Breaking Español

By Jennie & Ben SullinsSociety & Culture Education Places & Travel Language Learning

Breaking Español episodes

February 23, 2018 Ep. 58 - WHY to Start Learning Spanish Today
Hola Todos!
Alright, we have another quick episode for you to absorb today. It’s about finding you WHY.
We really feel this has helped us stick to learning past the first few weeks, months, and even year after taking on the challenge of studying a new language.
Your WHY is what will keep you going.
We give some tips and ideas on how to find yours on today’s episode.
What is you WHY?
Leave us a comment on our website or Facebook page with your WHY. We would love to hear!
Enjoy!
Gracias por escuchar,
Jennie y Benjamin
15 min
February 14, 2018Ep. 57 - 5 Things to Try This Weekend
Hola Chicos!
We have a mini-episode for you today that will hopefully inspire you to try something new! These are our 5 favorite things to do when we need some inspiration to practice and use our Spanish. Try 1 or all of them and let us know how it went!
Order en Español at a restaurant or cafe – Some phrases to use: Me puedas dar (can you give me…..), Dame ____ por favor (Give me 2 tacos porfavor), para aquí or para llevar? (For here or to go?), efectivo o tarjeta (how to pay – cash or credit), sin (without).
Watch a movie en Español – Recommendations: No Se Aceptan Devoluciones, Mama (con Penelope Cruz), Diarios de Motocicleta, Amores Perros, Y Tu Mama También. TV Episodios: Narcos, Las Chicas del Cable. Tip: Keep a notebook next to you to write down words and phrases
Play Loteria – Fun Mexican game. Make it a drinking game, play with friends. Play with pinto beans.
Try a Latin Food Recipe – Nuestra favorito es ceviche y margaritas!
Invite a Friend Over to speak Spanish – This one can go along with any of the previous 4. Invite a friend to join you as long as they are willing to speak Spanish. If you are just starting out set a timer for 20-30 minutes and try and speak “solo en espanol” for that time.
Que tengas un buen fin de semana!
Gracias por escuchar!
Jennie y Benjamin
12 min
January 23, 2018 Ep. 56 - First time taking group lessons
We are officially back in Spanish classes! But this time, we’re going separately. Not only that but this time we’re doing group sessions with up to 4 other people which have been a new and fun experience. In this episode, we share all about how the classes are going as well as some other recent adventures including a TON of new vocab.
Resources:
YouTube Channel – Tu escuela de Español
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIkXK7ezRuA
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTyCyyV0eKfEoMWI_V11z6A/videos
Vocab:
Como fue la semana? How was the week?
Suave – soft
Negocios – company (small stores, brick and mortar)
Compañia – company (large)
Empresa – Business, company (large business)
Compañero de trabajo – co worker
Cuentos – stories – used when talking about childrens books
Historia – story
Atras – behind, back
Capaz – able
Soy capaz de toca la guitarra- I am able to play the guitar
Tienen dudas – Any questions? -used in Latin America (Literal – Do you have doubt?)
Tienes preguntas? Do you have questions?
Oyentes – listeners
Adjectives: this, these, that, those
Masculine/feminine
Este/a = this
Estos/as = these
Ese/a = that
esos/as = those
Pronoun: That and This
Eso es grande = That is big
Esto es un arbol = This is a tree
40 min
January 09, 2018 Ep. 55 - Feliz Año Nuevo
Feliz Año Nuevo!
We start the show and the new year off with what we are looking forward to doing this year.
It was just 3 years ago that “learn Spanish” was one of our New Years resolutions and we made it happen!
If you are just starting your journey into learning Spanish or have decided to make the commitment this year, then this episode is for you.
We share the steps we took to get started and what has really worked for us. The most important, how we progressed so fast.
We share our language learning goals we set for this year. Starting with we enrolled back in Spanish classes!
Enjoy the show!
Gracias por escuchar!
Jennie y Benjamin
Vocab:
Feliz Añ0 Nuevo – Happy New Year
Cosas – things
Hacer – to do/make
Ejercicio – exercise
Gente – people
De hecho – that’s true (fact)
Negocio – company or deal
Compañera – company
Compañero – coworker
What we are listening to:
Duolingo Podcast – Short episodes with Spanish and English narration. Geared toward the intermediate learner. The episodes have transcripts which are helpful.
America the Bilingual – America the Bilingual is a storytelling podcast designed to inspire people on their journey to bilingualism. Many stories from people learning all different languages.
37 min
December 29, 2017 Ep. 54 - Our Year in Review
Nuestra ultimo episodio del año!
Another year that we have completed podcasting our journey to become a bilingual family.
It had it’s excitement and challenges and we recap it in this last episode of 2017.
We started the year with our trip to Oaxaca. A beautiful place in Mexico just South of Mexico City.
If you want to take a listen to our experiences while there check out episode 32-34.
Ben started using News in Slow Spanish and doing lessons on his own.
Jennie started attending social meet up group events and found it helped with shyness while speaking.
Jennie also went to Santiago and Valparaiso Chile in South America con una amiga! Check out episode 39-42 to hear all about it.
We had a really big change when our bilingual nanny gave her notice. We had to find more ways away from the house to practice speaking in Spanish as well as a new child care option for our son. Plus we felt like we were saying goodbye to a member of our family.
But it introduced us to the bilingual education system as we put our son in a bilingual Montessori school. He is thriving and we are happy to keep up the daily immersion for him.
Something unexpected came out of it and now we are connected with so many other bilingual families. We have hosted “dinners en espanol” and have enjoyed meeting other bilingual parents and niños.
We took a break over the summer – (note to podcasters) don’t take more than 3 months off iTunes will delete it from your subscribers feeds! Live and learn BUT it was a much needed and and very enlightening break.
We learned….
We still love this podcast and want to make time for it.
Our post processing was way too complicated.
We needed to simplify the whole process.
We came back more excited than ever to continue sharing this journey.
Jennie made a big change that benefits the podcast. She left her job as a hairstylist behind the chair, after 15 years!! Travel and flexibility was a motivator but also putting time into other projects like this Podcast.
That means that next year exciting things are to come!
We hope you enjoy our recap and most important thank you for listening, subscribing, and sharing this journey with us.
Saludos,
Jennie y Benjamin
34 min
December 12, 2017 Ep. 53 - Habla Solo en Español?
Hola Todos!
We are back this week after visiting family and have some thoughts and feelings on how our family reacted to our son speaking “solo en español”! Our road trip brought on some opportunities to come up with games to play in Spanish and songs to sing.
Jennie took Jack to his first pelicula! The Disney movie Coco about a Latin American family, traditions and music.
Ben thinks he has found the answer to: Is it naranja or anaranjado??
Enjoy the show!
Gracias por Escuchar,
Jennie y Ben
____________________________
Show Notes:
Vocab:
Que es eso? – What is it?
El cine – the cinema
El teatro – the theater
Fuimos – we went
Ver – to see
Enferma – sick
Arbol – tree
Palomitos – popcorn
Pimientos – peppers
Abuela – Grandma
Mijo – my son, contraction (mi + hijo)
Dia de los muertos – Day of the Dead – Latin American Holiday celebrating family that has passed
This Week I learned:
Naranja – orange – color and the fruit
Anaranjado – orange as well, or making something orange: as in paint on a wall is anaranjado
Como – like, like something else
Mismo – same, It’s the same – lo mismo
33 min
November 28, 2017 Ep. 52 - Lost In Translation
Hola Todos!
We catch you up on our week even though we’re under the weather and our voices show it. Ben had a great week and shares what he does for work and what an exciting time it has been! We won a car!! A Tesla Roadster! If you want to see Ben in the flesh and hear all about it check out his Youtube channel Teslanomics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzDgCTI2JMA
But aside from that, we chat how we incorporate our practice and learning even when life gets crazy busy.
It’s about finding small ways to continue when not actively advancing your learning.
Like reading News in slow Spanish and Conversing daily en Español.
We have a funny story where an important message about our son Jack got lost in translation.
Jennie shares what she has come across while disciplining Jack in Spanish and how expressing in a new language is challenging.
We also break down how and when we use Tu and Usted form.
Enjoy the show!
____________________________
Show Notes:
New shows we are watching:
Club Cuervos on Netflix – takes place in Latin America – about a soccer team
Ben isn’t a fan of all the slang (jerga)
The Day I Met El Chapo: The Kate De Castillo Story – Documentary
Vocab:
Voces – voices
Mocos – boogers
Abeja – bee
No toca – don’t touch
Morder – to bite
Mirame – look at me
Abre la boca – open the mouth
Sientete – you sit
No mas – no more
Peligroso – dangerous
Pepinos – cucumbers
Yo se – I know
Costumbre malo – bad habit
This Week I learned:
Arresto domiciliario – house arrest
Le explico – he explained
Atravieso – going through
Atras – back
Ya me voy – I’m off, now I go, I’m outta here
Ya llego – I’m here, I’ve arrived
Le encanta – he loves
38 min
November 14, 2017 Ep. 51 - Bilingual Mama Series - Tera Lopez Vannoy
Hola!
Today we bring you a new series! Bilingual Mamas. Each episode I will interview one mama on her journey to bilingualism.
To kick it off I sit down with my good friend Tera Lopez Vannoy. She is a photographer and writer for the blog Casa De Vannoy and has committed to raising her kids bilingual. She has been studying Spanish for over a year now and shares what it is like to create a home and family life with 2 languages under one roof all while still keeping up with mom life.
She shares what the days look like talking with her 2 1/2-year-old and how her husband and she incorporate Spanish into their daily lives.
Be sure to check out more from Tera at casadevannoy.com
Enjoy the show! Please let us know what you think of this series and if you want to hear more.
Gracias por escuchar,
Jennie
48 min
October 31, 2017 Ep. 50 - Turning Your House Into a Bilingual Home
Thank you for joining us on our 50th episode!!!
Show notes:
1. Write your grocery list in Spanish
2. Label objects around the house in Spanish: Great for learning new vocabulary!
3. Turn TV into Spanish:
Change your smart tv or streaming service profile into Español language like Netflix and/or Hulu – go into settings to change – changes menus but not necessarily the show if they don’t don’t have it recorded in Spanish – a lot of shows are available in multiple languages.
4. Turn phone into Spanish speaking: Take note this is an Advanced one and can be a challenge running your business on it, but give it a try even if just for a few days!
5. Atleast add a Spanish keyboard to your phone – makes texting in Spanish so much easier!
6. Print out vocabulary for the week – Jennie likes to hang hers on her bathroom mirror
7. Hang Spanish artwork and sayings around your house
8. Create a space for a whiteboard – use it for new words and phrases for the week
9. Play Spanish music: Pandora stations – Cri Cri radio for kids (not Jennie’s favorite LOL), Juanes Unplugged, Maluma, Carla Morrison (she’s from Tijuana) chill indie tunes, Pink Martini, Gypsy Kings
10. Say Buenas noches to objects around the house with kids at bedtime – Our son loves this one!
27 min
October 17, 2017Ep. 49 - Don't Be Shy
We catch up on the week, Ben was in New York and had a couple opportunities to make conversation with Spanish speakers from Columbia. He’s never shy to spark up a convo with anyone.
Our son Jack has been speaking all his colors in Spanish. We love how he pronounces rosa “Sosa”
Tips:
Don’t get stuck on a word you don’t know – work around it by describing the word with ones you do know
Apply the lessons and speak Spanish out “in the wild”
Vocab:
Estas ocupado hoy – Are you busy today?
Chambiar – to make money
Jerga – slang
Correr -to run
Tobillo – ankle
Siempre frio – always cold
Gracias por la conversation – Thank you for the conversation
Molestar – to annoy
Resources:
Libros en español:
Spanish Verbs – Maria Rosario Hollis
Para niños:
My first Spanish Word Book – Angela Wilkes/Daniel Santacruz
Word reference app for your phone
20 min

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One family's journey learning Spanish

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Breaking Español

Breaking Español episodes

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