Connor Kane

One of the hard things about learning Spanish is that the more you learn, the more you realize you don’t know… One area this applies is vocabulary.  Viewed all at once, it looks insurmountable.  And yet, millions of people manage to learn second languages, learning thousands of words in the process.  I can’t tell you … Read More

In the first pages of the classic novel Cien años de soledad, this description appears:  —Al ser destapado por el gigante, el cofre dejó escapar un aliento glacial. Dentro sólo había un enorme bloque transparente, con infinitas agujas internas en las cuales se despedazaba en estrellas de colores la claridad del crepúsculo. When opened by the giant, … Read More

I might lose some of you with this reference, but I swear it’s relevant to your Spanish: There used to be a recurring joke in the cartoon Family Guy where they had these two vaguely Scandinavian guys who spoke almost perfect American English…   Except for a few small details:  “It was so expensive, each drink cost like … Read More

Years ago, I went to Peru.  Hiked to Machu Picchu, had ceviche and pisco sour, got altitude sickness, the whole nine yards.  Of all the fantastic experiences I had, there are tons of smaller moments I remember with complete clarity: These experiences taught me tons of new Spanish, too.  Funny how getting out of our … Read More

If you freeze when it’s time to speak Spanish, you’re not alone.  Today, I want to talk a little about why this happens and what we can do about it.  We’ll venture briefly into “soft skills” territory…  And I’ll make some psychological evaluations that I’m not qualified to make…  But hopefully the end result will be useful: … Read More

Today I want to answer a question I got from a recent survey I sent out.  It’s one I imagine you’ve asked yourself, too.  The question was this:  “Is it normal to understand things at a B2 or even C1 level but still make mistakes that are more basic?  Mistakes where I recognize and understand … Read More