Lecture Notes on Similarities Between English and Spanish

Introduction

• English and Spanish have related linguistic roots.
• English is considered a Germanic language but incorporates significant Latin vocabulary.
• Spanish is essentially modern Latin (street Latin that evolved over time).

Vocabulary Conversion

• There are approximately 3,000 words that can be converted from Latin (via English) to Spanish using certain rules.

Example Words and Rules

• Normal (English) → Normal (Spanish)
  • Accent and stress change from beginning to end.
  • English: stress on 'o' → Spanish: stress on 'a'.
• Metal → Metal
  • Pronounce vowels as they are written (a, e, i, o, u).

Pronunciation Rules

• Vowels in Spanish are consistent:
  • 'a' as in 'apple'
  • 'e' as in 'elephant'
  • 'i' as in 'ink'
  • 'o' as in 'open'
  • 'u' as in 'ou' (French)
  • Focus on accurate pronunciation for perfect Spanish accent.

Constructing Sentences

• The word for 'is' in Spanish: es
  • Functions for 'is', 'it is', 'he is', 'she is', 'you are' (formal).
• It is normal → es normal
  • Watch for S and Z pronunciation differences.
  • Example: 'is' in English often sounds like 'iz'. In Spanish, it should sound like 'es'.

More Examples

• Legal → Legal (same spelling and similar pronunciation)
  • 'i' like in 'ink' and 'e' like in 'elephant' make same sound.
  • It is legal → es legal
  • It is illegal → es ilegal
• Liberal → Liberal
  • He/she/it is liberal → es liberal

Phonetics of Spanish vs English

• Spanish is more 'phonetic' than English, meaning letters represent the same sounds consistently.
• Example: Natural → Natural
  • Pronounce each letter as written.
  • It is natural → es natural

Forming Negative Sentences

• The word for not/no in Spanish is no.
  • Place before 'es' to form negatives.
  • It is not normal → no es normal
• Examples:
  • Ideal → Ideal
  • It is ideal → es ideal
  • It is not ideal → no es ideal
• Other words: fatal → fatal, natal → natal, colonial → colonial.

More Vocabulary Examples

• Cultural → Cultural
• Dental → Dental
  • Remember: 'dental' indicates root 'd'.
• Festival → Festival
• Personal → Personal
• Total → Total
• Verbal → Verbal
  • Can guess 'verb' might be verbo in Spanish.

Vocabulary Guessing Strategy

• For words without direct rules, guessing is acceptable when staying within patterns.
• Example: Verbal → Verbo likely.

Conclusion

• Basic sentence structure follows simple conversion rules making Spanish easier to learn for English speakers focusing on pronunciation and consistent vowel sounds.

Tips

• Always rethink pronunciation: pronounce each letter as written.
• Use guessed vocabulary contextually and learn from corrections to improve quickly.