Learn Spanish with “Las Chicas del Cable”

Netflix and learning — Are you serious? But what if the statement proves itself? What would you do if I said you can learn Spanish while watching Netflix?

Learning a language cringes, especially with those boring grammar lectures and cramming vocabulary.

In our ever-evolving world, one thing is constant — ‘change.’ With that change, new and improved learning methods have welcomed Netflix to bring up learning, especially language learning. Netflix is not to binge-watch or to kill boredom, only, but it is an immersive way to learn a language. In the article today we will discuss how the comedy series ‘Las Chicas del Cable or “Cable Girls” can help learn Spanish.

‘Las Chicas del Cable was the first original Netflix production in Spain and is probably one of the best series for learning Spanish. The show takes place in the 1920s in Madrid and revolves around four young women who work as telephone operators. 

It weaves all sorts of plots surrounding love, progress, friendship, and feminism, making it a fantastic option for all future Spanish speakers. In the article, we will learn how the show will help you learn español by captivating you to its story and characters. 

To double up the learning spice, you can combine the dramatic power of Netflix with a user-friendly Jolii language learning app so you can keep track of your Spanish by being immersive and resourceful. Killing two birds with one stone, learning vocabulary with Jolii, and building an accent with ‘Las Chicas del Cable.’

 Are you ready to improve your Spanish? ¡Vamos!

How to Learn Spanish with Netflix Series

Although films and television series might be too difficult for complete beginners, those who have reached an intermediate level can benefit greatly from watching Spanish-language programs with Spanish subtitles. 

Here are a few suggestions for how to get the most out of this experience in order to achieve a substantial boost in both listening and reading comprehension.

1. Select content you enjoy: Pick series or films that truly engage you if you want to remain enthusiastic and motivated. If a show or film fails to grip you in your native language, it’s safe to say it won’t captivate you in Spanish.
2. Allow yourself not to understand everything: Aim for a chill level of comprehension instead of 100% understanding. It is natural not to understand everything, especially at first. Keep watching even if you don’t understand everything— with time, you will come to understand much more than you realize.
3. Stop only when you are completely lost: Watching a movie in Spanish should feel as easy and fun as watching one in English or in your native language, and it shouldn’t merely be a school exercise. If you have to stop to make sense of the plot, you won’t be able to maintain the natural rhythm of the story. Enjoy the show and avoid pausing too often, but do so only when you’re really confused, and you are not able to follow along with the story. 
4. Be strategic with your subtitles: Begin with Spanish subtitles corresponding to the spoken Spanish, and add English subtitles only if they’re needed for clarification. This keeps your brain tuned into the language you’re trying to learn. Then, use an app like Jolii to get the most out of the subtitles and practice vocabulary with interactive games.

Why Learning Spanish with “Las Chicas del Cable”

“Las Chicas del Cable” is a superb way to learn Spanish, particularly because it features the Madrileño accent, a variant of Castilian Spanish. The accent is clear and understandable, which makes it a good choice for your listening practice. 

Moreover, the characters speak with a directness that makes the show accessible to learners who know a bit of Spanish already. As you watch, you’ll encounter authentic dialogues that expose you to everyday vocabulary and idiomatic expressions, enriching your language skills.

Spanish Vocabulary In Las Chicas Del Cable

Before watching the trailer, we recommend taking a look at the vocabulary list below, as it will help you better understand:

Spanish word	English translation
mundo	world
sueños	dreams
soñar	to dream
ilusiones	hopes
problemas	problems
vida	life
fácil	easy
nadie	anyone
mujer	woman
libre	free

Analyzing the Trailer of “Las Chicas del Cable” for Spanish Learners

Now, let’s take a look at the first part of the trailer for “Las Chicas del Cable“. You’ll get an engaging glimpse into the lives of women in 1928 Madrid, showcasing themes of independence, empowerment, and the struggles faced by women during that time.

Learn Spanish Imperfect Tense with the Trailer of Las Chicas Del Cable

The trailer opens with extensive use of Preterito Imperfecto (or simply Imperfecto ), which is a key grammatical concept in Spanish. This tense is used to describe how things used to be, and it is ideal for storytelling, as it allows the speaker to describe situations in the past. 

In the case of the trailer, it is used to depict the historical background, social conditions, and the challenges faced by women back in the 1920s. Let’s break it down:

PART 1:

“En 1928 había 2000 millones de personas en el mundo con sus propios sueños, sus ilusiones y sobre todo sus problemas.”

(In 1928, there were 2 billion people in the world with their own dreams, illusions, and above all, their problems.)

“Había” is an example of the imperfect tense of the verb haber (to have), which is used in Spanish to say there was/there were. Here it indicates a past situation that was ongoing. This line sets the historical context, describing the state of the world in 1928, with its 2 billion people.

PART 2:

“La vida no era fácil para nadie y mucho menos si eras mujer. “

(Life was not easy for anyone, much less if you were a woman.)

Both instances of “era “ (from the verb ser ) illustrate how life used to be. The speaker describes how life was difficult, especially for women, during this era, contrasting it with how things might be now.

PART 3:

“No éramos libres, pero soñábamos con serlo. “

(We were not free, but we dreamed of being so.)

“Éramos“ (we were) and “soñábamos” (we dreamed) both use the imperfect to highlight a continuous state in the past (the women were not free but continued to dream), describing their mental and emotional states, as in soñábamos.

Learn Spanish Imperfect Tense Conjugation 

This table provides a comprehensive overview of the imperfect tense conjugations in Spanish, which can be very helpful for language learners.

	-ar Verbs hablar (to speak)	-er Verbs comer (to eat)	-ir Verbs vivir (to live)	Ser (to be)
Yo	hablaba	comía	vivía	era
Tú	hablabas	comías	vivías	eras
Él/Ella/Usted	hablaba	comía	vivía	era
Nosotros/as	hablábamos	comíamos	vivíamos	eramos
Vosotros/as	hablabais	comíais	vivíais	erais
Ellos/as	hablaban	comían	vivían	eran

Here other examples of Imperfecto:

• “Vivíamos en un mundo que no nos permitía soñar.”
  “We lived in a world that didn’t allow us to dream.”
• “La sociedad nos imponía normas que no queríamos seguir.”
  “Society imposed rules on us that we didn’t want to follow.”
• “Sabíamos que las cosas tenían que cambiar, pero no sabíamos cómo.“
  “We knew that things had to change, but we didn’t know how.”

Learning Tip: Try watching the trailer one more time, and this time, focus on the use of Imperfecto. Repetition makes perfect!

Specific Vocabulary for “La Chicas del Cable”

While “Las Chicas del Cable” is a good series for learning Spanish, some specific vocabulary can be difficult to understand as it is very specific. Here are a few words that will help you better understand this series.

Spanish Term	Meaning in Spanish	English Translation
Centralita	Donde las operadoras conectan las llamadas.	Switchboard
Operadora	Persona que trabaja en la centralita.	Operator
Compañía	Se refiere a la empresa de telefonía.	Company
Empresa	Otro término para la organización donde trabajan.	Business/Company
Llamada	Una llamada telefónica hecha por los clientes.	Call
Cliente	Persona que utiliza el servicio telefónico.	Customer
Sueños	Aspiraciones o esperanzas de los personajes.	Dreams
Amistad	Las relaciones entre los personajes principales.	Friendship
Libertad	Un tema clave relacionado con los derechos de las mujeres.	Freedom
Huelga	Una protesta por mejores condiciones laborales.	Strike

Other Netflix Series To Help You Learn Spanish 

• La Casa de Papel : If you enjoy the Netflix series, then you surely have already watched or at least heard of La Casa de Papel. In this successful series, a group of characters tries to undertake an “impossible” mission: to rob the Royal Mint of Spain. And those characters know how to say things in Spanish!
• Élite : Taking place in a prestigious high school, this drama unravels the themes of friendship, love, and mystery among students from varied backgrounds. With its relatable slang and everyday expressions, it becomes an even better pick for learners hoping to grasp the language of Spanish youth.

If you are not sure of any vocabulary word and its pronunciation and you do not want to reverse the show, it is great to use the Jolii app to immediately get the meanings and learn the accent of that word.

• Narcos : Showing the ascent and descent of the Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel, this series is rich in cultural context, thanks to the exposure it gives to Colombian Spanish, slang, and historical references. For that reason, it is an excellent choice for anyone seeking to engage with a thrilling narrative while also enhancing their language skills.

These shows are not just for entertainment; they are also excellent resources for language exposure, offering the kinds of interactions and exchanges that lead to authentic language learning. 

They contain insights into Spanish-speaking cultures that lead to valuable expositional language learning. And, of course, they lead you down the path toward achieving the elusive goal of conversational Spanish.

Famous Dialogues of Las Chicas del Cable To Improve Spanish Language

Here are some memorable dialogues from “Las Chicas del Cable” that can help you with your Spanish learning:

Dialogue 1:

Spanish	English Translation
Lidia: “A veces, hay que arriesgarse para conseguir lo que queremos. “	Sometimes, you have to take risks to get what you want.
Carlota: “Pero, ¿y si perdemos? “	But what if we lose?

Dialogue 2:

Spanish	English Translation
Francisco:“No puedes dejar que el miedo te controle.”	You can’t let fear control you.
Ángela:“Es más fácil decirlo que hacerlo”	It’s easier said than done.

Dialogue 3:

Spanish	English Translation
Carlota:“La vida no siempre es justa, pero debemos seguir adelante.“	Life isn’t always fair, but we must move forward.
Lidia:”Tienes razón. No podemos rendirnos.”	You’re right. We can’t give up.

These dialogues capture the essence of the characters and provide useful expressions and vocabulary. Read and listen to them a few times to improve your understanding!

5 Tips To Learn Spanish Using Netflix Series Shows

Spanish-speaking television shows are an excellent resource for language learners. They help you understand the culture and context of the language while allowing you to listen to native speakers conversing with one another. Following are five tips for us­ing Spanish-language television programs to your advantage.

1. To improve both your reading and listening skills, watch the shows with Spanish subtitles.

2. Write down new words and phrases and repeat them often in order to expand your vocabulary.

3. Pay close attention to the characters’ pronunciation. Try to repeat their sentences to improve your accent.

4. Engage with episode summaries and reviews online. They are a great way of improving your reading comprehension. You can also write some in Spanish to practice writing.

5. Use a language-learning app such as Jolii.ai to review vocabulary when you’re not watching Spanish-language television.

By following the five tips outlined above, you will improve your Spanish skills in no time!

3 Ways To Improve Spanish Pronunciation

Pronouncing a language comes through practice. Still, there are 3 tips that can help improve Spanish pronunciation.

1. Repeat the phrases several times to get a flow of your Spanish language.
2. Chatting with native Spanish speakers can have a great impact on your Spanish pronunciation. You get the original feel and the right pronunciation.
3. Watching movies or shows in the original language with subtitles on can aid in learning the right Spanish pronunciation.

Conclusion

As we have seen in this blog post, “Las Chicas del Cable” offers an engaging storyline and rich vocabulary that makes it ideal for Spanish learners. 

By following the characters’ emotional journeys and everyday interactions, you’ll naturally expand your Spanish comprehension. Keep in mind that acquiring a language takes time and consistency, so make sure to have fun throughout the process! 

To enhance your learning experience even further, consider using the Jolii app. With interactive lessons and personalized practices, you can dive deeper into the language and culture while enjoying the process. Download it today and take your Spanish skills to the next level!

FAQs

Q: Should I be an advanced student to enjoy “Las Chicas del Cable”? 

A: No, not at all! You do not need to be an advanced Spanish speaker to appreciate this show. It is quite accessible for beginners and intermediates. The characters’ motivations and emotions are pretty clear, even if you can’t catch every single word they say. You can enjoy the show and then practice key vocabulary and expressing in the Jolii App.