Raising Español
By Raising Español
We've all said we want to learn a second language, Spanish most likely. This is one family's honest journey into becoming more compassionate for other cultures by learning the language, meeting Spanish speakers, and immersing themselves in everyday Latin life.
Raising EspañolJan 12, 2017
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24:00
Ep 2.1 - Five Summer Lessons
We\u2019re back! After our summer break we\u2019ve started recording again and are starting with five things we learned during our break as we continued our journey.
Oct 03, 201733:10
Ep. 47 - Break for the Summer
It's been almost a year since we started this podcast. Amazing how time flies! We've loved sharing our story with you along the whole way. As we looking to grow and expand the show we're going to take a break for the summer as we look into other options (Instagram, YouTube, etc.)
We hope to hear from you about what you've liked the most and that we can return soon!
¡Gracias por Escuchar!
Ben y Jennie
We hope to hear from you about what you've liked the most and that we can return soon!
¡Gracias por Escuchar!
Ben y Jennie
Jun 02, 201714:47
Ep. 46 - An Ear for Español
After learning Spanish for a while, you develop an extra sensitivity whenever someone starts speaking it near you. This is certainly the case for us and for many others we know. In this episode we have some family updates and how we're speaking more with people out and about.¡Gracias por Escuchar!
more at breakingespanol.com/46
more at breakingespanol.com/46
May 29, 201723:09
Ep. 45 - 4 Months in South America with Michael Field
Jennie's cousin Michael Field is back from his trip through South America! In this episode we hear about his travels through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, and Uraguay all while staying in hostels. It's a trip we've all wanted to take, now you can hear exactly what it is like. Enjoy!
more at breakingespanol.com/45
more at breakingespanol.com/45
May 20, 201728:21
Ep. 44 - Finding a Bilingual Daycare
As we mentioned last week we’re losing our nanny, but good news! We’ve found a bilingual daycare near Jennie’s work. We’re both excited and nervous at the same time about this. In this episode we talk through how we decided on this and how Jack is doing with his own Spanish.
More at breakingespanol.com/44
More at breakingespanol.com/44
Apr 21, 201720:40
Ep. 43 - Jennie's Incredible Tijuana Dinner
This is a tough week! We’re losing our Nanny due to the schedule not working for her, so we’re looking into preschools. Fortunately, we have some good prospects on bilingual preschools in our area, so we’re hopeful to find one soon. Jennie also recently went to Tijuana for a six course (platos) dinner from local chefs in the Playas area. In her dinner, she realized, again, how hard it is to translate menus.
more at breakingespanol.com/43
more at breakingespanol.com/43
Apr 14, 201726:33
Ep. 42 - Comida de Chile
This episode is all about food. Specifically food from Santiago, Chile. Jennie's recent trip to Chile gave her many opportunities to eat the local fare and enjoy the culture. In this episode, she shares all about her cooking class, the markets, and challenges of a foreign language menu.
¡Gracias por Escuchar!
more at breakingespanol.com/42
¡Gracias por Escuchar!
more at breakingespanol.com/42
Apr 07, 201722:57
Ep. 41 - Jennie Regresada de Chile
We continue to start off the show speaking in Spanish. Jennie’s back from Chile and ready to share about her time in Santiago and the coastline of Chile. She loved speaking in Spanish while there and has some fun experiences to share. We couldn’t fit it all in one episode so catch part 2 next week!
We also started a new community over on Patreon where you can support the show and continue our Spanish converstaions. Ciao! Gracias por escuchar!
We also started a new community over on Patreon where you can support the show and continue our Spanish converstaions. Ciao! Gracias por escuchar!
Mar 31, 201743:28
Ep. 40 - While Jennie's Away
Jennie sent us some clips from her trip to Chile so in this episode you get to hear what it's really like speaking Spanish in another country. Also, Ben has a question for you. ¡Gracias por Escuchar!
More at breakingespanol.com/40
More at breakingespanol.com/40
Mar 24, 201706:32
Ep. 39 - !Vamos a Chile!
Jennie is going to Chile! She’s super excited to visit a new country and take in the culture and language with her good friend. In this week we talk about her preparations for the trip and some of the things she is looking to do while in Chile. She’ll be back in a week and hopes to record while there so next week stay tuned for some potential clips of her trip.¡Gracis por Escuchar!
More at breakingespanol.com/39
More at breakingespanol.com/39
Mar 17, 201727:00
Ep. 38 - La Semana en Español
We're introducing a new segment where we catch up with each other about the past week in Spanish. Thank you everyone for the great feedback about our previous conversations in Spanish for motivating us to do this. We think this will be a good way to share where we are at in our journey as well as help you learn a bit in the process. Enjoy!
More at breakingespanol.com/38
More at breakingespanol.com/38
Mar 10, 201718:00
Ep. 37 - Hello Talk
Thanks to Lalo we recently discovered a fun new app called Hello Talk which has been a ton of fun so far. It's sort of like having a pen pal from another country that is trying to learn your language, and you theirs. So you can chat back and forth as well as correct each others messages. It's a whole new experience for us that we were excited to share.
It has also been a few weeks since we sat down in the studio so here we catch up on the past few weeks interviewing folks as well as some fun new vocabulary we learned. If you haven’t listened to them yet the past two weeks were interviews with Jennie’s friend Rachel Leake and our Spanish teacher Lalo Vega. We recap those and add our thoughts about what we’ve learned recently.
¡Gracias por Escuchar!
More at breakingespanol.com/37
It has also been a few weeks since we sat down in the studio so here we catch up on the past few weeks interviewing folks as well as some fun new vocabulary we learned. If you haven’t listened to them yet the past two weeks were interviews with Jennie’s friend Rachel Leake and our Spanish teacher Lalo Vega. We recap those and add our thoughts about what we’ve learned recently.
¡Gracias por Escuchar!
More at breakingespanol.com/37
Feb 28, 201731:20
Ep. 36 - Interview With Lalo - Jerga
We're excited to have our Spanish teacher Lalo Vega back on the program. We start out this episode by speaking in Spanish for several minutes to give you guys an idea of where we're at as well as what a typical class is like for us. After our Spanish convo we had some fun learning Jerga or Slang from Lalo. We even learned some lessons on how to slow down and speak more clearly in Spanish so we are able to improve our level.
¡Gracias por Escuchar!
more at breakingespanol.com/36
¡Gracias por Escuchar!
more at breakingespanol.com/36
Feb 24, 201751:44
Ep. 35 - Interview w/ Rachel Leake
This week we have an interview with Rachel Leake. Rachel is a jet setter with a passion for learning Spanish and immersing herself into Latin culture. She recently went on a solo trip to Chile and had lots of stories to share with us. Enjoy!
more at breakingespanol.com/35
more at breakingespanol.com/35
Feb 15, 201725:15
Ep. 34 - Oaxaca Journal pt 3 - Mezcal Tours
Part 3 of our journal through Oaxaca is all about Mezcal. We heard about this unforgettable mezcal educational tour of some palenques (Mezcal Distilleries) from some friends we made at the bed and breakfast. They gave us the guys info who we quickly called the following day and scheduled our tour for Sunday, the day before we were leaving. ¡Gracias por Escuchar!
More at breakingespanol.com/34
More at breakingespanol.com/34
Feb 07, 201737:45
Ep. 33 - Oaxaca Journal pt 2 - Tours in Spanish
In part 2 of our Journal through Oaxaca we take you on a tour through their unique botanical garden, to the ancient ruins of Monte Albán, and through the Museo de Textil. Monte Albán is a special place that reminds you how old the region of Oaxaca is. We toured this ancient center of the Zapotec people almost entirely in Spanish on a hot day with our toddler. The botanical gardens offered a peak into the Oaxacan culture and native landscape while the Museo de Textile showed just how colorful and expressive their people are. ¡Gracias por Escuchar!
Images and More breakingespanol.com/33
Images and More breakingespanol.com/33
Jan 31, 201727:27
Ep. 32 - Oaxaca Journal Pt 1 - First Impressions
This is Part 1 of our journal through Oaxaca! We are excited to share all about this beautiful and vibrant city in southern Mexico. We start with where you should stay, what to do, and how the food and art can't be missed, enjoy! And look forward to Part 2 and 3 in the coming weeks. ¡Gracias por Escuchar!
Images and More at breakingespanol.com/32
Images and More at breakingespanol.com/32
Jan 27, 201725:53
Ep. 31 - Interview with Mama Lingua Co-Founder Aileen Passariello McAleer
This week we have a very special guest, Aileen Passariello McAleer, a co-founder of our favorite app, Mama Lingua!
Aileen shares her story of growing up bilingual with her parents and three siblings. Originally from Miami, she spent every summer in Venezuela, where her family is from. Now with two kids or her own she shares her tips for balancing the languages in her household. She also shares her story about creating her app and what their goals are with it. Enjoy!
www.mama-lingua.com
www.facebook.com/MamaLingua/
www.facebook.com/MamaLinguaEspanol
@mymamalingua
@mymamalinguaespanol
#mymamalingua
The app is currently available for iOS (iPhone or iPad) apple.co/1PTpJRf.
English Commercial: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUPqstPAMJU
YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJFKHAPuKoDUg9RSZ_cjY-A
Aileen shares her story of growing up bilingual with her parents and three siblings. Originally from Miami, she spent every summer in Venezuela, where her family is from. Now with two kids or her own she shares her tips for balancing the languages in her household. She also shares her story about creating her app and what their goals are with it. Enjoy!
www.mama-lingua.com
www.facebook.com/MamaLingua/
www.facebook.com/MamaLinguaEspanol
@mymamalingua
@mymamalinguaespanol
#mymamalingua
The app is currently available for iOS (iPhone or iPad) apple.co/1PTpJRf.
English Commercial: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUPqstPAMJU
YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJFKHAPuKoDUg9RSZ_cjY-A
Jan 18, 201741:43
Ep. 30 - Niño Hablar
Lately, we’ve been really focusing on helping Jack learn to speak. Like all parents, we’ve read way too many articles on the internet about this which basically just confuse the issue. In this week’s episode, we talk in depth about this and share our new words.
¡Gracias por Escuchar!
More at: breakingespanol.com/30
¡Gracias por Escuchar!
More at: breakingespanol.com/30
Jan 12, 201724:00
Ep. 29 - !Feliz Año Nuevo!
¡Feliz Año Nuevo! We’re excited to join you in the new year and all that it will bring. This week we reflect on the year that past and our goals for 2017. We also found this hilarious article about speaking Spanglish in the San Diego reader which had us laughing mucho! ¡Gracias por Escuchar!
Jan 04, 201729:46
Ep. 28 - Interview with the nomad Cedric Dahl
A friend of ours, Cedric Dahl, recently returned from a ten month trip to Spain and some nearby countries so the day he got back we bought him some BBQ and locked him in the studio to hear his story.
more at breakingespanol.com/28
more at breakingespanol.com/28
Dec 28, 201627:45
Ep. 27 - ¡Feliz Navidad!
It’s our favorite time of year again, tamale season! There also apparently are other holidays going on as well. This week we talk about the traditions we’re adopting from our Latin neighbors and those that we’re keeping from our own childhood.
More at breakingespanol.com/27
More at breakingespanol.com/27
Dec 20, 201634:42
Ep. 26 - Embarazados Pelicula
We love watching Spanish movies. It helps us expand our vocabulary and learn the different accents used throughout the world. This week we share our thoughts on the movie Embarazados as well as our experiences speaking Spanish in real life including meeting a bilingual family from Israel. ¡Gracias por Escuchar!
More at breakingespanol.com/26
More at breakingespanol.com/26
Dec 13, 201635:00
Ep. 25 - Dia de Gracias
For Thanksgiving this year we spent it with our neighbors who are partly from Mexico. We enjoyed the time together learning about the traditional dishes they brought and talking about our upcoming trip to Oaxaca. Enjoy!
More at breakingespanol.com/25
More at breakingespanol.com/25
Dec 08, 201630:43
Ep. 24 - Learning a Language With Your Spouse
This week I (ben) do a solo episode talking about learning a language with your spouse. It's not all sunshine and roses so here I'll go into some of the ups and down that we've went through and how we're making it work. Enjoy!
More at breakingespanol.com/24
More at breakingespanol.com/24
Nov 30, 201611:31
Ep. 23 - 15 Spanish Phrases You Should Know
This week we go into some uplifting phrases we found as well as an app we love for learning commands to tell your kids. As we go through we decided to make a game out of it where Ben quizzes Jennie on what the phrases mean. ¡Disfrutas!
More info at breakingespanol.com/23
More info at breakingespanol.com/23
Nov 23, 201629:05
Ep. 22 - What Trump Means for Latinos
This week we look into what impact president-elect Trump could have on the Latino community in the United States. A lot of us are still shaking our head as to how this happened and what this will mean, but we did some research and break down what specific actions an anti-immigrant president means to millions of Americans.
Full Notes at breakingespanol.com
Full Notes at breakingespanol.com
Nov 16, 201637:26
Ep. 21 - Camping Fail
Okay, so we tried to go camping and well, it didn’t go perfect. However, regardless of our failed overnight camping attempt due to rain and near freezing temperatures, we still used this as a learning opportunity. After retiring from the wilderness for the season, we ended up watching a great Spanish movie that we loved. Enjoy!
Full notes at breakingespanol.com/21
Full notes at breakingespanol.com/21
Nov 08, 201636:03
Ep. 20 - The Importance of Immersion
This week we’re talking all about immersion. There are two main ways we think about immersion, in school, and in life. So we have two stories this week about how bilingual education may be coming back if a state proposition passes as well as a tale of one woman who took her family through Mexico and South America to truly immerse themselves in Latin life and culture. Enjoy!
More at breakingespanol.com/20
More at breakingespanol.com/20
Nov 02, 201650:30
Ep. 19 - Making Travel Arrangements in Spanish
This week we catch up with our learning journey. We had a class with Lalo so we have lots of words and phrases to share. As well, we are planning a trip to Oaxaca and in doing so had to navigate making the travel arrangements in Spanish over email. This posed a challenge but we got through it and share our tips on how you can navigate these situations also. ¡Gracias por Escucar!
more at breakingespanol.com/19
more at breakingespanol.com/19
Oct 26, 201644:18
Ep. 18 - Reasons to Continue Learning
This week we recap some of our recent learning challenges including a video chat where Ben helped Lalo with some questions about his blog and Jennie who made a few new bilingual friends at a nearby park.
More at breakingespanol.com/18
More at breakingespanol.com/18
Oct 19, 201648:03
Ep. 17 - How to Raise a Bilingual Child
Over the past year, we've learned a ton about raising our son bilingual, including what we need to do as parents to try and keep up! This week Jennie shares her lessons and resources for raising a child bilingual and how to adjust everything from how you speak to your child to the cartoons we watch.
Full Show Notes: breakingespanol.com/17
Full Show Notes: breakingespanol.com/17
Oct 12, 201621:15
Ep. 16 - Novelas & Bilingual Education in California Schools
On this episode we talk a lot about the past few weeks of learning as well as some of the encounters we’ve had trying to speak Spanish in real life. Ben was up in Santa Barbara for some work and had a few opportunities to speak Spanish while Jennie stayed home watching Novelas and eating ice cream. Okay that last part isn’t true, but we do talk about novelas in this show as well as an upcoming law/proposition in California that would open up schools ability to run more bilingual programs.
Full show notes: breakingespanol.com/16
Full show notes: breakingespanol.com/16
Oct 04, 201631:54
Ep. 15 - Is Tijuana Safe
We hear a lot from people that they’re scared to cross the border and visit Tijuana and Baja California. In this episode we share our experiences and some research we’ve done to help understand this fear better.
It all started around 2008 when the Mexican President at the time began to fight the Tijuana Cartel to reduce violence. This lead to a weaker cartel which then lead to a turf war between the Tijuana and Sinaloa cartels. During this time there were many cases of murder and violent crimes in the border town, which scared off virtually all tourists. Even those of us that had been visiting there for years.
We spoke with several friends and acquaintances and couldn’t find anyone that had spent any fair amount of time down there that had any fear of visiting.
Ben did some research as well into the crime statistics for Mexico and he found:
Tijuana is the 22nd most crime stricken city in Mexico
Of the crime in Tijuana only 9% is violent
Tijuana has 28% less homicides than Chicago
It all started around 2008 when the Mexican President at the time began to fight the Tijuana Cartel to reduce violence. This lead to a weaker cartel which then lead to a turf war between the Tijuana and Sinaloa cartels. During this time there were many cases of murder and violent crimes in the border town, which scared off virtually all tourists. Even those of us that had been visiting there for years.
We spoke with several friends and acquaintances and couldn’t find anyone that had spent any fair amount of time down there that had any fear of visiting.
Ben did some research as well into the crime statistics for Mexico and he found:
Tijuana is the 22nd most crime stricken city in Mexico
Of the crime in Tijuana only 9% is violent
Tijuana has 28% less homicides than Chicago
Sep 28, 201627:12
Ep. 14 - Ciudad de Mexico (CDMX)
Ben just got back from his trip to Mexico city so we sat down to hear how it went. Ben was there with his brother for his bachelor party (Despedida de Soltero) and visited many areas, the huge park Chapultepec, and enjoyed a ton of great food.
Ben stayed in Downtown near the Palacio de Las Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts) which was filled with tons of people on the weekend for shopping and eating. Shopping is organized into separate areas based on the type of items (Medical supplies, Men’s Clothing, etc.) and there were lots of people trying to get you to buy their products as is typical in a busy shopping area.
Most of the time Ben was in La Roma and La Condeza area however. These areas are known as a Hipster area which means great food and drinks as well as beards and skinny jeans. At night these areas came alive with a vibrant young community that is progressing the cuisine and cocktail scene.
Beyond the hipster areas Ben and his brothers went to the “Central Park” of Mexico Ci
Ben stayed in Downtown near the Palacio de Las Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts) which was filled with tons of people on the weekend for shopping and eating. Shopping is organized into separate areas based on the type of items (Medical supplies, Men’s Clothing, etc.) and there were lots of people trying to get you to buy their products as is typical in a busy shopping area.
Most of the time Ben was in La Roma and La Condeza area however. These areas are known as a Hipster area which means great food and drinks as well as beards and skinny jeans. At night these areas came alive with a vibrant young community that is progressing the cuisine and cocktail scene.
Beyond the hipster areas Ben and his brothers went to the “Central Park” of Mexico Ci
Sep 20, 201647:25
Ep. 13 - Interview Wtih Jonathan Zaidman
This week Ben interviews a former colleague and friend of his with a unique backstory. Jonathan Zaidman comes from a family that immigrated to Mexico years ago after being turned down by the United States when they were fleeing their homes in eastern Europe for fear of persecution.
There were many that fled this area, especially Jewish people, that were turned away by the United States due to quotas already being filled. They ended up making their way to Mexico City where they created businesses and thrived.
After a couple generations being born and raised in Mexico City, Jonathan’s parents relocated to San Diego where he was born and raised. During his time here in San Diego he spoke solely Spanish in the house while English out in the public.
Jonathan is the founder of the 1 to 1 Movement, a sustainability outreach program to help teach kids about living greener lives. You can find more about his project at their website: 1to1movement.org/
Full Show Notes: http://breaking
There were many that fled this area, especially Jewish people, that were turned away by the United States due to quotas already being filled. They ended up making their way to Mexico City where they created businesses and thrived.
After a couple generations being born and raised in Mexico City, Jonathan’s parents relocated to San Diego where he was born and raised. During his time here in San Diego he spoke solely Spanish in the house while English out in the public.
Jonathan is the founder of the 1 to 1 Movement, a sustainability outreach program to help teach kids about living greener lives. You can find more about his project at their website: 1to1movement.org/
Full Show Notes: http://breaking
Sep 13, 201638:37
Ep. 12 - Valle De Guadalupe
We’re so excited to share with you our recent trip down to Valle de Guadalupe! If you’re not familiar, this is Baja’s burgeoning wine country that sits just east of Ensenada about 1.5hrs south of San Diego.
For the drive down we took the 1D freeway which is a toll road because it is generally free of traffic and well maintained. This freeway also runs along the mostly undeveloped coastline of Baja which is beautiful.
After arriving we were blown away by how many wineries (vinicolas) and restaurants are there. Valle is home to 110 wineries and some of the best restaurants in the world. Our first stop was at Lechuza winery which was unfortunately closed due to an upcoming festival and being completely booked.
After trying a couple other wineries we discovered that during this month (Fiesta de Vendimia) most wineries are only open on Saturday and Sunday for tasting or by appointment only. Make sure to check before heading down!
For a late lunch / early dinner we were fortunate to get
For the drive down we took the 1D freeway which is a toll road because it is generally free of traffic and well maintained. This freeway also runs along the mostly undeveloped coastline of Baja which is beautiful.
After arriving we were blown away by how many wineries (vinicolas) and restaurants are there. Valle is home to 110 wineries and some of the best restaurants in the world. Our first stop was at Lechuza winery which was unfortunately closed due to an upcoming festival and being completely booked.
After trying a couple other wineries we discovered that during this month (Fiesta de Vendimia) most wineries are only open on Saturday and Sunday for tasting or by appointment only. Make sure to check before heading down!
For a late lunch / early dinner we were fortunate to get
Sep 06, 201638:00
Ep. 11 - Back on the Horse
This week we give some updates in our learning journey including trying to get a SENTRI pass, Spanish play dates, making reservations in Spanish, and using some new apps to help build vocabulary.
We also started back at the Culture and Language center taking lessons and have lots to share. You’ll hear what it feels like to take a year off and some of the things that we got rusty at due to lack of practice. Enjoy!
Full Show Notes: breakingespanol.com/11
We also started back at the Culture and Language center taking lessons and have lots to share. You’ll hear what it feels like to take a year off and some of the things that we got rusty at due to lack of practice. Enjoy!
Full Show Notes: breakingespanol.com/11
Aug 30, 201627:26
Ep. 10 - Recuerdos de Nica
This week we recount a trip we went on early in our Spanish learning journey to Nicaragua. Often for Jennie’s birthday the weather here in San Diego is pretty rainy so we end up traveling, this time to an amazing tropical destination and surf paradise.
The trip was five days in a small town called Playa Gigante at the Papaya Wellness surf and yoga retreat. During the five days we had many opportunities to advance our Spanish speaking as well as interact with many locals and make new memories in an amazing country. Enjoy!
Full Show Notes: breakingespanol.com/10
The trip was five days in a small town called Playa Gigante at the Papaya Wellness surf and yoga retreat. During the five days we had many opportunities to advance our Spanish speaking as well as interact with many locals and make new memories in an amazing country. Enjoy!
Full Show Notes: breakingespanol.com/10
Aug 24, 201644:11
Ep. 9 - Las Cuatros Milpas
This week Jennie and Ben went to a local mexican restaurant in Barrio Logan, a very authentic Mexican area near downtown San Diego. At the restaurant they had a really authentic experience ordering, eating, and chatting w/ the ladies making all the food.
The place is staffed by a bunch of old(er) Mexicanas that do things the traditional way. When you ask for Carne, it means pork. There are only about 3 or 4 items on the menu, and it’s cash only. The name? Las Cuatros Milpas which means “The four cornfields”.
If you’re in San Diego ever and looking for an authentic mexican meal, this is one of the best places to try. Beware though, there is nothing gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan here, just pure traditional mexican style food.
Full Show Notes: breakingespanol.com/9
The place is staffed by a bunch of old(er) Mexicanas that do things the traditional way. When you ask for Carne, it means pork. There are only about 3 or 4 items on the menu, and it’s cash only. The name? Las Cuatros Milpas which means “The four cornfields”.
If you’re in San Diego ever and looking for an authentic mexican meal, this is one of the best places to try. Beware though, there is nothing gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan here, just pure traditional mexican style food.
Full Show Notes: breakingespanol.com/9
Aug 17, 201624:59
Ep. 8 - Interview With Michael Field
This week we get to hear from Jennie's cousin, Michael Field, who went through a Spanish immersion program as a child and is planning an upcoming study abroad in South America. Michael started his journey at an early age of 5 years old when his parents enrolled him in a Spanish immersion school in Portland, Oregon.
His journey has taken him to and from Spain many times where he lived as an exchange student with a local Spanish family. Throughout his and his sister's life they have had this super-power of speaking the Spanish language fluently and in this episode you get to hear all about what that is like. Enjoy!
Full Show Notes @ breakingespanol.com/8
His journey has taken him to and from Spain many times where he lived as an exchange student with a local Spanish family. Throughout his and his sister's life they have had this super-power of speaking the Spanish language fluently and in this episode you get to hear all about what that is like. Enjoy!
Full Show Notes @ breakingespanol.com/8
Aug 09, 201633:37
Ep. 7 - Bilingual Fiesta and Spanish in Politics
Our last two weeks were chock full of experiences in our learning journey including our son’s 1st birthday party and our trip to Portland to visit family. At Jack’s party we had some family and close friends over to celebrate with many speaking both Spanish and English, including Jack’s nanny Patricia.
On the trip to Portland to see family we started out by meeting a woman on our flight that had lived in Peru for 3 years prior and had great things to talk about in Spanish. Later in the week Jennie also had the opportunity to hear first hand from her two cousins that grew up in a Spanish immersion program what it was like and how it has influenced them as young adults.
Full show notes and photos here: breakingespanol.com/7
On the trip to Portland to see family we started out by meeting a woman on our flight that had lived in Peru for 3 years prior and had great things to talk about in Spanish. Later in the week Jennie also had the opportunity to hear first hand from her two cousins that grew up in a Spanish immersion program what it was like and how it has influenced them as young adults.
Full show notes and photos here: breakingespanol.com/7
Aug 02, 201627:48
Ep. 6 - Overcoming Struggles When Learning
This week we catch up with each other on how the week was as well as we did our first recording speaking Spanish in the wild! We took a mic with us on a recent journey out and about the town and got a few sound bites of us talking with others in Spanish.
This is the first of many peeks into what it’s really like to be learning a language and trying to speak with other, native Spanish speakers, in the wild. Who knows, maybe we’ll head to a Spanish speaking country soon to get more of these clips for you ;)
Jennie had a bit rougher of a week which is how it goes sometimes. She shares her feelings and thoughts about how it was and possibly what to do next week to make it a better learning week. Enjoy!
Full Show Notes: breakingespanol.com/6
This is the first of many peeks into what it’s really like to be learning a language and trying to speak with other, native Spanish speakers, in the wild. Who knows, maybe we’ll head to a Spanish speaking country soon to get more of these clips for you ;)
Jennie had a bit rougher of a week which is how it goes sometimes. She shares her feelings and thoughts about how it was and possibly what to do next week to make it a better learning week. Enjoy!
Full Show Notes: breakingespanol.com/6
Jul 26, 201622:19
Ep. 5 - Interview with Lalo Vega (CultureAndLanguageCenter.com)
This week we interviewed the man that has helped us immensely in our journey and taught us practically all the Spanish we know, our Spanish teacher, or guide as he likes to call himself, Lalo Vega!
Lalo runs the Culture and Language Center (http://www.cultureandlanguagecenter.com) in San Diego where he has a unique approach to teaching. His students start learning how to converse from Day 1 while also beginning to understand the reasons why certain things are the way they are.
He focuses on becoming functional and being able to communicate rather than being able to pass a fluency test. Lalo has a great story about how he got to this point and in this episode we get a glimpse of his story and what you can do to start learning today.
Tips and Resources at breakingespanol.com/5
Lalo runs the Culture and Language Center (http://www.cultureandlanguagecenter.com) in San Diego where he has a unique approach to teaching. His students start learning how to converse from Day 1 while also beginning to understand the reasons why certain things are the way they are.
He focuses on becoming functional and being able to communicate rather than being able to pass a fluency test. Lalo has a great story about how he got to this point and in this episode we get a glimpse of his story and what you can do to start learning today.
Tips and Resources at breakingespanol.com/5
Jul 19, 201645:11
Ep. 4 - Making Friends in Español
The past week proved to be full of exciting times meeting new friends in Español! Both Jennie and Ben met several people that are first language Spanish speakers and engaged in some interesting conversations. This episode introduces a new format where they talk about experiences like these along with other things they learned like new Spanish words and phrases. Enjoy!
Full show notes at breakingespanol.com/4
Full show notes at breakingespanol.com/4
Jul 12, 201634:07
Ep. 3 - Why We Decided to Raise Our Son Bilingual
We have a 11-month-old son, Jack. He has been the light of our life since he’s joined us here on planet Earth. Naturally, since we want everyone to gain a greater compassion for others by learning a new language, we decided to raise him bilingual.
We have no doubt Jack will grow up being able to better communicate with other kids as a result of these efforts. In this episode, we share the steps we’re taking to help our son learn both Spanish and English at the same time. Enjoy!
Tips and Resources here: breakingespanol.com/3
We have no doubt Jack will grow up being able to better communicate with other kids as a result of these efforts. In this episode, we share the steps we’re taking to help our son learn both Spanish and English at the same time. Enjoy!
Tips and Resources here: breakingespanol.com/3
Jun 29, 201630:22
Ep. 2 - How We Got to This Point
We started our journey nearly 2 years ago to learn Spanish and immerse ourselves into Latin culture. Along the way we’ve been able to fine tune our method and what works for us including taking classes, using duolingo, and challenging ourselves to engage with others in public.
While not easy, but hilarious at times, this episode is about how we arrived at this point and what we’ve learned so far along the way. Check out the link below for more tips, Spanish words we use, and resources to help you in your journey.
Tips and Resources: breakingespanol.com/2
While not easy, but hilarious at times, this episode is about how we arrived at this point and what we’ve learned so far along the way. Check out the link below for more tips, Spanish words we use, and resources to help you in your journey.
Tips and Resources: breakingespanol.com/2
Jun 29, 201635:50
Ep. 1 - It Starts with Why
¡Hola, Mucho Gusto!
We are Jennie and Ben Sullins hosts of Breaking Español the Podcast. Recording after our young son Jack goes to sleep.
We started this journey because we believe having compassion for other cultures starts with speaking their language. After a few trips to Europe and Latin America, we decided it was time to commit and actually learn a second language. Living in Southern California, Spanish was an obvious choice.
Now we are in a race to learn Spanish faster than our son as he is starting so young. We love the food, the tequila, and traveling to latin countries as often as we can to try and immerse ourselves in the culture and gain that compassion.
On the show, we chat about:
- The ups and downs of learning a new language
- Finding the time to learn - What has and hasn’t worked
- How we stay inspired to keep going
- Our experiences raising our child bilingual
- How to get past the timidness of speaking
- Traveling through Latin America - and much more…
Join us on
We are Jennie and Ben Sullins hosts of Breaking Español the Podcast. Recording after our young son Jack goes to sleep.
We started this journey because we believe having compassion for other cultures starts with speaking their language. After a few trips to Europe and Latin America, we decided it was time to commit and actually learn a second language. Living in Southern California, Spanish was an obvious choice.
Now we are in a race to learn Spanish faster than our son as he is starting so young. We love the food, the tequila, and traveling to latin countries as often as we can to try and immerse ourselves in the culture and gain that compassion.
On the show, we chat about:
- The ups and downs of learning a new language
- Finding the time to learn - What has and hasn’t worked
- How we stay inspired to keep going
- Our experiences raising our child bilingual
- How to get past the timidness of speaking
- Traveling through Latin America - and much more…
Join us on
Jun 29, 201622:54