Recursos/Resources - Radio Ambulante

One of the biggest challenges in learning a language is leaving the classroom, books, or apps behind, and becoming familiar with the sound of native speaking. It can be frustrating when you've worked endlessly, only to find yourself struggling to carry on a basic conversation because you can't keep up with the language at normal speed. 

Here are some common reactions:

Are they even saying the whole words?!

Why are they talking SO FAST?

This sounds like total gibberish!

What happened to this language I thought I knew?

Here is part of the solution: Radio Ambulante. For teacher or student, this is a gold mine of native Spanish audio in the form of human interest stories. They represent a variety of cultures and dialects. The best part - they have transcripts in both English and Spanish for some episodes.

You can make fantastic progress in listening skills when you connect authentic audio with the written words you already know or recognize. (Yabla is engineered on this concept.) If you are still struggling with vocabulary, use the English transcript to gather the meaning. If the stories are too long, choose a manageable section, and read/listen, listen/read until you understand what's happening.

Choose stories that interest you, and you'll be learning while you're learning.

When you don't have time for focused listening, play the audio in the background of your day. Your brain needs time to learn all the idiosyncrasies of the spoken language. Yes, it is a whole new challenge, but it is one of the most rewarding. When you can listen to a native speaking your second language at full speed, and you understand them with ease, that means you have a giant hurdle behind you.

Disclaimer: I have not listened to all episodes, and some may not be appropriate for younger audiences. The ones I have listened to are perfectly appropriate for high school and up.