Table of Contents
- Why Learn Spanish With Podcasts?
- Multi-Level Spanish Podcasts
- Beginning Spanish Podcasts
- Intermediate Spanish Podcasts
- Advanced Spanish Podcasts
- Free Spanish Listening Exercises
What's the hardest of the four Spanish skills to learn?
Did you say listening? In actual fact, many experts say that writing is the most difficult to master!
However, when we write Spanish, we can take our time. In conversation, there's no time to pause and do research! So even though listening is not the most difficult of the four skills, it can be the most intimidating one.
To overcome this apprehension, Spanish learners need to add some listening exercises to their practice sessions as much as possible. One of the most popular methods is to listen to Spanish podcasts.
Why Learn Spanish With Podcasts?
Podcasts allow you to listen to real spoken Spanish rather than the choreographed conversation sometimes found in TV and movies. There are also endless free podcasts available, letting you choose the difficulty and topic that suit you.
Upper advanced learners may enjoy listening to Spanish podcasts that aren't designed for learners. This Spanish media will be full of complex vocabulary as well as natural elements of speech like humour, stumbling over words, and mistakes.
If that's too advanced for you, then try podcasts specifically designed for Spanish learners. These range in difficulty and subject, but we'll tell you all about the most popular ones below. Plus, all of them are free!
Multi-Level Spanish Podcasts
News in Slow Spanish is a great resource for all learners! Beginning, intermediate, and advanced news podcasts are uploaded every week on a wide range of topical issues. And every podcast has a free transcript. Plus, you can choose to listen to Spanish from Spain or Latin America, each of which has its own unique content.
With nearly 2,000 episodes, it's hard to find another podcast as extensive as SpanishPod101! Their podcasts cover all difficulties, including plenty of beginners' episodes. They also have accents from Spain and South America, helping you develop a well-rounded understanding of the language. The episodes all have free transcripts, but you have to create an account to access the materials.
Beginning Spanish Podcasts
Spanish Obsessed is hosted by a native Spanish-speaking Colombian as well as a fluent Spanish-speaking Briton. The episodes are sorted into two categories; Beginner's Spanish and Spanish from Scratch, letting you start from the very beginning.
Intermediate Spanish Podcasts
Hosted by a native Spanish-speaking Colombian and a fluent Spanish-speaking American, Españolistos covers a wide variety of intermediate subjects. While current issues are sometimes on the agenda, they also discuss interesting day-to-day topics that come up in conversation. If you're looking to improve your conversational Spanish specifically, this is a great option.
Advanced Spanish Podcasts
In the Nómadas podcast, there's a huge focus on interesting topics. The content is always compelling, whether it be discussing someone's story, a culture, or new ideas. As such, the vocabulary can be quite advanced, but it's still accessible for intermediate learners wanting to challenge themselves.
Finally, Radio Ambulante is an award-winning narrative journalism podcast focused on Latin America. Episodes average anywhere between 30-60 minutes, allowing for a deep dive into the topics. While the content isn't specifically aimed at Spanish learners, they do have an app that adjusts the experience and helps you learn. Depending on the difficulty level you choose, it reveals a certain amount of the transcript to help you follow along.
Free Spanish Listening Exercises
Whatever your Spanish level, there are podcasts out there specifically designed to help you improve. While some have vocabulary lists and transcripts, they don't have tools to check your comprehension. If you're looking to really test and improve your listening skills, we've got just the thing!
Our listening exercises present you with Spanish audio clips, then check how well you can transcribe or translate them. And you can filter by level to find the right tasks for you!
For access to all our free listening exercises, sign up for a free Progress with Lawless Spanish account now!
