Finding entertaining ways to practice Spanish consistently is one of the best ways to accelerate the process for beginners learning the language.
Today we will use a television commercial featuring the soccer superstar Lionel Messi. Before we get started, there are a couple of notes to keep in mind.
First, the commercial is for a mainstream brand of bread in Mexico known as “Bimbo”, and although that word can have a different meaning in the United States; it is only a coincidence.
Second, the lady who talks to Messi, has a Mexican accent; and Messi has an Argentinean accent. That is why they sound a little different.
Here are the instructions for this activity:
The first step is to play the video while trying to understand as much as possible.
The second step is to play the video one more time, while pausing and rewinding as much as possible in order to understand what is being said.
Also, feel free to scroll down while the video plays in the background (you will be able to hear the dialogue) so you can read the transcript of the commercial in Spanish and English.
Third, play the commercial one more time, this time without reading the transcript and try to understand as much as possible.
Ready to get started?
Here is the commercial:
Here is the transcript of the commercial (and the English translation is shown as well).
- Disculpa, ¿me puedes dar un autógrafo para mi hijo?
- Excuse me, can you give me an autograph for my son?
- ¿Y cuándo tocan?
- And when do you play?
- Tu eres el cantante este, el de…
- You are that singer, the one from…
- ¡Ah no! Eres John Heavin… ¡El de la serie de vampiros!
- Oh no! You are John Heavin… The one from that Vampire series!
- Messi, ¿basquetbolista?
- Messi, ¿basketball player?
- ¡Ay! ¿Pan blanco Bimbo con acti-leche?
- Ay! Bimbo´s White bread with acti-milk?
- Es el mismo que le compro a mi hijo.
- It´s the same one I buy for my son.
- Él también necesita crecer.
- He also needs to grow.
- ¿A qué te dedicas?
- What do you do for a living?
- No importa que no sepas quién es Lionel Messi.
- It doesn’t matter if you don´t know who Lionel Messi is.
- Lo que importa, es que sepas qué hace grande a tu hijo.
- What matters, is that you know what makes your son big.
- Nuevo pan blanco Bimbo, ahora con Acti-leche.
- New Bimbo´s White bread, now with Acti-milk.
Here is the commercial one more time so you can play it again (this time without reading the subtitles).
How did you feel? Was it easier this time? Did you understand more of the dialogue after reading the transcripts?
Please share your experience in the comments section available at the end of this page.
Practice your Spanish with songs here
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