Swearing. Cursing. Slang. These are common elements of language that don’t get a lot of attention in academia for being “improper,” “overly casual,” or just plain old rude. But this is the type of language you’ll likely encounter on the streets, in movies, and on social media. While you don’t need to use these words to be fluent in Spanish, it’s certainly still useful to know what they mean. Vulgar as it may be, this is the way many people speak, so we’d be doing you a disservice to not explain at least some Mexican groserias. So in this episode, we sit down with Diego and Efraín from Mextalki to dive in to their favorite subject: Las groserias mexicanas.

Links:

• Mextalki Podcast Website
• Mextalki YouTube Channel
• Mextalki Facebook Page
• 032 - Los Orígenes de la Palabra Gringo | The Origins of the Word Gringo
• Words and Phrases Chilangos Say Slang in Mexico City
• Level up your Spanish with our Podcast Membership
  • Get the full transcript of each episode so you don’t miss a word
  • Listen to an extended breakdown section in English going over the most important words and phrases
  • Test your comprehension with a multiple choice quiz

Support the show

This is the exclusive audio breakdown section for episode 085 - Cómo Aprendería Español de Cero | How I’d Learn Spanish from Scratch.

Get access to the full interactive transcript, quizzes, and more for this and every episode by joining our community, La Escala, at spanishandgo.com/community.

Learning a new language can be intimidating. The journey is full of twists and turns. Some days you feel like you’re making progress, and others feel like you’ve forgotten everything you’ve been studying. I’ve been there. I’ve never considered myself a “language guy,” but through hard work and persistence, I became fluent in Spanish.

In this episode we go over a brief history of how I learned Spanish, but more importantly we talk about what I would do differently if I were starting from scratch. This is what I wish someone had told me when I was first getting started.

Links:

• 001 - El Inicio de Todo | The Beginning of Everything
• 006 - ¿Puedes Aprender Español Sin Estudiar Gramatica? | Can You Learn Spanish Without Studying Grammar?
• How I Learned Spanish as an Adult: How to Learn Spanish Fast
• The Best Spanish Book for Beginners? [A Review of Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish]
• BaseLang: An Honest Review
  • Sign up for BaseLang
• The Only italki Spanish Review You Need
  • Sign up for italki
• Pimsleur Spanish: An Honest Review
  • Sign up for Pimsleur
• The Lingoda Sprint: An Honest Review
  • Sign up for Lingoda
• Anki - Flashcards to Learn Spanish
• Spanish Immersion Retreats
• Level up your Spanish with our Podcast Membership
  • Get the full transcript of each episode so you don’t miss a word
  • Listen to an extended breakdown section in English going over the most important words and phrases
  • Test your comprehension with a multiple choice quiz

Support the show

This is the exclusive audio breakdown section for episode 084 - Los Mejores Tacos del Mundo | The Best Tacos in the World.

Get access to the full interactive transcript, quizzes, and more for this and every episode by joining our community, La Escala, at spanishandgo.com/community.

Tacos: The definitive Mexican food. And we’re not talking about the hard-shell with shredded cheese variety. We’re talking about the authentic Mexican soft tortilla with all the fixings kind. But where do they come from? What are the most popular ones? How much does a typical taco cost in Mexico? Which ones are our favorites? Find all that out and more in this episode.

Links:

• 013 - La Comida Mexicana | Mexican Food
• 017 - El Origen de la Comida Tex Mex | The Origin of Tex Mex Food
• Spanish Immersion Retreats
• Level up your Spanish with our Podcast Membership
  • Get the full transcript of each episode so you don’t miss a word
  • Listen to an extended breakdown section in English going over the most important words and phrases
  • Test your comprehension with a multiple choice quiz

Support the show

This is the exclusive audio breakdown section for episode 083 - Viaja Más por Menos | Travel More for Less.

Get access to the full interactive transcript, quizzes, and more for this and every episode by joining our community, La Escala, at spanishandgo.com/community.

Travel doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, it’s possible to travel for $50 a day or less in most countries. May and I regularly travel around Mexico for as little as $40 a day. How is this possible? Over the years we’ve discovered a number of resources and methods for lowering our costs while maximizing our experiences around the world. In this episode, we share four of our best tips for traveling on a budget.

Links:

• 057 - Una Vida Mejor por Menos | A Better Life for Less
• 061 - Como Planear Viajes Significativos | How to Plan Meaningful Trips
• Worldpackers
• TrustedHousesitters
• “How to Travel the World on $50 a Day” by Matt Kepnes (Nomadic Matt)
• How I Earned Over $2200 for Travel in Less Than Two Hours
• The Ultimate Guide to Travel Banking [How to Get the Best Exchange Rate and More]
• The Points Guy
• NerdWallet
• Level up your Spanish with our Podcast Membership
  • Get the full transcript of each episode so you don’t miss a word
  • Listen to an extended breakdown section in English going over the most important words and phrases
  • Test your comprehension with a multiple choice quiz

Support the show

This is the exclusive audio breakdown section for episode 082 - El Pan de Muerto | Bread of the Dead.

Get access to the full interactive transcript, quizzes, and more for this and every episode by joining our community, La Escala, at spanishandgo.com/community.

Who knew bread could have such a colorful and creepy history? In this episode we talk about pan de muerto or “bread of the dead.” Where does it come from? What does it mean? Where can I get the chocolate filled kind? We answer all these questions and more.

Links:

• 028 - Día de Muertos: Lo Que Tienes Que Saber | Day of the Dead: What You Need to Know
• 029 - Calaveritas de Azúcar: Origen y Tradición | Sugar Skulls: Origin and Tradition
• What is Day of the Dead?
• Experience: Michoacan and Day of the Dead
• Level up your Spanish with our Podcast Membership
  • Get the full transcript of each episode so you don’t miss a word
  • Listen to an extended breakdown section in English going over the most important words and phrases
  • Test your comprehension with a multiple choice quiz

Support the show

Have you heard about the Llorona (The Weeping Lady)? Legend has it that if you listen carefully, you might just hear her crying in the distance for her deceased children. Latin American culture is full of stories that are passed down from generation to generation. All of these tales were new to me when I first visited Mexico, and if you’re a believer, some are enough to make your hair stand on end. In this episode, we take a deep dive into some of the most popular legends in Mexico and Latin America.

Links:

• 028 - Día de Muertos: Lo Que Tienes Que Saber | Day of the Dead: What You Need to Know
• 029 - Calaveritas de Azúcar: Origen y Tradición | Sugar Skulls: Origin and Tradition
• Day of the Dead in Michoacan [Morelia, Patzcuaro, Janitzio, Tzintzuntzan]
• “La Llorona” by Angela Aguilar (YouTube Video)
• The Curse of La Llorona (Movie)
• Level up your Spanish with our Podcast Membership
  • Get the full transcript of each episode so you don’t miss a word
  • Listen to an extended breakdown section in English going over the most important words and phrases
  • Test your comprehension with a multiple choice quiz

Support the show