Here's another one--- this time it's for remembering which words are spelled with LL instead of Y.

La ballena estaba llena
se comió dos llantas lisas
una olla con un pollo
y el relleno de un sillón

Thanks for the translation on the cigarette trabalenguas. (Do they really use that with kids!!??) How about the LL one that David just gave us?

I think that exist interactive CD's. Where you can learn with the help of a teacher the pronuntiation of the vocals, and words.

@laepelba: you don't want my grandmother to tell you how I drove her crazy reciting things like that. ;)

La ballena estaba llena / The whale was full
se comió dos llantas lisas / it ate two worn tires
una olla con un pollo / a pot with a chicken
y el relleno de un sillón / and the stuffing of an armchair

@Tomisimo: I didn't know that one, but it's very nice. :D

When I arrived in the US, a week or two later I noticed books aimed to children in the supermarket. A special area in one of the aisles. I bought several of them. Several word puzzle for 2nd to 3rd graders and one that showed and named animals and their babies.

Not many Hispanic foreigners know right away, what mare is. Or not many English speakers know what "osezno" means.

I found it invaluable in trying to translate my language (good or bad) to English. :-)


Hernan

I must be getting old... when I read your post my first thought was "and younger Spanish speakers don't know what "osezno" is either"... ;D

But you are right... didactic material for children are great tools for learning. :)

So, Hernan & Angelica - where/what/how would be a good place to start with such learning. I tried downloading some children's stories in Spanish as podcasts, but can't follow the listening very well (at this point in my español anyway). I guess I'm not ready yet.

BUT ... I am definitely an advocate of revisiting the children's classics - even in your own native language. I try to read a children's classic every once in a while (because I DIDN'T do so when I was a child) - and am always SO glad that I've done so....

Any recommendations are always greatly appreciated!

As you can see, my spanish accent bleeds through my writing. :-)

Nowadays I cannot find any of that in the Supermarkets, lots of coloring and "activities" book (more coloring) and that's it. :sad:


Hernan.

I am going to check the Internet and tell you. However, I would try tools like word puzzles, like I did, it makes you look in the dictionary. You know you have to bleed, right? :lol:

In the case of children's classics, or adult for that matter, try in Spanish, one that you already read and loved the most.

OOOOooooh!! You just gave me a GREAT idea!! I should try to find the Harry Potter books in Spanish!! I would LOVE to read them en español.

Actually - I am already working on reading parts of the Bible in Spanish, and it has been quite a rewarding experience. :)

Oh, no... I don't think there was anything wrong with what you wrote... I meant that my first idea was that of an elder: "new generations aren't as educated as were their ancestors". ;)


@laepelba: it will be a bit more expensive than the supermarket items, but a big library certainly will have some children books in Spanish. When I was in New York City, I visited a couple of Barnes & Noble and Strand libraries, and saw they had huge sections of Hispanic books. And if you like Harry Potter, you will find the Spanish translations quite easy to follow. :)