Simple Stories in Spanish

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/ Support the show

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/ Support the show

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)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/2023/10/10/simple-stories-in-spanish-mi-salud-mental/ Support the show

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: ljakobsbergceramicsSupport the show

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/ Support the show

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). 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/2023/07/28/simple-stories-in-spanish-un-viaje-a-peru/  ¡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 Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. I love the theater. I love acting and singing and being in front of an audience. I haven’t been on a stage in years, but I have wonderful memories from my time in the theater. This story is told in the first person using both the present and past tenses. Important vocabulary in the story includes: comedieta (skit), obra de teatro (play), escenario (stage), palco (theater balcony) and asiento (seat). 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/2023/07/17/simple-stories-in-spanish-en-el-teatro/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. If you’ve been following me for a while, you may know that I am from the state of Minnesota, but I live in Colorado. So, how did I get here? It wasn’t an easy decision or experience to move to Colorado, however, I am glad to be here and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.  This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “entrevista” (interview), “vuelo” (flight), puerta de embarque (gate in an airport terminal), retraso (delay), and ventilador (electric fan). 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/2023/07/06/simple-stories-in-spanish-mi-viaje-a-colorado/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. One of the best things I ever did was spend a semester of college in Spain. I lived with families and attended La Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona. I made many friends and traveled all over. I immersed myself in the language and culture. While that experience was more years ago than I care to admit, I remember it fondly.  This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “recuerdo” (I remember) and “fui” (I went). 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/2023/06/28/simple-stories-in-spanish-mi-semestre-en-espana/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. I enjoy learning about my family history. My love of genealogy was encouraged by my dad who has done a lot of research. This last week I spent some time searching for clues about my ancestors. I found multiple documents, pictures, and even a few people I didn’t know about before. Today I am going to share a few of their stories.  This story is told in both the first and third person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “antepasado” (ancestor), “bisabuelo” (great grandparent) “registro” (file), “luchó” (fought), “Alemania” (Germany), “Suecia” (Sweden), and “EE. UU.” (USA). There are also a lot of dates. Years in Spanish are read as a whole number starting with “mil” (one thousand), then the “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/2023/06/20/simple-stories-in-spanish-las-historias-de-mis-antepasados/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. As you have heard in previous stories, I love the outdoors. I have been on many hiking and camping trips, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I combined the two and went on my first backpacking adventure. That trek taught me many lessons and today I am sharing those lessons with you. This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “mochila” (backpack), “sendero” (trail), “nieve” (snow), “derretida” (melted) and “llevar” (to bring/carry). 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/2023/05/31/simple-stories-in-spanish-lecciones-de-mochilear/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. I have very fond memories of my childhood. I spent a lot of time outside with my friends and family, no matter the time of year. As a child I played, I ran, I rode bikes, I read, and I just had fun. This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “recuerdo” (memory), “muñeca” (doll), “afuera” (outside), and “jugábamos” (we used to play). 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/2023/05/24/simple-stories-in-spanish-cuando-era-nina/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. I take my son on a lot of hikes. One time he decided to bring two of his stuffed animals on our hike in Grizzly Creek. Their names are Wolfy and Toothclaw. Toothclaw decided to take a swin in the creek and I went after him. This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “arroyo” (creek/stream), “sendero” (path/trail), “mochila” (backpack), and “peluche” (stuffed animal). 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/2023/05/16/simple-stories-in-spanish-toothclaw-y-el-arroyo-grizzly/  ¡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 Don’t forget to comment “For John” for this episode!Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. David is one of my listeners and he recently shared his story with me. His adventures started when he joined the US navy at the age of 17 and they continue today. From playing the guitar to building his own house, David has lived a fascinating life. This story is told in the third person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “marina de guerra” (navy), “inscribirse” (to sign up/enlist), “avión” (plane) and “cambió” (changed). 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/2023/05/07/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-vida-fascinante-de-david/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. This is the second half of my Spring Break adventure in southern Utah. While everything did not go as planned, due to engine trouble, we were still able to have fun and enjoy Bryce Canyon National Park. This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “taller” (shop), “nieve” (snow), “sendero” (trail). “por suerte” (luckily) and “puesto de observación” (lookout/observation point). 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/2023/05/02/simple-stories-in-spanish-las-vacaciones-de-primavera-y-el-problema-de-mi-coche-parte-2/  Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. At the end of March, I decided to take my boys on a trip to some national parks in southern Utah. Unfortunately, our trip took a turn for the worse when my check engine light came on. Fortunately, we were still able to have some fun in Zion National Park. This story is told in the first person using the past and conditional tenses. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “la primavera” (Spring), “aceite” (oil), “estrellas” (stars), “estanque” (pool) and “sendero” (trail).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/2023/04/25/simple-stories-in-spanish-las-vacaciones-de-primavera-y-el-problema-con-mi-coche-parte-1/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Living in Indonesia had a huge impact on my mother. Although she was young, she remembers much of her time there. While most of her time was spent in Kisaren, she also traveled to other places with her family. Her journey home marked a literal journey around the world that changed her forever. This story is told in the first and third person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “fueron” (they went), “llegaron” (they arrived), “tuvieron” (they had), “volaron” (they flew) and “se quedaron” (they stayed). 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/2023/04/15/simple-stories-in-spanish-unos-viajes-en-indonesia-parte-4/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Many of my favorite stories of my mom’s life in Indonesia are about animals. I loved seeing pictures and hearing stories of her animal encounters. Today, I am going to share these stories with you. This story is told in the third person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “lagarto” (lizard), “techo” (ceiling/roof), “cabra” (goat), “piel” (skin) and “silvestre” (wild). 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/2023/03/30/simple-stories-in-spanish-una-vida-con-animales-en-indonesia-parte-3/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Last episode I shared my mother’s journey from Michigan to Sumatra, Indonesia when she was eight. My mom and her family had a lot to learn when they arrived in Indonesia. Life there was quite different from life in Michigan. From school to food to shopping, nothing was quite the same.This story is told in the third person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “recuerda” (she remembers), “nivel” (level/grade), “hacía calor” (it was hot), “llevaban” (they wore), “lluvia” (rain) and “zanjas” (ditches).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/2023/03/22/simple-stories-in-spanish-una-vida-en-indonesia-parte-2/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Today’s story is about my mother and her family. When my mom was eight years old, she moved with her family from Michigan to Sumatra, Indonesia. I always loved hearing her stories and today I am going to share the story of her journey with you. Today’s story is told in the third person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “viaje” (trip), “barco” (boat) “abuelos” (grandparents), “llegó” (arrived), and “holandés” (Dutch).  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/2023/03/12/simple-stories-in-spanish-un-viaje-a-indonesia-parte-1/ Support the show