by Olly RichardsWant to learn Spanish with podcasts? Well, you're in the right place – this post is all about how you can use podcasts in Spanish to improve your listening…fast!
You'll discover:
- 9 of the best podcasts in Spanish you're sure to love
- How podcasts can help you improve your Spanish
- 4 reasons why you should listen to Spanish language podcasts
Podcasts are amazingly useful for learning Spanish because you can listen to them anywhere, any time – on your commute, in the gym, or while doing the dishes.
It's a great way to improve your language skills in just a few minutes every day. All you need is your smartphone and a pair of earphones!
And if you’re learning Spanish you’re in luck because there are a lot of excellent podcasts available to you, including many free Spanish podcasts.
Pro Tip
By the way, my top recommendation for improving your Spanish listening skills is Conversations. It's an exciting story based course that helps you understand real Spanish and transform your listening skills in 90 days or less.
For quick overview of the best Spanish podcasts for intermediate learners, check out the following YouTube video. For a more detailed look at podcasts in Spanish, including podcasts in Spanish with transcripts, scroll down and read on…
9 Of The Best Podcasts In Spanish For Learners
#1 StoryLearning Spanish Podcast
Level: Low intermediate – intermediate
What if you could improve your Spanish simply by listening to a chapter of an intriguing and exciting story every day?
Well, now you can with the StoryLearning Spanish podcast, a daily Spanish podcast for intermediate level learners (A2-B1).
The StoryLearning Spanish podcast tells the story of six people from different backgrounds and different places, who meet by chance in San Sebastián and end up on an unexpected road trip around Spain together.
Each episode features one short chapter of our story. And we release one new episode every single day. So that means you get the daily immersion in Spanish that's essential to help you break through the intermediate plateau and become fluent in Spanish.
The great thing about the podcast is that it comes with the text and a glossary included. So you can listen, read and pick up the new words more easily.
Find out more about the StoryLearning Spanish podcast.
#2 LanguaTalk Slow Spanish
Level: Low intermediate – intermediate
Learn Spanish with the LanguaTalk Slow Spanish podcast by listening to conversations between Rocío & Jesús, a couple from Madrid.
As experienced Spanish teachers, they make sure they speak at a slower pace to help listeners follow along.
For this reason, the podcast is ideal for A2 and B1 level learners (basic to intermediate).
Rocío & Jesús have a good sense of humour and their conversations are fun and engaging. They talk about all sorts of things, from the origins of common Spanish expressions, to unsolved mysteries in Spain, to the future of life on earth.
The best thing about the podcast is not only is it free but you can also access interactive transcripts via the LanguaTalk website. These highlight the words as they’re spoken, helping you follow along. You can also click a sentence to hear it again – a very handy feature.
#3 Coffee Break Spanish
Level: beginner to intermediate
Coffee Break Spanish covers everything you need to learn Spanish, whether you're an absolute beginner or a more experienced learner trying to build your confidence to speak and understand Spanish.
The beginner lessons are presented by teacher Mark working with Kara, a student who's learning Spanish – just like you.
In the intermediate level episodes, a native Spanish speakers joins Mark to dig deeper into the nuts and bolts of the Spanish language.
Each episode is just the right length to fit into your coffee break, which is ideal for building a habit of practising your Spanish regularly.
If you're at the beginner or intermediate level, this podcasts is a must-listen.
#4 Notes In Spanish
Level: All Levels (Beginner to Advanced)
Notes in Spanish, just like Coffee Break Spanish, is a Spanish podcast for learners.
It has podcasts for three levels:
- Inspired Beginners
- Intermediate
- Advanced.
The hosts, Ben and Marina, will help you learn real Spanish that you won’t find in a textbook through listening to authentic natural conversations and interviews.
This podcast is extremely popular with learners and it's easy to see why once you've listened to a few episodes.
#5 Radio Ambulante
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Radio Ambulante is a long-form radio show in the style of stories.
Think This American Life (but in Spanish).
The stories cover a wide range of interesting topics and stories from all over Latin America.
So not only will you hear some amazing stories, you'll hear spoken Spanish from Mexico, Colombia, Perú, Argentina and pretty much every other Latin American country too!
New episodes are released regularly, and what’s more, full transcripts are available for ALL shows.
The language used may be challenging. But through repeated listening, with the transcripts, you'll soon get the gist of what's going on!
#6 News In Slow Spanish
Level: Beginner to Intermediate
If you’re interested in the news and current affairs but are freaked out by the native-level speed of most news shows, News in Slow Spanish is a good alternative.
News in Slow Spanish gives you news bulletins read at a much more intelligible speed for learners of Spanish.
You can choose from a Spanish or a Latin American stream to suit whichever dialect of Spanish you are focusing on.
Basic access is free. However, if you want to use the premium features you do need to pay a subscription fee. Paid subscribers have access to episode transcripts and bonus grammar lessons that are not included in the free version.
#7 Spanish Obsessed
Level: All Levels (Beginner to Advanced)
Spanish Obsessed is another podcast designed with learners in mind.
It covers all levels, so you can listen to podcasts for Absolute Beginners (Spanish from Scratch) all the way through to Advanced Spanish.
Plus, you'll find full notes and transcripts for over 50 Spanish audio lessons.
There is also a blog where you will find tips and tricks for learning Spanish to accompany the podcast.
Basic access is free. But if you decide to pay for membership there are options to download all the podcasts and enjoy additional vocabulary and pronunciation courses.
#8 SpanishPod101
Level: All Levels (Beginner to Advanced)
SpanishPod101 offers free Spanish audio lessons every week ranging from the Beginner to Advanced levels.
The weekly lessons are available free for a certain amount of time before they are archived in the library, which can only be accessed by subscription.
Paying members get access to a much larger library of podcast episodes as well as other materials to accompany the podcasts.
Each podcast features a dialogue in Spanish, followed by a discussion in English of the main grammar points and new vocabulary.
Whether you use the free or paid version, these podcasts are great for listening to interesting conversations from different parts of the Spanish-speaking world.
I've written up a full review of the premium version SpanishPod101 here which you can check out if you're interested in finding out more.
#9 Audiria
Level: All Levels (Beginner to Advanced)
Don’t judge a Spanish audio lesson by its website!
Audiria's website may not look like much but it has a tonne to offer, with a new podcast every single day.
Each podcast is classified by difficulty so you can be sure the level is right for you.
The episodes also accompanied by related exercises and activities to check your comprehension.
Best of all, these are completely free Spanish podcasts!
Bonus: 7 More Spanish Podcast Suggestions
Still want more Spanish podcasts to listen to? You're in luck. In the video below from the StoryLearning Spanish YouTube channel, you'll discover 7 more podcast suggestions in Spanish!
How Can Listening To Podcasts Improve My Spanish?
Listening to podcasts is a convenient way to immerse yourself in Spanish.
Getting lots of exposure to spoken Spanish is an important part of learning the language. It's the hours you put in listening that will ultimately help you to understand native speakers in conversation.
And the best way to get lots of that listening practice is… to listen to podcasts as often as possible!
Podcasts vary in length from a few minutes to an hour and they cover every topic imaginable.
- If you enjoy current affairs, there are podcasts about the news
- If you like sports, you can find great Spanish podcasts about football, basketball and everything in between!
- Or, if you’d rather brush up on your Spanish grammar, there are also some great Spanish audio lesson podcasts you can listen to.
Whatever you're interested in, there’s probably a podcast about that topic that you can listen to in Spanish.
4 Reasons Why You Should Listen to Podcasts In Spanish
Okay, so aside from maintaining your interest and motivation there are other more tangible benefits too. Let's consider a few of them.
1. Podcasts Are Suitable For All Levels
No matter whether you’re a Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced Spanish learner you will be able to find a podcast which is suitable for your level:
- As Beginner, you have lots of great podcasts for learning Spanish available to you that use slowed down Spanish and simple sentences. This is exactly what you need to get started listening to the language.
- Once you reach the intermediate level, your options begin to expand. You'll be able to take on more challenging podcasts with faster speech and a wider range of topics.
- Finally, as an advanced learner, you'll be able to really take advantage of podcasts and maintain your Spanish by listening to interesting native level materials on the go. This is the ultimate way to take yourself from a confident Spanish speaker to someone who regularly gets confused for a native!
2. Podcasts Will Challenge You
The secret to improving your Spanish is to study with material in Spanish that's pitched at just the right level for you.
- If the material is too hard, you'll feel overwhelmed.
- If the material is too easy, you'll get bored.
You need to look for material pitched just above your current level. Material that you can understand but which still challenges you.
I like to call this the “zone of genius”.
Study with material in your zone of genius and you'll reap the rewards.
Podcasts can be great for this.
Of course, there's still the challenge of finding the podcast that is at the perfect level for you.
But with so many great Spanish language podcasts available, there's a pretty good chance you'll find something that's right for you if you keep looking! (And I have made some suggestions for you below ? … keep reading!)
By learning with Spanish podcasts, you'll hear vocabulary and grammar in context, so you can learn how to use the language you already know accurately, while also coming across new language.
Most podcasts incorporate authentic language and speakers who speak at a natural speed. Your listening will naturally improve the more you listen as you become comfortable understanding natural speech.
3. Podcasts Are Convenient
One of the main advantages of podcasts is that they're convenient.
You can download or stream episodes on your smartphone and listen whenever you want, wherever you want, learning some Spanish while doing so.
Podcasts allow you to spend more time with the language because you can listen on the go, in the gym or wherever you may be.
All this exposure to the Spanish starts to add up quickly and helps improve much faster than if you would if simply don't listen to podcasts.
4. Podcasts Are Fun!
Why spend more time with your head in a frustrating Spanish grammar book when you could be enjoying your learning time instead?
Listening to Spanish podcasts is great fun and leave you motivate to come back and do more “study” time and again!
Convinced of the value of podcasts? I hope so!
What Are You Waiting For? Time To Get Started!
So, there you go… nine of the best podcasts in Spanish to help you on the road to fluency!
Now you have no excuse not to practice your Spanish when you have a spare moment.
Take your pick from any of these excellent podcasts in Spanish. And make your commute to work that much more interesting and productive.
