This week’s topic is low-cost airlines and the advantages and disadvantages of low-cost travel. Mark and Alba discuss their experiences of flying with low-cost airlines (and indeed with other airlines!) and José introduces two phrases which you can use when you manage to find a real bargain! Language points covered include the use of quedarse, fijarse and no sólo … sino también. Premium members will find a bonus item in this week’s feed – a special bonus episode concentrating on quedar and its various uses. Let us know what you think!

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Episode 25 of Show Time Spanish features the fifth instalment of our ‘telenovela’, Verano Español. At the end of the previous episode, Laura discovered that the boy who has been chatting her up on a daily basis in the panadería is none other than Ángel, her next-door neighbour. In episode 5 of the soap, Estela – Ángel’s sister – warns her about Ángel and his aventuras de verano, and Antonio plans his surprise arrival in Spain for Iona’s birthday, only to discover things are not quite what he expected!

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Following our recent musical episodes, listeners have been asking us for some suggestions of Spanish-language singers and groups. In episode 24 we’ve provided some suggestions, talking about Spanish groups Amaral and Ojos de Brujo, and we’ve also mentioned Colombian Juanes and the renowned Panamanian salsa performer Ruben Blades. Language points include more subjunctive talk, the use of al + infinitive, and in addition to introducing some phrases meaning “to keep up to date”, José sings!

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This week Mark and Alba bring you a special musical episode: combining the Eurovision Song Contest with a performance from Mark of Tango by Spanish composer Albéniz. In the intermedio, José introduces the idea of ’embarrassment’ – vergüenza – and gives listeners some examples of how to use this concept in interesting expressions. Language points covered include llevar + time in the negative to talk about what you haven’t done for a while, the imperative in the vosotros form, and what happens when the imperative is combined with object and reflexive pronouns.

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In this week’s lesson, Mark and Alba talk about music. Their discussion includes talk of playing musical instruments and how listening to music is changing because of technology. In the intermedio, José provides a couple of interesting phrases which can be used to say that you find something difficult. Language points covered include comparitives such as tan … como and tanto … como, avoiding the subjunctive and a particular use of verbs which differs from English, based on the phrase from the conversation, espero que no seas tú.

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In this first episode of Season 2, Mark and Alba chat about what they were doing during the vacaciones de Semana Santa. Both Mark and Alba have been travelling, and Mark has some buenas noticias. In the intermedio José provides us with some interesting phrases to talk about things in the past, and language points covered include the combination of indirect and direct object pronouns when combined with an imperative, when to use sólo and when to use solo, and the tricky verb cundir. 

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Episode 20 features the fourth installment of our ‘telenovela’, Verano Español. Find out the latest about the life of Laura and her mother as they spend the summer in Spain en la casa de tía Julia. Will Laura find out a little more about the mystery customer in the panadería? Don’t miss this episode of Show Time Spanish!

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In this week’s episode, Mark and Alba discuss some useful techniques for learning languages and share their ideas and advice with listeners. In the intermedio Alba talks about the northern Spanish city of Bilbao, and José introduces a construction which involves lo + adjective. Grammar points covered include the construction siempre que and the use of the subjunctive after para que. 

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This episode is dedicated to all fans of the imperfect subjunctive… and to those of you who are terrified of it! After listening to Mark and Alba’s discussion about all things hypothetical, you’ll be 100% confident in using the Spanish imperfect subjunctive. In addition, Alba talks about her favourite parts of Madrid, and José introduces some ways to express surprise in the intermedio.

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Episode 16 features a conversation between Alba and Mark about what they’ve been doing since they last saw each other. Grammar points covered include possessive pronouns, and uses of the subjunctive. This week’s intermedio features a presentation of Barcelona from Alba, and José looks at some more interesting ways of talking about going out for a drink or for something to eat.

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