Coffee Break Spanish - CBS 1.40 | Learning Languages

Episode Date: December 21, 2009

Level 1 of Coffee Break Spanish draws to a close with this episode, which looks at the languages of Spain through two conversations with native speakers. Please note that lesson 40 of Season 1 was originally known as lesson 140 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple for our listeners.This season of Coffee Break Spanish features a total of 40 lessons, all of which will be included in the podcast feed. Just stay subscribed to the podcast to enjoy each episode. If you’d like to benefit from video versions, lesson notes and bonus audio materials, you can access the premium version of Coffee Break Spanish in the Coffee Break Academy.Don’t forget to follow Coffee Break Spanish on Facebook where we post language activities, cultural points and review materials to help you practise your Spanish. Remember - a few minutes a day can help you build your confidence in the language. Access the Coffee Break Spanish Facebook page here.If you’d like to find out what goes on behind the scenes here at Coffee Break Languages, follow @coffeebreaklanguages on Instagram.You can also check out our Coffee Break Spanish Twitter page and the Coffee Break Languages YouTube channel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and bienveninos a coffee break Spanish. Welcome back to coffee break Spanish. Now, in this lesson, lesson 40, we're going to be talking about Los Idiomas, languages, and we'll have a conversation with Alfonso about how he uses languages on a daily basis. We hope that you find this lesson useful and that you can take lots of vocabulary from the lesson

to use in your own conversations. Mucha gracias. Now you know the routine by now. I'm going to let you hear the whole conference. that I had with Alfonso about Los idiomas languages. Have a listen, see how much you understand, and then we'll go through it together. Well, Alfonso, what idiomas do you

do you know, well, I'm saying I'm Spanish, so I'm a little of English. And is important for you to talk other idiomas? For me, particularly, yes, because I'm in tourism and a me me exigen to be to speak English. Estudiast

the English in the college? Yes, it's obligatory. In Spain, it's obligatory to study English in the

college and in the institute also. So, at what age is to study a language here in Spain?

When I was a little, after 20 years, we started to study English

with eight or nine years. Now it's a first, maybe with six years.

And you think you that this is important? Yes, that is important. We have to understand us, no? In Spain, are you also? Yes, other languages in Galicia

is the Gallego, in the country Basco, Basque, in Catalonia, Catalan, in Valencia, Valenciano, and in the Islas

Baleare. Balear. Are many other other other other other

other and they're many people to live in Spain? Yes, especially in the last years

has been much people of Europe, of Africa, of many cities. For

so, now in Spain there are many other other other

other English, as as American, French, Arab, Russian.

Very well, so much thanks thanks to allpons. Thanks to after

all. Now I'm quite sure in comparison to last week you found that quite challenging. In Lesson 39 we did have slightly easier content and that's perhaps in preparation for this week because certainly that conversation included lots of language that is new to you, lots of language that we'll cover now. So let's go right back to the beginning and I'll explain anything that you need to know

about what either I or Alfonso said. My first question to Alfonso was What idiomas Ablars? Ablar means to speak So I'm asking What idiomas? Which languages do you speak?

What idiomas? Well, Alfonso, What idiomas Ablas? Well, I'm So I'm Spanish And I'm a little English.

Alfonso begins his answer With Well, well, I'm Spanish. I'm Spanish. And then he uses a very, very useful freeze. So-que. Asi-ke means so.

I'm Spanish, so I speak Spanish. As-que-I-Blo-Spaniel. It's almost like saying, therefore, I'm Spanish, so-ke-hablo-Spaniel. I'm Spanish, therefore I speak Spanish. He also says, And a poquito de English. And a little of English.

and a little English. Listen to my next question and see if you can work out what it means. Is important for you to talk other idiomas? I ask, is important? Is important?

For you, to speak, other languages. Ablar to speak other languages. It's important for you to be able to speak other

other languages? Listen again to the question and see if you can understand Alfonso's answer. And is important for you to talk other languages? For me, particularly yes, because I'm

in tourism and a me me exigen to be English. Alfonso says, for me, particularly for me, is important. So, for me particularly

And he gives a reason for this. Because I'm working in tourism. So what does he work in? He works in the tourist industry. He says, Ami me exigen

to be English. Now, exigen literally means they make me or the insist the insist that I speak English and they doesn't really refer to anyone in particular but I suppose it could be thought of as Alfonso's bosses or really the tourist industry in general

the tourist industry insists that I speak English so let's now find out a little more about Alfonso's experience of learning English I'd like you to listen to my question and see if you can work out what it means I said, Estudiaste el English in el collegio? So, Estudiaste actually is a past tense verb. It uses a tense which is called the preterator,

or the preterito. Did you study English in the college in school? And colegio, as we've learned before, actually means primary school in Spain. I was really referring generally to school, and Arfonso goes on to explain exactly when you do study English in school in Spain. Yes, it's obligatory. In Spain, it's obligatory to study English in the college and in the institute also. So, it's obligatory. It's obligatory. It's essential. You have to study Spanish in the college and in an institution. So in primary school and in secondary school too.

Now note is obligatory Estudiar, English. Estudiar is which part of the verb? It's the infinitive. Studiar. So is obligatory is followed by the infinitive. Now this next part is quite complicated. I ask the question,

a que ed, is a study a a language a year in Spain

at the age is the word for age so at what age a age,

does one begin to study to study a language at what age a year

a year in Spain here in Spain here in Spain here in The whole question, At what age is

to study a language here in Spain? So, at what age to start a language here in Spain?

When I was a 20 years, we'd to study English with eight or

nine years. Now, it's a before, maybe with six years. Now, if you were trying to

understand every word there, you probably found that quite tricky. This is a good example of one of those situations where in fact all you're really looking for is a number, a number in this

case referring to an age. Listen again and see if you can work out those numbers that are mentioned. When I was a little, ago we started English with 8 or 9 years.

Now it's a before, maybe with 6 years. There were in fact four numbers mentioned there. The first one was 20. 20. Now, it's unlikely that that is going to refer to our answer. In fact, Alfonso said, when yo era pequino, Pequeno means small or little. When I, when I was little. When I was little. When I was little. And then he said, 20 years, 20 years ago.

So this, you remember, desece since how long ago, after 20 years, 20 years ago, Empezabamos. That means we used to begin. Empezar, the verb to begin.

Empezaba, I used to begin. Empezabamos, we used to begin. We'll go over that more in future lessons. we're going to study with 8 or 9 years. There's our numbers. 8 or 9

so around the age of 8 or 9. But things are slightly different now. Now. Now is a before, maybe with 6 years. You already know the word

antes? Anteis means before. Now se begins antes. Kida, con six years, perhaps with six years. Con six years. We would obviously say at the age of six or at six years old or something like that. We would use at in Spanish. In this case, you use con.

Con eight or nine years or con six years. And you think you that this is important? Yes, sure, that is important. We have to understand us, no? I ask Alfonso if it's important. Do you think that this is important? Claro that yes, he answers. Claro that yes. Of course it is.

Tenemos to understanders. No? This is quite tricky. We have to, just like, Tengo K, we have to we have to, understand. The word, entendenternos.

The word, Entendera means to understand, and when you put nos at the end, Entendernos, it means to understand each other. We have to understand each other. We have to understand each other. Okay, we'll be back in just a moment. When you're not listening to Coffee Break Spanish, you can still practice your Spanish with our regular posts on social media.

Find us on Facebook, just search for Coffee Break Spanish. We're Learn Spanish on Twitter, and you can keep up with the team through our regular posts on Instagram. Follow coffee break languages. It's our mission to help you turn your downtime into your due time. Okay, let's get on with

the lesson. I then go on to ask Alfonso a little about the language situation in Spain. In Spain, in Spain, do you speak other other idiomas, too? Yes,

So, Gallego is Galician spoken in Galicia, Galicia. And this is a sort of cross between Spanish and Portuguese. Lots of words sound like Portuguese, and the spelling system also reflects Portuguese. It's probably fairly easy to understand if spoken slowly, if you've got a good grasp of Spanish. He continues with El Pasco with the Basque country.

In the Basque country you speak, Vasco, Basque. And Basque, if you're not familiar, Millier with Basque is very, very different from Spanish. In fact, it's said to predate the Indo-European languages in this part of Western Europe. It's spoken on the north of Spain and indeed in the south-west of France. He also mentions Catalan, spoken in Catalonia, an area in the east of Spain and indeed in the south of France. And that includes Barcelona and Tarragona and other major cities and holiday destinations in that part. of Spain. Coming south from Barcelona, you get to Valencia, and in Balencia, you speak

Balenciano. Balenciano, some would say this is a variety of Catalan, as is Balear, Balearic, spoken in the Balearic Islands, which can be separated into Mallorquine, Menorquine, and so on. Now these other languages are very important for the Spanish people, certainly for those who speak them. There are some in Spain who would say they're just dialects, with the exception, of course, of Basque, which is a completely different language. But to find it more about all of this, I would suggest that you follow the links on the website to articles in Wikipedia explaining more about the languages of Spain. It's particularly interesting from a historical point of view, because not so long ago it was against the law to speak these other languages. And that's perhaps why the revival movements for the languages are so important in Spain. Let's get back to the conversation with Arfonso now. My name is Spanish in Galicia, is the Gallego, in the country Basco,

in Catalonia, Catalan, in Valencia, Valenciano, and in the Islas Balear, are many other other languages. And also have been many people to live in Spain. My question there was, also have been, many people,

many people have many people come to live in Spain? Yes, especially in the last years, has been many people, have been much people of Africa, of many cities. So, especially in the last years. So especially in more recent years, has been much people, so lots of people have come

of Europe, from Europe, the Africa, from Africa, and from many places. For so, now in Spain, so there are many other other languages, like English, like,

German, French, Arab, Russo. For this reason, now, there are much languages are spoken now in Spain, and he gives some examples, Russo, English, French, Arabé, so Russian, English, French, Arabic, and so on.

Okay, now we're going to listen to the whole conversation again, and hopefully this time you'll understand much more. Well, Alfonso, what idiomas do you? Well, I'm Spanish, so I'm a little of English. And is important for you to talk other languages? For me, particularly, yes, because I'm in tourism and to me to ask them to speak English.

Did you study the English in the college? Yes, it's obligatory. In Spain, it's obligatory to study English in the college and in the institute also. So, at what age is to study a,

a idiom in Spain? When I was a little, ago, and we've started to study English

with 8 or 9 years. Now it's before, maybe with six years. And you

that this is important? Yes, sure, that's important. We have to

understand. In Spain, are other other other other

other than the Spanish in Galicia is the

Gallego in the The country Basco, in Catalonia, Catalan, in Valencia, Valenciano, and in the Islas Balear, are many other languages. And also have been many people to live in Spain? Yes, especially in the last years, has been many people of Europe, of Africa, of many places.

So, for so now in Spain, there are many other other languages, like English, like Alam, French, Arab, Russo.

Very well, well, much thanks, Alfonso. Thank you. Thanks to you. So hopefully that made more sense

now that you've understood more of the language involved. Now, earlier I mentioned and Alfonso spoke about Catalan, the language of Catalonia.

Earlier this week, I recorded a conversation that I had over the phone with one of Kara's friends, from Majorca. Teresa speaks both Catalan and Majorquine in addition to Spanish. So here's something a little extra for you in which

Teresa introduces some Catalan. Hello Teresa. Hello everybody. Now, I'm going to continue speaking in Spanish with Teresa and we're going to speak about something in particular. We're going to talk about Catalan. Well, Teresa, you're ablas Catalan,

right? And you have you and you're always all the time for example in the and also in the college?

Yes almost always you always you know so you can't say something

in Catalan for example you can you can present in Catalan yeah

okay then Teresa you have you you're you're you

in Majorca Yes. How, how is that in Catalan? Vibbo in in Majorca? Visk

to Mallorca. Visk a Mallorca, so? Yes, very well. And how is it

very in Catalan? Moldbe. Yes. Moldbe. Moldbe, Moldbe. And if I

would say me name Mark, what would say? Umdik, you've said? Yes.

Umdik. So, So, So, So, So, Mark? Yes.

Very well. And for example, if our our audience of Coffee Break Spanish, would say that not have much Catalan, but they'd like to learn more?

For example, I don't I don't much Catalan, but I would like to learn more. How would say that in Catalan? I don't

do much of the Catalan, but So I would like... So I don't very well Catalá but... I'd I'd

...apprendal-l-mess. ...apprendal more. I don't speak very Catalah, but I'd rather to learn it more. Yes.

Ah, yes? Very good. Much thanks, how do you much thanks in Catalan? Much thanks. Maltes graces.

Yes. So, so much thanks, Teresa. And that's where we're going to leave it today for this edition of Coffee Break Spanish. Thanks for joining us, and we hope it's been useful. You can join the Coffee Break Spanish community

on Facebook at Facebook.com slash Coffee Break Spanish and follow at Learn Spanish on Twitter. Mucha gratis and hasta Pronto. This is a production of the Radio Linguo Network. Find out more at radiolingua.com