In part 1 of this series, we looked at common (and funny) mistakes people make when learning Spanish due to two Spanish words sounding similar. For example, people might mix-up dolor and dolar (pain and dollar) or pesado and pedoso (heavy and farty)! In part 2 of this series on common Spanish language errors we will look at ‘false friends’. This is when you think a word will mean something due to it sounding very similar to a word in your language, in the cases we are going to look at:...

Cuando el sol empieza a asomar por las calles de esta ciudad, los habitantes y visitantes empiezan a ocupar los asientos de las populares terrazas de verano, y es que ¿hay un plan en el caluroso verano madrileño más apetecible que el de disfrutar con tus amigos de un tinto de verano, un granizado o una caña fresquita en una de las terrazas de Madrid? Te invitamos a conocer las mejores y más populares terrazas de la temporada estival: El Mercado de San Antón: C/ de Augusto Figueroa 24. La...

One of the most important things to do when learning Spanish is to practice on the street or with friends. It builds confidence, helps with pronunciation and increases your understanding of the Spanish language. However, mistakes are almost always going to be made. Most of the time, these small mistakes will go unnoticed, or at most cause the other person to smile. However, there are occasions when the mistake leads to everyone present rolling around on the floor in laughter. Here are some...

We are going to tell you a secret: do you want to visit places that are not usually in the tourist books? Do you want to eat dishes that only madrileños eat? Do you want to go shopping in a magic garden? Then read the next entry but  shhhhhh, do not tell anyone!   El Capricho Park: Placed in Barajas district this park is out of the beaten track but it is one of the most beautiful and attractive places in Madrid. This park dates back to the XVIII century when the Duke of Osuna bought this...

Babylon Idiomas is ten years old this year! It’s an amazing achievement and we know it would not have been possible without the love, support and trust of all of our wonderful staff and all of the students we have welcomed over the years. To celebrate this momentous occasion we’ve decided to give away a whopping 10 Kindles, including one amazing Kindle Fire HD! All you have to do to be in with winning one of these prizes is to tell us which language you love the most and why. Easy?...

Farolillos, trajes de flamenca y hombres a caballo vestidos de corto. Las Sevillanas suenan en las casetas, hay gente bailando tanto dentro como fuera de ellas, llenando de color y alegría con las vueltas y taconeos las calles de la Feria de Sevilla. El mes de Abril atrae a turistas de todas partes del mundo. Después de la Semana Santa, días de pasión y dolor por la muerte y resurrección de Jesucristo, el Real de la Feria anima a todos con sus cantos alegres por rumbas y sevillanas. Junto...

Para aquellos que vais a disfrutar de la Semana Santa en nuestra ciudad tenéis un amplio abanico de actividades para elegir: procesiones, conciertos, exposiciones, deporte… Aquí os dejamos unas cuantas sugerencias: Conciertos: el ayuntamiento organiza conciertos de música gratuitos. En estos conciertos podréis oír desde el réquiem de Verdi hasta las tradicionales saetas flamencas tan populares en las procesiones del sur de España. Para los que queréis vivir la Semana Santa...

Se abre la veda; la fiesta, costumbres y fuego inundan las calles de todos los rincones de Valencia. Desde nuestra tierra invitamos a cualquier aventurero a compartir esta experiencia fallera con nosotros. Se trata de una fiesta bastante popular a nivel mundial. Desde el 15 de Marzo, momento de “la plantà” de las fallas hasta el día 19 que se procede a quemarlas, o también llamado “la cremà”, los petardos, las mascletás y los fuego artificiales pasan a ser habituales a lo largo de...

Spanish is a great language to learn! After mandarin, it has the highest number of native speakers in the world and is the primary language in over 20 countries. This means that once you have learnt Spanish, there are many countries and cultures you can go to and explore whilst practicing your language skills. Spanish (or Castilian) is the most popular second language learned by native English speakers and the most widely understood in the Western hemisphere. Could there be a better foreign...

I remember a time when all school kids would have to learn Latin and another language of their choice, typically French or Spanish. Today, Latin seems to have gone the way of the Do-Do in public schools and the teaching of second languages is almost a passing thought. This is a shame because learning a second language, particularly in specialised schools or in academic settings, helps students in multiple ways. With the global world being so connected and intertwined, having language skills...