1. “Yo vivo en una isla”<\/em> by Reyna Oleas\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\nTitle in English:<\/strong>\u00a0“I Live on an Island”<\/p>\nThis talk comes to you from a (nearly) lifelong resident of the famous ecological paradise, the Gal\u00e1pagos Islands. It remains a paradise because\u00a097% is protected while 3% is inhabited, but living in this kind of territory comes with its own challenges.<\/p>\n
When she moved to the islands with her family more than two decades ago, she began to notice all sorts of problems with the populated parts of the islands\u2014water, electricity, garbage disposal and food were posing major issues for the people and fragile ecosystems alike.<\/p>\n
What’s one single person to do?<\/p>\n
Do you keep living on these precious islands and contributing to the problems? Or do you take action to enact positive change? Can it be done? Hear about one woman’s decades-long venture to use local resources responsibly, live in harmony with the environment and protect this national (and global) treasure.<\/p>\n
This is a wonderful talk, given clearly and evenly-paced, and is perfect for learning Spanish vocabulary related to development, sustainability and education issues, particularly those that affect public health, wildlife and the environment.<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0“Estromatolitos y el origen de la vida”<\/em> by Mar\u00eda Eugenia Far\u00edas\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\nTitle in English: <\/strong>“Stromatolites and the Origin of Life”<\/p>\nDid you know that a place very similar to Mars exists on planet Earth? Allow this brilliant, ever-curious scientist to bring you on a journey from primitive Earth to Mars to modern Argentina.<\/p>\n
You’re guaranteed to learn a bazillion Spanish words related to science and technology along the way. It may seem too advanced to some of you, but believe me, even at the intermediate level you’ll be shocked by how much you pick up just due to the nature of science nomenclature.<\/p>\n
The cool thing to learn here is that most modern languages share scientific terms, as they’re all derived from Greek and Latin. Others are borrowed from English<\/a> or another language of origin, if the names were bestowed after modern research findings. So, you’ll learn things like:<\/p>\n\n- los estromatolitos<\/em> \u2014 the stromatolites<\/li>\n
- los extrem\u00f3filos<\/em> \u2014 the\u00a0extremophiles<\/li>\n
- el espacio <\/em>\u2014 space<\/li>\n
- marte\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 Mars<\/li>\n
- las\u00a0mol\u00e9culas <\/em>\u2014 the molecules<\/li>\n
- la microbiolog\u00eda \u2014\u00a0<\/em>microbiology<\/li>\n
- las bacterias \u2014\u00a0<\/em>bacteria<\/li>\n
- los microorganismos <\/em>\u2014 microorganisms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Easy, right? It’s just a matter of adjusting your ears to Spanish sounds, and all these words can make sense without you ever having studied them.<\/p>\n
3. “El futuro es utopi\u00ada: 6 pistas para no perderse en el camino” <\/em>by\u00a0Cecilia Alemany<\/h2>\n<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\nTitle in English: <\/strong>“The Future Is Utopia: 6 Paths\u00a0to Avoid Getting Lost on the Way”<\/p>\nWant to change yourself or change the world?<\/p>\n
This talk is all about avoiding the major pitfalls on the road to profound change on any<\/em> level. The key is not to focus on the future, but instead to stay in the present in order to alter the future.<\/p>\nBeyond that, since our present affects our future, we also need to look to the guiding influence of the past, study history and understand the complex path that led us to where we currently are.<\/p>\n
It may sound a bit convoluted, but that’s my fault\u2014not Cecilia’s. Her talk must be watched if you truly want to grasp the oversimplified idea of causa (cause) \u2192\u00a0consecuencia\u00a0<\/em>(consequence),<\/i>\u00a0and finally discover why you should never enter\u00a0any situation with some preconceived idea of how things will\u00a0work out.<\/p>\nThis talk is loaded with great Spanish vocabulary related to personal events, emotions and journeys of life and love.<\/p>\n
4. “Amo mi Celular y extra\u00f1o mi Notebook” <\/em>by Roberto Balaguer\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\nTitle in English: <\/strong>“I Love My Cell Phone and Miss My Notebook.”<\/p>\nHow is it that explorers journeyed around the world without a cell phone, yet we can’t even step out our front doors without one?<\/p>\n
Have you heard of “ringxiety” or “no cell phobia”? I bet you’re familiar with it in some way. I mean, have you ever imagined that your phone is ringing or vibrating?\u00a0Is it your worst nightmare to leave your cell phone at home? Do you pat down your pockets to feel that familiar rectangle before you leave any place?<\/p>\n
This funny, interactive talk will help you reflect on your relationship with your technology in a friendly way. Plus, you’ll learn a nice blend of technology vocabulary, relationship vocabulary and psychology vocabulary.<\/p>\n
5. “\u00bfC\u00f3mo promover la felicidad de los peruanos?”<\/em> by Jorge Yamamoto\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\nTitle in English: <\/strong>“How to Boost the Happiness of Peruvians?”<\/p>\nLatin America is the happiest place on Earth\u2014at least according to one of this speaker’s opening graphics.<\/p>\n
If that’s the case, then can we learn something from this region about how happiness is generated? What do stress and pressure have to do with unhappiness?<\/p>\n
This talk nakedly lays out the truth, the good and the bad, from experiences living in Latin America. Not only will you learn about what feeds human happiness, but you’ll learn about what embitters it.<\/p>\n
For example, you’ll learn about the vicious cycle taking place in many parts of Latin America, where\u00a0egotism, opportunistic behavior and discrimination against indigenous and rural peoples hurt to the core of society. You’ll hear how exclusion and prejudice can leave a\u00a0physical imprint on\u00a0the pain center of the human brain, causing bad behavior and reduced empathy for others.<\/p>\n
It’s not all bad though, as this speaker will give you plenty of hope for humanity as well. Not to mention, he’ll teach you Spanish words to describe feelings, immigration and the movement of people, plus slang, profanity and slurs\u2014things you’ll probably never use yourself, but which are good to understand. Another awesome boost is that you’ll hear\u00a0some cool Spanish words derived from Quechua, like chakra<\/em>\u00a0(farm).<\/p>\n6. “Risaterapia. Una forma de dar.” <\/em>by Andres Aguilar<\/h2>\n<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\nTitle in English: <\/strong>“Laugh-therapy. A Way of Giving.”<\/p>\nLife isn’t always sunshine, rainbows and puppies. When things go wrong, we don’t always stay smiling, laughing and happy.<\/p>\n
And, you know what? That’s okay. Here, the founder of the Risaterapia\u00a0<\/em>foundation (and movement) makes a passionate, lively and humorous argument for the value of not taking yourself and your problems so damn seriously. See how this program has changed the lives of 8 million people in 31 cities, and let a goofball in a red clown nose inspire you.<\/p>\nThis talk is not only great for your own happiness, giving you a boost of humor and cheer, but it’s also great for picking up Spanish. The speaker is highly entertaining to watch while also speaking clearly and professionally, so you’ll learn vocabulary related to happiness, sadness, mental\/emotional health and the medical professions.<\/p>\n
You’ll also be exposed to silly sound effects, hand gestures and other useful joke-telling elements that you can use when telling your own stories in Spanish.<\/p>\n
7. “Una nueva cultura del cuidado del medio ambiente”<\/em> by Enriqueta Medell\u00ed\u00adn<\/h2>\n<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\nTitle in English: <\/strong>“A New Culture of Caring for the Environment”<\/p>\nWhere is humanity heading? Are we all moving towards going green, or is our rampant consumption of products driving our planet towards terrible problems?<\/p>\n
Well, according to this speaker, perhaps it’s a little of both. Listen to this powerful talk about consumerism, carelessness and the hopeful rise of a new culture that breaks the bounds of countries and cultures\u2014one that discourages wastefulness and encourages resourcefulness. What can save the pale blue dot we live on? What does technology have to do with it all?<\/p>\n
You’ll gain a modern perspective on a problem that’s been around since the Industrial Revolution, and you’ll get exposed to fantastic Spanish vocabulary on all the above topics in a gentle way. You’ll also get a splash of Spanish humor, as the speaker uses funny cartoons (one featuring the beloved character Mafalda!) to illustrate her thoughts.<\/p>\n
8. “La rob\u00f3tica, un futuro cercano” <\/em>by Pedro Sales<\/h2>\n<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\nTitle in English: <\/strong>“Robotics, a Near Future”<\/p>\nThis lifelong robot aficionado is on the stage with a mission: He wants to inform us that a robot-filled future is on the horizon.<\/p>\n
This goes way beyond science fiction, and robots are soon about to be accessible to people of a wide variety of economic classes, not just the wealthy and elites. Robots could very soon be for everyone.<\/p>\n
This talk is more than innovative, it’s pretty fun to listen to. This guy’s full of stories of his childhood and adolescent experiences toying around with dreams of robots. Watch to learn how he explored his interests in building and programming the things, from household experiments to fighting valiantly in a big Robot Sumo competition.<\/p>\n
Enjoy his adventures in robot construction and operation, and muse on what the future might soon hold. What lessons can humanity\u00a0learn from working with robots? And, more importantly, what Spanish lessons can you learn from robots?<\/p>\n
9. “El planeta es un aula”<\/em> by Eleonora Badilla<\/h2>\n<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\nTitle in English: <\/strong>“The Planet Is a Classroom”<\/p>\nWhat do hospitals, jails and schools have in common?<\/p>\n
Watch to find out the answer to this little infrastructure riddle, as well as learn more about our modern relationship with technology, knowledge and the world around us.<\/p>\n
This talk is fantastic for learning language related to social trends, education and especially technology, as it examines the intersection (or, rather, the collision) of all three.<\/p>\n
You’ll also gain some invaluable perspective on how we learn, both via screens and from our communities and outside experiences\u2014all undeniably good information to have tucked away during your Spanish studies. You’ll also learn vocabulary and expressions for discussing and debating pressing political and social issues.<\/p>\n
You can watch this TED Talk on FluentU<\/a> with interactive subtitles:<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/ted-talks-spanish-fluentu.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAs Badilla uses some specialized vocabulary, it can be extremely helpful to have the English translation under the Spanish subtitles. You could also turn the English version off completely and instead check the subtitles whenever you come across an unfamiliar word. Hover over a word to see a quick definition or click on it for an in-depth flashcard with example sentences and videos.<\/p>\n
There are other TED talks in the program’s Spanish media library, along with other Spanish content.
FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n<\/p> \r\n
You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\nP.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n ![\"FluentU](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/NativeAd-Spanish.jpg\")
\r\n \r\n
Title in English:<\/strong>\u00a0“I Live on an Island”<\/p>\n This talk comes to you from a (nearly) lifelong resident of the famous ecological paradise, the Gal\u00e1pagos Islands. It remains a paradise because\u00a097% is protected while 3% is inhabited, but living in this kind of territory comes with its own challenges.<\/p>\n When she moved to the islands with her family more than two decades ago, she began to notice all sorts of problems with the populated parts of the islands\u2014water, electricity, garbage disposal and food were posing major issues for the people and fragile ecosystems alike.<\/p>\n What’s one single person to do?<\/p>\n Do you keep living on these precious islands and contributing to the problems? Or do you take action to enact positive change? Can it be done? Hear about one woman’s decades-long venture to use local resources responsibly, live in harmony with the environment and protect this national (and global) treasure.<\/p>\n This is a wonderful talk, given clearly and evenly-paced, and is perfect for learning Spanish vocabulary related to development, sustainability and education issues, particularly those that affect public health, wildlife and the environment.<\/p>\n Title in English: <\/strong>“Stromatolites and the Origin of Life”<\/p>\n Did you know that a place very similar to Mars exists on planet Earth? Allow this brilliant, ever-curious scientist to bring you on a journey from primitive Earth to Mars to modern Argentina.<\/p>\n You’re guaranteed to learn a bazillion Spanish words related to science and technology along the way. It may seem too advanced to some of you, but believe me, even at the intermediate level you’ll be shocked by how much you pick up just due to the nature of science nomenclature.<\/p>\n The cool thing to learn here is that most modern languages share scientific terms, as they’re all derived from Greek and Latin. Others are borrowed from English<\/a> or another language of origin, if the names were bestowed after modern research findings. So, you’ll learn things like:<\/p>\n Easy, right? It’s just a matter of adjusting your ears to Spanish sounds, and all these words can make sense without you ever having studied them.<\/p>\n Title in English: <\/strong>“The Future Is Utopia: 6 Paths\u00a0to Avoid Getting Lost on the Way”<\/p>\n Want to change yourself or change the world?<\/p>\n This talk is all about avoiding the major pitfalls on the road to profound change on any<\/em> level. The key is not to focus on the future, but instead to stay in the present in order to alter the future.<\/p>\n Beyond that, since our present affects our future, we also need to look to the guiding influence of the past, study history and understand the complex path that led us to where we currently are.<\/p>\n It may sound a bit convoluted, but that’s my fault\u2014not Cecilia’s. Her talk must be watched if you truly want to grasp the oversimplified idea of causa (cause) \u2192\u00a0consecuencia\u00a0<\/em>(consequence),<\/i>\u00a0and finally discover why you should never enter\u00a0any situation with some preconceived idea of how things will\u00a0work out.<\/p>\n This talk is loaded with great Spanish vocabulary related to personal events, emotions and journeys of life and love.<\/p>\n Title in English: <\/strong>“I Love My Cell Phone and Miss My Notebook.”<\/p>\n How is it that explorers journeyed around the world without a cell phone, yet we can’t even step out our front doors without one?<\/p>\n Have you heard of “ringxiety” or “no cell phobia”? I bet you’re familiar with it in some way. I mean, have you ever imagined that your phone is ringing or vibrating?\u00a0Is it your worst nightmare to leave your cell phone at home? Do you pat down your pockets to feel that familiar rectangle before you leave any place?<\/p>\n This funny, interactive talk will help you reflect on your relationship with your technology in a friendly way. Plus, you’ll learn a nice blend of technology vocabulary, relationship vocabulary and psychology vocabulary.<\/p>\n Title in English: <\/strong>“How to Boost the Happiness of Peruvians?”<\/p>\n Latin America is the happiest place on Earth\u2014at least according to one of this speaker’s opening graphics.<\/p>\n If that’s the case, then can we learn something from this region about how happiness is generated? What do stress and pressure have to do with unhappiness?<\/p>\n This talk nakedly lays out the truth, the good and the bad, from experiences living in Latin America. Not only will you learn about what feeds human happiness, but you’ll learn about what embitters it.<\/p>\n For example, you’ll learn about the vicious cycle taking place in many parts of Latin America, where\u00a0egotism, opportunistic behavior and discrimination against indigenous and rural peoples hurt to the core of society. You’ll hear how exclusion and prejudice can leave a\u00a0physical imprint on\u00a0the pain center of the human brain, causing bad behavior and reduced empathy for others.<\/p>\n It’s not all bad though, as this speaker will give you plenty of hope for humanity as well. Not to mention, he’ll teach you Spanish words to describe feelings, immigration and the movement of people, plus slang, profanity and slurs\u2014things you’ll probably never use yourself, but which are good to understand. Another awesome boost is that you’ll hear\u00a0some cool Spanish words derived from Quechua, like chakra<\/em>\u00a0(farm).<\/p>\n Title in English: <\/strong>“Laugh-therapy. A Way of Giving.”<\/p>\n Life isn’t always sunshine, rainbows and puppies. When things go wrong, we don’t always stay smiling, laughing and happy.<\/p>\n And, you know what? That’s okay. Here, the founder of the Risaterapia\u00a0<\/em>foundation (and movement) makes a passionate, lively and humorous argument for the value of not taking yourself and your problems so damn seriously. See how this program has changed the lives of 8 million people in 31 cities, and let a goofball in a red clown nose inspire you.<\/p>\n This talk is not only great for your own happiness, giving you a boost of humor and cheer, but it’s also great for picking up Spanish. The speaker is highly entertaining to watch while also speaking clearly and professionally, so you’ll learn vocabulary related to happiness, sadness, mental\/emotional health and the medical professions.<\/p>\n You’ll also be exposed to silly sound effects, hand gestures and other useful joke-telling elements that you can use when telling your own stories in Spanish.<\/p>\n Title in English: <\/strong>“A New Culture of Caring for the Environment”<\/p>\n Where is humanity heading? Are we all moving towards going green, or is our rampant consumption of products driving our planet towards terrible problems?<\/p>\n Well, according to this speaker, perhaps it’s a little of both. Listen to this powerful talk about consumerism, carelessness and the hopeful rise of a new culture that breaks the bounds of countries and cultures\u2014one that discourages wastefulness and encourages resourcefulness. What can save the pale blue dot we live on? What does technology have to do with it all?<\/p>\n You’ll gain a modern perspective on a problem that’s been around since the Industrial Revolution, and you’ll get exposed to fantastic Spanish vocabulary on all the above topics in a gentle way. You’ll also get a splash of Spanish humor, as the speaker uses funny cartoons (one featuring the beloved character Mafalda!) to illustrate her thoughts.<\/p>\n Title in English: <\/strong>“Robotics, a Near Future”<\/p>\n This lifelong robot aficionado is on the stage with a mission: He wants to inform us that a robot-filled future is on the horizon.<\/p>\n This goes way beyond science fiction, and robots are soon about to be accessible to people of a wide variety of economic classes, not just the wealthy and elites. Robots could very soon be for everyone.<\/p>\n This talk is more than innovative, it’s pretty fun to listen to. This guy’s full of stories of his childhood and adolescent experiences toying around with dreams of robots. Watch to learn how he explored his interests in building and programming the things, from household experiments to fighting valiantly in a big Robot Sumo competition.<\/p>\n Enjoy his adventures in robot construction and operation, and muse on what the future might soon hold. What lessons can humanity\u00a0learn from working with robots? And, more importantly, what Spanish lessons can you learn from robots?<\/p>\n Title in English: <\/strong>“The Planet Is a Classroom”<\/p>\n What do hospitals, jails and schools have in common?<\/p>\n Watch to find out the answer to this little infrastructure riddle, as well as learn more about our modern relationship with technology, knowledge and the world around us.<\/p>\n This talk is fantastic for learning language related to social trends, education and especially technology, as it examines the intersection (or, rather, the collision) of all three.<\/p>\n You’ll also gain some invaluable perspective on how we learn, both via screens and from our communities and outside experiences\u2014all undeniably good information to have tucked away during your Spanish studies. You’ll also learn vocabulary and expressions for discussing and debating pressing political and social issues.<\/p>\n You can watch this TED Talk on FluentU<\/a> with interactive subtitles:<\/p>\n As Badilla uses some specialized vocabulary, it can be extremely helpful to have the English translation under the Spanish subtitles. You could also turn the English version off completely and instead check the subtitles whenever you come across an unfamiliar word. Hover over a word to see a quick definition or click on it for an in-depth flashcard with example sentences and videos.<\/p>\n There are other TED talks in the program’s Spanish media library, along with other Spanish content. FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n <\/p> \r\n You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n 2.\u00a0“Estromatolitos y el origen de la vida”<\/em> by Mar\u00eda Eugenia Far\u00edas\u00a0<\/h2>\n
\n
3. “El futuro es utopi\u00ada: 6 pistas para no perderse en el camino” <\/em>by\u00a0Cecilia Alemany<\/h2>\n
4. “Amo mi Celular y extra\u00f1o mi Notebook” <\/em>by Roberto Balaguer\u00a0<\/h2>\n
5. “\u00bfC\u00f3mo promover la felicidad de los peruanos?”<\/em> by Jorge Yamamoto\u00a0<\/h2>\n
6. “Risaterapia. Una forma de dar.” <\/em>by Andres Aguilar<\/h2>\n
7. “Una nueva cultura del cuidado del medio ambiente”<\/em> by Enriqueta Medell\u00ed\u00adn<\/h2>\n
8. “La rob\u00f3tica, un futuro cercano” <\/em>by Pedro Sales<\/h2>\n
9. “El planeta es un aula”<\/em> by Eleonora Badilla<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\r\n