SPA 201 Chapter 11

Vocabulary Related to Cars and Technology

Puedo hablar sobre carros: Describe your car or the car of someone you know.
Puedo describir mi uso de la tecnología: Discuss how you use a cellphone or computer.
Puedo dar órdenes y consejos: Give three pieces of advice to a classmate using familiar commands.
Puedo investigar el uso de la tecnología en el mundo hispanohablante: Describe an aspect of technology use in Spanish-speaking countries.

Population and Area
- Area: 2,780,400 km² (about 1,074,000 mi²)
- Population: 45,864,000
- Capital: Buenos Aires (and metropolitan area) has approximately 15,370,000 people.
Major Cities: Buenos Aires, Córdoba (1,598,000), Rosario (1,574,000), Mendoza (1,209,000)
Official Currency: Peso argentino
Official Language: Spanish, along with some indigenous languages

Argentina is considered the most "European" country in Latin America due to immigration from Italians, Germans, Spaniards, and English after 1880.
This diversity has influenced Argentine culture in music, cinema, and architecture.

Background: Tango is a blend of African, Italian, and Spanish rhythms that originated in late 19th century Buenos Aires.
Originally a provocative and violent dance, it transformed to a more romantic style in the 1930s.
Tourism: Tango has gained international popularity, especially in cities like Paris.

The Iguazú Falls are located at the border of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil.
They rise up to 80 meters (262 feet) and can stretch 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) across during heavy rains.

Argentina has the third-largest economy in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico.
Major exports: beef, wine, and mate (a traditional beverage).
Key agricultural products include soy, corn, and wheat.

Influential personalities include Jorge Luis Borges (writer), María Eva Duarte de Perón (political figure), Adolfo Pérez Esquivel (activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner), and musicians like Andrés Cantor and Paulo Londra.

Discussions involve the impact of European immigration on Argentina's cultural identity and the role of traditions like Tango in modern society.
The significance of natural wonders like Iguazú Falls raises awareness about environmental conservation in tourism.

Technology allows us to learn new things and perform personal and professional tasks.
The rise of instructional videos aids people with less tech experience in navigating digital tools.

Social Media Trends: Applications like Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp are prevalent, with WhatsApp being the most commonly used platform for messaging. It allows users to create groups and share unlimited images and messages quickly and relatively inexpensively.
Spanish in Digital Communication: Spanish is the third most used language across social media platforms. Users often employ chat language that prioritizes brevity and speed, utilizing abbreviations and symbols (e.g., “xq?” for “¿Por qué?”).

Discussions on technology's impact on personal relationships and how it affects communication with distant and closer loved ones have become increasingly relevant.

Affirmative Commands: Based on the present tense él/ella form of the verb (e.g., "Habla" for "Hablar")
Negative Commands: Formed from the yo form of the present, changing the endings appropriately based on the verb tense (e.g., “No hables” for “hablar”).

Stressed Possessive Adjectives: Emphasize ownership (e.g., "el coche mío") compared to unstressed ones that precede nouns (e.g., "mi coche").

Used to express shared actions between people (e.g., "Luis y Marta se abrazan").