Become a Spanish teacher in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Become a Spanish teacher in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

No education experience or coursework required.

TEACH Charlotte is a unique initiative of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to recruit, select and train outstanding midcareer professionals and recent college graduates to teach critical shortage subject areas (math, science, Special Education, and Spanish) in the schools in our community that need them the most. Practitioner Teachers will teach while attending classes to earn their teaching license. We are currently accepting applications for our April 4^th application deadline, and interviews are limited.

For more information about the program and to apply online, please visit http://www.teachcharlotte.org/

The Key to a Perfect Phone Message: Take Control

Conversation class prepares you to talk face-to-face with other native English-speaking students of Spanish.  In the real world, you may need Spanish to work with clients, colleagues, employees or supervisors in other countries. Some of those interactions will inevitably be over the phone.

Phone calls are scary because all the visual clues are removed from the conversation. If you’re receiving the call, the context is usually out of your control.

Never make a general request for repetition (¿Qué? / ¿Cómo?). It’s hard to resist the instinct to do this, but you must in order to keep control of the conversation.

Whenever possible, make statements instead of asking questions:

• Tell the caller you are taking a message (instead of asking if you can take a message): No está en este momento. Le voy a dar un mensaje. ¿Cómo se llama Ud.?

• Tell the caller to repeat something one number or one letter at a time instead of asking them to repeat the same thing you don’t understand over and over: Repita su apellido una letra a la vez, por favor. / Repítalo un número a la vez, por favor. 

• Asking for specific information allows you to stay in control of the conversation: ¿Cúal es su apellido?

• Repeat key information back to the caller to confirm that you are correct & accurate: Su número de teléfono es _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. ¿Correcto?

The key to success is to take control of the conversation. Master this flow chart then expand on your own to get a more detailed message from the caller.

Master Small Talk in Spanish

University Spanish courses often cover ‘academic’ topics, not real world small talk. 

Even if you take conversation courses you might not ever learn how to strike up a conversation in a conference room, break room or at a party. 

Here are 10 key phrases in Spanish to smooth over those awkward social moments.

Do this…	Here’s how:
Introduce yourself and identify yourself and what you do.	-Buenas tardes. Soy Heather Smith estudio economía en la Universidad. -Hola. Me llamo Sam Barber y soy el asistente de María Gomez.
Say ‘nice to meet you’ when introduced to someone.	Mucho gusto.              Encantado/a.                           Es un placer.
Interrupt politely. If you are interrupting someone or are about to enter their office or other personal space. Or when you need to say ‘excuse me’ to take leave of a conversation.	Con permiso.
Recognize different ways to say ‘how are you?’ In your class you learn ¿Cómo estás? but don’t be surprised by ¿Qué tal?, ¿Qué onda? ¿Qué hay? ¿Qué hubo?	Appropriate answers are the same as if you had been asked ¿Cómo está?: Muy bien, ¿y Ud.?                               Bien, gracias. ¿y Ud.?
Accept a compliment.  If someone compliments you (or your beautiful Spanish), it’s best to be humble.	Gracias. Ud. es muy amable.
Network based on people you know in common.	¿Cómo conoce Ud. a _(person in common)__?
Get people talking about themselves and their lives, starting with what they do for a living.	¿A qué se dedica Ud.?
Comment on things around you, such as weather or other circumstances.	¡Qué ____! ¿no?: ¡Qué frío! ¿no?, ¡Qué interestante! ¿no?, ¡Qué lío! ¿no?
Eating requires special respect.	Before beginning to eat anything when you are with other people: ¡Buen provecho! Praise the food: Está rico/a., Está bueno/a.
Take leave with more than just ‘Adiós.’	Que le vaya bien.        Que lo pase bien.        Que pase un buen fin de semana.

Summer School Registration at UNC Starts Tomorrow

Registration for summer sessions one and two begins tomorrow on UNC-CH's campus.

The 8 students who have pre-registered for the Minor in Spanish for the Professions - Medical Track will be enrolled in four courses: Spanish for the Professions (SPAN 265), Medical Spanish (SPAN 321), and La comunidad hispana (SPAN 335) plus a one-credit service-learning add on (SPAN 293).

There are up to 12 seats left for interested students.  Email Darcy Lear lear@email.unc.edu for a pre-registration form. More information is online at romlcourses.unc.edu/Spanish/professions

Abroad Opportunity in Costa Rica

UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School's Center for International Business and Education Research Announces:

COSTA RICA PROGRAM 

May 13 - June 4, 2011 

Elective course  

Immersion in Costa Rica is an intensive three-week summer program designed for students and for business people who are interested in learning Span-ish. This program is open to participants with no lan-guage experience, as well as those with varied profi-ciency levels. The program provides participants the opportunity to maximize their language, business and cultural learning experience in a real life setting. Par-ticipants will have four 2-hour classes with the program leader prior to departure. 

Program Highlights: 

Five Hours Of Daily Language Instruction - in small groups with experienced teachers from our partner schools. 

Homestays - Students will be assigned to a host family; one student per family. Students will further enrich their homestay experience through daily breakfast and dinner with their family during the first and third week of the program. 

Four Business Visits - Participants will meet with company managers to tour the facilities and learn firsthand about the firms’ initiatives and business practices. 

Four Lectures - Students will learn about the Costa Rican economy, society, business cul-ture, history and political climate. 

Project-Based Learning - Students will deepen their Spanish skills through a company or service learning project. 

Community Outreach - Participants will apply their language skills through community service. 

Cultural Excursions - The group will visit important cultural sites (i.e., Arenal Volcano, and the National Park “Rincón de la Vieja” 

2011 Program Fee 

$3,900 (airfare not included) 

Program fee covers: 

Language classes 

Business visits 

Lectures 

Project-based learning experience 

Community outreach activity 

Homestays and hotel accommodations 

Three 2-day weekend cultural excursions (i.e. Arenal Volcano, Rincón de la Vieja National Park, Hot Springs, Jaco) 

Cultural activities: horseback riding and canopy tours 

For additional information, please contact: 

Maria Elena Rodriguez 

Director, Working Languages 

Tel: 919-962-6822 

rodrigum@kenan-flagler.unc.edu 

Costa Rica Program Itinerary 

Week One: Heredia 

Friday, May 13th - Arrival and homestays 

Saturday, May 14 - Overnight cultural excursion to 

Arenal Volcano, stop at historic Zarcero 

and Sarchi, visit the hot springs “Tabacón” 

and enjoy the horseback riding or canopy tours 

Monday, May 16 - Language classes and lecture 

Walking tour of historic downtown 

Tuesday, May 17 - Language classes and lectures 

Visit to INCAE and company visit 

Wednesday, May 18 - Language classes 

Community outreach at orphanage 

“Hogar del Niño con Cariño” 

Thursday, May 19 - Language classes 

Company visit 

Cultural excursion 

Friday, May 20 - Language classes 

Depart in the afternoon for a two-day 

cultural excursion to Jaco and transfer to 

Sámara, the hidden fish and farming commu-nity on the Pacific Ocean. 

Week Two-Sámara 

Monday, May 23 - Hotel Belvederes 

Walking tour of historic downtown 

Language class and lecture 

Tuesday, May 24 - Language class and lecture 

Local cultural excursions 

Wednesday, May 25 - Language class 

Community outreach 

Thursday, May 26 - Language class 

Company visit 

Group dinner with guests 

Friday, May 27 - Language class and lecture 

Saturday, May 28 - Two-day cultural outing: Parque 

Nacional Rincón de la Vieja and other cul-tural activities. Walking tour through Focus Natural Pool and transfer back to Heredia. 

Week Three– Heredia 

Monday, May 30 - Language class 

Company visit 

Tuesday, May 31 - Language class 

Project-based learning assignment 

Wednesday, June 1 - Language class 

Project-based learning assignment 

Thursday, June 2 - Language class 

Project-based learning assignment 

Friday, June 3 - Language class 

Presentation on the project-based learning experience 

Reception and farewell dinner 

Saturday, June 4 - Return to the U.S. 

Medical Track, Spanish for the Professions in Summer School

The Summer School at UNC-CH is offering the entire minor in Spanish for the Professions, medical track for the first time in summer 2011:

SIX students have alredy signed up.

That leaves a maximum of 14 seats still available.

Contact Darcy Lear: lear@email.unc.edu to pre-register.

How Do You Say....in Spanish?

Here's a question about translation that comes up in the context of Spanish for the Professions:

What's the best way to know what to call an organization (or a person) in Spanish?

The answer: ask that organization (or person)!

For example, how do you say "Census Bureau" in Spanish?

The answer is always: what does that organization call itself in Spanish?  Don't waste your time translating when someone else has probably already done it for you.

Digging around on the U.S. Census Bureau website will eventually turn up some option in Spanish. But an even faster way to get results is to type the Google search in Spanish: "el censo de los estados unidos."

The U.S. Census Bureau calls itself: La Oficina del Censo de los Estados Unidos


The Latino Community Credit Union headquartered in Durham, N.C. calls itself La Cooperativa Comunitaria


What we used to call the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) is now ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).  The INS calls itself El servicio de inmigración y control de aduanas in Spanish.  But if you snoop around on the Internet, you'll also find out that that organization has always been la migra in Spanish!

"To Have Fun" Does Not Have a Literal Translation to Spanish

To say "to have fun" in Spanish, you have two choices:

divertirse: Me divertí en la fiesta.

pasarlo bien: Lo pasé muy bien el fin de semana pasado.

Do not try to make up literal translations from the English "to have fun"-they don't work!

Addressing People Using Titles in Spanish

When talking to someone for the first time in a professional context (or when introducing two people to each other in a professional context), it is a good idea to use titles.

Some common titles used with last names in Spanish include:

Doctor / Doctora


Profesor / Profesora


Presidente / Presidenta


Licenciado / Licenciada (with a college degree)

Ingeniero / Ingeniera


Señor / Señora


When addressing a person directly, use TITLE + LAST NAME:


Ingeniero Gallegos, es un placer conocerlo.


Ingeniero Gallegos, le quiero presentar a la Doctora Montrul del Instituto Superior.


When talking about a person in the third person, use a definite article (el or la) before the title:

El Señor Sánchez me dijo que la Profesora Jackson se mudó.

Want Search Results in Spanish?

The Internet provides access to a wealth of information in Spanish--almost anything you are interested in in English, you can find in Spanish on the Internet.

Almost any kind of practice you want with Spanish (listening, reading, speaking, writing), you can find on the Internet.  There are social media sites like Facebook in Spanish that allow you to do all those things.

But you won't find much if you type in your search terms in English.

To find search results in Spanish, type in your key words in Spanish!!!

Recognize Different Ways to Say "How Are You?" in Spanish

 In your Spanish classes you learn ¿Cómo estás? as the way to say How are you?


But don’t be surprised by:


 ¿Qué tal?


¿Qué onda? 


¿Qué hay? 


¿Qué hubo?

Appropriate answers are the same as if you had been asked ¿Cómo está?:

Muy bien, ¿y Ud.?  

                                 

Bien, gracias. ¿y Ud.?