Spanish Vocab Builder #29 - Plants

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 Plants. Click [...]

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News #196 - Your New Languages & Special Gift for Helping Us Reach 34 Languages!

Last time, you got the new Daily Dose App so you can learn your language in minutes a day. There’s more! This time, we’re celebrating 34 languages – that’s right, we have 3 brand new languages for 2016 – and have a special gift for you for helping us grow! Celebrate With Us! Click Here to [...]

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Teach Me Spanish: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

So you want to learn how to speak Spanish? Good choice! Spanish is relatively easy to learn, because once you’ve learned how to pronounce the letters, you can sound out any word. There are no complicated pronunciation rules, as there are in English. On top of that, Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Spanish also has a special place in my heart, being the first foreign language that I ever became fluent in. Where should you begin with learning Spanish? Starting a new language can be daunting, especially if it’s your first time trying it outside of a classroom environment. Where to begin? What’s the most important material to learn right away, and what can wait until later? Let’s take a look at what you should do in the first hour, first day, first week and first month of learning Spanish.

Teach Me Spanish: Equipment and Time

Before we begin, you will need the following:

• Notepad
• Pen
• Computer or tablet with internet connection

Optional extras:

• Spanish phrasebook
• $10 - $20 per week to spend on language teachers

To follow this guide, you’ll need to set aside around four hours each weekend (I recommend scheduling out Saturday mornings), plus around 45 minutes per day on weekdays. I also suggest you start at the weekend to give yourself a “first day” boost. Here’s where to start on that first day...

Teach Me Spanish: Your First Hour

Your first step in learning Spanish is to create a personalised Spanish phrasebook. Why do this? In my approach to learning Spanish, you’ll focus on learning Spanish that’s relevant to you, your life, and your reasons for learning Spanish. Get a fresh notebook, and a pen, and write “My Spanish Phrasebook” on the cover. This notebook will contain the Spanish phrases that you need to know, rather than the one-size-fits-all phrases found in most Spanish courses and phrasebooks. Let’s get that first page filled! Head to the Spanish phrases section of the Omniglot website, and write down the translations for:

• Hello
• Good Morning
• Good Afternoon
• Good Evening
• Good Night
• Goodbye

Whatever your reasons for learning Spanish, these are likely to be the words and phrases you’ll use more than any others. As you write down the translations, click the Spanish word on Omniglot to hear the correct pronunciation. Say the words out loud as you write them down. Also as you write out the phrases, pick apart what you write. In other words, look inside the phrases and see how the language works. Which part of the phrase means “good”? Which part means “morning”? Figuring this out for yourself is really powerful, because the act of doing so burns the vocabulary into your mind.

Teach Me Spanish: Your First Day

Your first day studying Spanish is a Scavenger Hunt of Spanish words and phrases. Your aim for today is to collect essential Spanish phrases that are specific to you and your life. In other words, you’re preparing to talk about who you are. By the end of the day, you should have gathered phrases that allow you to answer the questions:

• What’s your name?
• Where are you from?
• What do you do for fun?
• What’s your job?
• Where do you work?

Remember, you’re looking for the words and phrases that enable you to answer these questions. When you’ve discovered a useful phrase, add it to your personalised phrasebook. Where should you look? The internet is a fantastic resource, particularly if like me you’ve got a job or hobby that’s not in most phrasebooks (I’m a travel writer, author and speaker at conferences). A phrasebook can also be helpful, as most phrasebooks include a pronunciation guide. Sticking with an old-fashioned paperback phrasebook also means you avoid the potential distraction of Facebook and email. Finally, if you’ve got any friends that speak Spanish, give them a call and ask for their help. As you write down the answers to these questions, don’t get too fancy. Keep the sentences simple for now, so they’ll be easy to remember. Also, during your research, don’t worry about collecting every phrase you discover. Ignore irrelevant phrases and pick only the ones that you think you’ll use during your first conversation in Spanish (I’ll get to that part in a minute). Try to memorise a few phrases as you write them down. That means speaking them out loud to yourself. Go over the phrases one final time once you’ve collected them all. A word of warning: Don’t stress about grammar. That will come much, much later. I like to think of learning a language as similar to learning to drive. You could spend weeks studying the inner workings of combustion engines, and reading books about the principles of driving, yet still not be able to drive around the block. You learn a car by driving. The same is true of learning a language. There’s no substitute for just doing it.

Teach Me Spanish: Week 1

One your first day, you started creating your personalised Spanish phrasebook. Now you’re ready to start using it! You’ll use it in several ways: First, revisit your phrasebook every day and work through the phrases you’ve noted down. This is the key to fluency: exposing yourself to the language over and over so that thoughts, phrases and responses come to you automatically. Second, you should add five words to your phrasebook every day. Again, focus on adding words and phrases that are relevant to your life. If you’re not sure what to add, the following are useful for most people:

• Numbers
• Days of the week
• Months of the year
• Greetings and pleasantries (such as “How are you?” and “Pleased to meet you”)

Finally, you’ll use your phrasebook for your first Spanish conversation. Before the end of this week, have your first conversation with a native Spanish speaker. I know it’s a scary prospect, but don’t skip over this part! It’s the only way you’ll actually learn Spanish. Where do you find native speaker to practise with? I recommend italki, which will hook you up with Spanish speakers you can chat with over Skype. It gives you the option of meeting with a Spanish teacher (paid, though not expensive) or a language exchange partner (free). Whatever you do, do not skip this step. It’s essential to learning the language, and the earlier you get started, the quicker you’ll progress. If you’ve got the money (and it can be as little as $5) I recommend you do your first Spanish conversation with a teacher rather than a language exchange partner. Teachers are more likely to be patient with your slow speaking speed and your mistakes, and they’ll be experienced in helping you focus your learning efforts. Language exchanges, on the other hand, are free. However, the downside is that you have to spend half the time helping your exchange partner speak your native language. Plus language exchange partners are likely to be less experienced in teaching a language. Be sure to arrange with the tutor in advance to keep the lesson entirely in Spanish. This ensures that you’ll have a chance to practice all of the Spanish you’ve learned so far. Once you practice them with a real person, trust me, you’ll never forget them. Need help building your confidence to take this step? Then sign up for my free Speak in a Week course.

Teach Me Spanish: Week 2

This week is all about embedding the vocabulary you’ve already learned, and expanding the tools you use to learn Spanish. Your personalised phrasebook is brilliant for collecting new words and phrases, but it’s not ideal for helping you memorise vocabulary. There’s where Anki comes in. Anki is available for iOS and Android, and it allows you to create your own deck of virtual flashcards to help you memorise words and phrases. What makes Anki really powerful is that is uses a Spaced Repetition System to help you memorise vocabulary. That means it prompts you to memorise words and phrases when you’re just on the verge of forgetting them. This is the most effective way of keeping them in your memory. An added benefit with Anki is that you’ll have a study aid you can use anywhere. You can pull out your phone to review a few flash cards whenever you have a few spare moments, such as in an elevator or in line at the grocery store. By the end of the day, you’ll have memorized quite a few new words and phrases without ever having to set aside any explicit study time. This week you should start reading in Spanish too. Check out my list of Spanish reading resources for ideas on where to start. Don’t expect yourself to understand everything - you’ll just starting out, so you’ll need help with most words. Keep a virtual Spanish-English dictionary so you can look up new words as you read. When you read any phrases you’d like to learn, add them to your personalised phrasebook and your Anki flashcard deck. Finally, keep speaking! Aim for two conversations with native Spanish speakers this week.

Teach Me Spanish: Week 3

By now you should have a sizable repertoire of you-specific vocabulary, enough for a short, simple conversation in Spanish about one or two topics that interest you. That is, if you’ve kept up your practice. Have you? Chances are you’ve had some days when you felt super motivated, and some days when life happened and you didn’t do any language learning. If you feel like you’ve stalled, this week is the time to put things right. Something I’ve learned over the years in my many language missions is that it’s far more effective to distribute your total weekly study time over every day of the week, than to do all of your studying in one or two days. Studying less often means you have to spend more time in each study session reviewing what you learned last time. You also risk falling out of your routine and giving up on your language mission. So keep up the daily studying! Even if you can only commit to a few minutes each time. That’s where Anki comes in handy. Your main task this week is to create a study schedule that works for you. In your study sessions, keep adding to your Anki deck and your personalised phrasebook. Did you know? On your Anki deck, you can add words or phrases. I’ve found that complete phrases are more helpful on a flash card than an individual word. Phrases give you context for the words along with correct examples of how to use them. Finally: Don’t let this week go by without at least one conversation with a native speaker. Ideally, aim for three conversations this week. You should schedule as many face-to-face conversations (either in person or on Skype) as you can fit into your schedule. When you look back at the end of your first month and see how far you’ve progressed, you’ll find that conversations with native speakers were the cornerstone of your learning.

Teach Me Spanish: Week 4

This week is all about maintaining the healthy study habits you set up last week. Follow the schedule you set for yourself, and see how it works. What if you find you’ve been too ambitious? Tweak your schedule so that it works for you. The important thing is that you study every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Set your sights too high, and you’ll overwhelm yourself and end up quitting. Here’s what to focus on this week:

• Keep adding to your personalised Spanish phrasebook and your Anki deck
• Listen to a Spanish podcast or radio show (we’ve collected some of the Internet’s best Spanish listening resources). Don’t stress about understanding what you hear, just treat it as an immersion experience.
• Find a Spanish song that you enjoy. Write out the lyrics then sing along.

Most important of all: aim for four conversations with native speakers this week. Speaking should always remain top on your list. After all, your goal is to learn how to speak Spanish.

Teach Me Spanish: Month 2 and Beyond

Follow the schedule above, and you will surprise yourself with your progress. It’s amazing what having real conversations with native speakers does for your confidence. Keep that confidence and swagger! Around two thirds of any given conversation, article, song, podcast or article (in everyday use) is made up of just 300 words. Fluency could be much closer than you think. No matter what route you take to learning Spanish, just be sure to do what works for you. That’s the only sure-fire way to learn, and keep learning, your new language. What approach do you take when learning Spanish? Let me know in the comments.

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Episodio 184: Seguir una dieta

In this episode we explain how to lose weight without feeling hungry. Learn some Spanish vocabulary while you learn how to have a healthier life. Transcript available: " Hola y bienvenidos de nuevo a Spanishpodcast.net El invierno va avanzando y cada vez falta menos para que volvamos a tener buenas temperaturas. Es por eso, que en estas fechas, la gente empieza a pensar en ponerse a dieta para bajar los kilos de más que ha ganado durante las navidades ... "

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Newbie Lesson S4 #23 - I’m Going to Put You in Your Place in Spanish!

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! While you’re minding your business at the train station, a young boy approaches you and asks you for directions in Spanish. When you tell him where to go, he tells you that you used the wrong Spanish word. Who does this young Spanish-speaking whipper-snapper think he is, telling you that you’re [...]

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Episode 20 (Preview) – Season 4 – Coffee Break Spanish

In this lesson we join María for a diary entry in which she talks about Rory’s plans to go searching for the sunken treasure. The dialogue features many complex grammar points and interesting idiomatic expressions, and these are discussed by our hosts.

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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Why Tonal Languages Aren’t as Hard as You Think

Here’s my take on language difficulty: All languages are created equal. Mandarin Chinese. English. Russian. Arabic. You name it. They all have their own challenging aspects. But - here’s the kicker - humans can speak all of them. I’ve yet to hear about a language that went extinct only because it was so difficult to learn. If I’m wrong, please let me know. All that said, some languages appear harder than others. Don’t they? Some have genders. Some have more tenses than others. Some have different alphabets. Some even have tones. “Oh, nooooooooo! Tones!” A lot of people feel intimidated by the prospect of learning a tonal language simply because they think it’s so hard. In this article, I’ll show you why tonal languages are not as hard as you may think. But first of all, remember this: English uses intonation.

Tones in English

Think about the word “really”. Depending on the tone you use, it can be used to express disappointment (really?), surprise (really!), or sarcasm (really…). The only difference with English is that the tones aren’t as fixed as they are in tonal languages. With tonal languages, tones aren’t always fixed (for example in songs, or when you’re yelling), but they’re generally consistent, and they’re part of the grammatical structure of the language. Whereas in English, tones are used to express emotion. Looking at the example of “really” again:

• If you say, “Really?” then you’re asking a question.
• If you say, “REALLY!” then it shows excitement.
• If you say, “(Hmmm) really…”, than it expresses doubt or negative emotion.

That’s why it’s difficult to detect emotion when we send messages on our machines. On smartphones and computers it’s hard to tell what kind of tone of voice we are using. That’s why we have EMOTICONS ;) English speakers usually use a high intonation when asking a question and a low intonation when bearing negative news (think when somebody gives condolences for a relative who recently died). But, I’m not trying to argue that English is a tonal language. It’s not. I’m just trying to make it clear that English uses tones to communicate, whether we realize it or not, and learning a tonal language isn’t as foreign or as difficult as we think it is. If you speak English, then you’re already familiar to some tones. In Vietnamese and Thai, the rising tone is very similar to the intonation English speakers use when asking a question. Or to take another example, think of a little kid shrugging his shoulders and saying, “I dunno!” The intonation you are thinking of is very similar to the hỏi tone in Vietnamese. Though tones from English may not line up perfectly with new ones you will learn in a tonal language, sometimes they are quite close, giving you a nice little head start.

Can “Tone Deaf” People Speak a Tonal Language?

Maybe you’re reading this thinking… “But, wait! What if I’m tone deaf?!” This is another preventative wall people often put up. I’m here to tell you that you are wrong (no offence). I’m a musician, and some people may tell me I have an easier time recognising tones when I’m learning a tonal language due to my musical background. The truth is, I know plenty of musicians here in Vietnam that can’t speak Vietnamese one bit. I also know plenty of Vietnamese people that can’t sing well! Being a musician may help, but mostly because musicians love sound. You can love it, too. If you believe that you are at a disadvantage because you are not musically talented or you are tone deaf, then you’re wrong. When I was in high school, a Brazilian exchange student named Eduardo lived with me for three months. When he first arrived, he could barely speak any English. After three months, we became best friends and brothers, and his English was phenomenal. One day, about a month after he arrived, we were hanging out with my friend, Ashley. At the time, Eduardo’s English was pretty good, but he was still learning and making mistakes. We were walking from my house to the park down the street and we decided to sing some songs to pass the time. Classic high school thing to do! Eduardo and I started singing whatever Taylor Swift song was popular at the time, but Ashley didn’t join in. “You don’t like this song? Come on, sing!” I encouraged her. “No, no. I can’t,” she replied. “Why not?” Eduardo asked in his heavy Brazilian accent. “You don’t want me to sing, trust me. I’m tone deaf,” she replied. Eduardo’s face suddenly became serious. “On my god! Have you gone to a doctor for help?” Ashley and I busted out laughing! But, Eduardo had no idea what was going on. She explained to him what she meant. Then we all had a chuckle. Except Eduardo didn’t really think it was funny, because he translated “tone deaf” literally into Portuguese, which didn’t make sense. had never heard of the concept “tone deaf” before. What’s the point of this story? “Tone deaf” is not real as long as you don’t believe that it’s real. [caption id="attachment_17671" align="alignnone" width="740"] Nature is real. Being “tone deaf” is not.[/caption] Musicians may have a little bit of a head start because they tend to pay more attention to sounds, but you are just as capable. I don’t care how bad your singing voice is or whatever excuses you may make up in your head. You are able to learn a tonal language and you are not at a disadvantage. You just have to remind yourself of` that. Another reason you can learn a tonal language easily is...

Tonal Languages Have Fewer Words to Learn

With tonal languages, you don’t need to memorise nearly as much vocabulary. In Vietnamese, ma (ghost), má (mother), mà (but/which), mả (tomb), mã (horse), and mạ (rice seedling) all have different meanings. Same letters, but different tones. Once you conquer the tones, it’s easier to add vocabulary because you have fewer combinations of words to choose from.

Tonal Languages Often Have Simpler Grammar

For most tonal languages, there is no verb conjugation, no tenses, and no gender. For example, in Vietnamese, “Hôm quá, em đi đâu?” means, “Where did you go yesterday? Its literal translation is: “Yesterday, you go where?” To talk about the past or the future, you simply add one word. But, in this situation, you don’t even need to, because it’s already implied that you are talking about the past when you say yesterday. You also don’t have to worry about conjugation or tenses (my LEAST favorite part about learning French) at all! Literal Vietnamese translation breaks down as follows:

• Tôi muốn ăn cơm:“I want eat rice.”
• Em ấy muốn ăn cơm: “She want eat rice.”
• Ngày mai họ muốn ăn cơm: “Tomorrow they want eat rice.”

For negation, you just add one word (không) and the rest of the sentence remains the same. Tôi không muốn ăn cơm: “I no want eat rice.” Pretty simple, huh?

What’s the Best Way to Learn a Tonal Language?

Learning a tonal language takes time and effort (so does learning ANY language!), but here are some tips and tricks that will surely help you in your journey. And remember to be patient... No one sits down at a piano for the first time and knows how to play a 12 bar blues in E minor. No one can juggle 5 bowling pins the first time they try juggling. No one can complete a triathlon the same day they learn how to swim and ride a bike. You get the point. Building skills like these take time; you’ll need to be patient.

Step 1: Start with Exposure and Mimicry.

Studies prove that the first time our brains are exposed to tones, we can’t differentiate them. However, after a certain amount of exposure (a few weeks or maybe even a few months, everyone is different), we’ll have a breakthrough and we’ll be able to recognize tones and differentiate them. Think about a baby boy in China learning Mandarin Chinese. He’ll start learning words and sounds far before anyone tells him how many tones they are, or what they look like on a graph. How’s he going to learn these words and sounds? By mimicking his mom and dad. So, instead of studying and analyzing the tones first, start by listening to them. Search the web for videos in your target language. Listen to radio stations. Stream music. Even if you can’t understand anything and it sounds confusing, just listening to the language will help you learn the flow and rhythm, as well as getting you familiar with the tones. As you listen, try to mimic what you hear. Start by mimicking words and short sentences. It won’t matter that you don’t know what you are saying, because just by speaking, you are allowing your brain to become familiar with the tones. Think of it as listening to a song and then repeating back only the melody. Remember to be patient. Everyone struggles through this stage.

Step 2: Master the Alphabet (Exception: Chinese)

If you can’t pronounce the new sounds of your target language, then the tones are going to be even harder to learn. Fix this by mastering the alphabet (with Chinese being the exception to this rule). That way, once you try to tackle the tones, you’ll be familiar with the sounds and be able to pronounce the words correctly. Adding new sounds and new tones to your “vocabulary” will be overwhelming, and you might even confuse the two. Learning whole words and grammatical structures can wait. It doesn’t matter how many words you know or how well you can write a sentence. If you don’t know the tones, then no one is ever going to understand you when you speak.

Step 3: Learn One Tone at a Time

Don’t overwhelm yourself and learn all of the tones at once. If you do this, it’ll be the same as when you go to a party and you are introduced to eight people all at once. After shaking their hands, you’ll realize that you didn’t remember a single name. Instead, learn one tone and spend a week or two practicing it. Once you are confident, then move on and learn the next one. Every time you learn a new tone, you should review the tones you’ve already learned by comparing them to each other. Physical actions can help with this. Have fun with it! Rising tone? Stand up on your tippie toes. Low tone? Make an angry face. Heavy tone? Hold out your fist. The more fun you have the easier it will be to remember. [caption id="attachment_17673" align="alignnone" width="740"] If you jump up and down like this every time you practise the rising tone, I guarantee you’ll remember it. Or, you’ll get really tired. Or, both![/caption]

Step 4: Apply the Tones You Learn to English

Before applying the tones to new vocabulary, practice the tones on a non-tonal language that you already speak. It’s going to seem awkward at first. But, trust me, it will help. If you introduce too many new concepts (vocabulary, pronunciation, AND TONES), it’ll be overwhelming and no fun at all. Once you can apply the tones to English words you already know, then you’ll be able to recognise them more easily. Then, you can start using them with vocabulary in your target language.

Step 5: Find Native Speakers to Practise With

You can’t learn tonal languages alone. Well, you may be able to, but it’ll be a long and hard process. You’re going to need help from someone who knows the language. It can be a teacher, a friend, or your landlord. Just make sure they’re willing to take the time to help you out. If you are living in a country where your target language is spoken, practise speaking with the locals as much as you can. Listen to them and try to mimic them as much as possible. If you’re learning Thai, go to the family owned Thai restaurant near your house and tell them you are learning Thai and try to practise. I’m serious. Two years ago, when I was in New York City, I took two 45-minute subway rides just so I could go to a Ghanaian restaurant to eat Ghanaian food and practice my Twi. The restaurant owners were so happy! Not only did they help me with my Twi, but they also gave me a discount on the meal! And don’t be afraid to make mistakes! Think of it as learning how to ride a bike. It’s hard to get the feel for it at the beginning, but once you figure it out, it suddenly clicks. As you’re learning, you may fall from time to time (in this case, forget the tones or make mistakes), but every time you get back on the bike, you’re one step closer to riding it like a pro. Another thing you can do is record yourself practising your tones and send the recording to a native speaker and ask them to correct you. I actually did this to practise my Patois (Jamaican). I sent voice messages through a messenger app called Whatsapp. My friend would respond using the correct accent, and then I’d try to mimic her the best I could. You can find language exchange partners to do this with using the HelloTalk app. My favourite site to connect with native speakers on the web is italki. When you need help, just ask. Most people love to help others learn their language. If they agree to help you, ask if you can take them out for coffee or lunch once or twice a month. Alternatively, for long distance friends, ask if you can do a Skype call. You’ll never know until you ask. Before I moved to Vietnam, I reached out to my high school friend, Huy, and told him that I was moving there. I hadn’t talked to him in over 4 years, but he was super excited that I was going to his native country. He even offered to help me learn Vietnamese! Even though he was in busy in medical school, he still taught me for an hour on the phone before I left. The vocabulary he taught me ended up being more useful than anything I could find in books or online.

When the Going Gets Tough, Just Keep Going

Even when things are difficult and you want to quit learning a tonal language, keep going. It’s worth it! Without patience, none of the steps above will do you any good. It will take time to master tones. But, try your best not to get frustrated, and you’ll see for yourself that learning a tonal language is not as bad as you may think. When I first started learning Vietnamese (fall of 2013), I was stubborn. I neglected the alphabet and the tones. I refused to pay for a teacher because all of them insisted that I learned the alphabet and the tones. I wanted to learn words and phrases, not sounds! I was not patient. After casually (and inefficiently) learning Vietnamese for about 8 months, I still didn’t know the alphabet or the tones. Then, I spent 25 days on a reality TV show speaking only Vietnamese, and I was finally forced to figure it out. One month after I got back, I participated in a stand up comedy compilation. All in Vietnamese, of course. I am not Superman. In fact, I am far from it. I am lazy, unfocused, and impatient. Plus, I never hired a teacher because I stubbornly convinced myself that I couldn’t afford it! But, if I could manage to get on TV telling jokes in a tonal language, then you are more than capable of and speaking one! The only thing stopping you is yourself. Now tell me: What tonal language have you neglected because you thought it was too hard?

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