Spanish

E-Mail Reply

* Start with a formal greeting

- Use either apreciado/apreciada or estimado/estimada

- Put it together with the Job Title or Señor/Señora then last name

- Examples: Estimada Directora Santos o Apreciado Señor López

* Be formal throughout your e-mail

- I.E. Muchas gracias por su correo electrónico. Quiero agradecerle a Usted por esta

oportunidad para poder participar en (insert whatever you are participating in, such as “una

encuesta”, “compartir mi opinión”, “un cuestionario”, etc.

* Make sure to answer all the questions and/or petitions

* Make sure to ask at least one question, preferably two.

- I.E. Ya he contestado sus preguntas pero me gustaría escribir más cuando tengo más

tiempo. ¿Cuándo es el plazo para entregar mis respuestas completas?

- I.E. Estoy muy animado para participar en el debate. ¿Cuándo es el debate y cuántos

minutos debo tener preparado?

* End with a formal farewell

- Use either atentamente, cordialmente o respetuosamente

Persuasive Essay

* Respond/Answer the “Tema del ensayo” in a direct manner. This is your thesis/opinion that

you must defend

* USE all 3 sources provided

* 1st Paragraph should have your viewpoint on the topic and your thesis/opinion

* 2nd and 3rd Paragraphs should use the sources. Depending on your thesis/opinion, 1 or 2

sources will help support your thesis/opinion and the other source(s) will argue against your

thesis/opinion. Just make sure to use all 3 sources to defend or counter-argue your thesis/

opinion.

* Last Paragraph is to summarize the topic, state one’s conclusion and to predict, evaluate,

and make inferences based on your initial thesis/opinion.

* Use transition words such as “sin embargo” (nevertheless) o “no obstante” (however) when

referring to the source(s) that disagree with your thesis/opinion.

* Use transition words such as “además” (besides) o “entonces” (then) when referring to

source(s) that agree with your thesis/opinion.

Conversation

* Make sure to speak for all 20 seconds of a response (5 times)

* Use a variety of ways to begin your response:

- Pienso que...

- Creo que...

- Sería bueno...

- Podríamos...

- Me gusta o no me gusta esa idea porque...

- Sin duda una buena idea.

* Make sure to follow the script/guidelines and answer appropriately

- I.E. Responde a firmativamente means you have to agree

- I.E. Responde negativamente means you have to disagree

Cultural Comparison

* You absolutely need to compare two communities

- 1st Community: Where we live (Park City, Utah or USA)

- 2nd Community: Spanish Speaking Country

* Use words to compare/contrast:

Ambos (both), aunque (although), como (since, given that), de la misma manera (in the

same way), de lo contrario (otherwise), de otro modo (on the other hand), en cambio (on the

other hand), en vez de (instead of), igualmente (similarly), no obstante (however), pero (but), por

otro lado (on the other hand), sin embargo (nevertheless), sino (but), sino que (but rather)

* Speak the whole 2 minutes