Have you always wanted to learn Spanish but thought “I don’t have time,” “I’m too old,” or “this feels too hard”? You’re not alone — and this episode is here to change that 💥

In Episode 42, our very first episode of 2026, Em and Val break down how beginners can actually start learning Spanish, stay motivated when life gets busy, and build a realistic plan that works long-term.

This is a highly interactive episode designed to help you set clear goals, overcome mental blocks, and take real action — not just dream about learning Spanish.

🎙️ In this episode, you’ll:

✅ Break through common limiting beliefs about learning Spanish ✅ Learn how to start Spanish as a beginner (even with a busy life)

✅ Discover how to stay motivated without burning out

✅ Build a realistic Spanish learning action plan for 2026

✅ Learn why consistency matters more than perfection

🎯 Reto de la Semana (Challenge of the Week)

This week’s reto is all about goal setting 💪👉 Tell us your Spanish goal for this year (in English)👉 Share 1–2 concrete actions you’ll take to make it happen

Example:“I want to have a basic conversation in Spanish by June, so I’ll listen to this podcast every week and take one class per week.”

Comment or DM us on Instagram @spanglish_friends — we’ll shout out one of your goals in a future episode!

💛 Don’t forget to follow, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who wants to learn Spanish in 2026. Let’s start strong together ✨

📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends

📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com

📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com

🎶 Music by @scotairdmusic

Want to talk about Christmas in Spanish? 🎄

In Episode 41 — our final episode of 2025 — we’re diving into Christmas vocabulary, festive phrases, and cultural traditions from Spanish-speaking countries.

Learn how to say Feliz Navidad, talk about gifts, family meals, and understand how Christmas is celebrated around the Spanish-speaking world.

🎙️ In this episode, you’ll:

✅ Learn Christmas greetings: Feliz Navidad, Feliz Nochebuena & Feliz Año Nuevo

✅ Discover key Christmas vocabulary: árbol de Navidad, regalo, villancicos & Nochebuena

✅ Understand how Christmas is celebrated in Spanish-speaking countries

✅ Listen to a festive mini conversation in Spanish

🎉 Spanglish Friend Shout-Out of the Week

This week’s shoutout goes to Ohemaa from Ghana for sharing the love and supporting the podcast!

✏️ Challenge of the Week

We’d love to hear from you! 👉 Write a short sentence in Spanish about how you celebrate Christmas 👉 Use phrases from today’s episode like “Voy a pasar la Navidad con mi familia” Comment or DM us on Instagram @spanglish_friends — we might feature you in a future episode!

💛 Don’t forget to follow, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow Spanish learners!

📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends

📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com

📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com

🎶 Music by @scotairdmusic

Did someone say something in Spanish and your brain just froze? Episode 40 of Spanglish Friends teaches you exactly what to say when you don’t understand — without panicking, pretending, or switching to English. You’ll learn powerful beginner phrases like ¿Puede repetir?, ¿Qué significa?, and Lo siento, no entiendo so you can survive real conversations with confidence.

🎙️ In this episode, you’ll:

✅ Learn how to ask for clarification: ¿Cómo se dice…?, ¿Qué significa…?, ¿Cómo se escribe…?

✅ Practice essential “panic-saving” phrases: ¿Puede repetir, por favor? and ¿Puede hablar más despacio?

✅ Learn how to say you’re a beginner politely: Estoy aprendiendo & Solo hablo un poco

✅ Hear a practical breakdown of what to say when you feel lost in conversation

🎉 Spanglish Friend Shout-Out of the Week

This week’s shoutout goes to Tumi, who bravely shared their very first Spanish sentence and their love for Spanish culture — we’re so proud of you!

✏️ Challenge of the Week

We’d love to hear from you!

👉 Which phrase will help you most: ¿Puede repetir? or ¿Cómo se dice…? 👉

Do you know any other helpful beginner phrases? Comment or DM us on Instagram @spanglish_friends — you might get a shoutout in an upcoming episode!

💛 Don’t forget to follow, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow Spanish learners!

📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends

📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com

📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com

🎶 Music by @scotairdmusic

Amigos… ever wished you could talk about your favourite furry (or feathery!) friends en español?

Today, we’re learning how to name pets, gender them correctly, and talk about the animals you have — all with simple, beginner-friendly Spanish.

🎙️ In this episode, you’ll:

✅ Learn the 5 common pets in Spanish: perro, gato, pájaro, pez, conejo

✅ Understand how to make pet words masculine or feminine (perro → perra, gato → gata…)

✅ Hear a mini conversation between Em & Val using all the new vocabulary

✅ Learn how to say “I have a pet…” + describe it with size and colour

✅ Practice asking others: “¿Tienes mascotas?”

✨ Shoutout of the Week This week’s shoutout goes to Nirvana, who shared: “Found you guys from your podcast!!! I’m not necessarily a beginner but I found your podcast so helpful with understanding concepts. Thank you guys.” Muchísimas gracias, Nirvana — you made our day!

✏️ Challenge of the Week Tell us in the comments if YOU have a pet! 👉 Example: Tengo un perro. / Tengo una gata. / No tengo una mascota.

💛 Every episode brings you closer to natural Spanish — paso a paso.

📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends

📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com

📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com

🎶 Music by @scotairdmusic

🚀Amigos — ever felt that little “Spingle” tingle when a Spanish verb looks… different? That’s your brain telling you it’s irregular! In this episode, we’ll help you recognize irregular verbs instantly, without panicking or Googling.

🎙️In this episode, you’ll:

✅ Discover the most common “-go” verbs in the yo form and why they stand out

✅ Learn the key stem vowel changes: e → ie, o → ue, e → i

✅ Recognize completely irregular verbs like ser, ir, and tener ✅ Hear a mini Spanish conversation with all three patterns in action

✅ Get tips and hacks to train your Spingle — your irregular verb detector

✏️Challenge of the Week Write one short sentence using at least one irregular verb! 👉 Example: Hago ejercicio. / Quiero un café. / Voy al cine con un amigo.

💛Every episode brings you closer to natural Spanish — paso a paso.

📲Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends

📧Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com

📚1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com

🎶Music by @scotairdmusic

🚀 Ready to finally master those tricky Spanish verbs that don’t play by the rules? In this episode, we’re unlocking the world of irregular verbs — the ones every beginner needs to know to sound natural in conversation.

🎙️ In this episode, you’ll:

✅ Understand what irregular verbs are and why they’re so common

✅ Learn the 7 essential ones: ser, estar, tener, ir, hacer, decir, poder

✅ Hear real examples from a fun Spanish mini conversation ✅ Learn two powerful hacks to recognize and memorize irregular verbs faster

✅ Gain confidence saying “I go,” “I want,” “I can,” and “I have” in Spanish

✏️ Challenge of the Week

Write one short sentence using an irregular verb! 👉 Example: Tengo un perro. / Voy al gimnasio. / Puedo hablar español.

💛 Every episode brings you closer to natural Spanish — paso a paso.

📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends

📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com

📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com

🎶 Music by @scotairdmusic

😅 Ever been asked “¿Qué estás haciendo?” or “¿Cuánto tiempo llevas aprendiendo español?” ? Don’t worry — this episode’s got you covered!

🎙️ In this episode, you’ll:

✅ Learn how to ask and answer questions about what you’re doing right now

✅ Understand how to say how long you’ve been learning Spanish using llevar + gerundio

✅ Practice natural questions like “¿Qué está haciendo tu hermano?” and “¿Qué están haciendo tus amigos?”

✅ Build real confidence answering like a native: Estoy estudiando español, Llevo aprendiendo por seis meses

✅ Hear a full mini conversation breaking down these everyday phrases paso a paso

✏️ Challenge of the Week

Answer this question in Spanish: 👉 “¿Cuánto tiempo llevas aprendiendo español?” Example: Llevo un año aprendiendo español.

💛 Every episode brings you closer to natural Spanish — paso a paso.

📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends

📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com

📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com

🎶 Music by @scotairdmusic

🤔 Ever wondered how to say “I’m eating,” “I’m studying,” or “I’m watching Netflix” in Spanish? In this episode, we’ll teach you exactly how to describe what you’re doing right now using estar + gerundio — the Spanish version of “ING” words!

🎙️ In this episode, you’ll:

✅ Learn how to form the present continuous using estar + -ando / -iendo

✅ Understand the difference between “Hablo español” (I speak) and “Estoy hablando español” (I’m speaking)

✅ Master the most common -AR, -ER, and -IR verb patterns: hablando, comiendo, viviendo

✅ Discover irregular forms like leyendo, durmiendo, and yendo

✅ Hear a natural Spanish conversation packed with “doing” verbs you can use every day

✏️ Challenge of the Week

Write one sentence in Spanish saying what you’re doing right now! 👉 Example: Estoy aprendiendo español. / Estoy cocinando pasta. / Estoy viendo una película.

💛 Every episode brings you closer to sounding like a native — paso a paso.

📲 Instagram & TikTok → @spanglish_friends

📧 Contact: spanglishfriendspodcast@gmail.com

📚 1-on-1 Spanish lessons with Val: spanishlessonsbyval@gmail.com

🎶 Music by @scotairdmusic