Duolingo Spanish Podcast

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.

The giant Galápagos tortoise is one of the most endangered animals in the world, and Lonesome George was the last of his particular species when he met conservationist Washington Tapia. They would go on to develop a bond that would inspire Washington to dedicate his life to protecting the tortoises of the Galápagos. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Laura Ortiz thought she could change the lives of children in Colombia’s most remote region by giving them books. But a trip there teaches her that she was the one who had much to learn from those communities. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Would you build a company based on trust? That’s what social entrepreneur Marcela Torres set out to do when she launched her Mexico City-based startup that paid young people to learn to code. No one believed she could do it, until she did.

The Duolingo Spanish Podcast is back with new episodes starting Thursday, May 2nd. Listen to the trailer now!

Cristian Gorbea had been running long-distance races for 20 years when he decided to enter his first ultramarathon. The race would begin at the base of a mountain in Argentina and last 24 hours — at least, in theory. For Cristian, the experience would last much longer, and test much more than his physical endurance. He’d test his faith, patience, and capacity to cede his fate to someone other than himself. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at...

Ana María grew up without a father. All she knew about him was his name, but when she set out to find him she discovered that even his name led her astray. Ana María’s endeavor to fill in the blanks her father left in her life story leads her to surprising places, as she learns startling details about her mother’s past and finds guidance where she least expects it. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

When David Martínez was four years old, he and his parents took a bus to the north of Colombia to visit extended family for Christmas. They had many gifts with them, including a ham for the family dinner. But what should have been an uneventful trip turned into a dangerous journey that David would never forget. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

After the September 11th attacks in 2001, Juan Pablo Villarino was dismayed to see how people were starting to lose trust in the ultimate good of humanity. So he figured the best way to prove he was still right to trust total strangers was to hitchhike through the epicenter of the war on terror. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

When she was growing up in Santiago, Chile, Yasna Mussa says it was common for her friend’s families to employ nannies. Even though these workers, mostly women, spent most of their days caring for these families, Yasna remembers them being somewhat invisible. She didn’t take notice of this until she became a nanny herself in a foreign country. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Federico Bianchini had always dreamt of traveling to Antarctica from his native Argentina. But little did he know that the great white continent had a plan of its own for him once he got there. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Flamenco is famous for the emotional intensity of its songs and dances. Argentinian Samanta Gamarra discovered that this ancient art from southern Spain has another quality that is less known for, the ability to heal wounds, the deepest ones. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

When Andrea Krichmar was a girl, she spent an afternoon at her friend’s dad’s house. This was during the dictatorship in Argentina, and that afternoon, without knowing it, Andrea witnessed a scene that would change her life and make her key to the country’s historic return to democracy. 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, November 15th. Listen to the trailer now!