Spanish Resources to Help You Improve Your Skills
Many times I have been told that the best way to learn a language is to be immersed in the culture and always be practicing the language. I wanted to put a list of resources together to allow people the ability to create an atmosphere of immersion even if you are not living in a foreign country.
There are many resources you can use daily to immerse yourself in language without always relying on English. Here is a list of resources, including links to other websites that will give you even more language resources…
Software:
Auralog - Premium Spanish Edition- Pretty comprehensive, many activities
Rosetta Stone - Very good, I’ve used this one as well
Radio Stations:
Indianapolis,IN Radio:
107.1 FM
1590 AM
Sirius Radio Stations:
90 - Universo Latino
92- Rumbon
181 - ESPN Deportes
182 - CNN en Espanol
XM Radio Stations:
90 LatinFuego
91 LatinViva
92 LatinAguila
94 LatinCaliente
126 CNN en Espanol
172 MLB Play by Play en Espanol
Podcasts: (Some of these you may need iTunes to access)
Rolling R’s
Coffee Break Spanish
Finally Learn Spanish
Insta Spanish Lessons
Learn Spanish Survival Guide
Rojas Spanish Language
Spanish Sense
Spanish Podcasts For Beginners
Websites:
CNN Espanol
ESPN Deportes
LifeHacker - Not all related to Spanish but a lot of great free tools and resources.
Free Language - To get a person to help you practice your languages together.
Free Spanish audio language course
Spanish resources from the BBC
TV:
Many times there are public access channels in your area that will have spanish teaching shows on them. Also you might want to do a search for any stations that are affiliated with Telemundo or Univision as they will have 24/7 Spanish TV shows and of course soaps!
Movies:
One interesting way I have found to learn more Spanish words is to watch movies with Spanish audio tracks and English subtitles. Here is a short list of movies I have come across that have Spanish audio tracks.
40 Year Old Virgin
Beetlejuice
Bourne Identity
Bourne Supremacy
Bull Durham
A Few Good Men
Groundhog Day
Indiana Jones Trilogy
Knocked Up
Love Actually
Meet The Parents
Napoleon Dynamite
Shrek
Spider Man 3
Star Wars: All 6 Epidsodes
Transformers
Uncle Buck
Mexican Restaurants and Shops:
If you are a fan of Mexican food or Mexican retail items and can find individuals that will humor you and help you learn Spanish you can often ask waiters or shop staff that you are learning Spanish and would like to speak with them in Spanish no matter how bad. You may learn something as well as meet a new person.
Spanish Lessons:
If all else fails and you feel you need an academic setting here are a few places to look in Indianapolis for Spanish lessons.
IUPUI
Lawrence Township Community Education
GMG Translations Spanish
Berlitz
If you have any to add please feel free to leave a comment.
Top Ten Things To Do Before Travelling Abroad
This list can be applied to anywhere you want to go, but this is specifically the things that I’ve done to prepare myself for my trip to Guatemala.
1. Get Immunizations
First visit the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) Website to view all the necessary immunizations that you will need for your trip. Many times it takes 4 to 6 weeks for these immunizations to kick in so make sure that you have planned out enough time in advance for these things to happen. Many times your family doctor can handle these requests, however I’ve found that some universities have specialized “travel clinics” that specialize in these areas. With so many students travelling abroad these days it makes complete sense to have this setup. In my case I went through the travel clinic at Indiana University.
2. Make hard copies and electronic copies of documentation
Make sure that you have scanned hard copies, and have emailed yourself electronic copies of the following. Driver’s license, Passport, insurance information, itinerary, destination information, credit cards, etc.
This will come in handy when at the airport, if you get in a bind, and is just all around good common sense.
3. Get any necessary medications
This is important as I myself take daily medicines. Check with your doctors to make sure that you can either get medicines sent to you or to get a bulk amount of the medicines you need. If you have access to a mail order pharmacy, many will give you a 90 day supply of the medicines you need. In regards to taking medicines to the foreign country of your choice I have been told that as long as they are in the original prescription bottles and not mixed together you should be fine.
5. Visit/Contact the US consulate for the country you’ll be visiting
Depending on where you are going, you may have to get a visa to travel to your destination. Make sure to contact the US consulate for your destination to find out what documentation you need to travel to your destination. Doing this alone saved me a three hour drive to Chicago because as a US citizen all I need to travel to Guatemala is a US passport.
6. Get plane tickets
Do your due diligence to try and get a cheap flight wherever you are going. If you are flexible and it doesn’t matter when your flight takes off use Orbitz to get a base price on your flight and then use Priceline to bid on a flight for 50% of the cost of that flight. If it is not accepted move up in $10 increments for your next bids. *
7. Be certain that your insurance covers you abroad
Self explanatory.
8. View any travel warnings for the country you’ll be travelling to.
The following sites will help you understand the negative things and things to be aware of that are going on in your destination in regards to travelers.
http://www.worldtravelwatch.com
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/
http://travel.state.gov/
9. Eliminate and Automate*
Being Americans, we have a lot of crap. Take a look around your home at the things you had to have yet never used. If you can either sell or donate the things you don’t need.
During this time before my trip I have sold quite a few belonging for extra cash as well as given stuff to Goodwill that I can use for tax write offs. In some countries since things don’t cost as much as in America. The things you sell may provide enough cash for you to stay a couple extra weeks or more!
The more you automate the less you’ll have to worry while traveling abroad. Most all bills can be paid online these days automatically. The more auto payments you set up, the less you have to worry. Other things you might consider in the land of automation is forwarding your mail to a friend or family member that can monitor what is coming in. Another thing may be to fill out documentation for power of attorney to someone you trust. While you should have the ability to fax and sign stuff and send it back and forth to the US. That’s not always a fun thing to deal with.
10. Update your cell phone voice mail
If you need to be contacted and won’t have your regular phone service, make sure to update your voicemail to let people know how you can be contacted and by what method. If possible check into either calling cards, local cell phone service at your destination, or an Internet phone services like Skype or Vonage that is easy to set up (I myself have Skype).
So that is a nitty gritty top ten things to think about. If I’ve missed anything glaring feel free to comment.
* Some ideas for this content came from the book The 4 Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris.