The Best Podcast For Learning Spanish

If you are planning a trip to a Spanish-speaking country, or just want to learn some Spanish basics, you may want to know what the best podcast for learning Spanish is. I reviewed five learn-Spanish podcasts to find out how effective they were. Here is what I found out.

Discover Spanish

Contestant numero uno was Discover Spanish. In this podcast animated host Johnny Spanish and co-host Christina introduce the listener to basic words and phrases like "hello," "good morning," and "my name is…” Johnny says the phrase and the listener is supposed to repeat it along with Christina. Designed for students of all ages the lessons are short, straightforward, and rather unchallenging. This podcast would be great for children, however adults may be looking for something faster paced.

SpanishPod

Learn Spanish by SpanishPod.com is a part of Praxis Language. Newbie podcasts are produced once per week greeting the listener with cheerful Latin music and hosts JP and Liliana. This duo examine a short Spanish dialogue that is conversational in nature (going beyond “hello, my name is…”) After the dialogue the listener is given line by line Spanish to English translation along with grammar and pronunciation tips. Each lesson is fun, informative and includes useful cultural notes. These lessons would be a good place to start if you’re planning a trip to Latin America.

Survival Guide

Learn Spanish - Survival Guide is a podcast created by host, David Spencer. Spencer is a Spanish teacher from Baltimore, Maryland. He speaks with a distinctly American accent which seems to bleed over into his Spanish. His teaching style is to use call and repeat drills meaning he speaks a Spanish phrase, translates it, and then provides time for the listener to repeat it out loud. Unfortunately this podcast is fairly monotone and may lose the listener’s attention rather quickly.

SpanishPod101

SpanishPod 101 is part of a total Spanish learning system. Two hosts introduce a Spanish dialogue, provide line by line translation and offer vocabulary words to study. The music and hosts are energetic and engaging, however the podcasts do not stand alone and require the listener to sign up for study materials available on the Spanish Pod 101 website. This podcast would probably be an excellent choice for someone looking for a fairly in depth study method. However, I give it negative marks for frequent self-promotion.

Coffee Break Spanish

One of the most popular podcasts for learning Spanish is Coffee Break Spanish by Radio Lingua Network. This podcast takes a very different approach from any of the others reviewed here. In it a Spanish teacher named Mark (who's English features a noticeable Scottish accent) converses with Kara, a Spanish student (also from Scotland). Rather than center around a dialogue the lessons focus on a central theme like "Where are you from?" or "What do you do for a living?" Mark teaches Kara along with the listener several words and phrases, allowing time for repetition. The lessons are easy to understand, entertaining and informative.

So, which is the best podcast for learning Spanish? Discover Spanish was clearly the most elementary and therefore the easiest to understand and learn from. However, I found Learn Spanish by SpanishPod.com to be the most entertaining. Ultimately, it depends on what you are looking for. The wide variety of free tools available for learning Spanish via podcast means every student is likely to find a lesson that suits his or her individual style.