronunciation Examples

A B C CH D E F G H I J K L LL M N O P Q R RR S T U V W X Y Z

casa, taza bien, beb casa, cine chico, leche da, verdad mesa, cine caf, fruta jugo, general hola, hijo cine, hijo hijo, jugo kilo, kiosko hola, leche calle, llama mesa, llama noche, nada seor, nio nio, hola pap, peso queso, quin seor, fruta perro, carro casa, seor taza, fruta jugo, mucho vaso, vive whiski Mxico, excelente ya, Yucatn taza, azcar

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Vowels
Spanish vowels are very distinct and they are always pronounced in the same way. They are not stretched out, nor do they sound alike as English vowels often do.

1. The Spanish A has a sound similar to the English A in the word FATHER.
casa llama nada taza banana vaca

2. The Spanish E is pronounced like the English EI in the word EIGHT.

leche beb tres entre este excelente

3. The Spanish I is pronounced like the English EE in the word SEE.

s cine difcil kilo ir tiza

4. The Spanish O is similar to the English O in the word NO, but without the glide.
ocho dos como rojo solo bonito

5. The Spanish U is similar to the English UE sound in the word SUE.

mucho uno fruta usted blusa azul

Consonants
Here are some guidelines for pronouncing certain Spanish consonants.

1. The Spanish consonants B and V have little or no difference in sound. They are
pronounced like a soft English B. sbado viernes bandera English K. calendario cosa cuaderno cliente criatura valor bueno veinte

2. The Spanish C before the vowels A, O, and U and before consonants sounds like an

3. The Spanish C before the vowels E and I sounds like an English S.

cine nacional necesario precio centro

4. The Spanish G before the vowels A, O, and U and before consonants sounds like the
G in the English word SUGAR.

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tengo

gusto

gasto

gris

negro

5. The Spanish G before the vowels E and I sounds like an English H.

general gerente gente marginal ingeniero

6. The Spanish H is always silent.

hola hijo hacienda hermano hombre

7. The Spanish J also sounds like an English H, regardless of the letter that follows.
hija trabajo jornada jefe ejecutivo

8. The Spanish LL and Y both sound like the English Y is YES.

llamo yo llegar ya lluvia

9. The Spanish sounds like the NY combination in the English word CANYON.
seora nia ensear campaa espaol

10. The Spanish RR is pronounced with a strong trill, as is the Spanish R at the
beginning of a word. regular reloj perro corriente carro

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Accentuation
Every word in Spanish has one syllable that is pronounced with more force than the other syllables. To pronounce a word correctly, it is necessary to know which syllable receives the stress. You will notice that syllable division in Spanish is somewhat different from the system used in English.

1. If a word ends in a vowel, an N or an S, the next-to-the-last syllable will receive the

stress. casa trabajo cine buenos noches hablan

2. If a word ends in a consonant other than N or S, the last syllable receives the stress.
seor usted nacional regular pared

3. Any word that breaks the above rules will have a written accent mark over the vowel
in the syllable that is to receive the stress. Mxico Quertaro estn lpiz bolgrafo

Accent marks are also used on interrogatives and to distinguish between two words of otherwise identical spelling. Qu Cmo Quin si s tu t

Accentuation Practice Pronounce these Hispanic first names, placing the stress on the proper syllable. Hugo Isabel Maricruz Yolanda Francisco Elvira Hu-go I-sa-bel Ma-ri-cruz Yo-lan-da Fran-cis-co El-vi-ra Nicanor Salvador Toms Fernando Brbara Joaqun Ni-ca-nor Sal-va-dor To-ms Fer-nan-do Br-ba-ra Joa-qun

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Greetings and Introductions

Listen to the following dialogues carefully. Try to understand the communicative purpose behind the phrases; it is not always necessary to know the meaning of each word. Helen Jamison is introducing herself to the mother of a Spanish-speaking child in her class. Helen Buenas tardes. Me llamo Helen Jamison. Cmo se llama usted? Sra. Gmez Soy Estela Ibarra de Gmez. Mi hijo Carlos est en su clase. Helen Sra. Gmez Mucho gusto. Igualmente, seora Jamison.

1. The greeting used in the first line is appropriate for any time from noon until dusk.
The three greetings related to the time of day are the following: Buenos das. Buenas tardes. Buenas noches. Good morning. Good afternoon. Good evening/night.

2. Spanish makes a distinction between formal and familiar forms of address. Use the
formal forms when you are speaking to someone you do not know well and also to show respect. In this dialogue the request for a name is formal. There are two ways to respond to this question. Cmo se llama usted? What is your name?

Me llamo / Soy _____ My name is/I am ______

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3. There are a number of phrases appropriate for responding to introductions:

Mucho gusto. Igualmente. El gusto es mo. Nice to meet you. Likewise. The pleasure is mine.

4. For the most part, Spanish punctuation is the same as English. There are, however,
two major differences: the upside-down question marks and exclamation points. They provide a signal of whats coming up. Cmo se llama usted? Hola!

5. When meeting a Spanish-speaking person, be sure to shake his or her hand.

Hispanics appreciate physical contact more than most European-Americans, and for this reason they shake hands when meeting someone for the first time, when greeting an acquaintance, and when saying goodbye. Friends and relatives often embrace upon meeting, and women will kiss each other on the cheek. The next morning Helen speaks to a new student at her school, a Hispanic child who has not yet begun to speak English. Helen Buenos das. Soy la seora Jamison. Cmo te llamas? Juan Carlos Helen Juan Carlos Helen Juan Carlos Helen Juan Carlos Helen Me llamo Juan Carlos. Juan Carlos, cul es tu nombre completo? Juan Carlos Cruz Rojas. Cmo se llama tu padre? Se llama Manuel Cruz Torres. Y tu madre? Mi madre es Lupe Rojas de Cruz. Gracias, Juan Carlos.

1. When speaking to a child, a friend, or a relative, use the familiar form of address.
Notice the difference between the formal and familiar ways of requesting a name:

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Cmo se llama usted? Cmo te llamas? and the formal version of the question: Cul es tu nombre completo? Cul es su nombre completo? They are not capitalized except when abbreviated. seor seora seorita doctor doctora Sr. Sra. Srta. Dr. Dra.

Formal Familiar

2. The request for the childs full name is also familiar. Note the difference between it
Familiar Formal

3. There are a number of titles denoting marital and professional status used in Spanish.
Mr. Mrs. Miss Dr. Dr.

Titles are quite important to Spanish-speakers as countries such as Mexico have hierarchical societies in which those of higher rank and status, including school personnel, are shown great respect.

4. To provide the name of a third party, there are two appropriate expressions:
Mi padre se llama Manuel Cruz Torres. Mi madre es Lupe Rojas de Cruz.

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5. These dialogues contain a few vocabulary words for family members. Other words
will be learned later. mi padre mi madre mi hijo mi hija my son my daughter my father my mother

6. Hispanics have two last names, and it is important to understand how this system of
names works. Take another look at the names of the people mentioned in the dialogue: Padre: Manuel Cruz Torres

Madre: Lupe Rojas de Cruz Hijo: Juan Carlos Cruz Rojas

Juan Carlos takes his first last name from his father and the second one from his mother. Some Hispanics use only the fathers last name, some use both. Juan Carlos might call himself simply Juan Carlos Cruz, depending on family traditions. When alphabetizing, the fathers last name is the one that determines the placement of the name. A married woman, such as Lupe in the example given above, may add her husbands first last name after the preposition de (of), and she would be known as Sra. Cruz. Some Hispanics living in the United States have abandoned this system because of the difficulty in filling out forms and the desire to fit in. If youre not sure what last name someone wishes to use, ask Qu apellido prefiere usted usar? Practice Exercises

A. What is the appropriate greeting for the time of day indicated?

9:20 AM 1:00 PM 8:05 AM 7:15 PM 11:30 PM 4:45 PM

B. What is the correct question for asking the name of the following individuals? 1. A 20-year-old man who wants to enroll in an ESL program. 2. An 8-year-old child who has arrived late for school. 3. A grandmother who has brought a child to the free clinic.

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4. A mother who has called about a school lunch program. 5. A sixth grader caught fighting with another child. C. One evening at a Cinco de mayo celebration Helen meets a new neighbor. Complete
their conversation by filling in the missing phrases. Helen Marta Helen _____________________. Me llamo Helen Jamison. ________________ Marta Pedroza. Mucho gusto. ______________________________, Marta.

D. Respond to the following questions. 1. Cmo se llama usted? 2. Cul es su nombre completo? 3. Cmo se llama su padre? 4. Cul es el nombre completo de su madre? 5. Cmo se llama su hijo? Y su hija? E. Study the model, and then fill in the blanks to determine the complete names of each
family member. Model: Me llamo Jorge Sandoval Vsquez. Mi padre es Mario _______ Reyes. Mi madre se llama Ana ___________ Quinteros de Sandoval. Me llamo Jorge Sandoval Vsquez. Mi padre es Mario Sandoval Reyes. Mi madre se llama Ana Vsquez Quinteros de Sandoval.

1. Me llamo Remedios Ochoa ___________. Mi padre es Roberto Ochoa Hernndez.

Mi madre se llama Alicia Torres de Ochoa.

2. Me llamo Hctor Valenzuela Garca.

Mi madre es Laura _________ de _____________. Mi padre se llama Antonio Valenzuela Martnez. Montoya Tellez. Mi madre es Pilar Snchez Molina.

3. Me llamo Alberto ____________ _____________ . Mi padre se llama Ricardo

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F. Work with a colleague to prepare and present dialogues on the following situations. 1. Outside of school one afternoon you see the parent of a student coming to pick up the
child. Since you are aware that the parent does not speak English, greet the individual and introduce yourself in Spanish. The parents name is Roberto (Teresa) Robles.

2. A Spanish-speaking student you havent met before is ill and needs to go home. Ask
for his or her name and the name of the mother so that you can call her. The childs name is Luis (Luisa), and the mothers name is Isabel Chvez.

3. A Hispanic couple with limited English skills comes to your office one morning to
enroll a child in school. Greet them, introduce yourself, and ask for their full names. They are Ramn Hernndez and his wife Silvia.

4. Youre at a professional meeting when one of the other participants, a woman from
Guadalajara, Mexico, comes over and introduces herself to you. Her name is Lourdes Mara Bentez. Respond appropriately to the introduction.

5. In the cafeteria one day two children are misbehaving. Go over to them and ask for
their names. The children are Armando (Rosita) Guzmn and Luisa (Pedro) Ibarra.

6. A 13-year-old boy from Guatemala enrolled at the middle school yesterday, and this
morning hes in your office because he arrived late. Greet him, introduce yourself, and ask his name. You will also need his parents names. The boy is Pablo and his parents are scar Gonzlez Vera and his wife Amalia Guerrero de Gonzlez.

7. At a parents meeting one evening you see a man waiting in the hallway, uncertain as
to whether he should come in. Greet him, introduce yourself, and ask his name. He is Emilio Mondragn.

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Vocabulary: Greetings and Introductions Buenos das. Buenas tardes. Buenas noches. Hola. Cmo se llama usted? (formal) Cmo te llamas? (familiar) Cul es su nombre completo? (formal) Cul es tu nombre completo? (familiar) Me llamo ___________. Soy ____________ . el nombre (de pila) el apellido Mucho gusto. El gusto es mo. Igualmente. Por favor. Gracias. De nada. Good morning. Good afternoon. Good evening / night. Hello / Hi. What is your name? What is your name? What is your full name? What is your full name? My name is _______ . (I call myself ______ . ) I am _____________ . first name last name Nice to meet you. The pleasure is mine. Likewise. Please. Thank you. Youre welcome.

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Health Inquiries
Marta greets her daughter Elena as she comes into the kitchen for breakfast. Marta Elena Marta Hola, Elena. Cmo ests? Muy bien, mami. Y t? Bastante bien, hija, gracias.

1. Since Marta is addressing her child, she uses the familiar form of the question. Her
daughter uses a shortened version of the question as part of her reply. Cmo ests? Y t? of health: Bien. Fine / well. How are you? And you?

2. There are a number of possible responses to this question, depending upon ones state

Bastante bien. Fairly well. Muy bien. Regular. Mal. Very well. OK. Bad / Poor.

George Lawrence, a grade school principal, greets the parents of a boy who has been having trouble in school. Mr. Lawrence Sr. Huerta Mr. Lawrence Sra. Huerta Mr. Lawrence Sr. Huerta Buenos das. Soy el seor Lawrence, el director de la escuela. Soy Eduardo Huerta. Le presento a mi esposa Lupe. Mucho gusto. Cmo est usted, seora Huerta? Regular, gracias. Y usted, seor Huerta? Bien, seor Lawrence. La maestra de Juanito dice que . . .

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1. The formal question to ask about someones health is used in the same circumstances
as the formal question for requesting a name. The responses are the same as listed above. Cmo est usted? Bien, gracias.

2. There are various phrases for introducing another person, some simple and some
quite elaborate. Note the difference between the formal and familiar versions of a simple expression: Le presento a ____________ . Te presento a ____________ . later. el director la directora el maestro la maestra the principal (male) the principal (female) the teacher (male) the teacher (female) (formal) (familiar)

3. Listed below are some vocabulary words for school personnel. Others will be studied

4. To ask for a repetition, for the speaker to proceed more slowly, or to express a
general lack of comprehension, its useful to memorize these phrases: Cmo? Otra vez, por favor. Ms despacio. No comprendo. No hablo espaol. No hablo ingls. How was that? Again, please. Slower. I dont understand. I dont speak Spanish. I dont speak English.

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5. Two important points should be made about conversing with Hispanics, especially for
conversations in which the English-speaking participant holds the position of power and/or when a difficult issue must be discussed. First, it is important to attend to all of the courtesy requirements of the situation and to engage in some small talk, even if its just to ask how the person feels, before getting to the main point. Secondly, most Hispanics are taught to respect authority figures such as principals and supervisors, and they may show this respect by acting in a passive manner and looking down or only intermittently at the face of the person speaking. Practice Exercises

A. How would you ask the following people how they feel? 1. The six-year-old child who lives next door. 2. The father of a child being home-schooled due to an injury. 3. Your sister-in-law, a woman originally from Guanajuato, Mexico. 4. The younger brother of a teenager who babysits for you. 5. The owner of a new business in town. 6. A high school student helping her mother with a younger child. B. Sr. Huerta is greeted one morning by a coworker who has been trying to learn
Spanish. Complete their conversation by filling in the missing phrases. Tom Sr. Huerta Tom Sr. Huerta. Tom ___________________, Eduardo. Cmo est usted? Pues, ______________, gracias. Y usted? Ms despacio, ___________________, Eduardo. Muy bien, gracias. __________________________ ? Oh. Um, estoy bien, __________________ .

C. With a colleague, prepare and present dialogues for the following situations: 1. Graciela Flores, the mother of a fourth grader, brings the boys lunch to the school
office because hes left it at home. Greet her and ask her how she feels.

2. You pass Jorge, Gracielas son, in the hallway later that day. Greet him and ask how
he feels.

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3. Toms Surez, the father of a family just moved to the area, comes in one morning to
register his son Miguel for school. Although Miguel speaks some English, his father does not seem to know any. Greet them, introduce yourself, and ask their names and how they are.

4. Ana Ortiz de Iglesias, a woman whose children attend the high school, comes in at
3:00 PM to discuss a problem youre having with one of them. Greet her and ask her how she feels.

5. At a soccer game on Saturday morning, you see Mateo, a boy who attends your
school. Hes accompanied by an older man who speaks only Spanish. Greet Mateo and ask how he is, then introduce yourself to the older man, whose name is Nstor Macas Ortiz. Ask him how he feels also.

6. One evening while shopping you see Anglica, a ninth grader, with a girl of
preschool age. Greet them, ask Anglica how she is, and then ask the child her name.

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Vocabulary: Health Inquiries Cmo est usted? (formal) Cmo ests? (familiar) Qu tal? (familiar) Bien. Bastante bien. Muy bien. Regular. As-as. Mal. Le presento a ____________ . (formal) Te presento a ____________ . (familiar) Cmo? Otra vez, por favor. Ms despacio. No comprendo. No hablo espaol. No hablo ingls. How are you? How are you? Hows it going? Fine / well. Fairly well. Very well. Okay. So-so. Bad / poorly. This is ___________ . This is ___________ . How was that? Again, please. Slower. I dont understand. I dont speak Spanish. I dont speak English.

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Family and School Relationships

Estela Martnez has brought her new neighbor, Beatriz, to a school carnival. Beatriz doesnt speak English well, but her oldest child is about to start school and she wants to know the names of the people who work there. Beatriz Estela Estela, quin es ese seor? Es el seor Lawrence, el director de la escuela. Es muy amable. Beatriz Estela Y la seora all? Es la seora Jamison, una de las maestras del segundo grado. Mi hija Rebeca est en su clase. Beatriz Quin es la maestra del kinder? Sabes que mi hijo Julio va a asistir a esta escuela. Estela Hay dos, la seorita Williams y la seora Taylor. Son las mujeres cerca del director. Son muy buenas maestras. There are several basic grammatical concepts that can be learned from Estelas identification of the people at a school event. These concepts are essential for even simple forms of communication.

1. All nouns in Spanish have gender. They are either masculine or feminine. Nouns
that identify male persons are masculine and those that identify female persons are feminine. The gender of nouns that describe things and places must be memorized.

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2. Articles and adjectives reflect the gender and number of the nouns they modify.
Definite articles are el, la, los, and las, and indefinite articles are un, una, unos, and unas. el maestro un maestro la maestra una maestra a feminine form. el hijo el hermano el secretario feminine form. el director la directora la hija la hermana la secretaria the teacher (male) a/one teacher (male) the teacher (female) a/one teacher (female)

3. Most nouns referring to professions or family relationships have both a masculine and

4. If a noun indicating a profession ends in -dor or -tor, an -a is added to produce the

5. A few nouns indicate gender only through the article used.

el estudiante la estudiante

6. Both nouns and articles have plural forms in Spanish. If a noun ends in a vowel, an -s
is added to form the plural. Nouns that end in a consonant need an -es. la madre una madre el padre un padre el director un director las madres unas madres los padres unos padres los directores unos directores

Before starting the exercises, review the vocabulary at the end of this section.

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Practice Exercises A. Complete the following paragraph with the correct definite articles. __________ directora de la escuela es _________ seora Silvia Montoya de Ruiz. __________ maestros del sexto grado son Enrique Ramos y Marta Bentez. ____________ hijo de _________ directora, Juanito, est en la clase de __________ seorita Bentez. ____________ estudiantes de su clase son muy buenos.

B. Make the articles and nouns in parentheses plural to complete the sentences. 1. (La amiga) _______________________ son Ins y Mara. 2. (El seor) ______________________ son Fernando y Antonio. 3. (El director) _____________________ son Hctor y Esteban. 4. (La hermana) __________________ son Carolina y Elena. 5. (El estudiante) ___________________ son Sergio y Alfredo.
Now lets take a look at another basic grammatical concepts, possessive adjectives.

1. Possessive adjectives indicate the owner of the item in question and they reveal if the
item is singular or plural. Only one possessive adjective, nuestro/a/s, shows both number and gender. mi/s tu/s su/s nuestro/a/s mi padre mis primos su secretaria sus hermanos nuestro maestro nuestra familia nuestros vecinos nuestras hijas my your (familiar) his/her/their/your (formal) our my father my cousins his/her/their/your secretary his/her/their/your brothers our teacher our family our neighbors our daughters

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2. Because Spanish has no apostrophe, it is necessary to use a prepositional phrase with

de to indicate possession with a noun or a name. If de is followed by the article el, the contraction del must be used. Miguel Bermdez es el padre de Luis. La directora es la hermana de la Sra. Chvez. Ramn es el hijo del maestro. Practice Exercises

A. Complete this family description with the appropriate possessive adjectives.

(My) _________ familia es de Quertaro, Mxico. (My) _________ padres son Matilde y Hernando. (My) _________ padre es director. (His) ____________ escuela es grande. (My) _________ hermanos son maestros all. (Their) __________ hijos son estudiantes en la escuela.

B. Translate the phrases in parentheses into Spanish. Be sure to use the contraction del
when necessary.

1. Isabel es (the principals secretary). ____________________________ 2. El seor lvarez es (Jaimes father). ____________________________ 3. Beatriz es (Estelas neighbor).
____________________________

4. La seora Castillo es (Bertos teacher). __________________________

Theres one last grammatical concept to be covered in this section: the verb ser.

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1. The verb ser, one of two verbs in Spanish that mean to be, identifies people,
describes their characteristics, and tells where they are from. Ser is the infinitive of the verb; it must be conjugated to be used to form a sentence. Ser is irregular as are many of the most common verbs in Spanish (and English), and its forms have to be memorized because they do not follow any of the patterns used to conjugate regular verbs. Study the English and Spanish subject pronoun and verb paradigms below: yo soy t eres l es ella es usted es nosotros/as somos ellos son ellas son ustedes son omitted in Spanish. Soy Mario Fuentes. Soy de Guadalajara. Somos maestros. Somos de Mxico. Es Pedro. Es mi hermano. I am you are (familiar) he is she is you are (formal) we are they are they are (female) you are (formal or familiar)

2. Since the verb form alone may clearly indicate the subject, subject pronouns are often

3. To make any sentence negative, simply put the word no before the verb.
No soy de Mxico. Marta no es mi hermana.

4. The interrogative quin is used to ask who someone is. Its plural form is quines.
Quin es la amiga de Beatriz? Es Estela. Quines son los estudiantes? Son Teresa y Esteban.

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Practice Exercises

A. Practice ser by changing the subject of the sentence and providing the new form of
the verb.

1. Soy de Chihuahua.
nosotros, el seor Hernndez, ellas, yo

2. Soy de Guatemala.
t, mis vecinos, mi maestra, yo

3. Soy estudiante. (Ojo!)

mis hermanos, nosotras, l, yo

C. Complete the paragraphs below by filling in the missing words or phrases, and then
use them as models for a description of your own family and professional life. Me ____________Teresita Robles. ______________ de San Antonio, Texas. Soy

estudiante en una ______________ secundaria.

_____________ padres se llaman

Roberto y Adela. Mi hermano Alejandro ______________ estudiante tambin. Soy Carlos Ramrez Lujn. _____________ el director de una escuela en San Diego, California. universidad. __________ familia es originalmente de Hermosillo, Mxico. Mi _____________ es enfermera y nuestros ______________ son estudiantes en la

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Vocabulary: Family Relationships el abuelo la abuela los abuelos el esposo la esposa la familia el hermano la hermana los hermanos el hijo la hija los hijos el nieto la nieta los nietos el padre la madre los padres el primo la prima los primos el sobrino la sobrina los sobrinos el to la ta los tos el/la amigo/a friend grandfather grandmother grandparents husband wife family brother sister brothers and sisters son daughter children grandson granddaughter grandchildren father mother parents (male) cousin (female) cousin cousins nephew niece nieces and nephews uncle aunt aunts and uncles

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Vocabulary: School Personnel el/la alumno/a el/la asistente de clase el/la consejero/a el/la conserje el/la director/a el/la enfermero/a el/la estudiante el/la maestro/a el/la mdico/a el/la psiclogo/a el/la secretario/a el/la subdirector/a el/la superintendente teacher physician psychologist secretary assistant principal superintendent student teaching assistant or aide counselor janitor principal nurse student

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Numbers
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 cero uno dos tres cuatro cinco seis siete ocho nueve diez once doce trece catorce quince 30 31 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 treinta treinta y uno diez y seis* diez y siete* diez y ocho* diez y nueve* veinte veinte y uno* veinte y dos* veinte y tres* veinte y cuatro* veinte y cinco* veinte y seis* veinte y siete* veinte y ocho* veinte y nueve*

*These numbers can also be spelled as one word, but the spelling shown here is easier to remember and sufficient for those are concentrating more on speaking and listening skills.

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School Places and Objects

Alba Esquivel, a teacher at Wilson School, describes the local district and her school to a new Latino resident of the town. Notice how she incorporates numbers in her description, along with the verbs ser and hay. Hay 10 escuelas primarias y 4 secundarias, 3 para los estudiantes de 12 a 14 aos, y una para los estudiantes de 15 a 18 aos. Soy maestra de tercer grado en la escuela Wilson. Mi escuela es pequea, y hay solamente 14 maestros. Hay una biblioteca, un gimnasio y una cafetera. Tambin hay una oficina para la secretaria y otra para la directora. En mi clase hay 21 estudiantes. Mi sala de clase es grande.

1. With the exception of 11 (once), when used with a noun numbers ending in 1 will
show gender agreement with that noun. 1 (male) principal 1 (female) principal 21 (male) students un director una directora veinte y un estudiantes

21 (female) students veinte y una estudiantes

2. Numbers are sometimes used with the verb hay (there is or there are) to indicate the
number of items / people / places present or available. Hay, from the infinitive haber, is an archaic verb and is invariable in form. Hay 1 escuela secundaria en el distrito. Hay 21 estudiantes en la clase. Hay 14 maestras en la escuela.

3. To ask How much? or How many?, use the correct form of the interrogative
Cunto? Note that it shows agreement in number and gender with the noun that follows. Cuntas escuelas secundarias hay? Hay cuatro. Cuntos maestros hay en la escuela? Hay catorce.

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4. In Albas description, the verb hay is used to indicate the existence of people, places,
or things, while forms of the verb ser are used to describe or to identify. Soy maestra de tercer grado. Mi escuela es pequea. Hay una oficina para la secretaria. Hay 21 estudiantes.

5. Her description also contains a number of commonly used prepositions.

para de for, used to indicate purpose or use of or from, used to indicate possession, origin, category, or material en on, in, or at, used to indicate a fixed location a at or to, used to indicate movement or a point in time

6. To understand the Mexican and Central American immigrants coming to the US, its
important to know about the educational systems in those countries. Education is compulsory until about age 14, depending upon the country. Unfortunately, in some areas attendance falls off quite sharply even before that age, because economically disadvantaged children must often help their parents support the family. In rural areas there may not be sufficient schools for all the children, and even when there is a school, it may be poorly equipped and staffed with untrained teachers. For these reasons, many of the Hispanics coming into this country have only grade school educations and low levels of literacy, making it harder for them to learn English and find skilled employment. Before beginning the practice exercises, study the school places and objects vocabulary at the end of this section. Practice Exercises

A. Study the model, then identify the classroom objects indicated by the instructor.
Model: Qu es esto? What is this? Es un libro. Its a book.

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Qu es esto? What is this? are. Model: salas de clase / 6

Es una bandera. Its a flag.

B. Following the model below, ask a classmate how many items, places, or people there

Cuntas salas de clase hay? Hay seis. 1. escuelas secundarias / 5 2. gimnasios / 3 3. maestros / 24 4. estudiantes / 29 5. directores / 10 6. mesas / 18 7. libros / 31

C. Answer these questions about the district and/or school where you work. Use
complete sentences.

1. Cuntas escuelas primarias hay? Y secundarias? 2. Cmo se llama su escuela? Es grande o pequea? 3. Cuntos maestros hay all? 4. Cuntos secretarios hay? Cmo se llaman? 5. Quin es el director o la directora? 6. Cuntos estudiantes hay normalmente en una clase? 7. Hay una cafetera? Es grande o pequea? 8. Hay una biblioteca? Es grande o pequea? 9. Hay computadoras? Cuntas? 10. Hay una enfermera? Cmo se llama?

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E. Read this description of a classroom, then use it as a model for a description of your
office, classroom, or other location in your school. En mi sala de clase hay una silla y un escritorio para la maestra. Hay veinte sillas y mesas para los estudiantes. Hay tres ventanas grandes y dos puertas. En la pared hay mapas y un calendario. Hay cinco computadoras, tambin. En las mesas hay libros, cuadernos y lpices.

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Vocabulary: School Places and Objects el bao/los servicios la biblioteca la cafetera el distrito escolar la escuela primaria la escuela secundaria la escuela superior el gimnasio la oficina la sala de clase la bandera el calendario la computadora el escritorio el mapa la mesa la pared la pizarra/el pizarrn la puerta la silla el tabln de anuncios la televisin la ventana el bolgrafo/la pluma el cuaderno el diccionario el lpiz el libro el papel pencil book paper pen notebook dictionary bathroom library cafeteria school district elementary school secondary school high school (invented term used in parts of US) gymnasium office classroom flag calendar computer desk map table wall chalkboard door chair bulletin board television window

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Supplemental Vocabulary
School Subjects la clase la clase de __________ la clase de salud el alemn el lgebra el arte la biologa la ciencia la computadora la educacin fsica el espaol los estudios sociales el francs la geografa la geometra el gobierno la historia la informtica el ingls el ingls como segundo idioma la lectura las matemticas la msica la ortografa class ____________ class health class German algebra art biology science computer physical education Spanish social studies French geography geometry government history computer science English English as a Second Language (ESL) reading math music spelling

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School Documents las calificaciones la copia certificada los expedientes las notas el nmero de seguro social la partida de nacimiento el registro de vacunas School Events el almuerzo la asamblea la cita el desayuno el grado la graduacin la inscripcin el kinder la reunin el examen final el examen fsico el partido el primer da de clase el ltimo da de clase las vacaciones de invierno las vacaciones de primavera las vacaciones de verano las vacaciones de Da de Accin de Gracias las vacaciones de Navidad el Da de Trabajadores Christmas break Labor Day (el jardn infantil) lunch assembly appointment breakfast grade level graduation enrollment kindergarden meeting/conference final exam physical examination game between teams first day of class last day of class winter break spring break summer vacation Thanksgiving break grades certified copy transcripts grades Social Security number birth certificate vaccination record

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The Months of the Year enero febrero marzo abril mayo junio julio agosto septiembre octubre noviembre diciembre Days of the Week lunes martes mircoles jueves viernes sbado domingo Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday January February March April May June July August September October November December

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Other Time-Related Expressions el ao el ao que viene el da la hora la maana el mes el mes que viene la noche la semana la semana que viene la tarde hoy maana Larger Numbers 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 treinta treinta y uno treinta y dos treinta y tres treinta y cuatro treinta y cinco treinta y seis treinta y siete treinta y ocho treinta y nueve 90 100 40 50 60 70 80 cuarenta cincuenta sesenta setenta ochenta noventa cien hour morning month next month night week next week afternoon today tomorrow year next year day