Free Spanish audio course (Latin America)
Learn by copying everyday conversations.
Hear a short scene, understand the useful phrases, copy them out loud, then try your own answers in the pauses.
Episode 1
Ordering tacos
Spanish (Latin America) · A1 beginner · 9 minutes · No signup
Free to play, download, and read, with no account or email needed.
Voices are AI-generated. Mateo, the teacher, and Sam, the learner, are fictional characters.
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Episode 1 out now · more coming soon
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Spanish (Latin America)
Episode 1 out now · more coming soon
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Episode 1 out now · more coming soon
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Episode 1 out now · more coming soon
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Episode 1 out now · more coming soon
How the lesson works
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1
Hear the scene
A hungry customer orders at a taco stand in Mexico. First, you just listen for one word.
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2
Understand the useful phrases
Mateo explains each phrase in English, only as much as helps your next try.
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3
Copy them out loud
Say each phrase in the pause after you hear it. Copy the sound and rhythm before worrying about grammar.
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4
Try your answers
Order from memory, change the number of tacos, then play the customer. A spoken answer follows every pause, so you can compare.
Missed an answer? Keep listening. The words come back, and you don’t need to touch the screen once the episode is playing.
After this episode
You can greet a taco vendor, ask what they recommend, ask the price, understand it, and order two or three tacos.
Level A1. Written for adult English speakers starting Spanish. The Spanish is Mexican and understood across Latin America. You don’t need any Spanish to begin.
Phrases you’ll say
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¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?
Hi! How's it going?
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¿Qué recomienda?
What do you recommend?
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¿Cuánto cuestan?
How much do they cost?
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Perfecto.
Perfect.
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Dos tacos al pastor, por favor.
Two al pastor tacos, please.
Phrases you’ll recognize
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¿Qué va a querer?
What would you like?
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Los de pastor están muy buenos.
The al pastor ones are very good.
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Quince pesos cada taco.
Fifteen pesos per taco.
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Claro. Son treinta pesos.
Of course. That's thirty pesos.
Listening with your screen off
The download is the most reliable way. Save the MP3 and play it offline in any audio app. Your browser puts it with your other downloads (on iPhone, in the Files app).
Playing from this page can keep going when you lock your phone, depending on your phone and browser. Some pause when you switch apps or close the tab. If yours does, use the download.
The speaking pauses are optional. If you’re driving, keep your attention on the road: just listen, or skip the speaking parts. The episode says the same.
Transcript
Every word of Episode 1. Choose a time to play from there. “Your turn” marks a pause for you to speak; Spanish is in bold.
Welcome
Sam: It smells amazing, there's a queue, and everyone else knows exactly what to order.
Mateo: Then you're in the right lesson. Welcome to Copycat Cafe. I'm Mateo.
Sam: And I'm Sam. I'm also very hungry.
Mateo: One more thing before we start: Sam and I are AI-generated voices. By the end, you'll be able to order at a taco stand in Mexico: say hello, ask what's good, ask the price, and order two tacos. Listen first. Copy the sound. Then try the words for yourself. We'll leave space for you to speak.
Mateo: If you miss an answer, let it go. You'll hear the words again. You don't need to rewind or look at a screen. If you're driving, keep your attention on the road and skip the speaking exercises.
At the taco stand
Mateo: Here's the whole scene. Sam is the customer. I'm the taquero, the man making the tacos. Just listen for one word: tacos.
Sam: ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?
Mateo: Bien, gracias. ¿Qué va a querer?
Sam: ¿Qué recomienda?
Mateo: Los de pastor están muy buenos.
Sam: ¿Cuánto cuestan?
Mateo: Quince pesos cada taco.
Sam: Perfecto. Dos tacos al pastor, por favor.
Mateo: Claro. Son treinta pesos.
Say hello
Sam: Two tacos. I could have ordered six.
Mateo: Let's get the first two right. Start with hello: ¡hola! Then a friendly how's it going: ¿qué tal? Together: ¡hola! ¿Qué tal? Copy me.
Your turn · 4-second pause
Mateo: ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? Once more, a little warmer.
Your turn · 4-second pause
Mateo: The taquero answers: bien, gracias. Good, thanks. Then he asks: ¿qué va a querer? What would you like? You don't need to say that one. It's the question you'll hear at a stand or a counter in Mexico, so just recognise it. ¿Qué va a querer?
Sam: That's my cue to panic.
Mateo: Or to ask for help. Which is our next phrase.
Ask what's good
Mateo: ¿Qué recomienda? What do you recommend? It's the polite form you use with a vendor. Borrow the whole question. ¿Qué recomienda? Your turn.
Your turn · 4.5-second pause
Mateo: Let's take the long word slowly first: recomienda. Copy just that: recomienda.
Your turn · 4-second pause
Mateo: Now the whole question again: ¿qué recomienda?
Your turn · 4.5-second pause
Mateo: His answer: los de pastor están muy buenos. The al pastor ones are very good. Al pastor is a classic filling: pork cooked on a vertical spit. He doesn't repeat the word tacos. Los de pastor just means the al pastor ones. The bit to catch is muy buenos. Very good. Listen once more: los de pastor están muy buenos.
Sam: Very good. I'm sold. But first, the price.
Ask the price
Mateo: ¿Cuánto cuestan? How much do they cost? Copy it: ¿cuánto cuestan?
Your turn · 4.5-second pause
Mateo: Once more. ¿Cuánto cuestan?
Your turn · 4.5-second pause
Mateo: The answer: quince pesos cada taco. Fifteen pesos per taco. Quince is fifteen. Cada taco, each taco. Here's a quick check. Quince pesos cada taco. How much is one taco? Say the number in English.
Your turn · 4-second pause
Mateo: Fifteen pesos. Good to know before you order.
Order
Mateo: Now the order itself. Dos tacos al pastor, por favor. Two al pastor tacos, please. Start with the end: por favor. Please. Copy it.
Your turn · 4-second pause
Mateo: Now the tacos: dos tacos al pastor. Two al pastor tacos.
Your turn · 5-second pause
Mateo: And the whole order: dos tacos al pastor, por favor.
Your turn · 6-second pause
Mateo: In the scene, Sam starts her order with perfecto. Perfect. It's an easy way to say: great, I'll take them. Copy it: perfecto.
Your turn · 4-second pause
Mateo: Then the taquero says: claro. Son treinta pesos. Of course. That's thirty pesos. Treinta, thirty. Two tacos at fifteen each. The maths works.
Sam: And I'm still hungry.
Mateo: Then let's change the number. Tres means three. Copy just that: tres.
Your turn · 4-second pause
Order three
Mateo: Tres tacos al pastor, por favor. Three al pastor tacos, please. Same order, new number. Copy it.
Your turn · 6-second pause
Mateo: Now without hearing the Spanish first. Order three al pastor tacos, please.
Your turn · 7-second pause
Mateo: Tres tacos al pastor, por favor. And now back to two. Order two.
Your turn · 7-second pause
Mateo: Dos tacos al pastor, por favor. One order, two numbers. That little switch matters: copying gives you a starting point you can change.
Your first order
Mateo: Let's put it together. You're the customer. I'll be the taquero. Start by saying hello and asking how it's going.
Your turn · 5-second pause
Mateo: Bien, gracias. ¿Qué va a querer?
Mateo: Ask me what I recommend.
Your turn · 5.5-second pause
Mateo: Los de pastor están muy buenos.
Mateo: Ask how much they cost.
Your turn · 5.5-second pause
Mateo: Quince pesos cada taco.
Mateo: Say perfect, and order two al pastor tacos, please.
Your turn · 8-second pause
Mateo: Claro. Son treinta pesos.
Mateo: Here's one version of your part. ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? ¿Qué recomienda? ¿Cuánto cuestan? Perfecto. Dos tacos al pastor, por favor. If you missed a step, that's fine. These gaps are for practice, not a test.
Listen again
Mateo: Let's hear the original scene again. No explanations this time. Notice which bits you recognise.
Sam: ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?
Mateo: Bien, gracias. ¿Qué va a querer?
Sam: ¿Qué recomienda?
Mateo: Los de pastor están muy buenos.
Sam: ¿Cuánto cuestan?
Mateo: Quince pesos cada taco.
Sam: Perfecto. Dos tacos al pastor, por favor.
Mateo: Claro. Son treinta pesos.
Your turn
Mateo: Now you're the customer again, and this time you're hungrier. Sam will stay quiet. Same four steps: say hello, ask what's good, ask the price, then order three. Start with hello, and ask how it's going.
Your turn · 5-second pause
Mateo: Bien, gracias. ¿Qué va a querer?
Mateo: Ask what's good.
Your turn · 5.5-second pause
Mateo: Los de pastor están muy buenos.
Mateo: Ask the price.
Your turn · 5.5-second pause
Mateo: Quince pesos cada taco.
Mateo: Tell me it's perfect, and order three.
Your turn · 8-second pause
Mateo: Claro. Son cuarenta y cinco pesos.
Mateo: That's forty-five pesos, three times fifteen. You don't need that number today. Here's one version of your part: ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? ¿Qué recomienda? ¿Cuánto cuestan? Perfecto. Tres tacos al pastor, por favor.
Sam: I stayed quiet for that whole order. It was very hard. I'm still hungry.
Keep the order
Mateo: One last order from memory. Ask for two al pastor tacos, please.
Your turn · 7-second pause
Mateo: Dos tacos al pastor, por favor. Keep that order, and the question ¿qué recomienda? You heard them, copied them, and changed the number. You don't need every word from the scene today. Come back and try the gaps again. This is the free Copycat Cafe audio course. The optional paid app adds pronunciation feedback and conversations that respond to you. Today's matching lesson is At the taqueria. ¡Buen provecho!
Sam: ¡Gracias! Now, if you'll excuse me, my tacos are getting cold.
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About this episode
Episode 1 of the free Copycat Cafe Spanish audio course. It’s adapted from “At the taqueria”, lesson 1 of our Spanish (Latin America) course.
Mateo and Sam are fictional characters with AI-generated voices. The music is original.
Want feedback on your pronunciation?
The free course gives you the phrases, the pauses, and an answer to compare with. It can’t hear you. The Copycat Cafe app is a paid app that adds a pronunciation score on every word you say, and conversations with Copy, your AI conversation partner, that respond to what you actually say. In the app, “At the taqueria” uses the same scene.
See how Copycat works