The Latin American Tradition of Las Posadas
The airy notes of a wooden flute and the ting-tong of a tortoise-shell drum float down the cobblestone street and into the rest of the town. A small crowd promenades through the narrow roads and alleyways, its members dressed warmly to keep out the December night chill. Some carry torches to light the way while others rest poles on their shoulders, supporting the weight of a wooden, altar-like...Read More
How to Use Your Phone in a Spanish-Speaking Country
When I was a kid growing up in Guatemala, cell phones were not as common as they are today. They were chunky, simple, and almost exclusively used for phone calls. I remember being blown away when phones came out with mp3 players and colored screens. Today, those features are basic on every smartphone. These devices have gone far beyond making and receiving calls, expanding the ways we’re able...Read More
Martin Luther King, Jr.: His Legacy and Impact in Latin America
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man of many talents: a smart student, a brilliant speaker, and a peaceful leader to name but a few accomplishments in his life. Due to his brilliance and with respect to his legacy, former President Ronald Reagan signed a bill in 1983 declaring the third Monday of every calendar year to be Martin Luther King Day. Unfortunately, the process of establishing this...Read More
Feuding Fans of Fútbol: Soccer Culture in Latin America
Sports events are riveting and uplifting for spectators and players alike. Do you have a favorite football team? What do you like about them? In Latin America, the most famous sport is fútbol, which actually translates to “soccer.” As a false cognate in English and Spanish, it has a tendency to confuse new learners of both languages. (The cartoon Teen Titans GO has a funny...Read More
10 Latino Bloggers to Follow in 2021
Today, I’ll introduce you to some of the most influential Latino bloggers on the web. From passionate fashionistas to intrepid travelers, Latino writing entrepreneurs are all over the place. If you want to read interesting posts in Spanish but aren’t sure where to start, this post will give you plenty of ideas. Keep reading to discover who they are and what they do—and learn some...Read More
Celebrate New Year’s in Latin America
The holiday season is wrapping up, and the year ahead of us looks full of new experiences and opportunities waiting to unfold. On New Year’s Eve, it amazes me that almost everyone around the globe comes together to celebrate the end of a trip around the sun. Everyone has different ways to celebrate. Some people like to spend the New Year with their families. Others might prefer to spend...Read More
Why Missionaries Need Spanish
Working in a Guatemalan city where tourists often frequent has given me the chance to meet numerous different people from all over the world, each with their own unique story of how they ended up coming to the area. A vast majority of them came specifically to learn Spanish or to spend a good part of their time studying the language. These visitors’ motivation to learn Spanish generally...Read More
Guatemala: The Birthplace of Chocolate
The colonial city of Antigua is not only home to Spanish Academy, but it is also the best place in Guatemala to learn about chocolate! The locals have opened up gourmet chocolate shops on many esquinas where sweet-toothed travelers can try various forms of locally-made chocolates. Think spicy chili chocolate, authentic dark chocolate, cinnamon chocolate, and of course, coffee-flavored...Read More
Cool Spanish Phrases
One of the aspects of language is that it’s a fluid and ever-changing method of communication. Slang words pop up every other week and old words start feeling obsolete as time goes by. Some words used to carry different meanings as well! For example, in the 1800s the word “dude” was used when referring to a well-dressed man, sometimes in a pejorative way, implying the dude’s lack...Read More