Listening comprehension
The "natural approach" of Dos mundos is based on the obvious principle that you only learn to understand a language by having the opportunity to listen (or read) and understand. There is also an assumption, not so obvious but based on convincing theory and research, that fluent speaking ability also comes from knowledge internalized through listening to and understanding the language.

Because of the importance of hearing and understanding your teacher will conduct much if not all of the class in Spanish. A lot of emphasis will be placed on listening to and reading material which contains vocabulary and grammar that you have not yet studied. You don't need to, nor are you expected to, understand every word, just try to follow the main idea of what's said based on what words you do know and what you can guess from the context.

You may feel frustrated because you don't understand everything, especially if other students already know some Spanish and understand much more than you do. Don't worry about this. Learning to comprehend a language is an ability internalized in a mostly subconscious process. All you have to do is listen and understand.

Although you shouldn't worry if you don't understand everything, you should worry if you understand nothing (or so little that you don't follow what's going on most of the time). In this case you may need to study the vocabulary more, prepare more before class, do more outside of class listening, or ask your teacher to repeat more. Talk to your teacher and ask for advice. Don't assume that the method doesn't work or that you need an English translation.

There are many ways to get more listening practice:

• Always listen in class even if the teacher is talking to someone else.
• Do all of the listening activities in the Cuaderno de trabajo, including ones not assigned. The tapes are in the Language Resource Center (Olin 375). You can listen to them there or get them copied. Bring one blank 90 minute cassette. Two of these tapes are recordings of the vocabulary list in each chapter of the textbook.
• Most of the reading passages in the text are recorded on the Book-on-tape which is available as a recommended "text" for this course in the campus bookstore. Try listening first without looking at the textbook, then following along in the book, and then again without looking.
• A Dos mundos CD-ROM (for the 4th edition) is also availiable as a recommended "text" in the bookstore. Short video segments are designed to reinfore the content of each chapter. After the initial viewing of the video a text button is active so you can watch, listen, and read. As with the audiotapes, practice watching and listening several times without looking at the text. These videos are the same as the ones your instructor may have shown in class. The CD also has vocabulary practice and many other activities. Note that the minimum requirement for the Windows version is a 486DX 66Mhz computer but the performance is not very good unless you have a Pentium 166Mhz or better.
• Rent Spanish-language movie videos and turn up the sound track. Watch them twice, you'll pick up a lot more the second time through. Try listening the second time without reading the subtitles.
• Watch Spanish-language TV programs if you live where it’s available on cable or if you have a satellite dish and can subscribe to that option.
• Buy an inexpensive short-wave radio and listen to Spanish-language broadcasts of news. First listen to the day's news in English so you'll have an idea of what the stories are about.
• Try to get acquainted with a Spanish-speaking student.
• Talk Spanish outside of class with other students studying Spanish.

However you may not be satisfied with not knowing why you say what you do. Or your accuracy may not be progressing as you or you teacher think it should. Also your teacher may demand a greater mastery of grammar than the textbook requires; make sure you know what his or her expectations are. In all these cases you may need further practice than the text provides. There are several things you can do.

• Always do all the grammar exercises in the text, whether they're assigned or not, and check your answers with the key in the back of the book.
• See your teacher during office hours for further explanation of grammatical points (your teacher may not want to take time to do this in class since class time should be devoted to language practice).
• Buy a Spanish grammar review in any bookstore, one with exercises and an answer key in the back.
• The McGraw-Hill Electronic Language Tutor for Dos Mundos is a computer program with grammar exercises similar to the ones in the blue pages in the textbook This program is on some of the computers in the Language Resource Center (Olin 375). You can get a copy of it by bringing a 3.5" floppy disk to the LRC.

• Say the Spanish words out loud as you study them. As you say each word try to visualize the thing or action that the word expresses and make an effort to connect the sound of the word with this image.
• Write the words down in groups, associating the Spanish words not with English words but with each other and with the name of the category you have grouped them in.
• Associate words with people you know, events in your life, and objects in your experience. Make the connections as vivid, comical, or emotional as you can.
• Make a "conceptual map" of a vocabulary list. Write closely together (not necessarily in a vertical list) words which are closely associated in your mind. Further away on the page write words which are less closely associated with the first group. Draw lines between words or groups of words wherever you perceive conceptual links between them. As you do this keep thinking of the Spanish word, not the English.
• Make flash cards (cut 3 × 5 cards in half), Spanish on one side, English on the other. Use the techniques described above of grouping, association, visualizing, etc. until you never need to look at the English side.
• Finally, make an effort to speak Spanish and use the new words you are learning.

Other suggestions
The practice of reading Spanish, in addition to being useful in itself, can improve your listening comprehension and other skills by helping you learn more vocabulary and by showing you more examples of the structure of the language. You could try reading novels in Spanish but they may be too difficult until you reach a more advanced level. An excellent way to pratice reading, even at the beginning level, is to read short news articles in Spanish on the Internet. Knowing something about the day's news in English will give you enough context to understand the Spanish version even though much of the vocabulary and grammar may be unfamiliar. Links to these resources can be found in the "Information for Spanish Students" page (http://www.uakron.edu/modlang/spanish) Scroll down to "Part C: Internet Resources."

Reviewing previously studied material is an important learning principle which applies to all aspects of language learning. The subconscious internalization of skills takes place over time. You often find you understand material from a lesson only after you've started the next one. If you go back and listen to tapes from previous lessons you will understand them better than you did when you were on that lesson.This will also make it easier to understand the lesson you're on now. As with listening comprehension, review of grammar and vocabulary will help both to consolidate old material and to learn new material.

In addition to the information given here be sure to read carefully:

• the "Beginning Spanish I: Course Information" handout which was given to you in class,
• the prefaces "To the Student" in the textbook and the workbook (Cuaderno de trabajo),
• the suggestions on using the actividades de comprensión in the workbook (p. xiii), and
• the introduction to the first grammar section (end of Paso A) in the textbook.

Last revised: 31 August 1998