Spanish Strategies

Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA)

I'm looking for a strategy that someone has used successfully to learn a specific grammar form. Moods Subjunctive Imperfect subjunctive Conditional Conditional perfect and pluperfect subjunctive Commands Pronouns Relative pronouns Simultaneous use of direct and indirect object pronouns Direct and indirect object pronouns in affirmative and negative tú commands Reflexive pronouns in present perfect constructions Tenses / Aspect Preterite Imperfect Preterite vs. imperfect Ser and estar Por vs. para Gender / Agreement Gender of nouns Gender and number agreement Other Demonstrative adjectives Lo + adjective Hacer and desde in time expressions Negative words Superlatives I'm looking for strategies that match my learning style and that can apply to various grammar forms. Auditory Rhymes Songs and chants Talking to native speakers Visual Color coding Decision maps Drawings / Mental images Note cards Playing with verbs Quasi-math formulas Quick grammar references Kinesthetic Physical behaviors Writing it over Memory aids Acronyms Initials as a vehicle for mnemonics Phrases as memory aids Phrases as vehicles for syntax Cognitive English sentences with Spanish syntax English sentences with Spanish words inserted Focusing on meaning Learning material as a chunk Learning grammar by explaining it Using archetypical sentences Using L1 to keep forms and functions straight Context-based Making associations Observing use in context Other Avoiding avoidance Combining perceptual modes What's the reason for using one strategy or another? Spanish grammar sites Glossary

Talking to a native speaker

Rachel had a tough time learning hacer and desde expressions “even at an advanced level … because in English the way we would express the same meaning is structurally different.”

However, one particular interaction with a native speaker sticks in her mind:

“I remember one time where [a particular use of this] really became clear. … I was visiting a friend in Mexico and … I said something like Hace mucho que voy a un bar’ (‘I’ve been going to a bar for a long time’ and what I really meant was Hace mucho que no voy a un bar (‘It’s been a long time since I’ve gone to a bar’) … Then she asked me a clarification question: Oh, you mean hace mucho que no vas a un bar.”

Her friend asked for clarification because she wasn�t sure what Rachel meant to say. So this timely feedback from a native speaker taught Rachel the correct form to use.

I'm looking for a strategy that someone has used successfully to learn a specific grammar form.

I'm looking for strategies that match my learning style and that can apply to various grammar forms.

Talking to a native speaker