The Best Podcasts in Latin American Spanish for Intermediate Spanish Learners
In this post: Boost your fluency and confidence in Spanish with the best podcasts for intermediate learners. Plus, you’ll get tips for getting started today.
If you're an adult at the intermediate level looking for the best podcasts for learning Spanish, you're in luck! There is a world of Spanish podcasts out there to spice up your life--and your Spanish routine.
There is so much to love about Spanish podcasts as you reach an intermediate level.
You can tune into them on the go, whether you're jogging, commuting, or even cooking. And if you’re a bit of a travel lover, a podcast can be like going on a trip for a few minutes to explore a new culture and see things from the perspective of someone in a Spanish-speaking country.
And if you’re still feeling a little uncertain about your listening skills, then you’ll really enjoy seeing your progress as you use the listening techniques I’ll share with you in today's post.
In today’s post, you’ll also learn to use your Spanish-language podcast habit to improve your Spanish speaking skills with techniques tailored specifically to intermediate learners.
And, of course, you’ve probably got one more really important question: What are the best podcasts to listen to to learn Spanish? Today, I’ll share a list of my favorite podcasts for intermediate Spanish learners. These are podcasts that I’ve discovered over years of listening as a Spanish learner--and an educator.
While reading this post, consider these questions:
Do you already listen to podcasts in English? When do you listen? What are your favorite topics?
Is there a country or culture you’d like to know more about that you could try to ‘visit by podcast’?
How do you already incorporate listening into your Spanish learning practice?
Sample these Low-Intermediate Latin American Spanish Language Podcasts.
1. News in Slow Spanish Intermediate (Latino)
Realistic language, current events, slow and clear Spanish, handy transcripts, and multiple listening levels you can choose from--this is the recipe for Spanish learning success offered by this podcast.
2. Help Me Learn Spanish Joel!
In this podcast by a native Mexican Spanish speaker, experienced polyglot, and second language acquisition specialist, you’ll hear Spanish that’s highly accessible at the intermediate level. Host Joel Zárate interviews other native speakers on light topics like food and cooking, and many posts are labeled by level of difficulty.
3. Mini-Stories to Learn Spanish for High Beginners
Sometimes, you need a story to learn a language. This podcast delivers short Spanish language stories in Mexican Spanish, accessible to high-beginner and low-intermediate Spanish learners. Also created by podcaster Joel Zárate.
4. Duolingo Spanish Podcast
Engaging and captivating true stories that will sweep you up and place you all over the Latin American Map in Spanish you can understand. You’ll find show notes that give you the context you need to understand a bit more when you first listen and transcripts you can use to deepen your understanding.
5. Coffee Break Spanish
Bite-sized language lessons from 3-10 minutes long on intermediate grammar topics you can listen to during a coffee break. The lower-level episodes in the first season have more English translations and explanations, while season 3--Upper-intermediate contains slightly more Spanish dialogue and storytelling.
6. Doorway To Mexico
This podcast enriches your Spanish practice with real-life scenarios. Navigate car accidents in Mexico or delve into the world of telenovelas—all while adding a new level of nuance to your vocabulary.
7. StoryLearning Spanish
Do you remember stories better than grammar lessons? Then try this podcast. Written by the StoryLearning Podcast host, Sofia, this podcast centers around the adventures of 6 friends who meet by chance in San Sebastián and find themselves on an unlikely and unforgetable roadtrip through Spain. Each episode is a new chapter of the story. Pick up the language naturally--as you would in real life. Perfect for low-intermediate to intermediate learners interested in a unique and effective approach to learning Spanish.
🎧 Listen to StoryLearning Spanish
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8. Let’s Speak Spanish - Hablemos Español
Get ready to be swept away by all the art, culture, gastronomy, and science you can access in this podcast for low intermediate learners. For the most comfortable listening experience, look for episodes marked A2--although there are several levels to experiment with in this podcast. This eclectic podcast boosts your fluency while taking you deeper int
🎧 Listen to Let’s Speak Spanish - Hablemos Español
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Dive into These High Intermediate Latin American Spanish Language Podcasts
9. Ana La Mexicana
Ready to immerse yourself in authentic Spanish dialogue with this podcast? This podcast offers natural conversations between native speakers to help you grasp the nuances of the Mexican accent. You’ll find transcripts and engaging topics like Mexican expressions, the quirks of the Mexican education system, and reasons to learn Spanish.
10. Españolistos Podcast
The podcast that gets you ready to speak Spanish anywhere, any time! This upbeat, clear, and understandable podcast from Colombian hosts will push your Spanish level with challenging and slightly longer episodes (30 minutes or so). Topics range from current events, historical figures, advanced expressions to boost your level, and even exciting questions you can ask to help you keep conversations flowing.
11. Learn Spanish and Go
Join Jim and May--a “gringo/Mexican” couple in this lively podcast full of travel tips, exciting destinations, and Spanish learning. Episodes run for around 30 minutes, and the conversation between a native speaker and an English speaker is easy to follow and will remind you thatyou really can learn Spanish as an adult.
12. Español a la Mexicana
Bite-sized episodes with a taste of Mexican Spanish on fun topics. What’s your astrological sign? Your personality? Have you ever thought about theater in Mexico City? If you have 5-6 minutes, you can dive in and enjoy an episode on one of these topics.
13. Easy Spanish
Join Paulina and José for a 20-30 minute episode, and you’ll deepen your understanding of Spanish and build your vocabulary on thoughtful themes like being young (or old), learning to drive, enjoying films, university experiences, and more.
14. How to Spanish Podcast
Deepen your vocabulary and comprehension of Mexican Spanish by exploring one topic at a time. Listen while the married podcasters, Ana and David, explore regions like Guanajuato or debate the evolution of Spanish. Episodes range from 20-30 minutes.
15.Conversations in Spanish
This podcast offers in-depth conversations with native speakers from all over the Spanish-speaking world, from the streets of Barcelona to the plazas of Mexico City. You’ll learn local phrases and discover which idiomatic phrases to use with caution! You know, the kind of expressions you hear a lot but better not say to just anyone.
16. Mexican Fluency Podcast
Host Levi Flint, and his native Mexican-spanish speaking wife, Reni Flint, have some incredibly entertaining discussions to help you learn real, conversational Mexican Spanish. You've come to the right place to become fluent in North America's most common Spanish dialect.
17. Hablemos Español Podcast
“Un show totalmente en español” for those who want to learn Mexican Spanish, expressions, and cultural insights. Deepen your understanding of Mexican Spanish with a closer look at words rich in history, traditions, and cultures of regions like Chiapas, Chihuahua, and Ciudad de México. Learn about Mexican music, beliefs, and more.
18. Say it in Spanish by Saru Rodríguez
Podcaster Saru Rodriguez hosts two podcasts. One of them is specifically tailored to intermediate learners hoping to push the needle on their Spanish. You’ll find episodes on topics like understanding the cultural nuances of happiness--and Marvel superheroes!
19. Spanishland School Podcast
Looking for concise, actionable podcast episodes under 10 minutes for Spanish learners seeking to push past the intermediate plateau? With lessons from Colombian linguistics specialist Andrea Alger, you can challenge yourself to take on more advanced topics, ranging from learning Spanish with music to a quick quiz on the subjunctive.
20.Charlas Hispanas
Tune into this podcast featuring conversations with native Spanish speakers and educators from Colombia to Peru. The episodes are longer and in-depth, often including storytelling and personal experiences in natural and authentic conversations. Yet, the language is clear enough for intermediate students to understand. You’ll find upbeat and friendly discussions on topics from lousy travel experiences, great cities to live in, artificial intelligence, and more.
Nurture Your Spanish Podcast Habit:
Adding podcasts into your Spanish learning routine at the intermediate level will change the way you experience Spanish.
It’s like adding new and exciting flavors to your spice rack. Life becomes a lot more exciting, and suddenly, you can create all these new recipes.
Here are some strategies for kicking off your new podcast habit for more fun and variety in your learning.
Start with small but significant practice sessions.
When you’re going into an exciting, new, and complex learning experience, breaking your learning into smaller chunks makes it more doable.
Imagine the shortest possible podcast listening session you can try when starting out. Pick a short episode and only listen for a few minutes at a time.
It’s much better to start with a tiny podcast practice you can’t wait to return to than one you’ll resist because it feels intimidating.
Keep at it, and you’ll find you have a powerful new Spanish learning habit.
Remember, friends, buddies, and accountability can help you build your podcast routine.
See if you can find an accountability partner who also wants to listen to a podcast on a regular basis or is simply willing to hold you accountable for your new habit.
Maybe you could even elicit the help of your Spanish teacher. Choose a podcast you love and discuss new episodes with him/her each week.
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Ease into more difficult podcasts.
Adding podcasts to your language learning mix routine is a lot like adding a new spice to your rack.
You probably wouldn’t add spoonfuls of crushed habanero to your latest recipe--and there’s no reason to ‘overheat’ yourself with podcasts that are too tricky too soon.
Here’s how to ease yourself into podcasts for lots of fun.
Remind yourself that it’s OK if you don’t understand everything.
Set your expectations in advance so that you’re happy understanding about 40%-50% of the podcast the first time you listen.
Did you hear one or two familiar words? Did you catch the main idea? Great.
Paying attention to what you do understand is the most important mindset you can adopt when you begin. Celebrate what you ‘get.’ The rest will come later.
You can also slow down that podcast!
Did you know your podcast app has speed settings?
Can you imagine having those in real life? If only!
But here, in the wonderful world of podcasts, you can listen more slowly at first and pick up speed later.
Don’t forget to fall in love with transcripts.
Nope, transcripts are not cheating--they’re an incredible learning tool that will make podcasts more enjoyable and meaningful for you.
And there are so many ways to use them.
You can listen first and then check to see what you understood with the transcript.
You can also listen along while you read the transcript.
Once again, push your comfort zone a little at a time.
Try this insider tip: Start with podcasts on familiar topics.
Starting with what you know will help you grasp the context, and you’ll understand more.
The same is true if you read the episode summary or description first--so that you understand the gist before you listen for the first time.
Remember, you’re going to listen to this again.
There is no pressure to understand everything the first time you listen. Because you’re going to listen to each episode multiple times. That’s where the Spanish-learning magic happens.
Repetition helps you boost understanding, catch nuances, and notice words you didn’t hear the first time--all while enriching your vocabulary.
And this is only the beginning of what’s possible in terms of learning Spanish while listening to podcasts.
Free Intermediate Spanish Guide
Try some of these engaging activities to learn more Spanish with every podcast.
Make a prediction.
Listen to the first few minutes of a podcast and write down what you think the rest of the episode might be about. Or look at the topic and try to predict what words and phrases you might hear later.
Making predictions helps you learn more by staying active and engages your higher-order thinking skills as you imagine what will happen next. You’ll understand more and learn more.
Summarize in Spanish:
Sum up what you heard in Spanish in writing or by recording what you understood on your phone. Even summarizing in a line or two will keep you active and help you learn more.
React to what you heard in your podcast:
Jumping off on making a summary, consider writing (or recording) a one or two-line reaction to what you heard.
This technique helps you learn to express your opinions and feelings in Spanish. And it’s a slightly more complex way to react than just summarizing--meaning your brain has to work a little harder--so you learn more from it.
Learn more Spanish vocabulary: Create flashcards to go with your podcast.
Identify new words or phrases from the episode and make flashcards to review.
You can use a paper format or a digital format. If you review these once a week, you’ll boost your active vocabulary in Spanish.
Pausa y repite:
Listen to a tiny clip of the podcast, then pause it and try to repeat what you heard--intonation and all. You’ll be impressed by how you can find confidence in speaking and improve your accent with recording.
Use your podcast episode to start your conversations in Spanish.
Talk about the podcast topic with your language partner, a friend, or your conversation meetup group. Or remember what you hear and use it as a starting point in a bit of small talk the next time you’re chatting with Spanish speakers.
Make up a story.
Take the ideas you heard in the podcast and turn them into a short story or comic strip.
Creating context by making up a story is a great way to make language learning effective. Using your imagination, having fun, and associating images with vocabulary are all effective learning tools that tap into your creativity as you learn and retain new vocabulary better.
Now that you have all the learning strategies you need to learn Spanish with podcasts at the intermediate level, you probably just have one more question on your mind.
What are the best Spanish-language podcasts to listen to?
There is an entire universe of Spanish podcasts for native and advanced speakers--but for now, you’ll want to choose podcasts tailored to your level.
And keep in mind that you’ll want to listen to the dialect of Spanish you’re focusing on first. So, if you’re learning Spanish from Mexico or Latin America, you’ll want to find podcasts with speakers from those regions.
Have fun sampling these 20 Latin American podcasts for intermediate Spanish learners.
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Takeaways:
Now that you’re ready to start listening to podcasts to add some flavor to your Spanish routine, remember that it’s a lot like learning to create an exciting new recipe from scratch. Just like a good mole poblano, your successful podcast learning routine has some key ingredients you can’t skip.
Remember to start small with brief, manageable podcast sessions, and look for communities or a podcast partner to keep you on track. Don’t forget to ease into your podcast learning slowly, starting out with podcasts that are challenging enough to inspire you but easy enough for you to relax and enjoy the experience.
Embrace the fact that you won’t understand everything--just like you won’t understand 100% of what native Spanish speakers say. Enjoy using your podcast app's speed settings to slow things down, grab a transcript to boost your understanding--or just hit repeat.
Using these strategies as you listen to some of the fun and flavorful podcasts in this blog post will help you push yourself past intermediate and feel much more confident in all kinds of authentic situations.
Keep refining your podcast routine while you experiment with new and different podcasts. You’ll soon find that perfect recipe for enriching your Spanish practice.
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