Spanish Television

Those of you who watch television in Spanish what shows do you watch and enjoy the most? Luckily, I have a satellite dish therefore, I can enjoy Spanish TV in my corner of the world. I was never an avid TV fan but always enjoyed the news, some sports and anything educational or cultural along the lines of a documentary or a special report. Dish network offers an interesting array of Spanish packages and programs for moderate to avid TV fans.

If I had to break down my in take by language. It is as follows:

Spanish- 80%
English- 15%
French- 5%


The most common Spanish channels I watch are CNN en espa?ol, which has nothing to do with CNN in English, Univisi?n, Telemundo, TV Dominicana, Canal Sur and TVE (Espa?a). I watch these channels mostly for the news and special reports.

The English and French TV that I watch are strictly the news. Radio-Canada which is the CBC in French is superb and IMO, no one can critique the French accent as being Canadian as the journalists sound very international.

Watching TV in a foreign language is fundamental for one's progression from the standpoint of comprehension, listening (getting a feel for the rhythm of the spoken language), vocabulary and improving one's own fluency. Depending on when a person starts to watch TV in a foreign language for example the news, the commentary sounds extremely fast. At an advanced level it sounds like everyday speech and the benefit is to listen in order to learn the variety of the spoken language, detect and recognize various accents and acquire new vocabulary.

In today's world, Spanish journalists sound very neutral or international although it is possible to detect a regional accent from some speakers of certain countries such as Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic just to name a few. IMO, CNN en espa?ol has an impressive mix of journalists from all over Latin America who are admirable examples of how the Spanish language should be spoken. A few who I admire in particular for their pristine Spanish are Patricia Janiot (Colombian) Claudia Palacios (Colombian), Alberto Padilla (Mexican) and Carlos Montero (Argentino).

IMO, journalists represent the level of education of the country. Therefore, they should have the ability to speak well and represent a superior version of the spoken language. One observation I have made is the more local the news, the more local the accent of the journalists. Venevisi?n from Venezuela is a perfect example. No need for me to fly to Caracas.



-LDG.

Hola juancarlos...

It?s great to see you post again. Your input has always been valuable. I am glad you agree with me on the calibre of Spanish of the journalists I mentioned on CNN en espa?ol. I think they have an exceptional crew. I once read that the majority of them come from Mexico, Colombia and Argentina for two reasons: 1) many speakers from these countries speak well and 2) the Colombian journalists are so well prepared that there?s not much of a gap for them to qualify as journalists according to the CNN en espa?ol criteria. The transition is seamless. In that same source it was stated that it?s one of the reasons why they don?t have any speakers from Puerto Rico or DR because of poor articulation and educational preparation in journalism. I read this in a PR source if I recall correctly.

Spanish television is interesting and very different from English programs. Univisi?n is the Spanish television giant in the USA and its rival is Telemundo which in my opinion has some good journalists and programs as well although I hardly watch the channel. However, Univisi?n is very Mexican focused which is justified I suppose since Mexicans make up the largest Latino ethnic group in the USA but show little diversity to capture the cultural interests of the other Latino ethnicities which would be beneficial. TVE is super. I just wish I had more time to tune in.

For the telenovela watchers great if it helps but in my opinion they are too dramatic, lots of screaming and people overreacting. However, if it helps you from a language perspective that?s all that matters. It?s very important to be able to hear the spoken language and understand it at a normal pace.

What about kids programs in Spanish? Univisi?n has cartoons on Saturday mornings and the pace is perfect for beginners. Spanish television has plenty to offer if one is looking to improve his/her listen skills and as a result one?s speaking skills will improve as well. There are plenty of options and avenues.


-LDG.

DaniJ... good variety

Univisi?n deserves respect for what they have achieved. I think their strong points are their news programs and special reports. In general, they have some outstanding journalists. Jorge Ramos is the top reporter closely followed by Mar?a Elena Salinas. The two combined have a wealth of experience in journalism and reporting. Univisi?n will have big shoes to fill when they retire or leave the network.

Despierta America remains as the number one morning show on Spanish Television. Although I think the program has deteriorated over the last three years, it?s still entertaining to watch and for language learning it?s ideal. There?s plenty of variety and culture incorporated in this three hour program including the news and sports. I watch as much as time permits in the morning and when I have a day off.

For Dominican TV and a variety of programming, TV Dominicana is an option. If you watch Univisi?n as your main Spanish channel, you will definitely hear the accent difference. Even if it's just the news as neutral as the journalists come across, I can still hear a regional accent. Their shows will give you that Dominican specific Spanish flavour that you want to hear.


-LDG.