Watching reality TV shows in Spanish is the perfect way to learn the vocabulary Spanish speakers use in real life.
The growing popularity of reality TV has spilled over to the Spanish-Language market, which means you’ve got tons of shows that will help you pick up the words and phrases you can’t find in the curated dialogues of scripted TV.
You already know that watching shows in a foreign language is a simple, entertaining, and effective way to keep on top of your learning. Reality TV shows in Spanish take that learning to a more caliente level.
They will keep you glued to your laptop while helping you stay motivated to perfect that Spanish “r”.
So if you’re eager to expand on your daily life Spanish vocabulary in a fun way, here are 5 reality TV show recommendations you should check out!
Check out: What is the Best Way to Learn Spanish?
What Are Some Benefits of Watching Reality TV in Spanish?
The benefits of watching reality TV shows in Spanish for learning real life vocabulary are many.
These shows swap the scripted for the unscripted. They are unfiltered and addictive.
More importantly, they’ll allow you to hear Spanish used in common scenarios you might face in real life.
Watching reality TV shows will bring you closer to authentic Spanish Vocabulary
You’ll definitely pick up Spanish words and phrases by watching any type of show in the language. However, reality TV shows in Spanish will allow you to hear more colloquial words and phrases without having to travel to the actual countries where they speak the language.
The best part about reality TV shows is that they’re mostly uncensored. You get a glimpse into people’s reactions to real life situations. That means you'll hear words you haven’t probably heard before.
Also, scripted drama often covers stories of love, crime, and vengeance. Reality TV shows, on the other hand, deal with scenarios that are more attuned to our daily lives.
Viewers are allowed to venture into the kitchen through a cooking competition. They get to explore in depth the world of dancing and music while tuning into a reality dance competition.
If you’re trying to expand your vocabulary in Spanish beyond te amo and asesinato, and want to learn what ingredientes are needed to make your favorite dish en español, you'll love reality TV shows in Spanish.
Reality TV shows are diverse, so you won't get stuck watching a boring show just to learn Spanish.
The variety of reality TV shows in Spanish is a great reason you should watch this type of TV, especially if you get bored easily learning Spanish through the TV shows you’ve been watching.
If you’re into extreme sports competitions, there’s a reality show you're bound to enjoy.
If you want to see how “trashy” celebrities act when stuck inside a house with other colorful personalities, you can find shows about that, too.
Don’t worry if you don’t have time to watch TV every day, either. You’ll find plenty of shows that run once a week and others that run 5 days a week. It’s up to you how often you want to catch up on TV in Spanish.
There is a reality TV show that will fit your needs regardless of your tastes and time restraints for learning Spanish.
And if you’re learning Spanish with your kids or spouse, there will definitely be a reality TV show that you can all enjoy watching together.
Some shows have multiple seasons a year, which means you won't lose your motivation to learn.
Many popular reality TV shows in Spanish are on or have been on for multiple seasons. That means you get to grow with each season of your favorite show as you perfect your Spanish, without having to wait so long for the next season to arrive!
When you watch a reality TV show in Spanish for the first time you'll get tons of Spanish thrown at you, often without subtitles. You'll also have to get acquainted with the format of the show.
You want to keep up that momentum of learning by watching a new season.
By the second season, you’ll be more familiar with both the structure of the show and with listening to Spanish unfiltered. That means you can focus more on learning more advanced words and phrases.
And the best part, seasons usually come out once or twice a year, which means you won’t have to wait a year for a new season of your favorite reality TV show to drop.
You’ll be motivated to continue learning Spanish.
Here Are 5 Reality TV Recommendations You Need To Check Out
If you’re eager to see how reality TV shows will help with your Spanish, here are 5 recommendations we think you'll love.
If you don’t have access to these shows, you can find clips and or full episodes of these shows for free on YouTube.
Check them out!
La Casa De Los Famosos
Years: 2021-Present
You’ll like it if you enjoy: Big Brother, The Real World
Remember the celebrities you came across while learning Spanish with telenovelas? You can find them in La Casa De Los Famosos.
This Spanish-language adaptation of Big Brother began airing in mid-2021. 17 house guests, all well-known Latin and Spanish actors, musicians, and influencers stick it out for months competing for $200,000 USD.
And they're not afraid of saying things sin pelos en la lengua, or without mincing words.
Every week the group becomes smaller as the celebrities nominate their fellow housemates that they want off the show.
Along the way, the group completes diverse and sometimes quirky challenges like cutting a watermelon perfectly in half.
Alliances and romances start forming, and backstabbing, gossiping, and drama unfold.
This show is definitely for you if you like real life drama.
Mira Quien Baila
Years: 2010-Present
You’ll like it if you enjoy: Dancing With The Stars, So You Think You Can Dance
Learning Spanish means you’ll learn tons about Latin music.
If you’re passionate about salsa, bachata, or mambo, Mira Quien Baila is the perfect reality show for you to indulge in this passion and learn Spanish, all at the same time!
Similar to the show Dancing with the Stars, a cohort of celebrities are paired with professional dancers. Each week, they perform a different dance routine and are judged by equally famous entertainers.
Someone is sent home each gala through the combination of judge and audience voting.
Throughout, we get to see how celebrities overcome obstacles and are entertained by some awesome musical guests.
And the best part: the winning celebrity gets to donate the show's winning to the nonprofit organization of his or her choice.
Are you ready to get your dancing shoes on for a good cause?
Exatlon Estados Unidos
Years: 2018-Present
You’ll like it if you enjoy: American Ninja Warrior, Wipeout
Filmed in the Dominican Republic, this popular show is based on a Turkish reality series of the same name.
It brings together 10 celebrities and 10 unknowns with an athletic background. They compete across increasingly difficult obstacle courses to prove themselves and their teams champions.
Watching these athletes compete will keep you on the edge of your seat as you shout out ¡vamos! to your favorite contestants across the TV screen.
In the end, only one male contestant and one female contestant can claim the title of Exatlon champion.
This is a fun reality TV show you can watch with friends, and you can cheer on different teams, making it a fun competition for you too.
Top Chef VIP
Years: 2022-Present
You’ll like it if you enjoy: Masterchef, Food Network Challenge
Cooking competitions have been a staple of reality TV for decades.
If you're ready to drool while learning some new food words in Spanish, you should definitely check out Top Chef VIP.
The celebrity cooking reality TV show pairs the love of food, the over-the-top personalities of big names from Latin America, and increasingly daring cooking challenges.
The amateur cooks don an apron to compete for $100,000 USD. In this show, we see our beloved stars at their best AND worst as they scramble to accomplish increasingly difficult cooking challenges.
A few tears are shed every episode, and it's not just because of the cebolla.
The heat will definitely be turned up in la cocina.
12 Corazones
Years: 2005-2017
You’ll like it if you enjoy: The Bachelor, Love Is Blind
The oldest of these 5 shows, 12 Corazones was a staple on Spanish-language TV from the mid-2000s to the late 2010s.
Each episode brings together a group of 12 unknowns, one each for the 12 different zodiac signs.
Contestants are asked to compete in various tests to impress the opposite sex. They engage in silly acts like hula hoop dancing and twirling in the middle of the stage to show off their sex appeal.
Couples are formed along the way, with tons of rejection and cacheteadas, or slaps, in between.
The premise of men versus women is at the core of the show, and the sexes are pitted against each other as they share their points of view on various topics.
There's also an astrologer who sprinkles in some insights about love and attraction.
If you love the idea of love AND drama and are into astrology, check out 12 Corazones.
Learn These Words and Phrases Before You Start Watching Reality TV Shows in Spanish
Before you rush to check out these TV shows and impress your Spanish and Latino friends, here are a few words and phrases that will help follow along more easily:
prueba de fuego
litmus test: the kind of test or task that will show how worthy a contestant is to continue in the competition
reto
a challenge: usually a task or activity contestants have to complete as they compete with each other
ánimo / vamos / dale
go / let’s go: All three words are shouted as cheers to encourage contestants to give their bests during the competition
contendientes / participantes / concursantes
contestants/participants: words to describe the people participating in the competitions
el anfitrión
the host: the person narrating the show as it unfolds
equipo
team
el público
the audience: usually refers to either the people live or at home watching the show
la pista
the dance floor
fallar
to fail
vencer
to conquer
la pizarra / el marcador
the board / the scoreboard.
el puntaje / la puntuación
the score
a favor de
in favor of
concentrados[as], listos[as], tres, dos, uno
ready, set, go: a countdown given to contestants before the start of a challenge.
al volver
When we come back: said before a commercial break to tell the audience what will happen in the show after the commercial break.
nos vemos en la próxima / hasta la próxima
See you next time: said at the end of the show to sign off / end the show.
Start Learning How to Speak Like a Native with These 5 suggestions for Reality TV Shows in Spanish
You're all set to start learning Spanish like a native with reality TV shows. You've learned some of the benefits of watching reality TV shows in Spanish and have got a few suggestions for shows we think you’ll love.
Better yet, you now know some new words in Spanish to make watching reality TV shows in Spanish easier.
What are you waiting for?! Go and check out one of the shows above and start learning.
And If you need more recommendations for TV shows in Spanish, including reality TV shows, sign up for Lingopie’s 7-day free trial. With 1000s of hours of great TV shows and interactive subtitles, you won’t need to waste your time searching for good television in Spanish.
See also: Top 15 Best Songs to Learn Spanish: Sing Your Way to Fluency with Lingopie Music
You’ll be well on your way to hablar español!
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