Newsletter

Disappearances, referencing the past, and Jiveworld English

July 7, 2024

This featured story is a heavy one. In Hasta encontrarlo a Guatemalan family recounts their painful past and ongoing fight for justice. For lighter fare, we explain how to talk about things that happened in the past en español, share a Spotify playlist, and let you in on our latest language drop.

Love, x-rays, and student discounts

June 16, 2024

Love finds a way in our featured story from Costa Rica, Jaz y Lalay. Keep reading for an explainer on how x-ray mode works in Jiveworld, then watch a short video on the big difference between the phrases *te amo *and te quiero. We wrap it up with a roundup of articles and radio from around the web. ¡Feliz escucha!

A battle royale, a self-study challenge, and popcorn

May 19, 2024

Counter-culture factions battle it out on the streets of Mexico in our featured story, Emos vs. punks. After revisiting the angst of youth, try our self-study challenge designed to enrich your vocab, then treat yourself to a snack while we talk popcorn.

Treasure hunting, pronunciation tips, and Spanish accents

April 21, 2024

What would you do to collect an ancient inheritance? How much would you pay, how far would you travel, and who would you recruit along the way? Our feature story, Somos millonarios, follows a true tale that spilled into the media and courts of the Dominican Republic. After the story, we offer tips on pronunciation, tricks to identify different Spanish accents, and some articles we've been reading.

Quick look, voice assistants, and questionable slang

April 7, 2024

In our featured story, Escuchadme, terráqueos, a recording of his eight-year-old son interviewing his little brother takes a father on a trip down memory lane. Longtime Jiveworlders will be pleased to know we've brought back Quick Look functionality. Keep reading for a tip on using voice assistants to practice your Spanish and some global slang to add to your vocab list.

Planes, motivation, and loan words

March 25, 2024

Did you dream of doing something extraordinary when you were young? Something everyone else said was impossible? Fly with us to Argentina where two brothers take on a monumental task, then get motivated to embark on your own adventure with idiomatic sayings en español. Lastly, we lighten your vocab list with loan words, announce a new pro feature, and empathetically stress over language expectations for fútbol players in Madrid.

Superheroes, transitional phrases, and getting ripped off

March 11, 2024

We're traveling to Argentina, in this edition, to introduce you to a real-life superhero. Then we explore transitional phrases, learn an idiom for getting swindled, and share an article on building effective language learning habits. ¡Avancemos!

Soccer, how to roll your Rs, and the sentence toolbar

February 25, 2024

In this week's edition, we travel to Peru for a story about fathers and sons, teach you how to roll your 'Rrrrs,' and round up some interesting articles from across the web.

Communes, music, and false friends

February 5, 2024

In this edition, we head to a village in Brazil that captured the world's attention and discover that truth isn't always what it seems. Then we discuss the benefits of listening to Spanish-language music, warn you about false friends, and round up some articles we're reading from around the web.

A miracle, business etiquette, and the verb "quedar"

January 22, 2024

We've got a five-minute featured story for you that just might have you praying to la Virgen de Guadalupe. After that, we dig into some of the nuances of doing business in Latin America, answer a question about the super flexible verb quedar, and round up some reads from across the web.

A bicycle in Cuba, s-dropping, and advice from a Spanish professor

January 8, 2024

Happy 2024! We are back from holiday hiatus with more language learning tips, article roundups, and videos about Spanish. You'll find a story about growing up in Havana, a discussion with a Spanish professor, a Q&A about dropping letters in Spanish, and more. !Vámanos¡

New story, new study flow, está todo bien

December 18, 2023

This week we bring you a brand new story (and Soundbites) about a doctor in Bogotá whose humanitarian efforts land him in legal trouble. Speaking of 'bites, you can now find Soundbites directly inside the stories they are excerpted from. Check out the new and improved study flow and let us know what you think by replying to this email.

Cassette tapes, replays, and multi-functional verbs

December 11, 2023

This week we're feeling nostalgic about cassette tapes as we listen to a tale of a Chilean family split by exile but connected through analog media. After a quick explanation of the snail icon in the Jiveworld player, we dive into five Spanish verbs with multiple meanings, and answer a question from our community about pasar.

Documentation in the D.R., false friends, and gift-giving

December 4, 2023

Juliana never left her native country. So why is she an immigrant? Discover the answer in this week's featured story, La Sentencia. After the story, we show you how to go "back to the future" in the Jiveworld player, explain what false friends are, and share the perfect last-minute gift idea.

Navigating Costa Rica, listening methods, and Google stumpers

November 27, 2023

This week we trade our maps for a story that Jiveworld subscriber Nicole P. describes as "vital information for anyone planning a visit to Costa Rica." Then we talk active vs passive listening, have some fun with untranslatable phrases, and round up what we're reading from across the web.

Guinea pigs, garlic, and Spanish vowels

November 20, 2023

This week's featured story is actually a mashup of two: one about love for a country's cuisine, and the other about a strong aversion towards an ingredient that's very hard to avoid. We follow Cuy al ajillo with refreshers on Spanish vowels and a shout-out from one of our favorite teachers.

Stowaways, the subjunctive, and filler words

November 13, 2023

We dig into the Radio Ambulante archives for this week's featured story about stowaways on a journey from Peru to New York. After you listen to the tale, flex your grammar skills on the Spanish subjunctive, learn how to buy time with filler words, or flip through our picks from around the web.

Favors from the dead, convos with kids, and offline access

November 6, 2023

We keep the Dia De Los Muertos theme going this week with the Radio Ambulante story, N.N., about a Colombian town's custom to honor the anonymous dead. Then we share a pro tip for listening to Jiveworld stories offline, highlight the difficulties of conversing with children in a new language, and round up some good reads.

Ghosts, spooky vocab, and catrinas

October 30, 2023

This week, jokes can't save Venezuelan-American comic Joanna Hausmann from a haunted hotel, we round up thematic vocab for Halloween, and we explore the history behind La Catrina.

438 days adrift at sea, podcasts, and vocab overload

October 22, 2023

A storm is brewing in this week's featured story, El náufrago. After you listen to the harrowing tale of this ocean-bound castaway, check out our tips on using podcasts in your study routine and avoiding vocabulary overload. If you keep reading, we've got a primer on using gustar, explain what a "cinderella skill" means to linguists, and point you to a personal essay on dreaming in multiple languages.

Perfect pitch, maintaining motivation, and common expressions

October 15, 2023

In this edition, we talk about the importance of motivation in your language learning routine, meet a blind man with perfect pitch, and equip you with a whole collection of phrases for expressing yourself in Spanish like a native speaker. ¡Cuídense!