Esteban: ¡Hola! We are back! Te damos la bienvenida to the second season of A Zero to a Hero! The Babbel podcast that will help you in your learning journey to master español. 
 
I’m Esteban, I’m a teacher with Babbel Live, originally from Ecuador, and I love Spanish. ¡Amo el español!

Logan: And I’m Logan, I’m from L.A., and the main reason I’m here is because just like our listeners, I really want to learn Spanish.

Esteban: Before we get started, if you’re curious about Catriona from season 1, she made it to Madrid, and met a lot of Spanish speakers there, thanks to her teacher, Héctor. In this second season you’ll be listening to Logan and I, and we’ll talk about some of the common questions that a beginner Spanish learner has…

Logan: That’s me! I have a lot of questions for you!

Esteban: I got your answers! And in each episode you’ll have the chance to hear a dialogue between myself and another native speaker. In this way, you can familiarize yourself more to how Spanish sounds, and hear real examples of what you’re learning. And, of course, there will be some time to practice too!

Logan: And I also quickly want to mention that if you’re like me and you like to read at the same time that you listen, you can check the transcript of the episode. You’ll find it in the episode description!

Esteban: Mm-hmm. ¡Correcto! Ah, also, we have a special surprise for our listeners at the end of this episode!

Logan: Ooh!

Esteban: Aha! Ok. ¿Todo listo?

Logan: Sí, listo.

Esteban: Excelente ¡Pues empecemos!

Esteban: Here we are, in the first episode of the new season. ¡Bienvenido Logan!

Logan: ¡Hola, Esteban!

Esteban: Logan, ahh… before we start, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself, and why do you want to learn Spanish? ¿Tú hablas español?

Logan: ¡Un poquito!
Growing up in Southern California there were a lot of Spanish speakers. And actually my abuelita's first language was Spanish, but I didn’t learn it! And we mostly only speak in English. But some of my family is mexicana, and sometimes we talk in Spanglish, but I would love to have a stronger connection to the language. And I’m actually planning a trip to Oaxaca to visit my cousins there, so I would love to have more confidence when I speak Spanish!

Esteban: ¡Increíble! There’s nothing better than a trip and a connection to your family to feel motivated, so that’s great. Ahh, Logan, tell me a little bit about it. What do you think is holding you back from getting that confidence?

Logan: Well, I think I’m afraid of making mistakes in front of others, and I get a little intimidated in conversations, especially when somebody asks me a question, I just freeze! So I would really love to be able to ask questions and answer them in Spanish without feeling like I’ll make a lot of mistakes.

Esteban: Yeah, that makes sense! When someone talks to you with those questions it feels like someone is putting a spotlight on you. So we’re going to practice a little bit of the vocabulary for questions and answers, and I think it’s going to help you a little bit with your confidence. Sounds good?

Logan: Perfecto, yes!

Esteban: Ok, ¡muy bien!

Esteban: Questions and answers! What a great topic to start with since asking and answering questions is the first step in las presentaciones, or introductions. So, Logan, if I ask you some basic questions to introduce yourself, you think you would be able to do it?

Logan: I’m not sure! But I’ll try.

Esteban: Ok! That’s the attitude, we’ll try! Ok.
¡Hola! ¿Cómo te llamas?

Logan: Ok, well… Me llamo Logan.

Esteban: ¡Perfecto! Me llamo Logan.

Logan: ¿Y tú?

Esteban: Ah, look at that! An immediate counter-question, I love it!
¡Me llamo Esteban! ¿Cómo estás?

Logan: Ok… that’s an easy one, ¡estoy bien!

Esteban: Muy bien, perfecto. Ok, the next one might be a little bit tricky, ok?
¿Dónde vives?

Logan: Uh… ¿Dónde vives?

Esteban: That’s ok! I told you it was a little bit tricky but don’t worry, we’ll get back to this one, ok?

Logan: Ok.

Esteban: So the secret to understanding and responding to questions is to follow the question words that you hear in that question. So let’s go through some vocabulary of these question words, and tell me if you know what they mean, ok?
Do you know what “¿qué?” means?

Logan: “¿Qué?” “Qué” means “what”.

Esteban: Muy bien! What about “¿cuándo?”

Logan: “¿Cuándo?” I think it means “time”?

Esteban: ¡Muy bien, ajá! “Cuándo” is for time. “Cuándo” means “when”, ajá. What about “¿Dónde?”

Logan: Ok. “¿Dónde?” is “where?”

Esteban: Ajá! Very good! Location: “where” Ok. Let’s talk about common verbs. Just like the first question I asked you, um, let’s talk about the verb “vivir.” Do you know what “vivir” means?

Logan: Hmm… No.

Esteban: Ok, “vivir” means “to live”, ok. How about the verb “trabajar”?

Logan: Yes! “Trabajar” is “to work.”

Esteban: Ajá, muy bien, excelente! Now this one a… this one's tricky, ok? Let's see if you… Do you know what the verb “estudiar” means?

Logan: “Estudiar”? Hmm I don’t know that one…

Esteban: “Estudiar,” what does it sound like?

Logan: Ah… Oh, does it mean “to study?”

Esteban: I tricked you! It’s actually an easy one! “Estudiar” is “to study.” Very good. Ok, so now you have some vocabulary of question words and you have some vocabulary of verbs, ok? I’m going to add the present “tú” form of the verb “estudiar,” and so what do you think I’m asking if I say: “Logan, ¿qué estudias?”

Logan: I think you’re saying “what do you study?” So what am I studying…

Esteban: Ok.

Logan: Estudias español.

Esteban: ¡Muy bien! Just remember that the subject is hidden in the verb conjugation sometimes so you need to change that verb to the “yo” form.

Logan: Ok, so… ¡Estudio español!

Esteban: Estudio español. ¡Perfecto! Sí, estudias español y eres un buen estudiante de español. Alright! Let’s, err, go back to that original question, and combine the question word “dónde” with the verb “vivir.” Logan, ¿dónde vives?

Logan: Where do I live? Yo vivo… in… Berlín?

Esteban: Excelente, tú vives en Berlín. Just make sure you say the “en” and not “in”! So, for example, “Yo vivo en Michigan”.

Logan: Ok. Yo vivo en Berlín.

Esteban: ¡Perfecto!

Logan: Ok, so if I want to ask where do you work, I’d say… “¿Dónde… trabajas?”

Esteban: Excelente, ajá! ¡Yo trabajo en Babbel! Yo soy profesor de español. ¡Muy bien! Ahh, now, what if I want to ask ahh, “when do you study?”

Logan: Ok, so for when I would use “cuándo,” and the verb “estudiar.” 

Esteban: ¡Ajá!

Logan: ¿Cuándo estudias?

Esteban: ¡Excelente! Yo estudio en la mañana. “I study in the morning”. ¡Logan, Perfecto!

Logan: Yes! ¡Sí!

Esteban: Alright Logan, now it’s time for you to listen to a conversation I had with my new colleague, Pedro. We just had an introductory conversation and I want you to be able to tell me where is he from, where does he live, and when does he work, ok? So try to pay attention to what he’s saying. You may not understand everything he says, but pick up those question words, find those verbs that you just learned, and then we're… I’m going to ask you some questions about him, does that sound good?

Logan: Ok, I’ll do my best.

Esteban: Ok!

Esteban: … Estoy bien, pero sabes que estoy un poco cansado aquí, porque es la mañana acá donde estoy. Pedro, ¿de dónde eres tú?

Pedro: Yo soy de Costa Rica. Costa Rica queda, o se ubica, en América Central. Es un pequeño país. Vivo a un lado de la capital. La capital de Costa Rica es San José, y yo vivo… Bueno, actualmente no vivo en Costa Rica, vivo en Heredia, pero actualmente vivo en París.

Esteban: ¡Qué genial!

Pedro: Hace dos años aproximadamente, sí.

Esteban: ¡Ah, Qué increíble! Bueno, ¿sabes que yo conozco Heredia? Yo estuve… Estuve ahí enseñando español de hecho hace algunos años, me gustó mucho, pero… ¡Creo que prefiero París!

Pedro: Excelente! Sí, sí, pues Heredia es muy bonito. Me gusta mucho, es un clima fresco… Pero París como puedes imaginarte, ¿verdad? Es la gran ciudad: los museos, la arquitectura, la moda etcétera…

Esteban: Increíble. Para mí sería difícil trabajar viviendo en París porque quisiera ir a caminar todo el tiempo. Tú cuando trabajas en París, ¿a qué hora trabajas cuando enseñas tus clases?

Pedro: Qué buena pregunta Esteban, porque sí, yo… Yo trabajo por la mañana, trabajo por la tarde, e incluso a veces trabajo por la noche. Pero eso cambia cada semana, de acuerdo a mis horarios…

Esteban: Logan, that was Pedro! I know you probably didn’t understand the whole thing, but as far as the introductions, as far as the question words, as far as the things that we saw… did you manage to understand?

Logan: I think I got some of it!

Esteban: Ok, well Let’s see, ok? Um. my first question for you is, ahh, ¿de dónde es Pedro? Notice that the verb is now in the third person form, in the “él” form, right? ¿De dónde es Pedro?

Logan: Ok. Uhm… Él es de Costa Rica.

Esteban: ¡Muy bien! Ajá, él es de Costa Rica. Eeh…do you remember the city? ¿De dónde en Costa Rica es Pedro?

Logan: Él… él vivo…

Esteban: Ajá, or… no vive, but “él es…”

Logan: Él es de… Heledia?

Esteban: Aha, de Heredia, aha. ¡Él es de Heredia! That’s… Ok, that’s just you not knowing the city!

Logan: That’s a hard city to say!

Esteban: Muy bien! Ok. Entonces Pedro es de Costa Rica. Él es de Heredia. Ehm, pero ¿dónde vive Pedro?

Logan: Él vives…

Esteban: Él vive…

Logan: Él vive en París.

Esteban: Ajá, él vive en París. Lucky Pedro vive en París. Excelente. Ok, now, ahh… how about… ¿Cuándo trabaja Pedro? ¿Cuándo trabaja?

Logan: Uhm… Él trabajo… ¿en la mañana?

Esteban: Ajá, él trabaja en la mañana, muy bien. ¿Él trabaja solo en la mañana? “He only works in the morning”?

Logan: No, err… él trabajo… él trabaja en la tarde.

Esteban: Ajá, muy bien, él trabaja en la mañana y en la tarde. Y a veces, sometimes, él trabaja…

Logan: … ¡en la noche!

Esteban: ¡Muy bien! Él trabaja en la noche, “at night”. ¡Muy bien, Logan! Wow, you did get a lot of it, that’s awesome!

Logan: ¡Gracias! Thank you!

Esteban: Ajá! So a great way to practice these question words is to write down a bunch of questions like these, and then challenge yourself to respond to them randomly, for example, or if you have someone who can help you, you can also run these questions and answers by them.

Logan: Awesome, gracias, Esteban! I really enjoyed myself. And how do I say “I like learning Spanish” in Spanish?

Esteban: Well, I think that could be a great topic for next time we meet! Maybe we can talk about likes and dislikes!

Logan: Ok, that sounds like a plan!

Esteban: Excelente, so I’ll see you in el próximo episodio

Logan: Hasta pronto.

Esteban: ¡Muy bien!

Esteban: And how was it for you? Were you able to catch all the questions? Why don’t you let us know? We’ve put together a little survey that you can find in the episode description. You can always go back and listen again, or you can use the transcript if you like to listen and read at the same time. The link for that is also the episode description! And while you are there… Remember the surprise? We actually have dropped in a special Babbel Live offer just for you, dear listeners! So, go and claim that too, and come take one of our small-group, conversational classes with me, with Pedro, or with any of our amazing, world-class teachers at Babbel Live! Logan is actually taking one with me next week. So in the meantime…
 
¡Hasta el próximo episodio!

Logan: ¡Hasta la vista!