Looks Like Fun!

So you may be thinking the Cains are having tons of fun from all the great pictures we post.  Well, we are BUT we are also working our tooshies off to learn a new language.  Not a ton of pictures being taken in class as we fumble through sorting out "ser" and "estar" or are chanting vowels like monks of old.  I was delighted to see a friend capture a picture of what we have been doing in Fonetica (Phonetics) this week and I thought I would share it with you.

photo credit to Angie Crawford

This is what we like to call "la union de los sonidos."  Yup, you got it, the linking of the sounds.  ". . .it was explained that Spanish rhythm may be characterized as syllabic.  In English the pronunciation of words is emphasized while in Spanish the pronunciation of syllables is emphasized."  Hence your red slashes between syllables.  And those rainbow looking markings?  That's where you mash words together so you sound like  a Spanish speaker and not a five year old reading word-word-word-word.  So there is the technical side of what we do for 5 hours every morning!  I will say, at least they are using great texts to dissect! :)