Tag: activities to learn spanish

There are times when finding materials to practice Spanish can seem like a challenge. But in these times of digital abundance, being creative and resourceful can make things much easier. Continue reading “Learn Spanish with Oral Presentations – Gaby Vargas at TEDxDF”

There are times when finding materials to practice Spanish may seem like a challenge, but in these times of digital abundance, with a little creativity and flexibility, finding innovative ways to practice is easier than most people think.

In this post, we’ll use an oral presentation in Spanish by Michael Rojkind, an innovative architect from Mexico, to practice your listening and comprehension skills at the same time.

 

This is how it works: play, pause and rewind the video as many times as needed until you understand what Mr. Rojkind says in his oral presentation.

The key to making this happen is activating the subtitles in English so they can be used as a guideline to accelerate the process.

Activating the subtitles on YouTube is easy. You only have to click on the CC (close caption) icon shown near the bottom right corner of the video player as shown in this image:

 

 

Are you ready to get started? Here is the video of the oral presentation:

TEDxPuraVida – Michael Rojkind – Riesgo de Contagio

 

The last part of this exercise is to watch the video again, but this time without showing the subtitles in English. To deactivate them, you only need to follow the same steps you followed to activate them (but in the reverse order of course).

Here is the same video one more time so you can watch it without the subtitle this time:

TEDxPuraVida – Michael Rojkind – Riesgo de Contagio

 

Learn common phrases in Spanish here

How did it feel the second time? Did you think it was easier to understand what was being said? Do you have any questions related to Spanish? What’s her favorite color? Please let us know using the comments section that people find at the end of this page.

If you liked this exercise, please share it with your friends on Facebook by clicking on the social buttons available below this paragraph and help us help more people learn Spanish. Thanks!

 

 

 

There many different ways to practice Spanish online, and with a little flexibility and creativity, the possibilities are endless. Today we’ll use an oral presentation to practice your listening and comprehension skills in Spanish.

 

This whole presentation was recorded at San Miguel Allende´s TEDx event organized in 2012. The protagonist, Carlos Alazraki is an experienced marketing consultant in Mexico.

In this personal and anecdotal talk, he shares some of the most important personal insights he has gained throughout his life.

 

This is the recommended sequence to follow in order to make the most out of this exercise:

First, click on play to get the video started and scroll down so you can read the transcript in Spanish and the translation of each sentence in English.

If needed, don’t hesitate to pause and rewind in order to understand what Mr. Alazraki is saying.

After reading the entire transcript (and its translation) while watching the full video. Go back and watch it one more time, but without reading the transcript.

You’ll be surprised of how much you can understand after doing the exercise described in the previous paragraphs.

 

Ready to get started?

Here is the video of the talk:

 

El Ser Humano: Carlos Alazraki at TEDxSanMigueldeAllende

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NiKlh0-wVo

 

Here is a transcription and it’s translation into English:

Este, bueno, mi plática es: El Ser…humano.
Uhm, well, My talk is: The Human Being

Y son experiencias que me han pasado a mis 65 años que quiero compartir con ustedes.
And they are experiences that have happened to me at my 65 years of age that I want to share with you.

El antecedente fue, que en enero del 2010, me morí y reviví.
The precedent was, that in January of 2010, I died and came back to life.

Este, no me pregunten por qué, parece que se me envenenó la sangre del estómago.
Uhm, don’t ask me why, it seems that the blood in my stomach got poisoned.

Caí, me rompí el cráneo, luego me dio hemorragia, perdí la memoria corta, dos meses en cama.
I fell down, broke my skull, then I got a hemorrhage, I lost my short-term memory, two months in bed.

Al salir de los dos meses en cama, se me ocurrió ir a darle gracias a Dios al templo, yo soy de religión judía.
When I came out of bed, I thought of thanking God at the temple, I am part of the Jewish religion.

Y preguntarle al rabino, que es amigo mío, el por qué me había pasado esto.
And asking the Rabbi, who is a friend of mine, why has this happened to me.

O sea, yo no entendí por qué morí y reviví.
I mean, I didn’t understand why I died and came back to life.

Pues mira, yo entiendo, que si hubiera muerto, “Carlos era a toda madre, pobrecito”, y ya, se acabó.
Well look, I understand, that if I had died, “Carlos was such a fun person, poor man”, that’s it, it’s over.

Pero revivir, nunca entendí.
But coming back to life, I never understood.

Y el rabino me contestó, él tampoco sabe.
In the Rabbi answered, that he didn’t know either.

Que a la mejor, que me pregunte para qué fue todo esto, y si en unos dos meses o algo así, perfecto, y si no entendía nos íbamos a comer y a ver que salía.
That maybe, I should ask myself why all this happened, and that if in a couple of months or something like that understood, perfect, and that if I didn’t understand we would go have lunch and see what happened.

Por arte de magia, así pasó, como a los dos meses, me levanto un día y le digo a mi mujer, a Cinthia, que está por acá. Le dije, ya entendí todo, y me dice: ¿qué?
Magically, it happened like that, after about two months, I wake up one day and I tell my wife, I tells Cinthia, who is over here. I told her, I figured it all out, and she tells me: what?

Le dije, mira lo primero que entendí es que el miedo es el peor enemigo del hombre y el amor es el mejor aliado del hombre.
I told her, look the first thing I understood is that fear is the worst enemy of man and love is the best ally of man.

Sin duda.
Without a doubt.

El amor mata al miedo.
Love kills fear.

Perfecto. Ahí está mi nieta. ¡Nina!
Perfect. There’s my granddaughter. Nina!

Ok, este… fue lo primero que aprendí.
Ok, well… it was the first thing I learned.

Luego le dije a Cinthia, este… fíjate que si perdemos las cuentas de Grupo Carso, que eran los clientes más importantes de la agencia.
Then I told Cynthia, well… if we lose the “Grupo Carso” accounts, who were the most important clients of the agency.

Este, tampoco me importa, si perdemos nuestros ahorros en Estados Unidos, tampoco me importa.
Well, it doesn’t matter either, if we lose our savings in the United States, I don’t care either.

Nuestros dos hijos, les dimos una gran educación, así que ya no hay bronca.
Our two sons, we gave them a great education, so there is no problem.

Pero lo que te garantizo, es que no nos morimos de hambre porque soy muy inteligente.
But the one thing I can guarantee, and that we won’t starve to death because I am very intelligent.

Eso, fue así como una premisa.
That, was like a premise.

Cinthia, obviamente , como en la confusión, ¿por qué vas a perder Grupo Carso después de veintitantos años de manejar la cuenta? Etcétera, etcétera, etcétera.
Cynthia, obviously, feeling confused, why are you going to lose “Grupo Carso” after twentysomething years of running the account? Etc., etc., etc.

Y… empezó un aprendizaje mío muy chistoso.
And… a funny process of learning began.

Y no son reglas, he entrevistado en el programa a monjes budistas, he entrevistado a gentes muy humanistas.
And they’re not rules, I have interviewed Buddhist monks in the show, I have interviewed people who are big humanitarians.

Todos coinciden de alguna forma y, ¿qué es lo primero que aprende?
Everyone agrees in a way and, what is the first thing you learn?

Lo primero es que el ser humano, es el ser humano.
The first thing is that the human being, is the human being.

Y que hay que quererlo como es.
And that we have to him as it is.

Hay que quererlo como es.
We have to love him the way he is.

Es impresionante, las críticas que tenemos nosotros en relación a un prójimo, a alguien que nos presentaron.
It is impressive, the criticisms that we have towards others, someone who was introduced to us.

Que decimos, “que mala onda, me cayó pésimo”, “es un mamón”, etcétera, etcétera.
We say, “he’s not a nice person, I don’t like him”, “he is a jackass”, etc., etc.

Y nosotros, descalificarlos, ¿no?
And we, disqualify them, don’t we?

Luego me di cuenta, que eso no llevaba a ninguna parte.
Then I realized, that it doesn’t lead anywhere.

¿Por qué? Porque a lo mejor, ellos son así, por las razones muy especiales que tuvieron.
Why? Because maybe, they are like that, for the very special reasons they had.

Y habría que respetarlas.
And we should respect them.

Luego me puse a profundizar un poco más también y me di cuenta de que hay unas causas de que estas personas actúen como son.
Then I started thinking deeper and I realized that there are causes that make these people act the way they do.

Y no necesariamente es su culpa, como dijo la chica hace un momento.
And that is not necessarily their fault, as the young lady said a moment ago.

Traemos la educación de nuestros padres que a la vez traen la de sus padres y nos pasan esa herencia, nos pasan esa tradición, y nosotros no teníamos mucho que ver en esto.
We have the education from our parents who at the same time have the education from their parents and they pass along this heritage, they pass along this tradition, and we didn’t have much to do with that.

Y luego me puse a pensar también, ¿cuál es el problema?, de la gente que no saluda.
And then I started thinking also, what is the problem?, of the people who don’t say hi.

Y me llevé a la memoria un video que no sé si ustedes vieron, de un cuate en Nueva York en Manhattan, que llegó de repente y decidió abrazar a los transeúntes.
And a video that I don’t know if you saw came to my mind, of a guy in New York, in Manhattan, who arrived and decided to start hugging the people who were walking by.

Pum, pum, pum. ¿vieron ese video? Bueno, y los transeúntes se shockeaban diciendo “Este está pedo, está loco o qué? ¿No?
Pum, pum, pum. did you see that video? Well, and the people who were walking by were in shock saying “this guy is drunk, he’s crazy or what? Right?

Porque simplemente les dio un abrazo, ¿no?
Because he simply gave them a hug, right?

y de repente, se empieza a contagiar poco a poco este amor que todo mundo se empezó a dar.
And suddenly, this love that everyone started giving becomes contagious.

Duró un día. Mientras se grabó. La gente volvió a ser normal.
It lasted a day. While it was being recorded. People got back to being normal.

Luego, también empecé a pensar ¿Por qué criticamos a la gente?
Later, I also started thinking why we criticize people?

¿Quiénes éramos nosotros para criticar a esa gente?.
Who are we to criticize these people?

Tampoco tuve respuesta porque yo creo que somos nadie.
I didn’t have an answer either because I believe we are nobody.

Y de repente, dije mira esta gente que es medio mamona o es medio neurótica etc. etc. etc.
And suddenly, I said look at these people who are a little arrogant or a little neurotic etc. etc. etc.

Debe ser por una causa que ella decidió tener.
It must be for a cause that she decided to have.

Habría que tenerles más compasión, que critica.
We should feel more compassion for them, than criticism.

Y de repente, llevo tres años, con compasión hacia mis semejantes.
and all of a sudden, I have been living for three years, with compassion towards my fellow men.

Soy un ser humano que disfruta entrar a un restorán y si me ven yo decirles buen provecho, buenas tardes.
I am a human being who enjoys getting into a restaurant, and if someone sees me, I tell them “bon appétit”, “good afternoon”.

Que si me toca un alto y volteó a ver al señor de al lado, le digo buenas tardes.
That if I get a red traffic light and I turn around to see the gentleman next to me, I say “good afternoon”.

A los jardineros de mi club de golf, a todos los saludo, cuando voy caminando al siguiente tiro.
To the gardeners at my golf club, to everyone I say hi, when I’m walking to the next hole.

Me siento muy bien, me siento muy, muy bien.
I feel very good, I feel very good, very good.

Y en lugar de criticar a la gente, siento compasión, y compasión en el buen sentido, no en el mal sentido.
Instead of criticizing people, I feel compassion, and compassion in the good sense, not in the bad sense.

Y me da ternura, trató entenderlos, trató de respetarlas.
And I feel moved, I try to understand them, I try to respect them.

Que no significa que tenga que estar con ellos 24 horas al día.
Which doesn’t mean that I have to be with them 24 hours a day.

Pero ya no los critico, ya no los juzgo.
But I don’t criticize them, I don’t judge them.

Soy más feliz, bastante más feliz.
I am much happier, quite much happier.

También aprendí, que todo lo que hacemos nosotros es decisión de nosotros.
I also learned, that everything we do is a choice of us.

Escoger nuestra pareja, escoger nuestro novio, a nuestro marido, nuestros divorcios, nuestra nueva esposa, etcétera, etcétera, etcétera.
Choosing our couple, choosing our boyfriend, choosing our husband, our divorces, our new wife, etc., etc., etc.

Y también me dan risa, un poco interna, como las amigas de la mujer divorciada se empiezan a lacerar con la mujer divorciada. Porque se acaba de divorciar.
And also I get a bit of an internal laughter, of how the friends of a divorced woman start to lacerate themselves (to hurt themselves) along with the divorced woman. Because she just got divorced.

y como los amigos del hombre divorciado se empedan con el hombre divorciado porque cometió el error. ¿No? Y resulta que fue decisión de ellos.
And how the friends of the divorced man get drunk with the divorced man because he made a mistake. Right? And it turns out it was their choice.

Y si analizan, todo lo que hemos hecho nosotros en nuestras vidas, son decisiones nuestras.
And if you analyze it, everything we have done in our lives, it’s our choice.

Bien, mal, no existe esa calificación.
Good, bad, that rating doesn’t exist.

Simplemente decisiones.
Only choices.

Y lo que nos pasa son consecuencias de estas decisiones.
And what happen are consequences of our choices.

Yo, vengo de un matrimonio de un papá que murió, y seis meses antes se casó por sexta vez. Seis meses antes de morir.
I come from a marriage of a father who died, and six months before married for the sixth time. Six months before he died.

Bendito Alazraki y sus seis esposas.
Blessed Alazraki and his six wives.

Quería empatar a Enrique octavo.
He wanted to tie Henry The Eigth.

Mi madre se casó tres veces.
My mother got married three times.

O sea, estuvo el promedio muy bien.
I mean, the average was very good.

Y lo que aprendí, que siempre fue decisiones de ellos.
And what I learned, is that it was always choices of them.

siempre fue decisiones, desde el primer matrimonio de mi padre con mi madre, que mi madre se casó a los 15 años y medio, 16. Mi padre a los 19.
It was always choices, from the first marriage of my father with my mother, in which my mother married at 15 and a half, 16. My father at 19.

Que supongo por qué se casaron, aunque en la foto de la boda no se ve la pancita.
I suppose why they got married, although in the wedding picture you don’t see the belly (of a pregnant woman).

Pero supongo. Todos lo que ha pasado son decisiones.
But I suppose. Everything that has happened its choices.

He aprendido mucho. Muchísimo a no criticar.
I have learned a lot. A lot not to criticize.

Muchísimo, he aprendido que el miedo es el peor enemigo del hombre. El peor enemigo.
Very much, I have learned that fear is the worst enemy of man. The worst enemy.

El miedo inhibe, y el amor da.
Fear inhibits, and love gives.

Y el amor da a todos los semejantes.
And love gives to everyone.

Y yo, lo que quiero recomendarles a todos, que estén en la cama dormiditos.
And me, what I want to recommend to all of you, to be sleeping in bed.

Piensen que en lugar de que critiquemos, tengamos compasión.
Think that instead of criticizing them, but have compassion.

Aunque no conozcamos a nadie, los saludemos, les dediquemos una sonrisa.
Even if we don’t know anyone, we say hi, we dedicate a smile to them.

De que no trabajamos por el dinero, sino por la creatividad interna y el dinero es la consecuencia de este trabajo que hacemos.
That we don’t work for money, but for the internal creativity and the money is the consequence of this work that we do.

Que en nuestro trabajo, seamos lo más creativo posible, lo más diferente posible, para que tengamos más gente que nos compre nuestros productos, acuda nuestro restaurant, etc. etc. etc.
That in our job, we are as creative as posible, as different as posible, so that we have more people buying our products, coming to our restaurants, etc., etc., etc.

Es la única forma que yo ya entiendo la vida.
It is the only way that I have understood life.

Yo creo que el ser humano va a ser mucho más humano, teniendo comprensión, cariño, afecto, y entendimiento con sus semejantes.
I think the human being is going to be much more humane, having comprehension, love, affection and understanding with each other.

Y si se levantan en la mañana, como yo lo hago con el pie derecho, antes de ir a hacer mis necesidades me sonrió en el espejo, cuando me baño y estoy ya vestido, me vuelvo a mirar en el espejo.
And if you get up in the morning, with the right foot the way I do, before I go to the bathroom I smile at myself in the mirror, when I shower and I’m already dressed, I look at myself in the mirror again.

Me digo a mí mismo, me va a ir muy bien, soy muy chingón y voy a tener un gran día.
And I tell myself, that today’s going to be a great day, that I kick ass and I’m going to have a great day.

Me lo creo pero lo digo en serio,
I believe it but I say this seriously,

y no necesariamente tomo el mismo camino,
and I don’t necessarily take the same road,

sino me voy por caminos diferentes para reírme un poco, sentir otra atmósfera.
I go through different roads to laugh a little, to feel a different atmosphere.

Les va a ayudar a mejorar su vida,
It will help you improve your life,

No se trata de cambiar la vida, no se trata absolutamente nada, más que tengamos una empatía con todos nosotros de ser humanos y que seamos buena onda.
It is not about changing the life, it is not about absolutely anything, but only that we have an empathy with all o us as human beings and that we are nice to each other.

Muchas gracias, gracias.
Thank you very much, thank you.

 

Learn common phrases in Spanish here

 

What was your favorite part of the talk? Do you have any questions about Spanish? Please share them with us using the comment section available at the end of this page.

Also, please help us help more people learn Spanish by sharing this post on Facebook using the social buttons you will find below these lines. Thanks!