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Basics
Sorry to state the obvious, but... Mi Vida Loca is an online application with video and sound. Make sure your connection to the Internet is working and that your speakers or headphones are plugged in and working. Although at times you'll have to say things out loud, you won't need a microphone.
As an online video-rich experience, Mi Vida Loca requires a broadband connection. You can find out more about broadband on BBC Webwise. If you don't have a broadband connection, our previous online course Spanish Steps works on slower dial-up connections.
The video and subtitles may not play correctly if your connection slows down. Possible reasons for this are given here, though you may need to contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Mi Vida Loca has been optimised, as far as possible, for a smooth experience. If you do experience any glitches or problems, please let us know. Please note that, at the moment, the video is not available for download.
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The video player
The episodes will be launched in a pop-up window, which consists of:
- 1. Main video screen
- 2. Spanish subtitles: click on ESP to turn them on and off
- 3. English subtitles: click on ENG to turn them on and off
- 4. Play/pause control
- 5. Review control: click to replay a phrase while a video is playing
- 6. Skip control: click to jump forward
- 7. Progress bar: click to go back over individual scenes
- 8. Expand button: click to make the video bigger
- 9. Mute button: click to mute the sound
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Translations
The English commentary is translated in the subtitles, but not always word for word. The word order may be different in each language, or some expressions just don't translate, so an equivalent one in the other language is used.
As this is a beginners' course, the more advanced Spanish isn't explained, just translated. If you're learning the language from scratch, you may want to use the subtitles to get a feel for the language at a higher level. If you already know some Spanish, you may find them useful to pick up new expressions.
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Real Spanish
In the course people will speak at a different pace:
1. I'll speak slowly and clearly to help you learn the language.
2. The actors in the dramatic scenes perform at normal native speed, but taking care to speak clearly.
3. The real people, such as the taxi drivers or the waiters, play themselves in their everyday jobs.
They speak at their normal pace, which may sound fast and unclear to a beginner, but you have the opportunity to replay and, eventually, develop the skill to understand them. This will stand you in good stead when you go to a Spanish-speaking country. -
Printing
You can print out the vocabulary, grammar and practice pages at the end of the episode. You'll need to adjust your printer settings to print in landscape layout.
© MMIX