News #210 - The 5 Review Tactics & Learning Tools That Will Sharpen Your Spanish

Serious Question: Have you ever returned to Spanish lessons you’ve completed? Taking a lesson once is enough to learn Spanish. But to master what you’ve learned… to understand Spanish the second you hear it… to read with just a quick glance… and to speak smoothly, without thinking… you need to review. Quick Discount Ends August [...]

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Spanish Vocab Builder #55 - Changing Money

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

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How to Live in Europe for More than 90 Days

How can you live in Europe longer than normal visa restrictions allow? While I’m writing this in May, we’re entering the best time of year in Europe. Summer is beautiful, the outdoor cafes are bustling, and it’s hard to imagine wanting to be anywhere else. As you may already know, Americans (and many other nationalities) don’t need a visa to visit most of Europe. In fact, you only need a preapproved visa if your country is on this list. The catch? You can only stay for 90 days in any six month period. What if you want to spend more than 90 days in Europe? Maybe you want to learn a language, have a deeper experience living in a European capital, or spend more time with new European friends. It turns out that despite the 90-day restriction there are a few ways to stay much longer. I've spent nearly two continuous years in Europe now, mainly in Budapest, and I hope to stay longer. Let me explain how you might be able to do the same.

My Stay in Europe: It Started When I Quit My Job

My story goes something like this: in July 2011 I quit my job and started traveling around the world. First to Central and South America, then Europe, and eventually South East Asia. It didn’t take me long to discover that I could work online and continue to fund my travel addiction. While I still love to travel, over time I found myself staying longer and longer in each place I visited. When I ultimately settled on Europe as a base of operations (for both business and personal reasons) I needed to figure out how to stay past the Schengen restrictions. Unfortunately I had absolutely no idea how to go about it. It turned out to be much easier than I expected, and I’d like to share how I've managed to stay in Europe for the last two years. It all started with a language-focused residency permit in Hungary. I’ll get to that in a moment. First, I should point out that this narrative focuses on me - an American - living abroad. But what I learned can apply to citizens of many other countries too.

How the Schengen Zone in Europe Works

Let's get right down to business. The first question most people ask is ‘how do I get a visa for travel to Europe?’ First of all, if your home country isn’t on this country list, then you don’t need a visa. Countries that don’t need a visa include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. Instead of a visa, you just get a stamp in your passport on arrival. This stamp gives you three months’ access to what's called the 'Schengen Zone', which includes most of the EU, and a few non-EU countries. The Schengen Zone is a large block of territory that looks like this: [caption id="attachment_19033" align="aligncenter" width="2000"] The blue area is the current Schengen Zone. Source: Wikipedia.[/caption] If you want to stay more than three months in the Schengen Zone you'll need a 'residency permit', which must be formally applied for. There are a few technical details to understand about Schengen:

• As the map above illustrates, there are some important country exceptions, notably the UK and Ireland. States that are set to join but are not officially part of Schengen include Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Cyprus (these are orange on the map above).
• You can stay in the Schengen Zone for up to 90 days in any 180 day period. That means you can go in and out of the area over a period of 6 months, as long as the total time inside does not exceed 90 days. (Alternatively, you can just stay in the Schengen Area for 90 consecutive days, then leave.) This also means that you could spend a total of 6 months in the Schengen Zone each year as long as you spaced it out properly.
• You don’t need to show your passport inside the Schengen zone - there are no border checks between places like Spain and France, for example, which is convenient but a bummer for those who like to collect passport stamps.
• Leaving the Schengen zone can be as simple as hopping on a bus or train to Croatia from Hungary (which is five to ten hours away, depending how you travel). You get a stamp on the way out. When you come back in you get another stamp. While this may sound suspiciously like a ‘visa run’, there's legally no such thing in Europe. You add up your total time in the Schengen Zone, and when it hits 90 days in six months you’re done.

Can you get in trouble for violating Schengen rules? Yes, absolutely. If you’re thinking about violating the rules, such as by overstaying your Schengen visa, a quick search for “Schengen penalty” will bring up stories of travelers who were deported and/or fined heavily for doing so. It's best to whenever possible play by the rules. I for one am not eager to get a large 'DEPORTED' stamp anywhere in my passport. So in sum: you can visit Europe for up to three months without doing any additional paperwork. If you want to stay longer, you’ll need to look at residency permits.

How I Stayed in Hungary for 12 Months with a Language-Related Residency Permit

Residency permits are a simple concept. The only issue is finding the right one to apply for. There are a few options:

• Student Visas
• Type D Temporary Residence Permits
• Investment/Business Visas
• Some very specific case visas, like work holiday or artist visas.

How I Stayed in Hungary for 12 Months with a Language-Related Residency Permit

If you are involved in something like a semester-exchange program or a full-time language-learning course you probably have the option of obtaining a student visa in the country of study. Most likely you’ll have to enroll and pay for the course before you apply for the visa, and you probably have to do this before you leave home. It’s also likely the organisation running the course or exchange can help you set this up. The only problem with this option is the visa usually only lasts as long as the course and it may have other requirements like minimum course hours per week. This may be the case if you’re in an official university program, but obviously does not work for a lot of us who are either more self-directed or outside of the university system. Language courses like this can also cost a lot of money.

Enter the Type D “Other” Visa for Longer Stays in Europe

The primary permit for our purposes is a Type D "Other" visa, which is available in most countries in Europe that I’ve looked at. Type D visas are for anything that doesn’t fit into the other buckets above. They’re for people who are going to be living for a year or two in a country but not working or studying there. They seem to be designed for people on sabbatical, retirees, writers/artists, or anyone else who doesn’t fit into the above categories. Some example reasons for Type D Visas include:

• Taking a language course (either part time or on your own, as opposed to an official course as mentioned above).
• Looking for business partners and opportunities.
• Exploring your roots. If you have Hungarian ancestry, for example, it’s fairly easy to qualify for this in Hungary.
• Research.

With a Type D visa, obtaining a residency permit is not that hard, but it's not a cakewalk either.

The Catch with Type D Visas: Minimum Savings and Other Requirements

There is a major catch to the Type D visa: you have to prove that you have enough money to survive while you’re in the country. How much are we talking about? Probably on the order of about €1,200 to €2,000 per month, so if you’re planning to stay for a year you’ll need €15,600 - €24,000 in your bank account. Plus, you must show proof of housing in the form of a signed lease. Because of this requirement, this visa option is only a good one for people who are really committed to staying for a while. That said, you can always break a lease later if it comes to that. As another caveat, some countries, like Spain and Portugal, require you to apply for the permit from your home country. That’s not ideal if you are already in Europe. This isn’t always the case, and isn’t the case in Hungary, but it pays to plan ahead. If you don’t qualify for the Type D visa due to the savings criteria, don’t fret, you can still look into the student visa option. For those who do, here are some additional details about what applying looks like.

A Basic Step-by-Step Template for Applying for a Type D Visa in Europe

Step 1: Pick a Country and Check Out Their Visa Requirements

First of all, find out the specifics of the country you’re staying in (or the country you plan to visit). It’s best to find the website of the country’s immigration authority. If you can’t (yet) read the local language, use Google Translate or contact the local consulate in your home country to check out the visa application requirements. When you start searching for ‘residency permit in [country name]’ you’ll probably find plenty of expat companies offering services and information. Sometimes these can be extremely helpful so it may be worth giving one a call to learn more.

Step 2: Complete the Relevant Paperwork

Make friends, hire a local, or hire an expat company to put all the visa paperwork together for you. The nice part about working with a local or someone who has done this before is they will tell you what you need to do and where/when you need to show up. That said, you can also do the entire process yourself but it can be difficult unless you can read and speak the local language. This may be another reason to apply from your home country.

Step 3: Assemble the Supporting Documents You Require

The documents you’ll need in your application depend on the country where you’re applying for a visa. The following are based on my experience in Hungary:

• A letter of intent, explaining why you want to apply for a permit. Generally this is a) exploring roots (any relatives or connections to the country); b) a language course (that's what I did); or c) exploring business opportunities.
• Bank account statements showing you have enough money to live for the time period you want to stay in the country.
• A copy of your apartment lease. This can be the hardest part. You need to actually prove you have the intent to stay in the country in the form of a signed rental lease. The longer the better. Some people I know have been granted two year residency permits with a two year lease.
• A copy of the Title Deed for your apartment. This can be a bit of a pain, but there is often a requirement to prove the person on the lease actually owns the apartment. The owner can probably get this for you.
• A local insurance certificate. For Hungary, this meant extremely cheap insurance from a common provider like Generali that covered sending my remains home if the worst happened.
• A scan of your current Passport.
• Some passport photos. Check the requirements with your destination country’s consulate. The required dimensions for passport photos can differ from one country to the next.
• Copies of any other application documents.

In other countries, you’ll need a background check. Some countries such as Portugal require Americans to produce a Criminal Record Certificate issued by the FBI. This can be requested in Portugal but is probably much faster in the US.

Step 4: Visit the Immigration Office

Once you have all the required documents, visit the immigration office with a local friend or representative from an expat company. Call ahead first to see if you need to make an appointment. Take a book, this will take a while! Of course, also take all the documents you assembled with you.

Step 5: Deliver Any Documents You Forgot

Up to four weeks later the immigration office will send you a letter about X document you forgot to include in your application. This letter will be 'deliver in person' only so if you aren't at your address it goes to the local post office and you have to show an ID to get it. In other words, you can't skip town, or if you do you have to come back to take care of this. You submit X document by emailing it to your expat agency or mailing it yourself.

Step 6: Resume waiting

In the meantime, you’ll likely be asked to repeat steps 4 and 5 once or twice.

Step 7: Celebrate!

Once your application has been accepted a date will be set for you to personally go into the immigration office to get your residency card. Sometimes if you are lucky they will mail it to you.

The Costs Involved in Applying for a Type D Residency Permit

An expat company can cost as much as €500 to help you submit an application, so hiring a local or making friends is significantly cheaper. Doing it yourself depends on if you’re doing it from your home country or abroad, how much of the local language you know, and how much your time is worth. Other costs to consider include:

• Insurance (required) at around €100 for a year. This only covers sending your remains home if something happens.
• A Title Deed to apartment can cost €15 or so.
• The application fee - around €30, though this varies by country.

How Long Does it Take to Get a Residency Permit?

In my experience, it takes two to three months. Make sure you start the application as long as possible before your Schengen stamp expires (minimum 30 days, preferably 60). It's best to get started right when you arrive. It’s useful to understand the underlying political disposition in the country where you’re applying. For example, in an ex-Soviet-bloc country, cutting through the bureaucracy is about who you know. In Spain they will probably put things off until tomorrow.

Are There Any Downsides to the Process?

If you have the time and energy, the only downside might be a small investment in the application process. But to be clear, it isn’t necessarily for the faint-hearted either. The main pain points here being:

• It can take a while to complete.
• You need to show minimum savings amounts.
• The process isn’t the cheapest thing ever, although probably cheaper than an official language course.
• You need to be committed to want to stay in Europe. 90 days is plenty of time if you just want to bounce around.
• You have to reapply every year.

Overall, not that bad, but expect it to take some time to complete.

The End Result: Living in Europe for One Year (or more)

Spending a year or two in Europe makes for a much deeper experience, both for language learning and for forming a lasting connection to a culture. The nice part about having an official residency visa in Europe is that it gives you an all-access pass to the Schengen zone, which means you can also visit the rest of the continent while you’re there. While I wish it was easier for Americans (and others) to get a visa to live in Europe, it’s relatively straightforward to complete the steps above. So whether you apply for a student visa or a residency permit, don’t be afraid to jump in with both feet and stay awhile!

The post How to Live in Europe for More than 90 Days appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

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Absolute Beginner S2 #22 - An Awkward Spanish Situation

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! Among your friends in Spain, you have a reputation for sticking your foot in your mouth when you’re talking in Spanish to them. They know they can count on you to embarrass yourself, make everyone feel uncomfortable, or say the wrong Spanish expression at the wrong time. You guess you are [...]

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Episodio 225: Ronda de preguntas

Today we try to answer some questions made by our fans. We talk about our visitors, we recommend a book and we make some recommendations to visit Spain. Transcript available: "Hola, ¿qué tal estás?, ¿cómo va todo? Espero que esté todo bien y que tu aprendizaje del español siga mejorando. Hoy tenemos un episodio un poco especial. Es un poco especial porque podemos considerar que es un episodio creado por personas como tú. ¿Por qué Hoy vamos a contestar a algunas preguntas que nos han llegado por email, pero en lugar de contestar a través del correo electrónico vamos a contestar a través del episodio ... "

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Spanish Vocab Builder #54 - Crossing Borders

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

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10 Simple Games and Exercises to Practise Your Vietnamese Skills

In the summer of 2015, a Vietnamese production company asked me if I would be the main character on a new TV show. My own TV show? This was a dream come true! The show’s name is “Funny English Class”, or “Lợp Tiếng Anh Vui Vẻ". It’s show aimed at children ages 4-8. Since accepting the gig, I’ve realised that teaching kids while being on screen is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. All we do is sing songs and play games. But the kids love it, and they also learn a ton. It made me wonder… Why can’t adults do the same? See, language learning can be as boring or as fun as you want it to be. So, might as well make it fun right!? Adults don't play games as often as we should (myself included!). Games are fun. They're helpful and we can learn from them too. What if we played more games in order to improve our language skills? Add to that the fact that adults are better language learners than kids, and we can use games to make some hefty progress our target language! If you’re learning Vietnamese, the list below will help you enormously at improving your Vietnamese skills. If you’re learning something else, use these as suggestions to get creative with your target language!

1. Play the Family Tree Game

In Vietnamese, you must address the person you are talking to according to their age, gender, and relationship to you. This is the main reason Vietnamese people are quick to ask you how old you are. It’s not because they’re being rude and in your face, it’s because they want to know the most polite way to address you. When talking to an equal, you use bạn which means friend. When talking to an older man, you call him Anh (older brother) or Chú (uncle). Then, rather than saying “I” or “me”, you’d have to refer to yourself as the corresponding pronoun for the situation. If you call them uncle, then you refer to yourself as con (child). If you call them older brother, you refer to yourself as em (younger brother). Basically, the words for you/me change a lot, and it’s not easy. But, one great exercise to learn all these words is to use your actual family members as a reference. Make a family tree for yourself and include pictures of real people if you can. Pairing the words with real people in your life will help you to learn and remember the words faster. Once you’ve done this with your family members, make up sample dialogues with each of them and write down the pronoun you would use for “me” and “you”. When you’ve mastered this, challenge yourself again by repeating the exercise from the perspective of someone else.

2. Move Your Body With the Tones

Ready to get moving? As you probably already know, the Vietnamese language has six tones. If you’ve never learned a tonal language before, it’s going to take some time to familiarise yourself with these. A great way to have fun while learning them is to use your body. Match each tone with the following body gesture:

• Sắc: Rise up onto your tippy toes.
• Huyền: For the falling tone, take your right hand and slash down and diagonally across your body like you’re throwing a frisbee.
• Hỏi: Shrug your shoulders as this tone drops down and comes up.
• Ngã: Drop your chin down and then slowly bring it up.
• Nặng: Punch the air in front of you with your left hand like you’re the director of a 50 piece orchestra.
• Ngang: For the flat tone, open your eyes wide but don’t move any other part of your body!

“Are you serious? This is ridiculous!” You bet I am! I told you we were going to have fun, didn’t I?! Next, have a teacher or friend read flashcards out loud. For each word, do the action with the corresponding tone, and then repeat the word, and then repeat the tone. Using your body in a fun way will make it easier to remember. For example, if the word is biết, (to know), then you would rise up on your tippy toes because it has the rising tone, sắc. Don’t have anyone to learn with? No problem, just do the move as you are going through flashcards. It’ll save you some embarrassment, but you’ll still enjoy it!

3. Circle the Tone or Accent

Unlike Thai, Cambodian, and Lao, Vietnamese has a Romanised alphabet. Great news, right? You don’t have to learn any new letters at all? Not quite... Yes, the alphabet is very similar to English, but it still has many differences. For example, there are two letters that look like D (D and Đ) and they sound NOTHING alike. There are also three letters that look like A (A and Ă), but all are pronounced differently. Before you get too confused, make sure you learn the alphabet, especially the vowels. You’ll notice that it’s hard to differentiate tones and accents at first. A great way to practice this is to play a game called “circle the tone”. Take any piece of Vietnamese text and go through and….you guessed it! Circle the tone! Then go back with a different coloured pen and play, “circle that accent!” Here’s a tip: Every word in Vietnamese has only one tone, and the tone can also NEVER touch a letter. Use the following graphic of the alphabet to know if you circled an accent or a tone!

4. Sing Your Heart Out, Vietnamese Style!

Karaoke is a big part of Asian culture, and Vietnam does not fall short of that stereotype. What better way to practise pronunciation than singing along to some Vietnamese tunes? If you don’t happen to live in Vietnam and can’t make it to Thursday night karaoke with your friends, don’t worry...you can order karaoke to your computer for free via YouTube. Vietnamese people LOVE karaoke, so there are plenty of playlists on YouTube for you to try. Here’s one option and here’s another. Just promise not to wake the neighbours up! Practise singing as much as you can, and feel free to dance while you’re at it. You may not realise it, but you’ll be exposing yourself to new words while also training the muscles in your mouth, enhancing your pronunciation. For overachievers: Once you’ve sung the song a few times, write out the lyrics on a separate piece of paper. Translate as much as you can, and ask your teacher (if you have one) or a native speaker to translate the rest. You may not become a famous singer, but you’ll definitely improve your speaking skills, learn some new vocabulary, and have fun some while you’re at it. Bonus points if you upload a video to YouTube!

5. Identify That Cognate

Though Vietnamese doesn’t have much in common with most Romance languages, it does have many borrowed words from English, French, and Chinese. Try to guess the following English words given the Vietnamese spelling and pronunciation (answers at the bottom of this post). If you have access to a teacher or a native speaker, have them read the list out loud to you and try to guess the words. You’ll both have sore abs from laughter by the end!

• in tơ nét
• tôi lét
• phây búc
• ta xi
• cu te
• wifi
• pát quột
• xi nách
• láp tóp
• ma lai xi a
• đo la
• me niu
• ghi ta
• trống
• cam pu chia
• ra đi ô
• u ét bê

6. Learn Vietnamese With Annie...Then Be The Teacher!

Learn Vietnamese With Annie is a brilliant YouTube channel. Annie has videos about everything: tones, grammar, pronouns, vocabulary, and more. Plus, she does both the Northern and Southern Vietnamese accent. The best way to learn something is by teaching it. Take notes while watching her videos. After each video is done, pretend that YOU’RE the teacher and you’re teaching it to someone else. Rewrite the content, do a little lesson planning, and then pretend like you are teaching someone. If you have a study buddy or a teacher, then teach them! If not, pretend you’re making your own tutorials! If you’re looking for faster-paced videos of a foreigner teaching Vietnamese, check out this helpful playlist.

7. Play “I SPY” in Vietnamese

Waiting in line at the grocery store? On the bus home back from work? Simply look at the world around you and think about what you can see in Vietnamese. The bus? Xe buýt. The clouds? Mây! A hat? Mũ. Simply name as many items in sight as you can. Then, for better practice, turn those into detail descriptions. A big blue bus: xe buýt tô và mấu xanh biển. Make complete sentences if you can! A man buying some bread: Đan ông đang mua một cái bánh mì. This is an easy exercise you can do whenever you want, and it trains your brain to think in Vietnamese. A double win!

8. Turn the Vietnamese Word of the Day into a Sentence

At Fluent in 3 Months we love Innovative Language podcasts, and their Vietnamese Pod 101 has heaps of activities and exercises. If you’re on a tight budget, they’ve got a daily email that sends you one new word a day. It’s amazing. This is a great way to maintain progress no matter how busy you get. Instead of just reading the email, take each word and make a new sentence out of it. Jot down the sentence on a piece of paper. It doesn’t seem like much, but after a month, you’ll have 30 sentences to review! Another great exercise is to take ten minutes every Friday (the day is arbitrary, just make sure you do it once a week) and try to write down all of the words you’ve learned in the last week. It’s good memory practice as you are forcing yourself to recall the words you’ve learned.

9. Take the 30 Second Writing Challenge

Pick four common letters, two vowels and two consonants. In thirty seconds, write out as many word combinations you can using all six tones. Then, using those words, create complete sentences around them and then practise reading them out loud. Then, pick new vowels and consonants, and repeat until satisfied! Use this as a chance to expand your vocabulary as well, so feel free to look up new words while you’re at it!

10.Watch and Write

There is a right way and a wrong way to watch movies in your target language. With the videos below, watch them a few times through until you really understand what’s happening. The first time through, just watch and try to follow as best you can. The second or third time through, try to write down as many words as you can remember. Then watch the video another time and review your words while also adding any words you missed. For the overachiever: If you’re ready for a challenge, try to think of yourself as one of the characters and pause the movie and say their line for them. Then, press play and see if you were close. Write down the actual dialogue, and see if you can rephrase it yourself! Here are your videos to watch:

Beginner Vietnamese Videos

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP_1ijBCes4 httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d87hycrx53k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk1hAhbQUko

Intermediate Vietnamese Videos

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHiNWkheC08&index=3&list=PLzdu29UIUT2-Gu72fuoICtWtiehLyQcmZ httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5LO1O7Bq6o&index=6&list=PLzdu29UIUT2-Gu72fuoICtWtiehLyQcmZ

Advanced Vietnamese Videos

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NWu42xkJTw httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94nFr4CWBRw httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVVNEF81w0Y

Make Learning Fun Again

Well, I sure hope that these games and exercises will help you on your way to learning Vietnamese faster than you ever imagined. Next time you find yourself getting tired of flashcards or boring lesson plans, use this list as a reminder of how make language learning fun. Any games or exercises that I missed? I’d love to hear from you! Any exercises that you’ve made up? I’d love to hear more in the comments. If you’re learning Vietnamese, here are some additional resources that will make your life a lot easier.

Additional Resources:

YouTube:

• Intermediate YouTube Playlist
• Learn Vietnamese with Annie
• Learn Vietnamese from a Foreigner
• Learn Vietnamese

General Resources:

• Survival Vietnamese Cheat Sheet
• More Vietnamese
• Vietnamese Pod 101
• Most Useful Phrases
• Watch Vietnamese TV
• Native Pronunciation

Communities:

• Language Lovers FB group
• Learn Vietnamese community on Reddit
• Fluent in 3 Months Facebook Page

Quiz Answers

• in tơ nét = Internet
• tôi lét = Toilet
• phây búc = Facebook
• ta xi = Taxi
• cu te = Cute
• wifi = Wifi
• pát quâđ = Password
• xi nác = Snack
• láp tóp = Laptop
• ma lai xi a =Malaysia
• đo la= Dollar
• me niu = Menu
• ghi ta = Guitar
• trống = Drum
• cam pu chia = Cambodia
• ra đi ô = Radio
• u es bê = USB

Image credits: 1.

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Gengo Spanish #13 - Good to See You in Latin America!

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! The office jerk has been harassing you lately, so you decide it’s time to stand up for yourself. After he teases you mercilessly in Spanish, you notice his shiny new but small shoes. You comment to a gossipy colleague about the size of his shoes and what that might mean. Your [...]

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Episode 31 (Preview) – Season 4 – Coffee Break Spanish

In the latest lesson of Coffee Break Spanish, Rory and María are discussing their next steps. Rory has had good news from both the Spanish and Scottish governments which will have a role to play in his future studies. This episode provides another opportunity to consider advanced grammar and vocabulary, including the difference between dondequiera and donde quiera, and lots more!

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
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Episodio 224: Estar hasta en la sopa

What does 'estar hasta en la sopa' mean? Improve your ability to speak Spanish using everyday expressions and practicing with native speakers. Transcript available: "Hola y bienvenido o bienvenida a un nuevo episodio de SpanishPodcast.net Hoy queremos explicarte una expresión que utilizamos el otro día. Estábamos paseando por la calle y vimos un anuncio que habían puesto. El caso es que, por algún motivo, este anuncio lleva una temporada apareciendo por toda la ciudad: en la televisión local, en la radio, en las paradas de autobús, en la estación de trenes, en las vallas de publicidad y en todos los periódicos. Dijimos la frase "está hasta en la sopa". Entonces me acordé de un correo electrónico que nos enviaron hace tiempo pidiéndonos que explicáramos esta expresión, entre otras que explicaremos más adelante ... "

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News #209 - How to Learn Spanish Faster & Reach Goals with This 1 Study Tool

What’s your Spanish learning goal? Do you know how you’ll reach it? Well… what if we took you by the hand and guided you, lesson by lesson, until you reached it? Summer Sale! Click here to get 30% OFF Basic & Premium In this Sunday News, we’re talking goals and the one Spanish study tool that you [...]

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Spanish Vocab Builder #53 - Academia

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

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91 of the Best Movies and TV Shows from Around the World

Foreign language movies are a fantastic way to learn a language. They’re not just entertaining, but they expose you to authentic usage of your target language, help you with listening practice, and give you an inside view of another culture. With that in mind, I asked the members of the Fluent in 3 Months Facebook community about the movies they love to watch in their target language. You told me about over ninety movies in twenty different languages! So, whether you’re learning Chinese, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Latvian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish or Visayan, we’ve got a movie for you. This is also a great place to get started if you want to start digging into world cinema. Finding language learning entertainment just became a whole lot easier.

Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) Movies

英雄 (“Hero”) (2002) Director: Zhang Yi Mou Starring: Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Zhang Zi Yi, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung Genre: Action, Drama IMDb Description: A defence officer, Nameless, is summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success terminating three warriors. 洗澡 (“Shower”) (1999) Director: Zhang Yang Starring: Jiayi Du, Bing He, Wu Jiang Genre: Comedy, Drama IMDb Description: Shenzhen businessman, Da Ming, goes home to Beijing when he thinks his father has died. Once Upon a Time in China (1991) Director: Tsui Hark Starring: Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan, Genre: Action, Adventure, Biography IMDb Description: Set in late 19th century Canton, this martial arts film depicts the stance taken by the legendary martial arts hero Wong Fei-Hung against foreign forces' plundering of China.

Dutch Movies

'n Beetje Verliefd (“Happy Family”) (2006) Director: Martin Koolhoven Starring: Ad van Kempen, Geert de Jong, Yes-R Genre: Comedy, Romance IMDb Description: Thijs is a elderly Dutch tomato grower. His adult daughters plan to have him move to a skyscraper-flat, leaving home and professional life, but he takes his adolescent grandson Omar's advice to refuse and keep living.

English (US/American) Movies

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) Director: Martin Scorsese Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Jonah Hill Genre: Drama IMDb Description: Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stock-broker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government. Back to the Future (1995) Director: Robert Zemeckis Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd Genre: Action, Adventure IMDb Description: A young man is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-travelling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr. Emmett Brown, and must make sure his high-school-aged parents unite in order to save his own existence. Shooter (2007) Director: Antoine Fuqua Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Michael Peña Genre: Action, Crime, Drama IMDb Description: A marksman living in exile is coaxed back into action after learning of a plot to kill the president. Ultimately double-crossed and framed for the attempt, he goes on the run to find the real killer and the reason he was set up. Seventh Son (2014) Director: Sergey Bodrov Starring: Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy IMDb Description: When Mother Malkin, the queen of evil witches, escapes the pit she was imprisoned in by professional monster hunter Spook decades ago and kills his apprentice, Spook recruits young Tom, the seventh son of a seventh son, to help him.

English (Australian) Movies

Australia (2008) Director: Baz Luhrman Starring: Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman Genre: Drama IMDb Description: Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot.

English (UK/British) Movies

My Fair Lady (1964) Director: George Cukor Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison Genre: Drama, Family, Musical IMDb Description: A misogynistic and snobbish phonetics professor agrees to a wager that he can take a flower girl and make her presentable in high society. Love Actually (2003) Director: Richard Curtis Starring: Hugh Grant, Martine McCutcheon, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson Genre: Romantic Comedy IMDb Description: Follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.

Esperanto Movies

Gerda Malaperis (“Gerda Disappeared”) (2006) Director: Joe Bazilio Costa Starring: Eliezer Emanuel, Vitor Leitão, Lorena Leos Genre: Mystery Description: Based on one of the most famous stories in Esperanto literature by Claude Piron of Switzerland, this mystery begins when three college students witness the strange disappearance of a woman who is an expert in cryptic languages.

Filipino Movies

Himala (“Miracle”) (1982) Director: Ishmael Bernal Starring: Nora Aunor, Veronica Palileo, Spanky Manikan Genre: Drama IMDb Description: Elsa sees the Virgin Mary, who changes her life and causes hysteria in a poor, isolated village. Magnifico (2003) Director: Maryo J. De Los Reyes Starring: Lorna Tolentino, Albert Martinez, Gloria Romero Genre: Drama IMDb Description: Even though he is not good in school and belongs to a poor and unfortunate family, Magnifico still has a big heart and a large amount of optimism, which enables him to help not only his family but also the community.

Finnish Movies

Paha Maa (“Frozen Land”) (2005) Director: Aku Louhimies Starring: Jasper Pääkkönen, Mikko Leppilampi, Pamela Tola Genre: Drama IMDb Description: When a schoolteacher is sacked, he projects his bad mood onto his troubled teen son. The son, in turn, buys a CD player from a pawnshop with counterfeit money. This causes a chain-reaction that wreaks havoc on many lives, as everyone transfers their problems to the next victim. Rare Exports (2010) Director: Jalmari Helander Starring: Jorma Tommila, Peeter Jakobi, Onni Tommila Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Horror IMDb Description: In the depths of the Korvatunturi mountains, 486 metres deep, lies the closest ever guarded secret of Christmas. The time has come to dig it up! This Christmas everyone will believe in Santa Claus.

French (France) Movies

Amélie (2001) Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet Starring: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus Genre: Comedy Romance IMDb Description: Amelie is an innocent and naive girl in Paris with her own sense of justice. She decides to help those around her and, along the way, discovers love. La Fille Sur Le Pont (“The Girl on the Bridge”) (1999) Director: Patrice Leconte Starring: Vanessa Paradis, Daniel Auteuil, Frédéric Pfluger Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance IMDb Description: It's night on a Paris bridge. A girl leans over the Seine River with tears in her eyes and a violent yearning to drown her sorrows. Out of nowhere, someone takes an interest in her. La Mystérieuse Mademoiselle C (“The Mysterious Miss C”) (2002) Director: Richard Ciupka Starring: Marie-Chantal Perron, Gildor Roy, Ève Lemieux Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family Description: An eccentric teacher causes children at her elementary school to change the way they look at themselves. Populaire (2012) Director: Régis Roinsard Starring: Romain Duris, Féodor Atkine, Déborah François Genre: Comedy, Romance, Sport IMDb Description: It’s 1958. Rose is a terrible secretary but a demon typist. Her handsome boss resolves to turn her into the fastest typist in the world. Le Magnifique (“The Man From Acapulco”) (1973) Director: Philippe de Broca Starring: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jacqueline Bisset Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy Description: An author of spy novels fantasizes about his neighbour being his lover in his latest book. Une vieille maîtresse (“The Last Mistress”) (2007) Director: Catherine Breillat Starring: Asia Argento, Fu'ad Aït Aattou, Roxane Mesquida Genre: Drama, Romance IMDb Description: Secrets, rumours and betrayals surround the upcoming marriage between a young dissolute man and a virtuous woman of the French aristocracy. The Intouchables (2011) Directors: Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano Starring: François Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le Ny Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama IMDb Description: After he becomes a quadriplegic from a paragliding accident, an aristocrat hires a young man from the projects to be his caregiver. De rouille et d'os (“Rust and Bone”) (2012) Director: Jacques Audiard Starring: Marion Cotillard, Matthias Schoenaerts, Armand Verdure Genre: Drama, Romance IMDb Description: Put in charge of his young son, Alain leaves Belgium for Antibes to live with his sister and her husband as a family. Alain's bond with Stephanie, a killer whale trainer, grows deeper after Stephanie suffers a horrible accident. Les Enfants du Paradis (“The Children of Paradise”) (1945) Director: Marcel Carné Starring: Arletty, Jean-Louis Barrault, Pierre Brasseur Genre: Drama, Romance IMDb Description: The theatrical life of a beautiful courtesan and the four men who love her. Les Valseuses (“Going Places”) (1974) Director: Bertrand Blier Starring: Gérard Depardieu, Patrick Dewaere, Miou-Miou Genre: Comedy, Drama IMDb Description: Two whimsical, aimless thugs harass and assault women, steal, murder, and alternately charm, fight, or sprint their way out of trouble. L'inconnu du lac (“Stranger by the Lake”) (2013) Director: Alain Guiraudie Starring: Pierre Deladonchamps, Christophe Paou, Patrick d'Assumçao Genre: Drama Thriller IMDb Description: Summertime. A cruising spot for men, tucked away on the shores of a lake. Franck falls in love with Michel, an attractive, potent and lethally dangerous man. Franck knows this, but wants to live out his passion anyway. Le Chef (2012) Director: Daniel Cohen Starring: Jean Reno, Michaël Youn, Raphaëlle Agogué Genre: Comedy IMDb Description: A veteran chef faces off against his restaurant group's new CEO, who wants the establishment to lose a star from its rating in order to bring in a younger chef who specialises in molecular gastronomy.

French (Quebec) Movie

Bon Cop, Bad Cop (2006) Director: Erik Canuel Starring: Michel Beaudry, Patrice Bélanger, Pierre Boudreau Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime IMDb Description: Two Canadian detectives, one from Ontario and the other from Quebec, must work together when a murder victim is found on the Ontario-Quebec border line.

German Movies

Lola Rennt (“Run Lola Run”) (1998) Director: Tom Tykwer Starring: Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup Genre: Crime, Thriller IMDb Description: After a botched money delivery, Lola has 20 minutes to come up with 100,000 Deutschmarks. Das Leben der Anderen (“The Lives of Others”) (2006) Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck Starring: Ulrich Mühe, Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch Genre: Drama, Thriller IMDb Description: In 1984 East Berlin, an agent of the secret police, conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover, finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives. Barfuss (“Barefoot”) (2005) Director: Til Schweiger Starring: Hans-Peter Abts, Gustav Adolph, Micha Breidenstein Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance IMDb Description: Nick, a hedonistic bachelor, falls for an escaped mental patient. Soul Kitchen (2009) Director: Fatih Akin Starring: Adam Bousdoukos, Moritz Bleibtreu, Pheline Roggan Genre: Comedy, Drama IMDb Description: In Hamburg, German-Greek chef Zinos unknowingly disturbs the peace in his locals-only restaurant by hiring a more talented chef. Im Juli (“In July”) (2000) Director: Fatih Akin Starring: Moritz Bleibtreu, Christiane Paul, Mehmet Kurtulus Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Romance IMDb Description: Can Daniel follow the sun from Hamburg to the Bosporus by Friday to meet his love? Goodbye Lenin! (2003) Director: Wolfgang Becker Starring: Daniel Brühl, Katrin Saß, Chulpan Khamatova Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance IMDb Description: In 1990, to protect his fragile mother from a fatal shock after a long coma, a young man must keep her from learning that her beloved nation of East Germany as she knew it has disappeared. Schlussmacher (2013) Directors: Matthias Schweighöfer, Torsten Künstler Starring: Sascha Alexander, Ariane Pochon, Martin Neuhaus Genre: Comedy IMDb Description: An employee at a professional separation agency, a business that helps couples break up, Paul tries to tackle the problems that come with Toto, the boyfriend of a customer, while he has his own thinking to do about love and relationships. Lore (2012) Directors: Cate Shortland Starring: Saskia Rosendahl, Kai-Peter Malina, Nele Trebs Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller IMDb Description: As the Allies sweep across Germany, Lore leads her siblings on a journey that exposes them to the truth of their parents' beliefs. An encounter with a mysterious refugee forces Lore to rely on a person she has always been taught to hate. Das Boot (“The Boot”) (1981) Directors: Wolfgang Petersen Starring: Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, Klaus Wennemann Genre: Adventure, Drama, War IMDb Description: The claustrophobic world of a WWII German U-boat; boredom, filth, and sheer terror. M (1931) Directors: Fritz Lang Starring: Peter Lorre, Ellen Widmann, Inge Landgut Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller IMDb Description: When the police in a German city are unable to catch a child-murderer, other criminals join in the manhunt.

Hindi Movies

Veer Zaara (2004) Director: Yash Chopra Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukerji Genre: Drama, Musical, Romance IMDb Description: The story of the love between Veer Pratap Singh, an Indian, and Zaara Hayaat Khan, a Pakistani...a love so great it knows no boundaries… Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) Director: Aditya Chopra Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Amrish Puri Genre: Comedy, Drama, Musical IMDb Description: A young man and woman - both of Indian descent but born and raised in Britain - fall in love during a trip to Switzerland. However, the girl's traditional father takes her back to India to fulfill a betrothal promise. Delhi Belly (2011) Directors: Abhinay Deo, Akshat Verma Starring: Imran Khan, Vir Das, Kunaal Roy Kapur Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama IMDb Description: Three struggling roommates unknowingly become potential prey of a ruthless gangster.

Indonesian Movies

The Raid Redemption (2011) Director: Gareth Huw Evans Starring: Iko Uwais, Ananda George, Ray Sahetapy Genre: Action, Thriller IMDb Description: A S.W.A.T. team becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs. Pesan Dari Surga (“Messages from Heaven”) (2006) Director: Sekar Ayu Asmara Starring: Luna Maya, Vino G. Bastian, Ario Bayu Genre: Drama Description: The plight of five young members of a band as they deal with various trial and tribulations

Italian Movies

Il Postino: The Postman (1994) Director: Michael Radford Starring: Massimo Troisi, Philippe Noiret, Maria Grazia Cucinotta Genre: Biography, Drama, Comedy IMDb Description: A simple Italian postman learns to love poetry while delivering mail to a famous poet; he uses this to woo local beauty Beatrice. Cinema Paradiso (1988) Director: Giuseppe Tornatore Starring: Philippe Noiret, Enzo Cannavale, Antonella Attili Genre: Comedy, Drama IMDb Description: A filmmaker recalls his childhood, when he fell in love with the movies at his village's theatre and formed a deep friendship with the theatre's projectionist. La vita è bella (“Life is Beautiful”) (1997) Director: Roberto Benigni Starring: Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance IMDb Description: When an open-minded Jewish librarian and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humour and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp. Pane e tulipani (“Bread and Tulips”) (2000) Director: Silvio Soldini Starring: Licia Maglietta, Bruno Ganz, Giuseppe Battiston Genre: Comedy, Romance IMDb Description: After being forgotten in a highway café during a bus trip, a housewife decides to start a new life by herself in Venice.

Japanese Movies

僕の彼女はサイボーグ (“My Girlfriend is a Cyborg” or “Cyborg Girl”) (2008) Director: Jae-young Kwak Starring: Haruka Ayase, Keisuke Koide, Risa Ai Genre: Action, Comedy, Romance IMDb Description: Jiro is a lonely university student. One day he meets a beautiful and interesting woman who turns out to be a Cyborg lacking manners and emotions. 七人の侍 (“The Seven Samurai”) (1954) Director: Akira Kurosawa Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima Genre: Action, Drama IMDb Description: A poor village under attack by bandits recruits seven unemployed samurai to help them defend themselves. るろうに剣心 (“Rurouni Kenshin”) (2012) Director: Keishi Ohtomo Starring: Takeru Satô, Yû Aoi, Emi Takei Genre: Action IMDb Description: In 1868, after the end of the Bakumatsu war, the former assassin Kenshin Himura promises to defend those in need without killing. Kenshin wanders through Japan with a reverse-edged sword

Korean Movies

쉬리 (“Shiri” or “Swiri”) (1999) Director: Je-kyu Kang Starring: Suk-kyu Han, Min-sik Choi, Yunjin Kim Genre: Action, Thriller, Drama IMDb Description: North and South Korean superspies battle and fall in love. 아라한 장풍 대작전 (“Arahan”) (2004) Director: Seung-wan Ryoo Starring: Seung-beom Ryu, So-yi Yoon, Sung-kee Ahn Genre: Action, Comedy Description: An earnest but inept rookie cop is injured in the line of work by a young martial arts student who studies under her father and the six Masters of Tao. They believe the cop has the makings of a great warrior. 엽기적인 그녀 (“My Sassy Girl”) (2001) Director: Jae-young Kwak Starring: Tae-hyun Cha, Ji-hyun Jun, In-mun Kim Genre: Romance, Comedy Description: A college student becomes involved with a self-centered young woman who humiliates him at every turn.

Latvian Movie

Sapņu Komanda 1935 (“Dream Team 1935”) (2012) Director: Aigars Grauba Starring: Janis Amanis, Inga Alsina, Vilis Daudzins Genre: Comedy, Drama, History IMDb Description: A story about the Latvian basketball team, which won the first-ever European Championships in 1935, and its enthusiastic head coach Valdemars Baumanis.

Norwegian Movie

Varg Veum - Falne engler (“Fallen Angel”) (2008) Director: Morten Tyldum Starring: Trond Espen Seim, Per Kjerstad, Bjørn Floberg Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller IMDb Description: Murder and trouble hits Veum when he meets up with classmates in the rock-band Camp, when he resumes contact with a former flame Rebecca, now the wife of his buddy. A Varg Veum mystery based on the best-selling crime novel by Gunnar Staalesen.

Polish Movie

Potop (“The Deluge”) (1974) Director: Jerzy Hoffman Starring: Daniel Olbrychski, Malgorzata Braunek, Tadeusz Lomnicki Genre: Adventure, History, Romance IMDb Description: During the 1655 war between Protestant Sweden and Catholic Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, some Polish-Lithuanian nobles side with Swedish king Charles X Gustav while others side with the Polish king Jan Kazimierz.

Portuguese (Brazil) Movies

Cidade de Deus (“City of God”) (2012) Directors: Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues, Matheus Nachtergaele, Leandro Firmino Genre: Crime, Drama IMDb Description: Two boys growing up in a violent neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro take different paths: one becomes a photographer, the other a drug dealer. Tropa de Elite (“Elite Squad”) (2007) Director: José Padilha Starring: Wagner Moura, André Ramiro, Caio Junqueira Genre: Action, Crime, Drama IMDb Description: Captain Nascimento has to find a substitute for his occupation while trying to take down drug dealers and criminals before the Pope comes to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Odeio o Dia dos Namorados (“I Hate Valentine’s Day”) (2013) Director: Roberto Santucci Starring: Heloísa Périssé, Marcelo Saback, Daniel Boaventura Genre: Comedy, Romance IMDb Description: After having a car accident, a cold businesswoman recounts the events of her life that led to that moment with the help of the ghost of her deceased best friend and work partner. Entre Nós (2013) Directors: Paulo Morelli, Pedro Morelli Starring: Júlio Andrade, Caio Blat, Diogo da Silva Genre: Drama IMDb Description: A group of literature-loving friends bury letters to be opened 10 years later when they will confront the dreams of their youth with what the future has held in store for them.

Portuguese (Portugal) Movies

Vale Abraão (“Abraham’s Valley”) (1993) Director: Manoel de Oliveira Starring: Leonor Silveira, Cécile Sanz de Alba, Luís Miguel Cintra Genre: Drama IMDb Description: Ema is a very attractive but innocent girl, so pretty that cars crash in her presence. Young Ema marries Dr. Carlo Paiva, who she is not attracted to, but is her father's friend. O Pai Tirano (“The Tyrannical Father”) (1941) Director: António Lopes Ribeiro Starring: Vasco Santana, Francisco Ribeiro, Leonor Maia Genre: Comedy IMDb Description: While rehearsing for the annual play, a clerk tries to regain the attention of his beloved, in a comedy of equivoques.

Russian Movies

Метро (“Metro”) (2012) Director: Anton Megerdichev Starring: Sergey Puskepalis, Anatoliy Belyy, Svetlana Khodchenkova Genre: Action, Thriller IMDb Description: Terror strikes the underground train system in Moscow in the form of a flood from a collapsed tunnel. ночной дозор (“Night Watch”) (2004) Director: Timur Bekmambetov Starring: Konstantin Khabenskiy, Vladimir Menshov, Mariya Poroshina Genre: Action, Fantasy, Thriller IMDb Description: A fantasy-thriller set in present-day Moscow where the respective forces that control daytime and nighttime do battle. Возвращение (“The Return”) (2003) Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev Starring: Vladimir Garin, Ivan Dobronravov, Konstantin Lavronenko Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller IMDb Description: In the Russian wilderness, two brothers face a range of new, conflicting emotions when their father - a man they know only through a single photograph - resurfaces. Brat (“Brother”) (1997) Director: Aleksey Balabanov Starring: Sergey Bodrov Jr., Viktor Sukhorukov, Svetlana Pismichenko Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance IMDb Description: An ex-soldier with a personal honour code enters the family crime business in St. Petersburg, Russia. Неадекватные люди (“Inadequate People”) (2010) Director: Roman Karimov Starring: Ilya Lyubimov, Ingrid Olerinskaya, Evgeniy Tsyganov Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance IMDb Description: Adequacy is relative. Vitalik, the main character of the movie, seems to be pretty normal. With a respectable office job, a comfy little dwelling and a personal couch doctor, Vitalik looks as adequate as a human can possibly be. Кухня в Париже (“Kitchen in Paris”) (2014) Director: Dmitriy Dyachenko Starring: Dmitriy Nazarov, Mark Bogatyrev, Elena Podkaminskaya Genre: Comedy Description: A restaurant in Moscow is closed after they mess up a presidential dinner. The chef and owner do not despair and move the business to Paris.

Spanish (Latin America) Movies

Y Tu Mamá También (2001) Director: Alfonso Cuarón Starring: Maribel Verdú, Gael García Bernal, Daniel Giménez Cacho Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama IMDb Description: In Mexico, two teenaged boys and an attractive older woman embark on a road trip and learn a thing or two about life, friendship, sex, and each other. El infierno (“El Narco”) (2010) Director: Luis Estrada Starring: Damián Alcázar, Joaquín Cosío, Ernesto Gómez Cruz Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime IMDb Description: Benny gets involved in the narcotics business after he is deported from the United States, then discovers that a criminal life is not as lucrative as he expected. La misma luna (“Under the Same Moon”) (2007) Director: Patricia Riggen Starring: Eugenio Derbez, Kate del Castillo, Adrian Alonso Genre: Drama IMDb Description: A young Mexican boy travels to the U.S. to find his mother after his grandmother passes away. Sin Nombre (2009) Director: Cary Fukunaga Starring: Paulina Gaitan, Marco Antonio Aguirre, Leonardo Alonso Genre: Adventures, Crime Drama IMDb Description: A young Honduran girl and a Mexican gangster are united in a journey across the American border.

Spanish (Spain) Movies

El laberinto del fauno (“Pan’s Labyrinth”) (2006) Director: Guillermo del Toro Starring: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López Genre: Drama, Fantasy, War IMDb Description: In the falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world. Tristana (1970) Director: Luis Buñuel Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Fernando Rey, Franco Nero Genre: Drama IMDb Description: When the young woman Tristana's mother dies, she is entrusted to the guardianship of the well-respected though old Don Lope. Tres metros sobre el cielo (“Three Steps Above Heaven”) (2010) Director: Fernando González Molina Starring: Mario Casas, María Valverde, Álvaro Cervantes Genre: Drama, Romance IMDb Description: The story of two young people who belong to different worlds. Babi (Maria Valverde) is a girl from upper-middle class that is educated in goodness and innocence. Hache (Mario Casas) is a rebellious, impulsive boy, with an appetite for risk and danger embodied in endless fights and illegal motorbike races.

Swedish Movie

Masjävlar (“Dalecarlians”) (2004) Director: Maria Blom Starring: Sofia Helin, Kajsa Ernst, Ann Petrén Genre: Comedy, Drama IMDb Description: Mia, who's living in Stockholm, comes home to her small childhood town to celebrate her father's birthday.

Turkish Movie

Benim Dünyam (“My World”) (2013) Director: Ugur Yücel Starring: Beren Saat, Ugur Yücel, Ayça Bingöl Genre: Drama Description: An unorthodox teacher changes the lives of a family when he educates a young woman who lost her sight and hearing at the age of two.

Visayan Movie

Matud nila (1991) Director: Leroy Salvador Starring: Gloria Sevilla, Suzette Ranillo, Mat Ranillo III Genre: Drama Description: A dramatic story of a family’s attempts to deal with deception and adultery.

Movies in Multiple Languages

These films are great if you’re learning a number of different languages. Inglourious Basterds (2009) Languages: English, German, French Director: Quentin Tarantino Starring: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth Genre: Adventure, Drama, War IMDb Description: In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same. Idiot’s Delight (1939) Languages: English, Russian, Esperanto Director: Clarence Brown Starring: Clark Gable, Norma Shearer Genre: Comedy, Musical, Drama IMDb Description: A group of disparate travellers are caught are thrown together in a posh Alpine hotel when the borders are closed at the start of WWII. Les femmes du 6e étage (“The Women on the 6th Floor”) (2010) Languages: Spanish, French Director: Philippe Le Guay Starring: Fabrice Luchini, Sandrine Kiberlain, Natalia Verbeke Genre: Comedy IMDb Description: In 1960s Paris, a conservative couple's lives are turned upside down by two Spanish maids. 2009: Lost Memories (2002) Languages: Korean, Japanese Director: Si-myung Lee Starring: Dong-gun Jang, Tôru Nakamura, Jin-ho Seo Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi IMDb Description: A failed assassination attempt in Harbin, China in 1909 changes the course of history. Now, two Japanese Bureau of Investigation (JBI) agents must find the connection between it and an ancient Korean artifact. Friendship! (2010) Languages: German, English Director: Markus Goller Starring: Matthias Schweighöfer, Friedrich Mücke, Alicja Bachleda Genre: Comedy IMDb Description: A young man from East Germany travels to San Francisco to search for his father, who fled 12 years ago. No se aceptan devoluciones (“Instructions Not Included”) (2013) Languages: Spanish, English Director: Eugenio Derbez Starring: Eugenio Derbez, Karla Souza, Jessica Lindsey Genre: Comedy, Drama IMDb Description: A man who has made a new life for himself and the daughter left on his doorstep 6 years ago finds his family threatened when the birth mother resurfaces. Maria Llena eres de Gracia (“Maria Full of Grace”) (2004) Languages: Spanish, English Director: Joshua Marston Starring: Catalina Sandino Moreno, Guilied Lopez, Orlando Tobón Genre: Crime, Drama IMDb Description: A pregnant Colombian teenager becomes a drug mule to make some desperately needed money for her family.

English Movies Dubbed Into Other Languages

A lot of the Fluent in 3 Months community said they enjoyed watching movies which were originally produced in English, and then dubbed into another language. Disney movies made the top of this list with Frozen being a crowd favourite. Here are a list of English-language movies that are worth checking out in dubbed versions:

• Frozen or anything animated from Disney (2013)
• Any of the Harry Potter films (2001 - 2011)
• The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001 - 2003)
• Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
• Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Conclusion: When You’re Burned Out from Language Learning, Watch a Movie

Language learning can be draining. The trick to maintain your motivation with languages is to work smart, not hard, which means keeping some variety in your study routine to keep you from burning out. If you’re finding your motivation lacking, or your mind begins to wander, watch a movie in your target language. It keeps you exposed to the language in a fun way. Thanks to all the readers for these amazing film suggestions. Know of a film that should be on the list? Add your ideas to the list here.

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Mexican Spanish Survival Phrases #44 - Do You Have an English Guide in Mexico?

Learn Mexican Spanish travel phrases with SpanishPod101.com! A little Mexican Spanish can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, SpanishPod101.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! In this lesson we cover a high frequency Spanish phrase that you’ll surely find [...]

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Episodio 223: Fiestas importadas

Do you like to go out and have a good time? Learn Spanish while know about our imported festivals from other countries. Transcript available: "Cada país en el mundo tiene sus propias costumbres y fechas importantes para celebrar determinados acontecimientos. Algunas de esas tradiciones se han ido extendiendo a otros lugares del extranjero. En España disfrutamos de algunas de las celebraciones populares de otras culturas. Es por eso, que en este podcast vamos a hablar sobre los orígenes de cuatro tradiciones extranjeras que celebramos en España. Empezamos ..."

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CBI 1:40 | Abbiamo imparato molto!

It’s time for the final episode of Coffee Break Italian in this season, and the team is back in the studio reflecting on what they’ve done in Italy. This gives us the opportunity to think about how you talk about the past in Italian. Mark and Francesca also test Katie on what she’s learned in the course so far.

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Spanish Vocab Builder #52 - Directions

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

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10 Good Reasons to Learn French

When I was thirteen years old, I finally graduated from the “kids’” table at my family outings. This was a huge deal to me. I was so excited for the privilege of sitting next to my cool, older cousins at dinner. Things were going great, until one night when it came time to order dessert. There was a chocolate soufflé on the menu that looked divine. Gooey, chocolate cream inside a warm, chocolate cake. I had to have it. When the waiter came around, I sat up straight and politely requested a “chocolate suf-ful.” “Suf-ful?” the waiter questioned? “Um...yeah, chocolate suf-ful,” I said as I pointed at the menu. “Ah, soo- fley,” the waiter corrected me with a smirk, and he jotted down my order. My cousin next to me burst out laughing. I was mortified. How was I supposed to know the correct pronunciation? I was simply reading it how it was written! The next year at school, I signed myself up for French class. I assumed French would be a fun, easy, and important language to learn. And I was right. See, learning a language can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. French is a wonderful language for many worthwhile reasons. Let’s take a look at a few of the benefits of speaking French (some more lighthearted than others).

1. Because Chocolate Soufflé (and Other French Cuisine)

So that night at the dinner table had a big positive effect on my life. Did I mention that the chocolate soufflé was the most tastiest dessert I’ve ever eaten? French cuisine is filled with tasty treats: croissants, pastries, tarts, baguettes, cheese, wine, crepes, macarons – I could literally go on for hours about how delicious French food is. Learning French means you have an excuse to sample the goods! And, unlike me, you’ll be able to pronounce the dish correctly.

2. Stop Feeling Embarrassed at Restaurants

Learn from my mistakes and get your pronunciation right before you embarrass yourself. For those of you unfamiliar with the French language, most words that end in “er” and “et” aren’t pronounced how they’re spelled. By learning French, you can finally avoid that judgmental stare from your waiter for mispronouncing “soufflé” or “escargot”. Or, if you’re like me, you can finally stop avoiding these delicious dishes for fear of mispronunciation!

3. Woo Your Crush in the Language of Love

Looking for some romance in your life? There’s nothing more romantic than speaking French (except speaking French AND cooking chocolate soufflé for me!). After all, it is the language of love. Or should I say, *c’est la langue d’amour? * You could tell somebody that their eyes are beautiful, but it’s much more romantic to say “T’as de beaux yeux, tu sais.”. It rolls off the tongue poetically, and many French speakers will recognize it from the classic French romance film Le Quai des Brumes. Speaking French will help you capture the heart of that cutie you’ve had your eye on. Which brings us to our next point…

4. “Ooh La La!” Become an Expert French Kisser

Where do you think it got its name? Learning French will automatically make you a better kisser. It’s just common sense. You will also become a better chef. You can add French fries, French toast, and French onion soup to your repertoire! And you can say, “Pardon my French,” and truly mean it!

5. Because French Comedy is Hilarious - and All Over YouTube

Jokes aside, there are more than a few French videos that will make you laugh so hard you’ll spit out French onion soup out of your nose (pardon my French). One of my personal favorites is an animated film, Kirikou. The film is about a small boy (emphasis on “small”) who is born into a cursed village. He takes it upon himself to fight the evil Sorcerer and remove the curse. This may sound like your average children’s cartoon, but when you see that Kirikou is a small, naked baby with a mohawk (yes, I’m serious), you’ll understand just how funny this French children’s film is. The theme song, which is so catchy you’ll be singing it for days, tells of how “Kirikou is not big, but he is brave.” OK, you’ve got to watch it to get it. But trust me, the film is absolutely hilarious, and understanding French only makes it that much better. Another video worth watching is Flight of the Concord’s Foux De Fa Fa, a satirical song about learning French. This video is funny for everyone, but when you speak French, you can truly understand the jokes in the song, and trust me, you’ll die of laughter. Plus, you can finally understand who Frère Jacques is and why there’s an entire song written about him. And if you’re not into funny songs but you understand the benefits of learning to sing in your target language, you’ll love the selection of French songs out there.

6. French is for Special Stars...

Most Americans may not speak a second language, but if they do, it’s usually Spanish. So, why study French instead of Spanish? Whenever I whip out my French, people are impressed because they are surprised that an American has learned it. Don’t you want to impress people too?

7. … But Not Too Special

Impressing people is great, but let’s be honest, practicality is even better! French is spoken on five different continents, and is the sixth most widely spoken language in the world. It’s also the third most widely used language on the Internet. That means French is in demand. Speaking French will help you navigate on your travels and you’ll be able to understand the random French comments on your your Reddit account. If that’s not compelling than I don’t know what is.

8. French is Basically English (Well, Almost…)

Ever heard of cognates? A cognate is a word that shares the same root word in another language. Basically, it’s a word that sounds the same in two different languages. And French has tons of these, which means learning French can be easy! Curiosité, activité, adventure and extraordinaire – all words to describe your French journey and all words you already know! Most are formal words in English, but when you learn French, they mean that you won’t be starting from zero. For a complete list, click here.

9. Once You’ve Sparked Your Inner Romantic, You’ll Never Stop

Along with a having a long list of English cognates that you already know, French is also a Romance language, meaning it is one of the six languages that stems from Latin. This means French is quite similar to Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian and English. These languages have lots of cognates, similar grammar structure and many shared sounds. So if you learn French, it will be easier for you to pick up another romance language. Why stop at one?

10. Become a Citizen of the World

Learning French won’t help you only in France. It can help you travel around Belgium, West Africa, Canada, Haiti, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Rwanda, Switzerland, and many more places! Check out this map to see places all around the world that speak French. You’ll be surprised. For those of you who are willing to give language immersion a try, you can do so in five continents! Pretty neat, right?!

When Will You Join the 300 Million?

Nearly 300 million people around the world speak French. That’s 300 million new friends just waiting to be made! Learning French will expose you to a new world of delicious foods and incredible culture. It can help you woo the love of your life or simply communicate with the plethora of French speakers out there. And lucky for you, learning French is not as hard as you may think. So don’t waste another second! Get started today. Image credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10

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