Along the way, she found herself thinking about her identity. And in December 1999, just weeks after her 10th birthday, Francis, her sister, and her mom left Ecuador to start a new life in Florida, near Tampa. And if you do have a Spanish keyboard downloaded to your phone, it makes auto-suggestions that can give away the answers. the darker the color, the higher the percentage of Duolingo users One reason was financial: in the U.S. quinceaeras can cost tens of thousands of dollars as much as some weddings! The concept is simple: if you meet your daily goal on Duolingo for 2 days in a row, you have a 2-day streak. One of the primary features Duolingo offers is the ability to maintain a streak. Por esa razn, despus de aquella reaccin tan negativa, ella decidi no poner su nombre en ningn otro libro. She learned multiple languages, including French, Portuguese, Catalan, and Italian. In addition, Duolingo Plus allows you to download lessons to do offline, offers progress quizzes, unlimited skill test-outs so that you can skip lessons that teach material that you have already mastered, and unlimited hearts (so no fear of making mistakes). Se consideraba una frivolidad y Mara no quera vivir esa situacin. You might have heard that the current Pope Francis is from Argentina but did you know that he was born to Italian immigrants? The family also faced economic hardships. Por esa razn, mis padres no se sentan seguros en Ecuador. Por qu iban a dedicarle un homenaje? Hi James, thank you for your comment. Some Spanish linguists believe that the sound of the word pastry should be similar to the sound of the English word butter. Keep reading to see how the data on Duolingos learners reveals insights into country preferences, cultural affinities, immigration trends, and more. In the end, Francis even wore pink and a crown, or corona, but put her own twist on it. Esa fue la oportunidad perfecta para celebrar quien soy y darles las gracias a las personas que considero importantes en mi vida. She told Juan they were preparing an upcoming exhibit about an early 20th century Spanish author. Juan: Tuvimos que descubrir la verdad sobre Mara Lejrraga. , but it looks like the goal is to advance your league status and compete with other players that are also learning the same language as you. Juan: Recibi muchas crticas positivas y tuvo mucho xito con el pblico. El tiempo pas y ella fue olvidada. Juan: En algunas de las cartas que lemos Mara Lejrraga deca abiertamente que era la autora de muchas de las obras de su marido, incluyendo Cartas a las mujeres de Espaa. You can also follow us on Apple Podcasts or on your favorite listening app, so you never miss an episode. She called her in Florida. They had studied English in Ecuador, so it didnt take them long to adjust to a new language and make new friends. A la gente dentro y fuera de Espaa le gustaba su trabajo. Francis: Llegamos al aeropuerto, empezamos a despedirnos de mi familia y ah supe que la separacin sera muy difcil. Francis: Esa fue mi oportunidad para darles las gracias a mis amigos por todo su apoyo. New Hampshire has the highest average proportion of users with a medium streak of 30-119 days. It is a very pretty name and it means two languages. Martina: Juan and Isabel read all these details during their research, but found no evidence in the official record that Mara might have been a writer herself. According to the data from the beginning of the year, immigrants constitute 13.4% of the total population in Norway. Lingodeer and Rosetta Stone allow you to choose between the two accents and vocabularies, whereas Duolingo does not differentiate between the two Spanish dialects. Yo ya viva sola aqu en Washington D.C. cuando comenc a entender cmo me senta. As que despus de un par de aos en Estados Unidos, se separaron. Later, when the Spanish colonized the Americas, it evolved to include Catholic elements and a religious ceremony. In modern times, the quinceaera parties have transformed into a popular celebration across Latin America. But the name barely rang a bell. Latin American countries are fairly consistent in their language preferences: The top language is English, followed by Spanish in Portuguese-speaking Brazil and either French or Portuguese in Spanish-speaking countries. Martina: Francis spent the first 10 years of her life in Latin America. If you liked this story, please share it! If the competition motivates you, then this app has the right format for you. And thats when they learned something shocking. Francis: No conoca bien las costumbres de una quinceaera porque nunca fui a ninguna de esas fiestas en Ecuador. As a Spanish teacher, I think its a fantastic tool and a great way to practice listening and reading skills. So the cultural center assumed he would have plenty to say about the subject of the upcoming exhibit, a woman by the name Mara Lejrraga. Martina: She also consulted with her mom on the phone. (general) a. soy de los Estados Unidos. Por esta razn, nunca supe nada sobre las quinceaeras de las nias que conoc en Ecuador. There are only three letters youll need to learn in order to learn these: L is an abbreviation for length, and Im following the letters (e*e), ch (chay), and elle. phrase. Hi. Isabel: Cuando comenz la Guerra Civil, Mara estuvo en peligro y tuvo que exiliarse. Fue una de las figuras ms importantes de la cultura espaola del siglo XX, pero cuando empezamos, muy pocos investigadores lo saban. Make your way to the train station or wait for your ride with a unit that you can download. Japanese is most popular among users in the western US, likely given its proximity to Japan and since many of the states have relatively large Japanese or Japanese-American populations. Im not a huge fan of this method, especially since you only have 5 hearts and therefore only 5 mistakes allowed. This will be a tedious process unless you purchase Duolingo Plus. Below are a few examples from different parts of the world. Every week, Duolingo produces a Spanish-language podcast with English narration that offers fascinating real-life stories. My name in Spanish is duolingo. Or is it because most Canadians truly want to learn their other official language? The Duolingo Spanish podcast is produced by Duolingo and Adonde Media. Some of her friends knew Francis was queer, but many others didnt. Despite having fewer irregularities than other languages, Spanish has an extremely straightforward pronunciation system. According to Isabel Lizarraga, Spanish society had little respect for women authors during this time in history. This makes sense, since some Alaskan residents claim they can actually see Russia from their homes. The reward system is a bit confusing because of all of the categories, but the general effect is that you are rewarded for doing the lessons. Fascinating stories in easy-to-understand Spanish, Narrators & Protagonists: Juan Aguilera Sastre and Isabel Lizarraga Vizcarra, Sound Design & Mastering Engineer: Antonio Romero, Episode 93: The Secret Life of Mara Lejrraga - Art Mysteries, Episode 5. Ganaba lo suficiente para vivir, pero no para tener muchos lujos. Juan: La presidenta del Ateneo dijo que probablemente ya habamos ledo muchos textos de Mara, pero con otro nombre. half of the users in 94 countries. Set 24 has a maximum of 28 XP per story in French. Juan Aguilera Sastre and Isabel Lizarraga Vizcarra live in La Rioja, Spain. A light bulb went off. The elaborate ball gowns are adorned with lace and beads. Namibias relationship with Germany is complicated because of the colonial times, when Namibia was under German rule. View all posts by Kirsten Agla. Which state has the highest proportion of users learning languages with Duolingo? Martina: Mara Lejrragas nieces met with Juan and Isabel and told them that Mara never had children. Catalan, Danish, Dutch, English, Esperanto, French, German, Irish, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, and Welsh. Francis: Iulia me dijo que tena que hacer lo que yo quera. There is a great variety of activities that range from matching games and fill in the blank to typing what you hear. Conveniently, Isabel was sitting right next to himbecause the two literature professors just happen to be married. She had a demanding career in project management and was in the middle of buying a condo. Its one of the top two languages in 20% of all countries largely focused in Europe, Middle East, and Asia and its studied by 7% of all Duolingo users. Ella era contadora en Ecuador, pero en Estados Unidos no poda trabajar en su profesin porque no hablaba ingls. The fastest growing foreign-born groups are from Syria and Afghanistan, reflecting a recent increase in the refugee population. Given the popularity and interest in our global analysis, we wanted to do something similar for our home country. Mara Lejrraga todava no es muy conocida, pero nosotros estamos trabajando da y noche para cambiar eso. In fact, German is very popular in the whole region of the Balkans, which is geographically very close to German-speaking countries: Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. CERTIFY YOUR ENGLISH Effective and efficient courses El enigma de Mara Lejrraga. They had had problems before, and now in the U.S., things got worse. In 2021, Mississippi, Oregon, Utah, and Washington all studied French as #2 and Japanese as #3and Mississippi was on this exclusive list in 2020 as well. La dictadura de Franco no permiti su venta en Espaa hasta el ao 1975. Martina: Together, Juan and Isabel began searching for answers. In Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, about 60% of Duolingo users are learning Spanish. So Francis researched on Google and read articles to learn more. Fue un momento muy especial y me encant estar con todos ellos en el mismo lugar. Its good if you like ranked games and competition, and bad if you want to take your time and avoid comparison to others. For Spanish, on the other hand, the darkest regions are in North America and the English-speaking countries in the Caribbean. You can also follow us on Apple Podcasts or your favorite listening app, so you never miss an episode. Many of them had always known her as a straight woman. It's optional in Spanish, but the the is required in English. Pero en Espaa fue un libro prohibido. Francis: Mi pap y la familia de mi pap tenan un collar que queran darme a los quince aos. Martina: Bienvenidos and welcome to a special season of the Duolingo Spanish Podcast. Loved it! Martina: Francis was so happy to finally have a coming-of-age party that honored who she wasin her entirety. There is no one definitive answer to this question. Duolingos free version has a lot of ads and limits your experience, whereas Duolingo Plus has no ads and additional features. A scientist trained in linguistics and the cognitive science of learning. Still, the idea of a double quinceaera stuck with her. . De hoy en adelante, quiero estar feliz y aceptar esta parte de mi vida y de mi identidad. (M) He is from the United States but now lives in Germany. Isabel: La celebracin en el Ateneo fue solo el primer paso; decidimos hacer ms. Juan: Entre los documentos ms importantes que tenan haba varias cartas escritas por Mara Lejrraga. Nuestra misin es simple: queremos que ella tenga el lugar que nunca debi perder por ser mujer. She was born in 1874 in the region of La Rioja, the same area where the cultural center Ateneo Riojano is located and where Juan and Isabel live. On one trip they went to Disney World. How does Argentina differ from the rest of Latin America? Martina: While reading through Maras letters, Juan and Isabel got a big surprise They learned that Mara Lejrraga had actually published one book under her own name in 1899, the year before she married Gregorio. Notice any other interesting patterns in the Duolingo data? If you miss something, you can always skip back and listen again. Iulia encouraged Francis to do it and promised she would help organize the party. Perhaps not surprisingly, then, English is the second most studied language in the United States, attracting 21% of the countrys Duolingo users. Argentina (similarly to Uruguay) has strong ties with the Italian language. Juan: Ella me pregunt si quera participar en esa actividad. Florida, Louisiana, California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and portions of western Colorado were all once part of Spanish rule. In most states, French is the second most popular language, with an average of nearly 15.8% of users learning it. In the US, Spanish comes out on top as the most studied language in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., though English is the top language studied among Duolingo learners in Puerto Rico. Whatever app you choose, you are taking a step in the right direction by choosing to learn Spanish! German happens to be most popular in the Northwestern US, with the top states being South Dakota (13.6%), North Dakota (13.4%), Alaska (12.6%), and Montana (12.3%). Mi pap se fue primero. Navajo also saw a boost in popularity. The garden glows with criss-crossed string lights and glittery homemade posters decorate the walls. I dont want to be in leagues, The article is wrong. Episode 107: Costumbres - Quinceaeras in the U.S. In contrast to what prevailed in past years, this year's conference will also be absent from the oil ministers of Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE and Russia. After receiving an education, Mara went on to become a schoolteacher. Language can teach us life lessons in a variety of ways, and these are not language lessons. Eso es lo ms bonito de todo. Martina: Welcome, le damos la bienvenida al Duolingo Spanish Podcast. Learn vocabulary in an order that is familiar to you so you can understand how to communicate effectively in Spanish. languages on Duolingo: English, French, or Spanish. On a formal level, the French word est is used to refer to dining. Martina: A few of Gregorios plays, like Cancin de Cuna, or The Cradle Song, became so popular that they were even adapted into film. Mi mam decidi no hablar del tema. You have unlimited hearts on duolingo for free if you use it through web browser. It was also pushing the boundaries for how women were represented in art at the timechallenging dominant narratives that painted women as submissive, or sometidas, and dependent on men. Martina: Heres a message we recently got from Danielle who is in California but originally from Toronto, Canada: Danielle: I've been using Duolingo Spanish for probably two years, but I had never gotten into the podcast and I just started them this year and I'm about two weeks until listening to one a day. Good review, and I agree with most of it but Duolingo teaches American Spanish, not European. Si no haba fiesta, no tenamos que gastar todo ese dinero. Martina: As the eldest of two sisters, Francis often heard her parents mention her 15th birthday party, or quinceaera. Yes, English dominates but by how much? I agree that its a useful tool, but after using it myself (pro verson) for three months, while living in Spain, I would not recommend it for European Spanish. Martina: The tradition of the quinceaera is believed to have started in 500 CE as an Aztec custom. As the daughter of recent immigrants from Ecuador, Francis Gortaire didnt get to have a traditional quinceaera when she turned 15. The addictive nature of smartphone games and social media is often viewed as a negative, however since in this case its in the name of knowledge I think it can be considered a positive. She was determined to continue publishingand as Juan and Isabel learned from her letters, she would write a lot more than just that one book from 1899. Our differences arent just limited to minor preoccupations about regional language patterns. Este libro es para que la gente que no est interesada en la investigacin filolgica ni literaria, pueda conocer a esta mujer y su historia. Francis: Las personas reaccionan de manera diferente a los cambios. On social media, Francis saw posts from other women who threw themselves double quince parties when they turned 30. In the United States, immigrants constitute 13.1% of the total population. Martina: Francis remembered her dad specifically telling her about a necklace he planned to give her at her party, when she became a woman, or al convertirse en mujer. Finally, Francis found a quinceaera tradition that resonated with her: a candle, or vela, ceremony. Francis: Para seguir un poco la tradicin de la fiesta rosada, me compr una falda rosada. Why would Italian be so popular in Argentina? When you are just getting started, Duolingo Spanish categories include Travel, Family, Restaurant, Phrases, and more. You will be able to communicate effectively in Spanish in no time with this grammar-based approach. Duolingo has 120 million users around the world, and currently teaches 19 distinct languages. Lastly, a major negative to Duolingo is the inability to test out of levels without paying gems or getting Duolingo Plus. Spanish speakers colonized many areas of America that eventually became part of the United States, so the names of many of our states and cities are Spanish. Duolingo has 5 tabs at the bottom of the screen; Lessons, Stories, Profile, Leaderboard, and Shop. Well check the issue you just mentioned and ensure the articles information is up to date. Francis: Mi familia tena suficiente dinero para comprar comida y ropa, pero no para hacer una fiesta grande. Spanish is her second language and she is familiar with French. Martina: The night of Francis party arrived. Another case is Norway, where Norwegian is the second most popular language (with 18% of all users). Duolingo not only helps immigrants, but also assists locals in learning an official language of their own country. This story was produced by Adonde Medias Caro Rolando. Whos learning to talk to their neighbors? Im back to reviewing! Today, we travel to Spain to learn about one of the greatest writers of the twentieth centurywhose identity is only just starting to be revealed to the public-at-large. But why Utah? So much so that Mara Lejrragas nieces were there for the naming ceremony, along with the mayor of the town. The other parts of Canada are much less bilingual, even though French is mandatory as a second language for most Canadian students. Martina: It was around this time in 2019, that the double quinceaera trend was becoming more popular. The program teaches students about European Spanish. Would love your thoughts, please comment. In the 19th and 20th centuries, large waves of immigrants flowed from Italy to Argentina. Thanks to annika_a for the correction and clarification. If duo lingo at least highlighted the difference words or allowed you to use the European words instead of marking them wrong that would be great. Dont forget to say your name and where youre from! The darkest regions are in Latin On the other hand, these tips are short, well-written grammar lessons that are very valuable for learners. What are you doing for dinner with us? Pero, por otro lado, hay otras costumbres que me gustan mucho. Isabel: Otra razn es que, en esos tiempos, ser escritora y firmar pblicamente las obras era algo mal visto para las mujeres respetables en la sociedad espaola. I left my 'comfortable' job on Facebook to fulfill my dream - educating people worldwide. Por ejemplo, compartir con tu familia y comunidad, y celebrar una nueva etapa de tu vida. Martina: Francis mom couldnt continue her professional career and only found work in menial jobs. 1. But in terms of the overall number of users, Spanish wins: it is studied by 17% of all Duolingo users, compared to only 11% for French. Juan: Isabel, otros profesores y yo investigamos mucho sobre Mara Lejrraga e inauguramos una calle con su nombre en la ciudad donde haba nacido. I find that *many* but by no means all Spanish speakers from Spain understand these words, but most have to think. Francis smiles and takes a deep breath Shes about to share a big announcement with her friends. Its the top language in Namibia, where it is studied by nearly a third of Duolingo users. There she spoke freely about writing many of the works credited to her husband. Yo era una nia durante la dictadura de Franco, cuando las mujeres todava no tenan voz. You earn XP (experience points) and money which they call lingots and gems for each lesson that you pass, as well as crowns and achievements. Even though the US is technically one country, we take interstate and regional language differences pretty seriously. Overall, it looks pretty dark! Luckily, Duolingo can help! Martina: Maria and Gregorio got married in 1900. Recently I purchased and reviewed, as part of my mission to evaluate Spanish resources for independent learners. Francis: Por esa razn, decidimos emigrar de Ecuador e ir a los Estados Unidos. La mayora de mis amigas eran estadounidenses o eran como yo, es decir, extranjeras que intentaban adaptarse a la cultura del pas. l es de los Estados Unidos pero actualmente vive en Alemania.