Here's another video of one of our class exercises:

Joel, a student from Germany, does a role-play with his teacher, Luis. Luis pretends to have a stomach ache and Doctor Joel gives him an examination.

These kinds of exercises are a great way to focus on specific vocabulary the student needs to use in real life. Watch and learn!

Sorry it's taken us so long to update the blog. Spring is always busy for us and this year is no exception.

Students often want to know what Spanish-English dictionary we recommend. Well, first of all, we recommend you don't use a dictionary in class or, if you must, use it sparingly. What ends up happening is students spend valuable interactive time flipping through the dictionary for the "perfect" word when they probably could have expressed the same idea some other way.

But, we understand that one needs a good Spanish-English dictionary, especially outside of class when you have to rely on your own wits. For our money, the best choice is the University of Chicago Spanish-English English-Spanish Dictionary.

While this edition is small, its tiny typeface means it's jam-packed with handy vocabulary, including all-important Mexican slang. Many students use a "Mexican" or "Latin American" Spanish-English dictionary which, frankly, seems silly. After all, Spanish is Spanish, whether you're in Barcelona or Tijuana and this dictionary has a very helpful section explaining the differences in pronunciation throughout the Spanish-speaking world.

Travelers who have been to other parts of the world are sometimes surprised at how little bargaining goes on Mexico. Or, if there is bargaining, how small a discount is offered. Bargaining goes on here, but it's subtle, and you shouldn't expect to bring prices down 50% or 75%, as happens in places like Southeast Asia.

Here in Oaxaca, people use the phrase "¿Me da precio?" when trying to get a (slightly) better deal. Literally, it means "will you give me a price?", probably a close English translation would be "What's your best price?" Naturally, you won't want to try this at a supermarket, or chain department store but, at a public market, such as Benito Juárez, or Mercado de Abastos -- especially if you're buying a number of items, such as crafts, or souvenirs -- you can bring the total price down a bit.

Plus you'll sound like a real oaxaqueño!