Simple Stories in Spanish

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La ciudadania de Puerto Rico Jan 30, 2024

Show notes

Puerto Rico is an anomaly. After being visited by Christopher Columbus in 1493, it fell under Spanish rule. England, Portugal, and France attempted invasions, but Puerto Rico did not break free from Spain until 1898 when the Treaty of Paris ended the Spanish-American war and gave Puerto Rico to the United States. Today it remains an unincorporated territory of the US, but that could change in the near future.

This story is told in the third person and the present and past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “ciudadano” (citizen), “estadounidense” (American/of the United States), “derecho” (right), and “guerra” (war).
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/2024/01/30/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-ciudadania-de-puerto-rico/

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Maradona y la mano de Dios Jan 15, 2024

Show notes

Diego Maradona is one of the greatest footballers, or soccer players, of all time. He started playing professionally just before his 16th birthday. He was already a popular player when he arrived at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. However, it would be his performance here, especially in the quarterfinal game against England, that would cement his name in history.

This story is told in the third person and the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “ganó” (won/beat), “partido” (game), “pelota” (ball), “golpeó” (hit), and “Inglaterra” (England).

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/2024/01/16/simple-stories-in-spanish-maradona-y-la-mano-de-dios/

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El milagro en los Andes Dec 29, 2023

Show notes

When the Old Christians Rugby Club chartered a flight from Uruguay to Chile, they were excited at the prospect of their upcoming match. The 45 passengers included the team and some family and friends. The plane hit turbulence over the Andes mountains resulting in a crash that would prove fatal for many on board. The remaining survivors were trapped on a snowy mountain, not knowing their fate.

This story does discuss death and other disturbing images, so listener discretion is advised.

This story is told in the third person and the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “chocó” (crashed), “avión” (plane), “fuselaje” (fuselage/main body of an aircraft), “heridas” (wounds/injuries), “siguieron” (continued/kept going) and “sobrevivientes” (survivors).

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/2023/12/30/simple-stories-in-spanish-el-milagro-en-los-andes/

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El Canal de Panamá Dec 05, 2023

Show notes

The Panama Canal plays a critical role in today’s global commerce, but it almost didn’t happen. A group of French engineers led by Charles De Lesseps spent nine years in Panama excavating earth to no avail. Later, Theodore Roosevelt took up the canal dream. Another 10 years of hard labor resulted in the engineering feat that is the Panama Canal.

This story is told in the third person and the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “obreros” (workers), “esclusa” (canal lock), “tratado” (treaty) and a lot of numbers like “mil” (thousand) and “cientos” (hundreds).

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/2023/12/06/simple-stories-in-spanish-el-canal-de-panama/

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Napoleón y España Nov 20, 2023

Show notes

In 1808 Napoleon Bonaparte placed his older brother Joseph on the Spanish throne. This act led to multiple uprisings. After a short reign of only 5 years, Joseph left Spain and King Ferdinand VII reclaimed the throne. Those 5 tumultuous years led to many changes in Spain and its colonies.

This story is told in the third person and the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “rey” (king), “poder” (power), and the verb “mandar” (to send or order).

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/2023/11/20/simple-stories-in-spanish-napoleon-y-espana/

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La muerte de Moctezuma Nov 06, 2023

Show notes

Moctezuma II is largely considered to be the last true Aztec emperor. He died shortly after inviting the Spanish, led by Hernán Cortés, into the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlán. Moctezuma was a priest and a great general before becoming a respected leader. But public opinion of him changed drastically when he was imprisoned by the very Spaniards he invited into his town. His people became so angry that they threw rocks at him, and killed him. Or did they?

This story is told in the third person and the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “herido” (wounded), “sacerdote” (priest), “argumentan” (argue), and the verb “creer” (to believe).

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/2023/11/07/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-muerte-de-moctezuma/

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Mi salud mental Oct 10, 2023

Show notes

I have been thinking a lot lately about mental health. I usually feel like I have a good grasp of my own mental health, but there are days I want to ignore the world and all my responsibilities in it. I have many activities that help boost my mental health and today I would like to share a few. Please note, I am not a mental health professional and what works for me may not work for everyone.

This story is told in the first person using mostly the present tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “me siento” (I feel), “salud” (health), “levantar pesas” (lift weights), and “felicidad” (happiness)

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La cerámica de Lisa Sep 14, 2023

Show notes

Thirty years ago, Lisa took a pottery class. She learned the basics of throwing, forming, and firing clay. Now she is an expert potter, creating pieces for stores, events, and individuals.

This story is told in the third person using the present and past tenses. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “la cerámica” (ceramics/pottery), “arcilla” (clay), “barbotina” (slip: water-clay mixture), “tornear” (to throw clay on a wheel), “torno” (pottery wheel), “esmaltar” (to glaze), and “asas” (handles).

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/2023/09/15/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-ceramica-de-lisa/

Check out Lisa's pottery at her website: ljakobsbergceramics

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Mi obsesión con Lego Aug 25, 2023

Show notes

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. I love Lego sets. I have been playing with them for as long as I can remember. When I was young, I would build and stage houses. Now that I’m older, I help my sons build whatever their heart desires and make stop motion videos.

This story is told in the first person using both the past and present tenses. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “recuerdo” (I remember), “minifigura” (minifigure/Lego person), “divertirse” (to have fun), and “me encanta” (I love).
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/2023/08/25/simple-stories-in-spanish-mi-obsesion-con-lego/

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Un viaje a Perú Jul 28, 2023

Show notes

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. My high school Spanish teacher had a poster of Machu Picchu on his wall. I would look at that poster and tell myself that one day I would visit those magical ruins in the mountains of Peru. That day came in the summer of 2009.

This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “edificio” (building), pared (wall), “empinado” (steep), “altura” (height), and quechua (a native Peruvian language).

¡Muchas gracias por escuchar! Thank you for listening, and a HUGE thank you for your support. I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories in Spanish. If you would like to help me in that endeavor, consider buying me a taco at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SpanishTeacher

Check out my new book “La Aventura de Zunzuncito” based on season 5 of this podcast! https://amzn.to/3Kbatpq

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