THE SPEAKOUT 2nd EDITION STUDY BOOSTER FOR SPANISH-SPEAKING LEARNERS OF ENGLISH
How can I become more confident in English? Why aren’t I making faster progress? When will I be able to move up to the next level? Every language learner wants to know the secret to making the fastest progress in the shortest possible time. So what does the perfect learner need to do to get ahead? The answer is practise, practise, practise. The Speakout 2nd Edition Advanced Study Booster for Spanish-speaking learners of English gives you all the practice you need to help you get the most out of your English language course. With a focus on the particular challenges that Spanish-speaking learners of English face, the Study Booster complements complements the material in the accompanying Students’ Book and Workbook and is divided into five main sections which provide extra exercises to help you improve your grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, writing, reading and listening. You can work through the different sections in sequence, or just focus on the areas that you find particularly difficult. All the answers to the exercises are provided in the key at the back of the book so you can check your own work. You don’t have to do every exercise in the Study Booster to to successfully complete the course, but remember that the more you do, the faster you’ll progress!
CONTENTS
Common challenges for Spanish-speaking learners of English
3–7
Grammar Vocabulary
3–4 4–5
Pronunciation Writing
5–6 6–7
Speakout 2nd Edition Advanced Extra exercises
8
Grammar Extra Vocabulary Extra Pronunciation Extra Reading and Listening Extra
8–27 28–57 58–67 68–87
Writing Extra
88–97
Answer keys
98–117
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COMMON CHALLENGES FOR SPANISH-SPEAKING LEARNERS OF ENGLISH these clauses, we must use the pronoun who for people and which for inanimate objects, whereas in Spanish we can use que in both cases. Terminó el cuadro en el que había estado trabajando durante más de un año. He finished the painting (which/that) he had
GRAMMAR Word Order The most usual word order in English is subject + verb + object and this tends to be more rigid than in Spanish where we can start statements with the object. However, word order does change in some more complex structures in English, for example inversion for emphasis or cle sentences, and this can cause problems for Spanish students. Pocas veces he visto cuadros tan bonitos. Seldom have I
seen such beautiful paintings. Fue a mi hermana a quien viste ayer, no a mí. sister you saw yesterday, not me.
been working on for over a year. Mi marido me compró narcisos, que son mis flores favoritas. My husband bought me some daffodils, which are my favourite flowers. NOT My husband bought me daffodils, that are my favourite flowers.
Grammar Extra Unit 3.2 Exercises 1 and 2.
It was my
The passive voice The passive voice is used more frequently in English than in Spanish. One reason is that there is no English expression equivalent to se hace, se vendió, etc. Consequently, the passive voice is used in these cases. Se ha rodado una película interesante sobre los Beatles. An interesting film has been made about the Beatles.
The order of adjectives in noun phrases when there is more than one adjective is also fixed in English and it can be difficult for students to know which adjective to put first.
Era una bella mujer irlandesa de ojos grises. She was a beautiful, grey-eyed, Irish woman.
Grammar Extra Unit 3.1 Exercise 1; Unit 4.1 Exercises 1 and 2; Unit 7.1 Exercise 2; Unit 10.1 Exercises 1 and 2.
Grammar Extra Unit 5.2 Exercise 1.
Verbs followed by –ing or infinitive
Causative verbs
In English some verbs are followed by the - ing form of the verb and some by the infinitive. This can be a problem for students because there is no rule. Mencionó que iba a salir el sábado. He mentioned going out on Saturday. Se ofreció a ayudarme a hacer la cena. She offered to help
In English, to talk about something someone did for someone else they use a causative verb, have or get. This structure can be difficult for Spanish students because there is no equivalent in Spanish. Voy a cortarme el pelo mañana. I’m going to get my hair cut tomorrow. NOT I’m going to cut my hair tomorrow. (unless you do it yourself) Arreglé mi coche la semana pasada. I had my car repaired last week. NOT I repaired my car last week.
me cook dinner. Some verbs can take either the infinitive or gerund but their meaning may change. Acuérdate de volver a dejar las llaves en la mesa. Remember to put the keys back on the table. Me acuerdo de haber vuelto a dejar las llaves en la mesa. I remember putting the keys back on the table.
Grammar Extra Unit 5.2 Exercise 2.
Concession Using linkers to show concession or contrast in speaking and writing can be difficult for Spanish students because they can be followed by grammatical structures which are different from those used in Spanish. A pesar de lo mucho que me gusta correr , no soy muy rápido. Much as I enjoy running , I’m not very fast! Suspendí el examen a pesar de estudiar muchísimo. I failed my exam despite studying really hard.
Grammar Extra Unit 2.2 Exercises 1 and 2.
Participle Clauses Participle clauses can cause difficulties for Spanish students because the structure isn’t always the same in English. For example, in English the present participle is used aer prepositions while in Spanish we use the infinitive. Después de hablar con su madre, decidió dejar su trabajo. Aer talking to her mother, she decided to quit her job. Al oír la alarma, salieron del edificio. On hearing the alarm
Grammar Extra Unit 6.2 Exercises 1 and 2.
Simple, progressive and future tenses
they le the building.
Although English has simple, progressive, perfect and future tenses as we do in Spanish, the use of these tenses is not always identical in the two languages. For example, in Spanish the present simple can be used for an action which is taking place at this moment but in English we use the present continuous. ¡Vaya! ¡Llueve mucho! Wow! It’s raining a lot! NOT Wow! It
Grammar Extra Unit 7.2 Exercises 1 and 2.
Relative clauses In English, some relative clauses don’t require the use of a relative pronoun where Spanish does. Also note that in non-defining relative clauses we cannot use the pronoun that, which can be very confusing for Spanish students. In
rains a lot! 3
Estábamos intentando mantenerlo en secreto pero Mike se fue de la lengua. We were trying to keep it a secret but Mike ended up spilling the beans ! John nunca dice lo que piensa, siempre mira los toros desde la barrera. John never says what he thinks, he always sits on the fence.
Also, in Spanish the present simple can refer to the future when English uses will or going to.
Nos vemos mañana. I’ll see you tomorrow. El año que viene me jubilo. I’m going to retire next year.
In Spanish the present continuous can be used for activities that started in the past and continue in the present but in English the present perfect continuous is used for these activities.
Vocabulary Extra Unit 1 Exercises 4 and 5; Unit 2 Exercises 1, 2 and 6; Unit 5 Exercises 1 and 2; Unit 7 Exercises 4 and 5; Unit 8 Exercises 2 and 3.
¿Cuánto tiempo llevas viviendo aquí? How long have you been living here? NOT How long are you living here?
Collocations
Grammar Extra Unit 1.1 Exercises 1, 2 and 3; Unit 6 Exercises 1 and 2; Unit 8 Exercises 1 and 2.
Collocations are combinations of words which are frequently used by native speakers. It’s important to use the correct collocation in order to sound as natural as possible and demonstrate mastery of English. Se produjeron muchos accidentes debido a la lluvia intensa. There were a lot of accidents due to the heavy rain. Hay una pequeña posibilidad de que Jane apruebe su/el examen. There’s a slim chance that Jane will pass her exam.
Modal verbs Spanish speakers oen have problems with modal verbs. For example, there is a tendency to use can incorrectly with the function of deduction or interpreting evidence but in English the verbs commonly used are may , might or could. Sarah tiene bolsas en los ojos, puede que esté cansada. Sarah’s got bags under her eyes, she may/might/could be tired. NOT Sarah’s got bags under her eyes, she can be tired. Also, the difference between have to and must is oen confusing for Spanish speakers as both can express tener que hacer algo. English uses the verb must to impose an obligation and have to to speak about an obligation. Greg, tienes que tomar la medicina. Greg, you must take the
medicine. Los bomberos se tienen que arriesgar todos los días. Firemen have to take risks every day.
Vocabulary Extra Unit 2 Exercises 4 and 5; Unit 4 Exercises 1 and 2; Unit 6 Exercises 4 and 5; Unit 7 Exercise 1; Unit 10 Exercises 1, 4 and 5.
Prefixes English and Spanish prefixes do not correspond exactly, which oen results in students making mistakes. Riñeron a los niños por su mal comportamiento. The children were told off for their misbehaviour . NOT
malbehaviour Quedó completamente irreconocible después de la cirugía estética. She was completely unrecognisable aer her cosmetic surgery. NOT irrecognisable
Grammar Extra Unit 1.3 Exercises 1 and 2; Unit 5.1 Exercises 1 and 2.
Past simple and Present Perfect
Vocabulary Extra Unit 3 Exercises 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9.
Spanish students are oen confused about when to use the past simple and present perfect. One important reason for this is that in Spanish the present perfect is compatible with expressions of finished time, e.g. hace media hora and is oen used to refer to the recent past. In English, however, it is important to distinguish between a finished action (past simple), an indefinite time in the past (present perfect) and speaking about an action that started in the past and continues in the present (present perfect). He terminado de trabajar hace media hora. I finished work half an hour ago. NOT I have finished work half an hour ago. He trabajado mucho esta mañana, pero esta tarde no he hecho casi nada. I worked really hard this morning, but this aernoon I’ve hardly done anything. NOT I’ve worked really
Prepositional Phrases Prepositional phrases in English and Spanish do not correspond exactly and this can be a challenge for Spanish students. Se dirigió hacia el centro de la ciudad. He set off in the
direction of the town centre. No pudieron tomar una decisión hasta que todos estuvieron de acuerdo. They couldn’t make a decision until everyone was in agreement.
Vocabulary Extra Unit 5 Exercises 7, 8 and 9; Unit 6 Exercises 2 and 3; Unit 7 Exercises 7, 8 and 9; Unit 9 Exercises 7, 8 and 9.
hard this morning but this aernoon I’ve hardly done anything.
Multi-word verbs (phrasal verbs)
Grammar Extra Unit 4.2 Exercises 1 and 2.
Phrasal verbs can be difficult to learn because their meaning is oen very diffi cult for Spanish speakers to guess, although the context oen helps the meaning to be understood. No puedo cenar contigo, me ha surgido algo en el trabajo. I can’t have dinner with you this evening, something’s come up
VOCABULARY Idioms and sayings
at work. ¡No sé cómo puedes soportar a tu jefe! I don’t know how you can put up with your boss!
English idioms and sayings can be difficult for Spanish students because they are fixed expressions with meanings that are not usually obvious. Sometimes, the context can help us to understand the meaning.
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Compound adjectives
Vocabulary Extra Unit 1 Exercises 7, 8 and 9; Unit 2 Exercises 7, 8 and 9; Unit 4 Exercises 7, 8 and 9; Unit 5 Exercises 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9; Unit 6 Exercises 7, 8 and 9; Unit 9 Exercises 2 and 3; Unit 10 Exercises 7, 8 and 9.
In English it is possible to form compound adjectives in a way that we cannot in Spanish. Los planos del arquitecto para el nuevo centro comercial son demasiado ambiciosos. The architect’s plans for the new shopping centre are over-ambitious. Sus consejos son bien intencionados aunque a veces ella es un poco condescendiente. Her advice is well-meaning even if she’s a bit patronising at times.
Suffixes English and Spanish suffi xes do not correspond exactly, which oen results in students making mistakes. La foto era engañosa , el hotel era completamente diferente en la realidad. The photo was deceptive ; the hotel looked completely different in real life. Trabaja para una organización benéfica. He works for a charitable organisation.
Vocabulary Extra Unit 3 Exercise 3; Unit 9 Exercise 3; Unit 9 Exercise 1.
Vocabulary Extra Unit 7 Exercises 2 and 3.
PRONUNCIATION
Verbs with multiple meanings
Weak forms in auxiliary verbs
Some verbs, for example make, keep, take and set have multiple meanings in English which cannot always be directly translated into Spanish. Consequently, these verbs can cause lots of confusion among Spanish speakers. ¡El manual de instrucciones no tiene sentido! The instruction manual doesn’t make sense! Andaba tan rápido que no le podía seguir el ritmo. She was walking so fast I couldn’t keep up with her!
While in Spanish vowels are always pronounced in the same way, in English auxiliary verbs are oen pronounced with a weak vowel form, /ə/ or /ɪ/. This can make listening difficult for Spanish speakers and make speaking sound unnatural. El año que viene por estas fechas, habré terminado todos los exámenes. By this time next year, I’ll have /əv/ finished all my exams. Iba a estudiar medicina, pero he cambiado de opinión. I was /wəz/ going to study medicine but I changed my mind.
Vocabulary Extra Unit 1 Exercises 7, 8 and 9; Unit 2 Exercises 7, 8 and 9; Unit 4 Exercises 7, 8 and 9; Unit 7 Exercises 7, 8 and 9; Unit 8 Exercises 7, 8 and 9; Unit 10 Exercises 7, 8 and 9.
Pronunciation Extra Unit 1 Exercises 1A and B, 2A and B, 3A and B; Unit 6 Exercises 1A and B, 2A, B and C. Unit 10 Exercise 3A.
Words with similar meanings (synonyms)
Silent letters
English has a lot of words with similar meanings and it can be difficult for Spanish students to learn them, and sometimes to know which one to use in the correct context in terms of collocation or semantic precision, especially at advanced level when it is important to use a wide range of vocabulary. ¿Puedes echarme una mano para mover el armario? ¡Es muy complicado! Can you give me a hand to move this wardrobe it’s really cumbersome/awkward! Me sentí muy incómodo cuando me preguntó cuánto ganaba. I felt really cumbersome awkward when she asked me how much I earned.
English has got a higher number of silent letters than Spanish; these letters can cause lots of pronunciation mistakes. Le pedí al banco una hipoteca para comprar una casa. I asked the bank for a mortgage /ˈmɔːɡɪdʒ/ to buy my house. (silent ‘t’) Mi hijo se niega a comer ningún tipo de verdura. My son refuses to eat any vegetables /ˈvedʒtəbəlz/. (silent ‘e’) Pronunciation Extra Unit 9 Exercises 1A, B and C, 2A and B.
Linking in connected speech In connected speech when one word ends in a consonant and the next word begins with a vowel, they oen link together and sound like one word. This can cause diffi culties for Spanish students both in understanding connected speech and in producing natural sounding speech themselves. Su nueva empresa ha tenido mucho éxito en el último año. Their new business has really taken‿off in the last year. Todos los niños dijeron la respuesta al mismo tiempo. All the children shouted‿out the answer at the same time.
Vocabulary Extra Unit 10 Exercises 2 and 3.
Time expressions Some expressions to talk about time are different in English and Spanish. Spanish speakers should be aware of inappropriate expressions and incorrect or literal translations. Desde el principio estaba claro que su matrimonio no iba a durar. It was clear from the outset that their marriage wasn’t going to last. Estaré trabajando en este proyecto por ahora. I’ll be working on this project for the foreseeable future.
Pronunciation Extra Unit 1 Exercises 4A, B and C; Unit 9 Exercises 5, 6A and B.
Vocabulary Extra Unit 6 Exercise 1; Unit 8 Exercises 1 and 6.
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both in understanding connected speech and in producing natural sounding speech themselves.
Similar sounds: / ʃ / /z/ and /s/ Some consonant sounds can be problematic for Spanish speakers because English contains sounds which are similar to but different from Spanish sounds.
No cambiará nada si estudio o no porque voy a suspender el examen. It won’t make /wəʊnmeɪk/ a difference if I study or not, I’m still going to fail the exam! Últimamente mi abuela está pasando por una mala época. My grandmother’s /ˈɡrænmʌðəz/ had a really bad time /bætaɪm/ recently.
Es interesante conocer los asuntos sociales de otros países. It’s interesting to learn about social issues /ˈsəʊʃəlˌɪʃjuːz/ in other countries. Recientemente, ha habido un aumento del paro. There has been a rise /raɪz/ in unemployment recently. Soy alérgico al marisco. I’m allergic to shellfish /ʃelfɪʃ/.
Pronunciation Extra Unit 1 Exercises 5A and B; Unit 4 Exercises 6A and B; Unit 5 Exercises 1A and B, 2A and B, 3A and B; Unit 9 Exercises 5, 6A and B.
Pronunciation Extra Unit 4 Exercises 3A, B and C.
Word Stress (unstressed vowel sounds)
Intrusive sounds in connected speech
In unstressed syllables in English the vowel is oen spoken as a /ə/ or /ɪ/ sound. This can cause difficulties for Spanish students because in Spanish we always pronounce vowel sounds in the same way.
In connected speech an extra sound is added to mark the difference between two vowel sounds. This can make listening difficult for Spanish speakers as words are pronounced slightly differently and can also make speaking sound unnatural. ¿Alguna vez has estado en San Francisco? Have you‿ever
El protagonista no era muy convincente. The lead actor wasn’t very convincing /kənvɪnsɪŋ/. La película mostraba Italia desde una nueva perspectiva. The film showed Italy from a new perspective /pəˈspektɪv/.
/juːwevə/ been to San Francisco? No me gusta la idea de comer carne cruda. I hate the idea‿of /aɪˈdɪərəv/ eating raw meat! ¿Por qué nadie me escucha? Why ‿is /waɪjɪz/ it that nobody ever listens to me?
Pronunciation Extra Unit 2 Exercises 2A and B; Unit 10 Exercises 1A, B and C, 2A and B.
Word stress (prefixes and suffi xes)
Pronunciation Extra Unit 8 Exercises 2A and B, 3A and B; Unit 9 Exercises 5, 6A and B.
When a prefix or suffix is added to a word in English, the word stress sometimes changes and sometimes says the same. It can oen be hard for Spanish students to know which syllable to stress.
Heteronyms In English some words are spelt the same but pronounced differently. This can be confusing for Spanish students. Teníamos asientos de primera fila en la ópera. We had front row /rəʊ/ seats for the opera. Jane y Peter tuvieron una fuerte discusión por dinero. Jane and Peter had a huge row /raʊ/ about money.
El centro de la ciudad es muy moderno. The town centre is really modern (Oo). La biblioteca necesita modernizar sus ordenadores. The library needs to modernise (Ooo) its computers. Queremos renovar la casa el año que viene. We want to renovate (Ooo) the house next year. La reforma costó mucho más de lo que esperábamos. The renovations (ooOo) cost much more than we expected.
Pronunciation Extra Unit 7 Exercises 4A and B.
Double contractions
Pronunciation Extra Unit 3 Exercises 3A, B and C; Unit 7 Exercises 1A, B and C, 2A, B and 2C.
In spoken English the contracted form of have is oen used alongside the contracted form of would or the negative contraction of other modal verbs. This can make listening difficult for Spanish speakers and it can also make speaking sound unnatural.
WRITING
Habría estudiado más si hubiera sabido lo importante que era. I’d’ve /aɪdəv/ studied harder if I’d known how important it was. Ella no habría ido a la fiesta si hubiera sabido que él iba a estar allí. She wouldn’t’ve /wʊdəntəv/ gone to the party if she’d known he was going to be there.
Use of gerunds
The use of gerunds can be different in English and Spanish. For example, in Spanish we use the infinitive aer prepositions but in English they use the gerund. Al escuchar el timbre, el perro empezó a ladrar. On hearing
the doorbell, the dog started to bark. Nadar es el mejor ejercicio para todo el cuerpo. the best total-body exercise.
Pronunciation Extra Unit 2 Exercises 1A, B and C.
Consonant clusters in connected speech
Writing Extra Unit 10 Exercise 3.
Two or more consecutive consonant sounds (consonant clusters) are much more frequent in English than in Spanish. In connected speech one consonant sound is oen lost (elision) which can cause difficulties for Spanish students
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Swimming is
Phrases to support your opinion
Descriptive language
Some phrases used when supporting your opinion can lead to confusion because Spanish speakers tend to translate them literally. Por otra parte , le respeto mucho. On the other hand , I respect him a lot. NOT On the other side , I respect him a lot. Para empezar , es demasiado caro. To start with , it’s far too expensive. NOT To start , it’s far too expensive.
At higher levels it is important to demonstrate a wide range of vocabulary, particularly in descriptive pieces of writing. This can be difficult for Spanish students because some words are almost identical but have slightly different meanings. Le echó una mirada a la mujer y sonrió. He glanced at the
woman and smiled. Tuvimos la suerte de vislumbrar un leopardo y su cachorro tras la espesura. We were lucky enough to glimpse a leopard and her cub through the foliage.
Writing Extra Unit 2 Exercises 2A and B; Unit 10 Exercises 2A and B.
Metaphorical language can also be difficult for Spanish students as the ideas might not directly translate.
Time linkers It is important to use time linkers in narratives to sequence events and make your writing more cohesive. Some time linkers are followed by grammatical structures different from those used in Spanish which can cause Spanish students to make mistakes. Después , nadie podía recordar exactamente lo que había pasado. Aerwards , nobody could remember exactly what
El bosque estaba cubierto de campanillas. The forest was carpeted with bluebells.
had happened. En cuanto pagaron, salieron del restaurante. As soon as they had paid, they le the restaurant.
Some phrases used to describe cause and effect can lead to confusion because Spanish speakers tend to translate them literally. No podían soportar la idea de comer carne. Por eso , se
Writing Extra Unit 3 Exercises 1A, B, C, 2 and 3; Unit 5; Unit 8; Unit 9.
Phrases to describe cause and effect
Writing Extra Unit 5 Exercise 5.
convirtieron en vegetarianos. They couldn’t bear the idea of eating meat. Therefore , they became vegetarians. NOT For this they became vegetarians.
Informal expressions When writing informal emails or letters, Spanish speakers must be aware of inappropriate expressions and incorrect or literal translations. It is important to remember who your target reader is and adjust your register accordingly. Está loca por los caballos. She’s crazy about horses. NOT She’s crazy for horses. Se piensa que es lo más. He thinks he’s the greatest. NOT He thinks he’s the maximum.
Writing Extra Unit 4 Exercises 2 and 5.
Capitalisation Some rules about capitalisation are different. For example, in English when writing a title all the words are capitalised except articles and conjunctions. Nationalities, languages, races, months and cardinal points are capitalised as well. Ella trabaja los sábados. She works on Saturdays. Mucha gente británica y alemana vive en las costas españolas. Lots of British and German people live on the Spanish coasts.
Writing Extra Unit 1 Exercises 1A, 4A and B.
Linkers of contrast Some linkers of contrast are particularly difficult for Spanish students because they are followed by grammatical structures which are different from those used in Spanish. A pesar de no tener una cita, se fue a la fiesta. In spite of/ despite not having a date, he went to the party. NOT Despite he didn’t have a date, he went to the party. Por el contrario, yo diría que la comida esta buenísima. On
Writing Extra Units 1–10.
Punctuation There are some differences between English and Spanish punctuation. One of the main differences is the use of the colon in Spanish when starting a letter, and the use of the comma in numerals.
the contrary, I’d say that the food is delicious.
Estimados señores: (colon in Spanish) Dear Sirs , (comma in English) ¡No me lo puedo creer, acabo de ganar 50.000€ en la lotería! I don’t believe it – I’ve just won €50.000 on the lottery!
Writing Extra Unit 2 Exercises 2A, B, 3, 4A and B.
Phrases to describe trends Figurative language is oen used to describe trends in English, which does not always directly translate from Spanish. Los beneficios de su empresa se dispararon el año pasado. Her company’s profits soared/rocketed last year. Las temperaturas en el desierto se desploman después del anochecer. Temperatures in the desert plummet aer nightfall.
Writing Extra Unit Units 1–10.
Writing Extra Unit 6 Exercises 3 and 4. 7
