Spanish Accents in Strange places. Maybe during your Spanish language learning journey you’ve noticed that there are some words that are spelled the same yet one of them has an accent or tilde and the other doesn’t. Many times the accent barely changes the pronunciation, if at all. The most confusing part of this, of course, is not when you have to say these words, but when you have to write them. Is it SOLO or SÓLO? Should I write EL or ÉL? Is it MI or MÍ? Understanding Why. This is the key to ...
Nov 10, 2013•12 min
Putting Emphasis on your Emphasis. A student of ours had some Spanish pronunciation problems when he once tried to buy some sugar in a shop in Spain and spent a good while repeating the same word over and over again with no success. Finally, defeated, he left the shop without his “azúcar”. The problem he had was that he wasn’t putting the emphasis, “el golpe de voz” in the right place. Rather than saying; az U car, he was saying; azuc A r. Now, that may seem like a minor infraction, but believe ...
Nov 07, 2013•11 min
For any serious student of the Spanish language, asking; “What does QUE in Spanish mean?” is probably one of the most fundamental questions that they seek answers to! Not long after you begin your learning journey, you begin to notice the worrying frequency in which QUE, or QUÉ, or LO QUE, for that matter appear in whichever text or exercise you are working through. With this realisation comes certain trepidation as we begin to ask ourselves if we will ever really understand it properly. The Goo...
Nov 04, 2013•10 min
Now that you have these important verbs under your belt, so to speak, listen to us using them all in general conversation. This is your chance to get tuned in and develop your ‘ear’ for the Spanish language. ¡Buena suerte! Remember, a wealth of additional information about this Spanish lesson for beginners can be found in our comprehensive Spanish help-sheets available to all our students now. Video of This Spanish Lesson Audio for This Spanish Lesson The post Beginners Spanish Podcast 20 – Impo...
Dec 22, 2011•11 min
Did you know that there are more irregular Spanish verbs than there are regular? That’s why you must catch this podcast. Come and join us as we continue helping you to get to grips with four more vitally important verbs that will help you move your Spanish forward at LightSpeed. Of course, all the additional information about this free Spanish podcast can be found in the Spanish help-sheets we offer for all of our lessons. Video of This Spanish Lesson Audio for This Spanish Lesson The post Begin...
Dec 15, 2011•10 min
In this Spanish lesson for beginners we help you learn four important Spanish verbs and their, at times, strange structures. You simply can’t get by without these ones! Listen in as we coach you step by step through their usage and help you become comfortable with their conjugations. As always, please note that all the additional information and guidance can be found in the comprehensive Spanish help-sheets . They were written and designed especially with the learner in mind. You won’t be disapp...
Dec 08, 2011•11 min
If you’ve arrived this far…¡Enhorabuena! Now it’s time to review everything we’ve covered by putting it into conversation. Why not challenge yourself and see how much you can pick up the first time! Loads more information can be found, as always, in the comprehensive Spanish help-sheets available now. Video of This Spanish Lesson Audio for This Spanish Lesson The post Beginners Spanish Podcast 17 – Review appeared first on Lightspeed Spanish ....
Dec 01, 2011•11 min
Who? What? When? Where? How? Without these and all the other Spanish question words you simply cannot ask the questions that will lead you to a wonderful Spanish conversation. Join us for this Spanish podcast for beginners to hear some handy ways to commit them to memory forever. Don’t forget that lots more information can be found in the comprehensive Spanish help-sheets available now. Video of This Spanish Lesson Audio for This Spanish Lesson The post Beginners Spanish Podcast 16 – Spanish Que...
Nov 24, 2011•11 min
Although the weather isn’t quite as important a subject for some as it is for others, this is an absolute must for any Spanish student. Come and join us as we help you learn how to describe every kind of weather from freezing cold to baking hot! Of course, all the additional information for this beginners Spanish lesson can be found in our Spanish help-sheets , which have been designed with the learner in mind. You’re sure to love them! Video of This Spanish Lesson Audio for This Spanish Lesson ...
Nov 17, 2011•11 min
Do speakers tell time in Spanish like we do, or do they have a totally different system? Listen to this Spanish lesson for beginners as we explain their straight-forward process and show you what it means when you say things like “It’s seven less fifteen.” For your greater understanding, all the additional information and guidance can be found in the comprehensive help-sheets . Video of This Spanish Lesson Audio for This Spanish Lesson The post Beginners Spanish Podcast 14 – Tell Time in Spanish...
Nov 10, 2011•11 min
Did you know that all Spanish naming words are either masculine or feminine? Did you know that there’s no rhyme nor reason to it? So, how on earth do you know whether a word is masculine or feminine? Listen in on this Spanish podcast as we show you how to know and give you some tips on some of the more complex words. Remember, all the additional information and guidance on masculine and feminine Spanish words can be found in the comprehensive Spanish help-sheets that have been designed with you,...
Nov 03, 2011•11 min
Are you confused about Spanish sentence construction and Spanish word order? You don’t need to be. So many students think it’s more complicated than it is. There are actually only a couple of important things to learn. Join us in this beginner Spanish lesson as we help take the confusion out of sentence construction and help you make basic, but all important, sentences in the same way a Spanish speaker would. Learn more with our Spanish help-sheets , which dive even deeper into the topic. Video ...
Oct 27, 2011•10 min
Two different verbs to say the same word. How confusing! Don’t worry, in this beginner Spanish lesson we explain how these two similar yet very different verbs work. Listen in and learn how knowing things, people and places are dealt with in the Spanish language. Here we help you understand which one of these verbs you would use when you know “someone” or when you know “stuff”! For more on the difference between saber and conocer, have a look at our Spanish help-sheets . Video of This Spanish Le...
Oct 20, 2011•10 min
Talking about likes and dislikes is not only one of the key parts to Spanish conversation but is also a fabulous conversation piece for any serious student of Spanish. In this Spanish lesson for beginners, we help you learn the basic structure of the verb “to like”. Watch out for the three question formula that will ensure you always get it right! Learn even more about gustar in our comprehensive Spanish help-sheets for beginners . Video of This Spanish Lesson Audio for This Spanish Lesson The p...
Oct 13, 2011•11 min
To be or not to be? These two verbs form part of one of the most important areas of your early Spanish learning. Just as in English, you will find them liberally throughout the Spanish language and there are few sentences that don’t need these verbs. The issue is, there are two of them! And so the question is: “When do you use ser and when estar?” Listen to our ninth free Spanish podcast for beginners as we start to help demystify the most important use of ser and estar. We go over ser and estar...
Oct 06, 2011•11 min
Being able to use the future is fabulous in conversation as well as a fundamental part of your Spanish learning. Here in the eighth beginner Spanish lesson at LightSpeed Spanish we help you learn the basic structure of “going to go” which is the most common and certainly the most straight forward future tense that Spanish speakers have. Once you have the future tense in Spanish, you are going to have a great Spanish level! Much more information is, of course, available in our comprehensive Spani...
Sep 29, 2011•11 min
Many students of the Spanish language shy away from counting in Spanish because they feel that numbers are too difficult. This is far from the case and the truth is that learning numbers is as important as any other aspect of the Spanish language. Especially when it comes down to money! There are a number of common errors that Spanish students make when using Spanish numbers and in this Spanish podcast for beginners we assist you in learning how to avoid them from the beginning and pronounce lik...
Sep 22, 2011•10 min
Someone once said that questions are the answer and in your Spanish language learning journey this is very true. To really be able to instigate a conversation in Spanish, you need some great questions. People love to be asked interesting questions and in this free beginner Spanish lesson we help you learn a range of useful Spanish phrases and questions that will give you the confidence you need to make small talk with any Spanish speaker. As always, all the additional information and guidance ca...
Sep 15, 2011•11 min
No matter what some people tell you, if you really want to speak Spanish correctly and be understood well then you must “dominar” the verb conjugation. This just means that you must know how to take a verb like, “to eat” and break it down into the separate people, like “I eat, you eat, she eats” etc. In this free Spanish podcast we’ll show you how to learn our simple, easy to remember and super speedy method of breaking down conjugating Spanish verbs. In ten minutes we can help you save you mont...
Sep 08, 2011•15 min
In this beginner Spanish lesson we firstly help you introduce yourself by correctly offering your name and then we show you how to ask someone for their name and introduce a friend. One of the biggest mistakes that beginner students make is introducing themselves incorrectly. You’ll find out that, normally, Spanish speakers don’t say “My name is..” but rather: “I call myself…”. First impressions are everything and so knowing how to greet people correctly, like a true Spanish speaker, makes all t...
Sep 01, 2011•11 min
In this our third free Spanish lesson online for beginners, we continue to help you polish your Spanish pronunciation and gain greater speaking confidence by teaching you the rest of the Spanish alphabet. Listen in to discover how to develop your “R” sound so you talk like a true Spanish speaker. ¡Buena suerte! Remember, in-depth, additional information and guidance can be found in the comprehensive Spanish help-sheets for beginners . The post Beginner Spanish Podcast 3 – Alphabet H to Z appeare...
Aug 25, 2011•15 min
In this Spanish beginner podcast we cover the essential sounds that will help you sound like a native Spanish speaker. One of the greatest hurdles to overcome in your learning journey is developing an authentic Spanish accent. Starting right at the beginning is vital if you want to avoid getting into bad habits. We take you through the most important sounds in the Spanish alphabet and help you understand and, more importantly, be understood. Of course, all the additional information and guidance...
Aug 18, 2011•16 min
Greeting in Spanish. Text books and real life. Many students of English learn that when English speaking people greet you, they say the following: “Hello, good morning. How do you do?” Anyone who has ever lived in an English speaking country will know that this is rarely the case! Mostly we offer a simple, “Hi!” or, in our region, a brief: “Y’all right?”. I can’t recall the last time someone asked me how I did. Well, the same applies to greetings in Spanish. Quite often, what we find filling the...
Aug 11, 2011•21 min
In this lesson we coach you through the vital Spanish numbers along with what to watch out for when pronouncing them! Do you know when we use the ‘y’ in Spanish numbers? Join us to find out! Get your Helpsheets for this lesson HERE . Find out more about our Immersion Courses here! If you would like to try SER SOCIO freely and want to receive two lessons a week from Gordon and Cynthia of LightSpeed Spanish, just click HERE . Visit our website here: https://lightspeedspanish.co.uk/ Check out our B...
Jul 18, 2010•14 min
In this lesson we coach you through some of the most vital Spanish questions you could have! Set at A1-A2 level, join us as we guide you through both the questions and the answers in Spanish. If you want to have the most vital Spanish questions under your belt and ready to be used, join us now! Get your Helpsheets for this lesson HERE . Find out more about our Immersion Courses here! If you would like to try SER SOCIO freely and want to receive two lessons a week from Gordon and Cynthia of Light...
Jul 11, 2010•13 min
In this fun lesson we give you a great system that will help you when conjugating Spanish verbs. This is a ‘must’ lesson for any Spanish learner. Spanish verbs can appear to be complicated at first, but with this easy system, you will be conjugating Spanish verbs like a pro! Get your Helpsheets for this lesson HERE . Find out more about our Immersion Courses here! If you would like to try SER SOCIO freely and want to receive two lessons a week from Gordon and Cynthia of LightSpeed Spanish, just ...
May 16, 2010•11 min
In this fun lesson we help you with the very important Spanish personal pronouns. Spanish personal pronouns are no where as near as important in Spanish as they are in English, yet they cannot and must not be ignored! Find out why! Get your Helpsheets for this lesson HERE . Find out more about our Immersion Courses here! If you would like to try SER SOCIO freely and want to receive two lessons a week from Gordon and Cynthia of LightSpeed Spanish, just click HERE . Visit our website here: https:/...
May 09, 2010•11 min
In this fun lesson we help you with the important greetings in Spanish. Come and join us to learn a few of the most important greetings in Spanish! Get your Helpsheets for this lesson HERE . Find out more about our Immersion Courses here! If you would like to try SER SOCIO freely and want to receive two lessons a week from Gordon and Cynthia of LightSpeed Spanish, just click HERE . Visit our website here: https://lightspeedspanish.co.uk/ Check out our Book Range HERE. Take a look at Cynthia’s Bo...
Apr 11, 2010•16 min
In this fun lesson we help you with what is one of the biggest Spanish alphabet challenge for us: And that’s the letter R. Have fun while you learn about the the Spanish aphabet challenge of the R through to the letter Z. Come and join us! Get your Helpsheets for this lesson HERE . Find out more about our Immersion Courses here! If you would like to try SER SOCIO freely and want to receive two lessons a week from Gordon and Cynthia of LightSpeed Spanish, just click HERE . Visit our website here:...
Apr 04, 2010•14 min
In this fun lesson we help you with what is the most fundamental andf important starting point when learning Spanish: The Spanish Alphabet for Beginners. Once you have the Spanish Alphabet under control, your Spanish will fly! Come and join us! Get your Helpsheets for this lesson HERE . Find out more about our Immersion Courses here! If you would like to try SER SOCIO freely and want to receive two lessons a week from Gordon and Cynthia of LightSpeed Spanish, just click HERE . Visit our website ...
Mar 28, 2010•11 min
