6 posts from February 2007

Well, it takes a lot to impress a jaded old coot like myself. Let's say, I'm duly impressed with a podcast series called "Coffee Break Spanish" which I've been downloading FREE from iTunes. This radiolingua sponsored podcast is hosted by two Scots, Mark and Kara, who incrementally teach you conversational Spanish. I have as much fun listening to their accents as I do learning the language. Mark, despite not being a native Spaniard, sounds just like one, IMHO. His pronounciation is typical of anyone speaking continental Spanish.

I lived Valencia, Spain as student for a brief semester at the University of Valencia in the '80s. I took Latin and French in high school, so my semester in Spain was my version of earning college language credits, and knowing no more than "Hola!", set out to take Spanish I & II.

I never mastered French because I was incompetent at mastering French pronunciation. Spanish pronunciation came a lot more naturally and I found the total immersion experience to be tremendously valuable. I learned more in every day exchanges than taking formal Spanish classes and was able to navigate pretty well through my daily tasks. The fact that I happened to love Spain and the whole Spanish culture really helped as well. Save some very potent threats from my parents, I liked the people and lifestyle so well, I probably wouldn't have returned stateside.

All that out of the way, it's 20 years later, and although I still understand some Spanish, I'm more than rusty when it comes to replying or initiating conversation. That was painfully obvious during my vacation in Punta Cana, DR. Living in metro NY, having some Spanish under your belt, even if it's not quite "street" Spanish, can be very helpful.

The podcasts are sequential and you must start from lesson 1. They are short and you can listen anywhere. Today I was listening in my car and while I was having a manicure and pedicure.  He teaches you just what you need to know and leaves out all the stuff you don't. Kara is Mark's "pupil" and helps in the process of learning, reinforcement and pronunciation as she learns along with us and letting us share in real conversations. I'm finding the method a great refresher and I'm learning lots of new things as well.

There are bonus materials offered on the Coffee Break Spanish website like iPod flash cards, downloadable transcripts and written tools as well as extra podcasts that consoldate the lessons with music and quizzes to enhance and reinforce what you've learned and what you are building on. These are available for a nominal fee each, or you can purchase a premium subscription and have unlimited access to all lesson materials on a monthly or quarterly basis. Since I already have some verbal and written experience in the language, I don't feel it's essential for me, but for someone completely novice, I'd recommend it. I would definitely pay to download the bonus material as needed as the lessons go beyond my current experience level. 

Obviously I am not the only one who feels strongly about the quality of this series. CBS put their first podcast on iTunes mid-October 2006 and in a few weeks became the top downloaded language podcast and remains so. People world wide are giving high praise to this series. So you want the goods?

Feed for "Coffee Break Spanish" http://feeds.feedburner.com/coffeebreakspanish or download from iTunes.

Uncanny that this is the topic for today's Vox Hunt! I posted this video somewhere else today because some listeners of my iTunes Generation80s Retro Radio station, affectionately dubbed "The Breakfast Club", were reminiscing about some of the early 90's alternative music I just loaded up to my server, especially the early 90's neo pyschedelic Manchester sound. The request came for The Dylan's Planet Love, which is an obscure but kickin' tune and I decided to do one better and post the video, not just play the track on the station. So here it is, an awesome rare video, dusted off from another music lover's vault thanks to a recording off MTV's 120 minutes...and it makes a prime candidate for today's great music video. Manchester sound was meant meld the Beatlesque, the 60's psychedelic movement and making it into "Modern Rock"...I give you "Planet Love" especially for my bud Steve-O! (Maybe I should throw up some Stone Roses too!)