Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar is working on a new film, Los abrazos rotos. And in the process, he's created a wonderful opportunity for film fans and Spanish students to get an inside look at how a film is made: a blog, where he muses on the script, the best translation for an English title (he decided the title's abrazos are more "embraces" than "hugs"), Penelope Cruz's hairstyle and, seemingly, whatever crosses his mind.

Blogpedroalmodóvar is written in Spanish, with English and French translations. (Access the translations through the blog's main page,  www.pedroalmodovar.es .) If you're an intermediate or high beginner student of Spanish, the translations  will provide a quick way for you to understand vocabulary or colloquialisms new to you, before carrying on reading the blog in Spanish. 

El Castellano published an intriguing article a few weeks back about the effects of bilingualism on the brain. The article, titled "Los idiomas entrenan el cerebro" (Languages train the brain), describes the results of a number of studies on bilingualism. My favorite finding? It never is too late to learn a language. In fact,  learning a second language late in life has beneficial effects beyond being able to communicate with a whole new crowd.

The studies shed some light on why young children learn multiple languages so effortlessly and completely, as well.

And the article is in Spanish, so reading it alone will be a good workout. :)

I've just discovered three great resources for students and newer practicioners (like myself) of Spanish. All three are projects of Fundeú BBVA , a nonprofit organization formed to "collaborate in the good use of the Spanish language". All three are well worth a bookmark:

from the don Quijote weekly lesson:

Smooth Latino crooners? Hip-swinging dance stars? Fancy-footworking football legends? These are probably the stereotypes you'd bet would top a list of most influential Spanish celebrities… and you wouldn’t be too far from the truth. But how about the King, a leading economist and a 50-something gay film director? Thought not. From politics to music and from sport to film Spain has an eclectic mix of rich and famous. Here is a short guide to the country’s ten most influential and revered….    more »

Another of the "Living in Spain" pieces we've published in English language media, this article introduces you to the diversity of Spain's 17 regions, by offering a look at Andalucía, Cataluña, El País Vasco and Galicia. We've included phrases and vocabulary to learn at the end of the article. Enjoy!

Las Regiones de España – Spanish Regions

Flamboyant fiestas, noisy tapas bars, flamenco dancing, blue skies and a glistening green sea are just some of the images traditionally conjured up at the mention of Spain. There is no wonder that some 400,000 foreign nationals have taken up residence in the south and some 55 million tourists flock to the country each year. However, while these sunny notions of  Spain are accurate there is a whole lot more to be discovered! There is not enough space here to justify Spain's enormous diversity but this is a brief guide to some of its most famous and distinctive regions.   more »

Here's another practical "living in Spain" lesson published by don Quijote in English language media (primarily for a British audience) here in Spain. Read through: you 'll find vocabulary to learn at the end of the article.

Living in Spain: Spanish Television

Whether it’s soap operas, game shows, chat shows, sport or news you want to watch, you’re guaranteed to find something that tickles your fancy on Spanish TV. Although not necessarily renowned for its quality, you cannot fault the energy and enthusiasm of the Spanish media. Live audiences, immaculately turned out hosts and plenty of drama (whatever the show!) lead you to laugh, but you’ll inevitably be glued to the screen.

Ready for TV? Pick up a copy of one of Spain’s most popular publications, Teleprograma, and check out what’s on. Beware, however, that Spanish televsion schedules are ‘flexible’ and programmes will often start up to an hour early or late. Go on… take a break from the social scene and have a night in... it’s great practice for your Spanish!

Considering that only 6% of Spain’s population receive cable, Spain’s four main national broadcasters and its numerous regional television stations, available on terrestrial TV are extremely popular. Of course digital, cable and satellite are also now widely available too. So, what to watch? Here is a guide to what kind of shows each channel provides, how to make sure you catch the news and avoid Big Brother…

TVE
TVE is Spain’s answer to the BBC. It is a partly state-owned public broadcaster that is financed by the government and also rasies capital through advertising. TVE has two main channels TVE1 (known as Primera) and TVE2 (known as La 2). Primera is more light-hearted than La 2 and, not surprisingly, attracts around..    more »