Languages,Languages, Languages

Has Fio told you she's trying to learn Spanish by semi-immersion? She started by watching Univision, a Spanish-language station, every night to absorb the 's sounds and rhythm of the language, and now, with the help of Google Translator, she is trying to get everything in the house labeled so wherever she looks, she'll see the Spanish word for it. She's planning to post a color chart too.  And she's trying to build the habit of substituting Spanish words for English words when she can.

Of course, most of the words she's learning now are basic nouns, but she's pretty sure she can learn prepositions from context. And she already has a head start on pronouns because she lives in Texas. The verbs will be more problematical, but Fio will handle them in time if she keeps at it. That's what immersion is all about.

And just think--if Fio can master Spanish, she can bring her Russian back up to speed.  And her Latin.  And then there's Italian--and German--and Telugu--and Mandarin--and every other language Fio has ever wanted to speak. (You'll notice Fio left off French.  She could read it quite well at one time, but has no interest in learning how to mispronounce it at this point in her life.)



 

The Writer LIfe

Writers don't sit around and talk about writing.  They don't put off writing until they've made a thorough study of the process. They write.
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When Fio was growing up, she would immerse herself in reading and not realize hours and hours had passed.  Now she immerses herself in writing and has the same experience.
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Ulterior motives lurk in Fiorella's novels.  She's told you before--she wants to uplift people, to inspire them to find their better selves.  (With a good helping of sizzle mixed in, of course, because that's what makes the world go 'round.)