We’ve put together some languages resources and useful links for those interested in studying Hispanic Studies at Kent, including some of our own staff and students talking about the challenges and opportunities that learning to speak another language brings.
Taster lectures
- Dr William Rowlandson, Senior Lecturer in Hispanic Studies, on the theme of suffering in the paintings of Frida Kahlo.
Educational websites
- Learn Spanish with Babbel: The fun and easy way to learn Spanish online.
- BBC Languages: Spanish
- Duolingo
NEWSPAPERS
General information:
- El Mundo
- Noticias, actualidad, álbumes, debates, sociedad, servicios, entretenimiento y última hora en España y el mundo.
- El País
- Noticias de última hora sobre la actualidad en España y el mundo: política, economía, deportes, cultura, sociedad, tecnología, gente, opinión, viajes, moda, …
- La vanguardia
- Últimas noticias, actualidad, participación, servicios, entretenimiento y última hora en Catalunya, España y el mundo
- La razón
- Diario La Razón, noticias de actualidad nacional e internacional. Toda la información de ultima hora y especialistas en opinión, toros y religión.
Sports:
Economy:
Other reading:
- Latin America: inequality and political instability have lessons for the rest of the world
- How the Cuban Revolution kickstarted the country’s golden age of cinema
- Edwin Williamson, The Penguin History of Latin America
- Helen Graham, The Spanish Civil War: A Very Short Introduction
Our selections of:
TV SERIES ON NETFLIX (click on the title to access the IMDB website page)
A group of unique robbers assault the Factory of Moneda and Timbre to carry out the most perfect robbery in the history of Spain and take home 2.4 billion euros.
When three working-class teenagers begin attending an exclusive private schol in Spain, the clash between them and the wealthy students leads to murder.
Set in the 1920s, this is the story of four women from different backgrounds newly hired as operators for a phone company.
A feel-good, compelling Spanish story of a fashion house in Madrid in the late 50’s, which is scene to money, fashion, drama, entanglements, love, jealousies, plots, counter-plots involving its owners, customers and residential employees.
It takes place in the Galicia (Spain) of the 80s, when the fishing sector was transformed and many of the shipowners became indebted. This situation will be favorable for the start of activities such as contraband and drug trafficking.
After losing her biggest client talent agent Paquita starts a search for new stars.
A warrior from the 16th Century, the first female university student from the 19th Century, and a paramedic from the 21st Century join a secret agency to prevent people from changing Spanish history using time-traveling doors.
A chronicled look at the criminal exploits of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, as well as the many other drug kingpins who plagued the country through the years.
She broke the law for the boss she fell in love with. Now this naive girl has to pay the price.
The story of a family-owned hotel set in the fictional coastal Spanish town of Cantaloa in 1905 which is scene to love, blackmail, jealousies, crime, comedy, plots and counter-plots all involving the hotel’s owners, guests, detectives and residential employees.
Hispanic Studies student, Becky, sums up her year abroad in Tarragona, Spain:
FILMS ON NETFLIX (click on the title to access the IMDB website page)
Drama/thriller:
- La enfermedad del domingo A high-class old lady receives the unexpected visit of her long-time stranded daughter that she had left over thirty years ago, asking a strange request: to spend ten days the two together.
- El autor A man obsessed with the idea of writing “high literature” starts to cause conflicts around him to write about it.
- La isla mínima Two cops lost in the deep south of Spain. One serial killer to catch. A lot of secrets and lies of discover.
- Celda 211 The story of two men on different sides of a prison riot — the inmate leading the rebellion and the young guard trapped in the revolt, who poses as a prisoner in a desperate attempt to survive the ordeal.
- Roma A year in the life of a middle-class family’s maid in Mexico City in the early 1970s.
- Palmeras en la nieve After the death of her father, a young Spanish woman discovers a partial letter. As she searches for the answers, she embarks on a journey that takes her back to Africa, where she unfolds the secrets of her family.
- Contratiempo A successful entrepreneur accused of murder and a witness preparation expert have less than three hours to come up with an impregnable defence.
- El laberinto del Fauno In the Falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.
- 100 metros Based on true events, a Spanish man with multiple sclerosis who tried to finish an Iron-Man competition despite he was told that he could not make 100 meters.
- El hombre de las mil caras The story of a man who fooled an entire country. A tale of cheats and impostors, taking its inspiration from true facts and from one of the most intriguing characters of recent decades: the spy Francisco Paesa.
Horror:
- El orfanato A woman brings her family back to her childhood home, which used to be an orphanage for handicapped children. Before long, her son starts to communicate with an invisible new friend.
- Rec A television reporter and cameraman follow emergency workers into a dark apartment building and are quickly locked inside with something terrifying.
Comedies/romantic comedies:
- Toc Toc
- El ciudadano ilustre A recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature, who has been living in Europe for decades, accepts an invitation to receive a prize. In Argentina he finds both similarities and irreconcilable differences with the people of his hometown.
- Nuestros amantes
- La dictadura perfecta TV MX, the most powerful Mexican Television Corporation, discloses a scandalous story involving Governor Carmelo Vargas in serious crimes and illicit business.
FILMS ON AMAZON PRIME
- Una mujer fantástica Marina, a transgender woman who works as a waitress and moonlights as a nightclub singer, is bowled over by the death of her older boyfriend.
- Lo que escondían sus ojos In the 1940’s Spain, a Marquess and a Minister live a forbidden love.
- La piel que habito A brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.
- El secreto de sus ojos A retired legal counselor writes a novel hoping to find closure for one of his past unresolved homicide cases and for his unreciprocated love with his superior – both of which still haunt him decades later.
- Volver After her death, a mother returns to her home town in order to fix the situations she couldn’t resolve during her life.
- Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios A television actress encounters a variety of eccentric characters after embarking on a journey to discover why her lover abruptly left her.
- Todo sobre mi madre Young Esteban wants to become a writer and also to discover the identity of his second mother, a trans woman, carefully concealed by his mother Manuela.
SERIES ON AMAZON PRIME
Pequeñas coincidencias Marta and Javier see no reason to find a mate and settle down until their biological clocks start ticking.
RADIO AND TV SHOWS ON YOUTUBE
- Nadie sabe nada El programa en el que puede pasar de todo: improvisación en estado puro de la mano de dos de los cómicos más reconocidos de nuestro país, Andreu Buenafuente y Berto Romero
- La vida moderna La Vida Moderna es un programa de commedia presentado por David Broncano, Quequé e Ignatius Farray. Gusta a las gentes y sigue el camino de Shiva.
- VodafoneYu VodafoneYu es un mundo con el programa más loco de la radio en Europa FM de la mano de Ana Morgade, las mejores experiencias, conciertos y todo un universo en el que desarrollar tu talento. Pero también es un mundo con las mejores tarifas, que puedes contratar 100% online. Yuser, el mundo es tuyo. Descúbrelo ahora en yu.vodafone.es
- Ilustres ignorantes Canal Oficial de Ilustres Ignorantes, la charla más gamberra e irreverente de la televisión, en #0 (Movistar+) Delirante debate que Javier Coronas dirige y presenta en con la participación de Javier Cansado, Pepe Colubi y diferentes invitados. Todos los programas de esta temporada y los episodios anteriores. No olvides suscribirte para no perderte nada y disfruta de los programas completos bajo demanda en http://ver.movistarplus.es
- LateMotiv Sarcástico, crítico, atrevido, gamberro, y muy cero. Eso y más es Late Motiv, el late night de Andreu Buenafuente producido por EL TERRAT y Movistar+. Un “one man show” en el que Andreu recibe invitados y colaboradores (Silvia Abril, Berto Romero, Javier Coronas, Miguel Maldonado, Raúl Cimas, Leonor Watling, James Rhodes…), repasa la actualidad más caliente e incluye actuaciones musicales en directo.