Author: Andrea Storey

Lower Your Stress with These Interpretive Listening Strategies

In class, you probably talk to a lot of non-native Spanish speakers, or your teachers might slow down and enunciate more. A lot of programs and audio samples that are made for Spanish learners tend to speak slower than normal conversations. The first time you talk to a native speaker or watch a TV show […]

Take Your Pronunciation to the Next Level

There isn’t anything wrong with having an accent when you’re speaking your second (or third, fourth, etc.) language. It’s actually extremely rare for someone to speak multiple languages and not have an accent in any of them! However, when it comes to pronunciation, sometimes that can make it harder to be understood. We’ll show you […]

Master Gustar and Similar Verbs

“Me gusta” is one of the very first phrases students learn to say “I like.” However, did you know that it literally translates to “to me, it pleases”? Gustar conjugates a bit differently than other verbs, which is why we’ve dedicated this article to gustar and similar verbs. You’ll master them in no time! How […]

Things to Label at Home in Spanish

There’s a reason that teachers have been labeling items in their classrooms for years. The best way to learn new vocabulary isn’t by translating in your head, but rather associating images and symbols with the word in the target language. For example, you want to practice looking at a tree and thinking “árbol“, not thinking […]

The Supermarket Challenge: Foods in Spanish

The last time you went to the supermarket, what did you get? Did you pick up some arroz and pollo, or maybe some manzanas and zanahorias? A great way to practice Spanish in your daily life is to see what words you know in Spanish as you go about your daily life. Fortunately, many stores […]

Use More than “Bien” or “Mal” for How You’re Feeling

The first time someone asks you, “¿Cómo estás?” and you confidently answer “¡Bien!” or “¡Mal! is such a good feeling! You understood a question and were able to naturally answer it. However, maybe you want to give a more detailed answer. If you’re ready to add some more exciting vocabulary to your conversations, we’ll show […]

Do You Have Doubts about Using the Subjunctive?

If you grew up as a native English speaker, you had probably never even heard of the subjunctive before. That’s because we tend not to learn grammar as a native speaker in the same way we do when we learn another language. This grammatical tense is so common, you hear it every day. Here, we’ll […]

How to Deal with Error Embarrassment

While learning a new language, there will be times you make an error. Sometimes they’re small, like forgetting the difference between ser and estar. Other times, you’re having a conversation and refer to your car as borracho instead of barrato. So, how can we deal with error embarrassment when we said the wrong thing and […]

What Do I Do If I Don’t Understand?

It’s happened to all of us. You were so excited to practice Spanish with a native speaker, and you were so confident in yourself! Then, the other person started talking, and you had no idea what words came out of their mouth. You feel frustrated, and a little embarrassed. In this article, we’ll help you […]

What’s it like in Valencia during Semana Santa?

Maybe you’ve heard about the famous Semana Santa, or holy week in English, which is the week before Pascua, or Easter. In Valencia, it’s definitely more than egg hunts and pictures with the Easter Bunny! For 2022, the biggest events take place between April 8 and April 17, which includes Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good […]