LISTENING RESOURCES (& info on IB Listening test)
practice practice practice!
Tune into TELEMUNDO or UNIVISION
Want to know what's going on in the world—and practice your Spanish at the same time? Tune into Noticias Telemundo, a broadcaster (owned by NBC) of Spanish-language content for the USA, Latin America and the world. Click on a video. You can change the settings to slow it down if at first you're having difficulty understanding it. Plus you can learn lots of content for IB Spanish! Click here.
Or watch "all about it" at Univisión, the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content: click here. You might want to try Univision's 24/7 news: click here. Univisión is also a great place to go to practice reading.
Or watch "all about it" at Univisión, the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content: click here. You might want to try Univision's 24/7 news: click here. Univisión is also a great place to go to practice reading.
My go-to radio station from Spain is Radio Televisión Española—rtve.es. Click on the "Radio" tab for a number of choices. I especially like Radio 5 which features a mix of news and human interest stories. And while you're at RTVE.es, check out all the TV offerings: news, programs, sports and more. (Unfortunately some of the TV content is blocked, but there's still a lot to choose from). For both radio and TV from Spain, click here.
Another must-see TV station from Spain— where most of the content isn't blocked—is telemadrid.es. Click here.
Also try Antena3 from Spains. Click here
Or simply channel surf when you sit down to watch TV or flip that dial when you're in the car to discover programs and stations in Spanish. (And, of course, Netflix has many series and movies in Spanish, too.)
Another must-see TV station from Spain— where most of the content isn't blocked—is telemadrid.es. Click here.
Also try Antena3 from Spains. Click here
Or simply channel surf when you sit down to watch TV or flip that dial when you're in the car to discover programs and stations in Spanish. (And, of course, Netflix has many series and movies in Spanish, too.)
BBC Mundo
Up-to-date videos on news and human interest stories from the BBC can be found at BBC New Mundo's YouTube channel: click here.
NOTE: To read news from the BBC, click here.
NOTE: To read news from the BBC, click here.
Learn by listening: No more boring grammar!
"Dreaming Spanish" is a YouTube channel with videos in Spanish targeted at learners from beginners on up through advanced. The tagline, "No more boring grammar," captures Dreaming Spanish perfectly: These entertaining videos, hosted by a hip guy who hails from near Barcelona, feature cool, current, and quirky topics that will have you learning by listening without even realizing it. How great (painless!) is that? After all, research says the best way to learn a language is by listening to it—and reading it. So make it your goal to listen to at least one of these videos each day. You'll absorb grammar and vocabulary in context—and you'll enjoy it! For a list of of all Dreaming Spanish videos, click here. For a playlist by levels, click here.
spanish proficiency exercises
The University of Texas at Austin's "Spanish Proficiency Exercises" is an online treasure-trove of video clips with native speakers from throughout Latin America and Spain who talk about a host of topics from family to favorite movies. Topics are arranged by increasing level of difficulty. Accompanying each topic is a Spanish/English glossary of vocabulary, sample sentences to use to talk about the topic, and mini-grammar explanations. To watch the videos (some are scripted--i.e., simplified for language learners--and some are non-scripted), click here. I recommend you try the "Advanced A" videos on topics, perhaps starting with "a favorite holiday"--click here. Then listen to the audio all of the other topics such as "Your most recent job" and "A story about an animal or pet." (Hover your cursor over "Advanced A" and a list of 14 topics will appear.)
AUDIO LINGUA
In Spanish the idiom "to be all ears" is "ser todo(a) oídos." Go online to Audio Lingua and listen to short audio clips of native speakers--including teens--from all over the Spanish-speaking world. Search by themes. Click here.
Agencia Efe (the "associated press" in Spain)
Agencia EFE is the equivalent in Spain of the "Associated Press" or AP in the USA. On this web site you'll find "multimedia news to improve your Spanish." Each news story has text, video, audio, and comprehension and vocabulary exercises. On the home page, scroll down to "Nivel de español" (halfway down on the right), click on the circle with A , and page ahead to the A2 audio/video clips and accompanying text. Also try Level B1. Also sure to check out the rest of what Practica Español has to offer: click here. To practice anytime, anywhere, follow the instructions to download the app.
PRETTY AWESOME PODCASTS
Among the most popular podcasts in Spain on a wide range of topics those listed below. Download them to your phone and given them a listen:
* Coffee break—señal y ruido: Don't miss this one all you aspiring scientists! Here's all the latest science news presented in an easy-to-understand format. For the latest episode plus a a list of past episodes, click here. * Entiende tu mente: In 20-minute segments with specialists in psychology who offer learn strategies for dealing with stress, family relationships, depression, etc.. For the latest episode, plus past episodes, click here. * Nadie sabe nada: From CADENA SER (a radio station). Humor; two comedians answer the audience's questions. As it's all improvised, hilarity ensues. For current and most popular episodes, click here. * El podcast de Cristina Mirte: Beauty, health, sports are the topics covered by this Spanish journalist and author of the blog thebeautymail.es. For a link to podcasts on the Apple Store (or find wherever you get your podcasts), click here * Historia de España para Selectividad: "Selectividad" is the former name for the college-admissions test in Spain. Just for giggles, tune in to see what teens in Spain are stressing about instead of the SATs. To get it on Spotify, click here. * El País HOY is a new daily podcast from the Spanish newspaper EL PAÍS, click here. |
SPanish-resources.com
From spanish-resources.com, here's some listening practice for the AP test (be sure to click on the activities with the headphones icon). Yes, you're taking the Español B test, but this is great listening practice nevertheless. Click here.
Don't touch that dial!
Sit back, close your eyes, and tune into AM and FM radio stations from throughout the Spanish-speaking world at radiowebsites.org. For example, at radioarg.com there are over a dozen radio stations from Argentina. Click here.
And when you're in your car, remember to flip the dial on your radio to find lots of shows in Spanish.
And when you're in your car, remember to flip the dial on your radio to find lots of shows in Spanish.
the latest news in five minutes or less
Radio Nacional Española, a national radio station in Spain, produces short bulletins—boletines—featuring the day's up-to-the-minute news that are great for listening practice: Click here.
PODCASTS en español
Ready to learn a ton by listening to some really great podcasts in Spanish with titles like "Spanish Obsessed" or "Coffee Break Spanish"? Then get comfy and click here.
español como lengua extranjera (ELE)
Coming to you from ELE (Español como Lengua Extranjera), the experts in teaching Spanish as a "foreign language," are short videos—called "cortometrajes"—categorized according to themes such as "humor" and accompanied by activities. Start with levels A1 and A2 and work your way up to B1: Click here. For podcasts, click here. And if singing along—or in the shower— is more your style, click here for songs targeted to help you learn grammatical themes ranging from the verb gustar to the subjunctive: click here. To find additional audio exercises, activities and more, visit the home page: click here.
Where are you from?
Spanish is the second language in with the world with the most native speakers, and accents vary greatly from place to place. For example, people from Buenos Aires don't sound like people from Barcelona, and neither of them sound like those who grew up in Barranquilla. Learning to understand Spanish-speakers with all types of accents is an important skill. This video presents speakers from seven different Spanish-speaking countries and invites you to try to figure out where they're from. Are you up for the challenge? Then take a listen: click here.
I hear you!
LISTENING PRACTICE: In London English is pronounced different from in Dublin. And in Brooklyn, fuggetaboutit! Likewise, the pronunciation (and intonation—i.e., the rise and fall of the voice) of Spanish differs by region. For example, in Madrid "zapato" is pronounced "thah-pah-toe." To hear different Spanish pronunciations, watch short videos on Dialectoteca del Español. After clicking on "launch" and "factores geográficos," select a country. Next pick a city and "cuento" (story), "región" (about the area), "anécdota" (anecdote), or "opinión." To view a transcript, click on "transcipción ortográfica." So, what are y'all waiting for, as they say in Alanta? Click here. Or download the app.
Vídeos con un poquito de todo
Get some great listening practice—and learn something new, too— with these short, engaging videos on a host of newsy and human interest topics from a Ver-taal.com that's compiled clips from TVE—Televisión Española—a broadcast news channel in Spain. The clips are current as new ones are added: Click here. The same web site offers videos on a variety of cultural topics, too, so you can do some armchair traveling around the Spanish-speaking world. For an index of those video clips: Click here. And there's more: watch advertisements and trailers, check out grammar resources, thematic vocabulary, and even games.
SUPER soap opera for teens
Atrévete a Soñar was a hugely popular Mexican teen soap opera, a.k.a. telenovela. Now you can find all the episodes—a.k.a. capítulos—on YouTube. Tune in and you'll not only get hooked, you'll also improve your listening skills while enjoying yourself. Click here.
Soap opera of students in spain
Extr@ (Extra) s a language education television program that was scripted in the formal of a Friends-esque sitcom. Produced from 2002-2004, it's been viewed by countless high school languages classes. For the version in Spanish—about Americans who are living in Spain and the people who live in the same apartment building--click here.
POSTED BY THE PROFE
It's important to listen to the language to improve comprehension by watching videos, such as music videos, random postings on YouTube, cartoons, documentaries and more. For a smattering of some of my favorites videos, click here.
Spanish 24/7
Univisión is an American Spanish-language televisión network. Watch programs on the news, sports, and the latest trends in everything from fashion to the future of AI. Click here. The site also has articles you can read to improve your reading proficiency.
aprender español .org
Want to watch a subtitled comedy show in Spanish about two roommates for comprehension practice? Need some listening practice? Looking to watch a video on a grammar topic you're struggling with—or practice it through targeted activities? Searching for a quick read in Spanish to improve your reading skills? Get all of the above—and much more—in the treasure-trove offered on the website aprenderespañol.org. Click here.
train your ear with JIVEWORLD
Their pitch is this: "Learn Spanish as it’s really spoken: Train your ear and expand your vocabulary with authentic radio stories, so you can step into any conversation with confidence." Click here