SpanishPod101.com Blog

Most everyone is familiar with this day, as it is celebrated nearly everywhere the world. Yet, when exactly is April Fools’ Day? And where did April Fools come from? April Fools’ Day is observed on April 1st every year. This day of jokes and pranks is believed to have stemmed from the 16th-century calendar change in France, when New Year’s Day was moved from April 1 to January 1. This action was taken due to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar. However, a few people were resistant to the calendar change, so they continued to observe New Year’s Day on April 1st, rather than the new date. They were referred to as the “April Fools”, and others started playing mocking tricks on them. This custom endured, and is practiced to this day... Show more

Learn all the Spanish New Year wishes online, in your own time, on any device! Join SpanishPod101 for a special Spanish New Year celebration! Can you relate to the year passing something like this: “January, February, March - December!”? Many people do! Quantum physics teaches us that time is relative, and few experiences illustrate this principle as perfectly as when we reach the end of a year. To most of us, it feels like the old one has passed in the blink of an eye, while the new year lies ahead like a very long journey! However, New Year is also a time to celebrate beginnings, and to say goodbye to what has passed. This is true in every culture, no matter when New Year is celebrated. So, how do you say Happy New Year in... Show more

Do you know any ways to wish someone a ‘Merry Christmas’ in Spanish? SpanishPod101 brings you easy-to-learn translations and the correct pronunciation of Spanish Christmas phrases! Christmas is the annual commemorative festival of Christ’s birth in the Western Christian Church. It takes place on December 25th and is usually celebrated with much food and fanfare! However, not all cultures celebrate Christmas. In some countries, Christmas is not even a public holiday! However, many countries have adapted Christmas and its religious meaning to tally with their own beliefs, or simply in acknowledgment of the festival’s importance to other cultures. If you want to impress native Spanish speakers with culturally-appropriate Christmas... Show more

In most cultures, it is custom to express gratitude in some way or another. The dictionary defines gratitude as follows: it is “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”. Giving a sincere, thankful response to someone’s actions or words is often the ‘glue’ that keeps relationships together. This is true in most societies! Doing so in a foreign country also shows your respect and appreciation for the culture. Words have great power - use these ones sincerely and often! Table of Contents 12 Ways to say ‘Thank you’ in Spanish Video Lesson: Learn to Say ‘Thank You’ in 3 Minutes Infographic & Audio Lesson: Survival Phrases - Thank You Video Lesson: ‘Thank You’ in 31... Show more

When I decided to learn Spanish I had next to no experience in language learning outside of my native English. I did take one Spanish course in high school, but I failed it. Needless to say I didn’t qualify as a language learning expert. I wasn’t a world traveler. I had a day job, sometimes two. I wanted to learn Spanish, but I simply didn’t have loads of time to dedicate to the endeavor. Through some trial and error I was able to find enough time to progress through the language. It wasn’t always easy, and I made some mistakes along the way. In this post I’ll share my experience and give you 3 ways to help you learn Spanish more efficiently so that you get the most out of your time and your effort. 1) Use your time when you... Show more

Spanish, the second most spoken language in the world, has 437 million first language (L1) speakers, according to the latest data available from the Ethnologue website. It is spoken in 31 countries. Approximately, the total number of Spanish speakers around the world is 570 million. Spanish translation services are in very high demand in the United States, where there is a huge community of Spanish speakers (about 41 million native speakers). It is projected that the number will continue to rise. Can you speak Spanish? Spanish though is not just one common language as there are several variations of it. If you go to Andalusia, you won't be hearing people speaking "Spanish" that you are used to hearing, the one that you learnt in... Show more

Learn 4 tools and techniques to stop translating in your head and start thinking in Going through lessons is enough to get by and learn the basics of , but to truly become fluent you need to be able to think in . This will allow you to have conversations with ease, read smoothly, and comprehensively understand natives. To do this, you need to go beyond just completing daily or weekly lessons. We naturally translate in our heads because it's viewed as the easiest way to learn the definitions needed when learning a language. This way of learning can actually hinder your skills and fluency later on. If your brain has to make neural connections between the word you're learning, what it means in your native tongue, and the physical object... Show more

Your Learning, Streamlined – The New Lesson Interface Your learning is about to get a whole lot easier. More than ever, learners are choosing mobile as the platform to study Spanish. Mobile has always been a part of our DNA. We began our life on your iPod, and have remained by your side ever since. In our 11th year, we’re returning to our roots as a way to learn Spanish on-the-go. How? With a brand-new lesson interface just for you. Hint: It will launch in beta later this month! If you want to secure access to this brand new upgrade, take advantage of the upcoming All Access Pass Sale! Click Here to Get 25% OFF All SpanishPod101 Subscriptions! (example taken from japanesepod101.com) It’s built from the ground-up to... Show more

Have you ever returned to SpanishPod101 lessons you’ve completed? Accessing a lesson once is enough to learn more Spanish. But to master what you’ve learned, to understand Spanish the second you hear it, to read with just a quick glance, and to speak smoothly, without thinking... you need to review. In this blog post, you’ll learn the 5 review tactics and learning tools that will truly sharpen your Spanish (all of which I’ve been able to resources for on SpanishPod101.com). Create Your Free Lifetime Account and Start Learning the whole Spanish Language from the Beginning! 1. Listen to lines over and over again! One of the best ways to learn Spanish (or any language) is to listen to native speakers over and over again until... Show more

Hi Listener, Want to speak more Spanish in 2017? You need exposure to native Spanish conversation from day 1. You need a native Spanish speaker to explain it all – the words, the grammar, and cultural nuances. And you get all of that in every single SpanishPod101 lesson. In fact, we’re starting up a brand new season just in time for the New Year! Starting January 2nd, 2017, we’ll be publishing brand new seasons of Audio and Video Lessons to get you mastering Spanish the fast, fun and easy way! Want to know what you can expect? Here’s SpanishPod101’s Lesson Schedule: Monday: - Absolute Beginner Season 4 - Beginner - Must-Know Spanish Sentence Structures Tuesday: - Video Series - Listening Comprehension ... Show more