Podcasts and Conversations
Real conversations in Spanish, from Beginners to Advanced. Every episode is free to listen to, and the transcripts let you read along: every line in Spanish and English, with notes on the slang and grammar.
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- All countries175
- Colombia168
- Spain3
- Mexico3
- Argentina1
- Peru1
- Venezuela1
- Cuba1
- UK (non-native speaker)171
Why we left Colombia for Spain
Why swap Colombia's Coffee Region for the north of Spain? Rob and Lis get honest about safety, life in a bubble and parks you have to pay to use.
ListenTranscript free with an accountThe Loneliness epidemic
Why do we have fewer friends in our 30s, 40s and 50s? Rob and Lis do the maths of adult friendship.
ListenTranscript free with an accountPersonality change
Do you become someone else in another language? Lis reveals her "pub mode", and Rob has his first real argument in Spanish.
ListenTranscript free with an accountUribe
Mention Álvaro Uribe at a Colombian dinner and the room goes quiet. Rob and Lis explain why.
ListenTranscript free with an accountFriendship as adults
We discuss the “epidemic of loneliness,” reflecting on how technology, work, and modern life affect our connections.
ListenTranscript free with an accountShould you learn slang?
Should you learn Spanish slang? Rob and teacher Johanna share the mix-ups, and one surprising piece of advice.
ListenTranscript free with an accountPor y para – part 2
Por mí está bien or para mí está bien? Rob and Johanna tackle por and para with time and opinions.
ListenTranscript free with an accountPor y para – part 1
Rob has por and para 95% sorted, but can't explain why. Johanna's fix: forget the dictionary.
ListenTranscript free with an accountEl Clasismo
A padlocked gate, a six-hour owners' meeting, and one side of the complex branded criminals. Rob and Lis on classism.
ListenTranscript free with an accountMoney and happiness
How much money does it take to be happy? Rob and Lis return after a year away, and Lis recalls living on 10,000 pesitos a day.
ListenTranscript free with an accountToo old to learn?
A friend gave up Spanish, sure he was too old. Rob and Lis ask what really hides behind "it's my age".
ListenTranscript free with an accountLa inmersión
Ten learners, a week in Bogotá, Spanish only. Why did Rob's coffee tasting flop, and what baffled the market stallholders?
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 44: Exclamations
Their daughter paints the curtains, Rob melts in 37-degree heat, and one little word turns it all into Spanish exclamations.
ListenTranscript free with an account¿Las protestas ambientales siguen funcionando?
Pumpkin soup on the Mona Lisa: do protests like this still work? Rob and Lis compare notes, plus some big family news.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 43: Having a good time
Lis danced all night; Rob barely spoke to the other guests. One odd Spanish phrase describes both their nights at the party.
ListenTranscript free with an accountHablando Como Local: ¿Vale la Pena?
Should you chase a native Spanish accent? Lis once took accent-reduction classes, and Rob has been asked if he's from Bogotá.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 42: Getting on with people
Rob meets someone new and doesn't take to her at all. Lis thinks she's great. Who clicked with whom, in Spanish?
ListenTranscript free with an accountPositive thinking and manifestation
A jar of positive affirmations, a family dinner in Bogotá, and a few extra notes Rob slipped in. Guess who drew one of his.
ListenTranscript free with an accountWe got hooked on “Traitors”
Rob and Lis stayed up late finishing Traitors. Could Rob survive as a traitor? Lis has her doubts.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 41: Using “desde hace” to talk about what you’ve been doing
Rob "moves" to Cartagena in a role-play with Lis. Why is "I've been living here" so much simpler in Spanish?
ListenTranscript free with an accountA new life in: The Coffee Country
From Bogotá to the coffee country: Lis's street "antennae", a 20-minute coffee lesson, and what country life can't offer.
ListenTranscript free with an accountWhy we find people so annoying
Lis has a list of three toxic people. Rob asks: are they really that bad, or just having a terrible day?
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 40: Telling stories with the present tense
Lis oversleeps, slips on a magazine and hits a huge trancón. The twist? She tells yesterday's disaster in the present tense.
ListenTranscript free with an accountEl Amor y la compatibilidad
Is there a soulmate out there for everyone? Lis once thought so. Plus a psychologist who tried to fall in love on purpose.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners: Haggling
A handmade mochila, a 250,000-peso price tag and a buyer hoping to pay 180,000. How low will Lis go?
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 38: Clothes shopping
Walk into a clothes shop in Colombia and two or three salespeople want to help. Here's what to say when they do.
ListenTranscript free with an accountLa procrastinación
Three months to write a piece of music, and Rob started at 4am on deadline day. So why do we put things off?
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced – Preguntas con Pilar 4: Los hábitos de los estudiantes exitosos
What do Spanish learners who improve fastest have in common? Pilar has seen the pattern, and Rob's new Colombian word baffles Lis.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 37: Hablar, Decir, and Contar
Say, tell or talk? Rob untangles hablar, decir and contar, plus the little word that has Spanish speakers counting "until" ten.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSímbolos de estatus
Lis finds the simple watch she wants, and Rob's face says it all. So what counts as a status symbol in Bogotá?
ListenTranscript free with an accountLos negocios
Business cards before a business, a café for hangovers and a VIP jungle trip for tech CEOs: Rob and Lis on starting up.
ListenTranscript free with an accountVecinos ruidosos
A Bogotá neighbour screams "I hate you, go away!" at 2am. Rob and Lis finally find out who he's shouting at.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 36: Saber and Conocer
Do you know Bogotá, or do you know where it is? Rob's yes-or-no test for choosing between saber and conocer.
ListenTranscript free with an accountEntrevista con SpanishLand
Why did a whole bus in Colombia wait for Rob and Lis? Plus 28 cousins, weekly birthdays and too many "I love you"s.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced – Preguntas con Pilar 3: La emigración de Colombia
Why do so many Colombians dream of leaving? Rob and Pilar on big expectations, London sofas and Instagram-perfect lives.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced – Preguntas con Pilar 2: México
Pilar was told in Mexico she didn't sound Colombian. Plus the past-tense slip Rob made for years before anyone corrected him.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced – Preguntas con Pilar 1
Why do Colombians say se me olvidó instead of olvidé? Pilar explains, and a phrase about a pigeon trips Rob up.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeing parents: Expectations vs reality
Lis planned to leave the baby with family and go partying. Rob pictured lazy café cappuccinos. Then their daughter arrived.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntroducing Ana Paz
Two went in, three came out. Rob and Lis on a first month of parenthood in Bogotá that no book prepared them for.
ListenTranscript free with an accountFirst days in Bogotá
Rob and Lis land in Bogotá: chaos outside El Dorado, a dream flat that isn't ready, and a Christmas Day fever.
ListenTranscript free with an accountLast days in London
One saucepan, one fork, a sofa bed and a forgotten folder: Rob and Lis relive their last hours in London.
ListenTranscript free with an accountMoving to Colombia
Why swap London for Bogotá with a baby on the way? Rob and Lis explain why it had to be now or never.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 35: Reverse Construction Verbs
Why "I love it" is really "it enchants me" in Spanish, and who has to go out for the eggs.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 40: La isla
Plane down, sole survivor, five minutes to save three things. What would you grab? Lis's last pick isn't a thing at all.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 39: Eventos inexplicables…
The same striking woman has crossed Rob's path three times. Then Lis tells of a taxi driver who saw an extra passenger.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 38: La “Epa Colombia”
A silly phone video made her famous. Another, filmed with a hammer, landed her in court. Meet "Epa Colombia".
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 37: De tú y usted…
Why do Colombian sisters call each other usted? Rob's tú/usted rules fall apart, and Lis names the word her mother would love.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 36: Porque el optimismo nos parece simplón
Why do pessimists always sound smarter? Lis admits England dented her optimism, and Rob faces the gloomy-English stereotype.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 35: Nuestras historias en objetos
Why does Lis's bag make strangers greet her, and why did Rob start sharpening knives at her family's homes in Colombia?
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 34: Dedicar and dedicarse
Spanish speakers ask this as soon as they meet you, and in English it sounds like poetry. Here's how to ask and answer it.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 33: Uses of tener
Why do Spanish speakers "have" reason instead of being right? Plus a hen, and money that turns into pasta.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 34: Volver de compras
After lockdown, Rob enjoys shopping for once. Plus the nickname Lis's old shop colleagues had for browsers who never buy.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 32: “Aconsejar” and “no sé si…”
Rob can't decide where to go in Colombia, so he asks Lis for advice, using a question that sounds odd in English.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 33: Los estereotipos
James Bond or Mr Bean? Rob and Lis on the stereotypes the English and Colombians can't seem to shake.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 32: Los hipster
Is there a Spanish word for hipster? Rob and Lis tick off hipster habits, and Rob confesses what he can't stand.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 31: Construction
A collapsing fence, a neighbour dropping hints, and a Bogotá flat built on the fly. Rob and Lis talk construction.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 31: Using the verb “llevar”
Rob has a favourite Spanish verb. It means "to carry", so why is Lis "carrying eight months" in London?
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 30: Life in lockdown
Lockdown split Rob and Lis between London and Bogotá. One made the most of it; the other has a confession about chocolates.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 30: How to tell a joke
What did one fish say to the other? Rob and Lis share their favourite Spanish jokes, groans included.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 29: How to tell a story
Start, link and end a story in Spanish, then find out why Rob ended up driving a bride to her own wedding.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 28: Conversation strategies
Stuck listening with nothing to say? Rob and Lis share the little phrases for reacting, interrupting and slipping away politely.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 27: Problem solving
How do you say "do you need me to help you?" in Spanish? Plus a one-word fix for this very podcast.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 26: Some pronunciation tips
Why does "bueno" give away nearly every English speaker? Rob and Lis share four accent habits to catch in your own Spanish.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 25: How to pay a compliment
Two Spanish words for "compliment", but one is often unwelcome. Plus the question Lis asks Rob most mornings.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 24: Making excuses
The two little words that start almost every excuse in Spanish, and Rob's wallet story that Lis isn't buying.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 23: Asking for favours
Rob asks Lis for money (again). Plus: how to get a lift, and why Spanish speakers mix up "lend" and "borrow".
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 22: Spanish proverbs
Which Spanish proverb does Lis say every day? Six sayings to use in real conversation, plus one Rob had never heard.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 28
No verb "to can"? Meet poder: ask "can I...?", say "I can't", and learn a polite way to ask permission in Spanish.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 21: Dealing with the authorities
A speeding fine with no proof, and eight people in one van on New Year's Eve: Rob and Lis get stopped by the police.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 27
One little verb for wanting, ordering dessert and even saying "I love you", plus the phrase Rob has relied on more than once.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 20: Driving
Lis plays a Colombian traffic cop and pulls Rob over. Will "I'm not from here" get him off the hook?
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 31: La Gestión Urbana
Lis's sister Judith confesses what she did with Lis's homework, then reveals who today's cities are really being built for.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 29: Our worst jobs
Rob's six weeks as a bin man in Bath included one very messy throw. Lis recalls the job that made her ask "Why am I here?"
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 26
Why Spanish says "eleven of May", not "the eleventh", and fue: your very first step into the past.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 19: How to complain
Rob insists whinging and complaining aren't the same. Plus the word Lis finds aggressive and Rob's chicken in Colombia.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 18: At the doctors
Pins and needles in Spanish involves a tiny insect. Plus how to tell a doctor exactly what kind of pain you have.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 17: Social Networks
Lis's WhatsApp group of forty cousins, the word for "tag" neither host can say, and how to count likes in Spanish.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 25
Rob and Lis plan a trip to Colombia day by day, and Rob shares a favourite phrase for when you can't wait.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 24
Rob quizzes Lis on the weeks in a year, and she doesn't believe how often he eats. Learn to ask "how many times?"
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 28: Uber
An Uber driver tries to take Rob the wrong way at a roundabout. So why do London cabbies spend years memorising every street?
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 23
What time do you wake up? Learn to ask and answer it in Spanish, as Lis describes a day so long she calls herself pobrecita.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 27: The earthquake
Mexico City held an earthquake drill that morning. So when the real one hit, Rob thought it was still practice.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 22
Why does one o'clock break the rules? Plus Spain vs Colombia on "ten to", and a New Year's song that tells the time.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 21
Agree, disagree and say "you're right" in Spanish, plus the friendlier way to tell someone they're wrong.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 20
Sorry in Spanish: which word is for bumping into someone, and which one sounds like someone has died?
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 19
Is the shop open? How much is that bag? Rob and Lis go shopping in Spanish, plus one of Rob's favourite words.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 18
Count from one to a million with about twenty words, then try Colombian phone numbers read at full speed. Can you keep up?
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 17
Make evening plans in Spanish: Rob and Lis share the phrases for a drink, a coffee or dinner, and the plan Colombians put first.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 16
One small verb, haber, lets you say "there has to be a shop around here". Plus: the Spanish word for car that came from Hungarian.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 30: Ser Popular
Why do friends get harder to keep with age? Rob and Lis on school popularity, Facebook, and the call that fixed a sad day.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 15
Where are you going today, and how? Rob and Lis get you around town in Spanish, plus a word that scratches the sky.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 26: News
Is following the news a civic duty or just serious entertainment? Rob confesses a habit Lis sees every breakfast.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 16: Are you a morning or evening person?
Lis rises with the sun, Rob is a night owl. Who wins when they work together, and what's the Spanish verb for rising at dawn?
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 15: Arranging to meet
Can you tell the time in Spanish? Now make a plan: Rob and Lis on arranging to meet, plus a first taste of the conditional.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 14: Telling the time
Rob got corrected for asking the time like Manu Chao. Learn to ask and tell the time, and why one o'clock is the odd one out.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 13: Habits and Customs
How do you ask "how often" in Spanish? Literally, "every how much". Plus the chocolate habit Lis kept secret from Rob.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 12: Arguments
Rob and Lis teach you how to argue in Spanish, then stage a fight over the last piece of chocolate. Does anyone get forgiven?
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 11: Money
Why do South Americans call money "silver", not gold? Lis haggles over carrots, and something costs a kidney.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 10: Feelings and emotions
Why can't you say you feel "malo"? Plus a Colombian candle night, a nod to Shakira and the "excited" word to avoid.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 9: Going out
Add one tiny word to "vamos a rumbear" and it means something else. Plus: lots of blind dates in one night, in a museum.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 8: Sports
A Colombian sport with mud, metal discs and gunpowder, plus the Spanish you need to chat about sport with anyone.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 7: Families
Just how many cousins does Lis have? Learn to ask about anyone's family, and the word that sounds like "parents" but isn't.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 6: Moving House
Lis moved house by bus in two trips. Rob hired a van and it still wasn't enough. Plus the phrase every Spanish house advert uses.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 5: Love phrases
Four ways to tell someone how you feel in Spanish, Rob's favourite fruity compliment, and the secret game of "amigo secreto".
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 4: Illnesses
Rob and Lis are both ill for real. Learn the Spanish "cold" word that fools English speakers, and how to win sympathy.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 3: Transport
Eight ways to get around in Spanish, from a ride Rob wishes London had to one that still carries vegetables.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 2: Resolutions
Does Colombia do New Year's resolutions? Rob and Lis count down the top ten, then Rob confesses a habit Lis adds to.
ListenTranscript free with an accountBeginners 1: The weather
In Spanish, heat is something the weather "does". Plus a rain so light it only scares a certain kind of person.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 28: Job interviews
Lis faces a panel of three, Rob goes blank on a phone call, and what can a seventh interview tell anyone?
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 27: News of a Kidnapping
Kidnapped for 42 days in Colombia, union leader Gilberto Torres tells Lis what got him out alive, and where exile took him.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 26: A very brief gastronomic tour around Spain
Javi from Valladolid sticks up for English food, and Rob has one complaint about restaurants in Spain.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 25: Javi de España
Javi came to London just to learn English, went home to Spain, then came back. So will he ever move home? Rob guessed wrong.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 24: Nuria de España
Nuria from Alicante on why she swapped a house by the sea for London, and the hardest part isn't the rain.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 23: Vanessa de Argentina
Vanessa from Córdoba on why Argentines feel more Italian than Spanish, and the asado Spain got badly wrong.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 22: Conversación de copas y niñas
Latin men or European men? Mexican guest Mariana and Lis compare notes, and Mariana sums up what Europeans lack in three words.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 21: Mariana La Mexicana
Is mezcal just bad tequila? Mariana from Veracruz takes on Rob's stereotypes about Mexico, one by one.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 20: El viaje (part 2)
A guard who whistles all night, horses that dance, and a 4am start caused by a number plate: Rob's first days in Bogotá.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 19: El viaje (part 1)
Lis sneaks home to Bogotá after three years. Plan A: post herself to her mum in a box. Plan B involves an afro wig.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 18: Spanish in the USA
Lis thinks she knows which country has the most Spanish speakers. Rob has a surprise, and a TV channel that beat Fox and NBC.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 17: Colombia’s big weekend
Colombia beats Greece, parties till dawn, then picks a president the very next day. Did the hangover sway the vote?
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 16: Clarissa
Clarissa, from Venezuela, on the London lunchtime habit that surprised her and the Venezuelan phrase for how she learned English.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 15: Conducir
Lis has a Colombian driving licence she calls "muy ficticia". Rob explains the English test you can fail in minute one.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 14: La Leyenda del Dorado
Why wasn't El Dorado quite a legend? Lis explains the golden ritual at Lake Guatavita, and an odd old test for real gold.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 13: La Política
How many votes does a Colombian cast? Lis explains her country's politics, and Rob ends up laughing: "¡Ay, qué complicado!"
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 12: Maria de Peru
Maria landed at Heathrow alone, with no plan and no English. So why did her first taxi ride cost £117?
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 11: Travel around South America
Lis's well-travelled cousin Margarita picks three South American must-sees, including a hotel built entirely of salt.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 10: Hablar Mexicano
When is "padre" not a father? Bárbara from Guadalajara teaches Lis Mexican slang, plus the "most Mexican" word of all.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 9: Paz en Colombia
Is Colombia as dangerous as its reputation? Lis remembers a stolen Discman, and Rob sees a motorbike chase in Santa Marta.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 8: Salsa
Why do people ask Lis if she's from Cali when she dances? Her verdict on English salsa, and how the music got its name.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 7: Holidays
Where do Colombians go on holiday when their country has it all? Plus Rob's two-to-three-hour trip that took fifteen.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 6: Alberto
Rob's "adopted father-in-law" Alberto: 19 years in London, one buñuelo invitation, and a Colombian's view of England.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 5: La Rumba!
Why do the lights come on at 3am in Bogotá? Colombian guest Stefy reveals how a real night of rumba works.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 4: Sonia la Cubana
Cuban Sonia on a cabbage-and-lettuce saying, the Spanish accent Cubans love most, and what she makes of Londoners.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 3: Las chicas
Lis shares her four golden rules for winning someone over. Rob isn't convinced, especially by the glass of water.
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 2: Living abroad
Lis leaves Colombia for the first time, and Rob credits his Spanish to two years in Valencia and one girlfriend. Only one?
ListenTranscript free with an accountAdvanced 1: De Colombia
Lis's first ever episode: a tour of Colombia, a night bus from the Ecuador border, and three words with something in common.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 25: Birthdays
Who plans your birthday: you or everyone else? Rob and Lis compare England and Colombia, from dawn mariachis to who pays.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 24: Glastonbury (part two)
Glastonbury's toilets have a reputation. Lis explains what happens to you by the last day, and what she'd do differently next time.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 23: Glastonbury (part one)
Lis packed light for Glastonbury, expecting a village shop. Then she saw where the festival actually happens.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 22: El viaje (part 3)
Rob takes Lis to his dream city, Valencia: paella by the sea, a barefoot farewell dance and a rough morning after.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 21: El viaje (part 2)
Both passports vanish minutes before a train, and the Barcelona flat Rob booked isn't quite what he thought.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 20: El viaje
A car vanishes the night before a wedding in Toulouse, and the next day Rob ends up driving the bride to the ceremony.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 19: Cultural etiquette
Handshake, one kiss or two? Rob and Lis on awkward greetings, late friends and a misread Italian waitress.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 18: Colombia
A coffee country that drinks instant? Rob shares five things that surprised him in Colombia, and Lis makes a confession.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 17: Vivir con los padres
A 29-year-old back home, and his mum still does his washing. Rob has a blunt word for it. Lis can't quite laugh along.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 16: Pets
As a girl, Lis had a pet chick, and one cosy night ended badly. Plus pigs on buses and a fish that refused to die.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 15: La finca
Lis's family farm isn't what Rob pictured, and he confesses what he used to believe about cows and milk.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 14: Addiction
Lis can't be trusted with chocolate, Rob can't stop until he wins, and someone at home is still gaming at 5am.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 13: Pastimes
Pasatiempo, hobby or afición? Rob owns up to a string of short-lived obsessions, and Lis recalls a passion she had to give up.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 12: Markets
A rainy day, an empty fridge and a vegetable Lis can't name: Rob and Lis compare London markets with Colombia's plazas.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 11: Money
A Colombian scheme that really did double people's money, until it didn't. Plus why casino winnings should be spent fast.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 10: Tropical fruit
Rob asks for a lemon and Lis comes home with three limes. Then a spiky Colombian fruit puzzles his parents.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 9: Coffee
Colombia runs on coffee, right? Lis says not quite, and the world's biggest coffee drinkers aren't who Rob expected.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 8: Sleep
Rob admits what he did as a sleepwalking child, and Lis describes a dream where she can see herself but can't move.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 7: Fashion
Why pay five times more for designer boxers nobody sees? Rob and Lis on fashion, fakes and Colombia's word for a knock-off.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 6: White lies
Why did Lis end up alone in central London at 10pm on a Friday? A surprise gone wrong, white lies and a very specific soap.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 5: TV
Rob always thought Ugly Betty was American. Lis, who left work early to watch it, sets him straight.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 4: Alcohol
A nosy look at a Colombian party, a bottle of aguardiente, and a day of guayabo. Plus: what is Colombia's "carrot law"?
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 3: Plastic surgery
Lis has never had surgery, or so she thinks. Plus the operation that could make her 5 cm taller, and Rob's noisy stomach.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 2
Why would an Englishman fall for Spanish so hard? Lis grills Rob: a sleepless night, a failed order of water, and a very odd soup.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 14
Two easy ways to talk about your plans in Spanish, no future tense needed. Plus the word that ruins Rob's point.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 13
Rob asks Lis what they have to do today, and an odd little phrase meaning "there is that" turns out to be very handy.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 12
The biggest, the most expensive, the least polluted: one tiny word does it in Spanish. Then Lis quizzes Rob on geography.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 11
Is London bigger than Madrid? Two small Spanish words let you compare almost anything, and "more good" isn't one of them.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 10
Why does "a cheap car" come out as "a car cheap" in Spanish? Your first adjectives, in pairs of opposites, plus a quick test.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 9
The doorbell rings, and Spanish speakers say something that made Rob think they were leaving. Meet ir and venir.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 8
Spanish "-ing" needs just two sounds. Plus: what's left of "to go" once you take its ending off?
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 7
Two Spanish verbs, both meaning "to be". Learn when to use ser or estar, and why Lis gets to call Rob a boring man.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 6
Why do some of the most common Spanish verbs sprout a "go"? Five short scenes, a bar order and a neat trick for "Shall I...?"
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 5
Spanish has four ways to say "you", and even Lis isn't sure about one. Plus: who gets the polite usted in Colombia?
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 4
Rob interviews Lis: learn to ask where someone lives and what they do, plus a stress pattern even Lis had never noticed.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 3
Order your first coffee in Spanish: why the waiter seems to ask "what do I put you?" and why Lis asks for a "gift".
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 2
Say what you like (and don't) in Spanish, plus the slang word from Spain that Lis didn't understand.
ListenTranscript free with an accountIntermediate 1
Rob and Lis's very first intermediate episode: the Amazon, two left feet, and the old hobby that still has Lis bewitched.
ListenTranscript free with an accountSpanish from Scratch 1
Is Rob really Juan? Learn to say who you are, who you're not, and ask how someone is in your first Spanish chat.
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