¡Qué onda Yaprendices! This week we're exploring español de México! Let's get into it! Let's start with some of my favorite phrases in Mexican Spanish! ¿Qué onda? = Qué pasa = what's up. I love it because it's literally like "what's the wave"- which feels is cool. By the way- "onda" and "ola" are both words that mean "wave" in Spanish. Güey - dude / guy- usually pronounced without the "g" sound- more like "wey" Mande - a response like, "yes?" No manches - be for real!? Stop playin'!! Qué padre - How cool! / That's dope! Chavo/ chava - guy / girl If you are curious about more common Mexican expressions- definitely check this out! Your challenge this week is to comment below your favorite Mexican Spanish phrases in the community. Let's see if you can get a conversation going around it en español!

Let’s compare: 🇪🇸 Spain is the birthplace of the Spanish language- located in Europe 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea is a small country in West Africa where Spanish is the official language Essentially, Spanish became an official language in Equatorial Guinea after Spain gained control of the territory in 1778 through the Treaty of El Pardo and later consolidated its rule in the early 1900s. During colonial rule, Spanish was established as the language of government, education, and administration. Even after independence in 1968, the country retained Spanish as an official language due to its lasting institutional and cultural influence. It’s fascinating to think about how the language always adapts to the people, not the other way around. https://www.dreaming.com/blog-posts/the-only-african-spanish-speaking-country-equatorial-guinea-explained 💬 What do you think? Which do you prefer?

¡Hola Yaprendices! I’ve missed you! I’m back and so excited to reconnect and get us speaking Spanish together again. While I’ve been away, I’ve been reflecting a lot on what it takes to stay committed- even when progress feels slow, or like it’s not showing up the way we hoped. I've been thinking a lot about how this very process happens in every area of life where we’re trying to grow — and learning Spanish is no different! This month, our theme is Speaking Without Fear. Each week, I’ll share a small challenge to practice together — simple, doable, and designed to help you speak more confidently. This week’s challenge: Share a voice note introducing yourself in Spanish — just a few sentences about who you are, what you enjoy, or something small about your day. Don’t worry about being perfect; the goal is simply to speak and be heard. Let’s start speaking, supporting each other, and embracing mistakes as part of the process. I can’t wait to hear from you! 🎉

¡Hablemos! 🎙️💬 ¿Cuál es una palabra o expresión en español/inglés que aprendiste recientemente y te encanta? ¿Cómo la usarías en una oración? Let's talk! 🎙️💬 What’s a word or expression in Spanish/English that you recently learned and love? How would you use it in a sentence?

Ever notice how Dominican Spanish, Southern Black English, and NYC slang have their own unique rhythm- but they are similar at the same time? I love exploring the similarities and differences in our lingüistic variety as multicultural people. Part of why I started Yaprendí was to create a space to share this appreciation for our uniqueness and help us see each other more fully. Examples: 🇩🇴 Dominican Spanish: “Qué lo qué, manín?” (What’s up, my guy?) 🏾 Southern Black English: “Whatchu got goin’ on?” (What are you up to?) 🏙️ NYC Black Culture: “What’s the vibes?” (What’s the mood?) Comment below- where are you from and what is something pretty unique to your culture that you don't hear a lot elsewhere? - respond in English or Spanish. ¿De dónde eres? ¿Qué es algo único que ustedes dicen en tu dialecto del español? - responde en inglés o en español.