Next!

One, or several, of the stumbling blocks which trip up Spanish learners is the fact that Spanish frequently offers a choice of two words, where only one exists in English.

The commonest of these, in no particular order, are:-
'Ser' and 'Estar', both represented in English by the verb 'to be'
'Por' and 'Para' -'For' in English
'Saber' and 'Conocer' - 'To know'

There are multitudes of references on the Internet, dealing with these common choices, along with whether to use the Imperfect or Preterite Tense, when talking about the past, so I'm not going to reinvent the wheel ,or pass off someone else's work as my own. I'll just refer you to Google.

No, the subject of this post is a choice which I personally have had difficulty with, in the past, but is actually quite straightforward, once you look at what you're really trying to say.

Look at these examples.

'I arrived the next day'
'I will arrive next week'


In English, it's quite simple. If one thing comes after another, it's 'next'
In Spanish, you have a choice 'Siguiente' or 'próximo/a'

So how do you remember which to use?
Simple. Change the way you use English.
Let's rewrite the examples a little.

'I arrived the following day'
'I will arrive in the coming week'


It might sound a little odd, but it underlines the difference between 'siguiente' and 'próximo'
'Siguiente' is from the verb 'seguir' which means 'to follow'
If you accept that 'Próximo' means 'forthcoming', then it stands to reason the 'próximo' can only be used to refer to things which have not happened yet so, for anything which happened 'next'  in the past, you must use 'siguiente'.

So,
'Llegue el día siguiente'
'Llegaré la próxima semana'

Of course, there's always the odd exception to the rule.
Consider:

'I caught the next bus'
It's in the past, so it must be 'siguiente'
'Cogí el siguiente autobus'

and

'I'll catch the next bus'
Not in the past, so you can use 'próximo'
'Cogeré el próximo autobus'
but, in this case ,the 'next' bus also happens to be the 'following' bus, so you could also use 'Cogeré el siguiente autobus'
In fact if you type the phrase into Google translate, using either option, it will just come back with 'I'll take the NEXT bus'

So, if anyone else has the same 'blind spot' as me, when it comes to the 'next' choice (surely it's not just me?) just remember not to use 'próximo' in the past, and you're halfway to solving the problem.

¡Hasta la próxima!

School's IN for Summer

If any of you have been considering joining the Virtual Language School I attend in SecondLife, I have some good news for you.
Mi Profesora, Ximena, has just acquired new premises in downtown virtual Jalisco, at the Merchants' Market, in Tlaquepaque.
The slurl is http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Opera%20Joven/50/223/22 
Foe those of you who have never visited the 3D world of SecondLife, clicking the link is the first step in the right direction.

The new school is large and spacious, on the top floor of a building adjoining the cathedral.

Tlaquepaque

 

Inside, Ximena has a variety of teaching aids, from whiteboard to YouTube linked Multimedia display, and has decorated the room with some of her favourite pictures from her previous school.

Escuela

 

But, if learning in a virtual 3D world isn't to your taste, or your PC doesn't have the resources to run the SecondLife viewer, Ximena is now also experimenting with lessons delivered via Google Hangouts.

Hangouts is a Skype-style multi-user web telephony system, but with lots more features.

Apart from talking to each other (headset with microphone recommended), you can share files via Google Drive, view the same YouTube video simultaneously, and even share desktops.

There's even the option for Video calls, although Ximena hasn't got around to investing in a webcam, just yet (such things are not cheap in Mexico.)

Hanging out

 

So, if you're looking for some one on one tuition, to kickstart your Spanish, or just to have a trial lesson, to see how new technology can benefit your Spanish education, drop her a line.

Don't forget, she works Mexico time so, while that's great for anyone in the US, opportunities for we Europeans to book lessons are limited, due to the time difference, so get in quick!

 

Email Ximena at caramimex@gmail.com
See her SecondLife profile https://my.secondlife.com/ximenamodotti.carami

Her Google+ profile is at https://plus.google.com/u/0/106960974390920629300/about?partnerid=gplp0
Here's her Blogger page http://ximenamodotticarami.blogspot.co.uk/
And her Real Life LinkedIn profile http://mx.linkedin.com/pub/eunice-ruiz/4a/452/798

 

Tell her 'Chas' sent you :-)