Does anyone here watch Spanish TV on the 'Net?

[Brian]

To sharpen up my listening comprehension, I've been watching a lot of Spanish TV lately. The nice thing about streaming video- as opposed to radio- is that you generally get a cue of what they're talking about from the video context.

This site (http://wwitv.com/portal.htm?http://wwitv.com/television/index.html)is an excellent resource for Spanish TV that can be watched on the web. Unfortunately, none of it is of the primary channels such as Canal 5 or Canalplus. Most of it is regional TV with fairly lousy programming. However, you can get CNN+ (think CNN in Castilian), which is excellent. I recommend the TV Station out of Valladolid. It seems to have the most comprehensible accent.

There are also Basque, Catalan, and Valencian language channels, if you're up for a challenge.

If you live in the States and you try to watch in the evening, you're likely to get a healthy dose of infomercials, as we're watching in the middle of the night. I purchased a neat little program called Replay A/V (http://www.applian.com) that allows me to program my PC like a Tivo or VCR to record the video streams on demand. That way, I have better selection to watch when I get home in the evening.

Anybody else already doing this, or have a favorite channel to recommend?

[ValenciaSon]

I occasionally watch TVE on my father's satellite TV. We also occasionally watch Valencia's canal nou on the internet. We were able to watch Las Fallas live, that way.

[richardksa]

There is this link. I usually try to watch the news. Then there a silly quiz show based on the Madrid Metro with a level of Spanish that I can follow.

http://www.telemadrid.es/home.pag

[cubix]

I will sometimes turn on the Spanish TV stations here, I get 3 or 4, though most are from Mexico. I like Mexican Gameshows, at one time they had a show where if you won you could receive a lawyer's help in expediting your green card process....

A lot of the time I will watch Spanish News, because I am usually able to understand what is going on, since I read the newspaper daily. I find it helps with listening comprehension, since they talk so fast I learn to pick out key phrases and such

[richardksa]

I have learned quite alot of both Spanish and French by watching their versions of "who wants to be a millionaire". That's because the answers are written on the screen, which gives you a a little time to read and comprehend, and they are often spoken several times. I love that feeling of superiority over nationals who don't know their own countries history or culture - and I do. I usually call them names to the screen. ;D

[cubix]

When I was in spain, I watched who's want to be a millionaire. I actually got alot of question right, espically the history ones. It's an easy show to watch because of the slow pace

[celia s]

Hi Brian.
Thanks for the Spanish TV link.I shall check that out over the next few days.
Do you know of any good Spanish radio sites?

[Brian]

Hi Brian.
Thanks for the Spanish TV link.I shall check that out over the next few days.
Do you know of any good Spanish radio sites?

On that same page that I linked above are lots of radio links, also. I prefer to listen to Radio España 1, which is mostly news.

Here's a link to RTVE's online streaming stations (http://www.rtve.es/rne/envivo.htm).

[gary]

On that same page that I linked above are lots of radio links, also. I prefer to listen to Radio España 1, which is mostly news.


Preferring talk radio and the news is the first sign of the onset of middle age - Im a Radio 4 guy myself - welcome to the club!!

[Brian]

Preferring talk radio and the news is the first sign of the onset of middle age - Im a Radio 4 guy myself - welcome to the club!!

Lol, I suppose you're right, but from time to time I still listen to a little bit of mind rot on the pop music channels.

[Netsirksmada]

I watch the Korean news stations here haha that and the Spanish ones. I get Canadian tv sometimes too.

[Edith]

Thanks to a special appliance I'm able to watch TVE here in Holland, but I also listen to loads of stuff from the Internet. One of my favorites is BBC Mundo (BBC World Service in Spanish). They have got lots of programs which you can listen to and their audio archives are also worth checking out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/news/

Ckeck out The Latin American section of BBC Mundo as wel the BBC Enlace and BBC Enfoque subsections.

I also listen to Radio Nacional de España 5, Todo Noticias:

http://www.rtve.es/rne/web/index.php

And to Radio Bilingüe, a radio station for Mexican immigrants from Fresno, California. They have also got audio archives:

http://www.radiobilingue.org/frames/span_prog.htm

[Pepper]

When I was in Spain I watched "The Weakest Link." That was way too fast but I also liked "Madrid Reta" because that was local things I could relate to and learn.

Oh yeah, to learn some great vocabulary, "24" dubbed was fantastic. "No dispares!"

[pablo]

I have been randomly Tivo'ing as many shows as I can on my spanish speaking stations recently, and it seems like the actors spend a lot of time crying, which I have a hard time watching, and also "blurs" their speech. However, I find the sports shows, Telemundo Deportes and Contacto Deportes are sufficiently devoid of tears so those work for me. What I would really like to find is a spanish speaking reality show like Survivor or Amazing Race. Any ideas?

[Brian]

I have been randomly Tivo'ing as many shows as I can on my spanish speaking stations recently, and it seems like the actors spend a lot of time crying, which I have a hard time watching, and also "blurs" their speech. However, I find the sports shows, Telemundo Deportes and Contacto Deportes are sufficiently devoid of tears so those work for me. What I would really like to find is a spanish speaking reality show like Survivor or Amazing Race. Any ideas?

Does your tv/cable company provide the SAP feature? The translations are usually with Mexican/South American speakers, but it's practice.

[Marina]

If actors are crying all the time is because you may be watching "culebrones" which is not really the best tv programs that one can watch:D

I know that in Spain there have been realities about survival in an island, but I don't know if you can see tele5 or antena3 with a satellite dish, I really doubt it.
Any one can?

[Edith]

Does your tv/cable company provide the SAP feature? The translations are usually with Mexican/South American speakers, but it's practice.

What is wrong with Mexican/South American Spanish? :rolleyes:

[guiño]

What is wrong with Mexican/South American Spanish? :rolleyes:
Yes. Actually, there are a great many different varieties of Mexican/South American Spanish, and having found a good many examples in interviews from Radio Exterior de España, I find the rich variety of sounds positively intoxicating. Of course there is also a rich variety in vocabulary, and I have trouble enough as it is. But what fun the differences can be - so many surprises! : )

And isn't Mexico is the largest Spanish speaking country in the world?

[Brian]

What is wrong with Mexican/South American Spanish? :rolleyes:

I wasn't implying that there's anything wrong with either, just that if you're trying to really develop your Castilian Spanish, there are enough differences in pronunciation and expressions to throw you off.

That said, all of my Mexican friends make sport of my Castilian pronunciation. ;D

[Edith]

Yes. Actually, there are a great many different varieties of Mexican/South American Spanish, and having found a good many examples in interviews from Radio Exterior de España, I find the rich variety of sounds positively intoxicating. Of course there is also a rich variety in vocabulary, and I have trouble enough as it is. But what fun the differences can be - so many surprises! : )

And isn't Mexico is the largest Spanish speaking country in the world?

I like the diversity too. But Brian has also got a point - you can't learn to speak several versions of Spanish at a time, and therefore it's more practical to limit yourself to one particular version. But listening skills are a different matter - I'm learning to understand as many versions as possible. BBC Mundo is another great source which I use a lot because they've got Spanish speakers from all over Spain and Latin America. Very intoxicating indeed! :)

[Edith]

there are enough differences in pronunciation and expressions to throw you off.

Oh yes, absolutely. Standard Mexican Spanish is one of the easier varieties, Gael García Bernal (the actor who plays in movies like Amores perros and Y tu mama también) being the exception to the rule. But perhaps he speaks chilango Spanish since he is from Mexico City, I dunno. Anyway, I really need subtitles when he speaks.

I hope I won't be insulting anyone here, but I still find Andalusian, Cuban and Chilean Spanish quite hard to understand. Speakers of standardized national Spanish are often easier to follow, but even Michelle Bachelet (Chile's new president) is difficult to understand at times. I've got no trouble understanding Fidel Castro, though, but he is sooooo slow... ;D

One Spanish guy whom I understand almost 100% is José Andrés, a famous TV cook from Galicia. That guy really makes me think my Spanish listening skills are great, LOLOLOL

He could be a Spanish teacher, he speaks beautifully and his articulation is excellent. He also uses the same expressions over and over again, like 'qué maravilla' 'fíjate tú' and 'madre, madre mía'*, which is funny too. It's like the famous Benisms here on this forum (pues nada). Are you able to watch his show, Vamos a cocinar, in the U.S.?


http://www.directoalpaladar.com/archivos/images/jose%20andres.jpg


* I guess they would say 'padre' in Mexico!

[guiño]

BBC Mundo is another great source which I use a lot because they've got Spanish speakers from all over Spain and Latin America. Very intoxicating indeed! :)
Yes, I wish it were possible to download these programs for the portable player. Most of my listening time is spent away from the computer, so streaming doesn't work as well for me. :(

[Edith]

Yes, I wish it were possible to download these programs for the portable player. Most of my listening time is spent away from the computer, so streaming doesn't work as well for me. :(

Since I haven't got an ¡Pod, I spend all my listening time on the couch (!) or sitting behind the computer. I also use a headset, which greatly improves the sound quality.

[pablo]

Are you able to watch his show, Vamos a cocinar, in the U.S.?
I can't speak for all of US, but in SF my satellite programming allows me to get Vamos a Cocinar. Yeah! ¡Muchas gracias Edith!

[Edith]

I can't speak for all of US, but in SF my satellite programming allows me to get Vamos a Cocinar. Yeah! ¡Muchas gracias Edith!

¡De nada! :)

[Polly]

If actors are crying all the time is because you may be watching "culebrones" which is not really the best tv programs that one can watch:D


Would that be Spanish Soap Operas, Marina? The ones that are imported to the US from L/A are usually referred to as "tele-novellas" (I like to refer to them as tele-llorandos!) generally broadcast on TeleMundo, along with lot's of game shows, variety programs, professional wrestling (Lucha Libre) and plenty of old "spaghetti-western" films.

***

I hear what everyone is saying about sticking with one style of Spanish while first learning -- but I do like to mix it up, myself. I don't usually have too many problems understanding either Castilan or Mexican Spanish.
Of course that's what I've been exposed to, for the most part.

Puerto Rican Spanish (Baricua) is a bit more challenging to my ear - there are so many African / Carribe / French and indigenous Taino words that influence the language! I assume the same is true of many of the L/A countries - especially in / along the Caribbean.

***
One mainstream network (US) television program I recently discovered
(on ABC) is the sit-com "Freddie" (starring Freddie Prinz Jr.)

The grandmother on the show speaks ONLY Spanish (her dialogue is
captioned in English) -- while all the other characters speak in English. The grandmother can be counted on to make several appearances per episode. The family being portrayed is Puerto-Rican/ "Nuyorican", but I believe the Spanish spoken isn't precisely Boricua -but more "mainstream" Spanish, instead.

[Marina]

Would that be Spanish Soap Operas, Marina? The ones that are imported to the US from L/A are usually referred to as "tele-novellas" (I like to refer to them as tele-llorandos!).
Exactly, what I was refering to are the kind of soap operas called Telenovelas or Culebrones. I guess for example that "Cuentame" would also be a soap opera but a much better one. There is another one that has been terribly successful in Spain it is "Aquí no hay quien viva" I don't know if any of you can get it from your countries, it's a comedy and Ben does not like it because he thinks it is too Spanish. I think its great to see different spanish stereotypes.