Simple Stories in Spanish

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

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Last episode I shared my mother’s journey from Michigan to Sumatra, Indonesia when she was eight. My mom and her family had a lot to learn when they arrived in Indonesia. Life there was quite different from life in Michigan. From school to food to shopping, nothing was quite the same.This story is told in the third person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “recuerda” (she remembers), “nivel” (level/grade), “hacía calor” (it was hot), “llevaban” (they wore), “lluvia” (rain) and “zanjas” (ditches).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/2023/03/22/simple-stories-in-spanish-una-vida-en-indonesia-parte-2/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Today’s story is about my mother and her family. When my mom was eight years old, she moved with her family from Michigan to Sumatra, Indonesia. I always loved hearing her stories and today I am going to share the story of her journey with you. Today’s story is told in the third person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “viaje” (trip), “barco” (boat) “abuelos” (grandparents), “llegó” (arrived), and “holandés” (Dutch).  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/2023/03/12/simple-stories-in-spanish-un-viaje-a-indonesia-parte-1/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Today’s story is about chickens. Josh and Marya were looking for a change of pace during the pandemic and they found it by becoming the owners of a few backyard chickens. With the help of a local Chicken Guy, Marya and Josh got set up for success in their new urban farming adventure. Today’s story is told in the third person using multiple tenses, including the present, past, and conditional. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “gallinas” (chickens), “gallinero” (chicken coop) “el pollero” (the Chicken Guy), “el jardín” (garden/yard) “alquilar” (to rent), and “poner huevos” (to lay eggs).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/2023/02/28/simple-stories-in-spanish-las-gallinas/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Today’s story is about my own personal Spanish journey. As you are aware, I am not a native Spanish speaker. While you can read a bit about why I’m a Spanish teacher on my blog, a couple of listeners have asked me to share the story of my Spanish journey in Spanish.Today’s story is told in the first person using both the present and past tenses. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “viaje” (journey), “idioma” (language), “seguir” (to continue), “tuve” (I had), and “extranjero” (foreign).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/2023/02/21/simple-stories-in-spanish-mi-viaje-espanol/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Today’s story is about a very talented musical family and their band, Sugar ‘n Sage. Based in Vancouver, Canada, this groups gets audiences on their feet, dancing and singing along to their toe-tapping songs.Today’s story is told in the third person using both the present and past tenses. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “juntos” (together), “agrega” (adds), “baterista” (drummer), and “cantante” (singer).Learn more about Sugar 'n Sage on their website: https://www.sugarnsage.ca/ 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/2023/02/14/simple-stories-in-spanish-sugar-n-sage/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Today’s story is one I did not write. It is a very special story of love told by someone I happen to share a name with. Camila is a native of Colombia. Her husband, Stephen, listens to this podcast to practice his Spanish, so Camila decided to write a story especially for him. Today’s story is told in the third person using mostly the past tenses. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “hermoso” (beautiful), “conocer” (to meet/to know), “disfrutar” (to enjoy), and “vista” (view/sight).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/2023/02/06/simple-stories-in-spanish-amor-a-primera-vista/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Today’s personal experience comes from Skipper. Skipper was an amazing volunteer in his community, but he didn’t work alone. Skipper trained therapy dogs. His leonberger Ransom visited people from all walks of life, bringing them love and comfort.  Today’s story is told in the third person using both the present and the past tenses. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “dueño” (owner), “entrenamiento” (training), “equipo” (team), “consuelo” (comfort), “discapacidad” (disability), “entrenar” (to train) and “entretener” (to entertain).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/2023/01/31/simple-stories-in-spanish-skipper-y-ransom/ Support the show

Today marks a new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. I am kicking off the season with one of my favorite travel stories. When I went to Ecuador ten years ago, I had the opportunity to snorkel twice with blowfish, sea turtles and sea lions, which in Spanish are called sea wolves. The first day was amazing, but the second was a little scary.  This story is mostly in the first-person plural (pronoun “we”) and the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “barco” (boat), “fuimos” (we went), “tortuga” (tortoise), “tiburón” (shark), and “lobo marino” (literally sea wolf, although we call it a sealion). 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/2023/01/23/simple-stories-in-spanish-un-viaje-a-las-islas-galapagos/ Support the show

This seventh season of Simple Stories in Spanish is updating some of my favorite episodes. Today’s remake is from Season 3, episode 13: La Leyenda del Carruaje de la Muerte. According to the legend, a “carruaje” or carriage appears in the night to carry souls to the afterlife. The carriage with its big, black horses is not meant to be seen. If you do see it, it can mean…death. This story is told in the past tense. Repeated words and phrases include “carruaje” (carriage), “muerte” (death), “oyó” (heard), “espantoso” (scary), “tenía miedo” (was afraid), “ruido” (noise), and “jalar” (tu pull). 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/2023/01/09/simple-stories-in-spanish-el-carruaje-de-la-muerte/ Support the show

This seventh season of Simple Stories in Spanish is updating some of my favorite episodes. Today’s remake is from Season 2, episode 10: ¿Cómo es mi familia? If you have been following me for a while, you know that my family dynamics changed last year. So, I felt I should start this new year by celebrating the wonderful people I am related to. This story is told in the present tense. Repeated words and phrases include “mayor” (older), “menor” (younger), “hijo” (child/son), “hermanos” (siblings), “sobrinos” (nieces and nephews), “tíos” (aunts and uncles), and “abuelos” (grandparents). 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/2023/01/04/simple-stories-in-spanish-como-es-mi-familia-2/  Support the show

This seventh season of Simple Stories in Spanish is updating some of my favorite episodes. Today’s remake is from Season 6, episode 21. Juan is a little cat. Every day he explores the world with his family, but one day everything changed. When he woke up, his family was gone, and he was in the middle of a construction site. Would he be able to make his way through the heavy equipment to find his family? This story is written in the past tense. Repeated words and phrases include “viga” (beam), “tierra” (dirt/earth/ground), “borde” (edge), “grúa” (crane), “volquete” (dump truck), “cargadora” (front loader), “montacargas” (forklift), and “buscó” (looked for). 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/2022/12/20/simple-stories-in-spanish-el-gatito-valiente-2/ Support the show

This seventh season of Simple Stories in Spanish is updating some of my favorite episodes. Today’s remake is from Season 6, episode 1. Luisa loves snow. She loves making snow angels and snowmen. She loves building snow forts and throwing snowballs. She likes skating and skiing and hockey. There is only one problem. It hasn’t snowed yet! This story is written in the present tense. Repeated words and phrases include “invierno” (winter), “nieve” (snow), “copos de nieve” (snowflakes), “muñeco de nieve” (snowman), “bolas de nieve” (snowballs), “escarcha” (frost), and “cae” (falls). 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/2022/12/12/simple-stories-in-spanish-un-cuento-de-invierno-2/ Support the show

This seventh season of Simple Stories in Spanish is updating some of my favorite episodes. Today’s remake is from Season 3, episode 2. Outside of Mexico City there are two volcanoes. One is a dormant volcano called Iztaccíhuatl, a name that means “white woman”. The other is the very active Popocatépetl, which means “smoking mountain.” Legend says these two volcanoes are star-crossed lovers that couldn’t be together in life. This story is written mostly in the past tense and includes dialogue. Repeated words and phrases include “guerrero” (warrior), “cacique” (tribal chief), “luchar” (to fight), “sonrisa” (smile), and “celoso” (jealous). 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/2022/12/04/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-leyenda-de-iztaccihuatl-y-popocatepetl/ Support the show

This seventh season of Simple Stories in Spanish is updating some of my favorite episodes. Today’s remake is from Season 1, episode 3: Eduardo busca novia. It can be hard to wander through life alone, especially during the holidays. Eduardo the elephant searches for the perfect girlfriend. He doesn’t care how she looks - she doesn’t even need to be an elephant! He just wants someone who is nice, fun, and patient. However, as Eduardo discovers, those traits can sometimes be hard to find. This story is written in the past tense and contains dialogue. Repeated words and phrases include “novia” (girlfriend), “novio” (boyfriend), “amable” (kind/nice), “divertido” (fun), “tímido” (shy), “valiente” (brave), “quería” (wanted), “compartir” (share) and “lo siento” (sorry). 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/2022/11/13/simple-stories-in-spanish-eduardo-busca-novia/ Support the show

This seventh season of Simple Stories in Spanish is updating some of my favorite episodes. Today’s remake is from Season 1, episode 7: La muchacha está enferma. It is that time of year in the northern hemisphere when sicknesses start to appear. When a child is sick, they should stay home from school. However, some kids will fake being sick to avoid doing their schoolwork. Such is the case of Jessica, who would rather be at home on her phone than in school taking tests. She fakes a cold so she can stay at home. What a great actress she is! That is, until she actually does get sick.This story includes dialogue, commands, body parts, the past tense and some complex verb phrases.. Repeated words and phrases include “resfriada” (stuffed up), “tos” (cough), “estornudar” (to sneeze), “me duele” (it hurts me), “garganta” (throat), “queda” (stay) and “fingió” (faked/pretended). 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/2022/11/07/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-muchacha-enferma/ Support the show

This seventh season of Simple Stories in Spanish is updating some of my favorite episodes. Today’s remake is from Season 3, episode 3: La leyenda del Caleuche. In southern Chile there is an island named Chiloé. The fishermen of Chiloé tell the tale of a ghost ship: the Caleuche. This ship is different from others because it is driven by a lovely mermaid queen who throws parties for her court. But before they can have their party, they need to harvest souls. This story includes dialogue and both the present and past tenses. Repeated words and phrases include “barco” (ship), “pescador” (fisherman), “sirena” (mermaid), “olas” (waves), “cielo” (sky), “hacia” (towards) and “lubina” (seabass). 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/2022/10/31/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-leyenda-del-caleuche-2/ Support the show

This seventh season of Simple Stories in Spanish is updating some of my favorite episodes. Today’s remake is from Season 2, episode 8: ¿Dónde vivo yo? A couple of months ago I moved into a new home. I am still in the same area of Colorado, but there are some differences in my new abode from my previous homes. In today’s remake, I focus more on the description of my home as well as previous homes I have lived in in this area. This story is told in the present and past tenses. Repeated words and phrases include “casa” (house), “había” (there were), “quería” (I wanted), “vecinos” (neighbors), “ventanas” (windows), “comedor” (dining room), “sótano” (basement), and “jardín” (yard/garden). 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/2022/10/23/simple-stories-in-spanish-donde-vivo-yo-2/ Support the show

This seventh season of Simple Stories in Spanish is updating some of my favorite episodes. Today’s remake is from Season 1, episode 14: Ramona en la playa. If you go to Costa Rica, you will probably go to the beach. And if you go to the beach, you will see animals. If you see animals, you will probably see a capuchin monkey. And if you see a capuchin monkey, they will probably steal something from you. This story is told in an “if-then” format using the present and future tenses and both the second and third person. Repeated words and phrases include “si” (if), “vas” (you go), “verás” (you will see), “mono” (monkey), “playa” (beach), “arena” (sand), “olas” (waves), and “quizás” (perhaps). 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/2022/10/16/simple-stories-in-spanish-si-vas-a-costa-rica/ Support the show

This seventh season of Simple Stories in Spanish is updating some of my favorite episodes. Today’s remake is from Season 3, episode 5: La Leyenda del Quetzal. In the middle of the Guatemalan flag there is a beautiful green bird with a bright red chest and a long flowing tail. It is the quetzal, a symbol of liberty and a nahual, or spirit guide, of the Maya and Quiché people. There are many legends surrounding this stunning and elusive bird and today’s story shares one of them.  This story is in the past tense. Repeated words and phrases include “tribu” (tribe), “cacique” (chieftan), “guerreros” (warriors), “pecho” (chest), and the verbs “iba” (was going), “era” (was), and “fue” (was/went). 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/2022/10/09/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-leyenda-del-quetzal/ Support the show