Learn Spanish and Go

This week, Jim and May catch everyone up with their personal experiences traveling during the pandemic and compare the different cities they’ve visited during this difficult time.

Get an idea of how Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the US, differ from each other when it comes to handling the pandemic.

Also, listen for a few tips for those eager travelers who plan on catching flights soon. Travel responsibly!

Links:

• Trapped Abroad in Guatemala Video
• Safest Place to Be in the US Right Now? Live Stream
• Ep. 007 - COVID-19 and the Future of Travel
• Ep. 019 - Reflections on Confinement
• Ready to go beyond listening? Join La Escala, the Spanish and Go community built to help you practice, stay consistent, and connect.
  
  Get the complete podcast learning library, weekly challenges, and supportive community spaces—with live conversation clubs, guided grammar lessons and practice, and more available depending on your plan.
  
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Thank 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, Linda Easthope, and DJ Brasier.

✈️ Join La Escala, our online Spanish and Go community for Spanish learners who want more practice, structure, and connection. Annual plans include 2 months free.
👉 Learn more: spanishandgo.com/community

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This is the exclusive audio breakdown section for episode 046 - Cómo Entender a los Nativos | How to Understand Natives. 

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.

“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 Baselang
• Episode 024 - Interview with Connor Grooms, CEO of Baselang
• An Honest Review of Lingoda
• Duolingo
• Episode 040 - Interview with Polyglot Steve Kaufmann
• Ready to go beyond listening? Join La Escala, the Spanish and Go community built to help you practice, stay consistent, and connect.
  
  Get the complete podcast learning library, weekly challenges, and supportive community spaces—with live conversation clubs, guided grammar lessons and practice, and more available depending on your plan.
  
  Explore La Escala

Thank 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.

✈️ Join La Escala, our online Spanish and Go community for Spanish learners who want more practice, structure, and connection. Annual plans include 2 months free.
👉 Learn more: spanishandgo.com/community

Support the show

This is the exclusive audio breakdown section for episode 045 - San Valentín | Saint Valentine. 

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.

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:

• Ready to go beyond listening? Join La Escala, the Spanish and Go community built to help you practice, stay consistent, and connect.
  
  Get the complete podcast learning library, weekly challenges, and supportive community spaces—with live conversation clubs, guided grammar lessons and practice, and more available depending on your plan.
  
  Explore La Escala

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.

✈️ Join La Escala, our online Spanish and Go community for Spanish learners who want more practice, structure, and connection. Annual plans include 2 months free.
👉 Learn more: spanishandgo.com/community

Support the show

This is the exclusive audio breakdown section for episode 044 - Esto Sabotea Tu Motivación | This Sabotages Your Motivation. 

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.

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 Motivation
• Sign up for our newsletter for motivation, tips, reviews, and more
• Ready to go beyond listening? Join La Escala, the Spanish and Go community built to help you practice, stay consistent, and connect.
  
  Get the complete podcast learning library, weekly challenges, and supportive community spaces—with live conversation clubs, guided grammar lessons and practice, and more available depending on your plan.
  
  Explore La Escala

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.

✈️ Join La Escala, our online Spanish and Go community for Spanish learners who want more practice, structure, and connection. Annual plans include 2 months free.
👉 Learn more: spanishandgo.com/community

Support the show

This is the exclusive audio breakdown section for episode 043 - Tamales: Su Origen e Importancia | Tamales: Their Origin and Importance. 

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.

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 Reyes
• Day of the Dead in Michoacán Video
• Ready to go beyond listening? Join La Escala, the Spanish and Go community built to help you practice, stay consistent, and connect.
  
  Get the complete podcast learning library, weekly challenges, and supportive community spaces—with live conversation clubs, guided grammar lessons and practice, and more available depending on your plan.
  
  Explore La Escala

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.

✈️ Join La Escala, our online Spanish and Go community for Spanish learners who want more practice, structure, and connection. Annual plans include 2 months free.
👉 Learn more: spanishandgo.com/community

Support the show

This is the exclusive audio breakdown section for episode 042 - Pura Vida con Carlota Morales | Pure Life with Carlota Morales. 

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.