Escuchar la radio (listening to the radio) is a great tool to gain exposure to a foreign language while learning about a different culture. Students with an advanced level should do it regularly, and I also recommend it to students with an intermediate level. Remember to listen with patience and self compassion! (Don´t beat yourself up for not understanding). The cadena de radio (radio station) that I prefer in Spain is the Cadena Ser. Find the app in iTunes and descárgala (download it)!
Once you open the app, you will hear the radio en directo (live) and you will see a menu with other options: emisoras: radio stations in different cities / programación: schedule of programs with the time you can listen to them in the U.S. / programas a la carta: menu of available programs / últimas noticias: last news, in print / ayuda: help
I like to to go to Programas-A la carta and choose my favorite program. Here are some:
Conversaciones con Iñaqui (Conversations with Iñaqui): Iñaqui Gabilondo, one of the most prestigious journalists in Spain, interviews prominent personalities.
Nadie sabe nada (Nobody knows anything): Two very popular comedians improvise replies to questions sent by listeners.
La vida moderna (Modern life): A young and emergent comedian and his insane collaborators pretend to be serious reporters.
A vivir que son dos días (Live!..it´s a fleeting moment): Javier del Pino leads a wonderful program full of small pieces of culture, human rights, music and humor.
Other signature programs of the Cadena Ser are:
Hablar por hablar (Talk for talk’s sake): Audience members call live to share a personal problem or to give advice.
El Larguero (This is the name of the horizontal beam at the top of the fútbol goal): Not only soccer, but mostly; especially about Real Madrid and Barcelona teams.
Los Toros (The bulls): A classic radio program about corridas, toros y toreros (bullfights, bulls and bullfighters)
Try it and you will improve your pronunciation, your vocabulary, your listening skills while learning about Spain.
(You may want to check the Cadena Ser website or get the podcasts on your computer.).
