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Episode 83: Preparing for the New Year!

As we look to 2023, and the New Year, I wanted to end this year's run of podcast episodes with a mixture of things. First, a quick year in review, followed by - of course - some New Year's vocabulary, and then, finally, we will end with some preparations for the new year of 2023.


(As we finished up our cultural tip mini-series on Puerto Rico last episode, we won't have any cultural tips this episode so as to start up again in 2023 with a fresh new series!)

 
 

Year in Review

This year has been a crazy, wonderful, chaotic, and fun year! Thank you, all of my dear listeners/readers, for sticking with me, even when I had to take breaks for health (a.k.a., the first trimester of my pregnancy!) and for house construction. Spanish Answers would be nothing without you, so thank you! It is my sincere hope that this podcast has helped you on your own personal language adventure!


Because you are such an integral part of this podcast, I just wanted to share some cool analytics. Spanish Answers was downloaded in 2022 in over 70 countries, and the most listened to episode was Episode 72: Neuter Demonstratives (Eso, Esto, and Aquello), with Episode 74: Why Does Spanish Have B and V? as the runner up! (Last year, the most listened to episode was Episode 1: New Year's Traditions, which we will also talk about in this episode.)


If you have any suggestions, ideas, or requests for episodes and other content in 2023, please email me at contact@languageanswers.com. I would love to hear from you!


New Year Vocabulary

I'd be remiss if this episode didn't have at least some vocabulary for you to use on el Año Nuevo! So get your champagne out (or in my case, delicious sparkling cider!) and prepare to celebrate the end of 2022 and the arrival of 2023!

  • Happy New Year! = ¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

  • New Year's Eve = la víspera de Año Nuevo (or in Spain, la Nochevieja, and in Argentina, el fin de año)

  • New Year's Day = el Año Nuevo

  • Grapes = las uvas (grapes play an important role in Spain's New Year's traditions. Check out Episode 1: New Year's Traditions for more information on how Spain and Mexico celebrate this holiday!)

  • New Year's Resolution = la resolución/el propósito de año nuevo (I have seen both, but resolución seems to be the one most often used.)

And what, perhaps, might some of those resolutions be? Well, according to statista.com, the 5 most common New Year's resolutions in the U.S. this year are:

  1. To exercise more = hacer más ejercicio

  2. To eat healthier = comer más sano

  3. To lose weight = perder peso (you can also say adelgazar, which is the equivalent of saying "to lose a few pounds". I love that this is an actual verb in Spanish!)

  4. To save more money =ahorrar más dinero

  5. To spend more time with family / friends = pasar más tiempo con familia/amigos

And of course, since many of you are working on your language adventures, I imagine there might be some New Year's resolutions regarding that! (I know that I certainly have a few I want to work on in 2023!)

  • To read/write in Spanish more = leer/escribir en español más

  • To listen to things in Spanish more = escuchar cosas en español más

  • To study # languages = estudiar # idiomas

  • To spend more time studying Spanish each week = pasar más tiempo estudiando español cada semana

And if you're needing to get in the festive spirit, try listening to some of these songs! :)


El Año Viejo by Tony Camargo

Honestly, you've probably already heard this classic by Tony Camargo. It's basically about how he doesn't want to forget the old year, because it gave him many good things. The video I've included here has las letras in Spanish!


Auld Lang Syne by Heavenly Reyna

If you need to sing that classic, but still want to practice your Spanish, then here you go! The Spanish version of Auld Lang Syne by Heavenly Reyna. :) So enjoy!


For these last two, I know I've mentioned them before, but just in case you forgot. ;) I mean, t hey are too good to miss out on this New Year's Eve!


Un Año Más by Multiple Artists

I can't help but love, love, love this song filled with different artists. It's so good, and the song itself is just so happy and hopeful for the new year.


5 Pa Las 12 by Camilo

How could anyone not love a song about running home to give your mom a hug as the church bells begin their countdown for the new year? Considering my current state, I may be a little biased, lol. ;D Still, the song has almost a haunting melody to it. I definitely recommend checking it out!


Preparations for 2023

As you know, I'm getting ready to have my second child in January or February of 2023 (I can't believe it's almost time!). I am super, super excited! And not just because the third trimester is exhausting. :D Obviously, I cannot wait to great that little bundle of joy and bring him/her home! But since no one can predict when a baby will come, I'm not sure when I will be back from my three-month maternity leave. Assuming everything goes well (and I pray it does!), then I will hopefully be back in either April or May. I have a lot of ideas for episodes and content, but it all depends on what happens with this second child. :D


So please stay subscribed to Spanish Answers so as not to miss out on that first new episode in 2023! You can also follow me on Facebook or Twitter, where I hope to post occasional updates as I get ready to come back with more awesome content!


In the meantime, please check out these great resources so as not to lose the power and momentum of your New Year's resolutions!

  • Figure out what your current Spanish level is (a.k.a., your CEFR level). Don't know what I'm talking about? Check out Episode 44: Language Levels and Resources. You can also use the free Spanish test by the Cervantes Escuela Internacional. I really recommend that one; it's very easy to use and will give you a pretty quick idea of where you currently stand. Once you know what level you're at, you can easily make a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) goal about getting to the next one!

  • Practice listening and reading in Spanish! If you're not sure where to begin, you can always check out my Spanish Language Resource Library. I've filled it with suggestions on Podcasts, Books, Video Channels, Children Books and Music, and so much more! All with the intent of helping you find more resources to empower you on your language journey!

  • The New Year - New Language Summit 2: Beyond The Beginner Level This Summit begins January 2nd at 8 am EST. It looks like the lineup is going to be pretty good, and this is a great way to gain even more motivation in your language learning journeys! Best of all? Tickets are free! You can access all of the talks for free, as long as you watch them within 24 hours of broadcasting. I attended it virtually last year, and it was really interesting! So I am hoping

And with that, we conclude this episode and I bid you a fond hasta luego. ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! I wish you all the best in 2023.


Remember, learning a language is a lifelong journey.

¡Aprovéchalo, Disfrútalo y Compártelo!

 

Cultural Tip: None

 

SHOW NOTES:


Intro and Closing Music by Master_Service from Fiverr

Cultural Tip Transition Music edited from song by JuliusH from Pixabay


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Cultural Tip

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