Must-Know Mexican Slang Words & Phrases #11 - Expressions Used as Adjectives

Learn Mexican Spanish Slang with SpanishPod101.com! Using slang is a great way to sound more natural when you’re speaking Mexican Spanish. With this series, you’ll learn slang you can use in a whole host of everyday situations in Mexico! In this lesson, you will learn how to use Expressions Used as Adjectives. Visit us at SpanishPod101.com, [...]

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Must-Know Mexican Slang Words & Phrases #12 - Expressions Used as Verbs

Learn Mexican Spanish Slang with SpanishPod101.com! Using slang is a great way to sound more natural when you’re speaking Mexican Spanish. With this series, you’ll learn slang you can use in a whole host of everyday situations in Mexico! In this lesson, you will learn how to use Expressions Used as Verbs. Visit us at SpanishPod101.com, [...]

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Must-Know Mexican Slang Words & Phrases #13 - Expressions to Describe Someone you Truly Dislike

Learn Mexican Spanish Slang with SpanishPod101.com! Using slang is a great way to sound more natural when you’re speaking Mexican Spanish. With this series, you’ll learn slang you can use in a whole host of everyday situations in Mexico! In this lesson, you will learn how to use Expressions to Describe Someone you Truly Dislike. Visit [...]

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Must-Know Mexican Slang Words & Phrases #14 - Expressions to Describe a Troubling Situation in Mexico

Learn Mexican Spanish Slang with SpanishPod101.com! Using slang is a great way to sound more natural when you’re speaking Mexican Spanish. With this series, you’ll learn slang you can use in a whole host of everyday situations in Mexico! In this lesson, you will learn how to use Expressions to Describe a Troubling Situation in Mexico. [...]

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Must-Know Mexican Slang Words & Phrases #15 - Phrases to Describe Situations You Should Avoid in Mexico

Learn Mexican Spanish Slang with SpanishPod101.com! Using slang is a great way to sound more natural when you’re speaking Mexican Spanish. With this series, you’ll learn slang you can use in a whole host of everyday situations in Mexico! In this lesson, you will learn how to use Phrases to Describe Situations You Should Avoid in [...]

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Must-Know Mexican Slang Words & Phrases #16 - Expressions to Talk About Common Scenarios in Mexico

Learn Mexican Spanish Slang with SpanishPod101.com! Using slang is a great way to sound more natural when you’re speaking Mexican Spanish. With this series, you’ll learn slang you can use in a whole host of everyday situations in Mexico! In this lesson, you will learn how to use Expressions to Talk About Common Scenarios in Mexico. [...]

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Must-Know Mexican Slang Words & Phrases #17 - Expressions to Ask for a Truce in Mexico

Learn Mexican Spanish Slang with SpanishPod101.com! Using slang is a great way to sound more natural when you’re speaking Mexican Spanish. With this series, you’ll learn slang you can use in a whole host of everyday situations in Mexico! In this lesson, you will learn how to use Expressions to Ask for a Truce in Mexico. [...]

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Must-Know Mexican Slang Words & Phrases #18 - Expressions Related to Giving a Good Impression

Learn Mexican Spanish Slang with SpanishPod101.com! Using slang is a great way to sound more natural when you’re speaking Mexican Spanish. With this series, you’ll learn slang you can use in a whole host of everyday situations in Mexico! In this lesson, you will learn how to use Expressions Related to Giving a Good Impression. Visit [...]

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Must-Know Mexican Slang Words & Phrases #19 - Expressions to Describe a Negative Person

Learn Mexican Spanish Slang with SpanishPod101.com! Using slang is a great way to sound more natural when you’re speaking Mexican Spanish. With this series, you’ll learn slang you can use in a whole host of everyday situations in Mexico! In this lesson, you will learn how to use Expressions to Describe a Negative Person. Visit us [...]

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Must-Know Mexican Slang Words & Phrases #20 - Expressions to Describe Someone Daring in Mexico

Learn Mexican Spanish Slang with SpanishPod101.com! Using slang is a great way to sound more natural when you’re speaking Mexican Spanish. With this series, you’ll learn slang you can use in a whole host of everyday situations in Mexico! In this lesson, you will learn how to use Expressions to Describe Someone Daring in Mexico. Visit [...]

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Must-Know Mexican Slang Words & Phrases #21 - Expressions to Describe Someone who Takes Advantage of Others

Learn Mexican Spanish Slang with SpanishPod101.com! Using slang is a great way to sound more natural when you’re speaking Mexican Spanish. With this series, you’ll learn slang you can use in a whole host of everyday situations in Mexico! In this lesson, you will learn how to use Expressions to Describe Someone who Takes Advantage of [...]

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Must-Know Mexican Slang Words & Phrases #22 - Expressions Used Between Friends

Learn Mexican Spanish Slang with SpanishPod101.com! Using slang is a great way to sound more natural when you’re speaking Mexican Spanish. With this series, you’ll learn slang you can use in a whole host of everyday situations in Mexico! In this lesson, you will learn how to use Expressions Used Between Friends. Visit us at SpanishPod101.com, [...]

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Must-Know Mexican Slang Words & Phrases #23 - Expressions From the Northern States of Mexico

Learn Mexican Spanish Slang with SpanishPod101.com! Using slang is a great way to sound more natural when you’re speaking Mexican Spanish. With this series, you’ll learn slang you can use in a whole host of everyday situations in Mexico! In this lesson, you will learn how to use Expressions From the Northern States of Mexico. Visit [...]

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Must-Know Mexican Slang Words & Phrases #24 - Idiomatic Expressions with Unusual Literal Translations

Learn Mexican Spanish Slang with SpanishPod101.com! Using slang is a great way to sound more natural when you’re speaking Mexican Spanish. With this series, you’ll learn slang you can use in a whole host of everyday situations in Mexico! In this lesson, you will learn how to use Idiomatic Expressions with Unusual Literal Translations. Visit us [...]

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Must-Know Mexican Slang Words & Phrases #25 - Phrases to Describe People

Learn Mexican Spanish Slang with SpanishPod101.com! Using slang is a great way to sound more natural when you’re speaking Mexican Spanish. With this series, you’ll learn slang you can use in a whole host of everyday situations in Mexico! In this lesson, you will learn how to use Phrases to Describe People. Visit us at SpanishPod101.com, [...]

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Episodio 210: Hacer la 13-14

Today we explain an expression used in Spanish. It has its origin in the world of mechanics. Improve your Spanish with our podcast! Transcript available: "Hola a todos y bienvenido o bienvenida una vez más a nuestro podcast. ¿Preparado o preparada para un nuevo episodio? Espero que sí, porque esto empieza ya. Hoy vamos a hablar de una frase que utilizan algunas personas en España y que parece haber confundido a algunos estudiantes de español. Algunas personas nos han escrito, porque han escuchado esta expresión en una película o en alguna situación real y no han comprendido bien qué significa. La expresión es “hacer la 13-14” ..."

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How Yoga Can Make You a Better Language Learner

I took a friend of mine to my yoga studio last week. When we walked out of the classroom, I asked him what he thought of the class. He could barely talk. “That was the hardest thing I’ve done in the last year.” I shrugged my shoulders. “Yeah, yoga can be hard.” Truthfully, I hadn’t found it as challenging as he did. I’d been too busy comparing myself to the girls in the room, who were all far more flexible that I was. Then it struck me: yoga’s a lot like language learning. It never really gets easier, you just learn how to battle through the difficult parts. You become a better fighter. You accept the fact that it’s going to be difficult, and you get on with it. I also realised that yoga not only helped me get in shape. It made me a better language learner. Here’s what I’ve learned about language learning from yoga (plus how you can apply these lessons):

Yoga Lesson 1: Habits Matter (as Much as Goals)

When I first started yoga I couldn’t come close to touching my toes. I could barely touch my shins. As I write this, after doing yoga for a year, I still can’t sit cross legged, my downward dog is horrible, and I almost have panic attacks in the middle of class. But I still keep going back and I love it. Why? Because I’ve developed the habit. If I stop doing yoga, I’m only gonna get worse. Just like language learning: the more you put in, the more you get out. The more I stretch and the more I push myself, the faster I feel my body improving and the better I feel. The more I practise yoga, the more I realise how important it is to keep practising yoga, on a frequent basis. It’s not how good I am that matters. It’s the habit that matters. Habits are a massive help when it comes to language learning. The more you practise, study vocabulary, and the more you dedicate time to it, the better you’re gonna get and the more confident you’ll be as a result. This sounds obvious, so I’ll try phrasing it the other way. When you stop studying, you’ll start forgetting. By building a habit of studying, you’ll see great progress over time. I once took a week off yoga. When I returned to the mat, every pose was more challenging than I remembered. I could tell that I had forgotten some of the poses. The poses that I used to do comfortably now made me want to cry. I felt horrible. Language learning works the same way: if you take a long break, you’ll start to forget and you’ll lose confidence. That’s why having an accountability group helps. There are no shortcuts, no brain implants, and no magic pills. There’s no secret. You just have to do it, day after day. You just have to build the habit.

Yoga Lesson 2: Appreciate the Journey

Nothing worth having ever comes easy. Being able to speak a foreign language is definitely a skill worth having. There’s a simple rule in yoga: when you’re struggling, focus on your breath. This brings you out of your thoughts (“this is so difficult!”) and into the present moment. Practising yoga has helped me realise that it’s important to take deep breaths. Focusing on my breath brings me into the present and helps me enjoy the journey. When I do this, everything else falls into place. When I let my mind worry about the past or the future, it’s easy for me to get overwhelmed and worried. But when I take it one day at a time or even one breath a time, I’m reminded to enjoy the journey and trust the process. As a language learner, you’ll hit rough patches. You’ll forget words, mispronounce words, and forget to conjugate. But that’s okay. It’s okay if you have to stop and take a few deep breaths every once in awhile. Some days will be better than others. Sometimes you’ll struggle more, but at the end of the day, all you gotta worry about is enjoying whatever step you are currently on. If you can do that, after a while you’ll be surprised at the outcome.

Yoga Lesson 3: Comparing Yourself to Others is Silly

When I was just starting out with yoga, I thought the other members in the class were missing bones. I could NOT believe how flexible they were. Then I realised: Everyone comes from different backgrounds with different experience and different levels of flexibility. Some people have been practising yoga for years. Others, days. The more I went to yoga, the more I realised that comparing myself to others isn’t good for my confidence. Unless you’re extremely flexible, you’d probably experience something similar in a yoga class. The same is true of language learning. The only person you should compare yourself with is the person you were yesterday. Once you do this, you’ll realise that you’re making progress and you’re getting better. Even so, it can be frustrating when you see someone who’s really good at speaking another language (or at yoga stretches). And it’s intimidating, especially you want so badly to be where they are. You know it’s going to take a lot of time and effort to get there. Comparing yourself to others doesn’t help. I’ll say it again: the only person you should compare yourself with is the person you were yesterday.

Yoga Lesson 4: The Real Work Happens Outside the Classroom

Having a teacher and going to a class is an important part of yoga practice. It can also be a key piece in the language learning puzzle. But it is that. Just one piece. While teachers can show you the way, they can’t do it for you. My yoga teacher still doesn’t understand why I can’t touch my toes, but it’s not her fault, it’s mine. I have to stretch more. Here’s how I see it. Having a teacher gives you a runway to go and practise on your own. What are you going to do with that runway? Use it to launch your daily language learning habit, or just visit it once a week? If you really want to see results, you have to practise in your own time.

What Inspires Your Language Learning?

Yoga inspires me to learn a language. And practising yoga has taught me life lessons that I apply to language learning. Maybe there’s not a big difference between stretching your body and stretching your mind. What life lessons do you use in your language learning?

The post How Yoga Can Make You a Better Language Learner appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

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Newbie Lesson #9 - I’m hungry!

Learn Spanish with Spanishpod101.com! Okay, now we quenched your thirst for more Spanish with Newbie lesson 8. But now you are hungry for more Spanish too? Insatiable! Luckily, who are we to say no? Alan and Lisy aim to please. Check out the verb “tener” (to have) once again. This time, in the genitive sense [...]

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Episodio 209: Los experimentos con gaseosa

In this episode we explain a widely used expression in Spanish. Learn real Spanish and improve your oral comprehension with this episode. Transcript available: "¿Qué significa la frase ‘los experimentos con gaseosa’? ¿En qué situaciones se utiliza? ¿Por qué se utiliza esta frase? Intentaré responder a todas estas preguntas durante el episodio. Bienvenido o bienvenida a este nuevo episodio de SpanishPodcast.net. No creas que se me ha olvidado saludarte, siempre lo hago. Como ya has escuchado en la introducción del episodio hoy voy a explicarte una expresión utilizada con frecuencia en España y que puede aplicarse en algunas situaciones ... "

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CBI 1:31 | Arriviamo in Italia!

We’re back with another episode of Coffee Break Italian, and it’s time to put Katie’s Italian to the test. Mark and Katie have travelled to Italy to meet up with Francesca and together they’ve recorded a series of conversations. In lesson 31 you’ll join the team as they arrive in Italy and prepare for the coming visit, learning a few new phrases along the way.

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• bonus audio materials: use our review lessons to practise the language covered in the main lesson, and to pick up some useful bonus vocabulary (mp3 format);
• comprehensive lesson notes: study the language of each lesson in greater detail and access additional information about the Italian language (pdf format).

The members’ version can be accessed through our membership system. You can purchase a membership using the links below.

• Season 1: Lessons 1-40 £79.00 GBP inc VAT / approx $112.00 USD ex VAT for non EU customers)

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Spanish Vocab Builder #41 - People Personality

Learn Mexican Spanish with SpanishPod101.com ! Our Mexican Spanish vocabulary lists are listener favorites, and now we’ve made it even better! In each lesson, you’ll hear the Mexican Spanish words and phrases from the Mexican Spanish vocabulary lists. Join us for Mexican Spanish Vocab Builder! In this lesson, you’ll learn the names for People Personality. Click [...]

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Thai Practice: 10 Simple Games and Exercises to Improve your Thai Skills

Thailand’s a favourite destination for vacations and world travellers. So it’s little wonder that that language is proving popular too. The jump in popularity of Thai as a foreign language has led to an explosion of fun games and exercise ideas on the web to help hone your Thai skills. I’ve collected some of my favourites from around the internet, as well as one or two “unplugged” ideas that you can do with just a pen, paper, and a wee bit of imagination. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself, and try some of the more advanced ideas even if you don’t think you’re “ready”!

1. Listen and Learn

If you’re just starting out in Thai, or need more listening practice with basic vocabulary, try this listening comprehension game, which covers all the basics, including greetings, colours, body parts, directions, and much more. There is no reading or writing Thai required to play. To get started, click on the category you want to practise, such as “Hello and Thank You” or “Drinks in Thai”, to open the game for that category. Within each game is a set of images you can click to hear the Thai pronunciation for the object in that image. Click each image to listen to the Thai pronunciation as many times as you like to absorb the new vocabulary. Then click “game” in the top right to test your knowledge.

2. Learn Thai Numbers, Fast!

This mobile app is available for iOS and Android. Want to learn how to haggle in Thai? Then you’ll want to study up on your numbers. This very simple app does one thing, and does it well: it teaches you all the Thai numbers up to 9999 by presenting them in random order for you to test your knowledge. There are two exercise modes: standard flashcards, and a listening exercise where you type each number as you hear it. Even if you’re already familiar with the numbers, this app will help you recognise and recall them quickly, so there will be no “ums” or “ahs” when it comes to real-life situations.

3. Speed Listening

This webpage has six Thai audio conversations recorded by a professional Thai teacher, with transcripts in English, Latin alphabet transliteration and Thai script, side-by-side. The teacher has managed to pack a ton of incredibly useful Thai colloquialisms into each conversation, so you’ll have plenty of examples of natural, everyday spoken Thai. You can listen to each conversation at both slow and normal speed, to get accustomed to the way real Thai people talk.

4. Thai Directions Game

This game will not only help you practise directions like “left” and “right”, but also prepositions, landmarks and units of distance. Take an old paper road map or log onto Google Maps, (or draw your own original map on paper if you’re feeling creative), and mark two points on it, point A and point B. Now describe, out loud, the best route from A to B. Bonus points: Don’t just say “turn left on Street 1, turn right on Street 2”, etc. Get ambitious! Try to say more complex phrases like, “If you pass the supermarket, you’ve gone too far” or “Watch out for children playing near the school!”.

5. Thai Typing Tutor

No matter what your skill level is in Thai typing, including “nonexistent”, this typing game will help you improve it quickly. If you’ve been focusing most of your time on speaking, listening and reading, and you’re ready to add typing to your list of Thai skills, this highly addictive game will familiarise you with the Thai keyboard, or sharpen your skills if you can already type. And you don’t even need the Thai keyboard enabled on your computer to play! The game is simple: one letter at a time falls from the top of the screen, and you need to type the correct key before the letter hits the bottom. If you get it wrong twice, a hint will appear. The game automatically speeds up and slows down to adapt to your ability. If you’re ready to take your Thai typing to the next level, try this similar but more difficult game, which has complete words instead of individual letters. You’ll need the Thai keyboard enabled on your computer to play this one,

6. Thai Vowel Hand Signs

This is a two-part video by hyperpolyglot Stuart Jay Raj. If you’re still learning to read Thai script but you’re finding the rules confusing (“wait, some vowels go above the consonant? Some go below? And some go BEFORE or even AROUND? What the!”) then start with this exercise on pronouncing and remembering the main Thai vowels, which includes easy hand signs and some fun and, er, interesting mnemonics to help lodge them in your memory.

7. Photo Mnemonics

This is a simple but powerful exercise that helps you find things to talk about in conversations with native Thai speakers. It’s a variation on mnemonics. The idea is to look at a photograph and try to describe it in Thai. Repeat your description over and over until you’re comfortable with it. If you’re a beginner, your Thai description might be as simple as single words: “person”, “football”, “red”. This is fine! If you’re more advanced, try to come up with complete sentences to describe the photo. This would be a very dull exercise if that was all of it! So, make it interesting. First, use a photo related to a subject that you’d be interested in talking about in your native language. Then you’ll already be motivated to speak about the topic, and the exercise won’t feel like a chore. Interested in sports? Use a photograph of your favourite sport in action. Music? A picture of some musicians doing their thing. Next, make up a funny background story about the photo. I can’t emphasise enough what a huge help this will be for your memory. Now describe the photo, and tell the backstory, as well as you can in Thai. Be sure to speak aloud as you go along, and look up vocabulary if needed. Get to know the photograph. Revisit it regularly and describe it to yourself in Thai until just looking at it reminds you of the words and phrases you learned, and you can say them aloud without hesitation. Now you have a ready-made mnemonic in your mind that you can instantly visualise and refer to when talking about that subject. Next time you’re chatting with a language partner online or in person (you are speaking regularly with real Thai people, right?), you’ll have some vocabulary ready to say about a subject that you enjoy.

8. Tell the Time in Thai

Telling time in Thai is very different from English. It’s not easier or harder, but the differences require some practice to get familiar with. This exercise tests your ability to tell the time by presenting you with a random clock face, which you need to correctly tell the time for by clicking on the Thai time words in the right order. If you can’t read the Thai alphabet, you can switch between Thai script and Latin alphabet transliteration whenever you like.

9. Multilingual Word Search

You don’t need to be an advanced Thai learner to have a lot of fun with this word search game. Can’t read Thai yet? No problem! You can still look for the words in the word search even if you don’t know what they mean. It will get you used to those “squiggly” characters so you’ll have a head start when you do start learning to read. The word searches are sorted by category, so you can study the the vocabulary that you’re most interested in learning. Even if you’re great at word searches in your native language, it’ll take a bit of practice to “get an eye” for it in Thai. The best feature? After you finish each game, you can tap each word to listen to the pronunciation, and view the definition in a Thai-English dictionary. And a huge bonus with this app is that you can play word searches in over thirty languages! Urdu, Arabic, Mandarin, you name it. Believe me, even for languages you’ve never studied before and can’t read at all, this game is highly addictive. You have been warned.

10. Thai Classifiers Flashcards

If you’ve been studying Thai for even a short while, you’ll certainly be familiar with the concept of classifiers. While most Thai language learners might groan at the thought, are they ever handy! Mandarin has a similar concept with its measure words, and after the initial learning curve, I ended up embracing them during my Mandarin language mission. Only about seventy classifiers are needed to cover virtually every noun you could hope to use in Thai, outside of specialist technical contexts. Learn these words, and your comprehension skills will instantly hit the next level. Why? Because now if you hear a new noun in conversation, or read it on a sign or in a book, if it’s accompanied by the classifier then you’ll immediately have a clue about what type of object it is. Then you may be able to guess the meaning of the noun from the context of the sentence, without wasting time looking it up in a dictionary.

Over to You

How do you learn Thai? What are your favourite exercises and games? Let me know in the comments.

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Must-Know Mexican Slang Words & Phrases #1 - Some of the Most Common Slang Expressions in Mexico

Learn Mexican Spanish Slang with SpanishPod101.com! Using slang is a great way to sound more natural when you’re speaking Mexican Spanish. With this series, you’ll learn slang you can use in a whole host of everyday situations in Mexico! In this lesson, you will learn how to use Some of the Most Common Slang Expressions in [...]

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Must-Know Mexican Slang Words & Phrases #2 - Common Slang Expressions Used by Young Adults

Learn Mexican Spanish Slang with SpanishPod101.com! Using slang is a great way to sound more natural when you’re speaking Mexican Spanish. With this series, you’ll learn slang you can use in a whole host of everyday situations in Mexico! In this lesson, you will learn how to use Common Slang Expressions Used by Young Adults. Visit [...]

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CBI Special: Coffee Break Italian is returning!

We’ve got news! We’ve been busy recording new content in Italy for the final ten episodes of Season 1 of Coffee Break Italian. We’ll be releasing episode 31 on Monday 25 April 2016 and we’re sure you’re going to love it. In these final 10 episodes, Katie and Mark travel to Italy to meet up with Francesca, and Katie gets the chance to put into practice everything she’s learned so far. Ci vediamo presto!

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Gengo Spanish #30 - Can I Stay Longer in Latin America?

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! You’ve enjoyed your time in Mexico so much that you really don’t want to leave. But real life is waiting for you back home. You wonder if there’s any way you can stay, or at least find a way to use your newly acquired Spanish skills. In this Spanish Gengo lesson, you [...]

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Episodio 208: Dar palo

We explain the meaning of this expression in Spanish and in when it is used. We also explain some variations and you will practice pronunciation and conjugation with us. Transcript available: "Hola y bienvenido o bienvenida a otro episodio de SpanishPodcast.net ¿Qué tal estás? Espero que todo vaya bien con tu vida en general y, especialmente, con el aprendizaje del español. ¿Qué hemos preparado para hoy? Hoy vamos a hablar de una frase muy corta, pero que se utiliza en muchas situaciones cotidianas. Durante el episodio veremos pequeñas variaciones de esta expresión que pueden provocar que su significado cambie completamente ..."

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Episode 26 (Preview) Season 4 Coffee Break Spanish

It’s time for another episode in our series for advanced Spanish learners. Join Mark and Carmen as they discuss the latest developments in our story featuring María, her Scottish boyfriend Rory and his Argentinian friend Alejandro as they embark upon the search for sunken treasure off the coast of the island of Mallorca. The text, as ever, is rich in idiomatic expressions, complex grammar points, and useful vocabulary which you’ll be able to put into use in your own speaking and writing.

In the preview episode available here on the Radio Lingua site, on iTunes and on Soundcloud, you’ll be able to listen to Carmen and Mark’s introduction, to the core text of this episode, and to the summary in English of what happens in the text. For a full analysis of the text and in-depth discussion of the words and phrases contained in the episode, you can subscribe to our premium version. For further information, please see below.

Accessing the Premium Version

The premium version of Coffee Break Spanish Season 4 provides additional materials which will help you move forward more effectively with your advanced studies of Spanish. The premium version includes the following elements:

• full-length audio episode: in each episode Mark and Carmen discuss the language covered in each text in depth, providing further examples and testing you on your understanding;
• transcript: a full transcript of the entire episode including notes on complex language and grammar points;
• bonus audio episode: test yourself on the key constructions included in the audio episode with this bonus audio translation exercise.

The members’ version can be accessed through our membership system. You can purchase a membership using the links below.

• Season 4: Lessons 1-40
  £79.00 GBP inc VAT / approx $112.00 USD ex VAT for non EU customers)

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Episodio 207: El fracaso no es una opción

Today we talk about inspiration. Inspiration is necessary for artists but also for anyone to face the problems in your life. Transcript available: "Hola a todos y bienvenidos a un nuevo episodio de SpanishPodcast.net Hoy tenemos preparado un episodio un poco diferente. Hoy no vamos a hablar sobre una expresión, ni sobre cultura española, ni sobre algún personaje famoso. Hoy te hablaré sobre un concepto abstracto. Hoy te voy a hablar sobre la inspiración ... "

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Spanish Vocab Builder #40 - Months of the Year

Learn Mexican Spanish with SpanishPod101.com ! Our Mexican Spanish vocabulary lists are listener favorites, and now we’ve made it even better! In each lesson, you’ll hear the Mexican Spanish words and phrases from the Mexican Spanish vocabulary lists. Join us for Mexican Spanish Vocab Builder! In this lesson, you’ll learn the names for Months of the [...]

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News #202 - Question for You: Is Speaking Spanish Your #1 Weakness? 5 Ways to Improve Inside.

Which of these is your weakest skill: reading, speaking, listening or writing in Spanish? For most Spanish learners – regardless of their learning method – speaking is almost always the number one weakness. Why is that? Starts Now! Click Here to Get 28% OFF Basic or Premium & A Free Audiobook! In this Sunday News, you’ll learn [...]

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Episodio 206: Perro ladrador, poco mordedor

Learn Spanish naturally. Today we explain the term "perro ladrador poco mordedor" used frequently in Spain. You can practice your pronunciation with us! Transcript available: "Hola a todos y bienvenidos a un nuevo episodio de SpanishPodcast.net Hoy hablamos de una expresión que se utiliza de vez en cuando en español. Su significado no es difícil de entender, pero puede que la pronunciación sea un poco complicada para muchos estudiantes de español. La letra R en español tiene un sonido difícil para los hablantes nativos de otros idiomas ..."

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Why Most Indians Can Speak Multiple Languages Like a Dream

Picture India in your mind’s eye and you will mostly likely see the following: Lots of colour. Narrow lanes. Unimaginable traffic. Spicy food. Thousands of cuisines. Seven-star hotels. Slums next to them. Religious processions. Stunningly beautiful temples. Sweltering heat. Mind-blowing history. Over 500 languages. Yoga. Beneath all this colour and noise, India hides an unquestioned acceptance of the amalgamation of thousands of mini-cultures. India quietly and unassumingly uses her languages as a mega-unifier of her people! India can really blow your mind in a lot of ways. Understanding her rich heritage of languages could be just one step in getting closer to admiring this truly amazing land. So how come most people in India speak multiple languages? What’s their secret? Let’s take a look at what makes it easy for Indians to be multi-lingual.

Each State has its Own Language

While most countries in the world have one national language, India has a different language for each of its 29 states. Hindi is recognised as a national language and all Union Government Records are written in Hindi and English. Other State Governments have records written in the State's official language and English. On top of that, there are dialects that change in every region. So, if you are in, let's say Karnataka, a state in the southern part of India where the primary language is Kannada, you will see a variation of this language in North and South Karnataka. What’s more, in regions close to the borders of particular states, there are completely unique languages or dialects, influenced by neighbouring states. That means, you will hear people speak a totally different language called Konkani on the border of Karnataka and Maharashtra. Note that the primary language of Karnataka is Kannada and that of Maharashtra is Marathi. In India, language is how you connect with people. The variation in the intonation, the pitch, the way certain sounds are dragged or stressed is how people decode it and bond with other 'natives' in another city or town. Not surprisingly, so much variety makes it unremarkable for an Indian to have native-level fluency in languages other than his own native tongue. What’s the lesson here? If you want to learn a language, make it part of your identify. Decide who you’d like to connect with - then learn a language to connect with them.

Two of the World’s Oldest Written Languages are from India

Linguistic researchers have found that two of the worlds oldest written languages are from India: Sanskrit and Tamil. Sanskrit heavily influenced many European languages. Some written records in this language date back to 3000 B.C. Indeed, the Vedas (Hinduism’s cornerstone scriptures) are written in Sanskrit. The Vedas are considered by some historians to be the first ever written literature. Sanskrit is also one of the most scientifically developed languages. Unlike in many other languages which are predominantly made of words (English has some 50,000 words), Sanskrit has 700 Dhatu (root verbs), 80 Upasargas (suffixes, prefixes), and 20 Pratyaya (declensions). Using these basic constructs as a foundation, Sanskrit can provide an infinite number of words, each of whose meaning is easily decipherable based on the root words and grammatical constructs. Sadly, Sanskrit has gradually fallen out of everyday use. The other surviving classical language, Tamil, boasts records dating back to 5000 B.C. Unlike Sanskrit, Tamil is still in everyday use with many newspapers circulating in the language. However, the original structure of Tamil is slowly giving way to modern vernacular usage. How are these old languages relevant to modern language learners? With Sanskrit, you learn a new system, and one that underlies many modern languages. Learn the basic roots of words and some rules in Sanskrit and - boom! - you can suddenly make sense of many more words in many other languages. It’s easier than most people imagine.

Most Languages in India Follow the WYSIWYG Premise

In a language like English, there are words that are spelled similarly but pronounced differently. Same for French. Consider “but” and “put”. At face value, they should rhyme. But they don’t. The same holds true for many French words. However, all Indian languages are phonetic. That means you can pronounce any word just by seeing it written. In every major Indian language, each syllable has a unique representation in script. It is truly "What-you-see-is -what-you-get" for the Indian language. What’s more, many Indian languages share the same script (the written alphabet). For example, Sanskrit and Hindi are written in the same script - Devanagiri - but are still very different. As Indian languages are phonetic, once you’ve learned one, the others are ridiculously simple to learn. There is a very systematic approach to learning them with the added advantage that you never have to wonder if you are saying it right!

Indian Languages are Highly Versatile

Most Indian languages have the luxury of being correct with multiple constructs for sentences. Below is an example of a simple sentence written in multiple ways in Tamil - and still being correct in each of those constructs. Compare it to only one correct sentence structure in English. The takeaway? There is really no reason to freak out on “propriety”. Odds are that you will be right most of the time while speaking in an Indian language.

Many English Words are Borrowed from India

India has often loaned words to Western languages. Way back in 1886, two India enthusiasts by names Henry Yule and Arthur C Burnell compiled and published the book Hobson-Jobson: The Definitive Glossary of British India. This was a complete glossary of Indian words that became a permanent fixture in the English dictionary. From words like 'loot','shampoo' and 'sherbet' to popular names of spices and fruits like 'ginger', 'indigo' and 'mango', to recent additions like 'guru', there have been a steady supply of words to the English dictionary from India.

English is Spoken Widely Across India

Despite having many languages of its own, India still harbours a place for English. English is widely spoken. So much so, that there is a whole new word that describes the way English words creep into the local vernacular: Hinglish. In fact, India is the largest English speaking country in the world As India has so many native languages of its own, there are many different flavours and accents to the English that’s spoken in India. It all depends on which part of the country the speaker comes from. There are several words still in use in India that are phased out in the UK, as remnants of British colonisation in India. One example is ‘stepney’, which means a ‘spare type’. Indians do not just sprinkle English words into everyday sentences. English words are remixed, refreshed and reinvented within a whole new context. One of the primary influences in this Englishisation of India is the mega film industry, Bollywood. Many movies have titles mixed with English words, and the songs have a fancy re-mix of English phrases. This love affair with English is not just romantic. It’s also highly practical, and has been counted among India's major economic strengths. It has led to thousands of jobs being created in tech and customer services. That doesn’t mean there’s no conflict about it. Knowledge of English is seen as a major factor for the wide gap between the haves and have-nots in the country. The poor see the opportunity to learn English as the ticket to a good life. This means that being an English-speaking tourist in India, you’ll fit in with any community. The urban classes will take you in because they identify with you and can rival your fluency in English. The rural will defer you with special status because you speak English! . What’s more- you will probably go home with a slew of Hinglish words in your kitty!

Schools Make India Multilingual

Most private schools in India encourage students to learn multiple languages even from the first grade. Public schools teach in the vernacular but there is growing focus on access to the English medium of instruction. However, even when the major medium of instruction is English, there are at least two to three choices given to students for "second" and "third" languages. Typical choices include Hindi (considered the national language), the local state language and/or a foreign/ancient language like French or Sanskrit. Children in India typically grow up with parents coming from different language backgrounds, or in a community with neighbours coming from the far-end of the country speaking an entirely different language. Most children in India attain native-fluency levels in other languages simply because they have friends speaking other languages. Anytime you’ve got a language related question in India, you can always ask a kid. You will get your questions answered and some great insights about the kids’ fantasy superheroes!

In India, Inclusiveness is a Culture

Tim Ferris, the author of the now famous The 4-hour-workweek states that the entrepreneurial abilities of the Indians has consistently amazed him for years. Most travellers to India can vouch for the same experience. Most of this entrepreneurial ability goes back to the fact that Indians can absorb diversity like a sponge. A roadside hawker in India may speak only broken English to attract customers, but speak he will! He will also go to great lengths to learn the language of his customer and speak to him in his language, albeit at an amateur level. The culture of inclusiveness is so prevalent that no language or culture surprises Indians. Seriously, by now you should be convinced that learning a language in India isn’t that big of a deal. All you have to do is attempt it and I promise you: everyone will chip in to help you!

The post Why Most Indians Can Speak Multiple Languages Like a Dream appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

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Coffee Break French One Second Search 04

Welcome back to the One Second Search – a fun activity to test your French vocabulary. In our most recent newsletter we included a beautiful video about the sites of Paris and so this grid is filled with words associated with the capital; try to think of tourist attractions and the different areas of the city.

Here’s your challenge:

1. Look at the word grid below which is filled with words you would associate with Paris.

2. When you have found a word, try to find out an interesting fact about it.

3. Post a comment to share your findings with everyone else.

Qu’est-ce que vous préférez faire à Paris? Dites-le-nous!

 

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Refresher Lesson #11 - Don’t Skip over This Spanish Lesson!

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! You and your spouse are having an argument in Spanish over your usual topic…household finances. This time it’s just because you promised your friend in Spanish that you would host your next get-together. When you tell your spouse, he replies in Spanish, “Are you kidding me? We can’t afford to host [...]

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Episodio 205: Pablo Picasso

Learn Spanish with Pablo Picasso. In this episode we talk about his life. You can learn some Spanish art vocabulary and the curious life of one of the most famous artists of Spain. Transcript available: "Hola a todos y bienvenidos a un nuevo episodio de SpanishPodcast.net Hacía tiempo que no hablábamos de algún personaje español. Hoy le toca el turno a Pablo Picasso, un artista español que influyó mucho en todo el arte del siglo XX. ..."

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News #201 - For Android Users Only! You’re Getting Free Mini-Language Lesson with this App

Back in January, you got the Daily Dose of Spanish – daily 1-minute mini-lessons so you can learn Spanish easily every day. Well, the iOS users amongst you got it anyway! This time, we have good news for you Android users! Click Here to Download the Daily Dose App: Android, iPhone & iPad! Click Here to Get [...]

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Spanish Vocab Builder #39 - Tourism

Learn Mexican Spanish with SpanishPod101.com ! Our Mexican Spanish vocabulary lists are listener favorites, and now we’ve made it even better! In each lesson, you’ll hear the Mexican Spanish words and phrases from the Mexican Spanish vocabulary lists. Join us for Mexican Spanish Vocab Builder! In this lesson, you’ll learn words and phrases for Tourism. Click [...]

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8 Spanish TV Commercials (Great for Spanish Learners)

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Getting bored with learning how to speak Spanish? Variety is the spice of life. And if you’re getting bored with Spanish, variety is the key to smashing that boredom and keeping Spanish fresh. Study Spanish with the same textbook (or podcast, or course) every day, and one of two things will happen: You’ll get bored and give up. You’ll get stuck in that method, and will struggle to use Spanish in real world situations. Music, films, books, podcasts, and conversations with real people can all add variety to your Spanish learning, and keep things fresh. But have you ever thought of TV commercials (anuncios in Spanish) as a study aid? Probably not! But they’re surprisingly effective.

Why Use TV Commercials to Study Spanish?

Sure, you probably get as annoyed by TV commercials as the next person. Commercials usually interrupt what you want to be doing. When you choose to watch commercials, it’s a different experience. Here’s why you should choose to watch Spanish TV commercials:

TV Commercials are Short (and Perfect for Beginners)

Movies can be an ideal study aid. But for beginner learners, feature length movies are just too long. You get bombarded with new material for an entire ninety minutes, and that can be really disheartening. A TV commercial is a bite-sized movie. It’s precise, short and to the point. As a beginner, you can follow along and get to grips with everything that’s said. And you won’t feel overwhelmed.

TV Commercials are Simple to Follow

Unlike movies, TV commercials are deliberately accessible to everyone. They’re written to be easy to understand. With movies, you risk getting lost in a convoluted plot while simultaneously trying to follow all the dialogue. I barely understood Inception in English, much less a language I’m not yet fluent in! TV commercials are designed to reach as many people as possible. This means keeping it simple and using everyday themes. In other words, commercials are the perfect way to improve your comprehension skills.

TV Commercials are Memorable

Most commercials are less than a minute long. This means that they need to stand out if they’re going to have an impact on consumers. Advertisers employ teams of full-time psychologists to give their ads the most bang for their buck. Just like a catchy Spanish song, a well-made Spanish-language commercial can stick in your mind all day. That’s exactly what you need to learn Spanish fast. Like it or not, advertising is a part of our lives. Use this to your advantage by turning it into an opportunity to practice your Spanish skills. Get started with the following Spanish TV commercials:

1. Verizon (English subtitles)

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1X7abXCYYg Yes, this commercial is politically incorrect. It also happens to be very memorable! What’s more, it includes everyday vocabulary about family, work and marriage. These are all topics that you’ll very likely need to talk about early on as you learn Spanish, especially when meeting new people.

2. Spanish Christmas Lottery (Spanish subtitles)

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lCvf3urdmc The annual Christmas lottery is a national institution in Spain. It’s the second longest running lottery in the world, and the largest one in terms of total payout at over two billion euro! Each year, the Loterías y Apuestas del Estado (Spanish lottery commission) produces a TV commercial to promote the lottery, and I’ve shared the video from 2014. To make sense of what’s going on in the video, you’ll need a bit of background on how the lottery works. Lottery tickets are usually sold in tenths (décimos), because an individual ticket is quite pricey. If a ticket wins, then everyone who bought a tenth of that ticket gets 10% of the prize money. In this commercial, the cafe owner offers to sell his friend un décimo, but the friend declines. The implication is that that money is tight for him right now. Unemployment in Spain is still at one of the highest levels in the EU. I’ll let you see for yourself how the commercial ends.

3. Faceboom (English subtitles)

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFQPMy86RfE This is a hilarious ad about Faceboom, a Spanish-language book that provides an in-depth analysis of the profound impact that Facebook has had on the world. The dialogue of this commercial provides you with tons of useful vocabulary about Facebook. You can help this vocabulary stick in your mind by changing your Facebook language preference to Spanish. Feeling ambitious? You can order the book to get Spanish reading practice about a very relevant topic. By the way… have you liked us on Facebook yet? ;-)

4. iPhone 6S (no subtitles)

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDgZc4sb7-E This commercial is about a topic that rarely features in Spanish textbooks: iPhones! Even if you don’t own one yourself, I bet you know several people who do. iPhones are just as popular in Spain and Latin America as they are in the rest of the world. When you meet real Spanish speakers, you can practice the vocabulary from this commercial to have an interesting conversation about a topic that nearly everyone has an opinion on. On that subject, why not switch your phone’s language to Spanish? That way, you’ll sneak in extra practice every time you use your phone.

5. Cruzcampo Beer (English subtitles)

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CClhCA_MGc Like most beer commercials, this ad isn’t really about beer. It’s a rousing, inspirational speech about what it means to be Andalusian. Andalucía is the region of Spain that this beer brand comes from. I can’t vouch for the quality of the beer there, but I’ve visited Andalucía and it’s spectacular. It’s everything this commercial says and more. A word of warning: the narrator in this ad speaks quickly. This is a good thing! He doesn’t speak any more quickly than the average Spanish speaker in everyday conversation. This is the speed you’ll need to get used to if you want to have real conversations in Spanish. Want to practice at a slower rate before getting to grips with full speed Spanish? Use the settings button on YouTube to slow down the video (it’s the button that looks like a cog at the bottom right of the video).

6. Coca Cola (English subtitles)

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl83cRKsV8Q This is a really useful commercial for practising the Spanish future tense. It’s an interesting take on how today’s statistics predict the future of human health. Try to ignore the counterintuitiveness of this being a Coke commercial, and just enjoy the content. There’s lots of useful Spanish vocabulary in there.

7. IKEA (English subtitles)

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ3ePGr8Q7k How about a Swedish-Spanish fusion? With this ad, IKEA brings home a poignant message about what’s most important over Christmas. Hint: it’s not toys! I like how this commercial features lots of different voices. You get to hear all sorts of people speaking Spanish, including children of all ages. Why’s it so helpful to hear kids speaking? For one thing, you get a different kind of listening practice, since young children haven’t mastered their own language yet and don’t speak it like adults do. For another, they often speak more slowly, which is especially helpful in a lightning-fast language like Spanish!

8. Nocilla (no subtitles)

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXq1Lx22hsw Everyone’s heard of Nutella, right? But have you heard of Nocilla? It’s by far the most popular chocolate hazelnut spread in Spain and Portugal, vastly outselling Nutella. Only a Spanish chocolate spread advert could focus on football. And football is likely to be a topic you’ll find yourself chatting about during a visit to any Spanish-speaking country. If you don’t want to be left out of these conversations, then you’d better brush up on your football vocabulary, Just don’t be surprised after watching this commercial if you get a craving for some rich, creamy hazelnut spread while you’re reviewing the difference between a golero and a goleador.

More Spanish Commercials

These commercials are just a taste of what you can find online. Here are some other places you can find Spanish TV commercials.

• Youtube: Run a search for anuncio de televisión to find tonnes of Spanish TV commercials.
• Flipboard: This social media news sharing website has a nice collection of commercials scraped from around the web.
• ABC.es: A modest list of some of the best commercials from Spanish TV history.

Have you used TV commercials to help you learn Spanish? I’d like to hear about it! Drop me a line in the comments!

The post 8 Spanish TV Commercials (Great for Spanish Learners) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

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Absolute Beginner S4 #11 - Talking About Your Eating Habits in Spanish

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! You’re meeting up with a Spanish friend you haven’t seen in a long time, and you almost don’t recognize him when he walks into the restaurant. He’s lost so much weight! You will have to ask him what his secret is… In this lesson, you will learn how to use the focus [...]

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Absolute Beginner S4 #12 - What Are You Doing Right Now in Spain?

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! While on holidays in Japan, you bonded with a local girl over your mutual love for handwritten letters. Now that you’re back in Spain, you decide to make good on your promise and write her a letter! In this lesson, we’ll finish studying the present simple for Spanish verbs with the –ir [...]

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Absolute Beginner S4 #13 - Using the Spanish Present Progressive Tense

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! You’re tired of studying for your Spanish exam, so you wander out into the lounge room and ask your roommates what they’re doing. They seem pretty busy studying themselves, so you decide to call a Spanish friend and see what he’s doing. He’s busy as well! Doesn’t anyone have time to [...]

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Absolute Beginner S4 #14 - Which Spanish Movie Should You Watch?

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! It’s a rainy Saturday in Spain, so you and your boyfriend decide to watch a movie. But that’s easier said than done, because you can’t seem to decide on what to watch! In this lesson, you’ll will learn how to use the demonstrative adjective esta/este. Visit us at SpanishPod101.com, where you will [...]

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Absolute Beginner S4 #15 - Choosing a New Outfit in Spain

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! That does it—you need some more t-shirts! All of yours have holes in them, and it’s not a good look. You make plans to head to the mall as soon as possible… In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use the demonstrative adjective “that.” Visit us at SpanishPod101.com, where you will find [...]

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Absolute Beginner S4 #16 - Planning a Spanish Vacation

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! You’ve finally worked at your Spanish company for long enough to have vacation days, so you’re trying to decide where to go. Spain has so many great vacation options, it’s going to be hard to choose! In this lesson you’ll learn about how to use the demonstrative adjectives estos/estas. Visit us at [...]

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Absolute Beginner S4 #17 - Choosing a Spanish Dining Destination

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! You don’t know why, but your stomach’s been growling all day. You had a big Spanish breakfast, so it’s not like you haven’t eaten all day. Either way, the result is that you’ve been looking up restaurant recommendations for dinner instead of working…you hope your boss doesn’t notice! In this lesson, you’ll [...]

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Absolute Beginner S4 #18 - Seeing the Sights in the Spanish City of Barcelona

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! One of the things you love most about Spain is the beautiful architecture—your favorite architect is Gaudí. You love that you can walk past his beautiful creations every day! In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use the verb haber to say “there is” and “there are.” Visit us at SpanishPod101.com, where [...]

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Absolute Beginner S4 #19 - Are You All Ready For Your Spanish Test?

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! The big Spanish test is tomorrow, and you couldn’t be more nervous. You’ve studied a lot, but you still don’t know if you’ve covered everything! So when your classmate texts you to say he’s feeling really confident, you wish he could transfer some of it to you! In this lesson, you’ll learn [...]

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Absolute Beginner S4 #20 - Is Your Spanish Friend Answering the Phone?

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! You’ve been trying to get through to your Spanish friend for days, and he never seems to be home. You wonder where he’s disappeared to…he didn’t tell you he was going anywhere! In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use the verb estar (”to be”) to explain where people or things are. [...]

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Absolute Beginner S4 #21 - Loading Up on Junk Food in Spain

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! After a long day of sightseeing in Spain, all you can think about is food and bed. When you finally find a restaurant that’s still open, it happens to be a fast food restaurant! It’s not your first choice, but you’d eat anything at this point! In this lesson, you’ll learn how [...]

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Absolute Beginner S4 #22 - Are You Going To This Spanish Party?

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! You’ve really put your foot in it this time—you just asked your Spanish friend if he was going to a mutual friend’s party, and he said he knew nothing about it. You don’t want to be in the middle of a fight you didn’t even know was happening! In this lesson, you’ll [...]

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Absolute Beginner S4 #23 - Time-related Expressions

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! You’ve decided to arrive early to the airport in Spain for once…but you have have been too eager because the time is moving so slowly! Every time you look at the clock, it seems like only five minutes have passed when you were sure it had been at least half an [...]

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Absolute Beginner S4 #24 - How Often Do You Go to the Movies in Spain?

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! On a rainy Sunday night in Spain, you’re heading to the movies with a friend. When she asks you which movie you saw last, you get stuck—you don’t even remember when you last went to a cinema! In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use adverbs of frequency. Visit us at SpanishPod101.com, [...]

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Absolute Beginner S4 #25 - When Will This Spanish Weather Break?

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! Every week, it’s the same in Spain—beautiful sunny weather every week day (while you’re working) and then rain and cold on the weekends. It’s like the weather is conspiring against you! In this lesson, you’ll learn how to talk about the weather in Spanish. Visit us at SpanishPod101.com, where you will find [...]

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Video Culture Class: Spanish Holidays #7 - Carnival

Learn more about Spanish culture with SpanishPod101.com! Ever wondered what the most important Spanish holidays are, and how they are celebrated? Then this 25-lesson video series is for you! With this series, you’ll learn the what, why, when and how of 25 well-known holidays in Spain. In this video, you’ll learn all about Carnival in Spain [...]

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Episodio 204: Las bodas en España

We explain what to do to marry in Spain and how are the wedding celebrations in our country. Transcript available: "Hola a todos y bienvenidos una vez más a un episodio de SpanishPodcast.net En esta ocasión vamos a hablar sobre cómo son las bodas en España. Hemos creado este episodio por una petición que nos hizo Leonid desde Rusia, espero pronunciar bien tu nombre. Leonid y su novia van a casarse este otoño, así que se interesó por saber cómo son las bodas en España. Vanesa y yo les deseamos que tengan una feliz boda, con todos sus familiares y amigos, y por supuesto, que sean muy felices en el futuro. ¡Vivan los novios! ... "

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Episodio 203: Ser uña y carne

Today we talk about an expression about personal relationships: "ser uña y carne". At the end of the episode you can practice the Spanish conjugation and pronunciation. Transcript available: "Hola y bienvenido o bienvenida una vez más a un episodio de SpanishPodcast.net Hoy hemos preparado un episodio que parece que interesa a muchas personas, vamos a explicar la expresión: “ser uña y carne”. Diferentes personas de diferentes lugares nos han preguntado por esta expresión, así que suponemos que es una expresión bastante popular o que puede utilizarse con frecuencia en muchos sitios ... "

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16 Free Online Italian Language Lessons

Think learning how speak Italian means breaking the bank? Think again. The internet is teeming with Italian language lessons that cost nothing. The only problem? Some of these no cost resources are good-quality, but others, not so much. Not to worry. I’ve scoured the web to find as many high-quality, free Italian language lessons as I could. Check out the resources below, and you won’t have to worry about spending a single centesimo on your Italian lessons.

Free Online Podcasts to Help You Learn Italian

Get your Italian lessons in bite-sized podcast episodes whenever you want, either on your computer, tablet or smartphone.

• ItalianPod101 Podcast: It’s a little-known fact that all of the Innovative Language podcasts, including ItalianPod101, are free to sign up for and offer quite a bit of free content. Sign up for an ItalianPod101 account and check out the lessons available for your skill level. After listening to these lessons, you’ll have a pretty good understanding of how the Innovative Language program works. Then you can decide if you’re interested in upgrading your account to a paid subscription.
• Learn Italian Pod: With 175 lessons, Learn Italian Pod is one of the biggest Italian podcasts out there. Each episode starts with a short anecdote or news story narrated in Italian, followed by an explanation of the most important grammar and vocabulary points from the narration.
• Coffee Break Italian: Relax and take in this popular Italian podcast while sipping a cup of cappuccino - but only if you haven’t just eaten! Italians never drink cappuccino immediately after a meal. Best stick with plain caffè after your meal if you’re on holiday in Italy.
• Pastacast: This is a short podcast that ran for only six months, but it covers a surprising amount of material. It breaks down most of the more confusing Italian grammar points into simple elements. The host also tries to use simple English as much as possible for those listeners who don’t speak English as a first language.

Learn Italian with Free Audio Lessons

Listening comprehension is one of the toughest aspects of any foreign language. This is why it’s so important to include audio lessons in your Italian study routine. Here are some of the better no-cost audio resources I’ve found for Italian:

• Audible Italian: If you’re an absolute beginner in Italian, this is a good place to start. Audible Italian teaches basic expressions for the most common situations you can expect to encounter on holiday in Italy. Each phrase comes with an audio recording of a native speaker saying the phrase. Listen to each one multiple times, and be sure to repeat after it out loud, to work on your speaking and listening skills at the same time.
• One World Italiano: This website is bursting with useful Italian learning material. It contains a 37-part audio course for beginners, a 6-part course for intermediate students, and a 12-part video course. In the sidebar, there are many more lessons, as well as reading, writing and listening exercises that you can access for free.
• Foreign Service Institute Italian FAST (Familiarization and Short-term Training) Course: This is the course that the US government’s Foreign Service Institute uses for training its own employees before they’re stationed overseas. It’s very structured and thorough, and is especially appealing to language learners who prefer a more classroom-oriented approach. Click on “Student Text” to download the textbook for the course, which includes instructions for how to use the course. Then follow along with the audio lessons.

YouTube: Free Online Videos for Learning Italian

Video lessons are especially useful for beginner and intermediate students. Having visual cues during a lesson helps you to understand what’s going on. Videos can also hold your attention better than purely audio courses can.

• Speak Italian With Your Mouth Full: Learn about Italian cooking and language at the same time. Each lesson is divided into parts. In part 1, you watch an Italian teacher and chef teach new vocabulary and phrases to a class of students. Parts 2 and 3 are a cooking class where you can observe the students learning to cook an Italian dish while using the language material they just learned.
• Lavori in Cors Genova: This YouTube course contains 67 detailed lessons about Italian grammar and vocabulary. Learn about every aspect of grammar that a beginner to intermediate student could want, such as object contracted pronouns, the various future tenses, and even how to swear in Italian!
• Learn Italian with Marco: These video lessons from a very cheerful native Italian speaker will teach you a huge variety of useful Italian phrases. The narrator explains the relevant grammar and vocabulary for each phrase to help them stick in your mind.
• ItalianPod101 free videos: ItalianPod101 has made many of their videos available to everyone on YouTube, so you don’t have to sign up for a paid subscription to access some of their amazing content. Check out the listening comprehension videos, which contain a dialogue that you’ll be tested on at the end of the video. If you’re very short on time, watch one of the “Italian in 3 Minutes” videos for a mini Italian lesson.
• Italianissimo: This is a BBC series from the ‘90s whose goal was to teach Italian to beginners. It contains a mix of English and Italian and is appropriate even for absolute beginners. Try not to laugh too much at the early ‘90s cheesiness of the show - the material is top notch!
• Benvenido in Casa Ba: Here is another television series designed specifically for foreigners learning Italian. It follows the story of a family who has just immigrated to Italy. It’s more advanced than Italianissimo, and is filmed entirely in Italian. Each episode comes with a transcript to follow along to if you get lost.

Free Online Italian Courses and Systems

Sometimes it’s just not the right time or place to watch videos or listen to audio lessons. In that case, take advantage of the courses below so you can study Italian even when “noisy” study methods are out of the question.

• Italian Online Club: This hidden gem contains hundreds of lessons for Italian students, organised by difficulty according to CEFR levels, from A1 up to C2. Click on your level to get started. If you’re not sure of your level, take the placement test by clicking the link at the bottom of the page.
• Iluss Free Resources: Learn from structured lessons sorted by skill level. Each lesson starts with an overview of the grammar point being covered, and then has a series of quizzes to test your knowledge. Many of the quizzes contain fill-in-the-blank questions, but some also include a listening comprehension component.
• Duolingo Italian: For vocabulary and basic grammar exercises to do during your spare moments throughout the day, Duolingo is the go-to app for millions of language learners around the world. While I don’t recommend it be used exclusively, Duolingo can be a very useful supplement to your Italian studies.

Have you found a fantastic website for free Italian lessons that I forgot to add to my list? Tell me, and all my readers, about it in the comments!

The post 16 Free Online Italian Language Lessons appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

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Spanish Vocab Builder #38 - Birds

Learn Mexican Spanish with SpanishPod101.com ! Our Mexican Spanish vocabulary lists are listener favorites, and now we’ve made it even better! In each lesson, you’ll hear the Mexican Spanish words and phrases from the Mexican Spanish vocabulary lists. Join us for Mexican Spanish Vocab Builder! In this lesson, you’ll learn the names for Birds. Click here [...]

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The Modern Guide to Language Learning

Greetings, dear friend! I do hope this letter finds you well. Last time we met, you expressed an interest in learning a language. I agree that this would be of benefit to any man willing to broaden his cultural horizons. You shared with me your fears and concerns. You did not know where to start. You thought the entire task to be a monumental effort. You weren’t sure of how much money you should be allocating to your project. Well, I’m here to tell you that learning a language is possible and a lot easier than you may have originally thought! Here are some ideas to get you started.

Use Technology to Your Advantage

We live in a wonderful age, where technological advances open the doors that were previously closed to us. We have many more opportunities to converse with our comrades of foreign nations and tongues, than in any other time before. Telegrams are an excellent means of communication and you’ll find them quite inexpensive to boot! They are deliberately designed to be short and sweet, making them perfect for those starting out on their language learning quests. The average telegram in the Anglophone world consists of between 11-15 words. The idea is to get your message across as succinctly as possible, but by as equally as little means. Remember that every word will cost you hard earned pennies – charged by those dastardly communications companies. Gee, they must make a killing off us ordinary citizens!

Make a Voyage to the Old World

Travelling has never been easier, my friend! In this modern age, steamboats have the capability of traversing the Atlantic Ocean in less than a week. What a glorious era we find ourselves living in, full of endless opportunities! Just imagine – you and the wide-open ocean. Salty wind rushes through your hair and you can feel the sun pounding upon your back. Another land lies before you, teaming with possibilities. Opportunities to meet new people, feast upon decadent foods, acquire tasteful artefacts and sharpen one’s language skills. Is money an issue for you? Consider the following solutions. Befriend a member of the aristocracy, or of “old money” (or even new money, should the chance arise). Make yourself invaluable to them, so that when they embark upon their tour of Europe, they’ll have no choice but to take their closest confidant with them. At the very worst, there is always the option to stow away. You can lay low and study your language books by day and sneak into the kitchens to feast ‘til your heart’s content at night.

Do Not Be Afraid to Exercise Your Tongue

Whilst on your tour of Europe, you will have the chance to converse in person with several learned people, who can speak multiple languages.  Do not allow this opportunity to slip away. Indeed, you must make the most of this, by speaking in your target language whenever you have the chance to do so. Yes, speak up, dear friend – you can and you must. How else will you ever achieve your goal of appreciating their company, if you’re too afraid to open your mouth and start talking? Fear is the enemy and will do nothing but hold you back.

Find a Pen Pal and Keep in Touch

Foreign language is like any other skill we may set ourselves to learning in our lifetime – whether that be ballroom dancing, car racing, the exhilarating game of bridge or croquet. You will find that your knowledge and memory of foreign words, will only increase with repetition. I hear of your concerns. That you will journey to the Old World, or visit communities of many cultures in the New World, on your own coin (or that of another’s, as was previously suggested!), worrying that it is a waste of time, money and effort. Yet in this new and unchartered territory, you will feel encouraged to speak up and impress our brothers with your vast intellect and language knowledge. You will become assured in your ability to converse in a foreign tongue,. Eventually, you will be required to journey back home. You’ll arrive on American or British soil, armed with a new set of skills… and accompanied by an old fear. When one has acquired a new tongue, what must one do to ensure that their memory does not fail them - that these new and wonderful words and phrases are not lost to them forever? The answer is simple. Practice. You will undertake every effort to continue to converse in your new language. By doing so, you’ll ensure that it will continue to stay fresh in your mind. Here is what you need to do. While you are touring Europe, you must do all within your power to make yourself impressionable to your European comrades. Perhaps you’ll have a chance encounter with a gentleman who will be wishing to better his knowledge of your native tongue? You will be able to come to a most suitable arrangement. Connect with him. Procure his address. Make a suggestion that will work out to be mutually agreeable. Tell him, that upon your arrival back home, you will sit down at your desk and pen two letters. One text will be written in your native tongue, for him to study and use to his advantage. The other will be crafted using words and expressions that pertain to your target language. It will be a chance to test out your newly acquired skills. You will address these letters to your foreign friend and send them by post at your earliest convenience, requesting in your postscript that he reward you with the same service. We are lucky enough to live in an age where you can send your mail from anywhere else in the world and have it land within the eager hands of your recipient within a three-month period! At this rate, you will be enabled to swap pleasantries by pen with your foreign acquaintance upward of twice a year, without ever leaving the bosom of your homeland! Man has never known such conveniences before this modern era.

Connect With Other Language Learners in Your City

Whilst you are awaiting your letter from your new European friend(s), it will be become apparent that it will be in your best interest to practise your new tongue as often as humanly possible… on home soil. You may feel as though you are at a disadvantage in your current circumstance, but I assure you that that is not the case. You see, you are at an advantage. Remember that many individuals and families, from countries all over the globe flocked to the new world, and many also to this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (although I do dream of my state one day being independent) fuelled on by their hopes and desires for a better life. Leaving behind the remnants of their old existence, they took with them their most beloved possessions and something that was of even more value, although they may not have realised it at the time – their culture and language. These are the people you should look to connect with – there is so much you can learn from them. They can help you with tricky pronunciations, school you in slang and assist you in accent. Not only that - out yonder in any of the 45 States with many millions of million inhabitants, I guarantee that there will be persons of a similar nature and with the aspirations that you yourself hold. Individuals who have spent hours, if not years, dedicating themselves to the pursuit of a foreign tongue. My advice is to place an advert within your local paper, requestion the company of fellow language learners, not unlike yourself. For the investment of a few shillings, you will reap endless benefits!

Language Learning IS Possible!

As you can see, my dear friend, it is possible to acquire and maintain a foreign language. With the right contacts, a little spare change and a plucky attitude, you’ll find yourself broadening your mind, acquiring sought after skills, all while having the adventure of a lifetime. God speed and good luck on this first day of April!

The post The Modern Guide to Language Learning appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

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Inner Circle #27 - March 2016: How to Set the Ship Straight with the Routine Reminder Checklist

Last time, you learned about the 7 minutes and 7 seconds to language learning success. This time, you’ll learn how to expand your routine, like adding new workouts to an exercise regimen. It’s easy. All you need is a checklist that gives you actionable learning methods to add into your day. Some of these are [...]

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Episodio 202: Se armó la marimorena

We explain the meaning of "armarse la marimorena", an idiom often used in Spain. Discover what it means and when it's used. Transcript available: "Hola y bienvenido o bienvenida a un nuevo episodio de SpanishPodcast.net Hoy os vamos a explicar una expresión bastante curiosa cuyo origen es también bastante curioso: se armó la marimorena. Hemos creado este episodio por una pregunta que nos hizo Fausto desde Taiwan a través de nuestra página de Facebook. Fausto estaba hojeando una revista y leyó esta expresión. Le llamó la atención y quería saber con exactitud qué significa. Le contestamos y también le dijimos que podía ser una buena idea para un episodio, así que hemos creado un episodio para explicarla ... "

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Coffee Break Italian One Second Search 02

Welcome back to the One Second Search!

Following on from the article we shared with you in our Newsletter, today the grid is full of different types of Italian coffee – what’s your favourite?

Your challenge:

1) Look at the word grid below which is filled with the Italian names for different coffees – there are sei to find (please don’t post them all in a comment as it will spoil the fun for others!)

2) Tell us what your favourite coffee is by posting a comment. You can use the phrases mi piace… or preferisco…

In bocca al lupo!

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