Notas culturales are modified from the notes in the textbook, Adelante 1A.  The information is marked by the chapter and section.

NOTAS CULTURALES 1-1 

1)  People often use both their first and middle names.  They also have two last names (father's name, then mother's name).

                Example:  Juan Carlos Lopez García                                                                                                          

                                Juan Carlos (first + middle names)

                                Lopez García (father's last name + mother's last name)

*** In the phonebook, "Lopez García" would be found under "L."   

*** What would your last name be in a Spanish-speaking country? :)

2)  Many people in Spain and Latin America are Roman Catholic. This influences the names that families give their children. Common first names are José and Juan Pablo for males, María José and Magdalena for females. Many girls’ names commemorate the Virgin Mary: Ana María and María del Socorro. Some common Jewish names include Miriam and Ester for girls and Isaac and Jacobo for boys. Islamic names include Ómar and Ismael for boys and Jasmín and Zoraida for girls. Do you know the origin of your first name? 

3)  Roman Catholics in Latin America and Spain celebrate the feast day of the Christian saint they are named after. Spanish speakers have a celebration on their birthday, and often a second celebration on their Saint’s Day. For example, a girl named Susana might celebrate her Día de Santo on August 11 in honor of St. Susan. How many of the saints’ names in this calendar do you recognize?

4)  In Spanish, there are many informal ways to greet friends and ask how they’re doing. You might hear ¿Qué pasa? (What’s happening?) and ¿Qué hay? or ¿Qué tal? (What’s up?). Other greetings include ¿Qué onda? and ¿Qué hubo? or ¿Qué húbole?, as well as ¡Epa, ’mano! What do you say when you greet your friends?

 NOTAS CULTURALES 1-2

5)  Handwriting in Spanish-speaking countries is slightly different from handwriting in the U.S.   We will look at more   handwriting examples throughout the year.

 NOTAS CULTURALES 1-3

6)  Spain has many pizzerias and fast food restaurants. These foods are popular but not traditional. One type of traditional fast food in Spain is tapas. Tapas can include marinated olives, meatballs, mussels, snails, anchovies, cheese, a serving of Spanish   tortilla (omelet with potatoes), and many other foods. Snacks are particularly important in Spain as dinner is served late, often after 9 P.M. Have you tasted any of the foods that are traditionally served as tapas?

NOTAS CULTURALES 2-1

• It’s common for extended families to live together in Spain and Latin America. Like Paco, many young people grow up in homes with parents, grandparents, and even an aunt or uncle. What are the advantages and disadvantages of living with many relatives? How does this compare with your family or your friends’ families?

• To prepare for school, many students in Spanish-speaking countries buy pens and notebooks just as you do. However, many of these students also need to buy school uniforms. Do you or any of your friends wear a uniform to school? What are some good things and bad things about school uniforms?

NOTAS CULTURALES 2-2

• In Spain, most people live in pisos (apartments) in cities or towns. Bedrooms are often smaller, and sisters or brothers will sometimes have to share a room. Generally, the family shares a single TV and a single phone. It’s not common for younger family members to have a TV or phone of their own. What’s positive and negative about sharing a TV or phone with the family?

• In Spanish-speaking countries, it’s common for people to use many expressions in addition to hand gestures. There are a variety of ways that people say they like something a lot, such as  ¡Genial! , ¡Increíble! or   ¡Qué padre! If they think something is all right, they might say Está bien. If people think something is terrible they might use expressions such as ¡Qué horrible!, ¡Qué pesado! or ¡Pésimo! What expressions do you and your friends use to show that you like something a lot or think something is terrible?

NOTAS CULTURALES 3-1

Some students in Spanish-speaking countries go home for lunch and a siesta (nap or rest) in the middle of the school day. They then go back to school in the afternoon. These students may not get out of school for the day until 4:30 or 5:00. Other students attend school only in the morning, while a second group of students attends school only in the afternoon.

• How would you feel if you got a score of 18 on a test? In Peru, this would actually be a high grade, equivalent to a 90. Peruvian schools use a scale of 1 to 20, with 11 the lowest passing score. Mexican schools use a scale of 1 to 10, with 6 as passing. What would your grades be if you went to school in Peru? In Mexico?

• In Spanish-speaking countries, especially those with warmer climates, you might find that people’s schedules are a little different from yours. A siesta after lunch makes it possible for people to eat dinner later and stay up later, too. The siesta is a time when stores and businesses close for around two hours at noon. They then stay open a little later in the evening. The dinner hour is also later, usually between 8:00 and 10:00. In many areas, however, this is changing. Many businesses are now open from 9:00 to 5:00. Do you think a siesta is a good idea? Why or why not?

NOTAS CULTURALES 3-2

• In Spain, sneakers are referred to as zapatillas de tenis. In Latin America, they’re called  zapatos de tenis. In fact, the word zapatillas means slippers in Latin America.  Spanish sometimes has more than one word for an object, depending on the country. English is like this, too. For example, in England an elevator is called a lift. Can you think of other examples in English where there is more than one word for something?

 NOTAS CULTURALES 3-3

• Titles of respect are often used in Spanish-speaking countries. Teachers are frequently addressed as profesor/a or maestro/a. Some other titles are licenciado, used usually for someone with a bachelor’s degree, ingeniero (engineer), or arquitecto (architect). The title doctor is used for medical doctors, and also for others who have received an advanced degree from a university. What other titles can you think of?

NOTAS CULTURALES 4-1

• Soccer, bike riding, tennis, and baseball are especially popular in Spanish-speaking countries. In the United States, athletes like tennis star Mary Joe Fernández and baseball great Fernando Valenzuela have thrilled sports fans with their skills and spirit. Can you name any other outstanding Spanish-speaking athletes?

• In Spain and Latin America, there are many different ways of referring to or greeting friends. Friends often call each other ’mano/a (short for hermano/a) or compañero/a. In Peru, friends sometimes say ¡Hola, pata! Some Mexican expressions for friends include chamaco/a, chavo/a, or cuate. Throughout Latin America, men often call each other compadre.

NOTAS CULTURALES 4-2

• The use of tú and usted varies from country to country. Children in some areas are likely to address a parent as usted, while children in other areas use tú.  If you’re in a Spanish-speaking area, listen to others and try to use tú and usted as they do. When in doubt, use usted and wait for the other person to invite you to be less formal.

• The paseo is a tradition in Spanish-speaking countries; people stroll around the plaza or along the streets of a town in the evening to socialize, and to see and be seen by others.

 NOTAS CULTURALES 4-3

• In most Spanish-speaking cities, people don’t receive mail delivery at their homes. In most cases, people have a mail box at a central post office where they go to pick up their mail. The address on these letters identifies an  apartado or casilla (post office box) with a number, instead of a street address. Because it’s not convenient to travel to the central post office every day, there are many couriers who deliver mail and packages. These couriers often travel on mopeds, and make deliveries to offices and homes. How does your family get its mail?

NOTAS CULTURALES 5-1

• In Spanish-speaking countries, young people and adults enjoy doing a variety of activities in their free time. Dominoes is a popular game throughout Latin America; it’s common to see the game being played on the side of the street or in a plaza in small towns.  Plazas are a great place to roller skate, or for a village to hold a dance. As in the United States, many activities depend on the weather. In windy weather, children often go out to fly kites (volar cometas). During hot weather, they swim. Is there a place in your neighborhood where people go to have fun? What activities are popular?

NOTAS CULTURALES 5-2

• Spending time with a group of friends is an important part of life for young teens in the Spanish-speaking world. It’s more common to meet friends in public than at one’s house. People often get together in parks and cafés. The streets of many Spanish-speaking towns are usually lively, and often crowded, both day and night. Where do you spend time with your friends?

NOTAS CULTURALES 5-3

• In many parts of the tropics, weather reports are uncommon. There is little variety in weather from day to day. Because there is little change in temperature over the course of the year, people don’t rely on a forecast to figure out what to wear. However, during hurricane season in the Caribbean, people pay close attention to warnings. Do you listen to weather forecasts regularly? Do you adjust what you plan to wear or do based on the forecast?

• Read the following about seasons in South America:

1. The seasons in the southern part of South America are opposite to the seasons north of the equator.
2. In the south, summer begins in December and winter begins in June.
3. The tropical region of South America, which is on or near the equator, has only two seasons: rainy and dry.
4. In the equatorial lowlands the temperature stays warm all year round.
5. However, in the mountains near the equator (such as the Andes), it is generally cool and often gets quite cold. The temperature is determined by altitude rather than by latitude.

NOTAS CULTURALES 6-1

When a man and a woman serve as padrino (godfather) and madrina (godmother) at a baby’s baptism, it’s understood that they’ll have a special lifelong relationship with their godchild. The godparents give their ahijados (godchildren) love, advice, and even help with education and careers.  El compadrazgo is the relationship between the child’s parents and godparents. The father and the godfather call each other compadre and the mother and the godmother call each other comadre.  Compadres and comadres often consider each other family.  Is there someone that you think of as a relative but who isn’t related to you?

NOTAS CULTURALES 6-2

Spanish speakers often use special names when they’re talking to someone they like a lot. You might use Juanito for your friend Juan, or Rosita for your friend Rosa. You could call your grandmother abuelita and your parents mami and papi. Other words adults often use to refer to people they care about are mi cielo or mi vida (darling or dear).  Mi hijo/a doesn’t necessarily refer to an actual son or daughter, but to a young person the speaker is very fond of. What affectionate names have you heard people use in English?