Plaza Sesamo: The Fun Way to Learn Basic Spanish

Plaza Sesamo, the Spanish Sesame Street, is not only for Spanish-speakers but also for those who want a fun and easy introduction to conversational Spanish. If you want to introduce your child to the sounds and intonations of Spanish, Plaza Sesamo is a great place to start.

Plaza Sesamo’s audience is primarily composed of preschoolers who speak only rudimentary Spanish. To keep things easy to understand, the vocabulary on Plaza Sesamo is very basic, and the sentences are very short and simple. Also, like virtually all children’s programming, the communication is highly expressive and includes an abundance of visual aids. The result is a constant flow of Spanish communication that could not be any easier to understand.

Watching Plaza Sesamo will not magically give your child the ability to speak fluent Spanish, but the show will definitely give the child a taste of the language that could serve as a stepping stone when beginning formal Spanish training in the future.

Plaza Sesamo: The Latino Sesame Street

Plaza Sesamo, Sesame Street’s Latino counterpart, premiered in Mexico and Latin America in 1972. Since its debut, Plaza Sesamo has thrilled millions of Spanish-speaking children.

Abelardo, Big Bird’s Latino cousin, is a giant green, red, pink, and yellow parrot. Much like Big Bird, Abelardo serves as the centerpiece of the show. Each episode, Abelardo and his friends, Lola, Pancho Contreras, Elefancio, etc. lead groups of children in peppy dances and songs as they explore the alphabet, numbers, etc. (All of this is in Spanish, of course.)

Just like Sesame Street, Plaza Sesamo incorporates animation clips and video segments. The show maintains an energetic and exciting pace to keep the attention of its easily distracted preschool audience.

You can find Plaza Sesamo on most major Spanish television stations.