33 resources to help you learn Spanish faster
Learning Spanish is an absolute must if you are moving to Spain. Not only will you need to speak Spanish for everyday things like going shopping and ordering in restaurants, but when you live in Spain you will also need a good level of Spanish for things like doctor’s appointments, meetings at school, going to the bank, and things you probably wouldn’t even think about like your car breaking down!
You may find that learning Spanish as an adult is a really daunting experience but there are so many great online resources to learn languages such as apps, websites and videos to help you learn a new language.
There are resources to learn Spanish quickly, learn Spanish for free, learn Spanish online, and to learn Spanish at home. So, however you want to learn, there will be a resource to suit you.
Here we have listed some of the best online resources to learn Spanish…
Apps and websites to help you learn Spanish
There are so many free and paid for apps and websites to help you learn languages. In our experience they are all pretty similar, however you may want to try a couple to find the one that you get on best with.
Duolingo – We have used (and still use) Duolingo to help us learn Spanish. The basic version is free, fun and easy to follow, though some of the lessons can get a bit repetitive. For a friendly family competition, you can all have your own account and compete against each other.
Babbel – Very similar to Duolingo but you will have to pay for this app if you want to progress past the first lessons. It focuses on general conversation skills as well as spelling and grammar.
Busuu – Busuu has both free and paid for versions, with the paid versions offering more ways of learning other than just the usual flashcards.
Yabla – This app is a bit different as you watch and interact with videos to practice listening and comprehension skills. At the end of each video you take an interactive exercise to test you on what you learned from the video. A great resource if you want to focus on listening to and understanding Spanish.
Lingvist – A great way to learn vocabulary though tests and challenges, you can start as a beginner or take a test to assess how much you already know. There are various subscription levels but you can take a free trial.
Rosetta Stone – One of the more famous resources to learn a language, Rosetta Stone can be used on desktop or mobile. This resource uses an immersion-based learning method to teach words alongside visual and audio cues. This helps beginners to learn basic conversational phrases in the context of real-life situations.
Chatterbug – With this resource you are given 45-minute Live Lessons where you’ll learn to speak English with the help of qualified tutors. There is also interactive multimedia learning material to help you to improve your reading, writing and listening skills.
BBC Languages – This site has lots of free useful resources including a 12 week Spanish course, interactive videos, and games like crosswords. There are also links to Spanish radio shows and quizzes.
FluentU – FluentU takes real-world music video, movie trailers, news videos etc and turns them into personalised language learning lessons spoken by real-life Spanish speakers.
Websites to help children learn Spanish
Learning Spanish yourself is one thing, but trying to help your children learn Spanish when you aren’t fluent yourself can be difficult. Luckily there are some great online resources to learn Spanish especially for children.
A Spanish tutor is probably the best way for kids to learn Spanish quickly, however to supplement a tutor you may also want to try some of these websites to help your children learn Spanish…
Online Free Spanish – This website allows you to adjust the difficulty level based on how much Spanish your child knows. There are 19 lessons as well as activities, games, and coloring pages related to each of the lessons.
Digital Dialects – If you have older kids, this website is a really fun and engaging website with games, vocabulary lists, and phrases.
Rockalingua – A music based Spanish learning website for kids with lots of songs, games, worksheets, videos, and a picture dictionary. Some items need to be purchased but there are plenty of free songs and games to get you started.
Spanish Playground – A great website with many different resources including printable worksheets, songs, poems and jokes. There are also themed categories, such as Earth Day so you can find a topic your child is interested in.
Hola Viajeros – This site has lots of audio books read in simplified Spanish with slow pronunciation and English transcript so even beginners can enjoy them. Most of the books are about Spanish culture and tradition so also help with your child’s knowledge of the country.
123 Teach Me – When you child has started to learn Spanish, you can head to 123 Teach me for some fun quizzes to test how much they know. There’s fill in the blank quizzes and photo quizzes on a wide range of subjects.
Videos to help you learn Spanish
There are lots of YouTube channels aimed at helping people to learn basic Spanish, so if apps and tests aren’t for you, you might want to try watching some videos in Spanish instead. If this sounds like and easier way to learn Spanish, here are some YouTube channels to try…
Why not Spanish – This channel features videos spoken in Spanish (slowly) with subtitles when unfamiliar vocabulary is used. There are tons of videos covering a large range of subjects and categorised into Beginner videos and Intermediate videos.
The Spanish Dude – If you want to learn Spanish from videos with a bit of humor, this channel is worth a look. The Spanish Dude will talk you through verbs, pronunciation, and grammatical rules.
Butterfly Spanish – These videos feature a Spanish teacher in front of a whiteboard where she will talk through a subject and write down any vocabulary or grammar you need to know. There are so many videos on this channel covering every subject you can think of as well as videos to teach verbs and useful phrases.
Lirica – For something a bit different, Lirica is a great way to learn Spanish through music. The videos include popular Spanish songs with the lyrics shown in both Spanish and English.
Rock N Learn – Spanish YouTube channel for all ages with conversational Spanish videos featuring cartoon characters. The kids videos include learning colours, food and animals, while the videos for teenas and adults include useful Spanish phrases for everyday conversations.
Spanish Pod 101 – A fantastic resource to learn Spanish there are videos as short as 3 minutes if you don’t have much time, and videos up to 25 minutes long. They cover pronunciation, grammar, useful phrases for various situations, as well as tips and information about things like Spanish holidays.
Audio books to help you learn Spanish
Useful resources to learn Spanish also include audio books, as often listening to and understanding spoken Spanish is harder than remembering the phrases you need for every day life in Spain. These websites have some great audio books for beginners…
Audible – You’ve probably heard of this audio book service from Amazon, but have you thought to use it for Spanish audio books? You can get a free trial here, and download all kinds of books from fiction like Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes, to non-fiction history or nature books.
LibriVox – This site has lots of free audiobooks read by international volunteers in their native languages. The Spanish section includes stories, poems, fiction and non-fiction audio books.
Audio Libros Espanol – The free section offers 0-40 minute summaries of books in Spanish and you can pay to access the rest of the audio books if you like what you hear.
Learn Spanish with Paul Noble – This simple, relaxed approach helps you to learn Spanish without having to memorise long lists of words you won’t use. These audiobooks feature 12 hours of everyday scenarios, including situations like asking for directions, eating out, and talking about yourself.
Podcasts to help you learn Spanish
Having Spanish podcasts on in the background can be a great way to get used to hearing people speaking Spanish. Even if you don’t understand much at first you will soon be able to pick out words and phrases…
Coffee Break Languages – These Spanish podcasts offer relaxed audio and video lessons of around 15 minutes, so ideal for listening to while on your coffee break! There are a variety of levels to choose from, and different subjects such as travel, movies, and food.
News in Slow Spanish – As the title says, these podcast discuss the week’s top news stories from Spain and around the world, spoken in slow Spanish for beginners.
Audiria – These podcasts are free, lively and engaging and suitable for all levels of Spanish learners. The website has 820 podcasts with each the level of Spanish needed to be able to follow it. The podcasts cover a large variety of real-life situations, and are supported by exercises and other resources.
Podcast in Spanish – These Spanish podcasts feel as though you’re eavesdropping on a conversation between friends. These are “natural conversations real Spanish” so are spoken at normal speed (i.e fast!) but don’t worry if it goes too quick for you to understand as each podcast is accompanied by a transcript, worksheet, and vocabulary task. Subjects include everything from social networking to a visit to a new café to carnival costumes.
Langalia – Learn more about the Spanish-speaking world in Spanish with these 30-minute podcasts about Spain and Latin American countries. There is a free trial available and you can test your level of Spanish as well.
Españolistos – This is a good podcast for intermediate Spanish speakers, hosted by a Colombian Spanish Teacher and her American fiancé. They discuss all sorts of subjects from online dating to animals in danger of extinction. Conversations are fun and lively so should keep you entertained while you learn new vocabulary.
SBS Espanol – This Australian service allows you to connect with the Spanish-speaking community in Australia, and get the most important news stories in Spanish.
Fluent in Spanish – Some great free content to help you learn Spanish. Carmen creates free side-by-side podcasts, with Spanish transcript, English translation, and a vocabulary list.
Hopefully this list of resources to learn Spanish has given you lots of different ideas of things you can try in your quest to learn to speak better Spanish!
Ready to book your holiday to Spain?
If you’re ready to starting booking your Spanish holiday, these links may help…
- Find great value flights and accommodation at Expedia
- Prebook your airport transfer at HolidayTaxis
- Check hotel reviews at TripAdvisor
- Book your tours and excursions at GetYourGuide
