Algo sobre Kenneth Fach Something About Kenneth Fach

¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? ¿Cómo te va?
Hello! What’s up? How’s it going?

Me encanta el idioma español, y por eso fui a universidad para ganar mi licenciado y mi maestría en español. Viví en Paraguay, y en Mexico, y desde mi niñez, he tenido muchas oportunidades de escuchar y usar el idioma español. Me gustaría conocer otro gente de habla español tambien. Soy traductor, profesor privado de español, escritor.

I live the Spanish language very much, and therefore, I went to the university to earn my B.A. and my M.A. in Spanish. I lived in Paraguay, and Mexico, and since my childhood, I have had many opportunities to listen and use the Spanish language. I would like to know other Spanish-speaking people, also. I am a translator, private Spanish teacher, and writer.

Lo que me da mucho placer es cultivar verduras y otras cosas en mi jardín, leer blogs de otros, y crear artículos de blogs. También, a mi me gusta explorar la naturaleza, contemplarla, y acampar con mi familia y amigos. Donde vivo, hay muchos bosques, y parques estatales. Estoy muy agradecido por la obra buena y bella del Creador de luces.

What gives me much pleasure is growing greens and other things in my garden, read blogs from others, and create blog posts. Also, I like exploring nature, contemplating it, and camping with my family and friends. Where I live, there are a lot of forests and state parks. I am very grateful for the good and beautiful work of the Creator of lights!

Me encuentro en el red, o sea, el internet, día tras día buscando sitios web donde está representado el idioma español. Busco programas de afiliación, puesto que quiero mejorar mi situación financiera, y tener un exitoso negocios online que puede beneficiar a otros. Puesto que soy una persona muy curiosa, busco oportunidades de conocer otros y aprender sobre sus culturas, sus perspectivas de la vida, sus actividades. Recibo mucha inspiración de otras personas, y la inspiración es algo me me lleva adelante. Soy un activo participante en Twitter, Facebook, HelloHello, WordPress, y otros sitios.

I find myself on the web, o rather, the internet, day after day searching websites where the Spanish language is represented. I search affiliate programs, since I want to better my financial situation, and have a successful online business that can benefit others. Since I am a very curious person, I look for opportunities to know others, learn about their cultures, their perspectives on life, and their activities. I receive much inspiration from other people, and inspiration is something that takes me forward. I am an active participant on Twitter, Facebook, HelloHello, and WordPress, among other sites.

Si hablas el español, me gustaría chatear contigo, y aprender nuevos modismos, y maneras de hablar.

If you speak Spanish, I would like to chat with you, and learn new expresions and forms of speaking.

My Spanish Employment in Tallahassee

I came to Tallahassee in 1994 to work in my Master’s degree in Spanish, at Florida State University. I did not expect to stay on after I graduated, but I did, my wife, son and I. We soon felt comfortable in this city of many trees, parks, and friendly people.

I found a position in a State of Florida call center, which required the use of my Spanish communication. I liked the position, and spoke with hispanics from all over Florida and elsewhere, even Spain. I alway like meeting Spanish-speakers both native and non-native, and helping Spanish-speakers in ways I know how. In this position with the State of Florida, I was able to direct hispanics in need to appropriate social and community services, and received my share of thank yous. It was satisfying to me to know I was helpful.

After a few years of doing this kind of work, I went into another line of work, but found myself at another call center, MyFloridaMarketPlace. Again, I was hired there because I am fluent in Spanish. I was needed to handle incoming calls from Spanish speakers all over the world wanting to do business with state agencies of Florida, and needing assistance with registering their business online, as required for vendors wanting opportunities to sell their services, or products to Florida.

For those who think that learning Spanish is a waste of time, believe me, from personal experiences I can say that is is valuable to learn Spanish. Not just learn, but make it truly your second or third language. Adopt it as another way you can commuicate.

I have been in the following situations in which it was important that I knew Spanish. Here they are:

Several hispanics who did not know English, were traveling through Tallahassee, Florida, on the way to a job. I gave them direction, and advice in Spanish. I told them what to look out for and what to do in certain situations. I told them where to go for further assistance. I knew their language. There was no communication wall between us.

In another occasion, I was at the coastline near Tallahassee, Florida. A boat came in with only Spanish speakers. They needed a place to stay. I had a contact on the coast, and after being in cell phone communication with the contact, I found these individuals a place to stay, hide, or whatever. I will help any Spanish-speaker regardless if they are illegal or legal. I have helped many illegals, and will continue to do so.

I have volunteered time, teaching English to migrant workers, and teaching them their rights. I teach them to take advantage of anything in the United States system. Taking advantage is often a good thing.

In other situations, I have been asked to discuss God in Spanish to Spanish speakers interested in my religion, and in spiritual prayer. I always pray in Spanish, and study spirituality in Spanish.

I have helped hispanic children learn how to write their Spanish language. I have helped adults learn how to write in Spanish.

a Florida junior college called on me to teach Spanish to a group of Army Reservists, in a community education program. In that position, I heard a lot about the United States military operations in South American, and even was given manuals about operation procedures in both English, and Spanish. I was asked to translate certain classified and unclassified documents from English to Spanish, and from Spanish to English.

A law office called on me to give Spanish lessons to them. That was fun, and the group of 11 or 12 attorneys were very motivated.

I often hear Spanish in Walmart, the malls, and in the parks, in and outside of Tallahassee, Florida. I can greet them, converse with them, and show them that I am not a ethnocentric, monolingual citizen of the United States. I am a world citizen. I am a citizen of God’s creation. I am God’s child, just like each individual is. God knows all languages. Language is an expression of God’s diversity, and goodness. It is always a pleasure for me to be able to use my Spanish in any place I find myself.

I blog in Spanish, correspond with Spanish speakers all around the world via social media sites, and especially, Twitter. I am at http://Twitter.com/KenFach.

Kenneth Fach Offers Expertise in Tallahassee

Hello Tallahassee, and others. I am offering a knowledge base, skills, and answers relating to the Spanish language, Teaching, Pest control, and Real Estate. I will explain my background in each of these areas.

I have been teaching Spanish in Tallahassee, Florida, as a private Spanish teacher or tutor since 1994. I go to offices, churches, and homes teaching my second language, Spanish. My goal in doing this is to promote the value of learning, acquiring Spanish, and the beauty of the Spanish language. I would like to see everyone learn Spanish or other languages. I have also taught in private and public schools. Currently, I have a challenging position at Nims Middle School in Tallahassee.

I have a background selling real estate here in Tallahassee, as well as elsewhere, such as Pensacola, Florida. have I sold, listed, and consulted on the subject of residential home sells. I worked with both buyers and selling, and often preferred the buyer over the seller, as sellers tend to be unrealistic and greedy. I have always been a deal maker favoring the buyer. I worked for Exit Realty, Keller Williams, and Weichert Realtors.

Here in Tallahassee, I worked for Florida Pest Control. I inspected homes, and provided termite treatments. I have knowledge in home inspections and what chemicals should or should not be used. I can advise on what termite systems are useful and which ones are not. My fees are probably less than what you would pay Florida Pest Control.

Mis tweets en espanol My Spanish tweets

21. @trboogie ¿Por qué no te sientes bien? ¿Te duele el estómago o la cabeza? ¿Qué te duele?10:52 PM Sep 30th from web in reply to trboogie

22. @suziqpoet That is a very good sign of becoming fluent. Congratulations. Keep dreaming in Spanish.10:51 PM Sep 30th from web in reply to suziqpoet

23. @theonlydemifan My son forgot it to when we came from Paraguay, but, he is relearning it. I want a bilingual, or multilingual son.10:49 PM Sep 30th from web in reply to theonlydemifan

24. @innobound I made a goal when I was 8 years old that someday I would be fluent in Spanish. That some day came fast, as I lived Spanish.10:48 PM Sep 30th from web in reply to innobound

25. ¡Viva el español! ¡Viva! Fui a muchos paises, pero no conozco España, aunque pasé una semana en Barcelona hace muchos años.10:47 PM Sep 30th from web

26. Imaginese si Colombus podia hacer blogs.10:45 PM Sep 30th from web

27. @angelosearch Felicitaciones en cuanto a los verdes folders.10:43 PM Sep 30th from web in reply to angelosearch

28. @Cochapacha numeros nonees?10:35 PM Sep 30th from web in reply to Cochapacha

29. @perez2009 Estoy totalmente de acuerdo. Las palabras de espanol me suenan mejor, y hablan al corazon. ¡Viva el español! ¡Viva!10:34 PM Sep 30th from web in reply to perez2009

30. @Izarnotegui Hay lo bueno y lo malo en cuanto a China.10:32 PM Sep 30th from web in reply to Izarnotegui

31. Anyone in Tallahassee wanting to learn Spanish, improve their Spanish or needing a translator/interpreter?10:31 PM Sep 30th from web

32. Heard from a Leon County School board professional that the student population, and pop. in general will be drifting downward now.10:31 PM Sep 30th from web

33. I live in Tallahassee, and maybe you should too. Unfortunately, the forecast is for fewer students and a population decrease.10:30 PM Sep 30th from web

34. @vma06 Tallhassee is beautiful. Tallahassee es hermoso.10:29 PM Sep 30th from web in reply to vma06

35. @mela1908 What’s in Tallahassee? Too many florishing green trees everywhere.10:25 PM Sep 30th from web in reply to mela1908

36. Hola Tallahassee, Florida. Alguien necesita un hombre de habla espanol? Busco algo muy bueno, y que me puede cambiar la vida mia.10:23 PM Sep 30th from web

37. que viva America! Que viva la raza!10:20 PM Sep 30th from web

38. Quiero amigos que creen en el concepto de ¡Viva el español! ¡Viva!10:02 PM Sep 30th from web

39. @innobound Through Spanish radio, television, Spanish-speaking people in my life, living in LA, Mexico, and Paraguay, obsession with it.10:01 PM Sep 30th from web in reply to innobound

40. @DonPublius As a teacher, I am probably expected to join a union as well. I hear both sides about that.9:39 PM Sep 30th from web in reply to DonPublius

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A Tallahassee teacher dealing with a middle school experience

A new school year has begun here in Tallahassee, Florida. I found a teaching position at a middle school in the area. I teach Spanish to six, seventh and eight graders. Many of my students come from less than appropriate living environments, with broken households, guardians, instead of parents, issues of poverty, gangs, street living, and an unsupportive learning environment at home. Many of my students have not been taught courtesy, respect for others, how to study, and how to behave properly. I have my hands full, that is for sure. So do all the other dedicated, good, teachers that I am surrounded with. I always admire teachers. They do earn their salary, as they spend so much of their time, at home, and on weekends working for their students.

My job is to teach Spanish. I have done this well on many occasion, to both children and adults, as a private Spanish teacher, and in schools. I have six years of experience teaching Spanish at high schools, and several years of experience teaching English at language institutes in Mexico and Paraguay. I have been providing private Spanish lessons in Tallahassee, Florida, to all age groups since 1994. You can say that is my secret under the table job. I have turned non-Spanish speakers into fluent Spanish speakers, and have a sense of pride and joy in knowing that.

Now, my task is much harder, since I am in a classroom with children who probably would rather be out on the streets like their buddies, or with their buddies. I really don’t know. Only a few of my students truly care or appear to care about learning Spanish. I know middle school has its challenges in general as the children are going through the hormonal period of their physical lives, however, at this particular school, the kids are in general troubles, retarded, gangsters, nervous, or carry other mental, physical issues with them. These are not what I or others would call a normal group of children to teach to. I have seen much better behaved young people. I do understand that they come into the classroom with issues from a sorry, inferior home environment. I cannot blame them for the defects of their parents/caregivers. The adults pass their issues on to the children, and the children pay the ultimate price by not taking their education seriously.

Now, does all of this background mean that I do not go into the classroom with high expectations that at least some of the students will learn, and get something out of a foreign language education? No, not at all. I have much hope. There are good students. I praise them, and help to lead them on, although they are surrounded by wolves. What goes on in the limited thought processes of the wolves? Certainly, not the way of righteousness. It is not a story of wolves united with lambs. The lambs are conscientious learners, the wolves just don’t care.

I go into the Spanish classroom speaking Spanish, and giving new vocabulary to the class. The lambs will acquire the vocabulary, and participate, while the wolves play away their illogical behaviors and sink in their own crap. My lesson will continue, and those who can swim will make the A grades, and those who do not get it, because they purposely stay off task, will make the low end grades, and will not even walk ashamed of their sin: not wanting understanding; not getting knowledge; not reaching for wisdom. The book of Proverbs would be a good manual for the wolves to read.

Of course, the good students do not want to study, nor are able to adequately learn in a room with those who don’t want to learn. They don’t understand why we as teacher, cannot remove those disruptive ones from the class, either temporarily or permanently. I have had children ask me that question. I really don’t have an answer, but I can say, that in most societies around the world, there is separation between those who want to learn, and those who want to be rude, disruptive, and don’t care about learning.
We make children get an academic education, but of course, we know that not all children will grow up and use their academic educational experience. Hence, we have all those people working in vocations, the blue collar workers. In other societies, not everyone gets to have an standard education. Some do, some don’t. Some are just not academically inclined. Children are sent into a vocational tract, or an academic tract. American education is quite different from the rest of the world. We want, and expect all our children to be great readers, writer and intellectuals. This is not reality, of course. Just look around at society.

Having lived and taught in other countries, I know that respect, courtesy and honor go much further. Children behave much better in other parts of the world, in general. They have an environment in which honor is super important. If they misbehave, or show disrespect to their teachers, they are acting dishonorably, and that hurts the family reputation, or family name in the community. They have strong supportive families, but oh yes, I have to remember, that in the United States of America, many kids come from broken homes, and do not have family support. There is no sense of obligatioin of honor. Teachers are not given the high standing that they are in most other lands around the world. In the Spanish speaking world, in which I have personal experience, teachers are respected, honored members of the community, and are respectfully treated by the children. No nonsense, classroom disruptions, or disrespect, such as you find in American public schools. Children in many cultures go to school in nice looking uniforms. Here in Tallahassee, they go to school looking like you know what. They play “cool.” For some reason, it is hard to get Americans to accept uniforms for all their children.

The solution as I see it for American education:
1. Require business like uniforms with boys wearing ties.
2. Remove troubled, disruptive kids from class instead of integrating them in the classroom with the good, hardworking students.
3. Have tougher punishments for children who disrupt. Bring back biblical principles into the educattional system.
4. Give teachers more staff support, and less bureacratic paperwork to complete, so that teachers can focus on teaching. Get rid of these ESE forms, and other paperwork that in the big picture serve for nothing except to please certain demographic groups.
5. Keep class sizes small, so each student gets better attention. Students crave my attention, but I can’t help them adequately since I have to help other students too. I feel so bad for them. Each teacher should have another adult helper in the room, especially in a system that requires integration of children in the same room. I am reminded that classroom integration is a recent phenomenon in history. How many hard working students have come forward and said that they do most of their learning outside class on the computer, or through other means? I hear this all the time. They do not learn in such a diverse classroom. I could not when I was a student! I was mostly self-taught.
6. We need government programs, like a public works program that will shuffle the kids that ought not be in a traditional school environment, into a trade route, a vocational tract.

As a Tallahassee Spanish teacher, I will do all I can to get the children interested in another language. I believe and always will believe in the importance of foreign languages started at the elementary school level and continuing ever year to the last year of the formal educational program. Foreign language education serves to strengthen our first language use, makes us appreciate other people, and their way of communicating, and makes us able to communicate with a wider global demographic. I know that I can go to over 30 countries and communicate in Spanish very well with the people. I would like my students to have that confidence some day.

Teach Spanish through storytellling

I like to teach for language acquisition, and not just memorization of words, and book exercises. I use activities that enable students to acquire a lot of vocabulary that they will internalize. The tool I use is a simple, fun, little story in the Spanish language.Stories are vocabulary builders. I center acquisition activities around the stories. I use hand gestures, and body movements to teach vocabulary. This approach is TPR, total physical response which I am a big believer in. I also use TPR in my private Spanish classes I give to both children and adults. I see growth occuring in students as this approach takes away the stress of learning a foreign language, and allows for student experimentation.

Steps involved in teaching storytelling for language acquisition:

1. Teach story vocabulary using hand and body movements and have student do the same movements with me as I teach the words to them. Practice vocabulary with hand body movements until everyone is comfortable with the vocabulary. The vocabulary is on the white board, overhead, or chalkboard. The vocabulary is there until students have acquired language at the end of the story.

2. Present the story using hand and body movements. Then, ask simple yes, no questions. Call on individual students to act out the story as I tell the story without hand gestures. Then, the whole class, groups, and pairs practice the story. I focus on the story line, not the correctness of each literal word in the story.

3. Make novel commands. Students by this time know the vocabulary, but now, mix the words around to form other commands so students further acquire language.

4. Make personalized questions using the story’s vocabulary. Make the questions relevant to the students’ lives.

5. Make personalized mini-situations using students in the room, and exagerating descriptions and activities. This is fun for the students.

6. Evaluate for understanding by having students translate from Spanish to English, or have them complete written or verbal tests.

Before starting storytelling using hand and body movements for teaching vocabulary, I spend a few weeks with what is called traditional TPR. Students respond to the commands I give, and make the same physical movements that I make. Examples: stand up, sit down, walk to the door, touch the door, turn around, point to the wall, point to the floor, touch the floor, put the box under the table. I teach location words and body parts in the beginning lessons before doing stories with the children. I teach: touch you ear, touch your nose, touch your knee, and so forth. I teach, put the box in front of your head, under your head, under the table, in back of your head, next to your head. I use Spanish almost entirely, in my lessons, and after modeling how students are to respond to commands, i then give commands without my physical response to evaluate learning. I start all vocabulary practice with speaking the words or phrases and at the same time representing the vocabulary with a hand gesture or movement of the body. Students are engaged and are not just passive listeners, but they listen, make the same physical movements, and respond to the commands and phrases that i say.

That is my teaching style. There is a lot of energy going on in the room, and students are vital in this approach. I act as a coach or facilitator, or director of a play that the students perform. I have many stories for the children that offer the element of surprise to them as well as vocabulary.

–
Kenneth Fach
Tallahassee, Florida
Cell: 850-210-7425
Email: kennethfach@gmail.com
Blog: http://KennethFach.wordpress.com

Spanish is the language of corazon

The Spanish word, “corazon,” is a very beautiful word, and has made an impression on me. I hear the word over and over in Spanish songs, poems, and conversations. It is used is a more spiritual tone than the word “heart” is used in English.

In Spanish, “corazon” can metaphorically refer to love, sweetness, honey, baby, girlfriend, boyfriend, a more spiritual affection, the divine, unity, oneness, home, kindness. It can be repeated many times in the same song or poem.

When listening to Spanish language, such as a song, listen for the word “corazon” and see if you can feel its tone, warmth, beauty, as I do when I hear the word. It is a word that connotes a feeling of tranquility, peace, divine calmness, and stability.

A la pucha usada en Paraguay

I heard the Spanish expression, “a la pucha” all the time it seems when I was living in Paraguay.

I like the sounds of “pucha.” “A la pucha is a good expression to know. It is used when something is not good, or right. It is used to express disappointment, aggravation, annoyance, or surprise. For example, we miss the bus: “A la pucha.” Our customer decided to use the service of our competitor: “A la pucha.” I messed up on the dinner: “A la pucha.” There are so many scenarios for the use of “a la pucha.”

It must be understood that although a word or expression is acceptable as appropriate language in one region, or country, it may not be acceptable in another part of the world, since it could be a bad word there. There are many examples of this in Spanish. It is best to stay with standard Spanish of the region you are in, or interested in visiting. The modismos and colloquialisms will become part of you in time.

Living in your second language

A good university foreign language program, will, or should require the student to live in a region of the world where that language is spoken. If the student is studying French, the student should live at least for a semester in France, Montreal, or other French speaking region. If the student is studying Spanish, there are many countries that the student can select to live in. In fact, students can even get paid in those countries by teaching English in a language institute or privately.

Although, I grew up exposed to the Spanish language, I did want to go to the University and get formally trained in Spanish linguistics, language and literature. I did do what was required, and that is to live in a Spanish speaking country. I chose two countries during my formal university Spanish language studies. I went to Mexico, and lived there for a summer, and later, went to Paraguay, and lived there for almost three years. The rewards of living abroad are innumerable, and wonderful: friendships are formed, more language is acquired, and cultural appreciation is enlarged and enhanced.

There are two important elements to a good foreign language program at a university: 1. Good teachers that care for the students progress in acquiring the language, and 2. living in a country where that language is spoken, and earning credit for that.

My First Spanish-speaking Country that I Visited

It was the beginning of the summer of 1985, that I flew from Pensacola, Florida, to Monterrey, Mexico. I had wanted for so long to visit Mexico, having grown up listening to music, conversation, and news from Mexico. Mexico was a land of enchantment, dreams, and color in my thoughts as I became a passionate observer of the Spanish language and Mexican culture.

Prior to that summer, I was completing my classes at the University of West Florida. I was majoring in anthropology. I wanted to start a new major in Spanish. I met my new main professor, in the Spanish division, who was someone that inspired me so much in my love of Spanish, and pointed me to Mexico before actually starting my Spanish coursework. This professor was Dr Juan Caballero. He was so helpful, and went way beyond the call of duty to help me acquire all the Spanish I can acquire, and to instill in me, a deep love of Spanish language literature. It was Dr Caballero that suggested I visit Saltillo, Mexico for a semester, as part of my Spanish program, since he knew of a family there who keeps students and others in their home.

To Dr Caballero:
Saludos a usted, Dr Caballero. Me ha dada mucha inspiracion. Fue el mejor profesor que he tenido. Gracias por todo.
He will always be in my heart of hearts!!! Teachers are out heroes, our friends, our guiding posts.

I went to Mexico not knowing anyone there, but having an address of a family to connect with and live with for the several months I was in Mexico.

It was late at night, around 1:00 in the morning by the time the bus from Monterrey, arrived in Saltillo, Mexico. From the bus station, I was to call the Senora of the home I would be living in. The streets were quiet, as everyone was asleep. I took the taxi to the address that I provided to the taxi driver. When I arrived at the house, I knocked on the window and shook the metal bar gate entrance of the home. Nobody came to respond to my presence. I became worried. Everything was dark. Suddenly, the Senora came to me, and let me in. She directed me to my room, a big, spacious room, with six low lying beds. She keeps students and others in her home as a form a work. This is not uncommon in Saltillo, which is a school, university town, with students from all over Mexico. At a later date, I paid the Senora some money for allowing me to stay there, and have my meals there. She was a very good cook, and prepared real Mexico meals for her big family, and her guests, such as myself.

I pleasantly slept, and got up the next morning ready to start exploring the community, and mingling with the people. During my time in Saltillo, I met only one individual who was from the United States, and I was all over the community meeting people. This would be the normal pattern in my later stays in other communities, where English was not in my surroundings. That is a very good thing for second or multi-language learners.

The Senora taught me so many local coloquialisms, modismos, sayings, and metaphors. She taught me the right way to fold and eat tortillas, and also taught me how to cook some of the dishes. She had me participate in family activities, including house cleanup. She treated me not just as a guest, but as a Spanish language student.

The home I stayed in, with its physical connection to homes on either side, and its metal bars, sat very close to a beautiful plaza that I will always remember. In the plaza was a lake, shaped in the form of the country, Mexico. In the lake, people used row boats, and beside the lake, people ate their lunches, couple walked and sat on the many park benches, and students sat around with their books studying, or visiting with each other. I spent much time at this plaza and sitting beside the lake, meeting local residents, and other students, and forming friendships. On the other side of the plaza, was a spectaculor garden of big shade trees, bushes, and flowers. There were many spots to sit and admire the views of the park’s nature. It was really more a park, then simply a plaza, in my way of thinking. I only wish I remembered the name of the Plaza. I will have to get out my map and look that up.

Give me corazon in Spanish

The Spanish word, “corazon,” is used so much in Spanish. “Corazon” is in songs, poems, stories, and conversation. It is a good Spanish word to know, since it metaphorically refers to the divine, love, sweetness, kindness, goodness, romance, honey, baby, home, and more. Of course, “corazon” directly means heart.

I heard this word so much in my life, that I became bored with hearing “corazon” this, and “corazon” that. However, I finally decided to think and ponder upon this word, and get a better feeling for it. Now, I like hearing it since to me, it define the heart of the many Spanish-speaking cultures around the world. The people do have big heard, and do demonstate a lot of “corazon.”

I could only hope to have a big “corazon” as I found many having in my experiences in South America.

A good site to practice your Spanish with others

I recently found a good language learning website called LiveMocha.com. Here, you can practice the language you are learning (I rather say, acquiring), with others who are learning your language. So, you and they, mutually benefit from this language acquiring platform.

When you find a language buddy on LiveMocha, someone who wants to learn English, and the buddy’s first language is Spanish, and you want to learn Spanish, then you both can acquire each others’ language through conversation. He asks you where you are from, what you are into, where you go to school, and you do the same. You correct his English, and he corrects your Spanish. On LiveMocha, you can also turn on the audio or your webcam and actually hear and see each other. LiveMocha offers language tests, and lessons. You will be asked to correct someone’s writing. This is a very popular use of LiveMocha.

When you are searching for a language buddy, you can view profiles which have pictures, where the buddy is from, and what is motivating the buddy to learn English or whatever the language may be. LiveMocha is for other language learners too, like French, Portuguese, Italian, and many more.

As a Spanish teacher, I look at the profiles of language learners from Spain, Mexico, Central and South America. I have made friends in Colombia, one place I am most interested in learning more about. LiveMocha for me is not about learning Spanish, since I have long since acquired Spanish, but about making friends in other cultures, and learning about Spanish speaking cultures and the speech patters, and forms in those cultures.

If you hear of other good langage site please share with me so I can share with others.

Stop memorizing Spanish but start acquiring it

If we are going to become fluent in Spanish, or any language, we acquire it, not learn it. There is a big difference between learning something, and acquiring something. Learning is short-term, and not build-in like a rock. What we learn, we can forget shortly. However, if you acquire something, such as language, it is built-in like a rock, and not easily neglected or lost. Language acquisition is acquired language for the long term, whereas, language learning satisfies what needs to be remembered for the test, or for the immediate future. Think of riding a bike. I did not ride a bike in years, and started riding again, and I remembered everything. Bike riding was something I acquired. Maybe a bad analogy, but think about it.

From Webster’s New Universal Abridged Dictionary:

Acquire: “1. to get or gain by one’s own efforts or actions.
2. to gain, by any means, as a thing which in a degree is permanent, or which becomes vested or inherent in the possessor; as, to acquire a title, estate, learning, habits, skill, dominion, etc…”

Learn: “1. to gain knowledge of (a subject); to acquire information concerning, as by instruction, study, obervation, experience, etc. ; to acquire skill in (anything); as to learn the news, or a lesson…” “2. to come to know how; as, we are learning to swim.”

We see the word “acquire” in the definition of “learn.” Acquiring something is a higher degree of learning it. The fact or sense of permanently having knowledge of something and having that knowledge become inherent or vested, does not appear in the definition of “learn.”

In my Spanish language lessons that I provide as a Spanish Tutor, (and that I provided as a classroom Spanish teacher), I teach for language acquisition, not language learning, and to achieve acquisition, I use total physical response, role playing, and storytelling strategies. Students like this because they can see the effects of language being acquired. It is a pleasant language experience for them, and a pleasant teaching environment for me. Acquiring language is internalizing it, not memorizing it.

When we memorize something, we can easily forget it next year, but if we work to internalize it, it stays with us, and is inherent in us. This is how we naturally learn our own language as little children.

Please let me know if you have any useful thoughts that I can add to this topic of language learning/acquisition.

Language learning classrooms often bore and turn off students. language acquisition classrooms provide engaging, yet challenging action for the students and the issue of boredom, and distaste for the language often is not there.

This Tallahassee man called Kenneth Fach

Now, I am going to describe who Kenneth Fach in Tallahassee, Florida is. Kenneth came to Tallahassee in 1994, to work on his master’s degree in, Spanish Language and Linguistics, at Florida State University. He spent much of his time in the Dodd building and in the teaching assistants office, planning his classes, grading student papers, and working on his own Spanish class assignments. Kenneth taught Spanish to undergraduates during his graduate program, and was a popular teacher for the several years he was teaching Spanish. After graduating, he went back to teaching Spanish in a high school. Kenneth, his wife, and son, have not left Tallahassee since 1994, as they both like the community, the many parks, and the green, forested, surroundings.

Some know Kenneth Fach as a real estate agent, who started working in real estate sales in Pensacola, Florida, his hometown community, and later, continuing real estate in Tallahassee. Others know Kenneth Fach  as a Spanish teacher, a Spanish tutor, a youth volunteer, a vegetable garden enthusiast, a friend of nature, a hiker, camper, a Christian Scientist, a devout student of biblical studies, a loyal husband, good dad, and an avid  coffee drinker.   He has been active with the scouts, encouraging his son in his scout achievements.  Others, know Kenneth Fach  as a Florida state employee, since he worked for Florida’s Department of Children and Families for about six years using his writing, editing, computer, Spanish language and customer service skills. Others know Kenneth as a blogger who also frequents and leaves posts on Twitter.

Kenneth llikes to blog on a variety of topics: micro-blogging, technology, land, the Spanish language, Spanish teaching techniques and his teaching experiences, experiences he has had in other countries, such as Mexico and Paraguay, northwest Florida lifestyles, Tallahassee, camping experiences, home decorating, and improving ideas, as well as  growing up in ranch style homes.   Kenneth desires to spend much more time blogging, as he is passionate about the written word, both in Spanish and English. Kenneth Fach is a lot of different things, but one thing is certain, Kenneth puts the spiritual, before the material in all aspects of his living. He daily spends quiet contemplation with his Creator, and gives gratitude for the goodness of creation.

Kenneth likes Tallahassee because of the many natural green spaces all over. He loves trees, parks, and the color green, his favorite color. Kenneth  painted the interior walls of his prior home, sage green, as the dominating color, but had also painted the interior walls of other homes because of his inspirational and attractive use of the color green. He has surprised himself at what he can do with the color green to decorate a home.

Kenneth likes the closeness of Tallahassee to many of Florida’s state parks, national forests, beaches, lakes, rivers, cultural attractions, a yearly grape festival, Christmas festival, Spring Celebration, and so much more. He finds everything he wants in Tallahassee, except for mountains, and canyons. He likes taking his family to fine musical concerts at Florida State University, and FAMU.

Prior to coming to Tallahassee, and after graduate school, Kenneth taught school, used innovative teaching strategies to get the students involved in foreign language learning, and had classes filled with movement and activity, literally. Kenneth always believes that everyone should participate in his classes, and he had a way of making this happen. Schools are often centers of teacher and administrator political plays, and old school ways of doing things, which have proven to be ineffective in many subject areas. Kenneth is not against old fashion ideas, but he knows that in the times we live today, we need to cheerfully usher in innovation, newness, freshness, in the classroom, and discard the old, worn out clothing of older days. Kenneth embraces the total physical response teaching strategies developed by James Asher in the 1960’s. Too much is new today, and Kenneth welcomes that. He also welcomes a team approach to educating children, even getting parents involved, and interested.

Kenneth loved the classroom, but wanted to try other areas of work. He went to work for the State of Florida using his writing, computer, editing, foreign language, and customer service skills. Kenneth brough new ideas into his team at his workplace, and brought a lot of dedication to his job. He even inspired colleagues to take up a foreign language.

For much of his life, Kenneth Fach had been exposed to the workings of entrepreneurs. His uncle owned over 12 travel agencies in Chicago, his grandpa was a real estate developer in New Mexico, and created and owned the most successful camera shop and photography business in Albuquerque in the early part of the 20th century. Kenneth’s other uncle was an Inn keeper in Illinois, and also invested in real estate. Kenneth’s dad was an artist, painter, owned his own picture frame and art gallery, sold all areas of  insurance, was an  investment planner, calligrapher, teacher of calligraphy, commercial artist, aviation engineer, and hollywood cameraman. Kenneth Fach comes from a family of so many diverse interests, and backgrounds, and this gives Kenneth much to be proud of.

Kenneth’s first love of his life, is his love for the Holy Bible. He gets this love from his dad who daily studied the bible and Christian metaphysics.

Kenneth Fach welcomes all into his circle of friendship, and brotherhood. Kenneth is all for following the precepts of his Master, Christ Jesus, and sharing his biblical love with others.

Kenneth talks with people about ranch style homes since he finds that some have never lived in this long lasting symbol of American architecture. Others like to share their experiences living in ranch style homes as well, with the many stories coming within these homes. Kenneth is proud of his ranch home background, and hopes that the ranch home always stays as an architectural icon for America.

Kenneth would be happy if you want to speak Spanish with him! Kenneth is passionate about the Spanish language and loves to share that passion with others in Tallahassee, and elsewhere. You can find Kenneth on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/KenFach.

The Adventures of a Tallahassee boy

My son brought home a new book to read: Treasure Island. I am so proud of his interest in reading, as his dad (me) grew up loving the written word, the carefully crafted, manifested word. Now, a new book, a classic, is added to my son’s repertoir of reading experiences. I am a pleased, reading dad.

As is our practice, I read with my son, so that he sees that reading can be a group experience, or a sharing experience. I sit with him and read to him, and he reads to me, and that way, I am not only making sure he is doing the reading, but also understanding it. We both use the dictionary to look up unusual, or uncommon words as language is always at a moment of change, and the English in Treasure Island’s day is vastly different from the English of today.  The adventure of not only the content itself, but of looking up interesting words makes the reading experience fun, and worthwhile.

I am also pleased that the public school system continues to recognize the classics as good, and important reading for the children. We see and hear so much of contemporary ideas and concepts, but are alienated from prior times, and their cultures, language, and ideas. Treasure Island was one of my favorites as a child, as I am sure it will be my son’s favorite through the progress of his life experiences as well. 

Maybe we need to start community read-ins of the old classics, the classic literature that never dies, but is always there, waiting for our hungry minds to eat up the words, take in the adventures, open up the tightly closed imagination, and swim, fly, hike, ride, to interesting lands far away in thought.

Much of my reading of the classic literature was in Spanish, as I studied  and earned my master’s in Spanish language and literature. I studied the likes of Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Octavio Paz, and much, much more. Amidst my days in the business world, I often crave for the student days in which I was able to devote 80 percent of my time to reading wonderful literature, analysing the movement of words, learning the semantics and syntac of earlier period literature. 

To all you classical readers out there, have a great day. Enjoy your reading. I know I will. My son is at school, and I can’t put down his copy of Treasure Island.