SpanishPod101.com Blog

Hello Listener,

Your Halloween treats are here early. There’s a NEW study tool you can use to completely understand Spanish conversations in your lessons. There’s a Spanish Halloween Lesson with words you won’t learn anywhere else. Finally, a MONSTER 28% discount on our effective Spanish learning system with 220+ hours of audio and video lessons inside. Keep reading to learn more!

In this month’s newsletter:

1. Ends Friday! Click here to Get a MONSTER 28% OFF Any Plan!
2. New! Completely Understand Spanish Lessons with Transcripts
3. The Scariest, Must-Know Spanish Halloween Words

1. 3 Days Left! Save 28% at SpanishPod101, Learn Spanish Scary Fast.
Your first treat? Start speaking MORE Spanish with a MONSTER 28% discount on our Basic and Premium plans. You unlock 220+ hours of audio and video lessons by real teachers, apps, review quizzes, PDF lesson notes, motivational study tools and more. Just $7.20/month or $0.24/day with Premium and up to $67.20 in savings. Join in and we’ll teach you Spanish so fast that it’s scary.

Ends Friday! Click Here to Learn Spanish & Save $67.20 Instantly.

2. New! Read with Lesson Transcripts, Understand Spanish 100%.
Your second treat? Fully understand Spanish and never miss a word of any lesson! With lesson transcripts, you get the complete word-for-word transcript – dialogues, explanations and more. Basic, Premium or Premium PLUS member? Find the transcripts in the “Download PDFs” section of any lesson. If not, take advantage of the 28% savings above to unlock our learning system.

Click Here to See a Sample Lesson & Access Lesson Transcripts!
(You must be a Basic, Premium or Premium PLUS member to access this.)

3. What are the Scariest, Must-Know Spanish Words for Halloween?
Boo! How would you say that in Spanish? Or any other Halloween word? Well, here’s your third Halloween treat. Learn the Top Spanish Halloween Words with this complimentary lesson. Simply click below, listen to the audio pronunciation and repeat out loud!

Click Here to Get Your Spanish Halloween Vocab Lesson.
(Press “Play Audio” to listen to the full audio lesson.)

Happy upcoming Halloween!

Team SpanishPod101

P.S. Learn Spanish, Get 28% OFF by Friday! The only way to prove how fast you’ll learn Spanish is to try it for yourself. Rather than reading about “learning Spanish,” take the plunge with SpanishPod101 at 28% OFF. That’s just $7.20/month or $0.24/day with Premium. Our discount ends Friday but you have nothing to lose with our 60-day money-back guarantee!

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Kris Morris, that’s me, is a perpetual student, traveler, and writer. After living in Oaxaca and Guanajuato, I made Xalapa, Veracruz my home. Surrounded by cloud forests, lush vegetation and intermittent drizzle, I find Xalapa a perfect place to search out the fantastic in the details of daily life.

I began studying Spanish in high school. However, it wasn’t until I began traveling to Mexico and Central America that I fell head-over-heels in love with all things having to do with the language and cultures of Latin America.

After numerous journeys south of the border, I finally packed up my bags for good. I landed in Xalapa, the capital of the state of Veracruz. It’s a cool, collected city known for its drizzle, or chipi chipi. It’s surrounded by cloud forests and overgrown with vegetation. Here I met my husband and started our bicultural family.

It’s not always easy living in another country. Every day is an adventure. While it can be trying, it is the absolute best way to learn another language. I invite you all to join me on my journey through Xalapa and the Spanish language.

Click here to learn more about the Spanish language and the Mexican culture!

When I first began living here in Xalapa, Mexico, I strolled over to the nearest verdulería (a fruit and vegetable store) to buy some mangos. I remember seeing only vegetables and asking the shopkeeper, “¿No tienes mangos?” (You don’t have mangos?) He replied, “No seño, pero pasa usted mañana y habrá más fruta.” (“No ma’am, but come by tomorrow, and there´ll be more fruit.”)

That’s when I realized that I’d made an embarrassing mistake. I should have said, “Usted no tiene mangos?” [You (formal) don’t have mangos?] There was no going back now. I’d lost my grammatical footing and was unsure of how to save face. Once the mistake was made, once I used tú, it would be awkward to suddenly switch to usted (formal – you). That could be interpreted as putting up a barrier after I had used the friendly tú. My escape tactic? I started using ustedes (formal – you, plural), referring to him and his wife, until I was sure he had forgotten the incident.

You see, the usage of tú and usted is a very complex and very cultural part of Spanish grammar. If this young man’s wife, or for that matter my husband, had overheard me refer to the shopkeeper as tú, I would have found myself in an uncomfortable situation.
One of the many ways in which we can use tú and usted is to define one’s intentions when speaking with the opposite sex. When I speak with men who are merely acquaintances, e.g. waiters, shopkeepers, delivery boys, etc., I always use usted. Most respectable men do the same. This rule, of course, varies from country to country and region to region. Here in Mexico, it would be wise to use usted more often than not. It sets limits and helps avoid potentially aggravating situations.

Many other factors go into play when deciding whether to use tú or usted. It may be used as a sign of respect for a person’s profession, age or social stance. It may be used to create a barrier, to distance one’s self from another person or, likewise, to draw in a person, to break down barriers. It takes experience and practice to master tú and usted. There will be plenty more discussion on the topic in upcoming posts.

Vocabulary

• Tú – You (Informal)
• Usted – You – singular (Formal)
• Verdulería – A fruit and vegetable store
• Tener – To have
• Seño – Ms. It is used when one is not sure if señorita or señora is appropriate.

Want to learn even more about Mexico?
Check out our Culture File: Mexico series!

The other day I rented the movie The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. There is a scene in which Tommy Lee Jones’s character enters into a tienda, goes directly to the fridge, takes out his beverage, sets it on the counter to pay and says something like, “¿Cuánto cuesta?” That’s when you realize that he is still hasn’t mastered the subtlties and nuances of Mexico.

This character supposedly knows Mexican culture inside and out. It’s just one, small detail that shows you that he doesn’t. When a Mexican walks into a store, he or she almost always greets the employees. That may not be the case in Mexico City or maybe not even in Guadalajara or Monterrey. It is the case in smaller cities and pueblos. It is most certainly the case here in Xalapa.

When you walk into a store, a doctor’s office or a restaurant, you say, buenos días, buenas tardes or buenas noches, depending on the time of day. If you, like me, wander through the day a little unsure of when morning turns to afternoon, a simple buen día will suffice. When you leave you say gracias and maybe even something like hasta luego, even if you’re pretty sure you’ll never see this person again.

Greetings go a long way in helping you to blend in and to come across as a traveler rather than a tourist. Imagine how it looks to the Mexican shopkeeper when ten locals have wandered into his store, all saying buenos días, gracias and hasta luego. Then in walks an American, silent and looking only at his objective: potato chips. He grabs his bag of chips and hands them to the store keeper. He’s told how much they cost, pays, grabs his chips and walks out. That is what gives tourists a bad name.

It pays to master the niceties before visiting a foreign country. This is especially true for Mexico. Look around, listen, and see what the locals do. Even if your Spanish is minimal, a little courtesy can go a long way.

So check out these Mexican Spanish greetings:

Vocabulary

• Buenos días – Good morning
• Buenas tardes – Good afternoon
• Buenas noches – Good evening / Good night
• Buen día – Good day
• Buen provecho – Bon appetit
• Gracias – Thank you
• Hasta luego – See you later
• Tienda – Store
• ¿Cuánto cuesta? – How much does it cost?

Want to learn how to greet someone in Mexican Spanish?
Check out this FREE lesson: 3-Minute Mexican Spanish – Greetings

Mexico has free trade agreements, or tratados de libre comercio, with 44 countries, making it a convenient export base for automakers. In fact, eighty percent of the cars, or in Spanish carros, built in Mexico are shipped to other countries. Mexico is one of the only countries in the world where you can export duty-free to North America, South America, Europe and Japan, thanks to the numerous free-trade agreements that have been established over the years to support the industry’s growth.

El tratado de libre comercio se firmó este año – The free trade agreement was signed this year.

P.S. Get Your Daily Dose of Spanish with 1-Minute Mini-Lessons
The Daily Dose of Spanish is a Calendar that gives you new, 1-minute lessons every day. Why? Because learning a little every day is easy, strengthens your habits and motivation and you improve your Spanish over time. Lessons range from culture and holidays to grammar, slang, phrases and more. Find it in the Spanish Resources menu or in the Quick Links menu on your Dashboard.

Click here to check out the Daily Dose of Spanish Calendar.

Hello Listener,

Can kids learn Mexican Spanish? Of course! They’re the fastest learners around!

But do they? Not unless there’s a native Mexican Spanish speaker in the family. Language experts say children learning a second language enjoy cognitive advantages over those that do not.

So, if you need a way to learn Mexican Spanish with your child start with the kid friendly e-book that’ll get them mastering words in minutes! With the brand new Talking World iBook for the iPad, your little one will earn all the common Mexican Spanish vocab they know in English!

New iBook for the iPad: Learn Mexican Spanish for Kids – Talking World
It’s jam packed with 16 colorful chapters and 274+ common Mexican Spanish words for any child to learn. Explore all sorts of vibrant scenarios per chapter like rooms around the house, parks, and much more while picking up easy vocabulary.

Learn Mexican Spanish for Kids: Talking World
is now available on iTunes for FREE.
Get Learn Mexican Spanish for Kids: Talking World on iTunes

All they have to do is tap on objects in each area to learn their Spanish words while hearing native Mexican Spanish pronunciation. Then, there’s an easy review section and a quiz mode to test how much your child has learned.

This Audiobook is perfect for children aged 18 months to 6 years+ (not to mention adults too!)

Here’s what’s inside the Talking World iBook:

• 16 Chapters filled with 274 words covering common objects found in any kid’s world
• Easy tap and play interactive layout for fingers big and small
• Colorful, kid-friendly drawings to help illustrate each vocabulary word
• Native Mexican Spanish and English translation audio pronunciation
• Easy to read Spanish spelling

You can even sample this iBook for FREE before purchasing. Simply click on any link, open the iBook in iTunes and click on “Get Sample.”

Click here to preview the iBook on iTunes!

To your kid’s fluency!

Team SpanishClass101

P.S. Get your children speaking Mexican Spanish! Download Talking Word for your iPad for FREE on iTunes.

Click here to get Learn Mexican Spanish for Kids: Talking World on iTunes for FREE!

Here are some words picked by Alex:

• pastel – cake
• asado – roast
• carne de res – beef

Learn more words about cooking!

Click here and learn more with Alex!

P.S. Get Your Daily Dose of Spanish with 1-Minute Mini-Lessons
The Daily Dose of Spanish is a Calendar that gives you new, 1-minute lessons every day. Why? Because learning a little every day is easy, strengthens your habits and motivation and you improve your Spanish over time. Lessons range from culture and holidays to grammar, slang, phrases and more. Find it in the Spanish Resources menu or in the Quick Links menu on your Dashboard.

Click here to check out the Daily Dose of Spanish Calendar.

Hello Listener,

Every Spanish learner will feel these at some point: “I’m not good enough yet.” “I don’t think I’m making any progress.” Spanish learning fears – we all get them from time to time. What are yours? And are they worth being scared of this Halloween season?

But, before we get into the top 4 learning fears, our Monster-Sized Sale starts now!

‘Til Halloween, get 28% OFF the most effective Spanish course and start learning Spanish! Unlock over 220 hours of audio and video lessons, Premium study tools, apps and more! Basic is as low as $2.88/month and Premium is as low as $7.20/month.

Monster-Sized Sale Starts Now! Click Here to Get 28% OFF!

So, below are the top 4 Spanish learning fears according to our listeners.

We’re killing all 4 of these fears just in time for Halloween!

1. “I’m not good enough to start speaking yet.”

Here’s how you overcome it.

• The best way to get good at speaking is to start speaking from day 1. If you’re holding yourself back because you think you’re not good enough, well, that’s exactly why you’re not good enough. You need to open your mouth and start talking! But if you’re wondering what to say…
• The second way: In our lessons, you get the exact phrases and scripts for introducing yourself, making small talk, ordering food, expressing opinions and much more! So, if you don’t know what to say, the lessons will give you the exact lines to say.
• Or the third way: Learn with your own teacher with our Premium PLUS plan. You get an actual native-speaking teacher to tell you what to say and how to say it, so you truly do learn to speak with the help of a real native teacher.

2. “I’m afraid I’ll never be fluent.”

Fluency is a very vague, distant goal and focusing on it will set you up for failure. But, if you aim for small goals like 5 minutes of Spanish conversation this month, then aim for 10 minutes next month, you’ll soon be speaking Spanish with confidence. So while fluency is a big vague goal, small, measurable goals are not. You’ll know when you’ve reached them. You’ll see your improvement.

• Set small measurable goals that you can achieve.

Also, it’s just a matter of time.

The longer you stick with learning a language…the better you get.

3. “I’m afraid that I’m not making any progress.”

There are two things you can do right now:

• First, use the SpanishPod101 Dashboard to track your progress. Our Dashboard shows how much you’ve accomplished based on the Spanish lessons you’ve completed.
• Second, try a harder lesson. You might not understand it, but you will in minutes. The lessons come with translations. Our Spanish teachers explain everything. THEN, you’ll be making progress because you now understand something you didn’t minutes ago.

4. “I’m afraid of not understanding anything I hear.”

This is a very common fear among language learners. To beat this…

• Simply read along with the Line-by-Line or PDF Lesson Notes. By reading along, you’ll instantly understand all of the Spanish you hear. This is the fastest way to understand every single word you hear and boost your listening skills.
• Hear the lines again and again with the Line-by-Line. Or, if you’d like to hear a certain line of the dialogue again, listen to it as many as times as you want until you can pick it apart. Still not sure?
• Slow the Spanish conversation with the lesson player. Although our teachers slow the conversation down for you, you can also slow down the lesson speed to hear it in super-slow mode.
• And for real-life situations? Learn useful phrases like “Can you say it slower?,” “Can you say it in simpler words?” or even “I don’t understand.” Check out our Survival Phrases series for must-know phrases like this. Know these and you’ll be able to ask a native speaker to slow down and explain what they mean.

And if you want to start mastering Spanish with effective lessons, tools, apps and more… take advantage of the Monster-Sized Sale ‘til October 30th, 2015!

Click here to learn Spanish and get 28% OFF Basic or Premium!

Get 28% OFF Basic or Premium and unlock all of the following at SpanishPod101:

• Exclusive! App for iPhone, iPad and Android to Learn on the Go
• 1,270+ Audio & Video Lessons by Real Teachers
• PDF Lesson Notes for Each Lesson to Read Along With
• Study Tools: 2,000 Spanish Words List, Smart Flashcards, Word Bank, Lesson Checklists, Review Quizzes & More
• Voice Recording Tools to Perfect your Spanish Pronunciation
• Line-by-Line Dialogue Translations & Review Quizzes
• Progress Tracking: See Your Spanish Progress Grow
• Learning Guidance: We Guide You Through the Lessons
• Feedback & Comments From Our Spanish Teachers
• 24/7 Access via Any Media Device with Internet Access
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• Exclusive! Custom Lists App to Create Your Own Word Lists
• User Favorite! New Audio & Video Lessons EVERY WEEK!
• …and more!

SpanishPod101 Monster Sale: Click here to get 28% OFF Basic or Premium!

Remember, your investment is backed by a 60-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not speaking Spanish as fast as you’d like and if you’re not blown away by the results, simply contact us for a full refund. No hassles. No questions asked.

To your fluency,

Team SpanishPod101

P.S. Learn Spanish scary fast AND get a Monster 28% OFF with the SpanishPod101 Monster Sale – but the spots will fill soon, so act now! Unlock 220+ hours of audio and video lessons and start mastering Spanish with real lessons by real teachers.

Click here to get UNLIMITED access for just $7.20/month or $0.24/day!

Another important natural resource found in Mexico’s territory is shale gas, in Spanish gas de lutita, made accessible through hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling technologies. One of the main basins of this resource is in the state of Veracruz, in a place called Tampico-Misantla, with a potential of 681 billion cubic feet of natural gas.

El gas de lutita es un recurso natural no renovable (Shale gas is a nonrenewable natural resource).

P.S. Get Your Daily Dose of Spanish with 1-Minute Mini-Lessons
The Daily Dose of Spanish is a Calendar that gives you new, 1-minute lessons every day. Why? Because learning a little every day is easy, strengthens your habits and motivation and you improve your Spanish over time. Lessons range from culture and holidays to grammar, slang, phrases and more. Find it in the Spanish Resources menu or in the Quick Links menu on your Dashboard.

Click here to check out the Daily Dose of Spanish Calendar.

oficina de correos: post office

Here are some words picked by Alex:

• paquete: parcel
• buzón: mailbox
• dirección: address

Learn more words about post office!

Click here and learn more with Alex!

P.S. Get Your Daily Dose of Spanish with 1-Minute Mini-Lessons
The Daily Dose of Spanish is a Calendar that gives you new, 1-minute lessons every day. Why? Because learning a little every day is easy, strengthens your habits and motivation and you improve your Spanish over time. Lessons range from culture and holidays to grammar, slang, phrases and more. Find it in the Spanish Resources menu or in the Quick Links menu on your Dashboard.

Click here to check out the Daily Dose of Spanish Calendar.