Beginners Spanish Podcast - Spanglish Friends

Learn how to catch a bus, buy tickets, and use public transport in Spanish with confidence!In this beginner Spanish podcast episode, Em and Val teach you essential Spanish phrases and vocabulary for travelling by bus in Spanish-speaking countries. You'll learn how to ask where the bus stop is, find out which bus to take, buy a ticket, ask about fares, and understand common public transport announcements.Perfect for Spanish beginners, travellers, backpackers, and anyone wanting to feel more confident using Spanish in real-life situations.In this episode, you'll learn:✅ How to ask where the bus stop is and which bus you need to take✅ Essential Spanish vocabulary for buses, tickets, routes, and public transport✅ How to buy a bus ticket, ask about prices, and understand common travel questions🎯 Reto de la Semana (Challenge of the Week)Write a sentence asking where the bus is going.Leave your sentence in the comments or send us a DM, we LOVE seeing your progress!!💛 ShoutoutSpecial shoutout this week to JD who commented in episode 57 saying: Parece que Em y Val se llevan bien. Amazing work, JD. ¡Bien hecho!📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com🎶 Music by @scotairdmusic

Learn how to book appointments, make reservations, and talk on the phone in Spanish with confidence!In this beginner Spanish podcast episode, Em and Val teach you essential phrases for booking doctor's appointments, dentist visits, haircuts, and restaurant reservations in Spanish. You'll learn how to ask for availability, suggest a different day or time, and confidently handle common phone conversations in real-life Spanish.Perfect for Spanish beginners, travelers, expats, and anyone wanting to improve their Spanish speaking and listening skills in everyday situations.🎙️ In this episode, you'll learn:✅ How to book an appointment in Spanish using polite phrases like Me gustaría agendar una cita✅ Essential Spanish phone call greetings and expressions✅ Different ways Spanish speakers answer the phone (¿Hola?, ¿Bueno?, ¿Diga?)✅ How to ask about availability using ¿Tiene disponibilidad para...?✅ How to request a specific day and time in Spanish✅ How to confirm a booking and end a phone conversation politely🎯 Reto de la Semana (Challenge of the Week)Practice how you would book a table at a restaurant in Spanish!Example: Me gustaría reservar una mesa para dos esta noche.Leave your sentence in the comments or send us a DM, we LOVE seeing your progress!!💛 Shoutout Special shoutout this week to Megan for sharing an excellent Spanish practice sentence from Episode 60: Esto no me queda bien. ¿Tienes una talla más pequeña? Amazing work, Megan. ¡Bien hecho!📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com🎶 Music by @scotairdmusic

🎬 Have you ever wondered if watching Spanish movies can actually help you learn Spanish as a beginner? The research says YES, but only if you use them the right way.In this episode, Em and Val break down why Spanish films feel difficult at first, what beginners usually get wrong, and how movies can actually improve your listening, vocabulary, and comprehension over time.Perfect for Spanish beginners, travellers, and anyone wanting to improve their Spanish in a fun, real-world way.💛 Giveaway (Australian Listeners) We’re giving away TWO double movie passes to the Australian Spanish & Latin American Film Festival, which runs from June-July 2026! To enter: • Follow us on Instagram @spanglish_friends • Comment on our pinned post • Tag a friend you want to take to the festival! Winners will announced Tuesday 9 June, 9am AEST via instagram 💛 About the Australian Spanish & Latin American Film Festival📅 Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Byron Bay & more.🎟️ Full festival program: https://storage.googleapis.com/production-cms-storage-bucket/SFF26_Programme_DL_Web.pdf🌐 More info: https://spanishfilmfestival.com/🎙️ In this episode, you’ll learn: ✅ Why Spanish movies feel difficult at first (and why that’s normal) ✅ How different accents and slang affect understanding ✅ What research says about learning languages through films ✅ How subtitles actually help beginners learn faster ✅ How to use movies to improve your Spanish (even as a beginner) ✅ Beginner-friendly listening practice and strategies🎬 Films mentioned in this episode (Em’s Spanish Movie Recommendations) La Odisea de los Giles (Argentina) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10384744/ A comedy about neighbours who lose their savings during Argentina’s financial crisis and plan a clever mission to get revenge.Justicia Artificial (Spain) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21186294/ A political thriller set in the near future where AI is used in the justice system, raising questions about fairness and control. Language Lessons (USA) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11027830/ A heartfelt drama-comedy about a Spanish teacher and student whose online lessons turn into a deep emotional friendship.🎯 Reto de la Semana (Challenge of the Week) Have you ever watched a Spanish film? Share your experience or recommend a movie in the comments!📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends 📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com 📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com 🎶 Music by @scotairdmusicResearch mentioned in this episode (yeah, real studies here only) • The Language Learning Journal (2019) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09571736.2019.1610033 • PLOS ONE (2016) https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0158409

Do you know how to ask for your size, where the fitting room is, or say “this doesn’t fit”… in Spanish? In Episode 60, Em and Val teach you how to go clothes shopping using simple, real-life Spanish. From asking for sizes to talking about how clothes fit, this is practical Spanish you’ll actually use when travelling or living abroad.🎙️ In this episode, you’ll: ✅ Learn how to ask where the fitting room is ✅ Learn how to ask for clothing sizes (S, M, L, XS, XL) ✅ Learn how to say “do you have this in…?” ✅ Learn how to say if something fits well or not ✅ Learn how to ask for a bigger or smaller size ✅ Hear a natural mini conversation you can copy and use🎯 Reto de la Semana (Challenge of the Week) Write a shopping conversation in Spanish: 👉Imagine an item of clothing is not fitting you well, practice asking for a larger or smaller size. Can you remember how to say this? Post your sentence in the comments or send us a DM on Instagram, we LOVE seeing your Spanish progress!💛 Shoutout: This week’s shoutout goes to Jess who commented on Spotify saying our episode “what to say when you don’t know what to say” was so helpful, and “y’all have a new listener here!” Welcome Jess, we’re so glad you’re part of the community!📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends 📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com 📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com 🎶 Music by @scotairdmusic

Why is it el problema, but la mano… and sometimes even el agua fría (wait, what?! 😵)?In Episode 58, Em and Val break down one of the most confusing parts of Spanish for beginners — gender exceptions. You’ve probably learned the rule: words ending in “a” are feminine and words ending in “o” are masculine… but Spanish doesn’t always follow the rules.So how do you know when it doesn’t? And more importantly… WHY?In this episode, we go beyond memorizing exceptions and explain the real reasons behind them — so you can finally understand Spanish, not just remember it.🎙️In this episode, you’ll:✅ Learn the basic gender rule (and why it’s only 80% accurate)✅ Understand why Spanish breaks rules through history and evolution.✅ Discover Latin-origin words like el problema, el sistema, el tema.✅ Learn how English loanwords enter Spanish: el email, el marketing, la cookie.✅ Understand shortened words like la moto, la foto, la tele.✅ Learn pronunciation-based exceptions like el agua, el alma, el arma.🎯Reto de la Semana (Challenge of the Week)Write one Spanish word that confused you because of its gender. Examples: El agua, el problema.Comment below or DM us — we LOVE seeing what confuses learners so we can help you understand it better💬💛This week’s shoutout goes to Megan from England for her amazing Spanish introduction and for sharing about her life (and her cat Dee 🐱). You are officially our first Spanglish Friends pet mention!📲Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends📧Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com📚1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com🎶Music by @scotairdmusic

How long have you been friends with someone… and could you say it in Spanish? 🤔💬In this special collab episode, Em and Val are joined by Savin from Ele-Frente, to help you talk about friendships in Spanish with confidence. 💛Together, you’ll learn how to ask how long you’ve been friends, answer using simple structures, and describe your friend’s personality using beginner-friendly Spanish.🎙️ In this episode, you’ll:✅ Learn how to ask: How long you have been friends? In Spanish.✅Learn how to answer that question.✅ Describe your friend’s personality, such as they are fun, kind, hardworking, etc.✅ Combine ideas to create natural Spanish sentences✅ Hear a full mini conversation with a guest speaker🎯 Reto de la Semana (Challenge of the Week)Describe a friend in Spanish using the new vocab you learn today!Example: Somos amigas desde hace cuatro años. Ella es divertida y amable. Post it in the comments or DM us on Instagram — we love celebrating your Spanish wins! 🎉💛 ShoutoutThis week’s shoutout goes to our Spanglish Friend Victoria — thank you for your kind message and for sharing the podcast with your friends. Welcome to the community! 💫 Follow our Guest Host— Savin from Ele-Frente! Follow Savin here → Instagram @ele_frenteHe shares clear, beginner-friendly Spanish tips and is the host of the podcast Español con Pasos Firmes, helping learners build confidence step by step. Check him out on spotify! Follow Spanglish Friends 📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com🎶 Music by @scotairdmusic

Want to talk about Easter in Spanish — from the Easter bunny to chocolate and egg hunts — using just a few simple words? 🐰🍫🥚In Episode 54, Em and Val teach you how to describe Easter traditions like painting and hiding eggs, looking for them, and celebrating with family — all in beginner-friendly Spanish.🎙️ In this episode, you’ll:✅ Learn essential Easter vocabulary: la Pascua, los huevos de Pascua, el conejo de Pascua, el jardín, and la canasta✅ Learn useful verbs to describe Easter activities: pintar, esconder, buscar, and encontrar✅ Answer common questions like ¿Qué haces en Pascua? and ¿Qué hace tu familia?✅ Hear a full mini conversation about Easter that you can copy and practise✅ Understand how to talk about holiday traditions with simple sentences🎯 Reto de la Semana (Challenge of the Week)Tell us in one sentence what you or your family do at Easter in Spanish. For example:• En Pascua pinto huevos.• Escondo huevos en el jardín.• Mi familia busca huevos de Pascua.Post your sentence in the comments or send us a direct message on Instagram — Val and Em love seeing you practice and celebrate your Spanish wins!💛 Shoutout: This week’s shoutout goes to our Spanglish Friend Emily, who asked: “Cómo se dice landlord en español?” The answer: propietaria (I’m a landlord). Thanks for being part of our community, Emily!📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com🎶 Music by @scotairdmusic

Want to describe your daily routine in Spanish — and make it sound like a real conversation? ☀️In this episode, you’ll learn how to talk about what you do in the morning, afternoon, and evening using simple, beginner Spanish.In Episode 52, Em and Val teach you how to go from random verbs to a full connected story about your day — using reflexive verbs, sequencing words, and frequency expressions you can start using straight away.🎙️ In this episode, you’ll:✅ Learn essential daily routine reflexive verbs (me despierto, me levanto, me ducho, me acuesto)✅ Learn how to use regular verbs to describe your day✅ Connect your routine using primero, luego, después, más tarde, finalmente✅ Make your Spanish sound natural with siempre, a veces, nunca, todos los días✅ Understand why we say me despierto and not yo despierto✅ Hear a full beginner daily routine you can copy and practice🎯 Reto de la Semana (Challenge of the Week) Tell us about your daily routine using:👉 one reflexive verb👉 one sequencing word👉 one frequency wordExample: Primero, me levanto a las ocho. Luego, trabajo. A veces estudio español.Val will help correct your sentence if needed!💛 Fifty-two episodes in — and you can now talk about your life in Spanish. That’s main-character energy.📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com🎶 Music by @scotairdmusic

Meeting someone for the first time in Spanish? 🤝Would you confidently introduce yourself — or panic after saying hola?In Episode 50, Em and Val celebrate fifty episodes of Spanglish Friends by helping you have your first real conversation in Spanish using the language you already know — step by step.You’ll learn how to introduce yourself naturally: your name, age, where you’re from, where you live, what you do, what you like, and even your mascotas 🐶 — using simple beginner Spanish you can start speaking straight away.🎙️ In this episode, you’ll:✅ Learn how to say your name and age (Me llamo…, Tengo… años)✅ Learn how to say where you’re from and where you live (Soy de…, Vivo en…)✅ Describe your living situation (Vivo con… / Vivo solo/a)✅ Talk about your job or studies (Soy… / Trabajo en…)✅ Talk about the weather in your city (Hace calor / hace frío)✅ Share your likes using Me gusta…✅ Introduce your pet and say its name✅ Hear two full beginner introductions you can copy and practise🎯 Reto de la Semana (Challenge of the Week)Write your own Spanish introduction using at least TWO of the structures from this episode.👉 Example: Me llamo Alex.Soy de Australia y vivo en la ciudad. Me gusta el café.Val will help correct your sentence if needed!💛 Thank you for being part of our first 50 episodes — this conversation is proof of how far you’ve come.📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com🎶 Music by @scotairdmusic

Meeting someone new in Spanish and not sure how to ask what they do for work — or how to respond without feeling awkward? This episode has you covered.In Episode 48, Em and Val teach beginner Spanish learners how to ask someone about their job in Spanish, react naturally when they answer, and keep the conversation going with simple follow-up questions — using real, everyday Spanish you can start using straight away.🎙️ In this episode, you’ll:✅ Learn 3 natural ways to ask “What do you do for work?” in Spanish(¿A qué te dedicas?, ¿En qué trabajas?, ¿Cuál es tu profesión?)✅ Learn how to react naturally with phrases like qué interesante, qué bueno, ah, genial✅ Keep the conversation flowing with easy follow-up questions(¿Te gusta tu trabajo?, ¿Trabajas algunos días desde casa?)✅ Hear a short mini conversation you can copy and practise🎯 Reto de la Semana (Challenge of the Week)Tell us in Spanish:👉 Your favourite reaction phrase from this episodeExample: ¡Ah, qué interesante!Or: ¡Ah, genial!Val will help correct your sentence if needed!💛 Don’t forget to follow, leave a review, and share this episode with someone learning Spanish.📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com🎶 Music by @scotairdmusic

Once you know how to say where you live, the next question usually is: ¿Y con quién vives? — who do you live with?In Episode 46, Em and Val help beginner Spanish learners describe their home in Spanish — whether you live in a house or an apartment, what it’s like, and who you live with — using simple, real-life Spanish you can start using straight away.🎙️ In this episode, you’ll:✅ Learn how to say what type of home you live in using vivo en una casa / vivo en un apartamento✅ Describe your home using ser (mi casa es grande, pequeña, acogedora)✅ Learn beginner adjectives like big, small, and cosy✅ Say who you live with using vivo con or how to say you live alone✅ Hear a short mini conversation you can copy and practise🎯 Reto de la Semana (Challenge of the Week)Tell us in Spanish:👉 What type of home you live in and one detail about itExample: Vivo en un apartamento pequeño y vivo solo.Val will help correct your sentence if needed in the comments! 💛 Don’t forget to follow, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend learning Spanish.📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com🎶 Music by @scotairdmusic

¿A qué te dedicas? — which literally means “to what do you dedicate yourself?”In Episode 44, Em and Val break down this essential phrase and teach you how to answer clearly, even if your job is unusual or you’re a student. You’ll also learn when to use soy + profession and trabajo + en/como to explain your job naturally.🎙️ In this episode, you’ll:✅ Learn how to answer ¿A qué te dedicas? in beginner-friendly Spanish✅ Discover the difference between soy + profession vs trabajo + en/como✅ Learn common jobs and how to adapt them for gender✅ Tips for describing uncommon jobs so natives understand you✅ Hear a mini conversation with simple, real examples🎯 Reto de la Semana (Challenge of the Week)Tell us in Spanish in the comments:👉 Your job using soy… or trabajo como…Val will help you translate if your profession is tricky!💛 Don’t forget to follow, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who wants to talk about their job in Spanish confidently.📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com🎶 Music by @scotairdmusic

Have you always wanted to learn Spanish but thought “I don’t have time,” “I’m too old,” or “this feels too hard”? You’re not alone — and this episode is here to change that 💥In Episode 42, our very first episode of 2026, Em and Val break down how beginners can actually start learning Spanish, stay motivated when life gets busy, and build a realistic plan that works long-term. This is a highly interactive episode designed to help you set clear goals, overcome mental blocks, and take real action — not just dream about learning Spanish.🎙️ In this episode, you’ll:✅ Break through common limiting beliefs about learning Spanish ✅ Learn how to start Spanish as a beginner (even with a busy life)✅ Discover how to stay motivated without burning out✅ Build a realistic Spanish learning action plan for 2026✅ Learn why consistency matters more than perfection🎯 Reto de la Semana (Challenge of the Week)This week’s reto is all about goal setting 💪👉 Tell us your Spanish goal for this year (in English)👉 Share 1–2 concrete actions you’ll take to make it happenExample:“I want to have a basic conversation in Spanish by June, so I’ll listen to this podcast every week and take one class per week.”Comment or DM us on Instagram @spanglish_friends — we’ll shout out one of your goals in a future episode!💛 Don’t forget to follow, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who wants to learn Spanish in 2026. Let’s start strong together ✨📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com🎶 Music by @scotairdmusic