Intermediate Spanish

Finding good Spanish language learning material for intermediate students is notoriously difficult. Beginners have a vast array of books, cds, dvds, cdroms, videos, etc., to choose from, but if you've reached a higher level and want to improve fast, there are only a handful of products on offer.

Unfortunately, many of the packages that claim to be for intermediate students only cover up to a lower intermediate level, and some of the publications that have been around for decades don't teach you useful words and phrases. So the choice really is quite narrow.

In my opinion, the best publication for intermediate students is the audio magazine Puerta del Sol. I've used it to teach some of my best students and it is what it claims: a fun way of learning lots of new and practical vocabulary.

You can get the 1-year cd subscription of Puerta del Sol for $129

If you mainly need help with your verbs, this audio magazine is not the best option. But if what you want is to hear a variety of Spanish accents and learn about all aspects of the Spanish culture around the world, that's what it offers you. The format is a Spanish-only cd plus a small printed magazine with the transcript and glossary. The 1-hour long cd is very much like a podcast, with a series of articles on food, cinema, famous people, music, art, sports, etc.

If you want to see what it looks like, and hear some extracts, you can play the free demo above.

This article has been written by Maria Fernandez, an experienced native Spanish teacher and author of Learn Spanish At Your Own Pace, Spanish for Kids - interactive multimedia lessons, and other publications.