Free Spanish Lesson 48 – Celebrating New Year

Vocabulario semanal – Weekly Vocabulary

he decidido compartir – I have decided to share

acerca de – about

baile – dance

entre la gente Latina – among the Latin people

la televisión – the T.V.

verás – you will see

y más – and more

les encanta bailar – (they) love to dance

hoy – today

la más popular – the most popular

a diferencia de – unlike

un poco más de práctica – a little more practice

fiestas – parties

Nochevieja – New Years Eve

y cultura – and culture

personalmente me encanta mirar – personally I love to watch

muy divertido – very fun

con mi esposa – with my wife

y nos encantó – and we loved it

comida Latina – Latin food

la cultura Latina – the Latin culture

si algunos de ustedes – if some of you

Año nuevo – New Years

me encantaría oír – I’d love to hear

para aquellos de ustedes – for those of you

un sabor – a taste

español – Spanish

al mismo tiempo (a la vez) – at the same time

yo escogería – I would choose

With the New Year’s Celebration only a few days away, he decidido compartir some information acerca de New Years culture and baile entre la gente Latina.

If you turn on the T.V. in the United States on New Years Eve, you’ll probably see Dick Clark, the Apple dropping in New York, hoards of people in time square making as much noise as possible, famous singers, and some people dancing.

If you turn on la televisión in Latin America, or in the United States to a Spanish channel, chances are that verás baile, baile, y más baile. The Latino people les encanta bailar. We talked briefly about Latino music and dancing in a newsletter earlier this year, but I want to spend a little more time on it hoy.

Latino music is rich in culture; there is Salsa music, Meregue music, Tango music, and other types of wonderful types of Latino music. La más popular and widely danced are probably Salsa and Merengue. They have a wonderful sound and beat. A diferencia de in the U.S. where you just move your body around to music (I’m exaggerating a little), dancing to Latino music usually takes un poco más de práctica. As I mentioned in an earlier newsletter, Latin fiestas always have dancing. If there is a Latin fiesta without dancing, it is simply not called a “fiesta”.

When and if you turn on la televisión this “Nochevieja”, be sure to spend at least a few minutes watching the Spanish channel(s) so you can get a good taste of Latino music, baile, y cultura. Personalmente me encanta mirar and listen to Latino music. Trying to dance to it can also be muy divertido.

For “Año nuevo” in the past, I have gone Latin dancing con mi esposa and some Latino friends y nos encantó. They had a big buffet-style dinner first with comida Latina, and then we danced for hours. I have to say, I’m not a great Latin dancer but I loved trying to dance and being surrounded by la cultura Latina.

I would be excited si algunos de ustedes, after reading this newsletter, decided to go Latin dancing for “Año nuevo/Nochevieja”. If you do, please drop me a line afterwards and let me know how it went. Me encantaría oír from you.

Para aquellos de ustedes who like dancing and really want to get un sabor for Latino culture, dancing and practice some español al mismo tiempo, I highly recommend enrolling in a Latin dance class; if it were me, yo escogería Salsa dancing.

¡Próspero Año Nuevo! (Happy New Year!)

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Written by David S. Clark President/Director, U.S. Institute of Languages. Copyright © 1999-2010 US Institute of Languages All rights reserved.

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.