Simple Stories in Spanish

This podcast shares personal experiences of living and studying in Spain for a semester. It covers staying with local families, attending university, exploring the country, trying traditional dishes, and reflecting on the transformative impact of the experience on language skills and personal growth.

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. I enjoy learning about my family history. My love of genealogy was encouraged by my dad who has done a lot of research. This last week I spent some time searching for clues about my ancestors. I found multiple documents, pictures, and even a few people I didn’t know about before. Today I am going to share a few of their stories.  This story is told in both the first and third person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “antepasado” (ancestor), “bisabuelo” (great grandparent) “registro” (file), “luchó” (fought), “Alemania” (Germany), “Suecia” (Sweden), and “EE. UU.” (USA). There are also a lot of dates. Years in Spanish are read as a whole number starting with “mil” (one thousand), then the “cientos” (hundreds). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/06/20/simple-stories-in-spanish-las-historias-de-mis-antepasados/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. As you have heard in previous stories, I love the outdoors. I have been on many hiking and camping trips, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I combined the two and went on my first backpacking adventure. That trek taught me many lessons and today I am sharing those lessons with you. This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “mochila” (backpack), “sendero” (trail), “nieve” (snow), “derretida” (melted) and “llevar” (to bring/carry). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/05/31/simple-stories-in-spanish-lecciones-de-mochilear/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. I have very fond memories of my childhood. I spent a lot of time outside with my friends and family, no matter the time of year. As a child I played, I ran, I rode bikes, I read, and I just had fun. This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “recuerdo” (memory), “muñeca” (doll), “afuera” (outside), and “jugábamos” (we used to play). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/05/24/simple-stories-in-spanish-cuando-era-nina/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. I take my son on a lot of hikes. One time he decided to bring two of his stuffed animals on our hike in Grizzly Creek. Their names are Wolfy and Toothclaw. Toothclaw decided to take a swin in the creek and I went after him. This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “arroyo” (creek/stream), “sendero” (path/trail), “mochila” (backpack), and “peluche” (stuffed animal). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/05/16/simple-stories-in-spanish-toothclaw-y-el-arroyo-grizzly/  ¡Muchas gracias por escuchar! Thank you for listening, and a HUGE thank you for your support. I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories in Spanish. If you would like to help me in that endeavor, consider buying me a taco at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SpanishTeacher Don’t forget to comment “For John” for this episode!Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. David is one of my listeners and he recently shared his story with me. His adventures started when he joined the US navy at the age of 17 and they continue today. From playing the guitar to building his own house, David has lived a fascinating life. This story is told in the third person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “marina de guerra” (navy), “inscribirse” (to sign up/enlist), “avión” (plane) and “cambió” (changed). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/05/07/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-vida-fascinante-de-david/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. This is the second half of my Spring Break adventure in southern Utah. While everything did not go as planned, due to engine trouble, we were still able to have fun and enjoy Bryce Canyon National Park. This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “taller” (shop), “nieve” (snow), “sendero” (trail). “por suerte” (luckily) and “puesto de observación” (lookout/observation point). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/05/02/simple-stories-in-spanish-las-vacaciones-de-primavera-y-el-problema-de-mi-coche-parte-2/  Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. At the end of March, I decided to take my boys on a trip to some national parks in southern Utah. Unfortunately, our trip took a turn for the worse when my check engine light came on. Fortunately, we were still able to have some fun in Zion National Park. This story is told in the first person using the past and conditional tenses. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “la primavera” (Spring), “aceite” (oil), “estrellas” (stars), “estanque” (pool) and “sendero” (trail).No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at  https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/04/25/simple-stories-in-spanish-las-vacaciones-de-primavera-y-el-problema-con-mi-coche-parte-1/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Living in Indonesia had a huge impact on my mother. Although she was young, she remembers much of her time there. While most of her time was spent in Kisaren, she also traveled to other places with her family. Her journey home marked a literal journey around the world that changed her forever. This story is told in the first and third person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “fueron” (they went), “llegaron” (they arrived), “tuvieron” (they had), “volaron” (they flew) and “se quedaron” (they stayed). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at  https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/04/15/simple-stories-in-spanish-unos-viajes-en-indonesia-parte-4/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Many of my favorite stories of my mom’s life in Indonesia are about animals. I loved seeing pictures and hearing stories of her animal encounters. Today, I am going to share these stories with you. This story is told in the third person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “lagarto” (lizard), “techo” (ceiling/roof), “cabra” (goat), “piel” (skin) and “silvestre” (wild). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at  https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/03/30/simple-stories-in-spanish-una-vida-con-animales-en-indonesia-parte-3/ Support the show