Podcasts as an aid to learning Spanish

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Listening to podcasts is an extremely useful way to supplement your language learning studies. When it comes to Spanish, there is a huge choice of freely available audio resources that you can download. These range from lessons aimed at absolute beginners through to more advanced learners. Also for the more advanced, another great way to practise your listening skills is to download Spanish language podcasts produced for native speakers. Choosing one of these dealing with a topic that especially interests you will help to keep you motivated.

The list below provides an initial selection to get you started. All of the resources mentioned below are free. Additional material, such as transcripts and supplementary premium-content podcasts, can also be purchased for some of these.

Language learning podcasts

Coffee Break Spanish

http://www.radiolinguamedia.com/cbs/www/
lessons/library.html

Scots Mark, the teacher, and Kara, the student, host this series of podcasts teaching beginners' Spanish in manageable 15-20 minute lessons. The series is organised into units of 10 lessons each, and is currently on Unit 6. Some of the units feature dialogues recorded with native speakers from Spain, and there is also a companion series of occasional podcasts, Café Cortado (http://www.thecafecortado.com/), dealing specifically with listeners' queries (although the latter not been updated since August 2007). Last year Coffee Break Spanish won a European Award for Languages and has recently hit #2 in the iTunes US chart of all podcasts.

Notes in Spanish

http://www.notesinspanish.com/

Ben, an Englishman living in Madrid, and native speaker Marina present these podcasts featuring discussions and interviews in Spanish on a wide range of topics. There are three separate series available: Inspired Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced.

Voces en español

http://spanish-podcast.com/es/

Eleena, an American living and teaching English in Spain, hosts this excellent conversational series aimed at intermediate to advanced learners. Each podcast features a guest, usually a native speaker. Recent topics have included: extracts from novels, an interview with a teacher of Spanish pronunciation from Buenos Aires, yerba mate, and intercambios, to name just a few.

Argot Tango

http://www.briteach.com.ar/

This is a weekly series of short, bilingual podcasts from Briteach, a company providing English classes in Argentina. This podcast explains various terms and expressions used in the region, such as che, bondi, and subte. The latest edition was produced at the end of January.

Desde el baño

http://desdeelbano.blogspot.com/

In another interesting podcast series from Argentina, Sofía discusses, entirely in Spanish, a variety of features of the Rioplatense dialect. Although this series seems to have stopped (the last episode was in September 2007), there is an archive of around 40 previous episodes available to download.

SSL4YOU

http://ssl4you.blogspot.com/

Teresa Sánchez, a teacher from Zamora in Spain, produces these Spanish-only podcasts. In each show she presents a short monologue and then follows this up with a discussion of some of the language points inherent in the first part. A transcript of the monologue in both Spanish and English is also freely available on the site. Language learning opportunities aside, these vignettes not only provide an insight into Spanish culture, they also contain some delightful observations on life in general. In 2006 SSL4YOU won a Castilla y León prize for the promotion of Spanish in the Information Society.

Podcasts in Spanish

The following list provides some suggestions from just a few of the very many genres available, namely podcasts devoted to current affairs, travel, cinema and photography. A good place to start for finding more is the directory of Spanish language podcasts at http://www.hispanocast.com/.

Hispanorama

http://www.rtve.es/programas/intercambios
(click on 'Podcast' at the bottom of the left-hand navigation bar)

Radio Exterior de España produces this weekly show, which lasts around an hour and is split into about 10 individual reports. Each of these covers a topical subject from the realms of culture and current affairs relevant to the Spanish-speaking world.

Viajes a tu aire

http://www.viajesatuaire.com/wp/

Viajes a tu aire is a travel guide series with reports on trips to places such as Helsinki, Athens, Orlando, London and New York. Although the latest episode is dated September 2007 there are 27 podcasts available to download.

Pasajeros con destino

http://www.frecuenciacero.com.mx/
pasajeroscondestino/

This is another travelogue series and comes from Frecuencia Cero in Mexico and is hosted by Marco Ávalos. As well as describing places and experiences, these reports also provide advice and information for prospective travellers. Recent destinations have included Rome, Bratislava, Cadiz and Naples.

Hablemos de cine

http://hablemosdecine.com/

With the help of a team of contributors, hosts Jordi Mariscal and Ricardo Cárdenas present this fusión de cine y actualidad. Through discussion of international cinema, Hablemos de cine examines a wide range of topical subjects. It also explores the contrasts and similarities in the way these themes are depicted by film makers from around the world.

Podcast fotografía digital

http://www.memoflores.com/podcast/

This podcast from professional photographer Guillermo Flores from Guadalajara in Mexico is aimed at owners of digital SLR cameras. If, however, you are interested in photography and want to practise your aural comprehension then this is an ideal way to learn a bit more about photography and to pick up some specialist vocabulary along the way. You'll soon know your diafragma from your disparador.

By Graham A Stephen and Karin Sequén © 2008