Description
How to use the transcriptions and get the most out of our videos
Read the transcription before viewing the video if you like, but always read it afterwards as you listen to the audio, several times. As you listen, pay attention to intonation, phrasing, pacing, and the individual sounds of Spanish. Then you can choose a sentence or two to read aloud in time with the narrator or one of the other speakers, imitating him or her as closely as you can. Later you can record yourself and compare your speech with the narrator’s. The following procedure works well:
Listen and repeat several times, imitating the narrator as closely as possible.
Record yourself when you feel ready.When you are ready, record yourself.
Listen to the narrator again and immediately listen to yourself.
Repeat until you are satisfied that your pronunciation is closer to the narrator’s.
Doing this several times over a period of several days—and several times more over the next few weeks—will help tune your ear to Spanish and make your own speech easier to understand. It’s unlikely that adults who start learning a language after puberty will end up with a native-speaker accent, but with persistence you can sound more natural and less hesitant, feel more confident, speak more fluently and, above all, be understood.
The method we outlined above is probably more work than you expected… but repetition is essential for language learning and the development of fluency. If you are serious about improving your Spanish, you have to do the work! But try it: you’ll be surprised how much more you learn with this approach!
To get the transcription for one of these videos, click on the image below and the PDF will open immediately.
¿Arte o tortura?
Con los dedos cruzados
Watch this space!
We also have some free seasonal lessons based on key events and celebrations throughout the year. These consist of a video, an annoted transciption, grammar notes, and some interactive activities. They are available for only a few weeks each year.
Available now, until the end of the month: ¡Es una pasada! Carnival celebrations in the Hispanic world. Click on the image to get all the lesson components.
FEELING AMBITIOUS?
WANT SOMETHING MORE IN-DEPTH AND DEMANDING?
If you’d like to try a complete Spanish lesson from one of our full courses—including videos, listening activities, and printable materials—go to our course descriptions in Spanish or English.
And why not book a free private lesson with Gema, our star teacher?
Do you know about our new ebook and video series Spanish for Perfectionists? It’s available on Amazon! Click here for more information about this series. And on our site you can get a free sample lesson from the series, as well as a free User Guide that will help you become a better language learner. Click here to get the PDFs.