Let’s Talk Spanish | Learn Conversational Spanish

In this episode, we speak in Spanish about the life of Pedro Almodóvar, the most famous and most eccentric of Spanish filmmakers! Anyone who is at all familiar with Spanish cinema is likely to have heard Almodóvar's name at least once. This director's films have had a huge influence over the past 40 years, changing the face of Spain's movie scene with films that both shock and draw in the viewer at the same time. Coming into filmmaking after the death of Franco, he becam...

Practise your Spanish while learning about famous people from Spanish-speaking countries - this week, it's Salvador Dalí! Dalí is probably the best-known face of Surrealism and considered by many to be one of the greatest artists of all time. The Spaniard's work stands out among any collection of art for its eccentricity and shock factor, with his art dealing with themes such as death and the subconscious. He is also well-known for his controversial and shocking public a...

Learn about the life and struggles of the amazing Guatemalan Rigoberta Menchú and practise your Spanish at the same time. Rigoberta Menchú is an incredible woman and one who has not been spoken about enough. Being of Mayan descent, she had an incredibly tough start to life, seeing many of her family members murdered in the horrific genocides committed by the Guatemalan military against the indigenous population of the country. Despite all the risks, she didn't just give ...

This episode is a biography in Spanish of Federico García Lorca, one of, if not THE, greatest Spanish poet and playwright of the 20th century. Poetry collections such as 'Romancero gitano' and plays including 'Bodas de Sangre' and 'La Casa de Bernarda Alba' are renowned around the world and are continually studied by students and experts alike. Due to his homosexuality and leftist views, Lorca's life was cut very short: he was murdered by nationalist armed forces in 1936, at t...

A Spanish listening practice about Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, an Argentine sculptor turned activist who has fought throughout his life for the rights of campesinos and political prisoners throughout South America, despite the risks of doing this. His struggle for human rights led to him being imprisoned in his home country for 14 months without a trial, imprisonment which included torture. Due to his work, Adolfo received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1980. In this episode about someone slig...

Listen to hear all about the life of Fidel Castro and to practise your Spanish! Fidel Castro was the leader of the Cuban Revolution and is known around the world for being one of the greatest revolutionaries of all time. He and his Movimiento 26 de Julio used guerrilla tactics to defeat a much larger military regime in their country that was backed by the US government, in doing so making Cuba the first Communist state in the Western Hemisphere. Following this came nearly 50 years o...

Shandon speaks about the varied career of Antonio Banderas, speaking in Spanish about the actor's roles from Zorro, to Spy Kids and of course the 'Shrek' franchise in his role as Puss in Boots!The actor is one of the greatest and most-famous Spanish actors alive. His career has spanned 40 years and has included an array of such diverse roles. At the start of his career, he was very prominent in some of Almodóvar's early films which brought him international attention that lead him to spend a ...

Listen to this episode to get your weekly hit of Spanish practice and learn the incredible story of the three Mirabal Sisters and the legacy they have left behind, not just in their country but around the world. Often referred to as 'Las Mariposas', these are three incredible Dominican women who deserve to be spoken about a lot more around the world. Despite the prejudices against them, they stood up to the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic and fought to spread th...

Learn about Daddy Yankee and practise your Spanish in this week's Spanish podcast episode! The musician is known as the King of Reggaetón and has had a huge influence on the trajectory of Latin music as a whole. His 2004 album 'Barrio Fino', which included the hit song 'Gasolina', paved the way for the successes many Latin artists are now seeing. Listen to this episode to learn about the famous Puerto Rican's career and his influence and further your Spanish - make sure to check ou...

In this final episode of the series, practice your Spanish listening while learning about Wifredo Lam, the 20th-century Cuban painter.Lam's work was a mixture of cubism, surrealism and Afro-Caribbean art, a mixture influenced by his heritage and many years spent in Europe, particularly Spain and France. We hope you find this useful for improving your Spanish and expanding your knowledge of less-celebrated artistsUse the word-for-word transcript (in Spanish and English) to take your Spani...