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Refranes españoles - Spanish sayings

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Transmitted from generation to generation, of uncertain origin, sayings retain and communicate eternal moral wisdom.   Spanish sayings are particularly worthy of mention, because they so often rhyme, giving them a rhythm that makes them especially memorable.    Of course, because these pearls of human collective knowledge are fairly universal, many have an English equivalent which is also a saying and also sometimes rhymes. Del dicho al hecho, hay mucho trecho - many a slip twixt cup and lip. It should be noted that these are not usually literal translations - in the Spanish version, we go from the stretch from said to done to the English slip between cup and lip.    Donde fueres, haz lo que vieres - when in Rome, do as the Romans do, says the English version.   The Spanish version recommends doing what you see, wherever you are. Sometimes, the translation is closer: u na golondrina no hace verano - one swallow doesn’t make a summer. ...
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I loved to be loved

One of my favourite songs is Peter Gabriel's "Love to be loved".      It expresses the sadness and anger of the end of a serious romantic relationship, the realisation that it has to end and the determination not to go back, despite the pain. As one who dabbles in English language teaching, I was struck by the ending of the song: "....but it takes all the strength in me, and all the world can see I'm losing such a central part of me (I can't let go of it) You know I mean it ..You know that I mean it I recognise how much I've lost but I cannot face the cost 'Cause I love to be loved, I love to be loved." There then follows a repetition of this line 8 times in pairs, the first using ascending notes at the end and the second using descending notes at the end.  This, to me, conveyed two meanings: 1.     I love to be loved - passive infinitive, meaning that I love it when someone loves me. 2.      I love to be loved - infinitive of purpose - I lov...
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Learning a foreign language is not easy.

  Learning a foreign language is not easy.    It takes time and effort, no matter how clever you are.   No matter how well-educated you are in other fields.    A foreign language has a history behind it and a culture that surrounds it and for which it is the vehicle.     If a student approaches the task without this understanding, his or her learning journey will be all the harder.      In all humility also, we need to understand that not everyone finds learning languages easy, just as not everyone finds learning maths easy (I certainly don't), or learning to drive, or learning to cook, or learning physics or geography or any skill or area of knowledge at all.    Some will learn faster and more easily than others. When we become language aware, we understand that every step we take in the new language is progress, and that comparing our own progress to that of others is a foolish error.    It is enough ...
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