The Ultimate Guide to the Best Resources for Learning Spanish

Learning languages has countless benefits, expanding linguistic horizons, increasing cognitive abilities, job opportunities, and cultural knowledge. Spanish, one of the most spoken languages with over 1.2 billion speakers, can boost resumes and break cultural barriers. This article explores the best language learning resources to become Spanish savvy faster than imagined.

The Ultimate Resource List To Study Spanish

Learning any language from scratch can be challenging, with many language learning tools available. This guide arranges the best Spanish learning resources into categories to suit various study methods, with a secret to taking your language learning journey to the next level.

Language Learning Apps

Becoming proficient in another tongue is not an easy task. Fortunately, you can practice your Spanish skills with engaging bite-sized lessons from a variety of apps.

Clozemaster

This app turns lessons into simple games, teaching Spanish grammar and vocabulary by filling gaps in real-life contextual dialogues. You can play for free, with more features for Pro users with a fee.

ConjuGato

Master Spanish verbs with mnemonic flashcard games. If you are tired of learning Spanish verb conjugations with traditional exercises, then we highly recommend taking a look at Conjugato.

Duolingo

The most famous FREE language learning platform, Duolingo also relies on games to teach Spanish. Its primary function is to help you translate words or phrases about interesting topics into another language. You’ll even get the chance to share your results on social media and compete with friends.

LyricsTraining

Practice listening skills for FREE by enjoying Spanish songs, reading their lyrics, and filling in the gaps. If you are passionate about Spanish music, then this app was created exactly for you!

SaySomethinginSpanish

Master Spanish pronunciation on the go in a simple way. The app will play short audios in English, and you’ll repeat them in Spanish. Then, the app will play the same audio in Spanish to help you check your pronunciation.

Online Dictionaries and Translators

With so many useful language learning apps out there, using dictionaries and translators seems a bit outdated. But this is far from true. These days, there are a vast number of modern online dictionaries and translators, which will come in handy for every single learner.

Dictionary.com

Formerly known as Lexico, it is for those students who just want the definition of a word without too many examples or excessive details. Just type your word and Dictionary.com will offer definitions and synonyms in an instant.

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Linguee

Like Dictionary.com, Linguee is also fast. Actually, it will show translations even before you finish typing a word. And what’s best, it will display how words are used in real-life contexts.

Reverso

Gain a deeper understanding of Spanish lexis and expressions. By writing a word in the search toolbar, you’ll get examples, explanations, idioms, synonyms, collocations and other details.

WordReference.com

Unlike most other options, Word Reference grows thanks to users’ input. So, it’s a great option to learn new words and differences between Spanish regional dialects.

Spanish Textbooks

In this day and age, most people count on online tools to learn new things. But printed material can be extremely useful and entertaining as well, especially when it comes to language learning. Some Spanish textbooks will introduce you to new vocabulary and grammar with storytelling techniques.

Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish

Published in 1953 and still lauded as one of the best textbooks to learn Spanish, it teaches through stories rather than traditional “listen and repeat” activities. Just to give you an idea of how good this book is, it was published in 1953 and keeps being lauded as one of the best textbooks to learn Spanish.

Spanish Made Easy

Learn Spanish with relatively easy digestible and bite-sized lessons so that you’re always engaged and motivated. As the name implies, this book will allow you to learn Spanish with relatively easy digestible and bite-sized lessons.

USO De La Gramatica Espanola

If you’re a grammar nerd, you should definitely check this textbook. Uso de la Gramática Española has 22 topics that cover Spanish grammar in all its complexity.

Read and Think Spanish

The Read and Think Spanish book offers articles with key vocabulary translated on the side so you spend less time with a dictionary.

Schaum’s Spanish Grammar

Schaum’s Spanish Grammar book is about the ever-so-interesting subject of grammar, but at least allows for independent study.

Online Video Resources

Perhaps, you’re more of a visual learner, the type of person who learns languages by watching and listening. Then your best option to learn Spanish is by watching online videos. The best site to study this language with engaging video lessons for FREE is YouTube!

Butterfly Spanish

Boasting 1 million subscribers, Butterfly Spanish is the best option to learn this language with fun and short lessons that cover learning strategies, real-life language use, and many other topics.

CultureAlley

What sets Culture Alley apart from other Spanish learning channels is its relatively straightforward teaching method. You won’t watch a teacher but just listen to a voice giving explanations and sharing examples on a whiteboard.

The Spanish Dude

Similarly to Butterfly Spanish, this YouTube channel has an electrifying teacher who not only offers explanations with interesting topics and examples but also short 4-minute videos about Spanish fun facts.

Destinos Video Lessons

Destinos Video Lessons is an old video program designed to teach you Spanish. All episodes are available for free online.

Extra Spanish

Extra Spanish is a free TV sitcom series in the style of friends that is designed for Spanish students. It is actually pretty entertaining and well-done.

Podcasts

YouTube video series are not the only viable option for those students who learn by listening. Podcasts have become increasingly popular in the last few years. And just like videos, they’re an excellent source of natural Spanish.

LanguaTalk Spanish

Even if you’re a beginner student, you can still listen to podcasts, especially this one. Jesús and Rocio talk about a variety of topics at a slower pace to make sure you can understand what they’re saying. They also share transcripts to read as you listen.

Lightspeed Spanish

With 32 FREE Spanish lessons, LightSpeed Spanish is an excellent source to take your Spanish vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation wherever you go. The only downside is that you must pay for worksheets.

Easy Spanish

If you’re not interested in listening to Spanish classes but rather learning about Spanish culture and lifestyle, then you should definitely check Easy Spanish. It offers content in different Spanish dialects and the possibility to immerse yourself in the Spanish-speaking world.

Spanishobsessed

Are you learning Spanish from scratch? We suggest listening to Spanish Obsessed’s more than 30 lessons for beginner students. But be wary, if you want worksheets, you’ll have to pay.

Online Courses

If you’re more of a traditional learner and, instead of using podcasts, you would rather enroll in a course, you’ll be pleased to know that there are some excellent and well-organized Spanish learning programs on the web. With a variety of teaching techniques and methods, these online courses will give you a solid foundation of this language.

Michel Thomas Method

This is one of the most famous audio learning programs. Forget about books, note-taking or conscious memorizing. Michel Thomas method claims that you’ll learn Spanish in the same way as how you developed your native tongue, through simple but well-thought listening and repeat activities that imitate real language use. The program he teaches is absolutely great and is among the best resources to learn Spanish fast. You will be able to make complex sentences surprisingly fast and have a better understanding of grammar and structure fundamentals in a few hours with Michel (honestly).

Spanish Uncovered

But if you’re looking to try something different, we highly advise taking Olly Richard’s story learning course. Rather than the traditional “repeat after me” technique, you’ll learn Spanish as you follow widely-entertaining stories.

Pimsleur Spanish

These Pimsleur Spanish lessons are also nice in that they are “hands-free” meaning you can quite easily do these as you are driving down the road or cooking in your kitchen or so forth. You don’t have to be pausing the audio to allow time to respond. The time pressure adds a positive twist to the learning experience as you try and force your brain to respond to the prompts within the allotted time. Indeed, I think this style of learning more fully mimics the real process of speaking a new language where you have to think about what you want to say (in your native language) and translate it in your head before saying the words out loud. In any case, Pimsleur Spanish is a solid resource that will serve you well on your Spanish language journey and I highly recommend it.

Camino

For instance, you can read blog entries that provide simple explanations of Spanish vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation or, if you want to learn faster, you can try “Camino”. This is a 45-unit online and audio conversational course, where students learn Spanish by imitating bite-sized real-life dialogues, completing quizzes and other activities.

Online Examinations

Let us assume that you chose to study on your own, but wish to test your knowledge of Spanish. How are you going to do it? Our suggestion is to take a look at these online examinations. You might have to pay for them, but they are totally worth it. They belong to some of the most reputable Spanish teaching organizations, like Instituto Cervantes of Spain, and give you the chance of obtaining a certificate.

DELE

A very standard-looking exam, it’s separated into four different sections (listening, reading, writing and speaking) and comes into a variety of levels (from A1 to C1), depending on your proficiency. It belongs to the Instituto Cervantes, which offers an official lifetime diploma for those who pass the test

SIELE

It is similar to DELE. The only difference lies in its system. Although SIELE is divided into sections, it is not separated into levels. Rather, there is just one exam for all levels together so you don’t need to estimate your expected level in advance (like you do for DELE). And it will assess your level of Spanish based on the sections you’re able to complete correctly. If you pass, you can get a certificate that will last for five years.

D.I.E.

Unlike DELE and SIELE, these exams only asses oral and writing skills. But the good news is that, if you pass, you’ll also get a diploma, certifying your level of Spanish.

Language Learning Blogs

Language learning blogs are some of the most useful resources out there. Not only do they offer detailed explanations for Spanish grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation, but they’re mostly written by experienced Spanish teachers who often share free materials and lessons to help you hone your skills. So, even if you’re not an avid blog reader, you should check these Spanish learning sites:

El blog para aprender español

Run by Raquel and María, Spanish teachers from Madrid, this blog gives you an insight into the Spanish language and culture with a variety of activities and free materials.

My Daily Spanish

This blog is particularly useful not just because it teaches Spanish grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary through games, like tongue twisters, but because it also features posts on useful Spanish expressions and slang.

Alternative Language Learning Tools

This list would not be complete without some alternative language learning tools. Unlike other resources, they do not involve Spanish lessons, exams, courses or activities.

Social Media Communities

By just seeing or listening to native speakers interact, you’ll get a good idea of where your skills stand and how Spanish-speaking people use language in real-life contexts.

Reading comics, news and books

If you want to learn Spanish, you’ll need to immerse yourself in this new world, not just by communicating with native speakers but also by reading books, comics or magazines for Spanish learners, like Hola Qué Pasa. You might also want to check short stories in Short Stories in Spanish.

Watching TV, streaming or YouTube videos

Everybody loves watching videos, series or TV while sitting comfortably on a sofa. So, why not use it to your advantage? Try to imitate how Spanish speakers talk to each other, turn on subtitles to test your reading and listening skills or write what these Spanish speakers say to check your vocabulary knowledge. Watching familiar and beloved TV shows over again, but with Spanish audio and NO subtitles (try re-watching Breaking Bad on Netflix or some other show that you really like).

VeinteMundos

VeinteMundos provides excellent articles in Spanish along with accompanying audio files.

CNN in Spanish

Because the content is geared towards Spanish speakers, the articles tend to cover the Spanish-speaking world. If you’re more advanced, immersing yourself in native content like CNN in Spanish will probably be more helpful.

BBC Spanish

From interactive video dramas like “Mi Vida Loca” to a complete guide to Spanish slang, you can always find something interesting on BBC Spanish. BBC is another major news organization, but it actually has a separate site dedicated to Spanish learners.

Tips for Successful Language Learning

As we said before, language learning is no easy task. Some people have a knack for becoming proficient Spanish speakers in little time, but most students will have to learn at a slightly slower pace. Languages are not impossible to learn, however different they look, all languages share similar characteristics, namely a set of lexis, a set of sounds and grammatical structures.

Always set goals: Before learning a language, you should ask yourself this: How many words and sounds should I learn daily? How much time should I dedicate to my Spanish lessons weekly? The answer will give you an idea of what is your objective and how to organize yourself.
Track your progress: Yes, every now and then, you should make sure to test your skills. If not, you’ll never find out if you’re actually developing your Spanish or fossilizing mistakes.
Don’t be embarrassed to make mistakes: There’s nothing wrong with making mistakes. This is a normal part of the learning process. It should never discourage you! On the contrary, it should motivate you to get better.
Immerse yourself in Spanish: The best way to learn a language is by immersing yourself in it. That is, think in this language, watch TV shows from Spanish-speaking channels, read Spanish books, listen to the best Latin music and set your computer and mobile’s operating system in Spanish.
Be patient and persistent: Everyone can learn a new language, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll do it in the blink of…
Start speaking the language from day 1: even in simple terms like talking to yourself, things around the house, etc.
Nothing replaces the full immersion experience that you get when you hit the ground in a new country. But if you have plans to visit a foreign country you should be trying to learn as much as possible beforehand so you can hit the ground running instead of wasting your first days and weeks struggling through the fundamentals.

Additional Resources

Open textbooks can always be adapted to fit the needs of a specific course. Search or scroll to find the Spanish language textbooks and anthologies in this assorted-languages collection, which can be downloaded for no cost or printed at low cost. This large repository includes all kinds of open educational resources. Use the search limiters to narrow by education level, material type (e.g., textbooks), and subject. Resources in this collection have been peer-reviewed or selected for use by faculty at California community colleges. Scroll down for links to Spanish resources, including books, the intermediate-level Acceso curriculum, and supplemental materials. This collection provides open resources for English speakers learning Spanish. This list links to grammar and literacy lessons, video and audio files, curriculum, and other resources. Video clips and transcripts in this archive are selected from the Spanish in Texas Corpus, a collection of interviews with bilingual Spanish speakers. This is a curated selection of notable language-learning materials published with Pressbooks, including several Spanish titles.

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