The Real Fast Spanish Tips Podcast

There are only 2 regular silent letters in the Spanish language. But, you’ll need to be careful with both of these letters because they are silent in some words and pronounced in others. In addition, when I say ‘regular’ silent letters I’m referring to the pronunciation of traditional Spanish words, not words that have been adopted from Greek or other languages. In this post, I’ll give an overview of the two silent letters in Spanish including where and how you need to use them. Since this post is about pronunciation, I’ll also include some short mp3 recordings to demonstrate what the words sound like to avoid any confusion with phonetic spelling. The letter H The first silent letter in Spanish is the letter H. This letter is always silent unless it is next to the letter C. When we see the letter C next to an H we need to make a ch sound. This sound is just like the English ‘ch’ sound in words like ‘cheek’ or ‘beach’. In the Spanish alphabet, the word that represents the letter H is hache. Since this word starts with an H and has a ch, it makes for a great first example to demonstrate the pronunciation of H and ch. Hache (aitch) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/hache.mp3 Here are two more examples of words that also start with H: Hasta (until) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/hasta.mp3 Haber (to have) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/haber.mp3 Here are two examples with the letter H in the middle of the word: Ahora (now) (notice how the H creates a ‘gap’ between the A and the O) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ahora.mp3 Alcohol (alcohol) (similarly, notice the H creates an elongation between the two middle O’s) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/alcohol.mp3 To finish the section on the letter H, here are two examples with a ch: Echar (to throw) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/echar.mp3 Hecho (fact) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/hecho.mp3 The letter U In the majority of Spanish words with a U, the sound you need to make to represent the U is like a double “oo” in English and rhymes with the English word “too”. Here are two examples of words with the typical pronunciation of the Spanish letter U: Lugar (place) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/lugar.mp3 Mucho (a lot) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/mucho.mp3 In contrast, the letter U is silent in Spanish words when it is next to a Q or sandwiched in between a G and an E or a G and an I as gui and gue. Here are some examples with U after a Q: Porque (because) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/porque.mp3 Pequeño (small) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/pequen%CC%83o.mp3 Here are some examples with a gui: Guión (script) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/guio%CC%81n.mp3 Seguir (to follow) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/seguir.mp3 Here are some examples with a gue: Guerra (war) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/guerra.mp3 Llegué (I arrived) (the tilde on the E means you need to pronounce this word with an emphasis on the second syllable) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/llegue%CC%81.mp3 To make things slightly more confusing, whenever you see a Ü in Spanish with a double dot, you need to pronounce the U sound. You will see this letter in situations like the last two examples as either a güe or a güi.  Here are some examples with a güi: Pingüino (penguin) (Notice how the güi sounds like “gwee”) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/pingu%CC%88ino.mp3 Lingüística (linguistics) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/lingu%CC%88i%CC%81stica.mp3 Here are some examples with a güe: Vergüenza (embarrassment) (Notice how the güe here sounds like “gwen”) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/vergu%CC%88enza.mp3 Bilingüe (bilingual) (Notice how the güe here sounds like “gwe”) https://rfs-post-audio-2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/bilingu%CC%88e.mp3 Adopted silent letters from other languages At the start of the post, I mentioned that there are silent letters that occur in words that have been adopted from other languages such as Greek. Here are a few examples: The m in mnemotecnia (mnemonics). The p in pterodáctilo (pterodactyl). The p in psicólogo (psychologist). These are fairly low use words so I don’t recommend you spend too much time on them (unless you are a psychologist and need this word to explain what you do). Your Turn Choose some examples from this post and practice the pronunciation by copying recordings. Also, try them out with a Spanish native in a language exchange or with a teacher. As a bonus for reading this post, if you sign up to the Real Fast Spanish School and mention this post in an email, I will offer you a free one-on-one Skype lesson as another opportunity to practice your pronunciation. If you would like to learn more about pronunciation check out this podcast episode. How can you remember the silent letters in Spanish? The post Silent Letters in Spanish – A Short But Important List appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

Imagine your partner says to you that as a couple you should move together to the other side of the world to start a new life. Could you do it? Would you do it? This week we talk to Cristina Orts about her experience of moving to a new country that doesn’t speak her language. These days, Cristina is comfortable in her new environment. But there was a point where she almost didn’t come. And the thing that nearly stopped her was something that affects all of us. In the episode, we will explore Cristina’s story. We start the story at the point where her partner Borja proposes that they should move to Australia to experience a different way of life. Cristina’s initial reaction was to say yes (‘vale’) but when Borja started looking at flights, things started to get real and Cristina had to come clean about what she was really thinking. Later we discover how Cristina overcame her fears and after going through the experience we learn what advice Cristina would give her younger self or anybody who is considering a move to another country. If you are having trouble understanding the Spanish section of the podcast or if you would like to get more out of the podcasts and take your Spanish to next level you can get access to the accompanying Spanish podcast transcripts in The Real Fast Spanish School here. What advice would you give if someone said they were afraid to move to a new country? The post Tips 116: La Vida Te Cambia appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

This episode of the podcast is part 2 of a two-part interview with Daniel Welsch. If you missed part 1 of the interview you go back and listen to it here. Daniel has some great advice for Spanish students or language students in general.  He has a lot of experience teaching English and talked about some of the challenges for his students learning English. This information is great as you may find yourself in a situation where you also want to teach English while you travel. He has been living in Madrid for more than 10 years and shares some great advice around what you need to know if you are planning a move to Spain. In this second part of the interview we talk about: How movie translations from English to Spanish or Spanish to English are often strange. We talk about how the decision of what to call a movie is often based on the cultural context of the title. The merits of dubbing and subtitles and how popular TV from the US is prepared for a Spanish audience. Daniel gives a few suggestions for some books to read and includes his favourite Spanish book of all time (see resources below). Daniel provides some guidance on how you could plan an upcoming trip to Spain. I give him the framework of what to see and do if you only had 1 day, 1 week or 1 month. We ‘geek-out’ a little bit on Spanish food and how you should approach the food in Spain with an open mind. Daniel provides some great advice on what you need to know if you want to move to Spain and live there as an ex-pat. Resources mentioned in part 1 of the interview: Daniel’s favourite book: Dulce Chacón – La Voz Dormida. The movie mentioned: Ocho Apellidos Vascos. Daniel’s favourite movie: “Bienvenido Mister Marshall” by Luis Garcia Berlanga. Finding accommodation in Spain: idealista.com and fotocasa.es. Daniel’s website: AprendeMasIngles.com. Daniel’s ex-pat blog: ExpatMadrid.com. What did you learn from the second part of the interview with Daniel Welsch? The post Tips 115: Life in Madrid with Daniel Welsch – Part 2 appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

Ever considered an ex-pat life in Spain? This week you will hear from Daniel Welsch who has been living in Madrid for more than 10 years. I’m very excited to welcome Daniel to the podcast. It is great to talk to someone who has focused solely on Spanish and immersed himself in the culture. This interview is a great opportunity to focus not only on some of the themes of language learning mindset but the mindset associated with a move to a Spanish speaking country. In the interview, you will hear about some of Daniel’s thoughts on language learning and adapting to life outside of the United States. In this first part of the interview we talk about: How Daniel got his start with Spanish. How a 2 week trip to Spain turned into a 10 year stay. What is it like to transfer Spanish of Mexico to Spanish of Spain and how Daniel initially dealt with transferring his knowledge of Spanish from another Spanish region of the world. Daniel’s approach to making mistakes and getting used to feeling silly. Daniel talks about how life maybe to short to worry about whether your Spanish is perfect or not. Daniel has also worked as an English teacher and he talks about some the struggles of his students from Spain have with their English. Some of the problems with literal translation and how this applies to going from English to Spanish or the other way round. How you can see a variety of Spanish accents change from different regions of Spain. I ask Daniel what is the best thing about living in Spain. I then ask Daniel what is the worst thing about living in Spain. We finish the first part of the interview talking about Spanish cinema. Resources mentioned in part 1 of the interview: Daniel’s favourite movie: Jamón Jamón. Another favourite movie: Bienvenido, Mister Marshall. The famous spanish director we mentioned in the interview: Pedro Almodóvar. Daniel’s website: AprendeMasIngles.com. Daniel’s expat blog: ExpatMadrid.com. What did you learn from the first part of the interview with Daniel Welsch? The post Tips 114: Life in Madrid with Daniel Welsch appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

One question you have to ask yourself if you are learning Spanish is: which accent should you focus on? How do you choose an accent? Does it matter? In this week’s theory podcast I interview Alba del Pino. Alba is from the Canary Islands. Her accent is distinctly different to the accent of the rest of Spain. Having said that, there are subtle differences in the accents of the separate regions from within mainland Spain. But, the way the ‘c’ and ‘z’ is pronounced in the Canary Islands is much closer to the accents of South America than those of Spain. One point worth noting is that despite the differences in accent and lexicon of all of the separate countries of the Spanish world, even if you are only focused on one region while learning, you will be able to speak to anybody from any country. I have spent the majority of my Spanish journey practicing with the Spanish of Spain. But I have never had any real trouble speaking with people from the Dominican Republic, Peru, Columbia, Argentina or Mexico. Yes there are subtle differences in accents and vocabulary but they are rarely a barrier to communication. You can think about the the differences between the English of Australia and the English of the United States—rarely is this difference big enough barrier to make conversation difficult. Listen to today’s podcast to get a sample of the accent from the Canary Islands and see if you can notice some of the differences. If you are having trouble understanding the Spanish section of the podcast or if you would like to get more out of the podcasts and take your Spanish to next level you can get access to the accompanying Spanish podcast transcripts in The Real Fast Spanish School here. Difficult vocabulary from the Spanish conversation: Lexicon – Léxico. Is it the same lexicon? – ¿Es el mismo léxico? The kitchen / cuisine – La cocina. What is the cuisine like in the Canary Islands – ¿Cómo es la cocina de las islas canarias? Canary Islands flour – El gofio. Canary Islands cream sauce – El gofio escaldado. It is the most populated? – ¿Es lo más poblada? Autonomous region – Comunidad autónoma. El teide – highest mountain in Spain. The peak – La cima. The mountainside – La falda (la falda de la montaña). What did you learn from today’s podcast on the Canary Islands? The post Tips 113: An Insider’s Guide to the Canary Islands appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

How much do you notice? Actually notice? Did you know that the ability to notice is a skill that can be improved? And that you can use that ability to improve your language learning capacity?  This week’s mindset podcast is inspired by the book: Alexandra Horowitz — On Looking: 11 Walks with Expert Eyes This book is a fascinating read. It highlights how a narrow vision can limit your ability to see the things that are happening all around you. The premise of the book is simple. The author would take 11 walks around the city book with some carefully selected “experts”. Each “expert” would allow her to see through their eyes, helping her to notice things that she could never have seen without the expert’s help. Expert is a term that is loosely applied as the first walk is with her toddler and the second walk is with her dog. What Horowitz discovers walking her city block with experts such as a geologist, a doctor, a psychologist or a typographer is that there is a narrative that is happening all around that we rarely see. The history in a block of sandstone. The bug-eating away at a small leaf. The slightly lopsided gate of a fellow pedestrian. Or the subtle lettering on a street sign. All of these things have a story and say something about the world and without growing our ability to notice, there are hundreds of stories that we may never see of experience. Apart from being a fascinating and eye-opening read, if you can take away the idea of looking to improve your ability to notice it can help you in two ways: It can help you stay present and avoid spending unnecessary time fretting about things that you cannot control. It can help you improve your rate of learning. Both of these aspects of noticing things in the moment will improve your ability to learn a second language. In today’s mindset podcast you will learn about the book, the ideas and some of the takeaways that you can test and apply for yourself this week. Try the techniques for yourself and see if they help you with your ability to stay present when practising your Spanish. See if you can notice how a Spanish native speaks—the tone of their voice, the movement of their hands or the use of particular words. The mindset challenge for you this week is to see if you can notice something that you have never noticed before on your city block. And for an additional challenge, see if you can notice yourself noticing things—this last test will really help with present state awareness. Previous episodes mentioned in this episode:  4 Tricks To Lift Your Spanish Using Body Language. How to Set Yourself for Language Learning Success with John Fotheringham (Part 1 of 2). How to Set Yourself for Language Learning Success with John Fotheringham (Part 2 of 2). How else can you apply the idea of “noticing” to improve your language learning skills? The post Tips 112: The Power of Noticing appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

Can you explain when you use “to end” and “to finish” in English? If so, you can apply the idea to the Spanish verbs “acabar” and “terminar”.  This week’s Spanish theory episode is dedicated to the common spanish verb “acabar”. In many of the examples in today’s podcast the Spanish verb “terminar” and “acabar” are interchangeable. But, just like in English, there are a few situations when you can only use one or the other. In today’s podcast you will find out how to use ‘acabar’ in a conversation and some of it’s important uses with Spanish prepositions. If you have any questions, you can leave them below. If you want to be conversational in Spanish, check out The Real Fast Spanish School. In the school,  you can access all of the training at Real Fast Spanish designed to help you reach a conversation level of Spanish as effectively as possible. Examples from today’s podcast: I finish work at 5 – Termino mi trabajo a las 5. I finish work at 5 – Acabo mi trabajo a las 5. I don’t like how the movie ends – No me gusta cómo acaba la película. Sofia and I are ended – Sofia y yo hemos acabado. The word ‘university’ ends in the letter D – La palabra ‘universidad’ acaba en la letra D. The dinner ended in drinks until 3 am – La cena acabó en copas hasta las 3 de la madrugada. My trip to Europe ended in Paris – Mi viaje a Europa acabó en París. I just finished my homework – acabo de terminar mis deberes. She just called the doctor – Ella acaba de llamar al médico. I just do not understand – No acabo de entenderlo. Guys just don’t understand women – Los chicos no acaban de entender las mujeres. He ended up working at McDonalds – Él acabó trabajando en McDonalds. After much sacrifice and dedication, he ended up being a very famous actor – Después de mucho sacrificio y dedicación, él acabó siendo actor muy famoso. My boss ended the discussion by slamming a fist on the table – Mi jefe acabó con la discusión en un golpe en la mesa. Police ended the drug problem in my neighborhood – la policía acabó con el problema de la droga en mi barrio. Teacher comments ended my hopes of passing the exam – Los comentarios del profesor acabaron con mis esperanzas de aprobar el examen. How else can you use the Spanish verb “acabar” in a conversation? The post Tips 111: Common Spanish Verbs – 6 Uses for the Verb “Acabar” appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

In today’s mindset podcast you will hear part 2 of the two part interview with John Fotheringham. In the second part of the interview we discuss how to manage frustration due to a lack of progress. We talk about what separates a good language learner from a great language learner. And we debate the merits of the language learning classroom and how you can get the most out of one. You can learn more from John at Langauge Mastery—a language learning blog and podcast dedicated to helping language learners. The focus of his website is 80% on general language learning and 20% on Mandarin and Japanese. If you missed part 1 of the interview you go back and listen to it here. These mindset podcasts are about exploring topics outside of Spanish vocabulary or grammar. They are useful because because ultimately they will help you achieve your goals with learning Spanish more effectively. In this second part of the interview we talk about:  How to manage the frustration of feeling like you have a long way to go to reach your language goals. John offers a great tip for overcoming the feeling that you are a long way away from where you would like to be. What separates a great language learning from a good language learner. What role passion plays in language learning and what can you do to build your passion for language learning. Why humility is important in language learning. How to deal with making mistakes and why it is important to leave your ego at the door. John’s thoughts on the language learning classroom and how to get the best out of a classroom if you find yourself in one. What a famous Bruce Lee quote means to John and how you can apply it language learning. How to improve your pronunciation. What John’s life would look like without language learning in it? In the end, John gives a great metaphor for why language learning is like putting on Scuba Gear. What did you learn from the second part of the interview with John Fotheringham? The post Tips 110: How to Set Yourself for Language Learning Success with John Fotheringham (Part 2 of 2) appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

“Hay” is a unique Spanish verb. It is related to the verb “haber” or commonly referred to as the impersonal form of “haber”. In today’s podcast, you will learn how to use the verb “hay” in the past, present and future. You will also learn how to use the impersonal phrase with the verb “hay” to express obligation.  Check out today’s podcast for all of the details. If you have any questions or thoughts you can leave a comment below. If you want to be conversational in Spanish, check out The Real Fast Spanish School. In the school,  you can access all of the training at Real Fast Spanish designed to help you reach a conversation level of Spanish as effectively as possible. Examples from today’s podcast: There is a lot of noise here – Hay mucho ruido aquí. Is there a good place to eat around here? – ¿Hay un buen lugar para comer por aquí? Is there a good place to drink something around here? – ¿Hay un buen lugar para tomar algo por aquí? Is there a good place to speak around here? – ¿Hay un buen lugar para hablar por aquí? There was a party in the apartment upstairs last night anoche. It was very noisy. – Hubo una fiesta en el piso de arriba anoche. Fue muy ruidosa. Last week there was a day I’m never going to forget – La semana pasada hubo un día que nunca voy a olvidar. When I was little there were very fun moments – Cuando era pequeño había momentos muy divertidos. We laughed at a joke that there was between us – Nos reímos de una broma que había entre nosotros. Next week there will be a church wedding – La semana que viene habrá una boda en la iglesia. In the future there will be cars that can fly – En el futuro habrá coches que pueden volar. One must not tell lies – No hay que decir mentiras. If one wants to speak Spanish one has to practice every day – Si se quiere hablar español hay que practicar todos los días. Other episodes mentioned in this podcast: Tip 15: A Hack for the Past. How else can you use the Spanish verb “hay” in a conversation? The post Tips 109: How to Use the Spanish Verb “Hay” appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

In this week’s mindset podcast we welcome John Fotheringham to talk about habit forming, how to set goals for success and one aspect of language learning that rarely gets discussed. John is a passionate language learner and is running Langauge Mastery—a language learning blog and podcast dedicated to helping language learners. The focus of his website is 80% on language learning and 20% on Mandarin and Japanese. On top of his experience in language learning, more recently, John has been developing his knowledge on nutrition. I asked John on to the podcast to talk about the topic of nutrition because it is an important aspect of performance. If you aren’t sleeping right or your aren’t eating right, you aren’t setting yourself up for success in language learning. These mindset podcasts are about exploring topics outside of Spanish vocabulary or grammar. They are useful because because ultimately they will help you achieve your goals with learning Spanish more effectively. In this first part of the interview we talk about:  Nutrition and how you can improve your diet to improve your memory and ability focus and form successful habits. John’s first experience language learning in Brazil as a 12 years old. His experiences in France in his senior year of high school How is true love of language learning began with Japanese in college. Some of John’s struggles with the language gap in Japan. We cover some of John’s observations of the cultural experience in Japan. How you should think about priorities instead of maximising and managing your time. How to set yourself up for success by setting tiny, achievable goals. How to break up tasks to the minimum for focus. What it is like to work as a translator. John then explains how working as a translator and transferring those skills to having conversations doesn’t work as well as you might expect. What did you learn from the first part of the interview with John Fotheringham in this mindset episode? The post Tips 108: How to Set Yourself for Language Learning Success with John Fotheringham (Part 1 of 2) appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

The uses of Ser and Estar are an important part of Spanish that you should always be revising. In today’s podcast, you will learn about one specific part: the uses of ser and estar with adjectives. As a reminder, ‘ser’ tends to imply a permanent feature and ‘estar’ tends to imply a temporary feature. Keep this in mind as you listen to the examples for today. Examples from today’s podcast: Elena is a good person, she always gives to the poor – Elena es buena, ella siempre da a los pobres. This wine is of high quality – Este vino es muy bueno. This gazpacho tastes great / amazing – Este gazpacho está buenísimo. The boy is very attractive. He is tall, dark and his body is incredible – El chico está muy bueno. Es alto, moreno y el cuerpo está increíble. I don’t like your friend he is a bad (person) – No me cae bien tu amigo, él es malo. The Paella is cheap because it is low quality – La paella es barata porque es muy mala. Sonia has spent all day in bed she is very sick – Sonia ha pasado todo el día en la cama, ella está muy mala. This chicken is bad, I don’t like it – Este pollo está malo, no me gusta. Christy Walton is the richest women in the world – Christy Walton es la mujer más rica del mundo. The churros are so good – Los churros están tan ricos. Your sister is very intelligent – Tu hermana es muy lista. I’m still not ready. I need five more minutes – Todavía no estoy listo. Necesito 5 minutes más. My car is green – Mi coche es verde. Paco es green, he needs to keep learning – Paco está verde, tiene que seguir aprendiendo. The apple is unripe – La manzana está verde. The shirt is black – La camisa es negra. I’m angry because the house is dirty – Estoy negro porque la casa está negra. María is very open, she usually speaks to everyone at the party – María es muy abierta, ella suele hablar con todo el mundo en la fiesta. Who left the door open? – ¿Quien dejó la puerta abierta? (La puerta está abierta) Andrés is very closed he doesn’t speak to anybody – Andrés es muy cerrado, no habla con nadie. The restaurant is closed, it normally opens at seven – El restaurante está cerrado, normalmente abre a las siete. Other episodes mentioned in this podcast: Para Ser – In Order To Be. Estoy Por – I’m up for… The 4 Past Spanish Translations of ‘Was’. How else can you ser and estar with adjectives? The post Tips 107: 8 Uses of Ser and Estar with Adjectives appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

This podcast episode is part 2 of a two part interview with Shayna Oliveira. In this second part of the interview we cover language learning expectations, creating good study habits, getting over making mistakes and living in Brazil. Shayna’s website on teaching English is http://www.espressoenglish.net/. If you missed part 1 of the interview you go back and listen to it here. When you finish listening to the interview, head across to Shayna’s site and discover a piece of english theory that you can take to your next language exchange. In this second part of the interview we talk about:  How to overcome the fear of looking stupid. Shayna shares one of her embarrassing stories of when she made a big mistake with her portuguese. We then talk about how you can reframe the fear of making mistakes to a new perspective. Shayna suggested that you can consider the idea of simply being able to express ideas without the need to be perfect. We talk about the importance of frequency in your study and how you should try for more study sessions more often. We then talk about one of the most important aspects of language learning—knowing why you are learning the language. The bigger the why, the bigger the chance of success. We consider how you can think about managing your language learning expectations. Shayna gives a great tip for how you can change the way you think about the gap of where you are and where you would like to be with your Spanish skills. Shayna then shares a story of one of her experiences living in Brazil. In the end of the interview, I ask Shayna about one of the common myths that I have noticed here in Australia. The people here are terrified of Favelas. I ask Shayna whether the typical fear that people here experience is justified and what a tourist should do to be careful if they are considering a trip to Brazil. What did you learn from the second part of the interview with Shayna Oliveira for this mindset episode? The post Tips 106: Language Learning, Teaching English, Capoeira and Living in Brazil with Shayna Oliveira (Part 2 of 2) appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

How well can you make do in Spanish? This week, for the theoretical Spanish podcast, you will learn about the uses of the verb ‘hacer’. Of course, ‘hacer’ doesn’t just mean ‘to make’ or ‘to do’, there are 8 other ways that you can use this common Spanish verb.  Check out today’s podcast for all of the details. If you have any questions or thoughts you can leave a comment below. If you want to be conversational in Spanish, check out The Real Fast Spanish School. In the school,  you can access all of the training designed to help you reach a conversation level of Spanish as effectively as possible. The present conjugation of ‘Hacer’: I do – Yo hago. You do – Tú haces. He does – Él hace. We do – Nosotros hacemos. You-all do – Vosotros hacéis. They do – Ellos hacen. Examples from today’s podcast: What did you do on the weekend? – Que hiciste el fin de semana? I do a lot of exercise – Hago mucho ejercicio. I tend to make the main lunch two times per week – Suelo hacer la comida dos veces a la semana. I forgot to make the bed today – Se me ha olvidado hacer la cama hoy. It is very hot – Hace mucho calor. It is very cold – Hace mucho frio. The weather is good today – Hace buen tiempo, hoy. It is a nice day today – Hace un buen día, hoy The weather is bad – Hace mal tiempo. To ask a question – Hacer una pregunta. I want to ask you a question – Quiero hacerte una pregunta. They ask me too many questions – Me hacen demasiadas preguntas. It’s been a long time since we have seen each other – Hace mucho tiempo que no nos vimos. It’s been a long time since we spoke to each other – Hace mucho tiempo que no nos hablamos. How long has it been since you were in Spain – ¿Hace cuánto tiempo que estuviste en España? Hecho – Done, made or fact. This morning I made a fatal error (or big mistake) – Esta mañana he hecho un error fatal. A fact – Un hecho. It is an interesting fact – Es un hecho interesante. In fact – De hecho. In fact, it is the most popular place for tourists in Spain – De hecho, es el sitio más popular para los turistas en España. It makes me happy – Me hace feliz. What he told me made me happy – Lo que me dijo me hizo feliz. It’s fun – Es divertido. It’s funny – Es gracioso. It’s funny – Es extraño. It makes me laugh – Me hace gracia. It amused me – Me hizo gracia. It is missing to me – Me hace falta. What do I need today? – ¿Que me hace falta hoy? I do not need your advice – no me hace falta tu consejo. He is not paying me any attention – No me hace ni caso (He does not make me any attention). Other episodes mentioned in this podcast: 3 Spanish Phrases With The Verb ‘Poner’. Olvidar vs Olvidarse – How to Forget in Spanish. How else can you use the verb “hacer” in a conversation? The post Tips 105: Common Spanish Verbs – 9 Uses for the Word “Hacer” appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

In this week’s mindset podcast we welcome Shayna Oliveira to talk about language exchanges, building friendships and teaching English. Shayna is teaching English over at http://www.espressoenglish.net/. For a number of weeks I have wanted to get Shayna onto the podcast to talk about improving your ability to teach english. Why? Because one of the best ways to improve your Spanish is making long term friendships with Spanish natives. You can do this by finding a language exchange and then providing a ton of help when it comes to the part in English. This has been a big part of my language learning process. At the end of the interview, I suggest you head across to Shayna’s site and discover a piece of english theory that you can take to your next language exchange. In this first part of the interview we talk about:  The merits of finding a language exchange and how to help someone who is learning English. We talk about one of the trickiest parts of the English language to teach. Shayna gives a great tip for teaching this difficult part of English and draws a parallel to how this technique is very similar to how we learn as children. We talk about Shayna’s language journey and how she ended up in living Brazil and meeting her husband. We talk about how her husband didn’t used to be able to speak english and what is like to live in a single language household that was not her first language. What talk about some of Shayna’s biggest language learning challenges. And how she overcome them. Even though Shayna learnt Portuguese in an immersion environment, we also talk about Shanya’s thoughts on learning a language back at home. Shayna gives a great tip to get over the feeling of freezing up in the moment of a conversation. Then how to reduce the number of times it happens. Shayna then talks about the idea of passive and active vocabulary and converting words from your passive vocabulary to your active vocabulary. What did you learn from the first part of the interview with Shayna Oliveira for this mindset episode? The post Tips 104: Language Learning, Teaching English, Capoeira and Living in Brazil with Shayna Oliveira (Part 1 of 2) appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

The verb ‘pasar‘ is in the top 10 most common regular Spanish verbs. It occurs frequently, it is useful and easy to conjugate. But, it is used in a lot of different situations and contexts, which means we still need to set aside some time to take a closer look at this important Spanish verb. So, in today’s podcast, we are going to look at some of the most common uses of pasar. ‘Pasar‘ can be used to talk about spending time, asking about what is happening, talking about a change in a situation, as a request to pass something and even to express a lack of interest in a topic. Check out today’s podcast for all of the details. If you have any questions or thoughts you can leave a comment below. If you want to be conversational in Spanish, check out The Real Fast Spanish School. In the school,  you can access all of the training designed to help you reach a conversation level of Spanish as effectively as possible. Examples from today’s podcast: She spends lots of time practicing Spanish – Ella pasa mucho tiempo practicando su español. What’s going on? – ¿Qué pasa? Everything is well – Todo está bien. All good – Todo bien. Have a great time – Pásalo bien. Have a great time on the trip – Pásalo bien el viaje. Have a great time on the weekend – Pásalo bien el finde. Have a great time with your brother – Pásalo bien con tu hermano. Pass me the salt, please – Pásame la sal, por favor. Although the restaurant is now empty, it will be filled soon – Aunque el restaurante ahora está vacío, pasará a estar lleno muy pronto. Juan is single but will be married soon – Juan está soltero pero pasará a estar casado pronto. I don’t care about anything, I couldn’t care less about anything – Paso de todo. He doesn’t care about anything – Él pasa de todo. I’m not into the bullfighting – Paso de los toros. I’m not into sport – Paso del deporte. Leave me alone – Pasa de mí. (Déjame en paz). I couldn’t care less about you – Paso de ti. To pass by – Pasar de largo. (pass without stopping). I just saw Elena walk right by – Acabo de ver a Elena pasa de largo. The rice is overcooked – Se me ha pasado el arroz. (The rice has passed to me). The meat is overcooked – Se me ha pasado la carne. (The meat has passed to me). It has gone off – Se ha puesto mala. (it has put itself bad). The rice is going to be overcooked to you – Se te va a pasar el arroz. Other episodes mentioned in this podcast: 3 Common Ways To Use “Llevar” In A Conversation. 3 Spanish Phrases With The Verb ‘Poner’. Common Spanish Verbs – 5 Uses of the Word ‘Dar’. Tratar – How to Treat this Helpful Spanish Verb. Common Spanish Verbs – 7 Uses for the Word “Llegar” Olvidar vs Olvidarse – How to Forget in Spanish. How else can you use the verb “pasar” in a conversation? The post Tips 103: Common Spanish Verbs – 7 Uses for the Word “Pasar” appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

It’s hard to imagine the feeling of being in a space shuttle when it is taking off. But I could imagine the experience may involve a lot fear. It’s a funny comparison but speaking Spanish in public and taking off in a rocket ship aren’t vastly different when it comes to our fears. Both can bring up a fight or flight response. So what does an astronaut say about dealing with fear? And how can you use the advice to get over your nerves of speaking Spanish in public? This week’s mindset podcast is inspired by Chris Hadfield. Chris is a Canadian astronaut who was made famous by his performance of David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ while onboard the international space station. I recently watched his Ted Talk and thought his ideas around separating danger and fear are incredibly useful. He starts off the presentation by asking: – What is the most dangerous thing you have ever done? He then asks, – What is the scariest thing you have ever done? Then, – Why did you do it? I thought these questions were really powerful. And for me, when answering these two questions I discovered an interesting lesson. I realised that when I was doing the most dangerous thing I have ever done I wasn’t the most scared I have ever been. In fact, when I was most scared, I wasn’t doing anything dangerous at all. His questions made me realise that sometimes our brains are terrible judges of what is actually dangerous. In the podcast this week I answer the two questions: I tell the story of the most dangerous thing I have ever done and the scariest thing I have ever done. When telling these stories, I encourage you to answer the questions for yourself. Hopefully you will see that it is very possible to be fearful when there is no danger. And with this knowledge you may be able to a face situation that makes you nervous—like practicing your Spanish in public. Here is Chris Hadfield’s Ted Talk: What did you discover about fear, nerves and danger this week? The post Tips 102: What an Astronaut can Teach Us about Learning Spanish appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

Is forgetting in Spanish as simple as forgetting in English? If you want to forget in Spanish or at least express the idea, there are three ways you can do it. This week explore how the verb ‘olvidar’ is used and how the idea of something forgotten in Spanish differs from how we are used to it in English.  There are 5 main ideas around the use of verb ‘olvidar’ that we explore in today’s Spanish podcast. Firstly we talk about how forgetting is usually something that happens in the past. I forgot to tell you… I forgot what I was going to say… Then we explore the three common forms the verb ‘olvidar’: normal, reflexive and passive. Then lastly we talk about how ‘olvidado’ is used in combination with the verb ‘estar’ to talk about ‘something forgotten’. Check out today’s theory podcast for all of the details. If you have any questions, you can leave a comment below. If you want to take your spanish to the next level, you can now access all of the training courses at Real Fast Spanish now all in the one place—The Real Fast Spanish School. In the school,  you can access all of the training material focused on helping you reach a conversation level of Spanish using the principles of conversation hacking. Examples from the episode: I always forget my mobile – Siempre olvido mi móvil. Why do I always forget my girlfriend’s birthday – ¿Por qué siempre me olvido del cumpleaños de mi novia? I forgot the tickets – Olvidé las entradas. I forgot the tickets – He olvidado las entradas. I forgot about the tickets – Me olvidé de las entradas. Did you forget to go to the market? – ¿Te has olvidado de ir al mercado? I forgot the tickets – Se me olvidaron las entradas. My English is a little forgotten – Mi inglés está un poco olvidado. My Spanish is a little forgotten – Mi español está un poco olvidado. If you want to forget in Spanish, how else can you use ‘olvidar’ or ‘olvidarse’? The post Tips 101: Olvidar vs Olvidarse – How to Forget in Spanish appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

Last year, when I was living in Madrid, I was chatting to a friend about a very addictive chocolate biscuit we have in Australia. She said she would love to try them. Immediately after uttering those words, we both thought—Madrid is a big city, we could find them here, right? What else was I going to say—challenge accepted! The search started by simply googling ‘galletas’ in Madrid. After some digital searching, I did some searching by foot. I had a list of shops in mind that I wanted to try. I tried the big department stores and smaller boutique type chocolate shops. I spoke to a number of shop owners. Each conversation edging me one step closer to my goal. Long story short, after 2 days of looking, I was successful! In the end, I found what I was looking for. In order to find what I was looking for, I needed to throw away my English and start doing some detective work in Spanish. I knew I couldn’t find what I was looking for by simply googling it in English. I had to step outside my usual method of finding things to see if I can leverage my Spanish to solve the problem. This week for the mindset podcast, I challenge you to see if you can solve a problem using your Spanish. If you are living in a Spanish speaking country, the challenge could be: Looking for a cheap restaurant to eat. If you are in Spain try this line “bueno, bonito, barato” when asking about a place to find cheap quality food. Maybe you want to find a place to buy a good pair of jeans. You could be looking to find something from home—like the chocolate biscuits I was looking for. Something as simple as finding a local SIM card for your phone. Or simply looking for the meaning of a new word in Spanish that you haven’t seen before. If you are at home or in an English speaking country, you could try to: Look up the typical food in a country you are interested in, for example, Peru, but when you are doing the google search, do it in Spanish. Search for something like “la comida de Perú”. If you are planning a trip to Mexico you could try looking up “los mejores lugares turisticos para visitar en México”. There are also other problems that you could try to solve. In today’s podcast, I also mentioned some Spanish expressions. The challenge is to discover their meaning with English. To find the meaning to the expressions I mentioned the website is http://expresionesyrefranes.com/. And a few expressions I suggest you look up are: Al pan, pan y al vino, vino. Con la miel en los labios. El mundo es un pañuelo. La pescadilla que se muerde la cola. This week we celebrate the 100th episode of the podcast. The episode is also being released almost exactly a year since the first episode. To celebrate the milestone, I’m running a competition this week. I’m going to give away 3 Spanish to Spanish dictionaries. If you want to enter the competition you have be on the Real Fast Spanish subscribers list. Listen to today’s podcast for all of the details for the competition. How else can you use your Spanish to solve a problem? The post Tips 100: How to Diversify your Spanish Skills by Solving Problems appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

The good thing about transitive and intransitive verbs in Spanish is most English students tend to get them right when guessing. The bad thing is we don’t really learn about this idea in school. But, it helps if you want to understand certain phrases and grammar structures in Spanish. And of course, there is the odd exception to the rule. Verbs in English can be grouped into transitive only, intransitive only or both. There are some verbs like “to have” that are transitive only, verbs like “to go” that are intransitive only and verbs like “to read” than can be both transitive and intransitive depending on the sentence. In general, when you translate from English to Spanish, the verbs that are transitive only are still transitive only and similarly with intransitive and the verbs that are both. The challenge is the few rare exceptions. But, in most cases you want need to remember these. Listen to today’s podcast to learn how to use transitive and intransitive verbs in Spanish. And if you have any questions, you can leave them below. This month you can access the Real Fast Spanish School training platform. In the school you will be able to access every course at Real Fast Spanish all in one place. You will now be able to access a complete structured set of training designed to help you reach a conversation level of Spanish using the principles of conversation hacking. You can sign up for the school here: Real Fast Spanish School. Examples from the episode: I have a new car – Tengo un coche nuevo. I have a girlfriend – Tengo una novia. I want world peace – Quiero la paz mundial. I want to travel – Quiero viajar. I love you a lot – Te quiero mucho. I go to school – Voy a la escuela. I arrive late – Llego tarde. I arrive early – Llego pronto. I arrived late to the concert – Llegué tarde al concierto. I read a lot – Leo mucho. I read slowly – Leo despacio. I’m reading this book – Estoy leyendo este libro. She practices often – Ella practica a menudo. She practices her Spanish – Ell practica su Español. I slept for an hour – Dormí durante una hora. In english you can’t sleep something. He put his kids to bed – Él durmió a sus niños a la cama. What other Spanish transitive or intransitive verbs do you know? The post Tips 099: Transitive vs Intransitive Verbs In Spanish appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

Memory is important for language learning. That’s pretty obvious. But how can you improve your memory? It turns out there are a number of simple tactics to can use to boost your memory. But underlying all tactics for an improved memory is one very important principle.  The defining principle for all memory tactics is … importance. If you want to memorise something, it needs to be important to you. More specifically it needs to be important to your brain. Put simply, if your brain thinks something is important it remembers it. This principle for improving your memory then governs many tactics for memory recall such as mnemonics, acronyms, image association and memory palaces. In a recent podcast I talked about using the emotion in music to aid in learning new Spanish vocabulary.  The idea is simple—in your life you are more likely to remember days of high emotion such as birthday’s, weddings and funerals than low emotion such as last Tuesday. You can then use this idea to make Spanish vocabulary more memorable such as when it used in the lyrics of an emotional song. In today’s podcast, I talk about a different tactic. I tell a story about a time I memorised 121 digits of Pi for a friends birthday. Not only did I memorise 121 digits of Pi but I did it in 4 hours and on the day I need to perform the recital. You will see how I used the principle of importance to my advantage for the memory challenge. Check out today’s podcast to hear the story. At the end of the episode I set you a challenge. The challenge is to use the principle of important to give your memory a boost. Other episodes mentioned in this podcast: Tips 080: How to Create a Strong Connection to New Spanish Vocabulary. Real Fast Spanish post mentioned in this podcast: 3 Steps To Improving Your Memory With Mnemonics. What is your high stakes memory challenge this week? The post Tips 098: How to Improve Your Memory – The Most Important Principle appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

In this week’s theory podcast we take a close look at the verb “llegar”. “Llegar” is a common Spanish verb and generally gets used correctly by native English students but there are more ways to use this verb than what you may expect.  In today’s podcast I have broken out the use of “llegar” into two categories: literal and figurative use of the idea. What do I mean? Well, “llegar” means to arrive, you can, therefore, use it when literally arriving at a destination or at a given time. But, you can also use “llegar” when arriving at a conclusion, an agreement, a deal or to become something. Check out today’s podcast for all of the examples for the use of “llegar” and leave a comment below if you have any questions or you know some other uses of “llegar” and want to add to the conversation. Also, in today’s tip, I make a big announcement. I have changed the way the courses are offered at Real Fast Spanish. Now all of the courses are in one place. This month, I’m launching the Real Fast Spanish School. The school will be an online membership and when you sign up you will have access to everything! This means you will have access to every course produced at Real Fast Spanish. Now you don’t have to choose between courses as you will have access to everything. Instead, you need to decide if you would like a curriculum based on the principles discussed at Real Fast Spanish and in the podcast. If you are interested, you can sign up for the school here: Real Fast Spanish School. Other episodes mentioned in this tip:  Tip 19 – 3 Ways To Use “Lo” In A Sentence. Tip 53 – 10 Spanish False Friends You Need To Know. Examples from the episode: The train arrived at the station – El tren llegó a la estación. I will arrive in Madrid on Tuesday – Llegaré a Madrid el martes. To be early – Llegar pronto. To be on time – Llegar a tiempo. To be late – Llegar tarde. I’m sorry for being late – Lo siento por llegar tarde. The time has arrived to tell me the truth – Llegó la hora de decirme la verdad. Come to think / Conclude – Llegar a pensar. You might think that it is worth studying another language – Se podría llegar a pensar que vale la pena estudiar otro idioma. To become (slowly or over a long difficult path) – Llegar a ser. The pain becomes unbearable – El dolor llega a ser insoportable. To close a deal – Llegar a cerrar un trato. After a while, they came to close a deal – Después de mucho tiempo, llegaron a cerrar un trato. To compromise, reach an agreement – Llegar a un acuerdo. The most important thing in a relationship is being able to compromise – Lo más importante en una relación es la capacidad de llegar a un acuerdo How else can you use “llegar” in a Spanish sentence? The post Tips 097: Common Spanish Verbs – 7 Uses for the Word “Llegar” appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

This podcast episode is part 2 of a two part interview that I recently did with Kris Broholm. Kris is running his own language learning podcast called The Actual Fluency Podcast. He was great fun to speak to and has a lot of experience learning languages as well as talking about them. His advice on finding your process for building your second language as well as dealing with some of the mental challenges that pop up along the journey is invaluable. If you haven’t listened to part 1 of the interview then go back and start first with part 1 here. In this second part of the interview we cover:  Some of the experiences that you can look forward to if you can achieve a high level in a second language. How the discipline of learning a language can be transferred to anything life such as paying down debt, getting fit or developing other skills. We talk about how to strategic use breaks in your language learning process to allow what you have learnt to sink in. We discuss whether there needs to be a ‘necessary evil’ or grind that may need to go into learning a language. And why looking for ‘fun’ activities may not always be the best advice. Kris covers his views on Zen thinking to keep his emotions at bay and how you can do the same with your language learning. Is there one thing that he has learnt from interviewing lots of high level polyglots in his language learning podcast. What does success mean for Kris in language learning. When I ask Kris this question I recommended that you ask the question for yourself and come up with your answer. Resources Mentioned in the episode: http://actualfluency.com/ The Actual Fluency Podcast. What did you learn from the second part of the interview with Kris Broholm for this mindset episode? The post Tips 096: How to Overcome Fear and Put Yourself Out There with Kris Broholm (Part 2 of 2) appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

Answering the phone is an everyday occurrence. But the rules of phone etiquette in English don’t exactly work in another language. When you make a phone call in Spanish, the language you tend to use is more direct. If you translate literally to English it may feel rude. But, it isn’t for a Spanish person. In today’s Spanish podcast we look at the typical phrases that are used to answer a phone call, to pass the phone to someone else, the kinds of questions you should ask and how to end a conversation. My good friend Laura joins the podcast again for another week to assist with the Spanish phone call role-play. Laura, actually plays the role of her mum and herself to demonstrate passing the phone from one person to another. The phone call role-play is about a plan to organise an evening at the movies and it occurs between friends. At the start of theory podcast we also cover some of the other phrases that get used in more formal contexts such as answering the phone in a business setting. If you are having trouble understanding the Spanish section of the podcast or if you would like to get more out of the podcasts and take your Spanish to next level you can get access to the Spanish podcast transcripts and English translations here. Examples from the episode: Tell me – Dime. (use only if you know who is calling) Yes – ¿Sí? (most common) Tell me – ¿Diga? o ¿Dígame? (most formal) I will pass you to her – Te la paso. It is passed – Se pone. Bowling – Bolera. Shall we go the day after tomorrow? (Past tomorrow) – ¿Vamos pasado mañana? They say – Dicen. Okay a kiss – Vale un beso. (Used with friends) Until later – Hasta luego. (Used with friends) Goodbye –  Adiós. (Formal) Right, okay – Venga, vale. Let’s go – Vamos. Okay, come on, let’s go – Venga, vale, vamos. What else do you know about phone etiquette in Spanish? The post Tips 095: How to Make a Phone Call in Spanish appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

This week we welcome Kris Broholm to the podcast to discuss language learning mindset. Kris is running a language learning podcast called Actual Fluency. Each week he invites on an ‘expert’ language learner—typically a polyglot who can speak a number of languages. He then attempts to find out what is working for them and their best tips for effective language learning. He also discusses and debates some of the most common issues facing language learners. In today’s podcast, I brought Kris on to the podcast to share his story and what he is doing at Actual Fluency. I invited Kris on to Real Fast Spanish because I know how hard it is to run a language learning podcast and so I wanted to show my support for his work. Kris has a lot to share on language learning and was extremely generous with what he has to share. The interview went for over an hour and so I have decided to break the interview into two episodes. The second part of the interview will be released next monday. In this first part of the interview we cover:  Why Denmark ranks highly as one of the world’s happiest countries outside of the Spanish countries of South America. What does the title ‘Actual Fluency’ mean to Kris and how he choose the title. How to frame your goals in language learning but choosing goals that are suited to you. How Kris found inspiration in language learning and what is helping him stay motivated. What you can do to overcome fear and that awkward feeling of making mistakes by putting yourself out there. How building the discipline of language learning is a skill that can be easily transferred to other areas of your life. Resources Mentioned in the episode: http://actualfluency.com/ The Actual Fluency Podcast. What did you learn from Kris Broholm in this first part of the interview for this mindset episode? The post Tips 094: How to Overcome Fear and Put Yourself Out There with Kris Broholm (Part 1 of 2) appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

Valencia is an amazing city. It home to delicious food, a good climate, great people and some impressive modern architecture. In this week’s Spanish podcast episode we talk about what to see and do in Valencia from a local’s perspective. In this podcast, we introduce a new guest, Laura Del Busto Bel. Laura is a good friend of mine. She is from Valencia. So I wanted to invite her onto the podcast to talk about Valencia from her point of view. We start off with a Spanish pronunciation lesson by practising how to say Laura’s name—it’s not easy! Then we talk a little about her background including what she studied, where she used to work and what she is doing in Australia. We then talk about Valencia. We cover the weather, the people, things to see and do and of course the food! As I usually do with this style of podcast, we will introduce some of the harder vocabulary at the start of the podcast to help prepare you for the 10-minute Spanish conversation. If you are having trouble understanding the Spanish section of the podcast or if you would like to get more out of the podcasts and take your Spanish to next level you can get access to the Spanish podcast transcripts and English translations here. Examples from the episode: Teaching / Schoolteaching – Magisterio. What is Valencia like? – ¿Cómo es Valencia? Humidity – Humedad. Humid – Húmedo. In Valencia there is a lot of humidity because the weather is humid – En Valencia hay mucha humedad porque el tiempo es húmedo. Valencia is well known for… – Valencia es muy conocida por… Valencia is famous for… – Valencia es muy famosa por… Seafood – Marisco. Rabbit – Conejo. Chicken – Pollo. Do you prefer the paella with meat or the paella with seafood – Prefieres la de carne o la de marisco? Horchata – Horchata. Oranges – Naranjas. Tiger nuts – Chufa. The arts and science museum – El Museo de Las Artes y Las Ciencias. The river – El río. The Carmen Neighbourhood – El Barrio del Carmen. What else do you know about Valencia? The post Tips 093: What to See and Do in Valencia appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

This podcast episode is part 2 of a two part interview on language learning with Olly Richards.  If you haven’t listened to part 1 of the interview then go back and start with part 1 first. In this second part of the interview we cover:  What Olly used to keep himself going in Japan for 3 years when he was struggling to learn the language. What you can do to cultivate the same source of motivation that Olly used. How you don’t need a high level of your target language to have fun and experience what it’s like to have enjoyable conversations. Finding exchanges partners and asking the critical question—how many do you need to try before you find the right one. We talk about who Olly looks up to as a mentor for inspiration and motivation. I ask Olly if he has ever used language learning to get himself out of trouble. I also ask what opportunities has has had as a result of language learning. We talk about his blog, his podcast and his latest training course. I ask Olly what his life would look like without language learning in to. What is next for Olly? What other languages does he want to learn and where would he like to live next. Resources Mentioned in the episode: http://www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com/ I Will Teach You A Language Podcast. LanguageLearningFoundations.com. What did you learn from the second part of the interview with Olly Richards for this mindset episode? The post Tips 092: Olly Richards on Speaking Spanish Sooner (Part 2 of 2) appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

Possessive pronouns in Spanish are generally straightforward except for one small detail.  The detail is about knowing whether or not you need to use the definite articles with the possessive pronouns. In today’s theoretical Spanish podcast, we talk about how to use possessive adjectives in Spanish. Then we talk about how use the possessive pronouns in Spanish. And finally we cover the issue of whether or not you need to use the definite articles. If you have any questions from today’s podcast then you can leave a comment below or sign up for the conversation hacking guide and ask me a question directly. Possessive Adjectives in Spanish: My – Mi. Your (informal) – Tu. Your (formal), his, her – Su. Our – Nuestro. Your (plural) – Vuestro. Possessive Pronouns in Spanish: Mine – El mío / La mía / Los míos / Las mías. Yours (informal) – El tuyo / La tuya / Los tuyos / Las tuyas. Yours (formal), his, hers – El suyo / La suya / Los suyos / Las suyas. Ours – El nuestro / La nuestra / Los nuestros / Las nuestras. Yours (informal plural) – El vuestro / La vuestra / Los vuestros / Las vuestras. Yours (formal), theirs – El suyo / La suya / Los suyos / Las suyas. Examples from today’s podcast: It is my house – Es mi casa. It is your house – Es tu casa. My house is your house (informal) – Mi casa es tu casa. My house is your house (formal) – Mi casa es su casa. In our country we speak very fast – En nuestro pais hablamos muy rápido.  In our country they speak very fast (passive) – En mi país se habla muy rápido. Do they eat a lot in your city? – ¿Se come mucho en vuestra ciudad? Do they eat a lot of seafood in your city? – ¿Se come mucho marisco en vuestra ciudad? My head hurts, I have a headache – Me duele la cabeza. Does your arm hurt – ¿Te duele el brazo? This book is mine – Este libro es mío. This book is mine – Este libro es el mío. Whose book is this? – ¿De quién es este libro?  This book is mine – Este libro es mío. This book is hers – Este libro es suyo. This book is hers – Este libro es de ella. This book is his – Este libro es de él. These books are mine – Estos libros son míos. This book is mine and that book is yours – Este libro es el mío y ese libro es el tuyo.  Este libro es mío – This book is mine. Este libro es el mío – This book is the one that is mine. My friend and your friend still aren’t talking to each other – Mi amiga y la tuya todavía no se hablan. Mi house is small. His is big. – Mi casa es pequeña. La suya es grande. Mine is small as well – La mía es pequeña también. Their comments were interesting – Sus comentarios fueron interesantes. Ours were boring – Los nuestros fueron aburridos. How else can you use possessive pronouns in Spanish? The post Tips 091: Possessive Pronouns in Spanish appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

This week we welcome Olly Richards to the podcast. Olly can speak 7 languages and knows a lot about the process of acquiring foreign languages. In this mindset podcast, Olly shares some of his best tips for developing a successful language learning process. Olly runs the popular blog I Will Teach You A Language. His website offers practical tips and advice for learning foreign languages and he regularly publishes helpful articles and videos. It was great speaking with Olly this week. He was extremely generous with his time and I am very grateful to have him on the show. The interview went for over an hour, so I have broken the interview into two separate episodes. Part 2 will be realised next monday. In the interview we cover:  Olly’s experiences with languages at school and how his poor start with languages didn’t affect his long term success. How a break up with an ex-girlfriend pushed him into language learning. And how, at the time, language learning was an escape from loneliness. How Olly finally got his proper start in languages with French on the streets of Paris. Olly’s experiences with French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Arabic. Olly talks about how he was first very overwhelmed when trying to pick up a foreign language. He managed to get a job in Paris despite generally not understanding what his boss was saying. He talked about what he did to overcome the feeling of overwhelm. He talks about how for 3 years living in Japan he wasn’t able to converse but realised what it actually took to get his Japanese to improve quickly and reach a conversational level. He talks about how the key to language learning is creating the ideal conditions to learn a language. He also suggests that creating the ideal conditions doesn’t necessarily mean living in a country that speaks your target language. He, in fact, dispels the myth that you have to live in the country if you want to learn quickly and suggests that there are actually real advantages to learning at home. Resources Mentioned in the episode: https://www.italki.com/ http://www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com/ What is your main take away from the interview with Olly Richards for this mindset episode? The post Tips 090: Olly Richards on Speaking Spanish Sooner (Part 1 of 2) appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

In today’s theoretical podcast, we will take a closer look at some of the different ways the word “even” can be translated from English to Spanish. When you are listening to today’s podcast, have a think about the wider idea of being able to change an idea around so it can be translated in a different way. For example, if you once knew the Spanish translations for “not even”, but you can remember it, can you change the sentence around in English so you don’t have to translate “not even” and instead convey the original idea in a slightly different way? Examples from today’s podcast: This story is even more interesting than the last – Esta historia es aún más interesante que la última. This story is even more interesting than the last – Esta historia es todavía más interesante que la última. This story is the most interesting – Esta historia es la más interesante. Even the most intelligent make mistakes from time to time – Aun los más listos se equivocan de vez en cuando. Even the most intelligent make mistakes from time to time – Incluso los más listos se equivocan de vez en cuando. It was very cold yesterday even though we are in the middle of summer – Ayer hizo frío aunque estamos a mitad del verano. It was very cold yesterday despite that we are in the middle of summer – Ayer hizo frío a pesar de que todavía estamos a mitad del verano. I decided to go to the market even though it was raining – Decidí ir al mercado aunque estaba lloviendo. I decided to go to the shops despite that it was raining – Decidí ir a la tienda a pesar de que estaba lloviendo. It was raining, even like that, I decided to go to the supermarket – Estaba lloviendo, y aún así, fui al supermercado. Everybody enjoyed the movie, even my grandma. – Todo el mundo disfrutó la película, incluso a mi abuela. Even after finishing a big meal I could still eat more – Incluso después de una gran comida podría comer más. Even after finishing a big meal I could still eat more – Hasta después de una gran comida podría comer más. Even after finishing a big meal I could still eat more – Aun después de una gran comida podría comer más. The food was so disgusting even the dog wouldn’t eat it – La comida era tan asquerosa que ni siquiera el perro comía. The music was so bad that even the drunkest person wasn’t dancing – La música era tan mala que ni siquiera el más borracho bailaba. How else can you translate “even” from English to Spanish? The post Tips 089: 4 Ways to Translate “Even” from English to Spanish appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

What are your conversations like in Spanish? Do they flow? or do they stall? Being a great conversationalist in your first language doesn’t come easily—so how then can you be great in your second language?  Learning how to have flowing conversations isn’t something that can be learnt overnight. It takes years of practice. But, it is something you should always be striving to improve. Having said that, there are some tips and tactics that you can use to give you conversations an instant boost. In today’s podcast I talk about a technique that comes straight out of my conversation hacking course—Zero To Conversational which you can access in the Real Fast Spanish School. In Zero To Conversational, I break down the key elements of taking your Spanish from zero to conversational in the most effective way. This includes using techniques that encourage Spanish conversations to grow and develop. The technique I introduce in today’s podcast is called “Reverse and Add”. The reverse and add technique does two things: It helps a conversation to grow by avoiding road blocks. It helps you get used to spanish word order and remember verb conjugations. Try today’s technique for yourself. Use the “Reverse and Add” technique in a few Spanish conversations this week and let me know how it worked for you. Examples from this episode: Did I tell you that I went to the cinema on the weekend? – ¿Te he dicho que fui al cine el fin de semana? Yes you told me that you went to the cinema on the weekend. – Si me has dicho que fuiste al cine el fin de semana. Yes, you did tell me that you went to the cinema on the weekend and told me you were going to see Almodóvar’s latest film. Did you like it? – Sí me has dicho que fuiste al cine el fin de semana y me dijo que ibas a ver la última película de Almodóvar, ¿te gustó? What movie did you see? – ¿Qué película viste? Do you realize it’s my birthday today? – ¿Te das cuenta de que es mi cumpleaños hoy? Yes, I realize it’s your birthday today. How are you going to celebrate it? – Sí me doy cuenta de que es tu cumpleaños hoy. ¿Cómo vas a celebrarlo? How else can you use the “Reverse and Add” technique to improve your Spanish conversations? The post Tips 088: How to Make Your Spanish Conversations Less Awkward appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

In this podcast episode you will learn the second half of the prepositions of position. This episode is part 2 of a two part series and follows on from the last theoretical episode. In last week’s theory episode we looked at how to say above and under as well out or outside and in or inside in Spanish. This week we are looking at how to say besides, behind, in front of, close, far and in between. Make sure you choose a few examples from today’s tip and use them with a fellow Spanish student, a teacher or a spanish native. Examples for today:  The Other Side of the Bed – El otro lado de la cama (movie Rom-Com). My apartment is next to a disco (or nightclub) – Mi piso está al lado de una discoteca. On one hand the fried chips are delicious, on the other hand they aren’t healthy – Por un lado patatas fritas son muy ricas, por otro lado no son saludables. After the concert we went to a bar – Tras el concierto fuimos a un bar. After the concert we went to a bar – Después del concierto fuimos a un bar. Behind the clouds is the sun – Tras las nubes está el sol. The sun is behind the clouds – El sol está detrás de las nubes. The parking is behind the building – El aparcamiento está detrás del edificio. I have a garden out back, I have a back garden – Tengo un jardín atrás. I can’t see it because it is hidden behind – No lo puedo ver porque está escondido atrás. I’m not going to say anything in front of her – No voy a decir nada delante de ella. He took one step forward and two steps back – Él dio un paso adelante y dos pasos atrás. There is a fountain in front of the house – Hay una fuente en el frente de la casa. There is a fountain in front of the house – Hay una fuente en frente de la casa. There is a fountain in front of the house – Hay una fuente enfrente de la casa. That man is the head of the company – Ese hombre está al frente de la empresa. The market is close to my house – El mercado está cerca de mi casa. The airport is far from here – El aeropuerto está lejos de aquí. The airport is far from here? – ¿El aeropuerto está lejos de aquí? There is a desert between the two towns – Hay un desierto entre los dos pueblos. How else can you use these prepositions of position in a sentence? The post Tips 087: Spanish Prepositions of Position (Part 2 of 2) appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

Confidence in language learning is huge. Those who think they can and those who think that can’t are probably right.  This mindset episode of the podcast is part 2 of a two part interview I did with a close friend of mine, Ruan De Witt. You can listen to part 1 here. Ruan is an extremely confident person, even if he doesn’t like to admit it. As long as I have known him, he has had the ability to start a conversation with a complete stranger. This includes doing so in a language other than this first—regardless of his skill level. In this part of the interview: I ask Ruan where does his confidence come from? How can other language students find confidence, even if they are starting out. What is a good target to set yourself for the number of words you should learn each day. How to find time for learning language. How to improve your pronunciation. Finding the high value parts of the language. What is the biggest lesson for you in this part of the interview? The post Tips 086: How to Build Confidence with Ruan De Witt (Part 2 of 2) appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

Prepositions are hard. Why? Because prepositions rarely translate well between languages. And their use often doesn’t follow a nice set of rules. For example, when is something below and when is it underneath? How would you explain the difference? What about the difference between out and outside—could you tell a foreigner when they should use these two words? In this week’s theoretical episode of the podcast I take a look at prepositions. I’m going to specifically look at prepositions of position. And I’m going to dedicate two episodes to prepositions of position. Why? Because they are hard and there are lot of them. In tip 23 we looked at prepositions of movement. Prepositions of movement are also useful prepositions and worth a review. But for this week we will focus prepositions such as on, above, below, in and out. In next week’s episode I will focus on in front of, behind and beside. Examples for today:  We are going outside for some fresh air – Vamos afuera a tomar el aire. We’re going to meet outside the ground – Vamos a quedar afuera del campo. I don’t like being inside, I prefer to be outdoors – No me gusta estar dentro, prefiero estar fuera. Have you left the meat out of the fridge – ¿Has dejado la carne fuera de la nevera? He went inside – Él fue adentro. It is very noisy here, I’m going inside to speak – Hace mucho ruido aquí, me voy adentro a hablar. In a few days she will return – Dentro de unos días ella volverá. He was never in the popular group – Nunca estaba dentro del grupo popular. There are lots of fish below the waves – Hay muchos peces bajo las olas. I have a wine cellar below – Tengo una bodega abajo. My son likes to hide below the table – A mi hijo le gusta esconderse debajo de la mesa. The keys are on the table – Las llaves están sobre la mesa. The keys are on the table – Las llaves están encima de la mesa. The keys are on the table – Las llaves están en la mesa. The plane flies over land – El avión vuela por encima de la tierra. She lives upstairs (above) – Ella vive arriba. How would you now use these prepositions of position in context? The post Tips 085: Spanish Prepositions of Position (Part 1 of 2) appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

In 2005, Ruan De Witt was riding his bicycle on a bridge in France. A passing car caused him to fall from the bridge onto the busy highway below. He broke his pelvis, hands, elbow and back. He survived the fall. He then spent three months in a French hospital re-learning how to walk. Three years later he asked me to join him to climb the worlds highest free-standing mountain—Mt Kilimanjaro. The trip changed both of us. But had a huge impact on me because I decided upon my return to Australia I had to start my own language learning adventure in Spanish. The trip to Africa with Ruan in 2008 was an amazing experience. I learnt a lot about myself including our ability to achieve any goal when quitting is not an option. I also discovered that I may have missed a whole section of my education by not learning a second language. Ruan has accomplished a lot when it comes to language learning. He has reached a very high level in French, English and Afrikaans. He can also communicate in Dutch, Romanian, Italian and German. Today, I’m very excited to invite Ruan to be the next guest on the Real Fast Spanish Tips podcast. I’m glad that he agreed to come on to the podcast to talk about his experiences in language learning because he has a lot to share. In the interview for this week’s mindset episode we cover:  Ruan’s accident in France and what it took to come back to full health. Ruan’s process for language learning. Why Ruan inspired me to start learning Spanish and go on to start Real Fast Spanish. How to find motivation. How to build confidence in language learning even if you are just starting out. How you can find extra time for language learning. How you should set goals when it comes to learning other languages. How Ruan has overcome the challenge of a bad memory and how you can build language skills despite a bad memory. What to do if you are worried about making mistakes. A number of his experiences and adventures in his language journey. It was great speaking to Ruan this week. He has a lot of useful actionable advice as well as a great story that you can use to help keep you motivated. What advice can you take from the interview with Ruan to help improve your language skills? The post Tips 084: How to Build Confidence with Ruan De Witt (Part 1 of 2) appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

In this week’s theoretical Spanish podcast we will explore the verb ‘tratar‘. ‘Tratar‘ can be confusing because of one particular meaning that is difficult to translate to English. But this difficult translation is very useful for asking what something is about. There are five forms of tratar that I cover in today’s podcast: Tratar – This is used for how you treat something or someone. Tratar con – This can describe how someone is dealing with someone or something. Tratar de – This can be used for attempting to do something. Tratar de – In a different context to the previous use—this means to be about. Tratarse de – Also means ‘to be about’—but you can use specifically stating the subject of the sentence. Have a listen to today’s podcast and then if you can think of other ways to use this common Spanish verb, leave a comment below. Previous podcast episodes on common Spanish verbs: 3 Common Ways To Use “Llevar” In A Conversation 3 Spanish Phrases With The Verb ‘Poner’ 5 Uses For The Word “Dar” 6 Uses for the Word “Echar” Quedar vs Quedarse 3 Spanish Phrases with the Verb ‘Caer’ Examples from this week’s theoretical podcast: My parents treat me well – Mis padres me tratan bien. My ex-boyfriend didn’t treat me well – Mi ex-novio no me trataba bien. My ex-boyfriend treated me poorly – Mi ex-novio me trataba mal. He deals with criminals / He has dealings with criminals – Él trata con los criminales. I don’t want to deal with my boss – No quiero tratar con mi jefe. José is trying to learn English – José trata de aprender inglés. José is trying to learn English – José intenta aprender inglés. I’m going to try to arrive on time – Voy a tratar de llegar a tiempo. This book is about a small boy – Este libro trata de un niño pequeño. What is the book about – ¿De qué trata el libro? (Of what does the book treat) What is it about? – ¿De qué se trata? It is about a small boy – Se trata de un niño pequeño. How else can you use ‘tratar’ or ‘tratar de’ or ‘tratarse de’ in a conversation? The post Tips 083: Tratar – How to Treat this Helpful Spanish Verb appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

This week Amy Whitney is on the podcast. Her story beautifully captures the idea that language learning is hard but truly worth it. Amy has been a regular listener of the Real Fast Spanish Tips podcast for a quite some time. We first connected last year and it has been great hearing about her journey in language learning. Amy is based in British Columbia, Canada. She has been learning Spanish for 14 years. And she has achieved a high level of Spanish. I wanted to invite Amy on to the podcast to discuss her experiences with learning Spanish and listening to podcast. I asked Amy to speak about her journey with the language. I wanted her to share some of the pain points she has experienced. As well as some of the highs that come with being able to speak a second language. In the interview we explore: How she got her start in Spanish. Why she decided Spanish was the language for her. Her experiences with the Real Fast Spanish Tips podcast. What it feels like to make mistakes. Her advice for anybody who is feeling insecure about getting things wrong. We discuss her experiences traveling in South America. What to do about local dialects. And why it is all worth it. It was great talking to Amy this week. Her experiences are similar to many other language learners that I have spoken to. We all feel anxiety about making mistakes. We all feel overwhelmed at some point—particularly on a first trip to a country that doesn’t speak english. But in the end, we all get to enjoy the fruits of our labor when we start to make real connections with people that it would have been impossible to connect with before the hard work. Amy has also started a website dedicated to helping foreign students learn english. If you want to contact Amy or offer some support, you can get in touch with her here: http://realenglishconversations.com/ How can you use Amy’s experiences and advice to improve your Spanish? The post Tips 082: Why you Need to Overcome your Fears with Amy Whitney appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

In this week’s podcast tip we are going to look at the verb ‘caer’. We will look at the differences between ‘caer’ and ‘caerse’ and give a few spanish phrases using this common verb. What you will discover in this tip is that ‘caer’ means so much more than ‘to fall’. ‘Caer’ does get used in a very similar way to the way we use fall in english. We use fall to refer to dates, snow and tripping over. These all translate well to Spanish. But what doesn’t translate well from Spanish to English is how people “fall well” to each other. Have a listen to this week’s podcast to understand this bizarre phrase used to describes how you feel about other people. Or how they feel about you. Examples from today’s podcast: To fall – Caer. I just fell over in the street – Me acabo de caer en la calle. The snow is falling – La nieve está cayendo. This year my birthday falls on a Friday – Este año mi cumpleaños cae en viernes. To fall into a trap – Caer en la trampa. The thieves fell for the trap – Los ladrones cayeron en la trampa. To fall well / bad – Caer bien / mal. I like you – Me caes bien. I really like your friend – Tu amigo me cae muy bien. I don’t like your friend – Tu amigo no me cae bien. I don’t like your friend – Tu amigo me cae mal. You have to go to the doctor – Tienes que ir al médico. It’s just that I don’t like doctors – Es que no me caen bien los médicos. It’s just that I don’t like doctors – Es que me caen mal los médicos. To fall on deaf ears – Caer en saco roto. Spanish expression in this week’s episode: Everything you are going to say to me will fall on deaf ears – Todo lo que vas a decirme caerá en saco roto. How else could you use the verb ‘caer’ in a conversation? The post Tips 081: 3 Spanish Phrases with the Verb ‘Caer’ appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

One way to increase your rate of learning spanish is to make deeper connections to new spanish vocabulary. If you can create a strong new memory every time you discover a new word in Spanish your rate of learning would increase. How then can you make stronger connections to new vocabulary? It’s starts with a quick look at how we evolved. In this week’s mindset podcast, I talk about how evolution has given us one tool for making deep and longer lasting memories. This episode was inspired by an old post. In that post I talked about how our emotions can be useful when it comes to making new memories. Can you remember what you did last friday? How about what you were doing 3 tuesdays ago? What you may find is that if the day wasn’t associated with a particularly strong emotion you will forget what happened. If, in contrast, you think back to an emotional day like a holiday, a wedding or a birthday you will be able to remember that day more clearly. You can then take this idea and apply it to the language learning process. What you have to do is find a good way to link new spanish vocabulary to your emotions. There are a number of ways to do this. But one way, that most students would find easy, is listening to music. If you can find a Spanish song that moves you, then you can learn the lyrics to the song and combine the emotion of the song with the new vocabulary. I have provided 6 songs that have moved me in some way. Some songs make me sad, some happy, some are just really fun. Have a listen to these songs to start. Then if you find the method effective and enjoyable look for other songs to practice with. Shakira – “Rabiosa” You can follow along here: Lyrics. Cienfue – “Medio Alcohólico Melancólico” You can follow along here: Lyrics. El Guincho – “Bombay” You can follow along here: Lyrics. Marisol – “Corazón Contento” You can follow along here: Lyrics. http://youtu.be/9MSav8_POlo Vetusta Morla – “Valiente” You can follow along here: Lyrics. Calle 13 – “Latinoamérica” You can follow along here: Lyrics. Quote from the episode: “Music may be the activity that prepared our pre-human ancestors for speech communication and for the very cognitive, representational flexibility necessary to become humans.” ― Daniel J. Levitin What other Spanish music do you like? What other ways can you strengthen the memory of new spanish vocabulary? The post Tips 080: How to Create a Strong Connection to New Spanish Vocabulary appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

Understanding the differences between verbs such as quedar vs quedarse is a constant challenge for Spanish students. Not only is ‘quedar’ versatile for its use in different contexts, but it changes meaning when it becomes reflexive. This week’s theory podcast is inspired by one of the Real Fast Spanish School Members. The question came after the last theory podcast on the uses of ‘echar‘. Today we are going to make a few comparisons for quedar vs quedarse. This verb is another verb that has a number of different meanings depending on the context. But we are going to look at a few of the most common contexts. We are also going to explore how the meaning of the verb changes when it becomes reflexive. Examples from today’s podcast: To remain / be left with / to meet up – Quedar. To stay (in one place) – Quedarse. Is there any rice left? – ¿Queda arroz? No there is no rice left – No, no queda arroz. I don’t have any milk left – No me queda leche. I don’t like how I’m left with this haircut – No me gusta cómo me ha quedado el corte de pelo. What time are we going to meet? – ¿A que hora vamos a quedar? Normally I meet with my parents twice a month – Normalmente quedo con mis padres dos veces al mes. I met up with my best friend this week – He quedado con mi mejor amigo esta semana. No, I’m staying here – No, me quedo aquí. How long are you going to stay? – ¿Cuánto tiempo te vas a quedar? I have to stay here for 3 hours – Tengo que quedarme durante 3 horas. I was left flipped out (freaked out) – Me he quedado flipado. My boss started yelling at me and I was left flipped out (or freaked out) – Mi jefe ha empezado a gritarme y me he quedado flipado. Other episodes mentioned in this podcast: 5 Useful Spanish Reflexive Verbs for a Conversation. How else could you explain the differences for quedar vs quedarse in a conversation? The post Tips 079: Quedar vs Quedarse – How to Use this Handy Spanish Verb appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

There is never enough time. Well, at least, it feels that way. Despite how busy you feel, we all have the same 24 hours in a day. Yet some still manage to get so much more done. How? For as long as I can remember I have had a strange relationship with time. I often curse at the clock while I’m running late. But then there are other times when I’m staring at the time, agonizing as the slowly passing minutes feel like days. My relationship with time has meant I spend a lot of time thinking about time. Which seems maybe like a waste of time? But who knows? How do you feel about time? Do you feel like you have enough? Do you need more? Or more importantly could you use the time you have available more effectively? A complaint that I often hear is “I don’t have enough time.” People tell me that they want to learn a language but could never find the time. If I was being honest, I feel like this too. But, we all see the same sun rise and sunset everyday yet there are a select few that make is seem that they have two or more days to our one. So what separates the people that can do more with less? For anybody facing problems with time, it is rare that the lack of time is the actual problem. Instead, the actual problem is how they think about time. In today’s mindset podcast, I’m going to talk about how I think about time. What the time spent thinking about time has brought me. What you can do to re-think how you think about time. And with that change in mindset how you can get more out of the time you have. Often students don’t think about time in an empowering way. Some students talk about time in a way that makes them sound and feel helpless. The language you use matters. With this episode I encourage you to change the language you use around time. How you talk about it. How you describe it and how you make excuses about it. Other episodes mentioned in this episode: Tip 28 ― What not to do. Quotes from the episode: “Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson. “Time is the longest distance between two places.” ― Tennessee Williams. How can you change your language around time and get more out of the time you have? The post Tips 078: How to Find More Time for Your Spanish appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

Sometimes mastery of a foreign language is less about how many words you know and more about how many words you know well. Your job as a language student is not to cram as much into your memory bank as possible but to focus on learning the right things. And learning them well.  This idea of knowing the right things applies to today’s podcast. In today’s podcast I am going to take a close look at one spanish word. This podcast is similar to a recent podcast on the word ‘dar’. The word for today is ‘echar’. Similar to the episode on ‘dar’—I’m going to focus on ‘echar’ because it is a common spanish verb. If you want to learn Spanish effectively, it is much better to know 100 common words really well than 1000 words poorly. Or worse—100 uncommon words. Examples from today’s podcast: To throw – echar. They threw me out on to the street (They fired me) – Me echaron a la calle. Take a look – Echar un ojo. Remember to keep an eye on the oven – Recuerde que echarle un ojo en el horno. To lend a hand – Echar una mano. Can you lend me a hand – ¿Me puedes echar una mano? To burst into tears – Echarse a llorar. I was so upset that I burst into tears – Yo estaba tan molesto que me eché a llorar. To pass the blame (To pass the buck) – Echar la culpa. They blamed me for everything – Me echaron la culpa de todo. To miss something – Echar de menos. I miss you a lot – Te echo mucho de menos. Other episodes mentioned in this podcast: 3 Common Ways To Use “Llevar” In A Conversation. 3 Spanish Phrases With The Verb ‘Poner’. Common Spanish Verbs – 5 Uses of the Word ‘Dar’. Spanish proverbs: El mal escribano le echa la culpa a la pluma. Literally: a bad clerk blames his pen. English equivalent: A bad workman blames his tools. Con el agua de la bañadera echar también al niño. English equivalent: Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. How else can you use the verb “echar” in a conversation? The post Tips 077: Common Spanish Verbs – 6 Uses for the Word “Echar” appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

Learning Spanish vocabulary or the vocabulary of any language is a big task. Put simply—it takes focused effort overtime. But there are ways to increase the effectiveness of your vocabulary learning process. In this week’s mindset podcast, I introduce an idea called deliberate versus emergent strategy for vocabulary acquisition. The idea is that you learn vocabulary through two basic approaches: Words you learn deliberately and, Words you learn by accident. What do I mean by learn by accident? As you practice, you will stumble across new words in a random way. When you listen to podcasts or read newspaper articles or catch up with Spanish friends you will be exposed to lots of opportunities to discover new words. Those new words will likely be very different to another Spanish student practicing in a similar way to you. Imagine two Spanish students pick up a Spanish newspaper. They both choose an article on a topic they like. Hopefully they choose different articles. They then spend an hour reading and looking up the words they discover in the articles. After an hour both students will have learned new words. It is very likely the words will be pretty different. And, they will be words that the two students did not plan to learn before they started reading. This is an example of what I call emergent vocabulary acquisition. On the other side, a deliberate vocabulary learning strategy is a process where you choose a set of new words to learn deliberately. You make vocabulary lists and you schedule time to sit down to learn these planned sets of words. All Spanish students are going to learn vocabulary through one of these two methods. In addition, you need both methods to be successful at acquiring a rich Spanish vocabulary in the long run. But, if you want to be more effective—speak Spanish faster, you should focus on how you go about your deliberate efforts. The strategy you have the most control over is the deliberate strategy. The emergent strategy is by its nature is random. In today’s podcast, I will talk about these two methods and how you can refine your deliberate strategy for learning vocabulary more effectively. Quote from the episode: “Effectiveness — often even survival — does not depend solely on how much effort we expend, but on whether or not the effort we expend is in the right jungle.” – Stephen Covey. What are your deliberate and emergent strategies for learning Spanish vocabulary? The post Tips 076: Learning Spanish Vocabulary – A Deliberate vs. Emergent Strategy appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

One long term ongoing test for english students learning Spanish is the difference between ‘ser’ and ‘estar’. For me these two words remind me of studying physics—as you move up the levels they keep telling you to forget the previous rules you have already learned. As if these two words weren’t confusing enough, you also have to adapt to a number of different ways of talking about the past in Spanish. What this means is that the translation of ‘was’ can present a challenge. In today’s spanish theory podcast, we are focusing on the 4 possible past spanish translations of was. I’m going to give a number of examples of each to test and reinforce your knowledge. The four possible translations of ‘I was’ in Spanish are: Fui – The indefinido of ser. Era – The imperfect of ser. Estuve – The indefinido of estar. Estaba – The imperfect of estar. Here is the list of conjugations of ser in the past simple: Past simple of Ser I was Fui You were Fuiste He / She was Fue We were Fuimos You-all were Fuisteis They were Fueron Here is the list of conjugations of ser in the past imperfect: Imperfecto of Ser I was Era You were Eras He / She was Era We were Éramos You-all were erais They were eran Here is the list of conjugations of estar in the past simple: Past simple of Estar I was Estuve You were Estuviste He / She was Estuvo We were Estuvimos You-all were Estuvisteis They were Estuvieron Here is the list of conjugations of estar in the past imperfect: Imperfecto of Estar I was Estaba You were Estabas He / She was Estaba We were Estábamos You-all were Estabais They were Estaban If you really want to get the most out of today’s podcast, write out a few examples of your own to help embed what you have learned in your long term memory. Podcast episodes mentioned in this podcast: Tips 009: Para Ser – In Order to Be. Tips 011: Estoy por – I’m up for… Tips 049: The Past Imperfect. Tips 055: Pretérito Indefinido – The Simple Spanish Past Tense. Examples form today’s episode: Last week I went to a party and it was a lot of fun – La semana pasada fui a una fiesta y fue muy divertida. When I was young I used to swim a lot – Cuando era pequeño nadaba mucho. Last week I was really busy – La semana pasada estuve muy ocupado. I met a girl last week and she was very pretty – Conocí a una chica la semana pasada y ella era muy guapa. Yesterday, I was at home alone when all of sudden I heard a noise – Ayer, estaba solo en casa cuando de repente oí un ruido. In 2003, despite my money problems I was able to survive. It was thanks to a good friend who helped me – En 2003, a pesar de mis problemas de dinero pude sobrevivir. Fue gracias a un buen amigo que me ayudó. At first I thought it was really boring but later it was much better – Al principio pensé que era muy aburrido, pero más tarde fue mucho mejor. Well, it was a new dress – Bueno, era un vestido nuevo. I had to go to class last night. The class was at 9 – Tuve que ir a clase anoche. La clase fue a las 9. On Sunday, I was speaking with my mum for 3 hours – El domingo estuve hablando con mi madre durante 3 horas. Last time I saw them, they were on the table – La última vez que las vi, estaban sobre la mesa. I remember before she found her new job, she was very unhappy – Me acuerdo que antes de encontrar su nuevo trabajo, ella estaba muy descontenta. When were you in class? – ¿Cuando estuviste en clase? It was tuesday – Fue el martes. My ex-housemate was never ready on time – Mi ex-compañero de casa nunca estaba listo a tiempo. My great grandparents were from Scotland – Mis bisabuelos eran de Escocia. What are some other examples of the spanish translations of was? The post Tips 075: The 4 Past Spanish Translations of ‘Was’ appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

A complaint I often hear is “I feel dumb in Spanish”. I don’t just hear this complaint from other students. I hear it in my own head as well. It’s not a huge surprise we feel this way. But why does it bother us so much? In this week’s mindset podcast episode, I explore the idea of feeling dumb in another language. I explore why it occurs. Why it bothers us so much. And what we can do about it. In your target language, even if you reach mastery levels, you still aren’t going to be able to articulate yourself as well as you can in your first language. You aren’t going to be able to shape your ideas as precisely as you want to. Or express that emotion or feeling that perfectly captures the moment. But this is natural, right? Obviously, you aren’t going to be able to turn a phrase as well as you can in your first language. But why then, do we still feel so inept? The strange thing is, in our first languages, whenever we feel dumb, we tend to get over it pretty quickly. Sometimes when it isn’t a question of speaking a foreign tongue we embrace being dumb. We often approach the idea of a lack of intelligence as a badge of honor. We sometimes like to appeal or even promote our inner less articulate side. On the other hand, some people like to use an apparent lack of intelligence as a strategy for persuasion or influence. Yet, despite the advantages that being stupid—or thought of as stupid—poses in English we still cannot bear the thought of appearing dump in front of foreigners. If you do encounter this thought pattern you need consider ways to push past this mindset hurdle. If you can’t, you may face a steep uphill battle on your language-learning journey. The quote for this episode is actually a Spanish proverb: “En boca cerrada no entran moscas” – Spanish proverb. Literally – Flies don’t enter a closed mouth. An equivalent in English might be: “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt”. Also another similar English expression: “loose lips, sink ships”. How can you get over the feeling of being ‘dumb’ in Spanish? The post Tips 074: How to Avoid Feeling Dumb in Spanish appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

I don’t know how many times I have walked into a Spanish restaurant and said the wrong thing. It could be at the start of the meal, during or even after I have paid. The idea seems simple enough. But there is a subtle complexity to the words people use in even common interactions such as ordering food. What do you ask for? How does the waiter ask if you are you ready to order? What do they usually say when you first sit down? How should you check the price of something? How do you ask for the bill? In this week’s theory podcast, we finish up a 3 part series on food. In the first episode, we talked about the eating habits in Spain. In the second episode, we covered the typical food you can find in a Spanish restaurant or bar. In this final episode, we are going to do a role-play that takes place in a Spanish restaurant. Maria will play the role of the waitress and I will play the customer. We will go through a typical set of interactions between a waiter and a restaurant customer. We will cover pleasantries, asking for the menu, ordering the food, checking the price of one of the menu options (maybe if, for example, the price or item is not on the menu). We finish with how to ask for the bill and how to say everything with the meal was okay. I have even included some background noise to give the role-play a more authentic feel. If you are having trouble understanding the Spanish section of the podcast or if you would like to get more out of the podcasts and take your Spanish to next level you can get access to the Spanish podcast transcripts and English translations here. Podcast episodes mentioned in this podcast: Tips 069: What You Need to Know about Spanish Eating Customs Before your Next Trip to Spain. Tips 071: 10 Tapas You Have to Try Before You Die and 5 You Might Want to Avoid. Examples from the episode: To drink? – ¿Para beber? Are you ready to order (I will take your order, your note) – Les tomo nota. Spanish meatballs – Albóndigas. Spanish soup – Salmorejo. Grape juice – Mosto. The dessert menu – La carta de postres. How much is this item? – ¿Cuánto cuesta? How much is it (all)? – ¿Cuánto es? The bill – La cuenta. Leave without paying – Sinpa (Sin pagar). Everything is good – Todo está bien. The food is good (the quality of the food in the restaurant is good) – La comida es buena. The food is good (after finishing a meal) – La comida está buena. How else can you order food in Spanish? Do you know any other customs or questions to ask? The post Tips 073: How to Order Food in Spanish – A Restaurant Role-Play appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

You may have heard the expression “time is money”. I don’t know if that’s true. Maybe it is. What I do know is that time has one thing in common with money and that is it can be poorly spent. It is possible to spend hours and hours “practicing” and not really see much benefit. But before you consider how to better spend your time, you need to consider all of resources you have available to you. What is a resource and how can you use it? There are resources all around us. Resources are great because they can be used to solve all different kinds of problems. In fact, this is a pretty good definition of resource – something that we can use to solve our problems. For Spanish students the 3 most important recourses are their time, money and attention. Most people are aware of the idea that money can be spent poorly. But when was the last time you considered the investment of your time and attention? If you were trying to make it big in the stock market, it would be a good idea to put your money on the best stocks. This is, of course, easier said than done. So if you were trying to improve your Spanish, it would be worthwhile putting some time into studying. But like the stock market, if you time is spend in the wrong stocks for studying you want see an improvement in your portfolio of Spanish knowledge. Similarly if you are don’t have your attention fixed on your Spanish in the right way, you will see a similar result to poorly spent time. I just completed two mindset podcasts on focus for productivity and focus for emotions. These both hint at the idea that you can spend time without attention. But ultimately if you are interested in improving your Spanish, you should not only invest your time, but your attention and money as well. Many students these days are considering trying to learn a language for free. I was also one of them. Until I realised that spending money is a great way to save time and the effort associated with long hours of studying on your own. If you are ever finding yourself poor in one of the resources: time, attention or money, but you are still want your Spanish to progress, then one of the best things you can do is invest the other resources wisely. In today’s mindset podcast I will be looking at the idea of your investment of time, money and attention and how you can reframe your mindset to improve your thinking about your thinking and achieve you language-learning goals faster. Quote from this episode: “Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.” – Albert Einstein. How can you invest your 3 most valuable resources to improve your Spanish faster? The post Tips 072: How to Effectively Use 3 Essential Resources to Improve Your Spanish appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

How adventurous are you when it comes to food? Are you the kind of person that tries anything once? Even if you are, you might still want to know what you are getting into. Just in case. Walking into a traditional tapas bar in Spain can be a mix of fun, overwhelm and adventure. It is not uncommon to see a long list of unfamiliar Spanish words scribbled on a chalkboard behind the bar. If you aren’t afraid of eating foods that you are unlikely to find at home – enjoy! But if you are a bit squeamish and the thought of intestines or snails bothers you, you might want to come prepared with the right vocabulary. Following on from last week’s theory podcast, we are continuing with the food theme. Last week we talked about the habits of eating in Spain. This week we talk about the different types of Spanish food that you can find in a traditional Spanish bar. We focus on a particular style of food in Spain called “tapas”.  We talk about the origin of Tapas. How did it start? Hint: there are lots of different stories. Listen to today’s podcast to find out if Maria knows the real story. We talk about which tapas are our favourites. We give a few suggestions for tapas you have to try and a few that only the most adventurous travellers should consider. If you are having trouble understanding the Spanish section of the podcast or if you would like to get more out of the podcasts and take your Spanish to next level you can get access to the Spanish podcast transcripts and english translations here in the Real Fast Spanish School. Podcast episodes mentioned in this podcast: Tips 069: What You Need to Know about Spanish Eating Customs Before your Next Trip to Spain. Examples from the episode: To try – Probar. Some day I would like to try Spanish omelette – Algún día me gustaría probar tortilla de patata. I have never tried (spanish cured ham) – Nunca, he probado el jamón. Dish / Plate – Plato. How disgusting – ¡Que asco! Offal (a.k.a weird animal parts) – Casquería. Pig face – Careta de cerdo. Tripe (intestines) – Callos. Pigs snout – Morros. Snails – Caracoles. Pigs ears – Oreja. Blood sausage – Morcilla. Padrón peppers – Pimientos de padrón. Spanish omelette – Tortilla de patata. Spanish cured ham – Jamón. Cheese and quince – Queso y membrillo Type of cheese in Spain – Manchego. Scrambled eggs on chips – Huevos rotos (Huevos cabreados). Potato with spicy tomato sauce or aioli  – Patatas bravas. Mushrooms – Champiñones. Deep fried left over bread bits mixed with your ingredients of choice – Migas. Prawns / shrimp – Gambas. Deep fried oval shaped yumminess  – Croquetas. Spanish sausage – Chorizo. What types of tapas are you willing to try? The post Tips 071: 10 Tapas You Have to Try Before You Die and 5 You Might Want to Avoid appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

Have you ever felt like there are hundreds of things competing to distract you and limiting your focus? Or have you ever thought that for one problem resolved there are additional five others that are now a top priority? In this week’s mindset tip we finish the two-part series on focus. In last weeks mindset episode, we looked a focus for emotions. In this week’s mindset tip we will look at how to improve your focus for productivity. Following on with the analogy introduced last week, I start again by comparing the brain to a camera. If you have ever tried to focus a camera on a completely white background, you may have noticed that the camera had a hard time focusing. For me, this analogy applies perfectly for when you are struggling to find focus in your work. If there is too much noise you may find a very similar result to the camera. You may struggle to focus. In order to find focus, you need to start by painting a clearer picture of the background. Trying to understand all of the different things that require your attention. Once you have a clearer idea of all of the things that need your attention – rank them. Once you have figured out what the most important item is, work on that. The key is knowing that what you are working on is the most important thing. That way, if other things distract you, you can have the confidence to ignore them and stay with what you are working on. From experience there are 3 things that affect focus: Lack of rest. Lack of food. Lack of clarity over knowing what the most important thing is that you should be doing. Given that you are well-rested and eaten, the next part of the puzzle is figuring out what you should be focusing on. The hardest part is having the discipline to sit down and work out what the one most important thing is that you should be doing. It can take time to focus. But, if it takes you an hour to actually sit down and figure it out. It will be worth it because the alternative maybe two hours of unfocused time or more. New Training Course Zero To Conversational In Spanish Books mentioned in this episode: Garry Keller, Jay Papasan – The ONE Thing Questions: What is the one most important thing you should be working on right now? Are you confident that this is the one thing? Quote from the episode: “Extraordinary results are determined by how narrow you can make your focus” – Jay Papasan. How else can you improve your focus for productivity? The post Tips 070: How To Improve Your Focus (Part 2 of 2) appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

Imagine that it is 7 o’clock. A Thursday night. You are in the main street of one of the biggest cities in Spain and everything is closed. Nobody around. All the bars are empty. You think to yourself – when do the people here eat? Even after 3 trips to Spain, Spanish eating customs still confuse me. Do they eat early or late? Do they eat big or small? When deciding on a topic for this week’s podcast, we discussed the idea of food in Spain. But food in Spain is a massive topic. So we needed to break it down a little. Instead of talking about all things food, we decided to focus on the eating customs in Spain. For example, what times of the day to the Spanish eat? How big are the meals? How many meals? Do they tend to eat at home? Or out? And do they eat differently on the weekend to the typical weekday? We going to answer all of these questions this week. As well as that, just for fun, I ask Maria how she is adapting to the way of eating here in Australia. Is she finding adapting to our eating customs difficult or a breeze? How do the Spanish eating customs differ from those of your country? If you are having trouble understanding the Spanish section of the podcast or if you would like to get more out of the podcasts and take your Spanish to next level you can get access to the Spanish podcast transcripts and English translations here. Examples from the episode: To share – Compartir. We are going to order something to share – Vamos a pedir algo para compartir. Mediterranean diet – Dieta Mediterránea. Balanced – Equilibrado/a. Typical rice dish in Spain – Paella. Winter stew – Cocido. Heavy – Pesado. Breakfast – El desayuno. Lunch – El almuerzo. Food / lunch / main meal of the day – La comida. The afternoon snack / tea – La merienda. Dinner – La cena. Typical menu of the day – Menú del día. First plate – Primer plato. Second plate – Segundo plato. Dessert – Postre. The weekend – El finde. What else do you know about Spanish eating customs? The post Tips 069: What You Need to Know about Spanish Eating Customs Before your Next Trip to Spain appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.

I sometimes find it difficult to focus. I also feel this lack of focus is holding me back from achieving my goals. But is focus something that is only reserved for a certain type of person? Or can we all learn to improve our focus?  For me, focus comes in two categories: focus for emotions and focus for productivity. Sometimes we only focus on things that make us feel angry, sad or afraid. Despite this lack of utility, we continue to focus on these things anyway. I believe that we need to look for strategies to remedy this kind of focus. The kind of focus that affects our emotional well being. And we need to remedy this type of focus before we can start to be productive. So in this week’s mindset podcast, we will be exploring the type of focus that affects our emotions. This episode will be part one in a two part series on focus. In next week’s mindset podcast we will look at focus for productivity. What do you focus on when it comes to learning Spanish – what you get right or what you get wrong?  Do you think about your mistakes in a positive light or negative one?  I often find myself lamenting mistakes. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a big mistake or a little one. At times I can spend hours frustrated by some silly little moment when I forgot a preposition or made another typical error with a masculine or feminine noun. If you are at all like me, you need to find tactics to take your mind off small mishaps because this kind of frustration will only slow your progress. You need to improve your focus around mindset because once you can do that, you will be able to find quality focus for productivity and improvement. So have a listen to this week’s podcast and take me up on my mindset challenge. The challenge is to try to answer the following questions everyday for a week. Questions: What is the thing you know best about Spanish? Where is your strongest area? (If you having a hard time with that question, If you were to have a strongest area what would be?) Why can you be successful in Spanish? What are you most excited about with learning Spanish? What are you looking forward to doing the most? What are you grateful for? About Spanish, language learning or anything in your life? If you find the technique helps you with your focus for emotions then keep going. There is no need to only do it for a week. If it is working for you, then keep going and building that language learning mindset. Quote from the episode: “The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice. And because we fail to notice that we fail to notice there is little we can do to change until we notice how failing to notice shapes our thoughts and deeds.” – Daniel Goleman How else can you improve your focus? The post Tips 068: How To Improve Your Focus (Part 1 of 2) appeared first on Real Fast Spanish.