Time to do a little research! Spanish is a living language, spoken in a very diverse group of countries. What we call "Spanish" in English is officially called "castellano" in Spanish. Although many people now use the term "español" because of the influence of other language speakers, that is not a very specific term. "Español" technically refers to anything from Spain, and Spain has six officially recognized languages and several unofficial ones--many of which do not share a common root and have little to nothing in common. Castellano comes from the region of Castilla, and is the language that is primarily used for official business in Spain. It is also the language that Spain exported to America and Africa. Also remember that in Spanish the names of languages are not capitalized. In other Spanish-speaking countries, just like in Spain, "castellano" is not the only language spoken and for many people in those countries it is a second or third language. In Mexico there are sixty-eight indigenous languages, among which the top ones are Nahuatl, Maya, and Mixtec. In several countries of Central America the Garifuna people, descendents of African slaves, keep alive their language and culture with great pride. In the Andes, Quechua is spoken by almost ten million people, Aymara by more than two million, and Mapuche by a fewer than 800,000. The majority of the people of Paraguay are bilingual, speaking Spanish and Guaraní, while the indigenous language of the Caribbean, Taíno, has almost entirely disappeared. In Equatorial Guinea, where Spanish is the official language, they also speak the languages of two other colonizers--France and Portugal. 
      The diversity in the Spanish-speaking world is tremendous. This is beautifully illustrated by the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera in the mural shown, which I photographed in the Palacio de Gobierno in Mexico City. The painting shows the beautiful city of Tenochtitlán, now Mexico City, just before the arrival of the Spanish. The noun "Spanish" refers to the language "castellano," frequently and incorrectly called "español," and the adjective "Spanish" refers to people and things from Spain. So be careful when you ask someone "Are you Spanish?" The question can only be answered in the affirmative by people from Spain, and could be offensive or at the very least rude to Spanish speakers from other countries. So...educate yourself! Learn which ones are the countries in which Spanish is spoken, what other languages are spoken there, what the origin of those countries might be. Learning verbs and vocabulary is not enough--to be a proficient speaker of a language you must also understand the culture, and in the case of Spanish the most important element is diversity.

Summer is a good time to organize your flashcards, or make the flashcards you might have missed throughout the semester. The act of writing them out yourself and putting them in order helps you to memorize the contents. Separate them by categories that make sense to you. Many students use half of a notecard for each flashcard, in order to save on paper. Some students illustrate them, either with their own drawings or with something from a magazine or web page. This is a good idea because images can also help you remember things. Review your flashcards regularly. If you have a partner who can work with you, quiz each other, or play games. You can also play games yourself, or create sentences. Some games you can adapt for flashcards would be Go Fish (with categories replacing suits, like "ar," "er," and "ir" verbs and vocabulary, or vocabulary for the home, travel, etc.), Memory, Pictionary, or whatever else you can think of--be creative! Create sentences by taking a card out of each category and creating a silly sentence, then changing that sentence to the past, to the future, to the progressive, changing only the verb. The more you do these things, the more you'll remember. And don't forget--always speak out loud! Pronouncing words and sentences helps you remember, and learning a language is all about memory. You can also play any regular card game with a normal deck of cards just to practice numbers, or create a board game of your own using your flashcards as the game cards.
Here is some card-playing vocabulary that may be helpful:
los naipes     the cards
barajar     to shuffle
Me toca.     It's my turn.
Te toca.     It's your turn.
una carta     one card
repartir     to deal
¿Cuántas cartas?     How many cards?
ganar     to win
perder     to lose
hacer trampa     to cheat
tramposo/a     cheater
Poner las cartas/los naipes en la mesa.     To lay your cards on the table.
Suertudo/a.     Lucky you!
picón/picona     bad loser
Felicitaciones     Congratulations
el as     the ace
el rey     the king
la reina     the queen
el jack (pronounced "yac")     the jack
corazones     hearts
diamantes     diamonds
tréboles     clubs
picas     spades
el dos de corazones     the two of hearts
el tres de diamantes    the three of diamonds
You get the rest...
el juego de mesa     a board game
el espacio     a space
la ficha     a game piece
tirar el dado     to roll the die
la cárcel     jail
regresar     to go back

Once again, Zambobazo has come up with a great summer booklet to help you practice your Spanish. You pay less than $5 and you can download it online. I recommend this, and the use of their terrific web page with all its materials and fun activities.
You can download the booklet here.

Many students have trouble with "if" clauses. Here's a brief rundown of the most commonly used clauses.
***Note that "si," when it means "if," does not carry an accent!

Si (presente del indicativo) + presente del indicativo, futuro, o mandato

• Si estás aburrida, es bueno leer.  If you're bored, it's good to read.
  
• Si quieres mi ayuda, pídela.  If you want my help, ask for it.
  
• Si tienes frío, ponte una chaqueta.  If you're cold, put on a jacket.
  
• Si no estudias, tendrás malas notas.  If you don't study, you will have bad grades.
  
• Si practicas mucho el violín, vas a tocar muy bien en el concierto.  If you practice the violin a lot, you will play well in the concert.
  

Si (imperfecto del indicativo) + imperfecto del indicativo
(This is used to refer to habitual actions in the past)

• Cuando era chica, si quería helados mi abuelo me los compraba.  When I was little, if I wanted ice cream my grandfather would buy it for me.
  
• Si Manuel estaba enfermo, su mamá le hacía sopa.  If Manuel was sick, his mom would make him soup.
  
• Si Marta tenía mucho trabajo, no jugaba.  If Marta had too much work, she didn't play.
  

Si (imperfecto del subjuntivo) + condicional
(This is used for hypothetical situations in the present)

• Si tuviera el dinero, viajaría a la China.  If I had the money, I would travel to China.
• Si fuera más alto, jugaría basket.  If I were taller, I would play basketball.
• Si sacara mejores notas, su mamá le compraría un regalo.  If he got better grades, his mom would buy him a present.

Si (pluscuamperfecto del subjuntivo) + condicional perfecto
(This is a more advanced form--if you haven't yet done the perfect tenses, don't practice this yet--this is for hypothetical situations in the past)

• Si hubiera sabido que venías, te habría preparado la cena.  If I had known you were coming, I would have prepared you some dinner.
• Si hubieras visto mi gol, te habrías impresionado.  If you had seen my goal, you would have been impressed.
• Si hubiera tenido más tiempo, habría estudiado otro idioma.  If I had had more time I would have studied another language.

Para practicar:

• http://www.colby.edu/~bknelson/SLC/si_clauses.php
  
• http://www.quia.com/cm/107395.html
  
• http://www.quia.com/cm/335306.html
  
• http://www.quia.com/cm/107396.html
  
• http://www.quia.com/cm/524778.html
  
• http://www.quia.com/cz/415912.html
  
• http://www.indiana.edu/~spangram/VERBFORMS/s-i-si.htm
  

     Almost every community in the United States has businesses that cater to the Hispanic population--go explore a few. You've probably been to Mexican restaurants, but have you been to the Cuban restaurant? The Guatemalan one? The Peruvian or Chilean or Colombian or Spanish restaurant? All Spanish-speaking countries have their own unique cuisine--try it out!
     Another important place is the local Hispanic grocery. It may be very small, but I can guarantee you'll find things you've never seen before. Read the labels and talk to the people who work there. Many times this is the heart of a Hispanic community. Not only will you discover new products, but you'll also make a connection with the people there. I recommend trying the breads and sweets if they have a bakery.
     Also find out if there are flea markets or other places where large numbers of Hispanic people shop. In some communities the weekly flea market ("La Pulga") is also a big social event. People meet, chat, eat, kids play, and this could be a good place to practice your Spanish. Sometimes churches have events, as well. One church where we used to attend has a monthly sale of Mexican food, where the local ladies cook and bring their delicious home-made foods. It's not what you'll find in a restaurant--it's what people actually eat in their homes. This is called a "Kermés" and it's a Mexican tradition.
     Most importantly, don't be shy. Try to reach out to the community and get to know people. As long as you're respectful and sincere about learning about their culture, you'll be welcomed.

     It's time for summer vacation. Many of you go back to jobs, or are heading to internships. Others are getting ready for big adventures over the summer, while others plan to spend as much time as possible with family. Whether you have big plans or are hanging out at home, I hope you have the chance to get outside, enjoy nature, and replenish your batteries. 
     Whatever your plans, it's important not to let your language skills rust over the summer. Read in Spanish, watch TV in Spanish, talk to people you meet, check out movies in Spanish, listen to music in Spanish. In this blog I will regularly post tips or ideas for keeping your skills sharp over the break. Check back here for that.
     In the meantime, here are a few links that you might find helpful or interesting:

• El País, Spain's most widely-read newspaper: http://elpais.com/elpais/portada_america.html
• Univisión, a Spanish-language TV station based in Miami. They have news, sports, gossip, comedies, soap operas, and variety shows: http://www.univision.com/
• People en Español. Yes, it's trashy, but any reading in Spanish is better than none at all: http://www.peopleenespanol.com/

Also read my posts for previous summers. There are great links and good ideas for practicing your Spanish!

Have a game night--in Spanish. You don't even need to have a board game in Spanish, which can be expensive. You can adapt one that you already have. Scrabble and Boggle are obvious choices, but so are some of the most popular kids' games. You can play Twister or Who's Who, or you can play charades or Pictionary, Yatzee, Password, Monopoly, or any card game. You can also get creative and make up your own game. Invent a board game that helps you review, design the board, print it off, and play with a friend. Focus on different skills. For instance, you could do numbers or descriptions one day, work on categories of vocabulary or storytelling skills another day. 
Make sure you really play in Spanish. Here is some vocabulary that might help you start off:

• Me toca./ Te toca./ ¿A quién le toca?  It's my turn./ It's your turn./ Who's turn is it?
• Tirar el dado  Roll the die
• La tarjeta  The card
• Tramposo/a  Cheater
• Ganar  To win
• Perder  To lose

If you haven't been using Zambobazo, you've been missing out. This web page is full of ideas for practicing your Spanish, music and movie suggestions, puzzles, fun activities, and more. It's geared toward college-age students, and the materials are high quality. They've created a summer e-book with activites. They let you name your own price, but suggest $5. I would suggest paying them something, since their materials are worthwhile and they represent someone's hard work. Check it out!

Al buscar los siguientes elementos, trata de nombrarlos en castellano (As you search for the following items, try to name them in Spanish).

Encuentra:

• un lugar para poner el dinero
• algo que manejas
• algo para proteger la mano del frío
• algo que escribió alguien para una persona que amas
• algo que se lleva en el pie en verano
• algo que se usa para afeitarse
• una parte del cuerpo
• algo que lleva un hombre cuando se viste formalmente
• algo que recibes cuando ganas
• algo para leer
• un compañero para dormir
• algo que se lleva en el pie en invierno
• algo necesario para cepillarse los dientes
• alguien que es un buen amigo del hombre
• algo que se usa para peinarse
• un animal que vive en los Andes

Preguntas:
¿Cuántas corbatas hay? (8) ¿De qué colores son? Describe los dibujos.
¿De qué colores son los libros? ¿Cuántos hay? (5) ¿Qué tipo de libros son?
¿Cuántas prendas de ropa hay en la foto? (11)
¿De qué colores es la cartera/ el bolso? ¿Cómo es el dibujo?
¿De qué tipo de persona es la mano?