Heather Broster
Heather is a graduate in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario and an aspiring polyglot. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction. When she isn’t studying languages, she enjoys the great outdoors, exercising and spending time with her young son.
When you hear the word sombrero, the first image that likely comes to mind is the traditional wide-brimmed Mexican men’s hat. However, in the Spanish language, sombrero generically refers to any hat with a brim that runs completely around the crown. Latin American Pronunciation European Pronunciation It’s common for specific terms to be borrowed from …
What do Spanish speakers call the insect that buzzes from flower to flower, collecting pollen to make honey? The answer is abeja! Latin American Pronunciation European Pronunciation This word derives from the Old Spanish abeja, which in turn comes from Latin apicula. Abeja is a feminine noun whose plural form is abejas and it takes …
One of everyone’s favourite insects is the ladybug (or ladybird if you are from the UK). Its name in Spanish is just as lovely as the insect itself: mariquita. Latin American Pronunciation European Pronunciation This word is the combination of marica (from María, the biblical figure) and the diminutive suffix -ita. Below are the definite …
Family life forms the foundation of Spanish culture, taking precedence over all other things in life including job success and material possessions. This is a value that is embraced not only by the Spanish but also many Latino countries where Spanish is spoken. The Spanish word for family is the similar sounding familia. Both words …
A populated place where people live, work and play is called a ciudad (city) in Spanish. Latin American Pronunciation European Pronunciation Ciudad is a feminine noun that takes the following definite and indefinite articles: No quiero vivir en una gran ciudad. I don’t want to live in a big city. Although town is often translated …
Since I started lifting weights three days a week, I’ve been trying to increase the amount of protein I incorporate into my diet. Since I’m not a great meat lover, this means eating at least one huevo (egg) per day to hit my goals. Latin American Pronunciation European Pronunciation Huevo is inherited from Old Spanish …