CHRISTMAS VOCABULARY

Here are typical words and expressions that people use when talking about or at Christmas.

Christmas Expressions

• Merry Christmas!
• Happy Christmas
• Happy New Year!
• Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
• Wishing you a prosperous New Year
• All the best for the coming year
• Seasons Greetings!

Christmas Terms

advent	the arrival of someone or something important
Advent	the coming (or second coming) of Jesus Christ; the month leading up to Christmas
angel	a spiritual being acting as a messenger of God (usually shown as a human being with wings)
berry	a small round fruit
Bethlehem	the small town in the Middle East believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ
candle	a cylinder of wax with a central wick (like string) which burns to produce light
chimney	a vertical pipe in a house that allows smoke and gases to escape from a fireplace (Father Christmas traditionally enters a house through its chimney)
Christ	the title of Jesus (also used as His name)
Christian	a person who believes in Christianity; also an adjective
Christianity	the religion based on the teachings and person of Jesus Christ
Christmas	the annual Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ (Christmas Day is on 25 December)
Christmas cake	a rich fruit cake covered with white icing, eaten at Christmas
Christmas card	a greetings card that people send to friends and family at Christmas
Christmas carol	a religious song or popular hymn that people sing at Christmas
Christmas Day	25 December, the birthday of Jesus Christ
Christmas Eve	the evening or day before Christmas Day (24 December)
Christmas holidays	the holiday period for about a week before and after Christmas Day
Christmas present	a gift or present given at Christmas
Christmas tree	an evergreen tree (often a spruce) that people decorate with lights and ornaments at Christmas
cracker	a decorated paper tube that makes a sharp noise ("crack!") and releases a small toy when two people pull it apart
decoration	something that adds beauty; ornament
egg-nog	a traditional Christmas drink made of alcohol with beaten eggs and milk
Father Christmas	an imaginary being who brings presents for children on the night before Christmas Day (also known as Santa Claus) - traditionally an old man with a red suit and white beard
fireplace	a partly enclosed space in a house where people light a fire for warmth
frankincense	a gum used for incense, one of the gifts that the three wise men gave to Jesus
gold	a yellow precious metal, one of the gifts that the three wise men gave to Jesus
holly	an evergreen plant with prickly dark green leaves and red berries
Jesus	the name of Christ, the central figure of Christianity (believed by Christians to be the Son of God)
Joseph	the husband of Mary (the mother of Jesus)

magi	the wise men from the East who brought gifts for the baby Jesus
manger	a trough for food for horses or cattle (used by Mary as a cradle or bed for Jesus)
Mary	the mother of Jesus
mistletoe	a parasitic plant with white berries, traditionally used as a Christmas decoration
myrrh	a gum used for perfume or incense, one of the gifts that the three wise men gave to Jesus
nativity	the birth of a person
the Nativity	the birth of Jesus Christ
nativity play	a play that people perform at Christmas based on the birth of Jesus
new year	the start of a year; the period just before and after 1 January
New Year's Day	1 January
New Year's Eve	31 December
ornament	an object that adds beauty to something; a decoration
present	a thing given to somebody as a gift.
reindeer	a deer with large antlers found in some cold climates (believed to pull the sleigh for Santa Claus or Father Christmas)
Santa Claus	an imaginary being who brings presents for children on the night before Christmas Day (also known as Father Christmas) - traditionally an old man with a red suit and white beard (Santa Claus may be based in part on the historical figure of Saint Nicholas.)
shepherd	a person who looks after sheep
sleigh	a sledge or light cart on runners pulled by horses or reindeer over snow and ice
snow	water vapour from the sky that falls as white flakes and covers the ground
star	a bright point in the night sky which is a large, distant incandescent body like the sun
the star of Bethlehem	the star that announced the birth of Jesus and guided the wise men to find Him
tinsel	a decoration consisting of thin strips of shiny metal foil, traditionally used at Christmas
turkey	a bird like a large chicken, traditionally eaten at Christmas
white Christmas	a Christmas with snow on the ground
Xmas	abbreviation or informal term for Christmas

9 ADVANTAGES OF LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

1. Meet new people

One of the most phenomenal benefits of learning a new language? Doors are opened to you around the world. If you’re learning in a group setting, you immediately have new friends to share your new language with. If not, then once you go somewhere and are actually able to employ what you’ve learned, you’ll be surprised how open people are when you speak their mother tongue.

2. Employers love it (and they’ll love you more)

If your C.V. accolades include fluency in a second language, your chances of employment in today’s economy are much greater for you than for those who speak only one language.

Multilingual people are able to communicate and interact within multiple communities. Potential employers consider this a valuable asset in an employee’s skill set, as they’re able to connect with a broader range of people. In this new age of start-ups, companies are increasingly breaking into new markets. You up your personal and professional value if you’re able to negotiate with manufacturers in another country or communicate with customers who don’t speak your native language.

Not to mention, your ability to speak a second language conveys that you’re motivated and driven to learn new skills, and this also gives you a competitive edge over those who haven’t yet become bilingual.

3. It’s becoming essential

Many would argue that bilingualism is becoming a progressively necessary and essential skill for anyone who wants to keep up with today’s rapidly increasing global economy. As more and more people recognize the importance of learning an additional language, those who only speak one language will begin to get left behind in our shift towards a more integrated and connected global society.

4. It’s great for traveling

Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein is credited with saying that “the limits of your language are the limits of your world,” and he was right.

Knowing more than one language opens up your vacation destination possibilities. Traveling through a foreign country becomes much easier if you can speak the language of that country. Fluency isn’t required. Locals anywhere appreciate that you’ve taken the time to at least attempt to learn and communicate in their tongue. It shows a greater level of respect and is an easy way to meet new people.

Also, getting to a comfortable speaking level in a foreign language is a great motivator to get you out there and practicing your new language in a new country.

Not ready to rush off to a foreign land just yet?

Not a problem. You can start exploring the everyday cultures of the countries where your target language is spoken with FluentU right now. FluentU takes real-world videos—like movie trailers, music videos and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language lessons.

5. After learning one, it’s 1000x easier to learn another

As you begin to learn a second language, you’ll find that the acquisition techniques you’re using can be applied to learning additional languages as well.

The positive cognitive effects of learning to speak a second language can train the brain to analyze and process different linguistic structures. It’s not specific to your first target language — it’s a skill that can be applied to learning any language.

You’re increasing your ability to replicate the process with multiple languages. This is called “metalinguistic awareness,” where your brain learns to identify the techniques of learning a language and break them down into a series of steps. After learning one language, you retain the muscle memory. Your brain will intrinsically understand how to learn a language and how different languages are structured, through increased awareness of syntax, grammar and sentence structure.

6. You become smarter

Acquiring a second language improves your memory and increases your attention span. The process of becoming bilingual exercises your brain, challenges you to concentrate and boosts your problem solving skills.

Bilingual students tend to score higher on standardized tests than monolingual students, especially in the areas of vocabulary, reading and math. As you learn to toggle from one language to another, you improve your multitasking abilities. Bilingual individuals have also been shown to be more logical and rational, have better decision-making skills and be more perceptive and aware of their surroundings.

Learning a second language also improves your native language, as it teaches you the mechanics and structure behind any language — not just new languages.

7. You’ll stay smarter for longer

Recent research has shown that bilingualism can stave off the effects of Alzheimer’s and dementia by years. Regardless of their education level, gender or occupation, bilingual subjects in the linked study experienced the onset of Alzheimer’s, on average, 4 1/2 years later than monolingual subjects did.

Study results out of the American Academy of Neurology are showing that speaking more than one language increases the amount of neural pathways in the brain, allowing information to be processed through a greater variety of channels. They’ve also begun to demonstrate that multilingualism improves development in the brain’s areas of executive function and attention, no matter what age the language learner is.

8. It boosts your creativity

Researchers are also concluding that multilingual speakers are more creative than monolingual speakers. Learning a foreign language improves not only your ability to solve problems and to think more logically, it also makes you experiment with new words and phrases.

Leveling up your second language skills forces you to reach for alternate words when you can’t quite remember the original one you wanted to use. It improves your skills in divergent thinking, which is the ability to identify multiple solutions to a single problem.

9. It builds up your self-confidence

You’re about to teach yourself to believe, “yes, I can.”

It’ll become your new personal mantra.

Confidence increases when a new skill is mastered, and learning a foreign language is no different. It increases your self-confidence. And let’s face it: confident people are more interesting than those who are unsure of themselves. The techniques you use to develop a second tongue result in a greater sense of open-mindedness.

In order to master a new language, conversations with native and fluent speakers are essential. If you’re shy but want to meet new people, using the excuse that you want to practice your speaking skills is a great opener and a doorway to making new friends, expanding your horizons and broadening your life experiences. Plus, who doesn’t want to be more interesting?

So, How Do I Get Started?

Fortunately, gone are the days where the only way to learn a second language was to either become stranded in a foreign country or go back to high school language classes (and be honest, did you actually learn all that much in there?) There are now many different online lessons and tutorials to help you become proficient in the language of your choice.

FluentU stands out amongst language learning websites thanks to the huge range of interactive learning opportunities it provides.

FluentU makes it possible to learn languages from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks. It’s all stuff that native speakers actually watch. 

With FluentU, you learn real languages—the same way that natives speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:

FIVE STEPS TO WRITING BUSINESS DOCUMENTS

 The writing exercise requires scrutiny and specific formats; as a rule have as purpose: precision and clarity, simplicity in reading is a highly valued element as this leads to the completion of reading a text in full. Writing is a complex activity whose abilities develop over time.

Within the broad field of writing, there is the drafting of business documents, its structure deals with linear schemes, omits all ambiguity and is intended to communicate to a recipient aspects concerning companies. Here precision is a vital requirement; its methodology involves the mastery of formulations to meet concrete goals.

There are numerous business documents in corporations, their list competes to a separate writing, however here are some examples: speeches, reports, worksheets, applications, campaigns, minutes, agreements, fax, letters to various recipients, proposals, Contracts, manuals, etc.

Here are 5 basic tips for writing business texts:

1. Know the type of document that is requested. The employer usually assumes that the worker knows what each type of file is about and how it is written; the writing of professional texts is learned from academic training, however can be forgotten by the disuse. To remember it is necessary to first look for the definition, a suitable format and finally stick to the style demanded.

2. Know the structure of each institution. In business texts, innovation is often not permissible, it is necessary to stick to the formats, to place the institutional seals where they should go, even if there is doubt about their form, it is necessary to consult it before acting unilaterally. It is valid to make suggestions but do not lose sight that every company has a work inertia to be respected.

3. Absolute domain of the word processor. It is necessary to be trained about the multiple options offered by writing programs, their design is made to simplify their use, however their ignorance propitiates that we have elementary errors in the time of writing and give a specific form; There are forums where it is possible to resolve doubts, in addition to using the help icon of our own processor.

4. Originality. Appealing creativity in a business text is an intricate task, however the reader will appreciate it; The use of forms is not something old fashioned but is an element that will give character and formality to our writing.

5. Review and correct. Time is sometimes an enemy in corporations, however we have to take time to read aloud our writing and ask others to read it, in this way if there are errors in the writing, confusion in the times Verbal or syntax errors, can easily be corrected. It is better to deliver a well-made document with delay, than an incorrect one right away.

Writing correctly is an exercise that is useful for a lifetime, do not neglect eventually the possibility of entering a workshop of reading and writing, regardless of the career that has been studied, what will be added to the learning process.

LEARN TO SPEAK EXCELLENT SPANISH WITH 6 ENTERTAINING METHODS

As the saying goes, el español tiene un color muy especial (Spanish is unique indeed)!

Spanish comes in many shapes and sizes.

Spoken in over 25 countries globally, there are more than 100+ ways to speak if you take into account regional accents, slang, pronunciation and intonation.

So, surely you’ve heard someone say to you, “¿Me entiendes?” (do you understand me?) during conversation. And surely, at some point, your answer to that question has been, “ehh…no, perdón.” (Um…no, sorry).

There is much debate in linguistic circles on what constitutes neutral Spanish. Currently, Spanish has roughly 400 million speakers in the Americas and 44 million in Spain, so there are quite a few differences to think about when considering what neutral Spanish might sound like.

Many learners agree that natives of Peru and Colombia speak the most clearly, while others say that the accent from Valladolid, Spain is “real” Spanish. When it comes to who speaks the proper language, there is really no such thing as authentic or fake, as all variations of Spanish are equally valid.

With that said, in the context of this great variety, it’s a good idea to learn to recognize a variety of ways of speaking and accents in order to master spoken Spanish!
 

Pick Your Spoken Spanish

Castilian and Latin American Spoken Spanish

Castilian Spanish (CS): CS is the general version Spanish spoken in Spain. General because from South to North there is as much linguistic variety as there are Spaniards in Spain. Many comment that spoken CS has a higher velocity (speed) and more difficult pronunciation than other Spanish varieties, but this all depends on context and speaker.

Latin American Spanish (LAS): LAS is the general version of Spanish spoken in Latin America, this is also very general because there are intonation and accent differences between Mexican, Chilean and Bolivian Spanish. Remember, this is a big continent! All in all, many learners comment that spoken LAS has a more comfortable speed and pronunciation, but remember that the context and the speaker matter here too.

For our purposes, be sure to keep in mind these 2 important elements in spoken CS and LAS:

1. Mind Your Cs and Zs: In spoken CS the letters c and z are pronounced with a bit of a lisp, similar to the sound we make when pronouncing “th” in the word “the.” In spoken LAS, the letters z, c and s are pronounced exactly the same.

2. Use of Vosotros vs Ustedes: For plural informal you form remember that vosotros is exclusively used in CS whereas ustedes is exclusively used in LAS. It’s very rare to hear either or in the opposite region, unless a speaker is adapting their speech to a Latin American or Spanish visitor. The only exception is in the Spanish Canary Islands, where ustedes is used instead of vosotros by Canarians.

To get quick a sense of the spoken differences, check out this short clip that explores Spanish movie dubs in LAS and CS. Write down your impressions and thoughts in your Spanish journal on the spoken differences according to how you hear them. If you’re a beginner, they might sound exactly the same. If you’re intermediate to advanced, you’ll likely notice the two elements mentioned above.

Generally, U.S. learners opt for LAS because it’s the standard taught in high school, college and also the most widely spoken form of Spanish in the Spanish-speaking world in sheer numbers.

Despite CS being spoken by 44 million compared to LAS by 400 million, it’s still widely used as voice-overs in documentaries, dubbing in movies and also International Spanish News stations. So make sure to listen to audio in both spoken varieties as this is excellent training for your ears.

Spoken Spanish, the Real Challenge

For spoken Spanish, your real challenge is to match written word with sound, until it becomes intuitive and reproducible in speech. You literally need to train your ears! Sounds easy but this takes a lot of practice, dedication and training.

Remember, matching written word to sound is the trick to master spoken Spanish in any and all of its linguistic varieties. Once you become an advanced learner, you’ll easily tell the difference between spoken Spanish varieties and will be able to communicate in a nice and neutral Spanish.

Through extensive listening combined with travels you may even get to the point where you pinpoint the country or exact city the speaker is from, and olé to you if you do (cheers to you)!

In the meantime, let’s look at some ways you can train your ears and improve your spoken Spanish starting today!

 

Train Your Ears, Your Guide to Learn Spoken Spanish

 

1. Listen to News in Slow Spanish

Listening to the news in Spanish can be overwhelming—it’s fast-paced, packed with information and your brain gets overloaded quickly. Lucky for you, there’s an alternative: listening to the news a little bit slower. This is a wonderful method to train your ears and get you informed on world events in a relaxed and slower-paced environment. But where to find slowed-down news for learners?

The platform News in Slow Spanish provides news podcasts and corresponding transcripts for news stories from Latin America. The podcasts are intentionally slow to get your ears used to sounds and the accompanying transcripts provide excellent vocabulary and word-to-sound recognition for your learning. You can download the app on your cell phone at iTunes or Google Play, to take it with you anywhere you go!

 

2. Listen to Spanish Recordings at Various Speeds

Finding songs, podcasts, news broadcasts and audio recordings a bit too fast? Remember how your mom said not to play with your food? Well, there’s no reason for you not to play with your language learning!

Compile your favorite Spanish songs and challenging audios into one big playlist. Start listening to them at different speeds using both Audacity and VideoLan to do so.

It’s simple, download the audio in mp3 and adjust recordings as you wish. Experiment from slow, medium to fast speeds, pitches and intonations, increasing and decreasing as you see fit in order to adjust to your level and listening comfort zones.

 

3. Specialized Podcasts with Written Transcripts

Use websites that offer quality podcasts with written transcripts. For example, you could try the audio features on FluentU Spanish, which play the captions in English and Spanish on your screen as you listen (but don’t worry if you prefer to fly solo or only have Spanish subtitles by your side, you can toggle the subtitles on and off at will).

Start off by first printing out the transcripts then listen to the podcast audio a few times, making sure to follow along on your transcript with a pen or highlighter to catch those tricky words and pronunciation. Check out SpanishPod101 by Innovative Language for free quality podcasts on a variety of subjects with transcripts, flashcards, videos and a handy app!

 

4. Watch Movies with Spanish Subtitles, Consistently

This tip makes it on lists over and over again for a reason—because it really, truly works. But the trick here is consistency—not just watching randomly or sporadically. Aim to watch a new movie in Spanish once a week, or try watching your favorite movies in English dubbed into Spanish with subtitles every now and then.

Consistency really is the key to make sure the word and sound connection is activated in your head at least once a week, if not more!

Want some recommendations from yours truly? For LAS, watch “También la lluvia” (Even the Rain) and for CS watch “Mar Adentro” (The Sea Inside), both available on Netflix with the subtitle option. If you’re a beginner, stick to watching the same movie a couple times within the same month!

 

5. Pair Audiobooks with Physical Books

By this I mean that you should listen to audiobooks while you read them in Spanish.

It’s easier than it sounds! Check out Audible for a wide variety of Spanish audiobooks, from both Latin America and Spain. If your pockets allow you, try to buy your book on Amazon.es to have the physical book out while you listen to the audiobook recording. Having physical pages in front of you keeps you focused, on-task and also reinforces sound-word recognition.

 

6. Immerse Yourself in Spoken Spanish with FluentU

FluentU is actually a pretty sweet resource to use for Spoken Spanish. That’s because FluentU takes real-world videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons. The diversity of authentic content here is perfect for exposing yourself to a variety of Spanish.

Oh, and you can use the active learning tools found in FluentU’s learn mode. The interactive captions, multimedia flashcards and vocabulary lists will all give you the opportunity to really practice and reinforce the language you’ve learned from your chosen videos.

There you have it, now pull those tangled ear buds out of your desk and stick to the 6 methods above to master spoken Spanish. Whatever your level, you’ll surely get quick results—not to mention compliments—on your improved Spanish from teachers and friends!

¡Hasta la próxima, amigos! (Until next time, friends!)

10 AMAZING BENEFITS OF BEING BILINGUAL

What are The Benefits of Being Bilingual

There has been a lot of research on bilingualism over the years. Many studies have found so many benefits of being bilingual or being able to speak more than one language. A trait that was once considered a hindrance, has now proved to have so many advantages for both children and adults.

Here are 10 amazing benefits of being 

bilingual: Make sure you check out the Infographic at the end of the page!

1. Being bilingual has positive effects on the brain

Studies show that being bilingual has many cognitive benefits. According to research, speaking a second language can mean that you have a better attention span and can multi-task better than monolinguals. This is because being bilingual means you are constantly switching from one language to the other. Numerous other studies suggest that bilingualism can also reduce the risk of having a stroke.

Cognitive benefits effect both bilingual kids and bilingual adults. Children as young as seven months who are exposed to more than one language tend to adjust better to changes in the environment. For older bilinguals, there tends to be less cognitive decline.

 

2. Bilingualism gives you the educational advantage

Many of the cognitive benefits mentioned above can also mean that bilinguals have an advantage at school or further education. Many studies show that those who speak a second language are more likely to be less distracted and more focused on tasks.

Even bilingual children who are educated in their second language, have actually been seen to outperform monolingual students in their native language.

The recent Millennum Cohort Study found many educational benefits for bilingual children. Their research showed that even though children who are educated in their second language may initially lag behind around three, four and five years old, they soon catch up and outperform their peers by age seven.

 

3. Languages are highly valued in the workplace

Speaking a second language has numerous employment benefits. Being bilingual means that there are more job opportunities depending on which languages you speak. Communication in the workplace is important, and more companies, especially those with international offices, are considering bilingualism a high priority.

Fast growing fields such as tourism, journalism and translation put great value on bilingual employees. Additional languages on the resume could have your application moved to the top of the pile and give you a better chance at getting the job, even if you aren’t as qualified as another monolingual applicant.

 

4. Being Bilingual has been linked to health benefits

There have been many studies proving that being bilingual can benefit ones health. Researches recently found that there is growing evidence to suggest that bilingualism can delay the onset of Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease for example. Other benefits of being bilingual include things such as a faster stroke recovery, lower stress levels, and delay many effects of old to name a few.

 

5. Speaking more than one language makes you more open minded

Have you ever heard the bilingual quote“To have another language is to possess a second soul” by Charlemagne? One of the benefits of being bilingual can mean that you see the world in different ways. Some even say that speaking two different languages can sometimes feel like having two different personalities.

Bilinguals are used to constant change. This means that they are usually less effected by changes in the environment, and more open minded to new things and new experiences, because they have more than one view of the world already.

 

6. Speaking a foreign language can be highly beneficial when you travel

Of course you can get around many countries without speaking the language. However, think of how much more you can experience if you speak the local language of the place you are visiting. No need for a phrase book or a translation app on the phone. Being able to communicate with the locals and immerse yourself in the language and culture can make your travel experience so much more enjoyable.

 

7. Being Bilingual opens up new social opportunities

Bilinguals can make friends in more than one language meaning more opportunities to meet new people, and enjoy different hobbies and activities. Being able to communicate with people from other cultures is a huge social advantage and can open up so many more doors in life.

 

8. Knowing more than one language helps you to learn additional languages

An amazing benefit of being bilingual is that you can learn additional languagesmore easily that monolinguals. This is because language skills reinforce each other. So if you have learned a second language already, then learning a third means transferring those skills over.

 

9. Being bilingual means you can raise bilingual kids

What better advantage, than being able to pass on your languages to your own children so they can reap the benefits of being bilingual too! Give your children the best start in life and raise them bilingual from birth. Your bilingual kids can then have bilingual kids of their own and languages can be passed on through generations.

 

10. You are not the minority if you are bilingual

One of the biggest misconceptions is that bilingualism is a rare phenomenon. But, in fact being bilingual means you are NOT the minority.  More than half the world speaks more than one language on a daily basis. In many countries around the world, bilingualism is actually considered the norm, and I’m sure it won’t be long until the rest of the world catches on. Everyone should have the chance to learn a second language and reap the benefits of being bilingual.