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Try Isabel Allende books like The House of the Spirits or Daughter of Fortune.  Carlos Ruiz Zafón is a good choice too - start The with Shadow of the Wind:

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Carlos Ruiz Zafón Author - Official UK site

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THE MODERN CLASSIC: OVER 20 MILLION COPIES SOLD A Sunday Times bestseller and a Richard & Judy book club pick 'The real deal: one gorgeous read' Stephe...

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Be prepared with files, notepads and other stationery

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Be prepared with files, notepads and other stationery

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Miriam is a trainee sports journalist at the BBC. She graduated from Manchester with a BA in English Literature and French in 2016.

Here, she talks about what she does and how she got there following her time at Manchester.

On my BBC trainee scheme

I'm currently on the BBC's Journalism Trainee Scheme (JTS) as the sports trainee at BBC Sport. The JTS year includes three months at Online, Radio and TV respectively, as well as loads of incredible training weeks from the BBC Academy.

During my time at Online, I wrote for the BBC Sport website and worked with the social media and the digital video teams. At Radio, I mainly worked with the World Service, but I also worked on sport bulletin shifts for Radio 5 Live and Radio 4.

The highlight was producing a 30-minute show alone with just a presenter. Being able to put out such a fast-paced news show on the biggest radio station in the world is pretty cool, and a good example of being pushed in (and loving) the deep end!

I also produced and interviewed for other stories, including one on the hijab in sport, as well as a story on how Bob Marley's daughter, Cedella, is reviving women's football in Jamaica.

Now, I'm at TV, working as an assistant producer and editing footage for TV all day!

On why I love my job

I love talking to and meeting new people and finding out their stories, so it's really my ideal job. But the most rewarding element is being able to find and tell stories from communities or cultures that are usually not talked about or represented as much.

I grew up seeing a lot of the same faces in the media and saw the distrust that some communities felt towards it, so it's amazing to tell stories that defy stereotypes and push boundaries for an under-served audience, as well as to use my own life experiences to find and tell those stories.

I also love being creative and making things every single day.

On getting into journalism

I fell into sports journalism after being a track and field athlete myself for many years. For three years as a student, I was editor of the biggest website in the UK dedicated to athletics.

It led to more work in sports journalism, including a lot of travelling and using my French, and I very quickly realised that I wanted to make a career out of it, so got as much experience I could.

After I graduated, I did a master's in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. It was a very practical course and has helped me loads at the BBC. I then did an internship at BBC Radio 1/1Xtra/the Asian Network (the Where it Begins scheme), which was without a doubt the most exciting few months of my life.

I got to do some incredible stuff, and it really cemented my love for radio and showed me how much I needed to work in a place where I had to be creative every day. I went straight from the internship to the JTS.

I'd like to carry on working as a sports journalist, and maybe one day as a TV/radio reporter. I also love making my own videos, so video journalism is something I want to get into.

On life at Manchester

The beauty of studying English Literature and French is that it felt like I was also doing history, film, sociology and linguistics degrees, because both subjects are so vast and varied.

For example, in my second year, I studied an American Studies/English Literature module that covered African American history and literature from slavery all the way to the civil rights and Black Power movements.

I then chose to write my final-year dissertation on the cultural representation of police brutality in the civil rights movement in 21st-century texts (the graphic novel trilogy March and Ava DuVernay's film Selma).

I also studied a French film module in my final year, which was absolutely fantastic and made me realise how much I loved film. Even now, I think back to that module when I'm video-editing - about things that I wouldn't have known existed without that module.

Of course, having a language is invaluable and I am so glad I decided to study French. The core language modules are structured fantastically and taught me how to be independent when learning a language, which, in my opinion, is crucial. Manchester has excellent links for universities around the world when it comes to your year abroad. The staff members in the French department were also the most helpful people I came across at Manchester.

After my first year of university, I was confident enough to interview athletes in French for sports journalism work all over Europe in the summer, so studying a language was an important part of my career from just one year into my undergrad degree!

Also, being at such a huge university really helped me find out what I'm passionate about and what I loved doing. There are so many societies, clubs and sports teams at Manchester, and people from cultures and countries all over the world. Every September, I went to the careers fairs and got leaflets for everything. Then I went to various volunteering clubs/societies and decided which ones I enjoyed.

I left university with such a huge amount of stuff on my CV and, because of all the different people I met, with great social skills. Also, being at such a big university meant being able to do loads of new stuff. For example, I thought our athletics club would benefit from having a media officer, so I just created the role for myself!

On advice for budding journalists

Be bold, and be confident! Don't be put off by how competitive the industry is. Apply to the schemes and traineeships. I walked into my assessment centre for the JTS super relaxed because I thought there was no way I'd get the one sport place on a scheme that thousands of people apply for. This probably brought out more of my personality and it definitely allowed me to be proud of what I'd already achieved.

And be curious. Everyone says ideas are your currency in journalism, so if you can show that you're creative and can find interesting new stories and angles, then be confident and use that!

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Miriam is a trainee sports journalist at the BBC. She graduated from Manchester with a BA in English Literature and French in 2016. Here, she talks about what she does and how she got there following her time at Manchester. I'm currently on the BBC's Journalism Trainee Scheme (JTS) as the sports trainee at BBC Sport.

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How to be a good linguist? Read, read, read!

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How to be a good linguist? Read, read, read!

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Listen from 10 mins to 12 mins for some language learning tips

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Word of Mouth - Being a Polyglot - BBC Sounds

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Catch up on your favourite BBC radio show from your favourite DJ right here, whenever you like. Listen without limits with BBC Sounds.

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Find podcasts or radio programmes to listen to

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Find podcasts or radio programmes to listen to

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Melvyn Bragg discusses Muslim Spain, a culture that lasted 700 years, from Cordoba's golden age to the fall of Granada.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Muslim Spain. In 711 a small army of North African Berbers invaded Spain and established an Iberian Islamic culture that would last for over 700 years. Despite periods of infighting and persecution, Muslim Spain was a land where Muslims, Jews and Christians co-existed in relative peace and harmony. Its capital, Cordoba, although not unique amongst Spanish cities, became the centre and focus for generations of revered and respected philosophers, physicians and scholars. By the 10th century Cordoba was one of the largest cities in the world. But what some historians refer to as Cordoba's Golden Age came to an end in the 11th century, when the society was destabilised by new threats from Africa to the South and Christendom to the North. However, it was not until 1492, when Granada fell to the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, that Islamic Spain was well and truly over.In that same year the Jews were expelled from its shores and Christopher Columbus set sail to lead Spanish Christian expansionism into the new world. But how did Muslims, Jews and Christians interact in practice? Was this period of apparent tolerance underpinned by a respect for each other's sacred texts? What led to the eventual collapse of Cordoba and Islamic Spain? And are we guilty of over-romanticising this so-called golden age of co-existence? With Tim Winter, a convert to Islam and lecturer in Islamic Studies at the Faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University; Martin Palmer, Anglican lay preacher and theologian and author of The Sacred History of Britain, Mehri Niknam, Executive Director of the Maimonides Foundation, a joint Jewish-Muslim Interfaith Foundation in London.

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Melvyn Bragg discusses Muslim Spain, a culture that lasted 700 years, from Cordoba's golden age to the fall of Granada. Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Muslim Spain. In 711 a small army of North African Berbers invaded Spain and established an Iberian Islamic culture that would last for over 700 years.

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Review your notes regularly

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Read about the course and the 'in our own words' feedback from students who have taken A Level Spanish at Formby High School.

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Read about the course and the 'in our own words' feedback from students who have taken A Level Spanish at Formby High School.

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Find out about the course

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The highest quality free courses through the most awesome learning platform.

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If you are currently a Year 11 student planning to take A Level Spanish get ahead of the curve by by learning vocab for one of the first modules you will do in Year 12.

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Successful presentations depend on good preparation. Think about the purpose of your presentation and the audience. If you are presenting as part of an assessment, check your brief, marking criteria and guidance carefully.

Create a planning schedule

It might help to create a planning schedule. Write out a list of all the tasks you need to do and how much time to allocate to each task.

For example, if your presentation is for an assessment you could break down your preparation into the following tasks:

1. Interpret and understand the assessment brief. For more guidance see our Interpreting your assignment activity.

2. Think about who your audience is.

3. Research your topic. Go to our guidance on searching for information.

4. Identify your key message.

5. Plan your content and produce an outline.

6. Write your presentation and prepare your visual aids.

7. Practise your presentation.

This Assignment Survival Kit from the University of Kent can help you to plan a schedule.

Wunderlist is an online tool where you can create projects and break them down into sub-tasks. You can also attach documents, which is useful for storing the resources needed for a set task.

Know your audience

Make sure you understand why you are giving this talk, and to whom.

Ask yourself:

How much does the audience already know? This may change how much background detail you will need to include or whether you use subject-specific terminology.

Who is your audience? Are they fellow students, academics, school children? This will help you decide the level to pitch it at and the type of content you will include.

What is the cultural background of the audience? This may alter your use of specific cultural references, idioms or slang terms.

What will they be interested in? You need to be selective about the key points and information you include.

You might not be able to answer all these questions for everyone who will attend, but you can consider a general impression of their needs and expectations.

Plan your content

Set aside plenty of time to plan what you are going to say. You need to be selective. It is better to discuss fewer points in detail than many points superficially. You should:

decide what your key message or argument is

create an outline of your presentation by identifying the most relevant points that contribute to your overall message or argument

decide what supporting evidence to include that will help your audience to understand and be persuaded by what you are saying

consider what visual aids will help to illustrate, illuminate or explain what you are saying such as images, diagrams, statistics or even video clips.

Like many other assignments, a presentation should include:

an introduction that explains what you are going to talk about. Usually you should present your key message, or argument and an outline of the presentation

a main body where you discuss the most relevant and interesting points in a logical and coherent order

a conclusion that gives a brief review of the purpose of your presentation, reiterates the key message and if possible sets your discussion in a wider context

references to the evidence you have used. This may be verbal or should be on the slides if you are using them

thanking the audience for listening and an invitation to ask questions.

During your presentation, help your audience follow your thoughts and understand how your ideas link together by giving them verbal cues.

Here are some examples:

"I will begin by discussing..."

"We will draw on 2 key theories..."

"Now I have discussed the methods, I will move on to..."

"In contrast to my earlier argument..."

"This is particularly significant because..."

"In this presentation I aimed to..."

Check the venue

Finally, you should also take time to check the venue. You will need to know what resources are available to you so you can plan what to bring and how long it will take to set up.

If the venue is local, set aside an hour to visit the room. Check the seating arrangements, IT/projection facilities, plug sockets, and whether there are any flip-charts or whiteboards for feedback.

If you are presenting at a distant location, contact someone there to ask questions.

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Successful presentations depend on good preparation. Think about the purpose of your presentation and the audience. If you are presenting as part of an assessment, check your brief, marking criteria and guidance carefully. It might help to create a planning schedule.

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GCSE practice book (not necessary to purchase but recommended if you want GCSE/AS grammar practice)

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GCSE practice book (not necessary to purchase but recommended if you want GCSE/AS grammar practice)

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This book taught me more vocabulary and gave me more opportunities to practise than the official A1 textbook.

Written with little to no assumed prior knowledge of Spanish this workbook covers every grammar point from the main GCSE specifications. From nouns and adjectives to object pronouns, the subjunctive and everything in between. About this workbook:

Perfect for CEFR levels A1- B2

Links to authentic examples from the streets of Madrid

Morphology boxes throughout to increase language awareness

High-frequency vocabulary used throughout

Clear explainers with annotated examples

100+ exercises to practise what you've learnt

Thoughtfully laid out pages

Written by a current A Level teacher

Ideal for use in the classroom or as a self-study guide

Included in this book:
Gender and number + 45 most high-frequency nouns
Definite & indefinite articles
Abstract nouns with lo plus adjective

Adjectives
Agreement & position + top 42 adjectives
Comparative & superlative
Demonstrative (this, that, these, those etc)
Short and long-form possessives
Interrogative
Quantifiers (
Indefinite ( cada, otro, todo etc) muy, bastante etc ).

Verbs hay estar & hacer me gustaría structurecuando Tú and usted
Complex "if structures" with the imperfect subjunctive
Pluperfect
Gerunds
Imperative (affirmative & negative tú commands)
Impersonal verbs: most common only
Negation

Imperative (vosotros commands)
Present subjunctive with wishes, opinions, obligations and possibilities
Present subjunctive with Quisiera

Prepositions A, en, con, de, sobre, sin, desde/hasta, entre, the personal a

Conjunctions
Most common including: y, pero, o, porque, como, cuando

Number, quantity and dates primero, segundo, tercero etc)
Most common quantities

Time " + hour" + hour with present tense
Giving the time with " es la/son las a la/las
Stating what time something is done with " desde hace
Asking for the time/what time it is
Use of Hacía + length of time +
Use of* llevar* + duration + gerund
que + imperfect tense

Adverbs
Formation of -mente adverbs
Bueno and bien
Regular comparative and superlative adverbs
Adverbs of time and place
Common adverbial phrases (of manner, time and place)

Extras
Idiomatic expressions
Exclamations
Obligation structures
Infinitive structures
The speaking tool kit
Introducing and justifying opinions
Verbs with prepositions
Irregular conditional tense
Sequencers
+ more!

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Spanish grammar workbook: An ambitious, jam-packed introduction to Spanish grammar for complete beginners, intermediate learners and GCSE students

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Buy Spanish grammar workbook: An ambitious, jam-packed introduction to Spanish grammar for complete beginners, intermediate learners and GCSE students by Walsh, Mr Oliver (ISBN: 9798884655799) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

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5 Tips to Achieve Spanish Fluency You Can Start Using TODAY

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If you have any questions related to the Modern Languages Department or if you would like an image or content removing or if you would like to report any issues with the padlet content please contact us at enquiries@formbyhighschool.com and address the email FAO the Modern Languages Department. Thank you.

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Read in English to understand culture and history - Guernica

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Read in English to understand culture and history - Guernica

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Dave Boling on the writing of Guernica

Fresh out of college, I met and married a lovely Basque girl whose grandparents had come from Biscaya to herd sheep in the mountains of the American West. They filled me with Basque foods, got me drunk on their wines, and tried to teach me their dances. They showed me the Basques' characteristically fierce loyalty to their families and heritage. From them I learned of the decades-long oppression of their culture by the Franco regime. And from them I also heard of the bombing of Guernica.

As the world grew increasingly familiar with acts of terrorism against defenseless civilians, I was struck how the 1937 bombing of the historic town of Guernica had gone unrecognized as an early moment in the history of such attacks. It seemed that people in America were more aware of Picasso's famed mural than the atrocity that spawned the painting. By fictionalizing the event, I hoped to elevate awareness of the tragedy, and also to create characters who were good and noble people coping with traumatic circumstances in inspirational ways.

As I researched the bombing, I read stories of a number of Guernica victims who appeared at hospitals with strange symptoms: Their hands were mutilated. The
injuries weren't from bombing or burning, but from their insistence on digging barehanded through jagged rubble -- until the flesh tore from their bones - in the single-minded attempt to save their loved ones.

I thought immediately that those were the kind of passionate and determined people around whom I could build a novel, especially a story whose core explores the deep feelings one has for a spouse, for families, and for his country. I hoped that their experiences could be useful to those dealing with the aftermath of such attacks to this day.

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Dave Boling on the writing of Guernica Fresh out of college, I met and married a lovely Basque girl whose grandparents had come from Biscaya to herd sheep in the mountains of the American West. They filled me with Basque foods, got me drunk on their wines, and tried to teach me their dances.

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A 6ft 1 language student on her year abroad! Here is how you can embrace your year abroad no matter what! Come along on my crazy adventures around the world. You’ll love it :)
Em x

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Find out about degrees in other languages at MMU

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Find out about degrees in other languages at MMU

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Arts and Humanities - Manchester Met Uni

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Working as a language assistant in Spain

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Working as a language assistant in Spain

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In September 2019, I found myself doing something highly unusual. Instead of enrolling in a degree or frantically looking at graduate schemes and the like, I was boarding a plane that would whisk me away from the dreary throes of English weather, to those of sun-kissed Valencia.

Although I would miss the familiarity of rain and grey skies, of family and friends - I was unbearably excited.

The reason for my departure, though seemingly impulsive, was planned. I would be starting my placement as a Language Assistant with the British Council in a Valencian primary school. Like many other English students, I was exceedingly worried about those dreaded 'next steps' after graduation. Would I be lost in the sea of thousands of graduates, hoping to stay afloat in a competitive and constrictive climate?

I never imagined I would be one of those people that took a gap year or went abroad. I had loved studying Spanish at secondary school and decided to be spontaneous and throw myself into an environment that was unknown and exciting. It would turn out to be one of the best decisions I had ever made.

My primary school was located in a sleepy suburban town, by the name of La Cañada. Surrounded by luscious orange trees (a much-loved Valencian fruit), it was a train ride away from the city centre, where I was staying. My daily tasks consisted of organising and managing students from all year groups, and I would plan (what I hoped were) interesting speaking activities for pupils to get stuck into. The school were particularly invested in contemporary UK culture, and this led to eventful lessons on Christmas and Halloween, with games like 'search for Santa' and 'pin the nose, eyes and mouth on the pumpkin'.

Some more memorable moments included seeing the pupils in heaps of laughter whilst playing charades or 'mímica'. Day-to-day teaching was consistently different, which was challenging but also enjoyable, and I always returned home having learnt something new. The staff were unwaveringly kind - helping me secure accommodation and answering my unending questions. They never failed to put me at ease. I also became accustomed to eating lunch several hours later than I would normally and was introduced to scrumptious Valencian dishes, like paella and calabaza.

In my spare time, which fortunately I had a great deal of, I explored my surroundings and tried to cram in as many galleries, gardens, and other sights as I possibly could. Valencia truly had the best of everything - the city, the beach, and the countryside. My favourite discovery was the University of Valencia's Botanical Garden, a lush and inviting place with plants both beautiful and brain-like. To my inner bookworm's delight, I would catch glimpses of literary things everywhere. I saw Petrarch and Dante in museums I visited; the most exciting experience was happening upon Gulliver Park - a huge playground structure entirely modelled on Gulliver's Travels! It might have been for children - but I had an amazing time!

I also learnt about the annual Falles festival that spectacularly 'combines tradition, satire and art,' and which Valencia is famous for. Though the cruel arrival of Coronavirus halted any formal festivities, including the celebratory bonfire, I was thankful for what I had learned from the teachers and from museum visits. I was lucky enough to be shown around the city by a very kind teacher, which led to enjoyable ventures such as visiting the Tasquita de la Estrecha (the narrowest building in Europe), scenic hikes in mountainous villages and the sampling of delicious turrón (nougat). My language skills also improved during these outings. The locals were friendly and accommodating, which allowed me to practise my Spanish freely. I found that my speaking skills developed significantly after several months.

I wholeheartedly recommend the assistantship - it has changed my life in so many unforgettable ways. I am reminded of acclaimed South Asian novelist Anita Desai's thoughts on travelling: 'wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow'. The remarkable experience I had as a Language Assistant will always be a part of me. I had an outstanding time teaching, and I will treasure my memories with the staff and students.

The experience has provided me with a fascinating window into Valencia's enriched culture through visits to renowned sites and the knowledge of important festivals. It has also helped me hone an abundance of skills - resilience, communication, and adaptability. My journey has made me the person I am today and is something I will cherish forever.

¡Hasta luego!

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Life as a Language Assistant in Valencia by Haleema Ali - All Things SED

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In September 2019, I found myself doing something highly unusual. Instead of enrolling in a degree or frantically looking at graduate schemes and the like, I was boarding a plane that would whisk me away from the dreary throes of English weather, to those of sun-kissed Valencia.

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Language skills can be used in almost any career, and particularly in businesses that trade internationally

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Take a few minutes to answer the Job Match quiz and find out what careers would suit you

Work experience

Many modern language degrees offer a year studying or working abroad. If you choose to undertake a work placement during this year, try to find one in a career that you're interested in and take the opportunity to develop skills specific to that job, as well as your proficiency in the language.

Any time you can spend abroad perfecting your language skills will be helpful, and you may be able to find a temporary job that allows you to do this. Teaching English or working in the tourism sector can be good options.

If your aim is to move into translating or interpreting, you may want to carry out some work on a voluntary basis in order to build up a portfolio of experience.

Experience in areas such as administration and IT will also be useful for many jobs that use language skills. Registering with a suitable employment agency can help you in your search for work.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships and self-employment.

Typical employers

Some modern language graduates work on a self-employed basis as interpreters or translators. However, many others are employed by companies who trade or offer services internationally, or to non-English speaking customers and suppliers.

Language graduates are therefore employed by a wide variety of employers and sectors, including:

business services

charity work

engineering

media

museums and libraries

public administration

teaching

tourism

transport and logistics.

Find information on employers in leisure, sport and tourism, marketing, advertising and PR, teacher training and education and other job sectors.

Employers hiring language graduates now
View more business, tourism and marketing jobs
Skills for your CV

Studying a modern language degree will help you to develop good oral and written communication skills, and will also enable you to:

effectively gather, assess and interpret information

lead and participate in discussions and groups

organise your workload to meet deadlines

develop opinions and propose ideas

read pages of text and pick out the essential points.

Spending a year abroad during your degree where you'll adapt to new and changing surroundings will make you more resourceful and increase your cultural awareness. It will also enhance your ability to work independently and to relate to others and work as part of a team.

In an increasingly global jobs market, these skills are highly valued by employers, whichever career you go into.

Further study

Some graduates pursue postgraduate qualifications in interpreting or translating. This can help with competition for jobs and demonstrates a certain level of professional expertise.

You can choose to specialise in an area of language study that interested you during your undergraduate - European studies, for example.

Choosing to study abroad can increase your chances of developing an international career.

Further study or training in the subject you wish to develop your career, for example marketing, finance, business, IT and journalism, may be helpful. For some careers, such as law and teaching, postgraduate qualifications are essential.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search postgraduate courses in modern languages.

What do modern language graduates do?

Teaching professional is the top job held by modern languages graduates in employment in the UK. Other jobs in the top ten include business, research and administrative professionals, sales, marketing and related associate professionals, artistic, literary and media occupations, finance professionals, welfare and housing associate professionals, business associate professionals and media professionals.

For a detailed breakdown of what language graduates are doing after graduation, see What do graduates do?

Graduate destinations data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

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What can I do with a modern languages degree? | Prospects.ac.uk

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Find out what you can do with your degree in modern languages, including job options, work experience, further study and skills.

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Shona Becker graduated with a BA in French and Linguistics in 2012. She now works as a Speech and Language Therapist.

On studying at Manchester

"I had always had a passion for languages and spoke French to a good level from studying it at school. I also wanted to know more about how language worked, so chose to study linguistics.

"I very much enjoyed both my subjects at Manchester, so was determined to continue using them in some way. My linguistics knowledge particularly helped me when I chose to do an MSc in Speech and Language Therapy, as I already had solid knowledge of syntax, morphology and phonetics.

"My degree at Manchester helped me to realise what I was passionate about, and therefore what career course to take. I am certain that the job I have chosen is the one which suits me and my interests the best. "

On skills development

"Whilst at Manchester, I volunteered by working with young people in a mentoring scheme.

"Now that I work with children of all ages (up to 18), the skills I gained in this post really helped me to develop my counselling skills with young people and I use these almost daily."

On my career path

"After graduation, I took a gap year to travel. I then undertook a 2-year PG Diploma in Speech and Language Therapy and completed a 1-year MSc conversion alongside full-time work.

"I have now worked as a qualified Speech and Language Therapist for several years. I assess the speech, language and social communication skills of children from 0-18 years old. I then decide on their treatment plans and provide therapy sessions where appropriate.

"I spend time advising teachers and parents as to how best to support the child who has additional needs, and deliver training presentations to groups of teachers and parents."

On what I get out of my job

"The career of a Speech and Language Therapist is a rewarding job where you spend every day helping people to reach their potential in terms of their ability to communicate.

"I find nothing more satisfying than knowing that I have helped someone move forward towards being able to communicate, which I consider to be a fundamental human right."

On my advice for other students

"The process of qualifying is long and can be hard, but if you push through, I can guarantee you will feel an enormous sense of achievement.

"To be a Speech and Language Therapist, above all, you need patience, perseverance, and enthusiasm. You also need empathy, and strong decision-making and organisational skills."

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Shona Becker graduated with a BA in French and Linguistics in 2012. She now works as a Speech and Language Therapist. "I had always had a passion for languages and spoke French to a good level from studying it at school. I also wanted to know more about how language worked, so chose to study linguistics.

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spanish language learning education culture hispanic mexican multicultural spain argentina mexico barcelona

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We're a team of Spanish enthusiasts producing free learning material from different places in Latin America and Spain. We interview people on the streets in order to get to know the Spanish language as spoken in everyday life. Our episodes are subtitled in both Spanish and English.

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Why not take inspiration from Ann Morgan's Year of Reading the World and try to read a book from each Spanish speaking country?

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Here are my answers to some of the questions I get asked most often about A Year of Reading the World. If you don't find find what you're looking for here, please feel free to drop me a line (ann'at'annmorgan.me) and I'll do my best to help.
How can I follow this project?
Although my Year of Reading the World is finished, I still write about books and related things on this site. If you'd like to have these posts emailed to you when I publish them, click the 'follow' tab in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen or in the sidebar.

Alternatively, if you want to keep up with post-world developments, including my book, Reading the World or The World Between Two Covers, as it's known in the US, you can follow me on Twitter (@A_B_Morgan) by clicking the Twitter button in the sidebar. For Facebook users, there's a dedicated A Year of Reading the World page (like it and you'll make my day). If you're a visual sort, there's the A Year of Reading the World Instagram account, where I'm recording snapshots from the adventure of publishing my book this year.

And if you want to get in touch directly just leave a comment or drop me a line at ann'at'annmorgan.me
How did you read 196 (plus one extra) books in one year?
With difficulty is the short answer! I had to be very organised. I worked out the amount I needed to get through every day (around 150 pages to keep on track to read four books a week) and made sure I stuck to it. This meant reading for two hours on my commute (I was working full-time for most of the year) and an hour or two in the evening. I sometimes read in my lunch break too.

In actual fact, the reading was only half the battle - writing the blog posts and doing all the research took as much time, so I got up early to spend an hour or two on this before I left for work. I was very grateful to the many readers who helped me out with information and suggestions along the way, and to my friends, family and now-husband Steve for putting up with me being quite boring that year! For all the hard work, though, it was a lot of fun.
How did you choose what to read?
This varied from country to country (you can find out the reasons for each choice by clicking on the country names on the list). Sometimes a book caught my imagination or just sounded so tempting I had to give it a try. At other times, visitors to the blog made very convincing arguments as to why I had to go for certain titles. A few books got so many recommendations that they were obviously national favourites. And in the cases of countries with very little work in translation, I was often lucky to find even one option.
How can I see what book you chose for each country?
You can find details of the books that were recommended for each country on the list. Click on the country name to see the review of the title I chose in each case.
How can I buy the books you read for each country?
That very much depends on the book. Many of the titles I read are widely available through the usual commercial channels. Others have to be obtained through specialist, local retailers - where this is the case I have usually given the details in the blog post about each book. Some of the titles may have gone out of print since my project and others are still not commercially available. I am hopeful that English-language publishers will be inspired to acquire these books in time.
Can you give me pdfs of the books you read?
No. I do not own the rights to the books I read and it would be illegal and unfair for me to share authors' work in this way. The authors deserve to be paid for their writing. In a few cases, authors and translators have chosen to make the books freely available online. Where this is the case, I have usually included this information in the blog post about the book.
Why is my country not on the list?
The list of countries I read books from is made up of the 195 UN-recognised sovereign states plus former UN member Taiwan. You can find out more about this here. In addition to works from the 196 states, I also read a book from one extra territory chosen by blog visitors to represent the territories not on my list. This was Jalal Barzanji's The Man in Blue Pyjamas from Kurdistan. You can find out more about the Rest of the World contenders here.
What was your favourite book?
This is almost impossible to answer. I read so many excellent things during the project that it's very hard to pick one out - my response tends to vary depending on what day of the week you catch me. Some of the books were wonderful simply because of the stories they told and the way they were written. Others were special because of the lengths people went to to get them to me.

However, I have drawn up a list of my ten favourite commercially available reads, which you can find below. Unlike some of the other books on the list, you should be able to buy copies of these:

Albania - Ismail Kadare Broken April

Canada - Nicole Brossard Mauve Desert

Czech Republic - Bohumil Hrabal Too Loud a Solitude

Mongolia - Galsan Tschinag The Blue Sky

Myanmar - Nu Nu Yi Smile as they Bow

Pakistan - Jamil Ahmad The Wandering Falcon

Serbia - Srdjan Valjarevic Lake Como (limited availability)

Sierra Leone - Ismael Beah A Long Way Gone

Tajikistan - Andrei Volos Hurramabad

Togo - Tete-Michel Kpomassie An African in Greenland

Will you review my book?
Although my Year of Reading the World finished at the end of 2012, I have recently introduced a 'Book of the month' slot on this blog, where I write about one book I have particularly enjoyed each month. These books are usually suggested to me by other readers, publishers and experts, rather than the writers themselves. However, if you think your book might be of particular interest to me, you are welcome to leave a comment telling me about it.

I'm afraid I can't provide feedback on unpublished works not featured on this blog. That said, I am always keen to hear about initiatives and events to do with reading, writing, literature and the world. If you have something you think I might be interested in, please feel free to get in touch (ann'at'annmorgan.me).

Thanks.

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Here are my answers to some of the questions I get asked most often about A Year of Reading the World. If you don't find find what you're looking for here, please feel free to drop me a line (ann'at'annmorgan.me) and I'll do my best to help. How can I follow this project?

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History of Spain | Videos about the History of Spain

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History of Spain. The best videos of the History of Spain by historical stages, characters and events.