Speak & Learn Spanish in The Natural Way

El español es la lengua materna en 21 países, y cada uno de ellos tiene un acento diferente. Y además, dentro de cada país, el acento y la forma de hablar español, también puede variar.Es fascinante.Recuerda que si quieres seguir mejorando tu español desde casa, puedes registrarte en mi web para recibir cada semana mi newsletter con material gratuito que te ayudará a mejorar y aprender español. Te puedes registrar AQUÍ.____________________________________Spanish is the native language of 21 countries, each with its own accent. Within each country, the accent and the way Spanish is spoken can also vary.It's fascinating.Remember, if you want to continue improving your Spanish from home, you can subscribe on my website to receive my weekly newsletter with free materials that will help you improve and learn Spanish.You can subscribe HERE.

Antes de comenzar con el episodio de hoy, te recuerdo que todavía estás a tiempo de reservar tu plaza en nuestro Programa de inmersión lingüística en Roda. Tienes todos los detalles AQUÍSi hay una forma que me encanta para aprender idiomas es a través de la música.Hoy Alejandro Sanz nos enseña español a través de su canción "Corazón Partío", donde nos enseña algunas expresiones y nos ayuda a trabajar el futuro simple.Recuerda que si quieres, cada semana envío una newsletter con material gratuito que te ayudará a seguir mejorando tu español desde casa.Puedes registrarte AQUÍ_______________________________________Before we start today's episode, I would like to remind you that there is still time to reserve your place on our language immersion programme in Roda. You can find all the details HEREIf there's one way I love to learn languages, it's through music.Today Alejandro Sanz is teaching us Spanish through his song "Corazón Partío", where he teaches us some expressions and helps us work on the simple future tense.Don't forget that if you like, I will send you a weekly newsletter with free material to help you continue improving your Spanish from home.You can sign up HERE.

Si hay algo que me gusta es una buena sobremesa. Estar con familia y amigos charlando después de una buena comida... Será porque cada vez es más complicado encontrar momentos así. Me encanta.¿Conocías ese término? Sobremesa... me sorprendió saber que son muy pocos los idiomas que tienen una sola palabra para ese concepto.Esta es una de las palabras que solo existen en español (o casi) y que vemos en el episodio de hoy.¿Y sabes dónde vamos a disfrutar de unas sobremesas increíbles, y además aprender español? Pues si, en la inmersión lingüística que estoy organizando en Ronda (Málaga) el fin de semana del 9, 10 y 11 de mayo.Va a ser una experiencia increíble, tienes toda la información AQUÍY si lo que quieres es registrarte en mi web para recibir la newsletter semanal, entonces puedes hacerlo AQUÍ._____________________________________________________If there's one thing I love, it's a good sobremesa. Spending time with family and friends after a good meal... it must be because it's getting harder and harder to find those moments. I love it.Have you heard this term? Sobremesa... I was surprised to learn that very few languages have a single word for it.This is one of the words that only exists in Spanish (or almost) and that we are going to talk about in today's episode.And do you know where we're going to have some incredible after-dinner conversations and learn Spanish at the same time? Yes, at the language immersion programme I'm organising in Ronda (Málaga) over the weekend of 9, 10 and 11 May.It's going to be an incredible experience. You can find all the details HEREAnd if you'd like to sign up on my website to receive the weekly newsletter, you can do so HERE.

En el episodio de hoy te cuento las 3 barreras que te impiden hablar español con confianza.Es probable que tú tengas alguna, aunque quizás no eres consciente. En el episodio de hoy te ayudo a identificarlas y poner solución.Yo te puedo ayudar, pero como siempre, la decisión es tuya

¿Sabías que hubo una época en la que ir sin sombrero por la calle en España se consideraba una falta de educación? Era un acto de rebeldía y provocación. Aprovechando que el pasado 8 de marzo fue el Día Internacional de la mujer, quería contarte la historia de un grupo de mujeres que se llamó Las Sinsombrero.Mujeres intelectuales que durante la Segunda República en España destacaron como escritoras, filósofas, pintoras... pero que después de la Guerra Civil española, fueron silenciadas o tuvieron que irse al exilio.Son historias de mujeres muy inspiradoras, espero que te gusten tanto como a mí.Ah! Lo prometido es deuda, si quieres la GUÍA de VIAJE por España puedes descargarla AQUÍ.Si quieres escuchar el episodio de María Lejárraga, es AQUÍ.Y si quieres registrarte en mi web para recibir cada semana material gratuito y seguir mejorando tu español, es AQUÍ._________________________Did you know that there was a time in Spain when it was considered impolite to walk down the street without a hat? It was an act of rebellion and provocation. Taking advantage of the fact that March 8th was International Women's Day, I wanted to tell you the story of a group of women called Las Sinsombrero (The Hatless Women).These intellectuals stood out as writers, philosophers, and painters during the Second Spanish Republic, but were silenced or forced into exile after the Spanish Civil War.Ah! A promise is a promise. If you want the TRAVEL GUIDE TO SPAIN, you can download it here for free, you can do it HERE.If you'd like to listen to last year's episode about María Lejárraga, you can do so HERE.And if you haven't registered on my website yet, you can do so HERE.

En el episodio de hoy, María Salinas y yo compartimos una charla donde hablamos de reinventarse, sobre los idiomas y sobre el proyecto que estamos preparando juntas.Una inmersión lingüística en el pueblo de Ronda, en Málaga, los días 9, 10 y 11 de mayo, para que no solo aprendas español, sino que también lo vivas.Tienes toda la información AQUÍ. Y si tienes alguna pregunta, puedes escribirnos aquí

Como probablemente ya sabes, el viernes es San Valentín, o día de los enamorados.Y como en todas partes, en España también tenemos historias de amor y desamor.En el episodio de hoy te cuento algunas de esas historias de amor que sucedieron en la España de las 3 culturas, cuando convivían de manera no siempre pacífica, cristianos, musulmanes y judíos. Relaciones que no siempre fueron sencillas, marcadas por la diferencia cultural y también por una época donde los matrimonios eran más una cuestión política y/o económica, que una cuestión de amor.Si quieres escuchar el episodio del año pasado sobre los amantes de Teruel, esAQUÍ.Si quieres registrarte en mi web para recibir mi Newsletter semanal, esAQUÍ._________________________As you probably already know, on Friday is Valentine's Day. And like everywhere, in Spain we have stories of love and heartbreak. In today's episode I am going to tell you some of these love stories that happened in the Spain of the 3 cultures, when Christians, Muslims and Jews lived together in a not always peaceful way. Relationships that were not always easy, marked by cultural differences and also by a time when marriage was more of a political and/or economic issue than amatter of love.If you want to listen to last year's episode about Teruel lovers, it'sHERE.If you want to register on my website to receive my weekly newsletter, it'sHERE.

Lo más común es aprender español en una academia de idiomas, o a través de libros de texto, o con cursos de la Universidad... y generalmente, en esas academias, y en esos cursos se enseña un español muy correcto. Eso es fantástico, a mi me encanta.  Pero es cierto que hay "otro" español, el que se habla en la calle. Con expresiones, muletillas, palabras....que no vas a encontrar en los libros de texto. De hecho, esas expresiones y palabras pueden cambiar dependiendo del país o incluso de la zona. De todo esto te hablo en el episodio de hoy.

Hoy te traigo el primer episodio del Podcast del año 2025, donde te explico mis cagadas y mis aciertos del año pasado, y te cuento mis propósitos para este nuevo año. ¿Habías escuchado la expresión "cagadas"? Sé que suena bastante vulgar, pero la realidad es que si vienes a España, lo puedes escuchar a menudo. Por cierto, todavía estás a tiempo de empezar a mejorar tu español este año 

Antes de comenzar con el episodio de hoy, déjame hacerte un regalo de Navidad, mi CALENDARIO DE VOCABULARIO 2025, un calendario temático que te ayudará a mejorar tu español durante el próximo año, y sobre todo, que te ayudará a conseguir ser más constante en tu aprendizaje. Si quieres, puedes descargártelo de manera gratuita en el siguiente enlace

En el episodio de hoy te cuento el origen de muchas palabras que utilizamos a diario en español. Muchas son de origen árabe, otras vienen del latín, y también de los idiomas indígenas, del francés o del germánico... me encanta el español, es una mezcla y un puente entre culturas, y cada palabra cuenta una historia y tiene un pasado. Recuerda que si estás registrado en mi web recibirás una pequeña clase donde analizaremos las palabras y expresiones del episodio. Puedes registrarte aquí: https://speakandlearn.es/registration Y además, tenemos nueva edición de mi curso "First Steps", un curso donde te ayudaré a dar esos primeros pasos en tu aprendizaje del español y a tener una buena base. Si lo compras antes del 31 de diciembre podrás disfrutar de 2 clases online conmigo en enero. Además, puede ser un buen regalo para las Navidades, ¿no crees?

After several days without a voice, I finally managed to record a new episode of the podcast

After several days without a voice, I finally managed to record a new episode of the podcast

In today's episode we celebrate Halloween with a story that took place in Madrid at the end of the 19th century. The story is known as "The Lady in Black" and it took place in a palace called the "Palacio de Linares", now the Casa de América. I hope you like it and remember that if you register on our website (https://speakandlearn.es/registration/) you will receive a small lesson on the episode where we will analyze more expressions, vocabulary, etc... You will Also receive free material every week to help you continue to improve your Spanish at home. If you want to listen to last year's Halloween episode about the Witches of Zugarramurdi, you can do so here

En el episodio de hoy os hablo de los BLOQUEOS. Muchos de mis alumnos, tienen un buen nivel de gramática, vocabulario...y sin embargo, cuando intentan tener una conversación se bloquean y no pueden decir ni una palabra. En el aprendizaje de idiomas existen 2 tipos de bloqueos; de expresión oral y de comprensión oral. Esto es algo muy común, así que es posible que estés en esta situación. No te preocupes, tiene solución. Escucha el episodio hasta el final, y recuerda que si te registras en mi web https://speakandlearn.es/registration , cada semana envío material gratuito que te ayudará a seguir mejorando tu español desde casa. _____________________________________________ In today's episode, I'm going to talk about MENTAL BLOCKS. Many of my students have a good level of grammar, vocabulary... and yet when they try to have a conversation they get blocked and can't say a word. There are two types of blocks in language learning: oral expression and oral comprehension. This is very common, so you may find yourself in this situation. Don't worry, there is a solution. Listen to the episode until the end and remember that if you register on my website https://speakandlearn.es/registration, I will send you free material every week that will help you continue to improve your Spanish from home.

En el episodio de hoy te cuento 6 expresiones relacionadas con el otoño que puedes escuchar en el día a día. Están relacionadas con esta época del año por qué hacen referencia a alimentos típicos en estas fechas; -  Los higos, las calabazas

Empezamos nueva temporada del Podcast de Speak & Learn Spanish, con nuevo nombre: HABLANDO CLARO. El Podcast sigue siendo parte de nuestro proyecto, por supuesto, pero queremos darle un poco más protagonismo e independencia. ¡Esperemos que os guste el cambio! En el episodio de hoy os contamos la teoría del 1%, que viene a decir lo mismo que el dicho popular español: "Quien mucho abarca, poco aprieta". Espero que lo disfrutes. Recuerda, que si te registras en nuestra web, al finalizar el audio tendrás la transcripción, herramientas y vocabulario que espero que te resulten muy útiles. Además, en el episodio os hablamos de otro episodio con expresiones relacionadas con el verbo DORMIR que puedes escuchar AQUÍ. _________________________________ We're starting a new season of the Speak & Learn Spanish Podcast with a new name: HABLANDO CLARO. The podcast is still part of our project, of course, but we want to give it a bit more prominence and independence. We hope you like the change! In today's episode we tell you about the 1% theory, which means the same as the popular Spanish saying: "Quien mucho abarca poco aprieta" I hope you enjoy it. Remember, if you register on our website, at the end of the audio you will have the transcription, tools and vocabulary that I hope you will find very useful. Also, in this episode we talk about another episode with expressions related to the verb SLEEP (Dormir), which you can listen to HERE.

During years, Spanish summers have been marked by "THE SONG OF THE SUMMER". You've probably heard the Macarena, haven't you? It has been our most international summer song. Today I'm going to tell you how the "summer songs" came about and much more. By the way, they are a great way to learn and improve your Spanish, don't you think? In some of the summer intensive courses we will be using songs to help us improve. If you want to know more about the INTENSIVE courses, to learn Spanish through conversation, in small groups (max. 5) and at different levels, send us an email at hola@speakandlearn.es, or even better, register on our website and we will send you all the information and you will also receive our weekly newsletter with free material to learn and improve your Spanish at home. You can do it HERE. ______________________________________ Desde hace años, los veranos españoles vienen marcados por “LA CANCIÓN DEL VERANO”. Probablemente hayas escuchado la Macarena, ¿no? fue nuestra canción del verano más internacional. Hoy os voy a contar cómo surgieron las "canciones del verano" y muchas cosas más. Por cierto, son una forma genial de aprender y mejorar tu español, ¿no crees? En algunos de los cursos intensivos de verano usaremos canciones que nos ayuden a mejorar. Si quieres saber más sobre los cursos INTENSIVOS, para aprender español a través de la conversación, en grupos reducidos (máx. 5) y en diferentes niveles, envíanos un email a hola@speakandlearn.es. O mejor aún, regístrate en nuestra web y además de recibir la información, recibirás nuestra newsletter semanal con material gratuito para seguir aprendiendo y mejorando tu español desde casa. Puedes registrarte AQUÍ.

Before we start the new episode, I wanted to inform you that we are already preparing the INTENSIVE SUMMER COURSES. Online and in person. These will be 2-week courses, in 2 shifts: From 1st to 12th July and the secnd one from 15th to 26th July. 1-hour lessons from Monday to Friday.

Before you start, HERE is the link to our new course "First Steps to Learning Spanish", if you buy it before Friday 17th, you will have a bonus of 2 Spanish lessons with me

Before to start, I wanted to invited you to a FREE SPANISH CLASS that I will make next 6 May for basic level. I want to help you to take your first step in the Spanish learning!

Through this podcast, in addition to learn Spanish, I would like to introduce you to some of the most important figures in Spanish history. One of them, without a doubt, is Cristobal Balenciaga. To be honest, I didn't know much about him until recently. A few days ago, when I was looking for a new series to watch with my husband, Disney + recommended this one: Cristobal Balenciaga. I loved it and I'll tell you why: The photography is beautiful. Sometimes reminiscent of Popper's work. Tells the story of a character unknown to many. I knew the brand, of course, but I didn't know the story of the man, and I found it fascinating. You can see many of his designs in the series. They are real works of art. The actor has been a surprise for me. Alberto SanJuan is well known in Spain for doing comedy, but this is the first time I have seen him in a more serious role, and I was very surprised at how good an actor he is. He had to learn French and Euskera!  Sometimes my students ask me to recommend Spanish series. Of course I recommend this one, but you have to know that it's recorded in 3 languages: Spanish, French and Euskera.  Balenciaga was born and raised in the north of Spain, in the Basque Country, where Basque is spoken alongside Spanish. It's one of the five co-official languages in Spain. He lived for a long time in Paris, where he became the king of haute couture. Coco Chanel and Christian Dior considered him a great master. If you want to practise your Spanish and learn more about this artist, this episode is for you. I hope you like it. ___________________________ A través de este Podcast me gustaría que, además de aprender español, conozcas algunos de los personajes españoles más relevantes de nuestra historia.  Uno de ellos es, sin duda, Cristobal Balenciaga.  Si te soy sincera, hasta hace poco no sabía mucho sobre él. Pero en otro día, buscando una nueva serie para ver con mi marido, nos apareció en Disney + la recomendación: Cristobal Balenciaga. Me ha encantado, y te voy a decir por qué. La fotografía es preciosa. A veces me recuerda a los cuadros de Popper.  Cuenta la historia de un personaje para muchos desconocido. Yo, obviamente, conocía la marca, pero no la historia del personaje, que me ha resultado fascinante. En la serie se pueden ver muchos de sus grandes diseños, que son auténticas obras de arte.  El actor ha sido toda una sorpresa. Alberto SanJuan es muy conocido en España por hacer comedia, es la primera vez que le veo hacer un papel más serio, y me ha sorprendido mucho lo buen actor que es. ¡Ha tenido que aprender francés y vasco!  Muchas veces mis alumnos me piden recomendaciones de series para ver en español. Esta sin duda la recomiendo, aunque tenéis que saber que en la serie se hablan 3 idiomas: El español, el francés y el euskera. Balenciaga nació y creció en el norte de España, en el Pais Vasco, donde además del español se habla también el euskera o vasco. Una de las 5 lenguas cooficiales que hay en nuestro país. Vivió durante años en París, donde se convirtió en el rey de la alta costura. Coco Chanel y Cristian Dior le consideraban el gran maestro. Si quieres practicar un poco de español, y saber más sobre este artista, este episodio es para ti! Espero que te guste.

Today is Maundy Thursday. I think Spain is one of the countries where Easter is more deeply rooted. In any city in Spain you can see many processions throughout the week and you can find "torrijas" in all the bakeries. Last year I told you about the difference between Easter in the north and in the south of Spain in an episode of the podcast, so today I want to tell you some curiosities that you might not know; why they dress like that, or the origin of this type of dessert. It's all part of Spanish culture and I think it's very interesting. Hoy es Jueves Santo. Creo que España es uno de los países donde más arraigada está la Semana Santa. En cualquier ciudad puedes ver muchas procesiones a lo largo de la semana y puedes encontrar torrijas en todas las panaderías. El año pasado os hablé de la diferencia entre la Semana Santa en el norte y en el sur de España en un episodio del podcast, por eso hoy quiero contaros algunas curiosidades que quizás no conocías; por qué visten así, o el origen de este tipo de postres. Todo es parte de la cultura española y creo que es muy interesante.

Last 8 March was International Women's Day. In Spain, this day is becoming more important every year, and I don't think that's a bad thing. I think I'm very lucky, but in the world there are thousands of women without rights who need visibility... don't you think? In Spain, not so long ago, women had no rights. To study, to have a bank account, to work... They needed a man's permission. There are hundreds of stories about unknown women. Today I am going to tell you the story of María de la O Lejárraga. One of the most important writers in Spanish literature, she had to sign her works with her husband's name to have them published, and even Walt Disney himself plagiarized her. If you want to continue learning Spanish, register on my website to receive our weekly newsletter with free material to improve your Spanish at home. Find out more about María Lejárraga HERE _________________ El pasado 8 de marzo fue el día Internacional de la Mujer. En España es un día que cada año tiene más relevancia, y no me parece mal. Yo considero que soy muy afortunada, pero en el mundo existen miles de mujeres sin derechos a las que hay que dar visibilidad... ¿No crees? En España, no hace tanto, la mujer no tenía ningún derecho. Para poder estudiar, tener una cuenta en el banco, trabajar... necesitaba la autorización de un hombre. Hay cientos de historias increíbles protagonizadas por mujeres desconocidas. Hoy os cuento la de María de la O Lejárraga. Una de las más importantes escritoras de la literatura española, que para poder escribir tuvo que hacerlo con el nombre de su marido, y a quién el mismísimo Walt Disney plagió. Si quieres seguir mejorando tu español regístrate en mi web y recibirás nuestras Newsletters con material gratuito para seguir aprendiendo desde casa. Si quieres saber más sobre María Lejárraga puedes hacerlo AQUÍ. #PodcastEspañol #SpanishPodcast #LearnSpanish #SpeakandLearn #SpanishinTheNaturalWay

A few years ago, when I was in the park with my daughter, I met Maria and her mother. I'm remembering her today because it's International Day for Rare Diseases, and María was the first girl I met with Rett syndrome, a rare degenerative disease that affects movement and speech and affects mainly girls. I know it can be a sad subject, but I think it's important to make it visible and raise awareness. Today in the podcast I tell you Maria's story. I hope you like it and find it interesting. Before I say goodbye, I wanted to let you know that in a few weeks we will have an event of free Spanish classes for those who want to start learning Spanish. If you are interested or know someone who might be, register on our website to receive all the information! Hace unos años, cuando estaba con mi hija en el parque, conocí a María y a su madre. Hoy la recuerdo porque es el Día Internacional de las Enfermedades Raras, y María fue la primera niña que conocí con el síndrome de Rett, una enfermedad rara, degenerativa, que afecta principalmente el movimiento y el habla, y afecta principalmente a las niñas. Sé que puede ser un tema triste, sin embargo, creo que es importante visibilizarlo y crear conciencia al respecto. Hoy en el podcast te cuento la historia de María. Espero que te guste y te resulte interesante. Y antes de despedirme quería contarte que dentro de pocas semanas vamos a organizar un evento de clases gratuitas para aquellos que quieren comenzar a aprender español. Si te interesa o conoces a alguien que le pueda interesar, regístrate en nuestra web para recibir toda la información!

Yesterday was Valentine's Day. In Spain, it's something commercial, more than anything else... and it's not very common to celebrate it. I have never done anything special with my husband on Valentine's Day. We celebrate our wedding anniversary or the day we met, but never Valentine's Day.  But the culture, the art, the language... In Spain you can find a thousand romantic stories. For example, there is an "expression", a phrase we use when we want to laugh at those stormy, always lovesick couples... When we want to refer to someone like that and make a joke, we say: "The lovers from Teruel". Teruel is a small city in the east of Spain, in Aragón. This expression: "Los amantes de Teruel, tonta ella tonto él" comes from the Middle Ages and is still sometimes used. Today, in the new episode of the podcast, I will explain to you who they were and what happened. It's a very romantic story. If you want to still learning Spanish with me, register on our website and receive our Newsletter! _____________________ Ayer fue el día de San Valentín. La verdad es que en España es una fiesta más comercial que otra cosa y tradicionalmente no se celebra.  Nunca he hecho nada especial por San Valentín con mi marido, celebramos nuestro aniversario de bodas, o el día que nos conocimos, pero no San Valentín. Sin embargo, en la cultura, el arte, el idioma... en España, puedes encontrar cientos de historias románticas. Por ejemplo, hay una "expresión", un dicho, que se utiliza como burla para reírse de esas parejas que siempre tienen "mal de amores", que son tormentosas, etc... Cuando nos encontramos una pareja así, y queremos burlarnos de ellos, les llamamos: "Los amantes de Teruel". Teruel es una pequeña provincia al este de España, de la comunidad de Aragón. El caso es que esa expresión: "Los amantes de Teruel, tonta ella y tonto él", viene de la edad Media, y todavía a veces la puedes escuchar. Hoy en el nuevo episodio del Podcast te cuento quien eran estos amantes y qué les pasó.  Y si quieres seguir aprendiendo español conmigo, regístrate en nuestra web para recibir cada semana nuestra Newsletter.

Today's podcast episode is a bit different. It's the first time I've talked about grammar on the podcast, and I've put on my teacher's glasses. It's an experiment. If you like it, I'll do more. Of course, the podcast will always retain its essence, in fact we will have very interesting interviews very soon. But today I wanted to talk to you about some of the most common mistakes people make when learning Spanish. Today I am going to tell you 3 of them. Whatever your level of Spanish, these mistakes are made by both A2 and C1 students. I hope you find them useful! Sometimes they can be solved simply by paying attention

After a few weeks, the podcast is back! In this first episode of the year, we talk about challenges, perseverance and frustration. In all areas of your life, but especially when it comes to learning a new language. We have talked about this in other episodes, but today I bring you a gift to help you persevere. It is our VOCABULARY CALENDAR 2024, where you will find new vocabulary every week to learn at home. (All you have to do is download the pdf and click on the theme for each week). By the end of the year, you will have learned over 650 new words without even realising it. I hope you enjoy it! ________________________________ ¡Después de unas semanas, el podcast está de vuelta! En este primer episodio del año hablamos de objetivos, perseverancia y frustración. En todos los ámbitos de tu vida, pero especialmente cuando se trata de aprender un nuevo idioma. Hemos hablado de esto en otros episodios, pero hoy te traigo un regalo para ayudarte a perseverar. Es nuestro CALENDARIO VOCABULAR 2024, donde cada semana encontrarás vocabulario nuevo para aprender en casa. (Lo único que tienes que hacer es descargar el pdf y hacer clic en el tema de cada semana). Al final del año, habrás aprendido más de 650 palabras nuevas sin siquiera darte cuenta. ¡Espero que te guste!

Today I bring you the last episode of the 2023 podcast. A podcast that takes a lot of time and effort, but gives me a lot of cheerfulness. Some of you have met me because of the podcast, others have told me how much you like it..... So I will continue next year, even if I win "El Gordo" tomorrow

December is here and with it the madness. It is one of the most complicated (and beautiful) months for me, because it is very chaotic. If you live in Spain, you've probably noticed, if not, let me explain. At the beginning of the month we have holidays because the 6th of December is Constitution Day and the 8th of December is Inmaculada (The Immaculate Conception is the patron saint of Spain). So we start the month with 5 days of holidays and end with Christmas (the children start the Christmas holiday on the 22nd). As you can imagine, with the kids at home and very exciting with Christmas coming up and work at the same time....I end the day very tired. The best part of the day is when they are in bed and I am on the sofa watching a film with my husband

Spain is a strange country in many ways, one of which is the use of surnames. Along with Portugal, it is the only European country where, traditionally, a woman does not lose her surname when she marries. It is changing in many countries now, but the interesting thing is that in Spain women have always kept their surname. This means that my grandmother, my great-grandmother and even my great-grandmother's mother kept their surnames from birth to death, even when they were married. This has been the case since the XVIth century, when the official use of two surnames was introduced, first in Castile and then in the whole of the Iberian Peninsula. I'll be talking about this and other surname curiosities in the new episode of the podcast, click on play, it's really interesting! And before I say goodbye, if you have never tried our classes and you are thinking of improving your Spanish, you can do it in December for half a month. It is a great opportunity to see if our classes are what you are looking for! Send us an email to hola@speakandlearn.es with your name and level of Spanish and I will answer you as soon as possible with all the information

You probably know about the Grammy Awards, but .... Have you heard of the LATIN Grammy Awards? They are the most important Spanish language music awards and this year they will be held in Spain. These awards are always controversial, as there are those who think that Spain should not take part .... It all depends on the meaning we give to the word "Latin". It's amazing how important words are and the meaning we give to them, isn't it? If you want to know more about these awards and their controversy, click play! And remember, if you want to improve your Spanish, register on our website speakandlearn.es to receive a weekly newsletter with free material. Seguro que conoces los premios Grammy de la música, pero…¿Sabías que existen también los Latin Grammys? Son los premios más importantes de la música cantada en español, y este año se celebran en España. Estos premios siempre van acompañados por mucha polémica, porque hay quien opina que los españoles no deberían de participar…..todo va a depender de lo que se considera “latino” y lo que no. Es increíble como las palabras y el significado que les damos tienen tanta importancia, ¿no te parece? Si quieres saber un poco más sobre estos premios, y porqué son tan polémicos, ¡dale al play! Y recuerda, si quieres seguir mejorando tu español conmigo, regístrate en nuestra web y recibirás material gratuito cada semana!

I can't get used to seeing the shops and everything decorated with pumpkins, ghosts and witches when this date arrives. In Spain we have had Halloween for only a few years. When I was a child and during my university years, we only saw these things in American films. Here we bought chestnuts and sweets of the time, such as "huesos de santo" or "buñuelos". And on November 1st we accompanied our parents to the cemetery to put flowers on our grandparents' grave. We called the 1st of November Dia de todos los Santos, and some people also say "día de todos los muertos", like in México. But Halloween.... and the pumpkins and the ghosts... that is something new. But not the witches....The witches and their stories are very old in our country. In fact, there are some documents from S.XV! Today in the podcast I will tell you the story of the witches of Zugarramurdi, a small village in Navarra, near where I was born. I hope you like it, and remember, if you want to improve your Spanish with me, register on my website and you will recieve our Newsletter every week with free material to learn Spanish at home. _______________________________________ Todavía no me acostumbro a ver las tiendas y todo decorado con calabazas, fantasmas y brujas cuando llegan estas fechas. En España se celebra Halloween desde hace muy pocos años. Cuando yo era niña, y durante mi época universitaria, esas cosas solo las veíamos en las películas americanas. Aquí comprábamos castañas, huesos de santos, buñuelos y otros dulces típicos de estas fechas, y el día 1 de Noviembre acompañábamos a nuestros padres a poner flores en las tumbas de nuestros abuelos. El día 1 de Noviembre lo llamamos día de todos los Santos, y algunos también como en Méjico, día de los muertos. Pero Halloween….y las calabazas y los fantasmas es algo muy nuevo. Pero no las brujas… Las brujas y sus historias son en cambio muy antiguas en nuestro país. De hecho, hay escritos y acontecimientos que datan del S. XV!! Hoy te traigo un nuevo episodio del Podcast donde te cuento la historia de las brujas de Zugarramurdi, un pueblo de Navarra cerca de donde nací. Espero que te guste. Y recuerda que si quieres seguir mejorando tu español conmigo solo tienes que registrarte en mi web y recibirás cada semana material gratuito que te ayudará a seguir mejorando tu español desde casa!

Last week someone wrote to me on Linkedin asking why I was wasting my time teaching Spanish and creating content. According to him, language teachers don't have any sense because of artificial intelligence. This person recommended that I quit my job and reinvent myself with something else because in a few months I would realise that everything I am doing is useless. With everything that is happening and how fast everything is evolving, it made me think. Maybe it is true? Am I doing something stupid? Am I wrong? I have thought about it and my conclusion is no. I believe in what I am doing. I talk about this and much more in today's podcast. Remember, if you want to improve your Spanish with me, you can do it through our online classes, or sign up for our newsletter to receive free material every week to help you improve your Spanish! La semana pasada alguien me escribió por Linkedin y me preguntó por qué perdía el tiempo creando contenido y dando clases de español. Según él, los profesores de idiomas ya no tienen sentido debido a la inteligencia artificial. Esta persona me recomendaba dejar mi trabajo y reinventarme con otra cosa, ya que en pocos meses me iba a dar cuenta de que todo lo que hago no sirve de nada. Con todo lo que está pasando, y lo rápido que evoluciona todo, os confieso que me ha hecho pensar. ¿Tendrá razón?¿Estoy haciendo el tonto?¿Me he equivocado? He reflexionado y he llegado a la conclusión de que no. Creo en lo que hago. Hoy en el Podcast profundizo sobre esto y mucho más Recuerda que si quieres aprender español conmigo puedes hacerlo a través de nuestras clases online. También puedes registrarte en nuestra web y cada semana recibirás material gratuito que te ayudará a mejorar tu español.

For the Spanish, football is almost a religion. I don't know if we are at the same level as the Argentinians or the Brazilians, but we are close.This summer we were crowned world champions - in the feminine, because I'm talking about the Women's World Cup.Women's football is not followed as closely as men's football, but this was a special occasion. Spain weren't the favourites and no broadcaster wanted to show the Women's World Cup. They thought there wouldn't be enough viewers.In the end it was RTVE (not because they wanted to, but because it is public television and they have no other option). The fact is that the audience soared, Spain started winning and reached the final. The whole country was with the players and in the end the audience was over 6 million.And we won. And it was incredible.But the celebrations and the players' achievements were overshadowed by something that happened at the end of the game that was very controversial and very sad, especially for the players.Do you want to know what happened? I'll tell you in this new episode of the podcast. Para los españoles el futbol es casi como una religión. No sé si llegamos al nivel de entusiasmo de los argentinos o brasileños, pero estamos cerca.Y este verano nos coronamos campeonas del mundo. Y digo campeonas porque estoy hablando del mundial de futbol femenino.El futbol femenino no tiene tanto seguimiento como el masculino, pero este caso ha sido especial. España no partía como favorita, y ninguna cadena de televisión quería retransmitir el mundial porque pensaban que no iba a tener audiencia.Finalmente se encargó RTVE (No porque quisieran, sino porque es la televisión pública y no tuvo más remedio). El caso es que la audiencia se disparó. España empezó a ganar y llegó a la final, y todo el país se volcó con las chicas, teniendo la final una audiencia de 6 millones de personas.Y ganamos. Increíble.Pero, toda la celebración y el mérito de las jugadoras pasó a un segundo plano por algo que sucedió al terminar el partido y que ha sido MUY polémico y triste, sobre todo para las jugadoras. ¿Quieres saber qué pasó? Te lo cuento en este nuevo episodio del Podcast

Empezamos una nueva temporada del Podcast que espero disfrutes mucho y te ayude a mejorar tu español! Este curso vamos a hablar sobre la actualidad en mi país, España. También sobre personajes conocidos y no tan conocidos que para mi son relevantes en mi país, o en algún país de habla hispana. Por supuesto tendremos alguna entrevista y os enseñaré expresiones, vocabulario....y todo lo que os ayude a mejorar y seguir disfrutando del español. Empezamos esta nueva temporada diciendo "Adiós al verano", os cuento como lo hemos pasado en España, y además celebramos la nueva temporada con una sorpresa. ¡Dale al PLAY para escucharlo! Y recuerda que si quieres ver la transcripción del audio y algo de vocabulario, puedes hacerlo en nuestra web We're starting a new season of the podcast, so I hope you enjoy it and that it helps you with your Spanish! In this new course we are going to talk about current news in my country, Spain. Also about personalities, famous or not, but that I think are relevant in my country or in other Spanish speaking countries. Of course we will have some interviews and I will teach you idioms and new vocabulary .... and all these things that I think can help you to improve and enjoy your Spanish! We start the new season by saying "Goodbye summer" and I'll tell you how we, the Spanish, spent the summer. We also celebrate our new season with a surprise for you! Press play to listen to it, and remember, if you want the transcription of the audio and some vocabulary, you can find it on our website.

Today in the Podcast I show you 6 colloquial expressions in Spanish that we use a lot. Above all you can listen to it on the street..... I hope you like it! Before to start... I remind you that you can apply to our intensive summer courses in July!! There are a few groups nearing completion, so if you're interested, hurry up!They will be classes for 2 weeks, 1 hour per day, and are Online, you can do it wherever you are!! And remember that the groups are maximum 5 students. They are classes focused on CONVERSATION, so we cannot admit more students per group, we want to be sure that even the most shy student will participate in the class. Send an email to hola@speakandlearn.es with your name and Spanish level, and we will answer you as soon as possible with all the information!

Today we have a new episode in our Podcast, and I want to speak about how the Spanish electoral system works. Last week we had elections for local government in all the country, and next 23th July we will choose the next President of the Government (it's like our prime minister). So, click play if you want to know better how the elections works in Spain. I hope you like it! And in July we are going to offer our INTENSIVE SUMMER COURSES ONLINE. We will follow our method of Spanish classes focused on CONVERSATION, different levels, maximum 5 students per group. If you want more information, write us an email to hola@speakandlearn.es or register on our website speakandlearn.es Hoy toca nuevo episodio del Podcast, y os quiero hablar sobre como funciona el sistema electoral en España.La semana pasada tuvimos elecciones en los Ayuntamientos de todo el país, y el próximo 23 de Julio elegiremos al nuevo presidente del Gobierno. Así que si quieres conocer un poco mejor el funcionamiento de las elecciones en España, dale al play.¡Espero que te guste!Y recuerda que durante el mes de Julio ofreceremos nuestros cursos intensivos de verano Online. Seguiremos con nuestra metodología de clases basadas en la CONVERSACIÓN, grupos de DIFERENTES NIVELES y máximo 5 alumnos por grupo. Si te interesa envíanos un mail a hola@speakandlearn.es o regístrate en nuestra web https://speakandlearn.es/registration

Just when I've finished editing the episode about the drought in Spain....it starts to rain in Málaga! ☔I'm VERY happy. It hadn't rained here for many months, and the situation is dramatic, So I hope it continues to rain more days....I think it will give us a break....Although we need 2 months of rain for the reservoirs to return to 50 %, and I think it is very difficult for it to have happened....

In the last episode of the Podcast I told you about the relationship that Spanish people have with food, and I explained 5 Spanish expressions related to food or cooking. Have you listened to it? If you didn't have time, you can do it HERE.As I was saying, many expressions in Spanish refer to food... too many for a single episode of the Podcast, so today I am going to tell you about another 5. I have selected the ones that I think are most used.I hope you like it!Before we start, I want to remind you that you can apply for our online and face-to-face Spanish groups in May.Spanish classes in small groups, maximum 5 students, different levels, where our main objective is that you SPEAK Spanish.Write me an email to hola@speakandlearn.es with your level of Spanish and your preferences (Online or face-to-face if you are in Malaga, Spain) and I will send you all the information as soon as possible.

As you know, food and everything related to it is very important in Spanish culture.In general, people in Spain cook quite well, although this trend is changing a bit because all the family members work and we have less time. But it still matters a lot.This can also be seen in Spanish. There are a lot of expressions about food in Spanish, in fact, I can't show you all of them because there are so many! So I'm going to dedicate 2 episodes to you in the Podcast, in each one I'll tell you 5 expressions, ok?If you manage to learn them all and use them in your Spanish conversation... you will make me very happy! 

Hoy es jueves Santo, y en casi todas las ciudades españolas es un día festivo. Como probablemente ya sabes, en España la Semana Santa es muy importante. En prácticamente todas las ciudades hay procesiones que salen a la calle con imágenes religiosas y bandas de música.Es una tradición muy importante en mi país, pero la sociedad está dividida entre aquellos a los que les gusta muchísimo, y aquellos que odian la Semana Santa.En el episodio de hoy os hablo de eso.¡Espero que te guste! Y recuerda que si quieres recibir cada semana nuestra Newsletter para aprender Español, o apuntarte a nuestras clases Online o Presenciales, puedes hacerlo registrándote en nuestra web: https://speakandlearn.es/registration __________________________________ Today is Holy Thursday, and in almost all Spanish cities it is a holiday. As you probably know, in Spain Holy Week is very important. In practically all cities there are processions in the streets with religious wood carvings and music bands. It is a very important tradition in my country, but society is divided between those who really like it and those who hate Easter. Today in the episode I talk about it. I hope you like it! And remember, if you want to receive our Newsletter or start to learn Spanish through our Online Classes or face to face, you can register on our website: https://speakandlearn.es/registration

When I started with Speak & Learn, I never imagined that I would like it so much. I love teaching Spanish and helping my students. But I also love doing the Podcast, the videos, writing the Newsletter every week, organizing my schedule... I love everything! (Ok, except accounting, payments... but my sister helps me with this

Last Sunday I ran the women's race. It's a 5 kilometers race in some Spanish cities to collecting money for breast cancer. The special feature of this race is that only women and girls can participate. If I'm honest, when I found out I didn't understand it. If we want to earn money for a good cause...Why the ban on men?? The more the better! After listening to the arguments for and against, I still don't have a clear opinion

Spain is a bigger country than it seems, with very different regions. Not only geographically (we have sun, beach, desert, mountains...) Each region has its own cultural customs, gastronomy... and some of them even have their own language. In addition, it is one of the countries with the most sites declared World Heritage Sites according to Unesco. I talk about all these things in the today's episode of our Podcast, and also, I break with some myths and beliefs that revolve around Spain. Remember, if you want to receive our Newsletter every Thursday with free material that will help you improve your Spanish at home, register on our website: https://speakandlearn.es/registration

Next week is Valentine's Day. In Spain it is not very popular. Although it is very common to see stores with many hearts and cupids. But like so many others, it is an inherited celebration. In my case, my husband and I, we do not celebrate it. We prefer to remember other dates, like our wedding anniversary, or the day we met... but not Valentine's Day. But that does not mean that the Spanish are not romantic. We are. And in Spanish you can find many expressions about love and... heartbreak. In today's episode of our Podcast, I will show you some of them. I hope you like it! Remember, register on our website if you want to receive our Newsletter every week with free material to learn Spanish: https://speakandlearn.es/registration And if you want to listen to the episode about the origin of Valentine's Day, you can do it here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2oKblPMH4yliRXMfzq8POJ

Today on the podcast I present to you my sister Beatriz. Besides being my sister, she is one of my best friends. She is very intelligent and has a special sensitivity. She is a historian, flautist and music therapist. In today's episode I do a short interview where we talk about what music therapy is and her experience working with autistic children and teenagers with problems. I hope you like it! I loved having this conversation with her. Remember, if you want to read the transcript of this episode you can do it on our website: https://speakandlearn.es/blog

The other day I read an article that said that making New Year's resolutions is not good for our mental health. If you often listen to our Podcast, you know that I love beginnings and always set goals for myself. I love the feeling when I have a new challenge and try to do it, but without stress. As you can imagine, I am a mom in a large family and I need to change my goals every day. There are always surprises and you have to be flexible and know how to improvise. But that doesn't mean I can't make a list of goals and be very happy when I achieve them. I think the secret is to plan it the right way and be realistic. I talk about it in today's episode of our Podcast. And remember, if one of your New Year's resolutions is to learn Spanish, you can do it with us with our Online or face-to-face classes if you live in Malaga.

You know? I don't like the games of luck. I never play bingo, slot machines or lottery.....Except in Christmas, with the Christmas Lottery. The Christmas Lottery in Spain is a tradition. Even the people like me, who never play anything, we do it on Christmas. Every year on 22th December, thousands of Spaniards participate in the raffle that is popularly called El Gordo. In this episode I tell you the origin of this raffle, how it works and why it is called like this. I hope you like it!

I recorded this episode of the Podcast 3 weeks ago....I needed to make it with enough time because the transcription, the edition....it takes me very long. Now, writing the Newsletter I listened to it again, and I realized I need holidays....up to twice I said we are at the end of 2023..., yes, I was wrong with the year twice. It also turns out that in Andalusia we don't have a long weekend

This episode in the Podcast is probably the most personal one until now. This week is my son Javier's birthday, the middle one. When I was 5 months pregnant, the doctors told me he had "equinovarus" feet, a genetic deformity in his legs. As you can imagine it was a very hard moment. However I remember it with great affection. Me and my husband were clear about the pregnancy, and no matter what happened, he would be a happy boy. And he is! This week Javi turns 10 years old, and a few weeks ago we ran together the "City of Malaga urban race" 5 kilometers. He beat me. So, as you can see the story has a HAPPY end. But before to start I remember you In 3 days we will start the second edition of our course: "First Steps to Learn Spanish". A course for those with zero/basic level who want to end the year fulfilling the dream of starting to improve their Spanish!! Write me an email to hola@speakandlearn.es and I'll tell you how to do it!