Author: Ben

The transcript for the latest Notes in Spanish podcast has changed slightly. There is now an exercise before the actual conversation transcript. The idea is to listen once without reading at the same time, just trying to complete exercise 1 (there is real teaching theory behind this idea!) After the conversation transcript there are 3 more exercises, but not the usual list of vocab and grammar – instead exercises 3 and 4 challenge you to find the words and phrases in a different way. The idea is that by actively seeking the answers to these exercises, the vocab stays in the memory for longer (forever, we hope!) Finally, the answers are included at the end of the transcript instead of in the forums.

Any feedback on the new format will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Lumpsuckerpig from the forums has set up a Skype cast called Spanish Notes (thanks also to Viajero, see forum posts here and here), and we will be chatting in Spanish today at 3 pm GMT, come and join us and let’s see how it goes!

Update: time change to 3 pm GMT, sorry, more planning next time to avoid this happening again!

Just do a search for Spanish Notes on the Upcoming Skype Casts page and you should find us. Hasta luego!

Somehow my friends and I, hoping for an Arsenal win, managed to end up watching the game in a bar in Madrid full of Barcelona supporters! We didn’t hang around at the end of the game… (Press clipping from El Mundo)

Update: … and some Catalans use it as an opportunity to tout independence again, see comments below.

Update 2: Looting, 45 arrests, and 107 injured in Barcelona celebrations (article here in Spanish). To all the banner wavers who claim ‘Catalonia is not Spain’ – perhaps you are right: this would never happen in Spain.