enforex_pages_landing_block_f10c6bc3-d573-4c91-ac51-dc074142a1f3

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

Spanish outside of Spain and the Americas

Equatoguinean Spanish

Spanish is one of the official languages of the small African country of Equatorial Guinea (interestingly Spanish is not defined as an official language in two of the countries with the largest populations of Spanish speakers, Mexico and the United States). Equatorial Guinea was a Spanish territory from 1778 to 1968. Today, although Spanish is generally not used as a first language here, it is still spoken by an estimated 87.7% of the people. This unique variety of Spanish is influenced by local native languages such as Fang. The Association of Spanish Language Academies has proposed creating an Equatorial Guinea Spanish Language Academy.

Notable Spanish language literary works by writers from Equatorial Guinea include the novels Cuando los combes luchaban (When the Kombes Fought, 1953) by Leoncio Evita Enoy, Una Lanza por el Boabí (A Spear for the Boabi) by Daniel Jones Mathama, Ekomo (1985) by María Nsué Angüe, and El reencuentro. El retorno del exiliado (The Reunion. The return of the Exiled, 1985).  

Books of poetry include Voces de espuma (1987) by Ciriaco Bokesa and Sueños en mi selva (Dreams in my Forest, 1987). 

Ladino

Ladino, also known as Judeo-Spanish, is listed by UNESCO as a seriously endangered language. It began to spread in 1492 when Spain’s Jewish community was expelled from the country. Exiled Jewish people from Spain settled in areas such as Holland, Morocco, England, and different parts of the Ottoman Empire, bringing 15th century Castilian Spanish with them. Local languages in those areas heavily influenced regional varieties of Ladino (particularly Turkish and Greek) in much the same way Yiddish has adopted local linguistic influences. Despite the heavy outside influences and declining numbers of speakers over the centuries, Ladino is surprisingly similar to modern Spanish. A number of efforts and projects are being made to preserve Ladino including The Maale-Adumim Institute for Ladino and the cultural magazine Aki Yerushalayim which is written entirely in Ladino.

Estimates suggest that between 160,000 to 300,000 people speak Ladino today, most of them in Israel.     

Spanish Judeo writers include Sara Benveniste who published a complete anthology of her literary works in 1995 entitled Espertando el Djudeo Espanyol,  and the writer Margalit Matityahu (Curtijo Quemado, 1998, Vagabondo Eternal & Bozes en la Shara, 2001).

Spanish in the Philippines

According to the Cervantes Institute of Manila, as of 2010 there were some 3 million Spanish speakers in the Philippines. An estimated 440,000 speakers have native knowledge of the language. It was an official language of the Philippines from the 16th century, throughout Spanish rule, the American administration, and all the way up to 1973 when a new constitution declared English and Filipino as official languages.  

Spanish was widely spoken in the Philippines and used in media and literature in the beginning of the 20th century. The language began to decline here however when the US administration began pressuring newspapers to use English and English was adopted by school systems. Spanish language literature written by Filipinos also thrived during the first half of the 20th century. Notable Filipino writers from the period who wrote in Spanish include Francisco Alonso Liongson (he wrote El Unico Cliente, Mi mujer es Candidata, among many other plays) and poet-playwright-politician Claro Mayo Recto (Bajo los Cocoteros, Solo entre las sombras).

The Tagalog language also has an estimated 4,000 spanish words. Chavacano is a Spanish-based language spoken in parts of the southern area of the Philippines.

The radio program Filipinas Ahora Mismo is aired nationally in the Philippines in Spanish every day.

The Philippines also has an Academy of the Spanish language which is part of the Association of Spanish Language Academies.

enforex_pages_landing_block_66709ac8-43b2-4411-8a6e-204c113f59f8

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

Film viewing gives us the chance to experience the lives of others from the comfort of our own living room. Putting together a top ten movie list is not an easy task, because a list like this will inevitably be incomplete, and it won’t satisfy everyone’s tastes –it probably won’t completely satisfy anybody’s tastes.

In any case, we’ve tried to include films that learners can enjoy without needing too high of a Spanish level, and titles that Spanish teachers will find appropriate to show in class.

We hope you like our selection, and we apologize for those movies which we have unavoidably missed.

Los santos inocentes
1. Los santos inocentes (1984) The Holy Innocents

This film was directed by Mario Camus, a master of creating on-screen adaptations of literary works. It is based on the Miguel Delibes novel of the same name about a family of poor rural family in Extremadura, Spain during the 1970s. Performances from Alfredo Landa (who plays Paco) and Paco Rabal (who plays Azarías) are memorable. The movie takes an insightful look at Spanish society in the late Franco period.

El bosque animado
2. El bosque animado (1987) The Enchanted Forest

Based on the novel of the same name by Wenceslao Fernández Flórez, this tender and magical movie by José Luis Cuerda introduces viewers to rural life in Galicia, Spain in the form of a rousing symphony in which the forest serves as the nucleus of the story. Small but wonderful tales unfold here, about the characters that make the forest their home: a good-hearted bandit, a lost ghost who does not want to be alone, a young man who digs wells and is in love with a girl who immigrates to a big city… It's a mosaic of sensibility that will warm your heart.

Fernando Trueba
3. Belle Époque (1992)

This film by Fernando Trueba takes viewers back to 1931 Spain, a time when Spaniards were living the few days of their monarchy while looking ahead to the new era of the second republic (1931). A young soldier deserts the army and takes refuge in the home of an artist who lives completely isolated from the real world. The arrival of the artists' four daughters launches a series of humorous romantic encounters. The movie won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language film.

La lengua de las mariposas
4. La lengua de las mariposas (1999) Butterfly

Also directed by José Luis Cuerda, this adaptation of Manuel Rivas' short story published in the book "¿Qué me quieres, amor?" is based in Galicia during the beginning of the Spanish Civil War (1936). Don Gregorio is a teacher who not only teaches his students how to read and write, he also shows them how to look critically at the world. The military's overthrow of the government will destroy the character and his vision of education.

El hijo de la novia
5. El hijo de la novia (2001) Son of the Bride

This Argentine picture from Juan José Campanella gives us the story of Rafael Belvedere, who after inheriting a restaurant from his father finds himself overwhelmed by new business responsibilities as his marriage begins to fall apart. Rafael's mother, who suffers from Alzheimers, will play a special role in his life when he decides to help her live her dream of marrying her husband in a church wedding.

Mar adentro
6. Mar adentro (2004) The Sea Inside

This Oscar winning film from Alejandro Amenábar is based on a true story. Javier Bardem also gives a memorable performance that earned him a Golden Globe award for best actor. It tells the story of a man who is left quadriplegic after a diving accident and later demands the right to die with dignity in Spain, where euthanasia is illegal. Two women come into his life and influence him in their own ways.

Diarios de motocicleta
7. Diarios de motocicleta (2004) The Motorcycle Diaries

Brazilian director Walter Salles based this movie on the travel journals of Ernesto Guevara (later known as Che). Guevara wrote the journals during a road trip he took with friend Alberto Granado across South America on a motorcycle with a sidecar. This journey of discovery offers the young doctor insight into the harsh conditions of life that many must endure, an experience that serve as early inspiration for Ernesto, who will later become the now legendary figure of Che Guevara.

Penelope Cruz
8. Volver (2006)

Pedro Almodóvar says that this movie tells the story of "three generations of women that survive the east wind, fire, madness, superstition, and even death, by way of goodness, lies, and limitless vitality". The dead grandmother who appears before the sister, the daughter who lives a meaningless marriage, and the granddaughter who observes everything with naïve wonder, will all form a chorus of voices that may seem at times surreal, but which demonstrates the strength of women who survive despite the circumstances.

Viggo Mortensen
9. Alatriste (2006)

Agustín Díaz Yanes directs Danish actor Viggo Mortensen (who speaks perfect Spanish given his long stays in Latin America) in this film adaptation of the Arturo Pérez Reverte novels that are based on the adventures of a Spanish soldier from the 17th century. This major production offers viewers a vision of 17th century Spain and it serves as a tribute to the paintings of Velázquez and some of Spanish history's most relevant figures.

También la lluvia
10. También la lluvia (2010) Even the Rain

Director Icía bolláin takes us to Bolivia in the year 2500 with a group of Spanish film makers who shoot a movie about the conquest of America and the brutality inflicted by the Spanish during that time. The harsh living conditions depicted in the film parallel the private lives of the actors, film technicians, and the director, who find themselves swept up in the Cochabamba Water War that shook Bolivian society in the first few months of the 21st century.

enforex_pages_landing_block_b7727405-68e7-417e-a960-ca39a3bb59ab

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

The 2013 Word of the Year: ESCRACHE

A number of new and curious words have made interesting appearances on the Spanish linguistic landscape in recent years including wasapear (to send text messages using the cell phone app WhatsApp) and auto-foto. These terms made the candidate short list, but Fundeu BBVA ended up selecting escrache  as their 2013 word of the year. 

The Fundeu BBVA is an organization that works together with the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) and whose main mission is to promote what they deem as proper Spanish usage in the media. The group was looking for a word that had recently come into the mainstream and was relevant in terms of its usage to describe recent current events. Escrache, in reference to an organized demonstration in front of the homes of politicians and other public figures, seemed to meet those qualifications.

The Argentine and Uruguayan media used the word frequently in the 1990s to describe many demonstrations held to protest crimes committed by dictatorships. Escrache has recently found its way across the Atlantic and into Spain’s popular media, which makes use of the word to describe protests organized by Spain’s Mortgage Victims Platform, a social group that fights against home evictions.  

Escrache’s origins in Argentina likely come from the Genovese scraccâ meaning to spit, or the Italian schiacciare meaning to smash or crush. English speakers however will immediately associate escrache with the word scratch, and Spanish speakers in places with heavy English language influences (like the US) use escrache to describe a scratch. It’s a completely different usage of the word, which makes it even more interesting and added value to its candidacy as Fundeu BBVA’s word of the year.

 Although the RAE’s dictionary does not include the word, it does provide an entry of the verb escrachar as a colloquial Argentine word that can mean either to break, destroy, smash, or oddly enough, to take a photograph of somebody.

This is the first year that the Fundeu BBVA has selected a word of the year, and it’s not the only organization to do it. The American Dialect Society has been announcing words of the year in English since 1991. Not! meaning “just kidding” was 92’s woty. Both Webster and Oxford dictionaries have them too. This year, “selfie” beat out “twerk” and “bitcoin” to become Oxford’s word of the year.

The “most beautiful Spanish word” survey

The Cervantes Institute has launched several online surveys in recent years in search of the most beautiful word in Spanish. The surveys, which coincide with el Día del Español celebrations (which happen in mid June), are open to anyone who wants to participate, and thousands of internet users from around the world compete.

Amor” won in 2006 but had stiff competition from words with appealing meanings like paz or libertad, and words that sounded attractive such as libélula, albahaca and susurro. In 2011, a word nominated by the celebrated actor Gael García Bernal was elected over other nominations such as sueño, flamenco and alegría: his word was Querétaro, a word with indigenous origins and likely means either “island of the blue salamanders” or “place of reptiles”.

So what do you think is the most beautiful word in Spanish? Which do you think should be the word of the year?

enforex_pages_landing_block_62208f17-f110-4d4f-82d1-a9c988a68973

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

Spanish Language Movies

Two 2013 Mexican films broke box office records. Nosotros los nobles became one of Mexico’s highest grossing films of all time, a comedy about a wealthy Mexico City business man who decides to give his grown children a taste of the real world without the comforts that his fortune affords.

Shortly after the successful release of that movie, comedian Eugenio Derbez’s Instructions Not Included (No se aceptan devoluciones ) would go on to surpass its impressive earnings. Derbez’s film tells the tale of an Acapulco man who finds a baby on his doorstep one day, of whom he is presumably the father. The pair soon embarks on a humor-filled adventure in search of the mother. Instructions was particularly popular in the US, where it earned nearly $8 million dollars in its opening weekend. 

I’m So Excited! (Los amantes pasajeros)  was Academy Award winning director Pedro Almodóvar’s 2013 effort, about a cast of eccentric characters on board an airplane heading to Mexico. Almodóvar has described the movie as a “very light comedy”.

Books in Spanish

En la orilla, by Spanish author Rafael Chirbes, has received great critical praise and commercial success. This introspective story is about a carpenter who must close his shop after a dead body is discovered in the marshlands of Olba, Spain.

Although María Dueñas’ El tiempo entre costuras was published in 2009, quickly becoming a national and international best-seller, the novel received special attention in 2013 when it was adapted for TV as a mini-series which aired on Spain’s Antena 3. The book tells the engaging story of a young Spanish clothing designer who leaves Madrid for Tetuán just before Spain’s government is overthrown in 1936 and civil war breaks out. 

Nobel Prize laureate Mario Vargas Llosa published El héroe discreto in 2013, about the parallel lives of two main characters who are determined to live according to their values. Readers familiar with Vargas Llosa’s work will recognize characters from his earlier masterpieces.

Spanish Pop Music

Long-time crooner Marc Anthony found great success in 2013 with his Vivir mi vida, a decidedly upbeat song in which he asserts that he is going to laugh, dance and live in the moment. 

Reggaeton veteran Daddy Yankee continued to enjoy great popularity among young music fans in 2013. He released several hits including Noche de los dos, recorded with Natalia Jiménez.

In Spain, one of the most listened to artists was singer-song writer Melendi, who had a hit with his Tu jardin con enanitos.

One new artist to make his way onto the charts was American singer Prince Royce who had a hit with his single Darte un beso.

2013 Top News Stories

The first Latin American pope in history was elected in 2013. Pope Francis, who is from Argentina, has gained a sizable base of supporters; by the end of 2013 his nine twitter accounts (all in different languages) had a total of over 11 million followers.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez died in 2013 at the age of 58. Chavez was elected president in 1999 and served continuously until his death.

In September of 2013, Madrid mayor Ana Botella spoke before the 2020 Olympic committee in Buenos Aires on behalf of Madrid in its bid to host the games. The mayor’s English language speech (along with scathing parodies) immediately became an internet sensation, particularly the part where she insists that “there is nothing quite like a relaxing cup of café con leche in Plaza Mayor”.   

In sports the Argentine soccer player Leo Messi, who plays for FC Barcelona, picked up an unprecedented fourth straight FIFA Balon d’Or award.

Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal closed the year as the number one ATP ranked player.

enforex_pages_landing_block_f2ee5c47-2a12-4993-a804-cdccde47e77c

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

University New Year in Salamanca

Every year on the penultimate Thursday of the academic term, thousands upon thousands of students from all corners of Spain descend on the small Castilian city of Salamanca for the annual Nochevieja Universitaria – translated as University New Year. This impressive celebration was inaugurated in 1999, when students wanted to be able to celebrate New Year with their university friends, before going home for the Christmas holidays. Since then it’s become a highlight in the university calendar, not just in Salamanca, but across the country. People come in busloads from as far as Seville just to be part of this magical night, before heading home early next morning (literally) after a whole night of partying.

A couple of days ago I was lucky to be able to experience Nochevieja first hand, going with some friends from work to see for ourselves what all the fuss was about. We all decided to meet at 10 pm, thinking that the Plaza Mayor – where the ‘countdown’ to the New Year takes place – would already be jammed with people. We were a little surprised to find that at this point it was only half full, if that. Regardless, the atmosphere was extremely jovial, with a raised platform and DJ underneath the famous reloj (clock), playing all our favorite tunes – with Avicii’s Wake Me Up receiving a screaming reception.

Nevertheless, the idea of standing there for the next two hours was not so appealing, so we went to a nearby bar and had a few drinks and some dancing. We stayed there for about an hour, before heading back to the Plaza Mayor for the strike at midnight. On our way there, we bumped into another friend from work who had unfortunately lost her phone, which reminded us all to keep an eye on our belongings, especially since by this point the Plaza Mayor was jam packed. We pushed our way into the center of the square, nestled between a group of Spanish students, and some sweet Americans. There was still about half an hour left before the “big moment”, but it flew by with more club classics from the rather excitable DJ.

Spanish New Year's Traditions

It is a Spanish New Year’s tradition to eat twelve grapes at midnight, one for each time the clock chimes ding dong. On our way into the Plaza Mayor we had each been handed a little box of twelve grapes (for free!) for us to reenact the tradition at “New Year” – or, in our case, when Thursday became Friday… With about five minutes to go, the DJ stopped doing his thing, and was replaced by a spectacle of lights and drumming music. The Plaza Mayor was changing different colors – red and green – and the façade with the clock had a visual show projected onto it. The main theme of this production was a series of dates, but none of us knew what the dates stood for, and my research has so far proved fruitless. Maybe it was key dates in Salamanca’s history, or Spain’s, or of the night’s sponsor, Brugal? Anyway, the point is it was really cool.

The final segment of this 3D mapping show was a 10-second countdown to midnight, at the completion of which we all hurriedly ate our grapes. The task was significantly harder than we’d expected; eventually I found myself with about four grapes in my mouth at once because the clock was dinging faster than I was eating! And then that was it… once midnight had passed it was the end of Plaza Mayor’s turn to host the thirty thousand students, who then went out into the large number of bars and clubs that hug the center of the city – but only after a ten-minute struggle to leave the Plaza Mayor, a difficult task with so many people going in so many opposite directions. We found ourselves at a bar very near to the Plaza Mayor which was playing typical Spanish club songs. I didn’t recognize any of them, but happily danced away for the next few hours.

When we left the club – slightly deafened from having spent all our time next to the speakers – we thought about going to another, but the Englishness in us had work the next morning firmly at the back of our mind, and the thought of partying until 6 am Spanish-style didn’t appeal. But, we were glad we’d experienced one of the highlights of the academic year in Spain, and it will definitely be a great memory for years to come.

enforex_pages_landing_block_a315a539-7729-496d-9cc3-698058088729

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

10 (at least) Christmas Traditions in the Spanish Speaking World

A number of festive celebrations, some religious and some secular, take place throughout the month of December around the Spanish speaking world, where the holiday season often extends well beyond the 24th and the 25th.

Countries located in the southern hemisphere that have strong Christmas traditions greet the season in the middle of their summer time, where culinary and decorative holiday traditions are adapted to warmer temperatures, as they are in tropical neighboring countries near or on the equator.


 1. Spain

Spanish Christmas SweetsIn Spain, despite great efforts from the biggest department stores to kick off the season in November, Christmas “officially” begins on December 22nd, the day of the Lotería de Navidad (Christmas lottery) prize drawing. Holiday cheer has over time taken a much less religious tone in Spain, a phenomenon that hasn’t been seen as much in Latin America. In any case, Christmas Eve (Nochebuena in Spanish) is a night for getting together with the family for lavish dinners complete with Cava wine and Spanish holiday sweets like turron and mantecados. The 28th is el día de los inocentes (the innocents’ Day), something like a Spanish version of April Fool’s Day, when you can expect people to place unexpected pranks on you.

Spaniards celebrate New Year’s Eve (Nochevieja in Spanish) by eating 12 grapes as the clock strikes 12 (las uvas de la suerte). The Christmas season draws to a close with the Cabalgata de Reyes (the parade for the 3 kings), held on the eve of January 6th (King’s Day). The parade serves as an exciting reminder that the magi have arrived from the east to bring gifts to good children and coal to not-so-good ones. On King’s Day, kids play outside with their new toys while anxiously waiting to eat their roscón de reyes (king’s cake).


Santa Claus 2. Chile

 

In Chile, children anxiously await the arrival of the Viejito Pascuero (as Santa Claus is known in Chile). Chileans also attend the misa del gallo (literally “rooster’s mass), a midnight mass offered on Christmas Eve.


Argentinian food 3. Argentina

 

Christmas in Argentina: Argentines plan a special meal for the evening of the 24th in which everyone brings a different dish to contribute to the Christmas dinner. It’s also common to see “live nativity scenes” in churches around Argentina.


Fireworks 4. Uruguay

 

If you’re in Uruguay on Christmas Eve, don’t be surprised when you hear fireworks erupting at midnight as friends and family members toast one another with fresh cider. You may end up hanging out and having fun until late, but not to worry; you can spend Christmas Day relaxing on the beach (it’s summer in Uruguay).


Christmas Meal in Bolivia 5. Bolivia


The cool Andean plateau lands of Bolivia can make you feel like nice energizing snack, and a bowl of picana does just the trick. This sweet and spicy, meat and veggie soup is traditionally enjoyed after misa del gallo and before late night processions in which participants parade a figure of baby Jesus through the streets of town.


Christmas Tree 6. Dominican Republic


It’s not easy to imagine snow falling in the Dominican Republic. Dominicans have however adopted a tradition that reflects northern images of snowy Christmas landscapes by painting Christmas trees white.


Nativity Scene 7. The Tradition of Las Posadas


Countries such as Mexico, Honduras and Venezuela have kept a tradition alive known as las posadas as reminder of all the challenges described in the Bible which Joseph and Mary faced while searching for temporary lodging just before the birth of Jesus.


Rompopo 8. Honduras


In Honduras, when you visit with friends and neighbors during las posadas, you can be expected to be offered rompopo (a type of alcoholic punch made with milk and egg) or ponche infernal, which although has a scary name is a comfortable drink made of pineapple, cinnamon, clove, pepper, rum, water and sugar… not appropriate for kids.


Pumpkin 9. Paraguay


In a country where Guarani shares official language status with Spanish, ryguazy (chicken) or turkey is served up on Christmas Eve with kiveve, a traditional meal prepared from andai (calabaza).


Paella in Central America10. Nicaragua


If you’re in Nicaragua around Christmas, don’t be surprised to see arroz a la valenciana (Valencian-style rice) on the dinner table. This Nicaraguan version of paella is a traditional meal in Central America on Christmas Eve.


In many Latin American countries it’s common for the Christmas period to extend from the middle of December until well into the new year and beyond King’s Day (January 6th). On December 7th in Guatemala, they burn an effigy of the Devil, and on that same day in Colombia it’s el día de las velitas (Day of the Little Candles) when candles are placed everywhere to honor the Virgin Mary. In Honduras, Mexico and Venezuela, starting from December 16th, the nine-day Posadas celebration begins. In many of these places, the Christmas season doesn’t draw to a close until the day of Candelaria on February 2nd.    

 

 

 

 

enforex_pages_landing_block_d4162328-e6cd-4b42-b879-4b5b44374b27

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

Dominican Spanish

The Dominican Academy of Language has published a new 800 page dictionary designed to serve as a unique reference tool of Spanish as it is specifically spoken and used in the Dominican Republic. The dictionary includes common expressions and entries of words with Dominican origins. Readers will also find a number of existing standardized Spanish words that Dominicans use with different meanings.

The academy has described the book as “the most emblematic and relevant work published by the academy since its founding in 1927”.  Academy director Bruno Rosario Candelier has asserted that it is the first Dominican dictionary of its kind.

Unlike the Royal Spanish Academy’s dictionary (DRAE), the work does not represent an attempt to establish language rules of usage. While the Royal Spanish Academy is often described as the world’s Spanish grammar police, known for its formal procedures and conservative views on accepting new words and meanings, the Dominican Academy has made every effort to include “all voices of the Spanish spoken by Dominicans”.

Dictionary authors carefully analyzed 250 books, drawing 6,000 of the entries from pieces of literature. The remaining 5,000 words included in the dictionary came from newspapers, magazines and e pages. 

The dictionary was published on November 22, 2013 to coincide with festivities commemorating the 300 year anniversary of the Royal Spanish Academy.

With nearly 11,000 entries and 8,000 examples, many taken from works written by Dominican authors, this inspired achievement is an ideal book for anyone planning on visiting the country or talking to people from the Dominican Republic.

Dictionaries of other varieties of Spanish

The Mexican Academy of Language has a similar type of dictionary on their website that focuses on expressions and words used in Mexico. Users can browse the Diccionario breve de mexicanismos by letter to explore interesting words and language features that help make varieties of Spanish spoken in Mexico unique, or you can look up specific words alphabetically.  

The Diccionario integral del español de la Argentina offers 90,000 examples of usage. The book was created entirely in Argentina by Argentine linguists and includes Spanish as its spoken by Argentines. You can check it out online at http://www.voz-activa.com.ar/flipdiccionario/

The Diccionario de amercanismos is a book that was begun in the 19th century when Spanish language academies were being established in Latin American countries. The dictionary finally began to take shape in 2002 during the 12th conference of the Association of Spanish language academies (ASALE). The text was finally approved by the association in 2009 and the book was officially presented in 2010 at the Royal Spanish Academy’s headquarters in Madrid.  

enforex_pages_landing_block_942e9019-e1d6-4254-8a89-5a0e57546c1c

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

A Ferrari that flies

Carlos Matilla, a Spanish aeronautical engineer, is developing a flying car that’s expected to take to the skies in a year and a half. Matilla says he just needs 2 million Euros to put together the prototype being described as 100% Spanish

Much like a helicopter, it will be able to take off and land vertically on any flat surface, even from the back yard of a home – in fact the name of the vehicle is Helikar. It will accommodate up to 2 passengers and reach speeds of 430 km/h and heights of 3,000 meters, travelling up to 1,000 km without having to refuel.

Matilla began work on the project 4 years ago and later joined forces with fellow engineer José Joaquín Vila to create the Spanish aeronautical company FuVex to continue carrying out work on the project.

Take one look at the sporty-space age design and there is no denying that arriving to a party or a job interview in a Helikar would make an indelible impression on any observer, particularly if appearing on the scene from the sky.

Matilla likens Helikar to “a Ferrari that flies”, and points out that it’s “even faster than a Formula 1 race car”.

The price to pick up one of these handsome machines is expected to run about 250,000 € for basic models, while more spendy varieties will run you around 900,000 €.

Creators insist that the car-copter will be easy to drive and pilot, explaining that you’ll just have to know a few more things than you would need to know to obtain a regular drivers license.

Not the first promise of a flying car

Matilla has some heavy competition however. Last October Štefan Klein, the head designer of the Slovakian based company Aeromobil, took his Aeromobil 2.5 for a successful albeit low-to-the-ground test flight. Then there’s Terrafugia, an American flying car company which promises that their Transition model “street legal” flying car is the future of transportation. The machine is currently in the advanced stages of testing in preparation of early production.

When asked how HeliKar is better than rival car-plane hybrids, Matilla sited the design and “certain pieces” that he was not at liberty to reveal. If FuVex meets its goals, the company plans to present Helikar at the Paris Air Show in a year and a half.

Surprisingly early attempts to create a flying car include Henry Ford’s 1926 sky fliwer. Although the project was scrapped within 2 years, it fueled the imagination of contemporary observers, many of whom envisioned a near-future characterized by personal air travel for the masses. In 1940, Henry Ford stated “Mark my word: A combination airplane and motorcar is coming. You may smile, but it will come” 

Flying cars would promptly become a standard fixture in depictions of the future, flying across both the silver and small screens and appearing in countless novels. They can be seen in The Jetsons cartoon and films such as Star Wars, Blade Runner, Back to the Future and The Fifth Element.

"Where is my flying car?"

Today, the slogan “where’s my flying car” has occasionally appeared in popular culture and media to express disappointment in the world’s failure to produce the technological advances featured in now-classic works of science fiction, many of which depicted 21st century worlds filled with motorists casually cruising in airborne automobiles. 

This battle cry of a generation of disillusioned sci-fi devotees indeed seems to have been answered by folks like Carlos Matilla, who are convinced that those anxious to take their own hover crafts for a spin in the open skies will soon get their chance to lift off into a future that will have finally arrived in the next few years.  

enforex_pages_landing_block_7bee1c9e-99df-4f2f-a0ff-d4ce22d84a08

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

Language Learning

A report published this month by the British Council, entitled Languages for the Future, has confirmed what most linguists and anyone who takes an interest in languages were thinking: Spanish is the best language for the UK population to learn. With an overall ‘score’ of 76, it easily surpasses Arabic (54), which takes second place, and French, Mandarin Chinese and German making up the top five.

The report employed a variety of measures to determine the ten languages considered most important to the United Kingdom’s economic, cultural and diplomatic future. Among these factors included the destinations of British exports, the UK government’s commercial and diplomatic priorities, the value of emerging markets, as well as the most popular holiday destinations for Britons, and the ability of other countries to speak English. The document highlights the missed opportunities that stem from a lack of language-speaking abilities among Brits.

The key message of the research was the “alarming” absence of language-skills among the British public. According to a survey carried out on 4,000 adults by the polling organization YouGov, 75% were unable to even hold a conversation in a language other than English. Only 4% could do this in Spanish, a worrying figure given the growing importance of Spanish in an ever-globalized world of over 400 million native Spanish speakers (compared to 335 million native English speakers).

Looking at the indicators more closely, it’s unsurprising that Spanish holds top spot. Its value in UK exports and business activities is broad and growing: Spain is Great Britain’s eight-largest trading partner – rising to 5th position when eliminating English-speaking nations and grouping Francophone Belgium and France together – and 34% of British companies state that Spanish is important to their growth. By examining the list of emerging markets, Spanish-speaking nations occupy 4 of the 30 most important developing economies, the same number as English-speaking countries. In fact, by 2030, the Mexican economy is expected to have outgrown that of the UK.

From a cultural perspective as well, Spain is the most popular non-English speaking country for British tourists, and no Hispanic country features highly on the list of English proficiency. What’s more, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office is pouring resources into boosting diplomatic presence in South America, at a time when Anglo-Hispanic relations features prominently in the news with respect to two of Britain’s overseas territories.

Study Spanish

Alongside the British Council’s own investigations, there exist other advantages to learning Spanish as a second language. It happens to be an official language of most of the world’s international organizations, for example the United Nations and the International Labor Organization, as well as pan-Latin American bodies. Aside from economic and political factors, learning Spanish enhances your understanding of the cultural and social aspects of Spain and Latin America that are important to their identity. Furthermore, the health benefit of learning a second language cannot be underestimated: a recent medical report suggests that the ability to speak a language other than your mother-tongue delays the onset of Alzheimer’s disease by about four years.

So these are just some of the reasons why you should head over to Spain or Latin America and speak Spanish!

enforex_pages_landing_block_445ed156-38c4-415f-8fb4-b48516d8495c

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

Spanish Art: Broadening your cultural horizons

Although stereotypically associated with sun, sea and sand, Spain offers much more than just a summer glow. From Velázquez to Dalí, Ribera to Miró and El Greco to Picasso, Spain has produced some of history’s most influential, revolutionary and highly-esteemed artists. So why not mix things up this year during your holiday to Spain and replace a day of soaking up the rays with a day of cultural enrichment!? In alphabetical rather than preferential order, the featured Top Ten Spanish Museums below will simply give you a taster of a country proud to exhibit and celebrate the enduring talents of its internationally-acclaimed artists.


Fundación Joan Miró1. Fundación Joan Miró - Barcelona


Within the confines of an incredibly-striking, contemporary and almost Lego-like white building, visitors will find themselves in awe of the sheer number, quality and diversity of the artwork produced by Barcelona-born painter, sculptor and ceramicist, Miró. With more than 14,000 pieces of artwork to observe, tourists will certainly leave with a much greater insight into the life of this 20th Century artistic genius.



Sevilla2. Museo de Bellas Artes - Seville


Priding itself on the display of the colossal altarpiece paintings which characterized the artwork of the 17th Century Seville school, the city’s Museum of Fine Arts completely captivates its visitors with its beautifully-detailed, and primarily religious, collections as soon as they pass through the former convent’s cloistered doorways. Greeted by works from El Greco, Velázquez, Murillo and Cano amongst many others, Spanish Golden Age art enthusiasts will find themselves in Baroque heaven.



Valencia3. Museo de Bellas Artes - Valencia


Artwork aside for a momentito, Valencia’s Museum of Fine Arts with its two grand towers, sapphire-tiled dome and charming courtyard is truly a marvel to behold in all its architectural glory. And beyond the spectacular façade, the museum showcases, most notably, an abundance of 17th Century art including Goya’s striking portraits and El Greco’s monumental religious iconography.



Bilbao4. Museo Guggenheim - Bilbao


Reminiscent of a large, distorted and multiple-layered reflective mirror, Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum is impossible to miss. Although the building’s utterly unique exterior design is a work of art in itself, it is only once inside that visitors can fully appreciate the ingenuity of the world’s greatest contemporary and modern artists. From Serra’s steel sculptures to Warhol’s renowned pop art, every room celebrates the daring and innovative approaches taken by these artists who, even if unconsciously, made art history.



Reina Sofia Museum5. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia (MNCARS) - Madrid


Home to what is arguably Picasso’s most famous, and extremely thought-provoking, painting, “Guernica”, in addition to a profuse number of Dalí’s cubist works, the MNCARS is a must-see when visiting the Spanish capital. Always changing thanks to the two floors solely devoted to temporary exhibitions, the museum strives to treat its visitors to a constant flow of the most internationally-celebrated modern and contemporary works of art history.



6. Museo Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) - Barcelona


With breathtaking views over Barcelona’s world-famous, urbanized landscape, the neo-baroque Palau Nacional is the stately (and justifiably so given its prestigious and profuse art collection!) home to the Catalan capital’s National Art Museum. With more than 260,000 art pieces, the museum’s highlight has to be its Roman frescoes which were remarkably saved from destruction during the Spanish Civil War and are still beautifully-maintained to this day.



The Prado Museum in Madrid7. Museo Nacional del Prado - Madrid


No sightseeing tour around Madrid would be complete without a visit to Spain’s largest art museum. Simply known as El Prado, the museum not only boasts a multitude of the finest paintings of the Spanish Golden Age but also contains one of the largest sculpture collections in Europe. With the chance to see Velázquez’s “Las Meninas”, Bosch’s “The Garden of Delights” and Murillo’s “Immaculate Conceptions” along with an estimated further 4,800 exquisitely-detailed paintings all in just one building, what are you waiting for?



Picasso Museum8. Museo Picasso - Barcelona


Giving particular attention to his formative years but, equally taking its visitors on an artistic journey through the numerous and diverse periods which characterized his extensive career, Barcelona’s Picasso Museum successfully captures the essence of an artist whose work changed almost beyond recognition as he transformed from child prodigy to legendary Cubist.



Dali Museum 9. Teatro-Museo Dalí - Figueres


As eccentric as the artist and his surrealist work, the Dalí Theatre-Museum building with its almost fuchsia-colored and egg-covered design is certainly unique in appearance and, unsurprisingly, continues to entice the intrigued sightseer all year round. Within the dream-like walls, visitors are taken further into Dalí’s imagination and are welcomed by a profusion of paintings, sculptures, 3-dimensional collages and mechanical devices all created in the distinctive and fascinating Dalí style.



Thyssen Museum 10. Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum - Madrid


Behind the magnificent terracotta walls of the neoclassic Villahermosa Palace hang almost 1000 incredibly-diverse paintings which enable the admiring observer to appreciate the versatility of art through the ages as a form of creative expression. Displaying works from the Renaissance to the Mannerism period, Baroque to Rococo and Romanticism to Pop Art, the museum justly deserve her place in the so-called Madrilenian Golden Triangle of Art.

 

Subscribe to

Manage cookie consent

Cookies on this website are used to personalize content and ads, provide social media features and analyze traffic. In addition, we share information about your use of the website with our social media, advertising and web analytics partners, who may combine it with other information you have provided to them or that they have collected from your use of their services. You can learn more in our Cookies policy

Always active

Necessary cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions such as page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. The website cannot function properly without these cookies.

Statistical cookies help website owners understand how visitors interact with websites by gathering and providing information in an anonymous form.

Preference cookies allow the website to remember information that changes the way the site behaves or looks, such as your preferred language or the region you are in.

Marketing cookies are used to track visitors on web pages. This is used to show ads that are more relevant and attractive to the individual user, and therefore more valuable to publishers and third-party advertisers.