¡Nos vamos a Argentina! Bringing more authentic Spanish voices to TiS

There are new voices in your Spanish videos. Don't be surprised if your students notice them before you do.

Picture the scene. You press play on a Spanish video, and within seconds a hand shoots up: "What, they don't speak like you!"

It's one of the best moments in language teaching: the penny dropping that Spanish isn't one flat, tidy thing. Middle-school Spanish teacher Jennifer Lastra knows it well. Her students said almost exactly that, and it handed her the perfect way in to talk about accents and where they come from.

"What, they don't speak like you!" Jennifer Lastra, Spanish teacher

Well, now there are some new voices to discover. Argentina has arrived at This is School.

Another side of Spanish

The more varieties of Spanish students hear, the more prepared they'll be for the Spanish they'll encounter beyond the classroom.

You'll hear "vos" where the textbook says "tú", along with words and expressions your students may never have come across before. It's a little like hearing English from London and New York: familiar enough to follow, but different enough to make you sit up and listen.

For students, that difference is actually a good kind of surprise: the sort that makes them lean in and actually listen.

Why students really watch

Here's the part we love. We didn't ask our speakers to sound like a textbook. We asked them to sound like themselves.

That's what makes these videos different. They're young Argentinians (Celeste, Jeremias, Valentina, Alejo, Daira and Tomas in this case) speaking naturally about their lives, opinions and experiences, just as they would outside the classroom.

The result is language that feels current, relatable and authentic.  Students see people close to their own age and think, "I want to understand that."

‍As teacher Mark Little puts it, our videos make students "question the concept of there being a 'right' way of speaking". Argentina is a perfect example of exactly that.

A new favourite

We get it. Everyone has their favourites.

There's that one clip that always lands, so out it comes, year after year, class after class. No shame in a trusty go-to! But if you fancy something new to shake things up, this is it.

Around 130 new Argentinian videos are joining our library of more than 12,500 authentic language videos. Drop one into your next Spanish unit and watch the room react.

How to use it in class

Already teach with This is School? Then you know the drill, because this works exactly like every other language video:

• Assign it by topic or exam board, whatever suits your class
• Pick the grading that matches your curriculum
• Let the platform mark it automatically, so students get instant results
• Use the four scaffolded, interactive exercises as homework or as a front-of-class activity

Jennifer uses This is School about once a week, sometimes as a quick listening task in class, sometimes for homework. Argentina slots straight into that same routine.

Try it with your class

If you're already with us, Argentina is waiting in your Spanish videos. 

Give your favourite clip the week off, and let this one take the stage.

Not on This is School yet? This is a lovely place to start. Every subscription begins with a free 14-day trial: no strings, just you and your students seeing what real-world language can do. Start yours at thisisschool.com.

Say hola to Argentina. We think it's going to become one of your students' favourite voices.

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