Newsletter

Soccer, how to roll your Rs, and the sentence toolbar

February 25, 2024

Hello friend,

In this week's edition, we travel to Peru for a story about fathers and sons, teach you how to roll your 'Rrrrs,' and round up some interesting articles from across the web.

Just like the new Jiveworld features you'll read about, we craft this newsletter based on feedback from you. If you have questions about Stories or Soundbites, have an article to share, or need an answer to a burning question about Spanish, send it our way.

Simple illustration of dark skinned figures, standing together..

Featured story
Creando un monstruo

Based on his own experiences, Santiago worries that his son will be bullied for being different. He tries to get his son to play soccer to fit in, but things don't turn out as planned. By observing his son's development, his unique perspective, and how he challenges expectations, Santiago gains insights into his own fears.

Los niños te vuelven adulto. Te hacen notar y corregir todas las carencias de ti mismo que siempre te negaste a afrontar.

Soundbites from Creando un monstruo will teach you a colloquial meaning of the word rollo, a new way to use diminutives, how to contemplate a hypothetical situation in the past using the past perfect subjunctive, and much more.

Want to listen to the full story? Subscribe to unlock the entire catalog of Stories and Soundbites. 

Artwork by Pepa Ilustradora

Listen on Jiveworld

New in Jiveworld
Sentence toolbar and smarter pause

Last week we sent an email about some new features in Jiveworld, and we have been blown away by the response. We eagerly read every email, app review, and message — thank you!

If you missed the update, open a Jiveworld story and check out these new features:

  • The sentence toolbar - Pause while listening and a new action toolbar will appear underneath the sentence. It provides quick access to key features like vocab, translation, and replay.
  • Copy and paste - Tap the three dots in the bottom right of the new toolbar (or use keyboard shortcuts) to open the option to copy the sentence and paste it elsewhere.
  • Smart(er) Pause - Now all our players — including the Soundbite player — use Smart Pause. And there is much clearer visual feedback when you're in the delayed pause state, before the end of the sentence. Prefer a more traditional pause behavior? You can turn Smart Pause off in the new Settings panel, accessible at the top right of the player screen.

ICYMI: Pronouncing the Spanish 'R'

Struggling with the tricky Spanish 'R'? This video gives you a practical lesson on how to prep your mouth to roll those Rrrrs.

If you've already mastered that rhythmic, rolling 'R,' then try this tongue twister for fun:

R con R cigarro, R con R barril, rápido corren los carros cargados de azúcar del ferrocarril.

Preview image for a video with text that says "Tips for pronouncing the Spanish R" Click the image to go to the video.

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What we're reading

Thanks for being a member,

Team Jiveworld