Learn Spanish and Go

“Help! I’m studying Spanish, but I can’t understand native speakers when they ask me something!” or the classic, “I don’t have anyone to practice with!”Don’t worry, we’ve all been there.Learning to have a natural conversation is probably the hardest part of learning a language.What the process is really about is finding a balance between genuinely advancing your target language vocabulary (and grammar too of course!) and allowing your brain to do its job. A lot of communication is subconscious. Remember how you learned your first language as a child. You listened and listened and listened….until one day you tried to speak. And then some words, and then sentences, and then out of nowhere - you were a pro.As long as you practice consistently, your brain will do the rest.Jim and May share a few funny stories this week about having difficulties understanding each other’s families while learning their target language. And they provide tips on comprehension when it comes to dealing with natives!Links:An Honest Review of BaselangEpisode 024 - Interview with Connor Grooms, CEO of BaselangAn Honest Review of LingodaDuolingoEpisode 040 - Interview with Polyglot Steve KaufmannLevel up your Spanish with our Podcast MembershipGet the full transcript of each episode so you don’t miss a wordListen to an extended breakdown section in English going over the most important words and phrasesTest your comprehension with a multiple choice quizThank you to our patrons for making this podcast possible:Tiansheng Lian, Jennifer Wilson, Adrian Major, Jenny, Christy Warne, Russ Moore, Annette Baesel, Christian Gonzalez, Jill Heichelbech, Jean Lorio, Rebecca D Robison, Wylie Hargrove, Kristin Royer, Deb Shroyer, RamPandaPuss, Amy, Josh Powell, Hoy Shih, Neil Moore, Craig Stenger, Jennifer Wilson, Paula Lisowsky, Joseph Scriba, Kenneth Revelson, and DJ Brasier.Support the show

We started off this week with Valentine’s Day, or “El Día del Amor y la Amistad” in Mexico. Of course, most of us are familiar with celebrating love on this day with gifts or romantic gestures, but how did Valentine’s day come to be?Jim and May run down the list of stories surrounding the origin of Valentine’s Day.Links:Level up your Spanish with our Podcast MembershipGet the full transcript of each episode so you don’t miss a wordListen to an extended breakdown section in English going over the most important words and phrasesTest your comprehension with a multiple choice quizThank you to our patrons for making this podcast possible:Tiansheng Lian, Jennifer Wilson, Adrian Major, Jenny, Christy Warne, Marisol, Russ Moore, Annette Baesel, Christian Gonzalez, Jill Heichelbech, Jean Lorio, Rebecca D Robison, Wylie Hargrove, Kristin Royer, Deb Shroyer, RamPandaPuss, Amy, Josh Powell, Hoy Shih, Neil Moore, Craig Stenger, Jennifer Wilson, Paula Lisowsky, Joseph Scriba, Kenneth Revelson, Linda Easthope, and DJ Brasier.Support the show

Where do we find the motivation to do things we want to accomplish in life? How do we stay consistent in order to reach our goals?Jim and May give advice about how to overcome the mental blocks that everyone has.Links:Forbes: The Science Behind MotivationSign up for our newsletter for motivation, tips, reviews, and moreLevel up your Spanish with our Podcast MembershipGet the full transcript of each episode so you don’t miss a wordListen to an extended breakdown section in English going over the most important words and phrasesTest your comprehension with a multiple choice quizThank you to our patrons for making this podcast possible:Tiansheng Lian, Jennifer Wilson, Adrian Major, Jenny, Christy Warne, Marisol, Russ Moore, Annette Baesel, Christian Gonzalez, Jill Heichelbech, Jean Lorio, Rebecca D Robison, Wylie Hargrove, Kristin Royer, Deb Shroyer, RamPandaPuss, Amy, Josh Powell, Hoy Shih, Neil Moore, Craig Stenger, Jennifer Wilson, Paula Lisowsky, Joseph Scriba, Kenneth Revelson, Linda Easthope, and DJ Brasier.Support the show

Out of the foods that we know and cherish today, how many do we actually know the origins of?Take tamales for example - they are so important to Latin American gastronomy, especially in Mexico. But where did they come from? When were they first introduced to society?Learn about the history and importance of this traditional food in this episode!Links:Episode 039 - Día de ReyesDay of the Dead in Michoacán VideoLevel up your Spanish with our Podcast MembershipGet the full transcript of each episode so you don’t miss a wordListen to an extended breakdown section in English going over the most important words and phrasesTest your comprehension with a multiple choice quizThank you to our patrons for making this podcast possible:Tiansheng Lian, Jennifer Wilson, Adrian Major, Jenny, Christy Warne, Marisol, Russ Moore, Annette Baesel, Christian Gonzalez, Jill Heichelbech, Jean Lorio, Rebecca D Robison, Wylie Hargrove, Kristin Royer, Deb Shroyer, RamPandaPuss, Amy, Josh Powell, Hoy Shih, Neil Moore, Craig Stenger, Jennifer Wilson, Paula Lisowsky, Joseph Scriba, Kenneth Revelson, Linda Easthope, and DJ Brasier.Support the show

Join Jim and May as they chat with Carlota Morales, a Tica who breaks down everything you need to know about her country - from ecotourism and typical food, to what makes Costa Rican Spanish so different from other Spanish-speaking countries.If you’ve never been to Costa Rica, you’ll definitely add it to your bucket list by the end of the episode!Links:PlaneterraWorldpackersNiños de GuatemalaCarlota’s InstagramLevel up your Spanish with our Podcast MembershipGet the full transcript of each episode so you don’t miss a wordListen to an extended breakdown section in English going over the most important words and phrasesTest your comprehension with a multiple choice quizThank you to our patrons for making this podcast possible:Tiansheng Lian, Jennifer Wilson, Adrian Major, Jenny, Christy Warne, Marisol, Russ Moore, Annette Baesel, Christian Gonzalez, Jill Heichelbech, Jean Lorio, Rebecca D Robison, Wylie Hargrove, Kristin Royer, Deb Shroyer, RamPandaPuss, Amy, Josh Powell, Hoy Shih, Neil Moore, Craig Stenger, Jennifer Wilson, Paula Lisowsky, Joseph Scriba, Kenneth Revelson, Linda Easthope, and DJ Brasier.Support the show

Are you having a hard time expressing yourself in Spanish? Do you get nervous or feel embarrassed about having to speak the language? Have you struggled to find a way to use your Spanish in a real context?Don’t worry, these are common concerns of most people learning a second language and in this week’s episode, Jim and May share their 5 tips to success when it comes to achieving Spanish fluency. Links:Special promotion for the new Podcast Membership Plus! Episode 040 - Políglota Después de los 70Level up your Spanish with our Podcast MembershipGet the full transcript of each episode so you don’t miss a wordListen to an extended breakdown section in English going over the most important words and phrasesTest your comprehension with a multiple choice quizThank you to our patrons for making this podcast possible:Tiansheng Lian, Jennifer Wilson, Adrian Major, Jenny, Christy Warne, Marisol, Russ Moore, Annette Baesel, Christian Gonzalez, Jill Heichelbech, Jean Lorio, Rebecca D Robison, Wylie Hargrove, Kristin Royer, Deb Shroyer, RamPandaPuss, Amy, Josh Powell, Hoy Shih, Neil Moore, Craig Stenger, Jennifer Wilson, Paula Lisowsky, Joseph Scriba, Kenneth Revelson, Linda Easthope, and DJ Brasier.Support the show

Learning multiple languages when you’re young is hard enough, but can you imagine at 70? In this episode, Jim and May interview Steve Kaufmann, linguist, polyglot, and co-founder of LingQ, a platform designed to expand your language skills.Links:Check out LingQLingoSteve - Steve Kaufmann’s YouTube ChannelLevel up your Spanish with our Podcast MembershipGet the full transcript of each episode so you don’t miss a wordListen to an extended breakdown section in English going over the most important words and phrasesTest your comprehension with a multiple choice quizThank you to our patrons for making this podcast possible:Tiansheng Lian, Jennifer Wilson, Adrian Major, Jenny, Christy Warne, Marisol, Russ Moore, Annette Baesel, Christian Gonzalez, Jill Heichelbech, Jean Lorio, Rebecca D Robison, Wylie Hargrove, Kristin Royer, Deb Shroyer, RamPandaPuss, Amy, Josh Powell, Hoy Shih, Neil Moore, Craig Stenger, Jennifer Wilson, Paula Lisowsky, Joseph Scriba, Kenneth Revelson, Linda Easthope, and DJ Brasier.Support the show

January 6th pretty much wraps up the holiday season in most Spanish-speaking countries with Día de Reyes, or Three Kings’ Day.It’s a holiday that’s an important part of Mexican culture, showing us how important religion, tradition, and family are to so many across the country.Links:More about Día de ReyesEp. 038 - Christmas Differences Between Mexico and the USLevel up your Spanish with our Podcast MembershipGet the full transcript of each episode so you don’t miss a wordListen to an extended breakdown section in English going over the most important words and phrasesTest your comprehension with a multiple choice quizThank you to our patrons for making this podcast possible:Tiansheng Lian, Jennifer Wilson, Adrian Major, Jenny, Christy Warne, Marisol, Russ Moore, Annette Baesel, Christian Gonzalez, Jill Heichelbech, Jean Lorio, Rebecca D Robison, Wylie Hargrove, Kristin Royer, Deb Shroyer, RamPandaPuss, Amy, Josh Powell, Hoy Shih, Neil Moore, Craig Stenger, Jennifer Wilson, Paula Lisowsky, Joseph Scriba, Kenneth Revelson, Linda Easthope, and DJ Brasier.Support the show

Got any New Year’s resolutions, anyone? Maybe getting back into the gym, taking that trip you’ve always wanted, or even starting a business?People bring in the new year differently all over the world, but the one thing most countries have in common is making New Year’s resolutions.  Jim and May chat about different traditions that people have and compare how they celebrated the holiday growing up. Links:Atomic Habits by James ClearThe Power of Habit by Charles DuhiggSpanish and Go New Year’s Traditions VideoLevel up your Spanish with our Podcast MembershipGet the full transcript of each episode so you don’t miss a wordListen to an extended breakdown section in English going over the most important words and phrasesTest your comprehension with a multiple choice quizAs an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.Thank you to our patrons for making this podcast possible:Tiansheng Lian, Jennifer Wilson, Adrian Major, Jenny, Christy Warne, Marisol, Russ Moore, Annette Baesel, Christian Gonzalez, Jill Heichelbech, Jean Lorio, Rebecca D Robison, Wylie Hargrove, Kristin Royer, Deb Shroyer, RamPandaPuss, Amy, Josh Powell, Hoy Shih, Neil Moore, Craig Stenger, Jennifer Wilson, Paula Lisowsky, Joseph Scriba, Kenneth Revelson, Linda Easthope, and DJ Brasier.Support the show

Christmas is finally here after a very long year. Ever wonder how people in Mexico celebrate the holidays? Jim and May compare their own holiday traditions growing up. After listening to the episode, can you name any more differences? How does your personal experience compare?Links:Christmas in Mexico vs US videoPodcast Episode 036 - Las Posadas Navideñas MexicanasLevel up your Spanish with our Podcast MembershipGet the full transcript of each episode so you don’t miss a wordListen to an extended breakdown section in English going over the most important words and phrasesTest your comprehension with a multiple choice quizThank you to our patrons for making this podcast possible:Tiansheng Lian, Jennifer Wilson, Nicolas Romano, Adrian Major, Jenny, Christy Warne, Marisol, Russ Moore, Annette Baesel, Christian Gonzalez, Jill Heichelbech, Jean Lorio, Cindy Sanchez, Rebecca D Robison, Wylie Hargrove, Kristin Royer, Deb Shroyer, RamPandaPuss, Amy, Josh Powell, Hoy Shih, Neil Moore, Craig Stenger, Jennifer Wilson, Paula Lisowsky, Joseph Scriba, and Kenneth Revelson.Support the show