Be Kind to Yourself as a Learner

Be kind to yourself as a learner

Learning Spanish can be filled with lots of joyous moments and accomplishments. When we start to feel frustrated, it can be hard to be kind to ourselves. Every so often, everyone can fall into a slump and feel like they aren’t making the progress they want. What’s important is to remind yourself that you’re doing […]

Is A Video Too Fast? Slow It Down!

Is a video too fast? Slow it down! Conversa Spanish Institute

Have you ever caught yourself saying, “Spanish speakers just speak too fast”? It can feel frustrating as a new learner to feel like you can’t keep up. The good thing is, you don’t have to listen to everything at the original pace. Yes, the goal is to understand regular communication, but that takes time! If […]

A Year of Holidays in Spanish

A year of holidays in Spanish Conversa

Since 2023 has only just begun, there’s a whole year of holidays ahead of us. If you’re a planner, you might already be thinking of how you’re hoping to spend time off of work and school! If you prefer more spontaneous activities, keep this vocabulary in mind when the time comes to celebrate. When it […]

La Candelaria- February 2 in Spain

La Candelaria- February 2 in Spain Conversa Spanish Institute

It’s no surprise that many holidays in Spain come from Christian traditions and event, and La Candelaria is no exception. This holiday actually incorporates another aspect of Spanish culture that people around the world recognize as very Spanish indeed- bullfighting. If you’re planning on being in Spain on February 2, keep this holiday in mind. […]

Using Past Participles as Adjectives

Using past participles as adjectives Conversa Spanish Institute

You probably remember learning about past participles with the verb haber. In English, a past participle is a form of a verb that usually ends in –ed. However, they can take on many different forms depending on what language that verb comes from. In Spanish, past participles are actually extremely common as adjectives. You might […]

Break Bad Study Habits with Mindfulness

Breaking Bad Study Habits with Mindfulness Conversa

The only thing harder than starting new habits is breaking old ones. If you’re nervous about learning Spanish because your study skills haven’t always been great, listen up! You can break bad study habits with mindfulness. If you’re new to mindfulness, don’t worry! You don’t need to have an extensive history in meditation to practice […]

What Is Mindset Theory?

What is mindset theory? Conversa

Behind all of the blogs, podcasts and lessons around the power of mindset is mindset theory. According to it, people have either a growth or fixed mindset. Those with a growth mindset believe that you’re able to change and develop your abilities, while those with a fixed mindset think their abilities and intelligence aren’t able […]

Apocopation in Spanish

It might sound scary, but apocopation is actually something quite simple. In fact, it’s common in English, and lots of other languages, too! All it means is that there are some words that you shorten by taking off the end of a word. Sometimes this is just in spoken conversation, but sometimes it’s a core […]

Learning Strategies to Practice Spanish at Home

All throughout your time as a young student, your teachers used different learning strategies in the classroom. Different strategies work for different people, which is why your teachers may have used lots of different things! Do you remember any learning strategies that you liked? If not, don’t worry, because we’ll show you a few that […]

Long-Term Benefits of Mindfulness

Long-term benefits of mindfulness Conversa

If you’re new to mindfulness, you might have noticed some benefits right away. You might feel calmer or more focused immediately after a mindfulness exercise, but there are plenty of long-term benefits waiting for you down the road. Many researchers have looked at long-term mental health effects on mindfulness after 4 years, and we’ll show […]