Spanish listening resources

I’ve downloaded an app “Radio Espanola” which supposedly lets you access dozens of Spanish radio stations, but frankly it’s “pura bazofia”. Most of the stations don’t connect.

Can anyone recommend any good listening resources suitable for my walk to work and back?

I have a couple of favourites;

Language transfer is 14.5 hours of Spanish lessons, very (very, very) similar to Michel Thomas but easier to listen to (not as slow going) and it’s completely free! You can download them from soundcloud or as a zip file: so you can listen whilst walking.

(Open link on PC not mobile; lessons seem to be missing on their mobile version of the website!) Coffee break spanish - podcasts - very comprehensive, from beginner right through to advanced. I haven’t really listened to many of these but I was recommended them by a friend who has been learning Spanish for 4 years and they seem very, very good for listening (& general learning) practice. You basically listen to a conversation and then they go through and explain what they said and why after. The podcasts are free but you can pay for extra audio, transcripts etc.

I hope these may be of some help, not exactly radio but I would highly recommend them both.

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Forgot to say; Coffee Break Spanish also have ‘news and slow news’ podcasts, which I thought might be similar to listening to the radio. I think you may have to pay for some stuff and some are free, so not sure if the news is free but you’ll have to check the website to see what’s what!

The list of currently available podcasts include:
Advanced Podcast - Notes in Spanish
Coffee Break Spanish
Coffee Break Spanish Magazine
Discover Spanish
Finally Learn Spanish
Gold Podcast - Notes in Spanish
Intermediate Podcast - Notes in Spanish
Inspired Beginner’s Podcast - Notes in Spanish
Learn Spanish with Roja
News Time Spanish
News in Slow Spanish
One Minute Spanish
Show Time Spanish
Spanish 360 with Fabiana
Spanish Podcast
Spanish Obsessed
Spanish Survival Guide
Tu Tradicion Latina

Plenty there… :wink:

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Great share, Clare, thank you very much indeed :thumbsup: :star2:

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Gracias, Clare!

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It would be interesting to know your thoughts on my suggestions, if you get the chance to listen to any of them.

Let me know how you get on and if you find anything particularly helpful; please share, I’m always on the lookout!

:smiley:

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Had a go at language transfer this morning. It reminds me of the Michel Thomas approach, however the tutor in these lessons is enjoyable to listen to. Michel Thomas wound me up too much!

There is discussion about the language, sometimes interesting but may become too grammar-heavy.

Some interesting notes about how Spanish can sound formal because words are coming from Latin where English would use the Germanic eg. Encounter vs Find.

What I didn’t like about it was a few technical points. The gap he leaves for the student isn’t long enough for the listener to have a go unless they’re very quick.

Also, playing them on YouTube means if I lock my phone screen it stops playing, so I can’t put my phone in my pocket.

Overall though, quite enjoyable.

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You should be able to download them - so they don’t stop when your screen locks.

I agree the tutor is much easier to listen to than MT, I couldn’t stand listening to MT - managed 2 lessons!

I found the grammer level not too heavy but it you don’t like/need/want grammer then it may be too much. I got about 2/3 through and gave up, very interesting but I couldn’t produce much; I know others who have loved it.

Trouble is I seem to give up about 2/3 through everything I try in Spanish :blush:

If you don’t mind paying a membership fee and are interested in South America you might lke to look at Think Spanish. Clare didn’t mention this in her extensive and very useful list.
You receive a monthly magazine online with a pdf of the articles with translation of unusual vocab adjacent to it and a sound file embedded that you can download. The sound files are read at a good steady pace.
I hope this is all the right jargon as I am 70 years old, a bit of a’ techie dinosaur’ and the first time I have ever joined a forum, so this may never arrive!

Madeleine

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It arrived safe and sound!

A very warm welcome to the forum to you :sunny:

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I have completed all 90 lessons of Language Transfer and found them to be very enjoyable and I learned a great deal. I also have listened to about half of Coffee Break Spanish and I listen to it just like that, over a cup of coffee. It’s enjoyable and kind of keeps me in the loop of motivating myself. I began these after SSin S level 1. Without doubt level 1 has given me the ability to speak some Spanish even though I have only ever spoken to myself. I decided not to bother anyone else for a while until I learn enough to get into a conversation with some gusto!
I am now going to pay for level 2 and I would think by the end of that I’ll be ready.

When my motivation wanes I think back to a chance meeting I had when I was twenty two years old. In Malaga Spain I met a nice man from California and he told me he was there and had been there was six months in order to learn Spanish. When he told me that he was 96 years old I had the usual cheeky young response in my mind… why bother at your age. Even so, I was genuinely impressed and often thought of him in the months following and I thought, I bet his Spanish is great now and mine is none existent - whose the bunny here?

Gary

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Español Automático podcast - all in Spanish at a normal speaking pace, presenter often discusses current events items to aid listening and speaking skills

‘Notes in Spanish’ podcasts

Searching out interviews in Spanish on YouTube with Spanish language actors, singers, TV personalities, authors etc.

Natalie

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I like News in Slow Spanish a lot, it is available in European Spanish or Latin Spanish.

Also, I use www.practicaespanol.com and

http://cvc.cervantes.es/ensenanza/ese/programa_16/default.htm

Thanks for sharing all the Spanish listening links…

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