How to learn Spanish

Thinking about learning Spanish but don't know where to start? Or maybe you are not even sure if you can handle it? Then this article is for you. We have analyzed in detail the possible difficulties to give advice on how to learn to read, write and speak the language of Cervantes. We have also collected many useful resources — both for beginners and for those who want to improve their level.

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Features of the Spanish language

• Versatility. The Community of Hispanic Countries, or Hispanidad, includes 23 countries. Each of them has its own version of the language. Moreover, within these countries, Spanish will differ significantly from region to region. The pronoun yo alone has four basic pronunciations. There is a scientific institute that studies the language, and sets its standards — Real Academia Española. But even there four standard variants of Spanish are accepted — Castilian, Rioplatense, Mexican, and the language of international organizations.
• Speed. Spanish is the second-fastest spoken language in the world after Japanese. It is faster than English, French, Italian, Chinese, and German^[1]. It will take effort to get used to the pace of the conversation. It is fast on its own (7.82 syllables per second), but the task is further complicated by linked words and reduced syllables. For example, para allá in colloquial Spanish sounds like pa'lla, and the phrase ha elegido irse, spoken without pauses, becomes haelegidoirse.
• Influence of the Arabic. In addition to Latin, which was the basis of the language, Arabic has had a huge influence on Spanish. VIII-XV centuries Spain was under the control of Muslim conquerors. Because of that, about 8% of the vocabulary is of Arabic origin^[2]. And we are not necessarily talking about specific terms. Lots of basic vocabulary such as taza (cup), azul (blue), almohada (pillow), rubio (blond), came to the language from Arabic.
• Special punctuation marks. The Spanish language informs in advance of a sentence’s intonation. Each exclamation or question mark is accompanied by its inverted analog at the beginning. They appeared by the decision of the Royal Academy of the Spanish language not so long ago — in 1754.
• Untranslatable words. They are found in every language and are usually associated with some kind of cultural or historical peculiarities. In German, this is, for example, the concept of Schadenfreude, which has no direct translation in any other language. Spanish has sobremesa. The literal translation “on the table” will not tell you anything, because it is not just a word, but a whole tradition. Sobremesa means spending time together after dinner and having a pleasant conversation. This is one of the fundamental aspects of the Spanish way of life.
• Words have gender, and it can change their meaning. Each noun has a gender that requires subject-predicate agreement. More often than not, using masculine instead of feminine would not be a critical mistake, but there are exceptions: el cometa is a comet, la cometa is a kite.
• A phonetic language. This means that each letter represents a specific sound. On one hand, it makes the reading rules easier. On the other hand, the pronunciation of individual sounds highly depends on each specific country of Hispanidad.
• “False friends of the translator.” Do you already know English? It will help you a lot with learning vocabulary. However, there are words that seem familiar, but in fact, they mean something completely different. Éxito is one such example — it doesn’t mean “exit,” but rather “success.”

How to learn Spanish on your own?

Learning Spanish from scratch can seem like a daunting task. For this reason, many give up at the planning stage or quit at the very beginning, quickly losing interest. So how do you make language learning an enjoyable part of your daily life, rather than a burden?

• Clear motivation. It seems like you want to learn Spanish, but not sure why? Chances are good you will get bored quickly. You need to understand your motivation not to lose it. Think about what exactly you want to get. Maybe you want to read the untranslated “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” or understand what Enrique Iglesias is singing about. Some people dream of one day visiting a Spanish-speaking country and making friends with the locals, or maybe even moving abroad altogether. Each of these aspirations is equally respectable, just find your own.
• Long and short-term goals. Understanding the end result is important, but at times it can seem unreachable, and any current progress — insignificant. Set realistic and achievable goals and break them down into long-term and short-term ones. For example: you want to be able to discuss bullfights with a Spaniardin in three months; know Futuro Simple and vocabulary on the topics “Mi pasatiempo favorito”, “En el restaurante” and “En la tienda” in two months; and be able to tell about yourself and your interests in the present tense in a month.
• Share your plans and reward yourself. Tell your close ones that you started learning Spanish. They will support your endeavors, and you will receive an additional incentive not to give up what you started. And remember to share your successes and reward yourself for them, even if they seem very humble to you. Have no doubt, learning the conjugation ser is already a big deal.
• Allocate time during the day. To create a habit, regularity is essential. Find a convenient time to practice your Spanish daily and stick to it. And it's okay if you don't always manage to pay enough attention to it. Even 15 minutes is better than nothing, and you can always find that much.
• Immerse yourself in the language environment. Even if you don't have the opportunity to travel to a Spanish-speaking country, create the correct atmosphere at home. Start following Latin American media, switch your phone to Spanish, subscribe to Hamza Zaidi in hopes of understanding his jokes someday. And finally watch Guillermo del Toro’s El laberinto del Fauno untranslated, or discover the unique atmosphere of the works of Pedro Almodovar.
• Don't be afraid to be wrong. A new language is a way out of your comfort zone. Mistakes are inevitable, and there is nothing wrong with that. Remember the main thing: native speakers tend to be delighted with foreigners who learn Spanish. They will be happy even with a few simple phrases, because for them your interest in the language and diligence are much more important than minor errors in pronunciation or grammar.

Vocabulario — How to learn Spanish words?

93,000 words are included in the latest edition of the Royal Academy of Spanish dictionary^[3]. In addition, there are dialectisms and slang vocabulary, and their numbers are increasing every day. So how many words do you need to know to start speaking Spanish?

Linguist and polyglot Alexander Arguelles evaluated different volumes of vocabulary and what they allow to do:

• 250: the lexical core of Spanish, the basis, without which you cannot make sentences;
• 750: the words most commonly used by native speakers for everyday communication;
• 2,500: the minimum necessary to express any thought, even if sometimes with the help of allegories;
• 5,000: active vocabulary of a native speaker;
• 10,000: active vocabulary of a native speaker with higher education;
• 20,000: passive vocabulary required for reading fiction^[4].

250 is not such a scary figure. Moreover, there are already words in Spanish that you will recognize because they sound similar in many languages. But so that you don't waste your time on vocabulary that may never be useful to you, we will give you some tips on where to start and which ways of learning to choose:

• Basic vocabulary. Every language has particles, pronouns, prepositions, verbs, and adverbs that we use every day. This is a good foundation on which you can build your vocabulary. You don't need to search for them yourself — there are many premade sets on the Internet, for example, one hundred basic words of Spanish.
• Simple phrases for everyday communication. To get a feel for your language learning as soon as possible, nourish your vocabulary with simple expressions. “¿Cómo te va? Pues, así así. ¿De verdad? ¿Pasa algo?” — there are only nine words here, but this is already a meaningful dialogue. Pick any such selection, for example, 71 basic phrases for the first dialogue with a native speaker.
• Use cards or stickers. Flashcards are the classic memorization method. It is suitable for any language level, even advanced. Beginners can write a word in Spanish and its translation. More advanced students can complicate the task: write the word within a context on the front, and on the back — its meaning in Spanish. You can buy such cards, make them yourself, create them electronically or find ready-made ones, for example, on the Quizlet website.
• Learn words by topic. There is a large number of ready-made vocabulary lists of any difficulty level. Start with basic concepts on topics such as days of the week, colors, and family, and then move on to more extensive and complex topics like health, sports, or leisure. At a more advanced level, you can also group words by roots and synonyms.
• Use spaced repetition. Not to forget what you’ve learned, get back to it at different intervals: immediately after reading, 20-30 minutes later, then after 1 day, 2-3 weeks, and 2-3 months^[5]. It is best to repeat phrases rather than individual words. They can be used in a conversation, or they can provide additional information and reference images, which makes them easier to remember.

Gramática — How to learn Spanish grammar?

The Spanish grammar can be overwhelming. To a simple question about the number of tenses in the language, some linguists will answer "126 if you count the gerund." Also, beginners will not be pleased with the presence of cases. All this may be enough to completely abandon the idea of ​​learning the language. But in fact, only a few tenses are enough for everyday communication, and there are only two cases, and they concern only pronouns and articles. So, just like with vocabulary, start with the basics:

• Three basic tenses. Presente de Indicativo — the present, with which you can also talk about the future. Pretérito Indefinido helps you tell about completed actions in the past, and Pretérito Imperfecto — about unfinished ones. These are simple tenses that do not require auxiliary verbs. Once you have mastered them, you will be able to express almost any thought.
• Conjugation of verbs. There are three types of conjugation in Spanish, but most of the verbs in the basic vocabulary are irregular. You’ll have to learn them by heart. But this is not so difficult either: they are combined into groups by the similarity of conjugation. You can use flashcards for memorization, and online simulators for practice.
• Ser and estar. At the initial stage, it is especially important to understand the difference between these verbs, because there are numerous expressions with them. Both mean “to be,” but in completely different ways. Example: ser is used to talk about relationships, but if you are talking about civil marital status, then estar is required:
  • María es mi hermana — Maria is my sister.
  • Estoy casado — I'm married.
• Memorize basic grammatical structures. Spanish has a fixed word order, each part of speech has its own place in a sentence. At the initial stage, focus on basic constructions, you need to be able to recognize parts of speech. When you read texts or listen to recordings, you will be able to understand the grammar and general content of the phrase without even knowing some of the words:
  • Subject + predicate: María lee.
  • Subject + predicate + complement: María lee una carta.
  • Subject + ser / estar + definition: María es alta. María está enfadada.
  • Subject + predicate + adverb: María lee lentamente.
• Delve into difficult topics. Once you've learned the basics, it often seems like progress has stopped. Pay attention to topics that cause you difficulties: for example, get yourself a copy of Advanced Spanish Grammar and finally figure out which verbs require the subjunctive mood after them.

  Resource	Specificities	Level
  Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Spanish Grammar	A grammar book in English	A1-B1
  Live Linga conjugation Practise	Simulator for tenses and inclinations	A1-C1
  Todo Claro grammar	Grammar exercises	A1-C1

Comprensíon auditiva — What to listen to in Spanish?

Listening skill often lags behind. This is especially true for those who learn Spanish — the high rate of speech and the peculiarities of regional dialects make listening difficult. Let's figure out how to get used to authentic speech, choose the material suitable for your level and get the most out of it:

• Pick what you understand well. Many people think that the more difficult listening is, the better. This is not true. Ideally, you should understand 80-90% of the text by ear. This means that you should be familiar with most of the vocabulary as well as grammatical structures. Radio broadcasts Personas con Historia by Onda Campus are more suitable for those at levels B1-B2, but a series of listening exercises from SpanishPod 101 with basic dialogues is a much better option for beginners at A1-A2 levels.
• The material should be interesting. If you have no interest in politics, but you still listen persistently to the analysis of the elections to the Madrid Assembly, you will soon get bored. This can discourage interest in the language in general. There are numerous resources on the Internet with any level of complexity. Find a topic that you like so that you can not only learn Spanish, but also learn something new for yourself. For example, those who are interested in the supernatural will find the project “Library of Fear” of the Spanish state radio Miedoteca very engaging.
• Listen actively. One of the biggest mistakes that nullifies all efforts is passive listening. For example, putting a podcast in Spanish in the background and doing the cleaning. At the initial stage it is especially important to listen actively:
  • Take notes: the topic of the recording, who are the speakers, the main contents;
  • Write down what you hear word by word and check yourself;
  • Listen to the text repeatedly and at different speeds.
• Get used to the rate of speech and intonation. To do this, you need to immerse yourself in the language environment, constantly listening to something in Spanish. Music, YouTube, podcasts, radio, news, lectures — choose the region of Hispanidad you want to master the pronunciation of and practice every day. I.e. if the Argentine pronunciation is closer to you than European, listen to the Literatura Argentina podcast.

Comprensíon de lectura — What to read in Spanish?

When reading, it is also important to be able to choose the right study materials and create a suitable environment for studying, but in addition to this, special techniques come in handy:

• Read what you understand. The rule is the same as for listening: do not tackle classical literature if you have an insufficient level of language. If you don't know every other word, you will quickly lose not only interest but also self-confidence. For beginners, it is best to choose materials with a ready-made dictionary, illustrations, and a convenient grammar reference. Consider the following Spanish books that were specifically written for beginners:
  • The book series Lunas from the publisher SGEL;
  • The Leer y aprender series published by CIDEB;
  • The Lecturas en español series from the publisher Edinumen.
• The reading should be interesting. Many people start learning with children's books because they have simple vocabulary and basic grammatical structures. But if you find it unbearably boring to read “El patito feo”, look for a book adapted for your level that you would actually like — with parallel translation and commentary. Another option is to find a Spanish adaptation of your favorite book. You will know the main plot, which will greatly help you navigate the text. Why not start with Harry Potter y la Piedra Filosofal? And if fiction is not to your liking, choose mass media — news, magazines, blogs.
• Listen to the text and read aloud. You can find many audiobooks of any difficulty level and read while listening to the announcer. The text is always read slowly, you will clearly hear each word and remember the correct pronunciation. Even if it will not be an audiobook, but a poem or post on a social network, the text should still be voiced. Read aloud, practice pronunciation and intonation.
• Read actively. It's not just about writing down unfamiliar words. Work through the content of the text: retell it orally, write a summary, highlight the main points. Use extra skills to learn Spanish comprehensively.

Expresíon escrita — How to write in Spanish?

Writing is an active skill that will require putting together all your knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. Of course, if you are going on a hike in the Chilean mountains, writing is not so important to you. But if you are thinking of moving there and planning to get a language certificate, it is a completely different matter. From the psychological point of view, starting to write in Spanish is not as difficult as speaking. But there are many difficulties. When you learn a language on your own, there is no one to point out your mistakes. Finding a competent reviewer is not easy, and learning to write like a real hispanohablante is even more difficult. The main thing here is to approach the task systematically:

• Read. Books, newspapers, magazines — choose what interests you the most. You will memorize the spelling and word order, punctuation, and grammatical structures.
• Build sentences the Spanish way. The text can be written grammatically correct, but a Spaniard would never talk like that. Here we are talking about a lot: phrasal verbs, linking words, popular phraseological units, and even just words and expressions that are currently “trendy.” A common mistake is copying structures and expressions from one’s native language. Example: “I'm talking to you” would likely be translated as “Yo hablo contigo.” The Spanish will understand you, but the logic of Spanish is different. It would be more correct to say “Yo te hablo” — “I tell you.”
• Write by hand. This is useful not only in the context of learning Spanish. It helps you read better^[6], improves handwriting, helps recognize handwritten text faster, increases literacy due to the lack of auto-correction, and teaches you to formulate thoughts more clearly. Plus, it's a great way to memorize and develop your imagination^[7].
• Write every day. It is not necessary to suffer daily over voluminous essays. Think about everything you write during the day, be it a shopping list, notes, a dream diary, social media posts, recipes. And do it in Spanish. Try new ways to keep your writing from getting boring. Find a pen pal to practice your language communication.
• Find a reviewer. Without control, a skill cannot grow. It is not necessary to enroll in a language school for someone to check your work — you can find a native speaker who will do it for free. However, be aware that not all Spanish speakers are properly literate.
• Enrich the text with synonyms. Don't get stuck on basic vocabulary. Your written speech will become much more lively if “beautiful” is not only “lindo” or “hermoso”, but also “precioso, admirable, bonito, fastuoso, maravilloso, perfecto, simpático, encanto, agradable, grato, bueno…”

Expresíon orale — How to learn to speak Spanish?

You can perfectly know grammar, have a large vocabulary, read Spanish literature without problems, but not be able to squeeze out a word in response to a simple question ¿De dónde eres? The language barrier is a very common problem. The reasons are the fear of making a mistake or not understanding the speech partner, as well as being embarrassed by the accent. To avoid this, start working on your speaking skills as early as possible:

• Listen to live speech. TV shows, Spanish telenovelas, songs, films — all this will help you get used to the tempo of speech, intonation, and different accents. By the way, the music is especially good because it will make it easier for you to start singing along, which is also speaking in Spanish.
• Use the “shadowing” method. Shadowing activates the mirror neurons of the brain. When we observe something carefully, they activate and create the feeling that this is happening to us. When you listen to Spanish speakers, become their shadow. Repeat whole phrases, even if you don't fully understand the meaning at first. Copy not only words but also intonations, speech rate, phonetic emphasis, emotions. This will help you memorize phrase patterns and subconsciously learn grammatical constructions.
• Read aloud and write yourself down. Any text has to sound. A list of words on the topic “Mi familia”, phrases for ordering in a restaurant, a news article — no matter what you read, be sure to say it. And record yourself — this will help to hear yourself and evaluate the intonation, rhythm, and accent.
• Fill in the pauses. Use tricks that make speech more lively:
  • Linking words help build transitions between parts of phrases: Linkingademás, sin embargo, como se dice are just as important for a coherent conversation as the English “moreover,” “and yet”, or "as they say".
  • Parasite words are inevitable in speech, but with their help, you can involve the other party in the conversation, speak more fluently, be expressive. For comparison: “Esa es toda la historia” is a neutral sentence, and “Así que bueno, esa es toda la historia” is a part of a conversation that has an emotional connotation. The same role in English is filled by expressions like “So that’s the whole story” or “And that’s pretty much all about it.”

Pronunciación — How to improve pronunciation in Spanish

There is nothing wrong with an accent as such. In live communication, understanding each other is much more important than perfect pronunciation. But with an active immersion in the Spanish language environment, you will begin to adopt the accents of the native speakers. Here's our advice so you don't get confused and speak like a local abroad:

• Choose one region of Hispanidad. To work on specific sounds, you need to decide what kind of pronunciation you want to acquire. Castilian, Andalusian, Galician — these are only three of the thirteen dialects of Spain alone, and there are more than twenty Spanish-speaking countries.
• Work on the difficulties. Take time for difficult sounds, use tongue twisters — trabalenguas, they increase the rate of speech. Use the Forvo dictionary to listen to the pronunciation of words and expressions from speakers from Spain, Latin America, and other regions.
• Clearly articulate vowels. In English, vowels in a word often represent different sounds depending on the stress. But in Spanish, every sound is pronounced equally clearly, regardless of position. For example, in the word madrugada [ma.ðɾu.ˈɣa.ða], only one of the [a]’s is stressed, but they are all pronounced the same. If we look at the English word rebreather [rɛbrˈbriːðər], the letter [e] is pronounced differently each time.