In 2009 I was on holiday in Spain with my girlfriend. We were both beginners in Spanish, knowing enough to have basic conversations and to get by. There was a curious difference between us though.

I knew more - more vocabulary, more grammar, could say and read more – but she could understand far more than me.  

For some reason I had a particular issue with listening comprehension, and when in a real world conversation my mind would just go blank, I couldn’t even understand simple words that I knew well.

There was one situation where we were having a three way conversation with a taxi driver, he would say something, she would tell me what he said, and I would reply.

For me this was a major road block in my Spanish progress as it meant I just didn’t have the confidence to speak to people, which is the best way to learn. Since then I’ve always been on the look out for techniques and products that can improve language listening skills. 

Which brings me to...

Spanish Short Stories for Beginners by Claudia Orea

Spanish Short Stories for Beginners is an audiobook collection of 10 short stories, designed specifically for language learners.

Reading and listening to stories is an entertaining way to learn a language, but it can be difficult to find suitable materials for beginners. Some people suggest starting out with children’s books but these tend to contain vocabulary chosen specifically for children, and themes that adults might not find interesting.

This collection tackles that problem with stories that include dialogue and descriptions carefully selected to suit beginner to low-intermediate level learners, all focused around daily themes.

Each story is around 1,500 words in length. Short enough to hold your attention but long enough for you to feel engaged and have a sense of achievement when finishing them. It also comes with resources to help you learn those words before starting the story.

What's Included?

1. Audio in slow and normal speeds

Each story comes in two versions, a slow version for beginners, recorded in a male voice, and a version at normal speed, in a female voice. Both narrators are native speakers.  This not only allows you to start off with an easier option, and then progress to the more difficult one, it also gives you practice listening to different voices.

In total, with the flash cards (below), there are 7 hours worth of listening material.

2. Audio vocabulary flash cards

To help you learn the new vocabulary in each story there are audio flashcards for each one. The words are read out one by one, with the English translation, and a pause so you can repeat the word, and guess what it is before the English is spoken.

3. A supporting pdf with the written stories, glossary and quizzes

The audiobook also comes with a pdf containing written versions of the stories so you can either read along as you listen, or check your understanding of the audio after. At the end of each story is a glossary of the words and phrases used, and some questions to test your comprehension.

Who Is It Suitable For?

This audiobook is suitable for upper level beginners and intermediate Spanish learners, particularly anyone who wants to improve their listening skills and vocabulary.

I would say that this probably isn’t appropriate for absolute beginners. You do need some basic grounding in Spanish to understand enough of it.