Intermediate
Spanish News
“El Mundito” (“The Small World”) is our new series of bite-sized video articles in Intermediate level Spanish. We discuss a variety of topics that we personally find very interesting, from science stories, to animals, to international news etc. To make great use of this as comprehensible Spanish input, apply an intensive approach by using the following steps:
1. Start by watching the video, simultaneously listening to and reading the words, with a focus on general comprehension. 2. Next, read slowly through the transcript, taking stock of any unfamiliar words and phrases. You can choose to write them down if you like. 3. Then, read the English version to gain a better understanding of the more challenging sections in the article. 4. Finally, re-watch the video to see how much your comprehension has improved!
The Poinsettia
The world’s favorite Christmas flower has its origins in Mexico! José Alfredo discusses its history, its symbolic significance, and how this flower came to be popular in the USA and the world over.
la nochebuena - poinsettia (note - “La Nochebuena” can also mean “Christmas Eve”)
navideño/navideña - Christmas (an adjective, can be thought of as “relating to Christmas)
el rincón - corner
marchitarse - to wither
la afección - disease/condition
debido a que - since
florecer - to bloom
la semilla - seed
la maceta - flowerpot
*Check out the transcript and English translation by clicking here.
3 Easy Ways to
Improve Your Sleep
We spend a very large portion of our lives sleeping. The duration and quality of our sleep affects us in so many ways: our state of mind, our physical health, our relationships, our dreams… In this video article, José Alfredo describes some interesting, potentially helpful ways to improve your sleep that you may not have heard before!
consiliar el sueño - to fall asleep
a continuación - In a moment/following/next
canalizar - to channel/to focus
lograr - to accomplish/to acheive
disminuir - to reduce/to diminish
la manta - blanket
la cobija - blanket/quilt
la armonía - harmony
*Check out the transcript and English translation by clicking here.
Dogs and
Languages
As if we needed another reason to love dogs! In this video article, José Alfredo discusses the findings of a recent study done by Hungarian researchers about dogs and their ability to distinguish between languages. You can find the original research paper by clicking this link. Here are some vocabulary words to look out for.
dicha [palabra]- said [word]/the aforementioned [word]
palabra compuesta - compound word/portmanteau
medir - to measure
la estructura - structure
el cane - dog (colloquial use)
hacer[te] caso - to listen to [you]/to pay attention to [you]
*Check out the transcript and English translation by clicking here.