I just got back from 10 days in Panama, Reader (remember that sweet guidebook?). It was a fantastic trip filled with volcanoes, rainforest, tropical islands and canals. Well, one canal, but it’s kind of a big deal.

I’ve been studying Spanish for many years and have been to several Spanish-speaking countries, but I made a special commitment to speak the language as much as I could on this trip. I realized I don’t need any more verb conjugation tables to do or another vocab list to memorize – I need to start talking.

I didn’t want to take more classes before I went (again, the conjugation tables ugh), but I did want to get my ear tuned to the language. The solution? Podcasts in Spanish, of course!

And there are SO MANY to choose from, including some specifically geared towards people learning the language. I listened to short fiction, chat shows, magazine-style narratives, and one I really appreciate where the hosts read the week’s news in Spanish very slowly. It’s called, wait for it…"News in Slow Spanish.”

(ok, so I also listened to a super creepy true crime pod about two Dutch girls who disappeared ten years ago while hiking in the town I was about to visit. In hindsight, maybe not the best choice...)

I always ask my clients and students to think about what benefit their podcast will have for a Listener – learning is always at the top of the list.

Podcasts are a fantastic way to learn a subject, build a skill, or enrich a passion or hobby. This can be especially true for people who take in information best through listening, have learning or literacy challenges, are neurodivergent, or just consider themselves verbal communicators.

Plus, if you want to make or refine a podcast but aren’t sure what to focus on, sharing your knowledge, skills or talents is a great place to start!

Have you used podcasts to learn a skill or subject? I’d love to hear about it! I’d love even more to hear what you teach (or could!) through a podcast.

Even though my trip is behind me, I’m going to keep listening to the Spanish pods to keep learning. But maybe next time I'll wait till after I've visited a place before I listen to a terrifying murder show about it...

Hasta pronto,

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