Beyond Books: Learn Spanish and Pop Culture with These 7 Popular Magazines
You probably know reading is essential to learning a foreign language.
But even if you’re a voracious reader, you may have found yourself struggling to finish a written work in Spanish at some point.
Have you considered trying magazines?
There’s a whole world of Spanish magazines out there—perfect for every taste and skill level—and perfect for getting your daily dose of reading practice.
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What Do Magazines Have That Books Don’t?
Now, don’t get me wrong. Reading books and short stories in Spanish can be fun and, assuming you pick something suited to your skill level, a good way to practice. But when it comes to language learning, the humble magazine has a leg up on books in a few key areas.
Magazines tend to be written in an informal, conversational style that’s close to the feel of everyday communication. It may not seem like a big thing, but just as you won’t learn to form sentences in Spanish by conjugating verbs all day, you won’t learn conversational Spanish if you don’t read it once in a while.
Second, magazines are designed for casual reading. Remember those waiting rooms? Magazines, more than almost any medium, are crafted with the express purpose of being picked up and read for a couple of minutes before you go about your day—which is how a lot of people like to practice their second language. Reading an article or two at a time is a great way to get that practice time in every day.
Another important thing to realize about magazines is that because they’re published and updated on the regular, they’re a great reflection of popular culture—what’s important and what’s being talked about at a given time.
With magazines, you’re not just reading words that are in Spanish; you’re reading about things Spanish speakers hoy en día (nowadays) are likely to find interesting.
Spanish Magazines: Learning With a Pop Culture Twist
Before you go out and snatch up the first publication you see with the word revista (magazine) on the cover, know that there are a lot of magazines to choose from, so you should look for one that fits your unique interests.
Picking a topic you enjoy will make the experience that much more fun, which in turn will make keeping a regular schedule feel like less of a chore. Ask yourself, “What could I read about for a little while each day without getting bored?” The answer to that is going to be different for everyone, so it’s good to do a little soul-searching before you begin.
This is especially important if you’re thinking of putting down money on a subscription but you’re having some commitment issues. If you find something you enjoy reading and that helps you learn Spanish, I’d say it’s well worth the investment.
We’ve got a few selections to get you started!
People en Español
If you love People magazine, you’ll love it en español (in Spanish). As surely as popular books and films get translated for a wider audience, well-known U.S. magazines are frequently adapted for Spanish speakers. And here’s the fun part: a lot of these aren’t just simple translations. Instead, the core concept of the magazine is fully adapted with unique content geared toward a Spanish-speaking audience.
A great example of this is People en Español, your go-to source for celebrity culture. The magazine includes profiles and entertainment news with an emphasis on Spanish-speaking celebrities with a presence here in the U.S. Many of them will be familiar to an English-speaking audience, so it’s fine if you’re not consuming a lot of Spanish media already (although you should probably get on that).
If you’re a fan of the English version or if you just like keeping up with our famous friends, People en Español might be a good fit. And if you’re into a different popular magazine, check and see if it has a Spanish version!
Siempre Mujer
Long before we used social media to spend our days seeking out makeup tutorials and vegan recipes, the lifestyle magazine was there to give us fresh inspiration on how to look and feel our best.
Siempre Mujer fills this role admirably with a wide range of advice-type articles geared mainly toward women. This U.S. magazine is published by the people who brought you the Martha Stewart magazine and includes fashion and beauty tips, as well as health and wellness advice to address a woman’s physical and emotional well-being.
You’ll also find long-form articles, fun interviews with celebrities and a wide variety of lifestyle topics from relationships to recipes. If you want to know how Spanish-speaking women live their best lives, you should give this magazine a try.
Cuerpomente
A lot of people talk about wanting to be healthy, but maybe you take it a step further. You stay on top of the latest nutritional trends. You do yoga in the park. Or, hey, maybe you want to do these things but you don’t know where to start.
Well, guess what? It’s not just you. And it’s not just English-speaking Americans.
Like the name suggests, Cuerpomente (body/mind) is all about health and well-being. You’ll find articles, columns and advice on a variety of health-related topics like nutrition, exercise and natural therapy. The magazine also features inspirational stories and lessons on meditation and mindfulness for coping with day-to-day stress.
You can expect to learn which health trends are being talked about in Spain and which ones you may want to use to further your own cuerpo and mente.
Muy Interesante
If you’re always reading and sharing articles about the latest science factoids, this one is for you. Muy Interesante is chock-full of articles from pretty much every scientific discipline.
You’ll find natural wonders, history and prehistory and the latest scientific advancements. The writing’s clear and accessible, so you can expect to pick up some shiny new vocabulary without getting too overwhelmed.
Science is universal, but Muy Interesante does it with a Spanish-speaking flavor. The magazine publishes different versions in Spain and throughout Latin America, sometimes with content that’s distinctly relevant to each region (a look at pre-Colombian democracy in the Mexican version, for instance).
Try picking up a version from a region you’re interested in and get ready to learn more than just Spanish.
Muy Interesante Junior
If National Geographic has taught us anything, it’s that no one is going to take you seriously as a magazine if you don’t have a kid version.
Like its parent, Muy Interesante Junior offers a wide array of fun-fact science and has a few regional variants. The articles are a little shorter, and the magazine also includes brain teasers (Spanish logic puzzles, anyone?) and kid-friendly lessons on staying healthy, taking care of the environment and so forth.
This magazine is ideal for younger language learners who are already reading at a high level. The topics are accessible to adults as well, so this is another one to check out if you want to read about science.
El Mueble
If home decor is your passion, if you’re always on the lookout for new ideas to freshen up your living space and if you’d like to know how they’re decorating their homes in Spain nowadays, El Mueble is the magazine for you. The magazine offers helpful inspiration for furniture and home accents as well as DIY projects (and yes, they actually say DIY in Spanish.)
You’ll also find glossy features on Spanish homes and their owners and a few miscellaneous topics, such as travel and cooking. Go on, give it a try—but don’t be surprised if you find yourself buying a new furniture set before you’re through.
teleNOVELA
The status of the telenovela (soap opera) in the Spanish-speaking culture is pretty legendary, and as surely as we have our Soap Opera Digest, Spanish speakers like to keep up with on-screen stories via print publications after the credits roll.
Whether you’re already immersed in one or more telenovelas or you’re thinking about watching a show for the first time, a magazine can be a good way to help you learn more.
One such publication is teleNOVELA, which hails from Spain and includes recaps and actor profiles from a slough of current TV series. It’s a great way to keep up with all the amor (love) and traición (betrayal) happening on the small screen.
Plus—who knows?—you may pick up a new addiction as part of the bargain.
If none of these topics interest you, that’s perfectly all right! Like I said, there are a lot of Spanish magazines out there. The most important thing is that you find one that interests you and that will help you learn.
Another resource for learning a language through native pop culture is FluentU, a language learning app that teaches you Spanish using authentic videos like movie trailers, music videos and even makeup tutorials.
FluentU immerses you in Spanish as it’s spoken by native speakers, and also gives you reading practice through interactive subtitles and personalized quizzes.
Whether through videos or magazines, exposure to Spanish pop culture and other interests will develop your vocabulary beyond the basics and let you see how Spanish is used by normal people every day.
So start looking—and once you’ve found your magazine, get ready to practice reading in a whole new way.
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
