How can I make a 3 - 5 minut video of myself speaking spanish?
I am a beginner taking Spanish 1411 and my professor assigned a project for me to create a 3 -5 minute video of me speaking Spanish on you-tube. I am only just beginning to learn the language to I'm very nervous but I want to do well. The topic is "la universidad" and I will be talking about anything I want as long as it concerns my experiences or plans for my education. I also have to submit a written and corrected copy along with my video. I'm wondering where I should begin. Should I start with writing down what I want to say and then practice translating each sentence? I don't really understand the instructions for the written corrections. I'm assuming he is referring to corrections for my errors on the video. This is only the third week of class so I'm sure he isn't expecting it to be perfect but I really do want to do well. I just don't know how I should go about it. Thank you for any help. This website has been a huge help to me.
7 Answers
3 weeks of class and he wants you to speak in Spanish for 3 to 5 minutes? ¡Ay caramba! 
Ok... Here is what you need to do.
Primero- Write a simple text in English of what you want to say.
Segundo- Translate that text to Spanish.
Tercero- Bring your text back here and let us help you get it right.
Cuarto- Record your video.
Quinto- Upload to Youtube.
¡Buena suerte!
Now that you are actually asking for a proofreading of your script, you may want to change the category of the thread to proofreading.
Also whenever asking for a correction of Spanish text you should include an English version so the we know what you are trying to say. That is, unless you are an advanced student and are only anticpating minor changes to your text.
A large part of the correction of your text would be going in and placing all of the accent marks that you did not include. You really cannot write Spanish and omit them. You will certainly be misunderstood. [Everyones favorite example is the word años; quite a different meaning without the tilde]
There are numerous methods for making Spanish accents and other special characters. We have threads on all of them. You need to learn how to use one of them.
We are not allowed to correct machine translations. You should correct the obvious errors that machine translators make yourself before posting. Phrases like «Siempre he puso de pie a los agresores...» tell us that this is a machine doing literal translation. Anyone that has studied the perfect tenses is unlikey to not recognize the need for the past participle after the auxiliary verb haber. A begining student might use ponido rather that puesto, but not use a conjugated verb. By the way, I do not think that is the way to say stood up to in that context. Another possibe machine error. That is literally saying I stood up or got on my feet. (body position).
Just a suggestion, but if you don't get immediate help it may be because some people find extensive texts daunting (we non-native students). You may want to break your post into a post 1 and 2. That will also give you room to include your English version.
One method for making intial corrections is to reverse the process if you are using a machine translator as a starting point.
Copy your Spanish version (as written) back into the machine and translate it back to English. This will help you see where many of your Spanish errors are. Notice how many words are misunderstood soley because of missing punctuation. Also notice than none of the 3 translations made sense of dendor in the 1st sentence. That gives you a clue to do further research.
Definitely write it out and read it, just so you can see how long it takes. It easier to cut or add items if you have it written out.
This is not an oral presentation, but just a video with a transcript? So really, you can just read the dialogue, you do not have to memorize it.
How are you going to make the video that you are going to upload to YouTube? I suggest using Windows Movie Maker and Windows Sound Recorder. Very simple programs to use.
Unless the teacher likes looking at your smiling face I would put the transcript in the video so that your audience can read it while listening to you. I used to do that with books for a friend of mine. I would place pictures of the book pages in the video so that they could read along while listening to my narration. You can also include a picture in picture window of you speaking if you wish.
Here is a link to a YouTube video that I made for someone here. This is somewhat what I had in mind, but rather than looking at a desktop you would be looking at the transcript.
And, yes, post your transcript here so we can help you correct it.
[That video was a video screen capture. With Windows Movie Maker you actually work with a story board.]
Is this out of a translator?
Just looking at the first sentence my suggestions would be pasión (passion is English) - I'm not sure what 'dendor' is meant to be and aprovechadas needs to be feminine pl to match las personas although I'm not sure if that's the word you want or may be it could be explotadas?
Ok Dana, we'll be glad to help you
Okay, I'm going to re-post in the proofreading section. I'll so both versions but I don't understand since I had a tutoring session at the college and she changed some of my sentences and I don't understand them either. However, my instructor is very strict about the structure of the sentences so I have to fix it. Any help would be appreciated so much.
Dana
My translated outline
Desde que yo era una nina siempre he sentido passion por dendor a las personas que fueron aprovechados. Siempre he puso de pie a los agresores cuando estan molestando a los demas. Finalmente, pesto el convirtio en un sueno para mi a algun dia tabajar en un campo donde pudiera ayudar a ostros.
Empece a tener hijos a una edad muy temprana. Mi primer hijo nacio cuando yo tenia diesciocho anos de edad. Etonces, mi hija vino unos anos mas tarde, y mi ultimo hijo nacio cuando yo tenia trenta anos. Solo ocho meses despues de mi olvide de mi sueno de ayudar a los demas pero como madre soltera, trabaje en lo que pude para culdar de mis hijos.
He trabajado en varios lugares y mi ultimo trabajo yo fue una asistente de vuelo. Lo disfrute mucho. Luego, un dia yo estaba trabajando cuando el avion se estrello contra ciertas turbulencias y YO sufri lesions graves. El piloto se vio obligado a hacer un aterrizaje de emergencia para que yo pudiera llegar a un hospital. Dos anos mas tarde despues del tratamiento y la cirugia me llego el momento de averguar que podria hacer yo desde mi inhabilitacion yo tenia lesions que no podia trabajar en cualquiera de mis trabajos anteriores. Con mis hijos criados, pude finalmente pensar acerca de lo que yo queria. El sueno que tuve cuando era una nina se convierta en una realidad cuando me matricule en Lone Star College – Montgomery.
Desde el principio empece a tomar clases de justia penal y para mi sorpresa, yo aprendi con gran rapidez y pronto conmense a trabajar en proyectos de honores. En los dos anos que he asistido a Lone Star College un Nuevo mundo de oporunidades se han abierto para mi. Mi experincia en el Lone Star College me ha devuelto mi vida y estoy muy agradecido.
Hace unos meses recibi una invitacion del colegio de honores en SHSU para aplicar en ciencias politicas que es lo que he decidido hacer. Es importante para mi que me gradue de ambos colegios. Voy a graduarme ai SHSU para obtener mi licenciatura per voy a graduarme de Lone Star College Montgomery en agradecimiento a lo que me dio para asistir a la escuela.
El sueno que tuve como una nina siempre fue un sueno. Jamas hubiera imaginado que mi vida cerradia el circulo y diera la oportunidad de cumplir el sueno que tengo da trabajar en un campo en el que ayudre a ostros. Estoy tan feliz.
Gracias, por favor ayudar!!!
danaóó
