Comprehensive Study Guide: Unit 5 - Ecuador, Home, and Traditions

GENERAL OVERVIEW OF ECUADOR

Population: $15,868,396$
Area: $109,483 ext{ square miles}$
Capital City: Quito
Official Currency: The U.S. Dollar (el dólar estadounidense) has been the official currency since (desde) the year $2001$ .
Languages: Spanish (español), Quechua, and other various indigenous languages.
Typical Foods: Locro, fritada, llapingachos.
Other Food Items Mentioned: Canguil, tostado, chifles.
Famous People: * Alexandra Ayala Marín (journalist/periodista) * Gilda Holst (writer/escritora) * Julio Jaramillo (singer/cantante) * Jefferson Pérez (athlete/atleta)

GEOGRAPHY AND LANDMARKS

Cotopaxi Volcano: Located not far from the capital city of Quito, Cotopaxi stands at $19,347 ext{ feet}$ . It is recognized as the highest active volcano in the world.
The Andes Mountain Range: This range stretches $4,500 ext{ miles}$ north to south along the western coast of South America. Many of its peaks reach altitudes of $20,000 ext{ feet}$ or higher.
Mitad del Mundo: This monument marks the location of the equator, where one can stand with one foot in the northern hemisphere and one in the southern hemisphere.
Ushuaia, Argentina: Known as "la ciudad del fin del mundo" (the city at the end of the earth), it is the southernmost city in the world. It is located slightly over $600 ext{ miles}$ from Antarctica and serves as a starting point for arctic explorations.
Ingapirca Ruins: An important Incan settlement in Ecuador. * El Templo del Sol (Temple of the Sun): A majestic temple carved into a steep rocky cliff that served as a fortress and place of worship. * Incan Architecture: Built using large stone blocks of various shapes without mortar. Doors and windows were often wider at the base than the top. Buildings were constructed to withstand centuries of earthquakes.

ART AND CULTURE IN ECUADOR

Painting and Artists: * Camilo Egas: Painted Las floristas ( $1916$ ), depicting indigenous women from Otavalo wearing traditional clothing (white blouses, layered white and black skirts, red sashes, and gold or red coral jewelry). * Tigua Artists: From the Ecuadorian Andes, known for colorful paintings made with chicken feather brushes on sheephide. * Targelia Toaquiza: Painted Nochebuena (circa $1990$ ), a landscape showing community life, festivals, and rural activities.
Sports: Soccer (el fútbol) is a national passion. Major-league games are played on weekends in Quito and Guayaquil. Informal games happen constantly in every village. The national team is called the Selección Nacional.
Indigenous Languages: Quechua was the language of the Incas and remains the most common indigenous language in Ecuador today. Many Spanish and English words have been borrowed from Quechua.

LESSON 1: VIVIMOS AQUÍ (HOME AND HOUSEHOLD)

Describing a House (La Casa): * la sala: living room * el comedor: dining room * la cocina: kitchen * el cuarto / la habitación: room / bedroom * el patio: patio * el jardín: garden * la escalera: stairs * el suelo: floor (of a room) * el primer piso: first floor (above ground floor) * la planta baja: ground floor * el apartamento: apartment * el armario: closet / armoire
Furniture and Items (Muebles y Cosas): * el sofá: sofa * el sillón: armchair * la alfombra: rug * la lámpara: lamp * el televisor: television set * los videojuegos: video games * el disco compacto: compact disc * el lector DVD: DVD player * el tocadiscos compactos: CD player * la radio: radio * el espejo: mirror * las cortinas: curtains * la cómoda: dresser * la cama: bed
Actions: * subir: to go up / to ascend * bajar: to go down / to descend
Regional Variations for "Bedroom": * Spain: la habitación * Argentina/Chile: la pieza * Mexico: la recámara * General: la alcoba, el dormitorio
Regional Variations for "Closet": * Spain: el armario empotrado * General: el clóset

GRAMMAR: LESSON 1 (SER, ESTAR, AND ORDINALS)

Ser vs. Estar (Both mean "to be"): * Use Ser for: 1. Origin: "Soy de Quito." 2. Personal traits/Physical characteristics: "Los estudiantes son inteligentes." 3. Professions: "La señora Ramírez es maestra." 4. Identification: Identifying people or things. 5. Time and Date. * Use Estar for: 1. Location: Where someone/something is. "Quito está en Ecuador." 2. Conditions (Physical/Emotional): How someone feels. "Estoy bien," "Estamos contentos."
Ordinal Numbers: * Used to indicate position/series. They must agree in number and gender with the noun. * List: * $1^{st}$ : primero(a) * $2^{nd}$ : segundo(a) * $3^{rd}$ : tercero(a) * $4^{th}$ : cuarto(a) * $5^{th}$ : quinto(a) * $6^{th}$ : sexto(a) * $7^{th}$ : séptimo(a) * $8^{th}$ : octavo(a) * $9^{th}$ : noveno(a) * $10^{th}$ : décimo(a) * Special Rule: Primero and tercero drop the "o" before a masculine singular noun (e.g., el primer piso, el tercer cuarto).
Spanish Accentuation Rules: * If a word ends in a vowel, n, or s, stress the next-to-last syllable (sala, apartamento). * If a word ends in a consonant other than n or s, stress the last syllable (bajar, televisor). * Words with written accents ignore these rules and stress the accented syllable (jardín, décimo).

LESSON 2: UNA FIESTA EN CASA (PARTY AND CHORES)

Party Planning (Planear una fiesta): * dar una fiesta: to give a party * la fiesta de sorpresa: surprise party * los invitados: guests * invitar a: to invite * el regalo: gift * envolver (ue): to wrap * el papel de regalo: wrapping paper * el globo: balloon * las decoraciones: decorations * decorar: to decorate * el secreto: secret * bailar: to dance * cantar: to sing * celebrar: to celebrate * salir: to leave / go out * venir: to come * traer: to bring
Household Chores (Quehaceres): * limpiar (la cocina): to clean (the kitchen) * sucio(a): dirty / limpio(a): clean * hacer la cama: to make the bed * planchar la ropa: to iron clothing * pasar la aspiradora: to vacuum * cortar el césped: to cut the grass * darle de comer al perro: to feed the dog * lavar los platos: to wash dishes * sacar la basura: to take out the trash * barrer el suelo: to sweep the floor * poner la mesa: to set the table * cocinar: to cook
Regional Variations for "Cake": * Ecuador: el pastel * Spain: la tarta * Puerto Rico: el bizcocho * Other: el queque, la torta

GRAMMAR: LESSON 2 (IRREGULAR VERBS AND COMMANDS)

Irregular Yo-Form Verbs: * dar: doy (to give) * poner: pongo (to put/place) * salir: salgo (to leave) * traer: traigo (to bring)
Fully Irregular Verbs: * decir (to say/tell): digo, dices, dice, decimos, decís, dicen. * venir (to come): vengo, vienes, viene, venimos, venís, vienen.
Affirmative Tú Commands: * Regulars: Use the él/ella form of the present tense (e.g., Lava, Barre, Abre). * Irregulars: 1. decir: di 2. hacer: haz 3. ir: ve 4. poner: pon 5. salir: sal 6. ser: sé 7. tener: ten 8. venir: ven * Pronoun Placement: Attach object pronouns to the end of commands. Add an accent to the original stressed vowel if the command has $2+ ext{ syllables}$ (e.g., ¡Cómpralo!, ¡Ciérrala!).
Acabar de + Infinitive: * Used to say something "just happened." * Example: "Acabamos de comprar el pastel" (We just bought the cake).

CULTURAL TRADITIONS AND FESTIVALS

Fiestas de Quito: A week-long festival starting December $6^{th}$ honoring the founding of Quito in $1534$ . Activities include parades, concerts, dances, fireworks, the Reina de Quito pageant, and wooden car races (carritos de madera).
Serenatas quiteñas: Musical tributes performed by residents to their city.
Otavalo Items: Famous for the Saturday market featuring woven sweaters and rugs. The Otavalos (indigenous group) use geometric patterns, landscapes, and animals in their textiles.
Molas: Traditional fabric art pieces created by the Kuna women of the San Blas Islands in Panama. They are sewn onto blouses.
Folk Dances: * El Sanjuanito (Ecuador): Upbeat rhythm resulting from a fusion of indigenous and Spanish cultures. Dancers often form a circle and use scarves (pañuelos). * El Tamborito (Panama): The national dance. Features African, indigenous, and Spanish influences. Uses handclaps (palmadas) and African drums. Performed in traditional costumes: polleras (dresses for girls) and dominguero (black pants/white shirt for boys).

TELEHISTORIA SCENES SUMMARY

Lesson 1 Dialogue: * Plot: Fernando visits Manuel to study. Manuel is distracted by video games in the living room (la sala) with Elena. Mrs. Cuevas hands Fernando a package for Manuel from their friend Alicia in Miami. Manuel is disorganized; his things are on the floor. Elena teases him about being "studious" and hands him the package. Manuel finds it contains a T-shirt for Trini Salgado's autograph. * Key Detail: Manuel loses his notebook and the T-shirt. Fernando finds the notebook on the floor. They realize they must go to the center of Quito to see Trini Salgado.
Lesson 2 Dialogue: * Plot: The Cuevas family plans a surprise party for Manuel. Fernando brings a video game gift. Manuel returns from the city with a signed T-shirt from athlete Trini Salgado. * Key Detail: Manuel is genuinely surprised. He receives a video game from Fernando. At the end, Manuel realizes his dad, Mr. Cuevas, "just washed" (acabo de lavarla) Alicia's T-shirt, which might represent a disaster if the ink wasn't permanent or if the shirt was special.

REAL ESTATE COMPARISON (QUITO AND GUAYAQUIL)

El Quiteño Moderno (Apartment): Located in central Quito (Calle Olmedo). $95 ext{ square meters}$ . Cost: $1,300 ext{ dollars/month}$ for rent or a sale price starting at $65,000 ext{ dollars}$ . Features: earthquake-proof construction, $24 ext{-hour}$ doorman, gym, and sauna.
Cerro Santa Ana (House): Located near the Guayas river in Guayaquil. Private community of $18$ residences. Cost: $130,000 ext{ dollars}$ . Features: $2$ floors, $4$ bedrooms, an office, and a laundry room (un cuarto de lavar).