Duolingo Spanish Podcast

Rodrigo Pacheco worked in some of the world's best restaurants, but he never truly felt like the chef he aspired to be until he found himself far from the culinary scene on the Ecuadorian coast. That's where his quest to build a 100% sustainable restaurant began. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Working as a nurse in Venezuela during the worst economic crisis in the country's history, Fabiola Molero is used to seeing hardship. But when she and her team saw a photo of a girl suffering from extreme malnutrition on a nearby island, they knew the crisis had reached a tipping point. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Eréndira Sánchez is a young skydiving apprentice in Mexico when a world-famous skydiver offers her a chance to train at his facility in the U.S. But after a tragic accident, Eréndira is forced to choose between a life of freedom in the sky or one of safety on the ground. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

In 1980s Quibdó, a rural, Afro Colombian city, homophobia was a part of everyday life. But when Erlin Mena found the courage to put on heels and dance in drag, he helped create a thriving queer community that endures to this day. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Growing up as the daughter of a mariachi, Mireya Ramos learned early on that mariachi was a male-dominated world. But after moving to New York City, Mireya decided to challenge tradition and create an all-female mariachi group, opening doors for other musicians and redefining the genre. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

The Duolingo Spanish Podcast is back with new episodes starting Thursday, December 12. Listen to the trailer now!

It took Vincenzo Bruno years to fully embrace his trans identity. But the moment he did, he became a fierce advocate for other LGBTIQ Costa Ricans, helping to launch a campaign that would end up altering the course of Costa Rican history. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

In May 2019, twenty Paraguayan soccer players traveled from their hometown to Asunción, the nation’s capital, to play the most important game of their lives. Led by their captain, José Elías Argaña, they were the first indigenous team to qualify to Paraguay’s national soccer league. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

In 1970, in a country polarized by cold-war politics, Jorge Gómez organized an outdoor music festival. But what he expected to be a peaceful gathering turned into a life-defining moment that would become an enduring myth in his country. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Mexican tenor Javier Camarena discovered he wanted to sing Opera the first time he heard it. His passion for singing Opera lead him to test his strengths and determination over and over. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

All her life, Cirle Tatis Ariza had been taught to think her curly hair was something to hide. But after years of harsh chemical treatments, Cirle learned to love her hair, and taught other women to do the same. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Ever since she was a little girl, Carmen Félix knew she wanted to work on something related to space. So she defied cultural expectations, became one of the first Mexican scientists to work for NASA, and helped create and participate in some of the first simulations of missions to Mars. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Fernando Laposse is a Mexican designer with a particular obsession: corn. It’s an obsession that began in his childhood and would lead him to create a project that would not only help save the diversity of native corn in Mexico, but also revive a small farming town that was about to disappear. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Tatiana Calderón is the only female driver in Formula 2 racing, and she’s poised to make it to the top: Formula 1. In her career, she’s had to overcome many obstacles of a sport built by and for men–but now, she’s leading a revolution to go even further, and  adapt racing cars’ design to the female body. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

The Duolingo Spanish Podcast is back with new episodes starting Thursday, August 15. Listen to the trailer now!

Since he was a kid, Tito Vargas has dreamt of having his own coffee plantation. It’s a dream his parents tried very hard to dissuade him from pursuing because they knew first-hand the uncertainty and hardship of the coffee trade. But Tito persisted, and he too would learn of the ups and downs of life as a coffee farmer, until he found a solution that had been right under his nose that whole time.  Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

When Danilo Manzano came out to his family, they didn't accept his sexuality and asked him to hide it from the world. But a key friendship would inspire Danilo to not only embrace his identity publicly, but to become an outspoken activist for LGBTQ rights in Ecuador. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Andrés Ruzo grew up listening to his grandfather tell a story about a river with boiling waters in the Amazon. When he later became a scientist specializing in geothermal energy, he set a goal for himself: to go deep into the jungle and find that river. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Carlos Marroquín has always been an inventor. But he wasn’t putting that talent to much use in his native Guatemala until he saw a rare sight  on the road that stopped him in his tracks: bicycles. That turning point led Carlos to transform the lives of many farmers and towns through his bicycle-inspired inventions, or as he calls them, bicimáquinas. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Héctor Vergara escaped dictatorship in Chile in the 1970s and fled to Europe, where he landed in the restaurant industry. There he discovered a passion and talent for wine that led him to become the first Master Sommelier from Latin America. But his biggest impact on the world wouldn’t take place until he found his way back home, where no one even knew what a sommelier was. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.