Free Spanish audio course (Spain)

Sam: First language exchange. I've practised hello about forty times, and I'm still nervous.

Lucía: Then let's practise it together. Welcome to Copycat Cafe. I'm Lucía.

Sam: And I'm Sam. Your nervous student.

Lucía: One more thing before we start: Sam and I are AI-generated voices. By the end, you'll be able to introduce yourself in Spanish as it's spoken in Spain: say who you are, ask who someone is, say nice to meet you, and say that you're a student. Listen first. Copy the sound. Then try the words for yourself. We'll leave space for you to speak.

Lucía: 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.

Lucía: Here's the whole scene. Sam is new at a language exchange in Spain. I'm Marta, his partner for the evening. Just listen for one word: estudiante. Student.

Sam: Hola, soy Sam. ¿Eres Marta?

Lucía: Sí, soy Marta. Encantada.

Sam: Encantado. Soy nuevo en el intercambio.

Lucía: Perfecto. Soy tu compañera hoy.

Sam: ¿Eres profesora?

Lucía: No, soy estudiante, como tú.

Sam: Entonces somos dos estudiantes nerviosos.

Lucía: Tú eres el nervioso. Yo soy muy tranquila.

Sam: Vale, Marta. Tú hablas primero.

Sam: In my defence, she was very calm.

Lucía: Let's start where Sam did. Hola, soy Sam. Hi, I'm Sam. Soy means I am. Spanish doesn't need a separate word for I here. The verb already says it. Copy just that: soy.

Your turn · 4-second pause

Lucía: Now the whole line: hola, soy Sam.

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Lucía: Then Sam checks he has the right person. ¿Eres Marta? Are you Marta? Eres means you are: the friendly you for one person, like a fellow student. Soy is me, eres is you. Copy it: ¿eres Marta?

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Lucía: Once more, and let your voice rise at the end. ¿Eres Marta?

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Lucía: Marta answers: sí, soy Marta. Yes, I'm Marta. Then: encantada. Nice to meet you.

Lucía: Now listen to Sam's reply: encantado. Marta said encantada. Sam says encantado. Hear the difference at the end: encantada, encantado. The ending describes the person speaking, not the person you're meeting.

Sam: So I'm encantado because I'm a man. Even when I'm talking to Marta.

Lucía: Exactly. Pick the one that fits you. Many women say encantada. Many men say encantado. Say your version now.

Your turn · 4-second pause

Lucía: Your version once more, with a smile.

Your turn · 4-second pause

Lucía: Sam adds: soy nuevo en el intercambio. I'm new at the language exchange. You don't need to say all of that today. Just catch the start: soy nuevo. I'm new. And Marta replies: perfecto. Soy tu compañera hoy. Perfect. I'm your partner today.

Sam: Partner. Good. Not judge.

Lucía: Sam asks: ¿eres profesora? Are you a teacher? Notice what's missing: there's no word for a. In Spanish, you say eres profesora, are you teacher. And Marta says: no, soy estudiante. No, I'm a student. Again, no word for a. Copy it: soy estudiante.

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Lucía: Once more. Soy estudiante.

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Lucía: She adds: como tú. Like you. Soy estudiante, como tú. Then Sam says: entonces somos dos estudiantes nerviosos. So we're two nervous students.

Sam: I thought that was a nice moment of solidarity.

Lucía: Marta disagrees. Listen: tú eres el nervioso. Yo soy muy tranquila. You're the nervous one. I'm very calm. Here she does say tú and yo, you and I, because she's comparing the two of them. Here's a quick check. Tú eres el nervioso. Who's the nervous one? Say it in English.

Your turn · 4-second pause

Lucía: It's Sam. And Marta says she's very calm. Muy tranquila.

Lucía: Now a small switch. Soy estudiante means I'm a student. Change soy to eres and you're talking about the other person: eres estudiante. You're a student. Let your voice rise at the end, and it becomes a question: ¿eres estudiante? Are you a student? Copy the question.

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Lucía: Now without hearing the Spanish first. Say: I'm a student.

Your turn · 5-second pause

Lucía: Soy estudiante. Now ask me: are you a student?

Your turn · 5-second pause

Lucía: ¿Eres estudiante? And one more: ask me if I'm a teacher.

Your turn · 5-second pause

Lucía: ¿Eres profesora? Soy for me, eres for you. That little switch matters: copying gives you a starting point you can change.

Lucía: Last phrase. Sam ends with: vale, Marta. Tú hablas primero. OK, Marta. You speak first. Vale is Spain's everyday OK. You'll hear it constantly. Copy it: vale.

Your turn · 4-second pause

Sam: Vale. I'm using that for everything now.

Lucía: You'll hear it a lot in Spain: for OK, sure, agreed. Once more: vale.

Your turn · 4-second pause

Lucía: Let's put it together. You're Sam. I'll be Marta. Keep Sam's name, but for nice to meet you, use the ending that fits you: encantado or encantada. Say hi, say you're Sam, and ask if I'm Marta.

Your turn · 6-second pause

Lucía: Sí, soy Marta. Encantada.

Lucía: Say nice to meet you.

Your turn · 4-second pause

Lucía: Perfecto. Soy tu compañera hoy.

Lucía: Ask if I'm a teacher.

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Lucía: No, soy estudiante, como tú.

Lucía: Now tell me OK, the way people say it in Spain.

Your turn · 3.5-second pause

Lucía: Here's one version of your part. Hola, soy Sam. ¿Eres Marta? Encantado, or encantada. ¿Eres profesora? Vale. If you missed a step, that's fine. These gaps are for practice, not a test.

Lucía: Let's hear the original scene again. No explanations this time. Notice which bits you recognise.

Sam: Hola, soy Sam. ¿Eres Marta?

Lucía: Sí, soy Marta. Encantada.

Sam: Encantado. Soy nuevo en el intercambio.

Lucía: Perfecto. Soy tu compañera hoy.

Sam: ¿Eres profesora?

Lucía: No, soy estudiante, como tú.

Sam: Entonces somos dos estudiantes nerviosos.

Lucía: Tú eres el nervioso. Yo soy muy tranquila.

Sam: Vale, Marta. Tú hablas primero.

Lucía: Now you're new at the exchange again. Sam will stay quiet. Same steps: introduce yourself, say nice to meet you, ask a question, then say OK. This time, ask if I'm a student instead of a teacher. You're Sam again. Start: say hi, say you're Sam, and ask if I'm Marta.

Your turn · 6-second pause

Lucía: Sí, soy Marta. Encantada.

Lucía: Say nice to meet you.

Your turn · 4-second pause

Lucía: Perfecto. Soy tu compañera hoy.

Lucía: Ask if I'm a student.

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Lucía: Sí, soy estudiante, como tú.

Lucía: Say: OK, Marta.

Your turn · 4-second pause

Lucía: Here's one version of your part: Hola, soy Sam. ¿Eres Marta? Encantado. ¿Eres estudiante? Vale, Marta.

Sam: I introduced myself, asked a question, and said vale. I'll call that progress.

Lucía: One last line from memory. Say: I'm a student.

Your turn · 5-second pause

Lucía: Soy estudiante. Keep that line, and the question ¿eres…? You heard them, copied them, and turned I am into are you. 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 A Nervous Language Exchange. ¡Hasta luego!

Sam: ¡Hasta luego! Vale. I'm a bit less nervous now.