Great Spanish Podcast - LightSpeed Spanish

Hey guys, welcome back to Spellbound by Language. As always, it has been a little while since the last post and things have changed a bit! I'm still working on my French but it has been progressing very slowly and I've found myself running out of time - as such I have to switch back to focusing on Spanish because if everything goes according to plan, I will find myself in Spain by summer!

WHOO!


At the moment my boyfriend is also studying Spanish (we're doing this trip together), and so I've been in the market for some more intermediate material for me as well as additional beginner odds and ends for him.

The Newly Discovered Spanish Podcast

I like podcasts because they cover such a wide range of subjects; they're just fabulous to supplement pretty much any curriculum you're working with. The one I'm going to mention today features Spain Spanish, so lots of 'th' sounds and the use of "¡Vale!" and "vosotros". 

It comes in several levels that range from Absolute Beginner to Advanced. In Absolute Beginner they are great about speaking nice and slow so you can differentiate the words and take your time with it!

Check out their YOUTUBE CHANNEL! - LightSpeed Spanish.

Let me know what you think in the comments! :)

Happy learning!

Podcast- Show Time Spanish

Level: Intermediate
Spanish Spoken: Spain
Includes Spanish Lessons: Yes
Concepts are explained in English. 

Good podcasts are something of a gem in my world. I find it hard to listen unless they flow well, the subject matter is interesting and I feel like I am getting something out of them. A postcast that covers primarily news for example, will lose me within the first episode.


The Show Time Spanish episodes are well recorded, and the audio is very clear.

Most lessons feature: 

 

1) a conversation in Spanish (you need a decent level of Spanish to jump into these)
2) something to break up the lesson a bit (it might be un trabalenguas, (tongue twister), or a Spanish joke)
3) a tidbit of Spanish to help you sound more like a native, whether it be a lovely colloquial expression or the proper wording of a common phrase
4) and at the end, a more in-depth grammatical lesson

I also like that the non-native speaker in this particular podcast is Scottish, when he does speak English it's delightful to listen to. ;P

Getting the most from the Podcast

You do need to sit back and have some peace and quiet to really get everything out of the podcasts. They're not like an Episode of Planeta Tierra that I might put on as I'm falling asleep. I want to focus and remember the content of the lessons. I usually have a piece of paper with me so I can quickly jot down words or phrases that I would like to remember. I wouldn't recommend listening to podcasts like this at work, however they're great to have on while I'm straightening my hair in the morning, chopping up veggies for supper or doing any kind of housework that isn't too noisy. They key for me to be able to get the most out of them is a quiet environment with as few interruptions as possible.

A little variety 

Every fifth podcast is a little different, they contain their version of a telenovela, or Spanish Soap Opera. It's a little less dramatic than the traditional variety, thank goodness - but it does give you a chance to listen to more or less natural conversations that are spoken at a speed that the average intermediate learner will be able to understand. These podcasts also include some of the Spanish covered in previous podcasts so it's a great way to see what you've learnt!

So Check out the Podcast and continue your free language-learning experience.

** I know that I've mostly been sharing intermediate Spanish study material, this is due to the fact that what I tend to study is for is my current Spanish level. However, I will be switching it up and sharing some more basic material as well, so if you're not quite ready for these ones, don't worry!

See you soon!

Short Spanish Reading Practice: For Travel Lovers

Sometimes the hardest thing can be to find the time to study for even a few minutes a day. I find that by the time I get home from work, make supper and maybe go to gym...I have no desire to try and turn the ol' brain on and make it work a little bit more.

If you are living where your target language is spoken all the time, it's no big deal, but if you aren't, you need to find ways to expose yourself to it.

Now that I'm far enough along in my studies that I can understand most basic written articles, I tend to notice when something Spanish pops up in my search results. Instead of ignoring it, I'll check it out and try to do as much of my online reading in Spanish as I can. This way, I am am achieving two goals at the same time.

So, for example, as I'm researching places I want to visit next, I might go here: 41 Increíbles Lugares Secretos Que Muchos Viajeros No Conocen. (I did. And now my list of places I need to see is even more endless!!)

If you don't know the word ubicado when you start reading this post, you certainly will by the time you are finished! ;)

It looks a little long, but the text is cut up into very short segments. If you have the travel bug like me, you might find this one interesting!

Enjoy! 

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?!