How to learn Spanish? is a very frequently asked question. To help answer it, we have created a list of interesting resources for learning Spanish. They are grouped into convenient sections represented by the eight images below. Click any of them to move to the corresponding section and explore the related resources. We hope it will help you find your favorite way of learning. Remember that enjoyment is the key! Otherwise you may get discouraged fast.

We recommend that you try out at least one thing from each section to involve various senses and intelligence types in the learning process. The more immersed you become and the greater variety of stimuli you provide for your sensory neurons, the easier and faster you learn.

The list is under constant development, we will add to it over time as we find new resources. Your feedback is an important source of information, so please give it using our contact form, feedback forms available on this page or in the comments at the bottom.

Some of the resources are free, some are not. Please note that a few of these links are affiliate links, which makes no difference in cost or anything for you, but let’s the site earn a commission if you buy anything. The commissions are a form of support as they help cover some of the site maintenance costs and speed up content development.

WATCH

Watching foreign language films is another fantastic way to get used to its sounds. It can help you become familiar with various flavors of informal or colloquial speech.

Start using Spanish subtitles, then switch to movies dubbed in Spanish with English subtitles and finally watch videos without them and deduce what you don’t understand from the context, setting and images, as well as from the voice intonation and body language. This kind of practice will help you improve your vocabulary, pronunciation and listening comprehension skills.

Educational videos / TV / series

• Learn Spanish online with Yabla – by watching Spanish videos in an online video player designed for language learners.
  
  Yabla videos come from contemporary television, film and music, videos intended for native speakers and made by native speakers. The material is engaging, entertaining, and real – the very same material that natives are watching every day for information and entertainment. Clips provide exposure to a wide variety of accents and dialects from all over the Spanish speaking world.
  
  The player is a great learning device. The videos have Spanish and English transcriptions, listening games and slow play mode. Each video is divided into small chapters and you can easily make each chapter repeat over and over again until you learn that piece. For instance – you could set just one sentence of a song to play in a loop. This function makes the player very unique – you cannot achieve the same in YouTube. Clicking any word in the transcription brings up its translation. The words that you don’t know are automatically saved to a personal flash card list so you can study them later.
  

• RTVE Spanish Online TV – a wide variety of free Spanish programs, news, movies, series, documentaries and radio stations.
• Mi Tele – also a good selection of programs, movies and series available free of charge in most cases.

movies

• Full movies on Youtube – search for the phrase pelicula completa to find movies in Spanish or pelicula subtitulada to find the ones with subtitles.
• Movies on Amazon – search for the phrase Spanish movie to explore the collection. Start your one month free trial Amazon Prime membership and at no additional cost stream movies and tv shows and have access to Kindle Books.
• Spanish Cinema on Languages Direct – a collection of movies in Spanish on DVDs. They provide helpful information which will help you choose a movie: a short description, level and type of subtitles it has, if any.
• Spanish movies online – here you can watch Spanish movie trailers. Each trailer has a rating, subtitles and plot description. The videos are conveniently grouped by the country of origin. Try to understand as much as possible without reading the description or subtitles first. Read them after watching the trailer several times to check how much you understood.

documentaries/talks

• Teledocumentales – various types of documentaries in Spanish or in English with Spanish subtitles. The categories include science and technology, history, health, nature, society and more. You can watch the videos online or download them to your computer. Explore the most popular ones in the TOP 100.
• TED talks – a nonprofit conference of events devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Listen to Spanish speakers and find loads of interesting information in the process.

LISTEN

Listening to audio recordings on your media player is one of the most effective ways to study Spanish and about anything. It helps you consume more material faster and remember it better than a traditional book does. You can do it everywhere: in your car or on a bus when commuting, while jogging, exercising or cleaning the house. Have an Internet Spanish radio turned on instead of your usual one to get used to the pronunciation, intonation, rhythm, sound and flow of the language.

Just by switching from listening to regular music to listening to Spanish audio, you can gain hours of study time without changing your schedule!

podcasts

• Learn out Loud Podcast Directory – This site offers a variety of audio & video podcasts you can learn from. Just type Spanish podcast in the search box to find and explore recordings related to learning Spanish. Podcasts are free of charge. You can listen to them on the website or download the mp3 and video files to your phone or player.
• Notes in Spanish – Learn Spanish by listening to free online radio shows with natural conversations and interviews, interesting news, talks about Spanish culture, current affairs and travel. Choose from different levels: Inspired Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Gold.

audio books

• Audible – A huge directory of audio books, also in Spanish or related to the Spanish language – over 3500 titles altogether. Type the word: Spanish in the search box and refine your search to match your interests. There is a lot you can choose from: Language Instructions, Classics, Mysteries & Thrillers, Self Development, Travel & Adventure and more. Join Audible membership website and get a free audio book and 30% off all additional titles every month plus access to exclusive members-only sales. You can listen to the samples for free, exchange any book you didn’t like or cancel your membership at any time and keep all purchased titles. You can play the audio books on your iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, Kindle Fire or 500+ mp3 players. Special Offer – Get Your First 3 Months at Audible for $7.49/month!
• Learn out Loud Audio Books Directory – Besides podcasts, this site also offers audio books. Type the phrase: Spanish audio books in the search box to find and explore the ones related to learning Spanish language. Some of them are free, most are not. You can listen to free samples of most audio books before you purchase.
• Languages Direct – A collection of audio books in Spanish. Increase your vocabulary by listening to poetry, crime, fiction, fairy tales, novels and short stories. Also check the Spanish Audio Magazines and take advantage of the ongoing, portable and flexible learning.
• Audiolibro – This site claims to be the largest collection of audio books in Spanish. Improve your vocabulary and listening comprehension by tuning in to your favorite books you already know in English. Listen to a few free samples before purchasing to find a book that best matches your preferences. Choose something that seems to be slightly above your current level. Challenge yourself to push for faster progress!
• Fonolibro – Another site with a big collection of Spanish audio books. It offers a wide variety of topics to choose from, like: biographies, classics, fiction, negotiations, health and sexuality.

radio

• RTVE Spanish Radio – Listen to Spanish programs and experience the language in action. Tune in to the Radio, TV and News. Don’t worry even if you don’t understand much initially – it will get easier with a little practice. There’s a lot of programs to choose from, so you should be able to find something matching your interests.

READ

Reading books in a foreign language is another great way to learn it. Reading expands your vocabulary and helps you develop grammar and word usage skills, grasp the idioms and the structure of sentences.

Some people recommend reading children’s books. It is true that they usually are easier to understand, but unless you are a child you may find children books of little value to the learning process. That’s because they often use different vocabulary, weird or invented words. Usually they do not focus on the human world but rather on an animal or a fantastical one. Initially, the best approach is to choose something you’ve already read in English or something related to your interests.

books

• Books 4 Spain – An online bookshop specializing in English language books and audio CDs related to Spain and Spanish culture – the range of topics is really wide. Choose from different categories, like: Learning Spanish, Living in Spain, Travel, Holidays & Leisure, Food & Drink and more. Also have a look at their Special Offers.
• Project Gutenberg – Free online books in Spanish which you can browse by author or title. Choose among free epub and kindle books, download them or read them online. Some of them also have an audio version available.
• Spanish Books on Amazon – Lots of paper and kindle books and a wide variety of categories. Customer reviews and the ability to view samples of many books should make it easy to pick something.

STUDY

tutors

• WyzAnt – leading tutoring marketplace on the web – Your first hour with any tutor is always 100% refundable. WyzAnt tutors are screened, tested and guaranteed. Send them a message, and you’ll hear back right away. Most tutors charge between $25 and $50 per hour with additional discounts of up to 15%.
• NuLengua – talk with native Spanish tutors in real-time over the Internet. This unrivaled learning experience enables you excel in conversational Spanish in the shortest time possible. Mix of elements in an interactive, immersion-style environment. NuLengua uses Skype for communication.

schools/courses

• Study Spanish with Newen | Escuela de español – our favorite Spanish school in Santiago, Chile. Private, customized lessons and accommodation options. Fantastic and very friendly teachers. Highly recommended to anyone visiting South America!
• AMAUTA Spanish School Flexible and diverse Spanish language course options in Argentina and Peru. Direct communication with multi-cultural staff that speaks Spanish, English, Dutch, German, and Portuguese. Specialized cultural courses (Tango, Salsa, Yoga), customized volunteer and internship programs. It offers the unique opportunity to study and learn the Spanish language while immersed in Latin American culture.
• Babylon Idiomas – one of the leading Spanish language learning institutes in the world. It focuses on conversation so that you’ll learn Spanish in a natural, practical and fast way. There are groups of 10 students or less so that you get the attention you need to really make progress. All of the teachers are Spanish native speakers, university trained to teach Spanish as a foreign language.
• Language Hacking Guide – Full multilingual Language Hacking Guide + Speak from Day One video series package. The book is full of great strategies to learn Spanish fast. It focuses on speaking and listening. Part of the book is also about maintaining a positive mentality, staying motivated and being productive.
• The Spanish Blog – MP3 Spanish courses, free Spanish lessons and online Spanish classes on a private 1-1 basis. You can watch a free 30-minute demonstration and there is no obligation to purchase classes afterwards. Also check free videos on the Spanish Blog Youtube channel.
• Rocket Spanish Languages – breaks down every day Spanish conversations into small segments so that your mind can more easily absorb and remember them. There is a Premium Course available that has 32 interactive audio sections, the MegaSpanish software program, a forum and a secret bonus. The Plus Course has an additional 28 audio tracks with transcripts and 28 illustrated grammar and cultural lessons.
• e-spanyol | Online resources for Spanish language learning – Spanish exercises, games and tests, Spanish grammar, lyrics of Spanish songs.
• BBC Spanish – Online Spanish lessons with audio, games, grammar explanations and exercises, vocabulary drills, pronunciation guides with audio examples, Spanish slang, resources for teachers and more.
• 138 words – All you need to do is learn just 138 Spanish words (Synergy Spanish method – teaching Spanish that is based on patterns). Then, see how to use them so effectively that native Spanish speakers will be amazed at how easily you express yourself in their language. The course consists of audios and workbooks.

software

• Visual Link Spanish Learning System – Helps individuals learn to speak and communicate in Spanish in an easy to follow, fun and effective format. It uses the method which enables you to quickly start forming sentences. Visual Link also includes lots of quizzes and 10 audio CDs to help retain the knowledge you gained learning on the computer. Try the free lessons first.
• Bueno Entonces – Witty, engaging, entertaining, and at times outrageous – Bueno Entonces is a fast-paced, comprehensive series comprised of 30 classes. It is challenging, but edgy and addictive at the same time. It has instructors you could hang-out with and converse about anything, including taboo subjects. Get free trial and instant access to Class 1. Also check the Bueno Entonces Youtube channel
• Rosetta Stone Spanish – interactive language software with proprietary speech-recognition technology. Provides interactive solutions that are acclaimed for the power to unlock the natural language-learning ability in everyone. Despite of its price it constantly occupies top positions of the Amazon Best Sellers in Education & Reference.
• Pimsleur Spanish – A software which uses spaced repetition method. First you will be told a foreign language phrase and then asked to repeat it. Next, you will be asked to remember it and say the words out loud at time intervals that start very small and then increase.
• Fluenz Spanish – blends beautiful full-motion video with a range of engaging, interactive workouts to improve your reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills, including a recording engine to improve your pronunciation. Typically, one lesson will concentrate on real world situations: shopping, airports, restaurants, etc. There is no formal vocabulary building, no verb conjugation or memorization.

TALK

language exchange sites

• Verbling – This website uses chat roulette, where you are randomly assigned a fluent or native speaker of the language that you are learning. After five minute cycle system suggests to switch the languages so it’s a win-win situation for both of you.
• Meetup – The world’s largest network of local groups. Meetup makes it easy for anyone to organize a local group or find one of the thousands already meeting up face-to-face. Find Spanish meeting groups around your area or form one yourself!
• Sharedtalk – a community of people from around the world dedicated to language exchange and language learning. Strengthen your skills through immersion and conversation.

SING

Singing can dramatically improve your language learning strategy – it helps you expand your vocabulary, teach you some common phrases and even reduces your foreign-sounding accent!

follow the lyrics

• Lyrics Training – a great website where you can follow along the lyrics and even fill the gaps. Press karaoke button to have full text. Each song is labelled with level of difficulty so choose one according to your needs.
• Lyrics or Karaoke on Youtube just type in name of the song + lyrics or karaoke. Don’t be shy and don’t worry if you’re not the best singer in the world – enjoy yourself!

TRAVEL

on the road

• AdventureLink – the easiest way to find and book unforgettable trips. Select from thousands of trips from only the top operators in the world and organize them in a way that makes planning your next trip not only stress-free but fun and exciting.
• Macs Adventure – the team at Macs Adventure includes walkers, cyclists, mountain bikers, snowboarders, kite surfers and climbers, who are passionate about delivering the best possible walking, adventure and activity holidays.
• Urban Adventures – day tours, with a local. Tours take you behind the scenes of a destination to reveal its hidden gems, you are assured a real local experience.
• HelpX – an online listing of host organic farms, non-organic farms, farmstays, homestays, ranches, lodges, B&Bs, backpackers hostels and even sailing boats – where volunteers are invited to stay and help short-term in exchange for food and accommodation.
• Spain Save discount club – save in Spain at over 1,000 top attractions, activities, restaurants, bars and shops. Register free and get access to over 1,000 printable vouchers for use in Spain.
• Expedia – buy airline tickets, cruises, vacation packages, read reviews, reserve a car or a hotel. Best Price Guarantee and no fees to book, change or cancel.

sleep

• Couch Surfing- Travel the world and stay with friends you haven’t yet met. Choose your destination and choose a person you’d like to contact. There is plenty of information about the host, reviews, identity and location check.
• Hostelbookers – Book a hostel. No service charges or booking fees, secure payment and lowest price guarantee.

RELAX

• National Geographic in Spanish – videos and articles on various subjects including photography, natural environment, travel, culture and animal life.
• El Mundo Today – read funny, fake news in Spanish about the society, culture, technology and other topics.
• El Cocinero Fiel – read articles about cooking in form of a blog and watch video recipes in Spanish.
• Muy Interesante – interesting articles in Spanish about innovation, science, nature and more.
• BBC Spanish – news, technology, science, health, videos and photos.

shop

• La Tienda – distinctive food, ceramics and many of the finest and best loved products that Spain has to offer.
• Hot Paella – the premier importer of gourmet Spanish products and artisan ceramics for sale throughout the USA.
• Food from Spain – authentic gourmet foods from Spain.
• Flamenco World – CDs, DVDs, books, instruments, videos, interviews with artists, dance clothes.