Learn Spanish with Stories

Hybrid languages - have you ever heard of them? Spanish has at least two main hybrid languages: Spanglish (which you've probably come in contact with at some point) and Portuñol, which features heavily in the border areas between Brazil and other South American nations. But I'm sure you've never heard of Llanito, and other variations of the Spanish language.

In this fun episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories p...

One of the scariest and most controversial places on the planet is located in Cuba, in a city of the same name: Guantánamo Bay detention camp. Established by President George W. Bush in 2002, following the Islamist attacks of September 11, it was created to house terrorism suspects and "illegal enemy combatants".

However, the reality is that this prison has held many an innocent, those simply falsely accused of belong...

Latin America is a melting pot of cultures, as you'll already know - Spanish culture mixing with Amerindian tradition, and with African rituals combining with Aztec, Mayan, British and... Dutch(?) influences, somehow - so you already know that there's going to be very bold and unique ways of perceiving life, death, religion and belief systems in general.

So, it comes as no surprise that the occult features so heavily ...

They say that crisis and pain create great men and women, but life really went a bit too far with Juana Azurduy - first, she lost her parents, and then she would go on to lose her children... but it's what happened in the middle of these things that would mark her remarkable story as a heroine in the fight for Bolivia's independence.

A curious girl during her infancy, she developed a courageous and free-spirited perso...

As a soldier in Latin America, what happens when you retire? One could think that each state would have a great retirement plan for each soldier who has risked their life for their nation: a decent home, a dignified compensation, health benefits... but this couldn't be further from reality. 

The reality is that soldiers are practically discarded - thrown aside, left to fend for themselves in a job market that has no intere...

Despite the traditionally sketchy leaders we've had in Latin America in the past century, one of the most memorable and internationally loved Latin American presidents in recent times has been José Alberto "Pepe" Mujica.

Even though he was quite unconventional in his origins, the way he spoke, and especially the fact that he was jailed for his participation as a guerrilla fighter (among the ranks of the Tupamaros...

Spanish is just like English - everyone speaks it in the same way. I'm kidding: we know that English has tons of dialects, and Spanish is just the same in this aspect. Even more complicated is the fact that Spanish is an official language in 21 countries and is spoken widely across 6 continents (with Oceania, not Antarctica being the one where it isn't).

So, what I'm getting at here is that there's bound to ...

There have been some wonderful female heroes throughout history, and South America is no exception. Policarpa Salavarrieta (La Pola) is one of the most famous cases of them all: a woman who defied a massive colonizing force to wake the people of Colombia to the desire for freedom and independence, and whose story ended in an ambiguous (positive) way.

In this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we are going to exp...

The US and other international powers have been meddling in Latin America for as long as we can remember, but one of the worst cases of foreign intervention (ever) occurred in Nicaragua, in the mid-19th Century (and may explain Nicaragua's strong apprehension towards the US today).

William Walker. Manifest Destiny. Have you ever heard of these terms? William Walker was a military man with ambitions to rule, who took advant...

The FIFA World Cup is probably the world's biggest sport event, viewed by over 1 BILLION people worldwide, but how did it begin, and why did a tiny South American country, Uruguay, get the honor of hosting its first ever edition?

In this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories Podcast, we travel all the way back to the late 1920s, when preparations were just starting for the first ever FIFA World Cup, and discover why th...

Though controversial, it would be plausible to say that Venezuela has always had controversial leaders, with some bringing glory to the nation, and others bringing sorrow and pain.

In the case of José Antonio Páez, both things were simultaneously true, and this strongman and farmer-turned-soldier is an often discussed individual in the history not only of Venezuela, but all nations belonging to "La Gran Colombia" (Col...

What makes somebody "Latin American?" (or Latino*?) Is it being born in Latin America? Is it being born to Latino parents? Or is it adopting the culture and actually feeling Latino?

In this special DUAL NARRATOR episode, we go over this frustration that so many Latinos and non-Latinos can go through, especially those who have been born to Latino parents outside of Latin America, or who have left Latin America at a you...

There is a country in South America that is particularly "different" from its neighbors in many ways, but the most interesting is its language and culture: I'm talking about Paraguay.


Not only is the only nation where the most-spoken language is an indigenous language (Guaraní), but it also has a very strong "mestizo" presence (over 93%), making it one of the most homogeneous demographies in L...

Economic crises are nothing new to us, especially in these times of unpredictability and instability, but Latin America took it to a WHOLE new level in the 1970s.


During a particularly wealthy economic period, banks in the US and other rich nations began to lend billions in cash with few conditions (really, all they asked was "pay it later"), with Latin American governments siphoning it all up to modernize t...

Latin America, a region of almost 700 million people, speaks mostly one language (Brazil will have to forgive us for this generalization), but we're not talking of one single Spanish language that everyone understands.

In fact, each country has its own dialects, sayings, and differences that can be as crucial as they can be careful - after all, some completely normal words in one nation could sound rude or weird in others....

We rarely hear about the local wars in South America, but some were just as ugly and crude as the historical wars in Europe and the US - and the Thousand Day War (technically, the 1,130 Day War, but the given name sounds catchier) was no different.

A conflict that initiated when Colombia's Liberals decided that enough was enough, and that they would not stand for the corruption and impoverishment committed by the Conservat...

Spain, just like Latin America, has been a popular place to visit and move to as an expat, due to its beautiful beaches, modern cities, and great food. However, also like Latin America, it is affected by corruption, a lack of opportunities, and overall, bad policies that are making life harder for its citizens.

And while many of its ministers and politicians flock to social media to make claims on how well the country is doing,...

Life in Latin America can be stressful or it can be the most comfortable existence you'll ever have - it all depends on how you look at it.


In today's DUAL NARRATOR episode and Season 4 finale, we fly over to warm, sunny Cali to join Daniel (a Colombian looking to move to Spain) and Sofia (a Spaniard looking to move to Colombia) as they spend a few months together and explore the next step of their lives and...

One of the saddest things about crime in Latin America is that even the worst criminals can benefit from impunity. In the case of Linda Loaiza, this was demonstrated in the most brazen and shameless way possible.

Linda was a young woman from the west of Venezuela who moved to the capital, Caracas, to study and become a veterinarian. But one day, she was kidnapped by a wealthy and well-connected individual who decided to make he...