La llegada de Sam, from Extr@ en español

Buenos dias, chicas y chicos, damas y caballeros, y todos mis amigos.  ¿Qué tal este día hermoso?

I am enjoying working with several conversation oriented activities on the 'Net.  One is called Extr@ en español.  It is part of a series of such programs and versions for German and French are also available.  They are perfect for beginners, because almost all of the dialogues are in the target language and the actors speak slowly and distinctly (but not so much so that they sound artificial).  The scenarios are creative and genuinely funny and entertaining--sort of like the vintage American series Three's Company.  One very good aspect of the series is that one of the characters is an American who knows some Spanish, but speaks with a strong American accent.  This is good for beginners because his Spanish is more recognizable to us neophytes and it gives us a character to sort of identify with, as he struggles to understand his Spanish (the action all occurs in an apartment in Spain) roommates, and they his.  I was especially pleased when I found myself laughing at some of the antics, since humor is one of the things hardest to convey in a new language.  

I think there are only about a dozen or so 1/2 hour episodes, which is disappointing.  I could see how this method of exposure to spoken Spanish could be utilized all the way through intermediate and even advanced levels.  Let's hope the producers of the show have expansion in mind. 

Hasta luego...