9 of the Best Podcasts for Learning Spanish
Embark on Your Spanish Learning Journey with the 9 Best Podcasts! Dive into immersive language lessons, culture, and more with our top picks. Enhance your skills and explore the beauty of the Spanish language and culture.
Imagine what you would do if you could easily understand spoken Spanish.
You could finally travel to the Spanish-speaking countries you’ve dreamed of, watch foreign films and addictive telenovelas, or understand a paella recommendation from the menu del día on a Thursday in Valencia.
Best of all, you’d be prepared for real conversations with native Spanish-speakers. The only question is: how do you find the time to practice your Spanish listening skills?
Podcasts are a great way to add Spanish listening practice into your day-to-day life. They are free, and can accompany any part of your day: driving a car, washing your dishes, doing laundry, working out, reading, and more.
The Fluent Show
In addition to the Spanish podcasts you’ll find in this article, check out the Fluent Show. That’s my own podcast where we discuss languages, learning methods, and how to live a multilingual life.Click here to listen and subscribe.
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These 9 online resources are some of the best when it comes to learning Spanish.
Quick Primer: How Do Podcasts Work?
If you're curious about podcasts, but not quite sure how they work, here's what you need to know:
- You can subscribe for free to podcasts on your phone, tablet, or computer.
- If you use an iPhone or iPad, go to the Podcasts app. If you're on a Mac, use theiTunes directory.
- On a PC or Android device, try theStitcher app for a quick and easy start.
- Subscribing means you'll always have the latest episode ready and waiting for you as soon as it's published.
Spanish Podcasts For Beginners
Castilian Spanish
Notes in Spanish is a podcast run by Marina, a native speaker from Spain, and Ben, an Englishman. Each episode is actually a conversation between the two. There are episodes dedicated to beginners as well as intermediate and advanced learners. For beginners, the hosts also go over key vocabulary, phrases, and basic grammar points both before and after their conversations.
Since Ben is also a Spanish learner, he offers a lot of useful tips for listeners while Marina often provides corrections and points out common mistakes. They speak clearly, making it easy for beginners to follow along.
Castilian and Latin American Spanish
SpanishPod101 from InnovativeLanguage covers the basic through advanced levels of Spanish. The episodes are exciting and immersive. Plus, you can find episodes for both Castilian and Latin American Spanish along with the differences between them. There are even episodes that explain some of the regional vocabulary from places like Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, and Spain.
The dialogues are presented by engaging hosts in a clear, concise way covering many grammatical features and cultural topics. On the website you can sign up for premium content to access spaced repetition flashcards, PDF lesson notes, and a community forum.
Spanish Podcasts for Intermediate and Advanced Learners
Castilian Spanish
Unlimited Spanish with Òscar Pellus uses a unique storytelling technique based on Òscar’s method of learning Spanish through exposure and repetition. Every episode includes a quick story followed by a question and answer session that encourages listeners to practice their speaking skills as well. It’s also a great option for anyone who doesn’t care for lengthy grammar explanations.
Podcast topics include various aspects of Spanish culture, including places and food, as well as social topics and situations. When necessary Òscar touches on some relevant vocabulary and grammar, but it isn’t overwhelming. The podcast is entirely in Spanish, but if you have any trouble understanding, you can download transcripts of every episode in PDF format.
Done entirely in Spanish, this podcast is meant to provide an immersive experience for intermediate to advanced learners. The host, Karo Martínez, is lively, engaging, and speaks both clearly and naturally.
There are over 100 episodes to choose from, some of which explore grammar concepts, offer tips to improve your pronunciation, or explain colloquial expressions. Other episodes talk about different parts of Spain or even how to learn Spanish with popular shows like Game of Thrones.
The Español Automático site offers episode transcripts along with additional guides and resources.
Latin American Spanish
Though this podcast is directed towards those learning Spanish for work, its main goal is to help listeners get used to and understand native, spoken Spanish.
The host, Miguel Lira, is a native Spanish speaker from Mexico and a Spanish learning coach. Each episode goes over a particular conversation exchange in Spanish, such as conversations between workers or while simply ordering coffee. Miguel, as the sole host, uses a different tone of voice for each speaker, which is both entertaining and helpful as you follow along. There are also a few episodes on cultural subjects, like The Day of the Dead in Mexico.
In addition, the website offers notes, transcripts, and other resources to help you review the conversations.
Castilian and Latin American Spanish
News in Slow Spanish is an intermediate level podcast. This podcast covers world news, grammar, and expressions and slows down all the dialogue to make it easier to process what you hear. Every episode breaks down a point on grammar and vocabulary. It also lets you choose between Castilian and Latin American Spanish.
The audio is very clear and easy to follow. On the website, there are transcripts for each episode available with grammar, expressions, pronunciation, and quizzes.
Spanish Video Resources
Yabla is a video-based learning platform with bilingual subtitles and integrated dictionaries. The subtitles are interactive, which is a really cool concept! Check out how Yabla works in detail by reading myfull review.
Yabla is great for all levels from basic to advanced. You can check out their podcast and choose between videos from Spain and Latin America for hours of entertainment.
Story-Based Shows
Castilian Spanish
Coffee Break Spanish, a podcast from Radio Lingua Network, combines Spanish language lessons with a lot of useful information about Spanish food, culture, Spanish speaking countries, and so on.
My favourite part of the podcast is the chemistry between relaxed and charismatic host Mark from Scotland (who is fluent in Spanish) and Spanish learner Kara from Scotland. Mark guides both Kara and listeners through Spanish grammar, conversation, culture, and society.
The dialogues are presented in a clear, concise way, covering many grammatical features and cultural topics. On the website you can sign up for the premium content to access spaced repetition flashcards, PDF lesson notes, and a community forum for a subscription fee.
Latin American Spanish
If you want to discover the Spanish language with a powerful dash of music and culture, then Spanish con Salsa is for you! Created by bilingual Tamara Marie (meet her in my interview here!), this podcast is perfect for people who love travel, immersion, and Latin dance.
You can learn Spanish hacks from songs like Despacito, and train your ears to understand spoken Spanish even better.
And if you want to take your Spanish to the next level, the Spanish con Salsa online course is highly recommended because it's built around learning with music - learn more about it here.*
Advanced Learner Tip: Native Spanish Podcasts
If you’re interested in a more immersive experience, there are plenty of podcasts intended for native Spanish speakers available.
One great option is the Radio Ambulante podcast. Radio Ambulante is a longform journalism podcast that shares real-life Latin American stories. There are stories about language, sports, education, events, and more. Plus, there are both English and Spanish transcripts available for every episode.
Spanish Language Learning FAQ: Your Top Questions Answered
Can You Learn Spanish Through a Podcast?
Spanish language podcasts are a fantastic resource for learners at all levels! Click here to get my best advice for listening skill training. When you progress in your skill level, you can learn even more of the language and the cultures of the Spanish speaking world. As one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, you can find over 100,000 podcasts available in the language. Build podcasts into your language learning routine and make them part of your goals. In this article you’ll find many great ones to get you started.
How Can I Learn Spanish by Listening?
Listening is a critical skill for language learners, one of the four core skills that build your language ability: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Listen to a lot of spoken Spanish through podcasts, exchanges, and tutor sessions. If you can find a transcript, that’s even better! Soon you’ll find that you will begin to understand more and more of the spoken language, even when it’s fast.
Dedicated listening practice can be time-consuming, so it's essential to be mindful of your language learning routine to avoid wasting valuable time on unnecessary activities. For a detailed guide on how to establish a successful language learning routine, I invite you to explore my blog article by clicking here.
What Should I Watch If I Want to Learn Spanish?
While some learners enjoy kids’ television and cartoons at the start of their language learning project, you may also find easy Spanish courses super helpful. Look for videos that come with a transcript, and don’t be afraid to take it step by step. One of my favourite places to find the perfect videos that are interesting and helpful is Yabla, and you can find even more ideas on my Spanish learner page.
This article was written by Cassie Wright and me. She’s a freelance writer who loves languages. Affiliate links are marked with a *
Looking for more Spanish resources?
9 of the Best Resources for Learning Spanish Online
Finding credible resources for language learning can be difficult and time-consuming, but don't worry...I'm here to help! There has never been a better time to learn Spanish, and with these 9 indie resources you'll be using the language comfortably in no time.
Finding credible resources for language learning can be difficult and time-consuming, but don't worry...I'm here to help!
Insider Info Comin' Right Up..
Here at Fluent Language, I love supporting independent language producers. So my indie Top 9 means that these resources are not part of a big corporation or brand of language businesses. They're insider tips that you might miss otherwise.
What’s the best way to learn Spanish on your own?
Many people think that you have to travel and take huge amounts of language lessons, but learning Spanish on your own is absolutely possible! Make sure you have a good mix of the four core skills in your routine: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Rule one should be to follow your heart and do what you enjoy the most. All three methods are efficient, and there is no reason why you can’t do a bit of each. You are NOT doing it wrong.
Here are the Best online Resources for Learning Spanish
There has never been a better time to learn Spanish, and with these 9 indie resources you'll be using the language comfortably in no time.
My friend Olly Richards is fluent in a whole bunch of languages, but I'm never more impressed than when he speaks Spanish. Olly knows what it takes to become confident, and he knows that being stuck on "intermediate" can be frustrating.
He runs Spanish Uncovered over at StoryLearning. This an innovative and SUPER effective online course designed to guide you from beginner and into language fluency. His programme includes:
The complete 20-module Spanish Uncovered programme to learn Spanish through story
100+ video lessons on reading, vocabulary, grammar, listening skills and pronunciation to learn with in an exciting "virtual classroom" environment
Dozens of interactive quizzes, to consolidate your learning, grow your vocabulary and perfect your grammar naturally
Fully downloadable material so you can learn faster - anywhere, any time, and on any device
20 integrated speaking training worksheets, so you can learn to speak your language with confidence and take part fully in basic conversations with native speakers
A 365-day money-back guarantee, so you can enrol without risk today, try out the course, and get a full refund if it's not right for you
They even do a free 7-day trial over there so you can see the course for yourself!
Easy Spanish have numerous videos that help you learn 100% authentic and natural Spanish. Created by polyglot favourite Easy Languages, the videos offer a mix of language and culture by chatting to people on the streets about certain aspects of their culture or language.
By the way, if you like podcasts then don't miss my best podcasts for Spanish learners.
It's informal, it's not very time-consuming - each video is less than 10 minutes, perfect to cram in as a working break between your studies. And most importantly it's fun and fulfils that wonderful language learning motivation: wanting to hear from real people who live somewhere else!
Randall Munroe's beloved XKCD webcomic has a global following, so much so that the community of fans decided to create a Spanish version! XKCD en español is available for all strips that the translators found "translatable", and there's enough to keep you going for days and days.
Another perfect study break, or try adding XKCD it into your daily routine. Reading one comic strip a day won't make you fluent, but it will get you used to seeing and reading written Spanish, and these short strips fit into the busiest of days.
Glossika
If you already know some Spanish and you want to start practising and adding more vocabulary over time, than the Glossika style might be perfect for you! This multilingual AI app is all about sentences… Lots and lots of sentences.
In every session, you will hear and see 10 to 20 sentences that you hear in your native language, and in Spanish, then you repeat these, and overtime, you can improve your grammar, vocabulary, and feel more ready for real, fluent conversations.
Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish
(UK Amazon Link | US Amazon Link)
Margarita Madrigal's textbook on how to learn to read, write, and speak Spanish in only a few short weeks with her proven method has become something of a cult classic as far as language books go. Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish begins by teaching you the past tense since this is the tense we use when we tell stories, and telling stories is a lot more interesting than repetitive sentences introducing ourselves.
The book's approach is focused on communication, so you'll get most out of this for boosting the speaking skill. Serious students will do well to support this with a grammar book.
The book was originally published in 1953 and is still praised today, more than 60 years later! A must-have for keen learners.
Language Transfer is a platform providing language courses for free in podcast and PDF-form. Project costs are funded through a voting campaign and occasional donations from users. The founder, Mihalis Eleftheriou, works with native speaker volunteers that he sources from the users of LT. The courses are user-funded and users can vote with a small sum of money to decide on the language or level of the next course. They have a complete Spanish course just waiting for you to get listening!
El Blog para Aprender Español, written in Spanish with the occasional English translation or guideline, offers free materials for download to use to practice your Spanish. The blog is run by Raquel and María, both Spanish ELE teachers from Madrid with experience from classrooms across Europe.
El Blog offers you everything from an insight into Spanish culture and life in Spain to basic grammar lessons. And if you like these two ladies, you can book them for one-to-one Skype Spanish lessons.
Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Daddy Yankee, Enrique Iglesias...I could name amazing Spanish language artists all day long. Maybe you've thought about learning Spanish through music before (that's got to be more fun than Duolingo!!). But how??
Tamara from Spanish Con Salsa has the answer! She has created a FANTASTIC Spanish programme all around the power of music and dance. This truly special music will ignite your love of Spanish and take you to brand new places. Unmissable! 💃🏽
Check out my interview with Tamara to learn more about how it works here:
I am a HUGE fan of Say Something in Welsh, so imagine my excitement when I found out about their Say Something in Spanish range!
Say Something In Spanish's system is simple: they say something in English, you say it in Spanish, and then you hear it twice in Spanish.
By turning language learning into a game of words, SSI allows you to explore a new language without the pressure of instant perfection. SSI started out with a very successful Welsh version of their language course, and their Spanish version is just as good.
Try a sample and Say Something in Spanish immediately on this sample page.
Have You Used Any Of These Yet?
Before you read this article, you probably already heard about Duolingo …and I hope you have discovered a lot of brand-new resources. For me as a language learning coach, it’s also important to show you how to learn vocabulary in Spanish and how to grow yourself teaching skills.
Why not join my newsletter to find out even more about this? I share great tips on a weekly basis for free and I look forward to seeing you there.
What To Do When Duolingo Gets Boring
After 3 months of learning Spanish with Duolingo, Luka has had enough and wrote to me asking how to move forward. Listen to my response in this episode of the Fluent Show.
Every other week on the Fluent Show, I put aside a little time to answer your listener questions. Email your question to me at kerstin@fluentlanguage.co.uk or tweet it to @thefluentshow
Luka asks:
I have been learning Spanish for 3 months. I started learning with Duolingo and was really into it, and recently I have been using a textbook as well but have become really demotivated - not because I give up, because I am bored of duo lingo. I’m tired of the way it’s trying to teach me and I don’t feel like I’m progressing. [..]
My question is, if I’m not using duo lingo, what can I actually do to learn Spanish? I’ve looked everywhere and all the websites have a lot of ‘tips’ but not an actual guide saying things like resources to use etc.
Does that sound familiar?
Listen to my answer and the best tips on how to learn a language here:
How To Refresh Your Duolingo Experience
Duolingo is a small app with a big promise, and largely it keeps its promise because it’s a game and it does correct you right in the lesson. Duolingo is nice enough, but it can become a monotonous experience and it sounds like you’re hitting a wall
Tips for dealing with Duolingo boredom - in Duolingo!
Get on the web version so you can read explanations (more about this here)
Restrict yourself to a few minutes a day - how about Duolingo while waiting for your kettle to boil or your bus to arrive?
Try out one of the in-app clubs so you can compete with your friends and compare progress.
Duolingo is great, but…in all these scenarios, you’re still reacting to a screen and you maintain your sense that you don’t have a plan. So let’s address the other issue: Motivation!
How To Refresh Your Whole Language Learning Experience
Most projects, be they language learning or dieting or a new job, start with enthusiasm and optimism. You have reasons why you’re doing this.
But that initial motivation, that burst, does not last. Motivation is cyclical: It leads to an experience of success, and then that boosts you on to work through a boring period, and then you have another success experience. So in a way, you’re not having that experience of success.
How To Create A Sense Of Progress And Success
In order to feel successful in a predictable, sustainable way, you need to learn how to set good goals for yourself. Your success must be more than a vague sense of progress, it has to be “I achieved what I set out to do".
Your practical goals - I call them Path Goals - need to be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant/Realistic…and whatever people say the T stands for. I go with Time-Bound.
I also advise learners to work with the 4 core skills listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Your start is to set yourself goals, think about where you want to be and what that looks like. Get specific! And then ask “what do I need to do to get there?"
Your goals can totally include Duolingo and your text book, but I would advise you to start where you are. Right now where you are is bored with no sense of progress. So your goal has to be:
Excited about Spanish learning
Feeling like I’m getting somewhere
So what will help you answer those two questions? That’s the interesting bit.
Example: Learning Spanish For Travel
In a coaching session, this is what we’d explore. What are you into? What is interesting you about Spanish?
Let’s say you’re dreaming of walking the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain. So you’re interested in travel, you dream of speaking Spanish to the locals there, to have the right words to talk about your religion and spirituality, and to feel confident sorting your own food and accommodation.
That’s your Vision goal - the big, inspiring thing you dream of.
To get a sense of your Path Goal, ask yourself how much time you have and what you want to tackle first. Let’s say it’s ordering food and learning about Northern Spanish food.
Your 3 month goals could be
to cook a meal for yourself
to role play a restaurant scenario with a tutor
to know 50 words for food items
to study a restaurant menu
to listen to 10 podcasts so you can understand the words
to pronounce every place name on the Camino.
These are specific goals. They’re way less boring than doing Duolingo forever in the hope you’ll finish a skill tree, because they are YOURS.
No app or textbook is leading you now because your routine is becoming personal. The next question? What do I need to get there? Duolingo becomes a part of the journey, rather than your leader.
No, a short-term goal approach won’t teach you all of Spanish instantly. But that’s because that doesn’t exist. Language is a long-term game.
Yes, you will have to think differently. But this is how to fire up your motivation and keep going.
The Language Habit Toolkit
If you want to learn more about this, the Language Habit Toolkit is designed to help you set up exactly this way of thinking and create a solid language learning routine.
There’s even a Resource Manager worksheet included, in which I’ve listed exactly what you need to set up a good and supportive set of resources. Duolingo is a good start, but I’d advise you add an input resource and a set of reference material.
A few final tips:
Practice with people, either native speakers or at least by finding like-minded folks. Feeling like you’re on your own with this makes motivation harder to maintain. Come and join our Facebook group for check-ins every Saturday.
I actually spoke to you Luka and you mentioned you’ve listened to Spanish music. That’s so awesome! Always look for interesting input from real life like stories, music, conversations. Lyrics are great for interest.
Always consider how far you’ve come - being aware of your progress from a few months ago is an instant cure for feeling like you’re getting nowhere.
For Spanish Learners
You can find my curated list of resources and articles for Spanish learners at www.fluentlanguage.co.uk/for-spanish-learners.
The Fluent Show is supported by LiveLingua, where you can have your first Spanish lesson entirely for free. I tried it out, and spoke Spanish for a whole hour. And they have many other languages available like German, French and Russian. Get your free lesson by clicking here.
