As popular culture changes quickly and drastically, this lesson focuses on the most recent pop culture phenomena in the Spanish speaking countries. Popular Music The Spanish music scene at the moment is dominated by Reggaeton, a mix of hip-hop and reggae that developed mostly out of the music scenes of Puerto Rico, New York, and Miami. With that said, there has also been a steady growth of EMO and electronic bands in the Spanish-speaking countries, which has brought forth fashion styles and trends associated with this music genre: skinny jeans, converse shoes, snug shirts, and full-fledged black outfits. Cinema The revival of Spanish-speaking independent cinema has also propelled major production companies to produce more... Show more

This Spanish All About Lesson you will learn about five of the more famous festivals in Spain and Latin America. Sanfermines-"The Running of the Bulls" This ten-day municipal festival in Pamplona, Spain is well known in the English-speaking world as the "running of the bulls." The festival commemorates Saint Fermin, a martyr and patron saint of the participants, who dress in white with red scarves for the event. Puente Guadalupe-Reyes - "Christmas Season" Traditionally in the Spanish-speaking world, it is the Three Wise Men who mysteriously bring gifts to children on Epiphany, although some families also observe the Santa Claus tradition of gift giving on Christmas Day. Semana Santa - "Holy Week" Holy Week celebrations... Show more

The Focus of This Lesson Is Five Things You Should Know about Spanish-speaking Cultures. 1. The Kiss and the Handshake In the Spanish-speaking world, women are always greeted with a kiss, both as a hello and as a good-bye. Sometimes this kiss is a peck on the check, but many times, it's that kiss where you touch cheeks and kiss the air. In general, you reach left for the first kiss; that is, it's your right cheek that gets kissed first. Men usually greet each other with a handshake rather than a kiss, both as a hello and a good-bye. 2. La hora latina It is a widely held belief that Spanish-speakers always arrive late to events, even among Spanish speakers themselves. People often refer to this as la hora latina,... Show more

The cuisines of the Spanish-speaking world are as varied and diverse as they are delicious. If you haven't tried these delicious dishes, we recommend you do! If you are a meat lover, you should try "churrasco", which in Latin America means "grilled meat", and Argentinians are known for their love of savory steaks. If you want to try and exotic and comforting dish, venture into Puerto Rico's "mofongo," a delicious dish of fried plantains and pork rinds, vegetables, meat, or seafood. Also on the exotic side, unique technique of curing seafood with citrus juice rather than heat, ceviche, is also very delicious invented in Peru and elevated to an art form. And while it's difficult to pick one dish that represents the... Show more

Have you wondered how much you know about Spanish-speaking cultures?take this quiz! Quiz: 1.  in which of these countries is Spanish not the official language? A) Uruguay B) Guatemala C) Brazil D) Perú 2.Out of the following 3 famous people, match "person" to "profession": PERSON: <Diego Armando Maradona>, <Alejandro Sanz>, <Hugo Chavez> PROFESSION: <singer>, <politician>, <sports Star> 3. Which country has the most populated city? A) México B) Argentina C) Spain D) Colombia 4. TRUE or FALSE: The native populations and cultures of Latin America have left without a trace in the modern culture. Answers: 1. C, Brazil. The Portuguese colonized Brazil, leaving that... Show more

The cuisines of the Spanish-speaking world are as varied and diverse as they are delicious. If you haven't tried these delicious dishes, we recommend you do! If you are a meat lover, you should try "churrasco", which in Latin America means "grilled meat", and Argentinians are known for their love of savory steaks. If you want to try and exotic and comforting dish, venture into Puerto Rico's "mofongo," a delicious dish of fried plantains and pork rinds, vegetables, meat, or seafood. Also on the exotic side, unique technique of curing seafood with citrus juice rather than heat, ceviche, is also very delicious invented in Peru and elevated to an art form. And while it's difficult to pick one dish that represents the diversity and... Show more

Have you wondered how much you know about Spanish-speaking cultures?Take this quiz! 1.  In which of these countries is Spanish not the official language? A) Uruguay B) Guatemala C) Brazil D) Perú 2.Out of the following 3 famous people, match "person" to "profession": PERSON: <Diego Armando Maradona>, <Alejandro Sanz>, <Hugo Chavez> PROFESSION: <singer>, <politician>, <sports star> 3. Which country has the most populated city? A) México B) Argentina C) Spain D) Colombia 4. TRUE or FALSE: The Native populations and cultures of Latin America have left without a trace in the modern culture. Answers: 1. C, Brazil. The Portuguese colonized Brazil, leaving that country with Portuguese... Show more

In par with the culture, festivals and holidays in the Spanish-speaking world are fascinating and lively! Here are some very famous festivities: -Sanfermines-"The Running of the Bulls" This 10-day festival in Pamplona, Spain, also features dancers, street performers, and actors in costumes. -Christmas Season Traditionally in the Spanish-speaking world, the Three Wise Men are who bring gifts to children, though nowadays most families follow the Santa Claus tradition. -Semana Santa - "Holy Week" Holy Week celebrations start on Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday. Every community has a unique Holy Week celebration. Most of the Spanish-speaking world has off days on Holy week and the following as well. -Día de los Muertos - "All... Show more

The Spanish-speaking world has some unique aspects we would like to share with you. See if you are aware of these cultural bits! 1) Greetings Have you noticed that usually, women are greeted with a kiss? And to avoid confusions, it is a general motion to let your right cheek get the kiss. 2) La hora latina "Latino time." It is believed that Spanish-speakers are always late, but there are cultural factors explain this tardiness. Many Spanish-speaking countries' transportation and communication system are not as reliable, making delays unavoidable;so people tend to be forgiving about lateness. However, this is a stereotype, as there are Spanish-speaking people that are often punctual as well. 3) Lunch Time In the... Show more

Unlike English, Spanish sentences are not so dependent on word order. Instead, Spanish uses a system of suffixes and particles to help mark the subject and object. Spanish verbs' tense suffixes, for example, carry information about the person and number of the subject. This system of verb tense suffixes is called "conjugation," and though it sounds challenging, don't give up!  After learning to conjugate, Spanish becomes a smooth sail! It is important to remember the following points: gender and number. "Gender" - Spanish nouns fall into two categories, "feminine" and "masculine" . Generally, feminine nouns end in an"  -a "vowel, and masculine nouns end in an " -o" vowel. "Number" - Check if the noun is singular or plural. ... Show more