BBC Interactive Spanish Mystery: Mi Vida Loca

Level: Absolute Beginner
Spanish: Spain 
Material: Travel Basics 

When you start learning Spanish (or any language I'm sure), there is a period of time when you want to learn, but you have realized there is just so much that you have no idea where to start. You need to build a foundation.

This foundation will probably be built based upon the reason that you have chosen to learn Spanish in the first place. If you have no plans to travel to a Spanish speaking country in the near future, maybe you're fine with a slow build up. Learning basic grammar and working your way through a course that might take a few months. If you're heading off to Madrid in a month, you want to learn ALL the basic phrases you'll need to survive, and you want to learn them now.

Why this course? 

There are a number of audio courses that start with travel basics, and I'll get around to sharing them soon as some of them are a great building blocks for that foundation that you want to build. This course that I'm sharing today however, is a little different.

It's an audio visual course, but it has the added bonus of being interactive, and completely free. When I'm searching for new Spanish study material, I love finding the good little tidbits that don't hurt my wallet!

I don't know how you learn best, figuring that out is up to you, but if you're the kind of person who needs more than just study words on a piece of paper, then you should try it out. Each lesson will teach you important basics that will be quite handy as you travel, you can repeat the lessons AND if you interact with them, say the words out loud and work at it, you should learn quite a bit.

What you'll learn.

There are 22 episodes altogether and they cover things like ordering at a cafe, asking for directions and greetings. You'll learn them as if you had actually travelled to Madrid, ended up there alone, and needed to get by. There are transcripts of the episodes as well, so if you're the kind of person that likes to make notes or have it all written out in front of you, it's easy to download and print! Or you can use the transcripts to make flashcards of the phrases you think you will need the most for a little extra memorization.

No account needed, but a computer, time and internet access.

Where to find it.

You can find the course, and all the information Here (Mi Vida Loca).
If you want to check out the transcripts first go HERE.

If you go through the lessons, or you have done them before, I'd love to hear about your personal experiences in the comments below!

Have a wonderful weekend and I'll see you again on Wednesday with another Spanish study option!

Documentary: Planeta Tierra

Spanish Level: Intermediate

Format: DVD Documentary

Subject: Nature/Science

If you like the natural world, this documentary is an awesome choice for any intermediate Spanish speakers. Because of the 'nature' of the documentary (hehe), the narrating is done slowly and it is very well enunciated (and this carries over to the Spanish language track). It's a good opportunity to learn new vocabulary and practice your listening skills. Unfortunately, though the English version is on Canadian Netflix, it doesn't have the Spanish language track available. Perhaps you might have better luck with this if you are in the States. It was wonderful when I was in Ecuador, everything on Netflix had a Spanish track. (Which is where I watched it in Spanish in the first place.)

Level of Concentration Required: Less than Spanish Soaps (Telenovelas)

 ...much less.

I would put it on before I went to bed, on those days that I just didn't have the mental capacity to study. I may have passed out during it from time to time, but I learn things like, nivel del mar (sea level) and la atmósfera, two guesses on what that one is! ;)

One of my favorite phrases I learnt from it is 'agua dulce' - the direct translation is sweet water, and I love the sound of that. 'Fresh water' just doesn't have the same ring to it!

Sadly, not even my DVD version has the Spanish track. All my DVD's have French of course, but that doesn't do me any good at the moment! I liked the documentary series enough that I want to buy a brand new copy just so I can watch it in Spanish again. I've found a copy on Amazon, I'm just trying to convince myself to spend the money. ;)

Where to find it:

Planeta Tierra can be found at- Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and if you're lucky, Netflix.com as well! But if you're purchasing it (or any other Spanish DVD/Blu-ray), be verrrry careful that the title is in Spanish OR that Spanish/Castilian is listed as an audio track. You'll find that on the back of the DVD/Blu-ray case in tiiiny little writing somewhere, usually right before the sub-title language list.)

A little extra to snack on:

Before you start, it might be a good idea to learn some of the names of animals in Spanish! Here's a little tidbit to help you on your way...

Book: Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was the first book I read in Spanish. It took me nearly a year.

Choosing what books to read, and how to read them, can be a bit of a challenge. I chose Harry Potter because it was a high enough level to be interesting and contain lots of new vocabulary, without being so complicated that I couldn't understand any of it. Since I had read it before, the story was familiar to me, which made it easier to guess at what I didn't know. I think it was a good choice, though perhaps it was a bit ambitious -  I began reading it when I had been studying Spanish for only a few months. Picture books may have been a little bit more my speed...

I was in Ecuador at the time so I purchased the book on my Kindle as it was the only option available. (Books are hard to find in the small towns in Ecuador, and when you do find them, they cost an absolute fortune!) If I had the choice I think I would go with a paperback every time. (I had wanted the audiobook but it was so much more expensive at the time that I wasn't willing to pay for it.)

It took a while. There is a ton of vocabulary in a fantasy novel that you won't find in many other places. I learnt the Spanish words for wand, cauldron, parchment and spell and eventually it started to stick. I've heard that it's better to just read a book through, picking out only the occasional common word to translate, but I have a hard time with that. I want to know what everything means and I want to know it now! ...even though I know I won't remember it all. I think I spent a little too much time reading beside my laptop, open to a Spanish dictionary. Translating every second word (minor exaggeration) was so incredibly time consuming that I would make it through a page or two and simply give up in exhaustion. I may have put it down for several months at a time in sheer unwillingness to spend a half hour on each page.

I've moved on to book number 2 now - Harry Potter y la cámara secreta. I'm approaching this one a little differently - I'll let you know how it works out when I'm done!

All and all, I would say that Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal was a good choice. I'd recommend it so long as you are at an intermediate level and enjoy that kind of book to begin with!

And maybe... just sit down and read the damn book. ;) 

Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Chapters Indigo.

Comic Strip: Peanuts in Spanish

Level: Intermediate Spanish

Comics like this are great for a variety of reasons. They're short, which means while you are still learning they're not horrifically daunting. You can take the time to look up any words you don't know and it will still only take you a few minutes at most.

You'll find examples of the various verb tenses, new vocabulary and a BONUS SECRET WEAPON: pictures!! Which help us understand the meaning behind the comic in those cases where the most correct translation of the text eludes us.

On a side note, "Peanuts" in Spanish is "Cacahuetes". I was really quite proud the day I realized I actually remembered that. :P (Though of course the word/spelling will vary depending on which region you are learning Spanish from... )

If you feel like it, Check Out The Comic. If not, come back Saturday and I'll have some new Spanish material ready for you! ;) Isn't this exciting?!

How this blog can help you learn Spanish

It won't. Unless you use it to find material to practice with that you enjoy; and then sit down, put in the effort, and study until your brain feels like it's going to explode.

Learning a language is hard. I won't lie and say it's not, and I'm not here to tell you that there is one program out there that will work for you and all it takes is a measly $23 per month.



If you're serious about it, you'll figure out how you learn best, how much coffee you need to get through, and you'll put in the effort to get there. I won't be giving you much in the way of study tips, if you want those, or some awesome motivation, head over to I Will Teach You A Language. Olly Richards is a polyglot who has learnt enough languages that he's qualified to give you those tips!

My goal is to give you options; to present you with study material that isn't completely dry and hopefully inspires you to keep on going. It will of course depend on your interests, but I'll try to find material that is varied enough to keep us all coming back for more.

I'll rate my discoveries based on how difficult the material is... and of course, how easily the information it contained was able to slip into my brain without too much painful pushing and shoving.

SO. This is my plan.

It's a little self serving... my ultimate goal is to become fluent in Spanish myself and I'm hoping that this blog will keep me active and always learning now that I am no longer surrounded by the language every day... but hopefully it will benefit you as well!  ;-)

Stay tuned. Your study material shall soon be revealed.