Last night, my roommate and I were driving home after getting Pumpkin Spice Lattes and pumpkin muffins when she told me, “OMG, the other day I heard you speak spanish on the phone and I was so surprised, I didn’t know you spoke Spanish!”
My first thought was: 1. Our walls are actually paper-thin, and 2. I can’t believe my roommate never knew that Spanish is my first language.
As I was reflecting while washing my hair afterward, I realized just how much this has probably happened to other people, when such a big part of who you are goes unnoticed until someone catches a glimpse of it. To me and probably so many others, language is a core piece of our identities, and sometimes it feels like if you’re not actively using it, that piece of you starts washing away.
And honestly, it makes total sense. We’re always on our phones (you’re probably reading this on your phone!), and most of the influencers or content creators we follow usually aren’t Spanish-speaking. Without realizing it, we’re constantly consuming English through TikToks, Instagram stories, and YouTube videos, and it starts to take up all the space in our brains. That shift makes Spanish feel like something distant, even if once it was all you ever knew.
And I’ve definitely gone through feeling like my mother tongue is slipping away from me, but instead of letting it go, I changed the way I consume media to add more Spanish into it. From all the movies, music, videos, and shows I consume, I think most are in Spanish, and slowly but surely, Spanish stopped feeling like something I had to reach for and started feeling natural again.
After a while, English takes up all the space in our feeds and in our minds. That passive shift can push Spanish to the background, even if it is the language you grew up with. So I started curating what I watch and listen to. Now Spanish is baked into my day without feeling like homework.
Our Moms Were Onto Something!
My mom is the hero of my Spanish. When my sister and I were barely learning English, she would nudge us to speak Spanish, even when we tried to answer in English. It felt strict then, but now I see she was simply protecting something precious and something so many children of immigrants lose before they even have it.
One of my favorite moments this summer is the day we binged Mentiras, la serie on Amazon Prime Video. The series follows four women,Daniela, Dulce, Yuri, and Lupita,who gather at the mansion of a man named Emmanuel after his sudden death. Each discovers she was romantically involved with him at the same time, which makes them all suspects and forces them to confront their own lies. Adapted from a beloved Mexican musical, Mentiras mixes comedy, drama, and mystery, wrapped in 1980s nostalgia, complete with big musical numbers.
We sat on the couch for hours, trading predictions, laughing at the wild plot twists, and singing along to the retro soundtrack. That marathon turned into an impromptu Spanish lesson, new slang, old sayings, and a reminder of how fun and dramatic our language can be.
Music was our other classroom. Her classic ballads mixed with my newer finds during long car rides, and somewhere between verses and sing-alongs, my Spanish confidence grew.
Take Your Kid to Work Day with Dad!
I always loved tagging along with my dad when he ran errands, to the mechanic, grocery store, and corner store. Conversations slid naturally into Spanish. People joked, told stories, and threw in quick slang. Listening to grown-ups talk in real time made the language feel alive.
The soundtrack was always corridos, full of love, heartbreak, and small-town gossip. I did not realize it then, but those songs trained my ear. Now a single guitar intro can take me back to those sweet afternoons.
My Repeats
When my feed skews toooo English, I rotate in Spanish podcasts and YouTube videos so the language stays front and center.
Podcasts
- Las Alucines (A.K.A. everyone’s fav, even my mom’s) – Two friends, Lupita Villalobos and Kass Quezada (Quesito), chat about anything and everything with chaotic, funny energy. The Spanish is natural and slangy, which is perfect for real-world listening.
- Seis de Copas – A round-table hang with six girlfriends, Fernanda Martin, Diana Wong, Maria Bolio, Marisol de la Fuente, Monica Makaco, and Priscila Arias (La Fatshionista), Topics jump from culture to feelings to everyday chaos, so you hear different accents and styles in one episode.
- Te Compre Flores – Short, reflective episodes about identity, discipline, love, and life, created and hosted by Mara Urbina. The tone is intimate and great for emotional vocabulary, and the episodes are an easy add to a walk or study break.
YouTube
- Maria Bottle – Lifestyle vlogs from Mexico with everyday conversational Spanish, from hair dye days to Paris fashion week adventures. Maria’s visual context makes the language click, and the videos feel like a comfy call with a friend. Even if she has the coolest clothes ever in the world, you will actually want to be her friend so bad that the more you watch, the more you’ll want to be her friend.
- Sailorfag – A bold, high-energy creator mixing commentary, humor, and queer culture. Fast-talking, tons of slang, and a personality that makes you want to watch every video they’ve ever made. My favorite videos of theirs that I love to watch are “Consultorio del Amor”. Every single video from that series is so funny. Imagine r/relationshipadvice, but with your funniest friend ever as the only one giving advice.
Tiktok Recs
If I am going to scroll anyway, I may as well let the algorithm teach me. I like creators who cook traditional dishes, share beauty tips in Spanglish, or break down regional slang. Like three Spanish videos in a row, and your FYP will flip fast. Suddenly, every scroll is micro-practice without feeling like a task.
Mini goals to try this week:
- Listen to one podcast episode during a walk, and write down two new expressions.
- Watch one YouTube video with Spanish subtitles on, and shadow for thirty seconds.
- Like and save five Spanish TikToks so your feed starts serving more.
- Call Mom and talk to her only in Spanish.
Keeping Spanish fresh has been less about perfection and more about proximity. When I surround myself with Spanish in ways that feel fun and normal. My confidence grows, and that part of me stays bright even in an English-heavy world.
Want to try with me? Swap one podcast on your commute, follow one Spanish-speaking creator, and add one corrido or cumbia to your favorite playlist. Your feed and your Spanish will thank you!