A Spanish series for beginners
Among the streaming platforms widely available on the Polish market, it is difficult to find a Spanish series to learn the language from scratch. Of course, there are shows intended strictly for children, but these are not productions that permanently fit into the landscape of media giants such as Netflix or HBO. Spanish series are certainly easier for people with an intermediate or advanced level. Therefore, at the beginning of your adventure with Spanish, we encourage you to reach for YouTube’s resources.
Extra
This is a Spanish series made strictly for learning Spanish. You will probably not find such fast-paced action there as in the flagship productions of Netflix, but what you should be interested in are the accessible dialogues, spoken clearly and slowly, and there are plenty of those in Extra.The series is about a man who comes to Barcelona from the United States. During the short, less than thirty-minute episodes, you will watch the adventures of the main character and his friends from the Catalan capital, who help him learn Spanish.This material is perfect as a supplement to learning, e.g. with the help of SuperMemo courses.
Spanish series to learn on HBO
The real enjoyment of the series for learning Spanish begins when you have mastered the language at a level slightly higher than basic. Then, a sea of possibilities will open up before you. Let’s start with Spanish series on HBO. We have prepared a few proposals that should be of interest to you.
Los Espookys
First, Los Espookys is a Spanish-language comedy series produced in America. Given the fact that over 60 million US citizens are Hispanic, this choice of language should come as no surprise.
What is this series about? We watch a group of friends, true lovers of horror movies. Out of their passion, the protagonists of Los Espookys decide to go into business and use their knowledge of horror movies, organizing original thrill screenings for their clients.
Interestingly, the series takes place in an imaginary Latin American country. The very process of creating Los Espookys linguistically was quite interesting, because the authors of the series started writing the script in English, knowing that when it came to filming, the whole thing would be in Spanish. Only after approval by HBO management did they translate the series into Spanish.
When choosing this series to learn Spanish, keep in mind that the characters speak South American Spanish.
30 coins
Let’s continue in the atmosphere of horror, because 30 coins is a horror show that uses genre clichés in a rather obvious way. This story of a priest, former exorcist and boxer who faces the forces of evil, may be of interest to you, if you like the self-aware play with the B-movie conventions. Anyone else who tries to learn Spanish with the priest Vergara may quickly become alienated from this specific “teacher”.
Foodie Love
Foodie Love is definitely a more approachable series for learning Spanish. The series, directed by the acclaimed director, Isabel Coixet, is a story of two people in their thirties. The Foodie Love heroes get to know each other thanks to a dating app for food lovers. This Spanish series will prove useful not only as a language learning aid, but also as an interesting gastronomic guide to Barcelona.
The best series for learning Spanish on Netflix
Now let’s move on to HBO’s main competitor, and another American giant. Let’s take a look at which Spanish series are worth watching on Netflix.
Elite
A classic teen drama. When watching the Elite, you will have a group of teenagers from an elite high school as your tutors. Here, learning Spanish is all about accompanying the characters through their typical teenage romances, dramas and joys, but all the events are crime-ridden. Interested? There are 3 seasons of this Spanish series waiting for you on Netflix.
Sky Rojo
This series, much like 30 coins, is not intended for the faint of heart, because it does not lack fairly intense scenes. It tells the story of three women who are forced to run away from their pimp and his helpers. The crazy pace of the Spanish Netflix series draws you in from the very first moments, definitely more than any, even the most interesting foreign language lesson.
Paquita Salas
Those who prefer lighter shows when choosing series to learn Spanish from, should reach for the Spanish Netflix series called Paquita Salas. In this 3-season sitcom, you will learn about the adventures of the owner of a talent scouting agency. The main character will have to take the trouble to keep the company on top after losing her biggest star. Learning while having fun? Paquitas Salas will be perfect.
High seas
At the end of the Netflix review, we suggest a trip to Rio De Janeiro on a luxury cruise liner. The Spanish costume series High seas is a story full of intrigues and secrets set in the 1940s. Hence, the language the characters use can be old-fashioned, but it’s a perfect series to learn Spanish to intermediate level. So, if you want to learn slightly more formal Spanish, this series is a good choice.
Spanish crime series
How about learning Spanish by solving criminal riddles? If you are a fan of Agatha Christie and stories full of law enforcement officers, we also have something for you.
Who Killed Sarah?
This Mexican series tells the story of a man who is released after eighteen years spent in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. After returning to society, he has only one goal, to find his sister’s real murderer. This Spanish-language crime series has been loved by viewers all over the world and has already lived to see two seasons.
Hierro
In this series, you will travel to the Canary Islands to solve the mystery of the strange death of a young boy with an investigative judge. This Spanish crime series for language learning can be found on the player.pl platform.
Narcos
And finally, a very well-known production which is certainly not a classic crime story, but tells a thoroughly criminal story, because during its 3 seasons you will see a story about the life and activity of the most famous drug lord in history, Pablo Escobar. The series is told from the perspective of an American agent who works for the DEA, and it is not an entirely Spanish-language production, so when watching Narcos, you can also improve your English.
How to learn Spanish with TV series
Subtitles should certainly be treated as your friends. At the beginning of your journey with Spanish, feel free to choose Spanish series with subtitles in your native language, but if you are already at an intermediate level, we recommend Spanish subtitles.
Remember also that learning Spanish with TV series will be more effective if you arm yourself with a pen and notebook, and aren’t afraid of short breaks in watching. It is worth pausing for a moment on words that you do not know. Check what they mean and pay attention to the context in which they are used in the series.
You can also prepare for the screening in advance by giving yourself a small introduction. If you’re going to watch Narcos, check the vocabulary you might find useful while watching. Do your homework early, and you will definitely enjoy the show.
It is also a good idea when learning with Spanish series to choose a production that you know well. The latter approach, however, should be focused not on admiring the intricacies of the plot, but on appreciating and figuring out the linguistic nuances.
And most importantly, when choosing series to learn Spanish, follow what you like. If you are interested in criminal mysteries, reach for Who Killed Sarah. Do you prefer time travel? Try learning with Spanish costume series. The selection of Spanish-language productions is really huge, and the ten mentioned by us may be just the beginning of your Spanish learning with serials. We also encourage you to search on your own.
Not only Spanish series
Of course, language immersion is important in learning any foreign language, but it is certainly not enough to master Spanish at the appropriate level. So don’t just spend your nights with Netlifx. Diversify your learning tools. Reach for the interactive SuperMemo courses, look for a Spanish-speaking native speaker online, repeat words. Look for the method that suits you best and brings the best results.
