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The Gospel In Spanish
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Giving a Talk in Spanish

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1. After praying for the guidance of the Spirit, jot down in English, in a very general way, the ideas and thoughts you feel you should say. This will give you an outline and the sequence to follow.


2. On a new sheet of paper, try to express in Spanish, in the words and expressions you have command of, the ideas you wrote down in #1 above. You might not be able to say them in exactly the same way as in English, just try to get the idea across. There are lots of ways to say the same idea; it doesn’t have to be in the same structure as in English. This is not a translation! You are just expressing what you want to say in the Spanish that you have command of. If there are words you need to say but don’t know them in Spanish, write them down in English and look them up in the next step.


3. Find out how to say any words you need from #2 above. Be careful in using the dictionary. Many words have multiple meanings. Check with a fluent speaker of Spanish to see if the words you have chosen really mean what you want to say.


4. You can use scriptures, but avoid poems, quotes, faith-promoting stories and things of that nature. Express your own feelings, beliefs and thoughts, and keep them simple.


5. Introduce or reinforce your points with scriptures as you feel the need. State the reference clearly and read the scripture in Spanish. Before giving your talk, practice reading the scripture aloud until you can pronounce correctly and read fluently.


6. Write out your talk completely in Spanish, using the words you have obtained in #3 above. This will be basically the talk you will give.


7. Practice giving your talk to someone who knows the language well, and have them read along as you give it. Ask them to make corrections and give you suggestions.


8. Use visual aids if they will help make your message clear.


9. Memorize the corrected talk or read it several times until you can give it easily and fluently. Focus on keeping your pronunciation correct.


10. Practice giving your talk to your spouse, friends or family members, preferably people who can understand and help correct you.


11. Keep the final version of your talk. Chances are you will get to give it again.