Silbo Gomero of La Gomera | Spanish B1
Read a Spanish B1 text about Silbo Gomero, the whistled language of La Gomera in the Canary Islands.
El silbo gomero de La Gomera
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Inés discovers Silbo Gomero, a whistled form of Spanish from La Gomera. The text explains its transmission, its teaching in schools since 1999, and UNESCO recognition in 2009.
El silbo gomero reproduce con silbidos el español que hablan los isleños. Una persona que lo conoce puede transmitir mensajes completos a otra persona.
Durante siglos, los maestros han transmitido este lenguaje a sus alumnos. Sus sonidos representan las vocales y las consonantes del español. Aprenderlo exige escuchar con mucha atención.
En 1999, la enseñanza del silbo gomero se reguló en las escuelas de La Gomera, desde la educación primaria hasta la secundaria. Desde entonces, forma parte de la enseñanza de la isla.
En 2009, la UNESCO incluyó el silbo gomero en la Lista Representativa del Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de la Humanidad. La UNESCO explica que también se utiliza durante fiestas y ceremonias.
Para Inés, conocer el silbo gomero cambia su paseo por la isla. Ahora entiende que unos silbidos pueden ser un mensaje y una parte viva de la cultura canaria.
¿Qué forma de comunicación especial conoces? ¿Te gustaría aprender a silbar un mensaje? ¿Qué tradición de tu lugar te gustaría explicar a otra persona?
About this article
What you'll learn
Communication and cultural-heritage vocabulary, llamarse, present perfect, and poder + infinitive
Inés discovers Silbo Gomero, a whistled form of Spanish from La Gomera. The text explains its transmission, its teaching in schools since 1999, and UNESCO recognition in 2009.
After reading
Article learning block
Phrases, words, grammar, and quick practice from this text.
Phrases for training
Add useful phrases to SRS or mark them as already known.
una forma especial de comunicación
newa special form of communication
Forma de comunicación means a way of sending messages.
Useful for talking about different ways to communicate.
puede transmitir mensajes completos
newcan send complete messages
Transmitir mensajes means to pass information to another person.
Useful for explaining what can be sent to another person.
en las escuelas de La Gomera
newin La Gomera's schools
En las escuelas de names the place where teaching happens.
Useful for naming where teaching happens.
con mucha atención
newvery carefully
Con mucha atención means listening or looking carefully.
Useful for describing careful listening.
Key words
Vocabulary that carries the school-day topic.
silbidos
silbidos
whistles
Silbidos are sounds made by whistling.
It is a key word for understanding the text.
isleños
isleños
islanders
Isleños are people who live on an island.
Useful for talking about the people of an island.
maestros
maestros
teachers
Maestros are people who teach others.
Useful for talking about passing on knowledge.
vocales
vocales
vowels
Vocales are vowel sounds and letters in a language.
Useful for describing sounds in Spanish.
consonantes
consonantes
consonants
Consonantes are sounds and letters that are not vowels.
Useful for distinguishing sounds in Spanish.
Patrimonio
Patrimonio
heritage
Patrimonio is what a community receives and cares for.
Useful for talking about culture and its preservation.
Grammar in context
Patterns from the text worth noticing after reading.
se reguló en las escuelas de La Gomera
se reguló en las escuelas de La Gomera
teaching was regulated in La Gomera's schools
Se reguló is a passive construction with se. It says that the teaching was regulated without naming who did it.
Useful for understanding an action without a named actor.
han transmitido este lenguaje
han transmitido este lenguaje
teachers have passed on this language
Han transmitido is the present perfect: it links a past action with the present.
Useful for talking about a past action that matters now.
puedes oír silbidos
puedes oír silbidos
you can hear whistles
Puedes + infinitive expresses possibility or ability.
Useful for saying what someone can do.
Desde entonces, forma parte
Desde entonces, forma parte
since then, it has been part of
Desde entonces marks a past starting point that continues to the present.
Useful for linking a past moment with the present.
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