Are you 9 years old Spanish duolingo?

Lille >> Bois-Grenier (59280)

Lille >> Bois-Grenier (59280)

Lille >> Bois-Grenier (59280)

Lille >> Bois-Grenier (59280)

Lille >> Bois-Grenier (59280)

Lille >> Bois-Grenier (59280)

Lille >> Bois-Grenier (59280)

Lille >> Bois-Grenier (59280)

Lille >> Bois-Grenier (59280)

Lille >> Bois-Grenier (59280)

Lille >> Bois-Grenier (59280)

Lille >> Bois-Grenier (59280)

Lille >> Bois-Grenier (59280)

I had the desire to learn Spanish for quite awhile but it wasn’t until I got bored with my job and traveled to Argentina for 6 weeks that I finally regrouped and decided it was time to take learning Spanish more serious.

After coming up empty in Argentina, I figured it was time to change up my methods from the traditional class model.

To be honest, there is a lot of misinformation out there talking about the best ways to learn Spanish. I am here to set the record straight.

In the one year that I focused on learning Spanish I achieved more than I ever could have imagined by following a few simple principles.

Below I am going to outline the 7 best ways to learn Spanish on your own without classes and courses.

As you will notice, all of these methods can be done from the comfort of your own home.

I truly believe that anyone can learn to become fluent in Spanish in Austin, Texas just as quickly as someone living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Matter of fact, I personally know that to be the case!

Don't have time to read the entire article? Download the 11 Best Ways cheat sheet [4 more not included].

However, there is one thing you must remember before starting!

Be Consistent

This tip isn’t really a way to learn Spanish, but I wanted to include it before you get started.

You must, and I mean must, begin to form a habit of learning the language each day if you are going to stick with it over time.

I have seen too many friends quit learning Spanish simply because they tried to squeeze it into their week and got “busy.”

Habits can be built in a little less than a month so the important thing is you are creating the habit of learning each day.

If you don’t start forming a studying habit you will not be able to make sustainable progress. It’s not like binge watching Netflix, you can’t just study hard on Saturday to make up for a week without speaking a lick in Spanish.

In the famous business book, Good to Great, Jim Collins explains the 20-mile march. Essentially those who go slow and steady and make consistent progress each week are bound to stick it out to the end while those that try and do it all at once fall short.

Here's a great short video explaining the 20-Mile March in case you are interested.  I try and live by this and seek to make consistent progress each day in everything that is most important to me.

Don’t set the goal of spending 3 hours a day studying unless learning Spanish is your full time occupation.

The 7 Best Ways to Learn Spanish

1) Find an Online Tutor to Speak With Each Week

Important Disclaimer: We're proud affiliates for some of these tools, meaning if you click a link for an app and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We’ve used all these apps and tools and will only recommend the ones we truly value. Please don't spend money on them unless you think they will be valuable to you!

If you are to do just one thing in your quest to Spanish fluency, my recommendation would be to focus on this method. Fact of the matter is, having an online tutor will quadruple your results compared to time spent in an actual classroom.

Why, you might ask? A classroom environment is focused on teaching several students (all learning at different paces) all at once.

At most, you might have a couple speaking interactions in one class sitting.

However, an online tutoring session is 100% focused on you the student. You are the reason for the class and since you are the focus you will do the speaking and hearing.

Having a good Spanish tutor is without a doubt the main reason I was able to get to Spanish fluency in less than a years’ time.

Where can you find an online Spanish tutor?

Below are two amazing tried and tested options...

Option 1 (Simple): Spanish55

When picking a Spanish tutor, there’s a few things you should look for in terms of personality and qualifications.

If you are eager to get started and don’t want to go through the process of interviewing multiple tutors, we recommend you check out Spanish55. They’ve carefully selected a team of language tutors qualified to take you step by step in your journey towards fluency. 

Their onboarding process starts with a 55-minute consultation over Skype, where they will learn about you and your goals with the Spanish language. They will then assign a tutor that is right for you depending on your needs and goals. This initial stage is completely free of charge. 

Spanish55.com caters to adults who want a structured learning approach, flexible schedules and commitment. 

From what I’ve seen, their customer service is attentive and students .

• Ready to get started? Book your free 55 minute trial call here.

Option 2 (Affordable): LanguaTalk

There are many platforms out there for learning Spanish, and LanguaTalk is one of the best.

Here’s why:

The tutors: It’s easy to find a talented Spanish tutor. The founders put time into assessing tutors and are selective in who they accept. You can watch tutors’ videos and check their reviews. There are tutors from both Spain & Latin America, so you can learn whatever dialect of Spanish you prefer.

Value for money: The tutors offer decent rates as they teach from home and so don’t need to consider travel costs. If you’re on a budget, you can filter by price and find tutors from just $11/hour. 

It’s low risk: You can book a free 30-minute taster session to chat with a tutor before deciding, and then pay one lesson at a time if preferred. I look for tutors who speak Spanish with me (not English) and correct my mistakes as I go.

It’s flexible: The site is easy to use, and allows you to see tutor’s availability in your time zone, so you can learn whenever it suits you. You can take the lessons on your preferred calling software (Zoom, Skype, etc.).

• Want to try it? You can view tutors’ videos and book a trial session here.

Pro Tip: Schedule lessons at the beginning of the week so that you have them on your calendar before your week gets jam packed with activities and events.

2) Use Language Exchanges to Speak to Native Speakers

Language exchanges are yet another excellent and free way to learn Spanish.

Unlike anytime in history, you can speak with someone from Spain from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection.

I have met some amazing friends from all over the world.

All you need to do is ask a native Spanish speaker, “let’s spend the first 30 minutes speaking in English and the next 30 minutes speaking in Spanish.”

The amount of time can vary, but the important part is you are meeting some new friends.

I also found that a lot of my Latin friends were content just speaking Spanish the whole time and only wanted a friend to converse with. So basically, I had an informal Spanish lesson with a native speaker without spending a dime.

Where can you find these Spanish language partners?

One site that is strictly focused on language exchanges is Conversation Exchange. 

This site is great as it allows you to meet other language partners in your area.  A lot of times you can find a language partner that lives in your own city with the simple search tool on the site.

I actually met a good friend from Spain who lived about an hour away from me.

When I was using the site, it issued the following warning:

“Important: A profile may be rejected if the primary reason for subscribing is not language exchange. You may not enter any personal or sensitive personal information.”

I can honestly say my primary reason to use this site was to meet people for a language exchange.

I never would have thought that I would have met my future wife, Andrea, on it!

It’s amazing to think that if we had grown up 10 years earlier we probably never would have met.

Pro Tip: Filter by the dialect of the speaker that you are looking to learn from. If you are learning the Spain dialect then make sure to filter by people from Spain.

3) Use a Flashcard App with Spaced Repetition Technology

Flashcards are the perfect way to learn vocabulary. There are several very good flashcard apps that you can use right from your cell phone.

It’s crucial that you don’t just study with any old flashcards. You should make sure to use a flashcard app that incorporates space repetition software.

Notice how you can select if you want to see the card in 4 days.

I use the Anki app on my phone and absolutely love it. Anki is great as they allow you to choose the flashcards you do and don't understand.

For the words that you do have a good handle on, the app stores the flashcard away for a month or two later.

Basically, you select the words that you have a grasp for and the app presents them to you less frequently.

Then, just in the nick of time, it shows back up as a flashcard to make sure you don’t forget it.

The best part is Anki has public flashcards that you can download direct to your phone and start using right away.

If you are lazy like me and don’t want to create all the flashcards, just download a highly rated public one and start using it.

It is important to pick flash cards that integrate sentences, audio, or pictures into the flashcards. Our brains tend to remember stories and imagery a lot better than just individual words.

This is probably one reason why you couldn’t remember anything from your high school biology class.

Here’s another quick recommendation.

If you are first starting out, get started learning only the most common words. No point learning obscure Spanish words that you will rarely use.  Just get started with the ones that are used 80-85% of the time in regular conversation.

Pro Tip: Delete 1 Social media app from the front screen of your phone and place your flashcard app front and center. Whenever you are bored, open up the flashcard app (instead of the social media app) and use it for 5-10 minutes.

• BONUS: Get 4 more unique ways to learn Spanish not mentioned here with the 11 Top Ways to Learn Spanish Cheat Sheet. You probably haven't heard of #8.

4) Listen to Spanish Podcasts

Podcasts are great because you can listen to them whenever you are doing unengaging activities like walking the dog or folding the laundry.

Basically, anything that doesn’t require your brains attention makes for the perfect time to listen to a Podcast episode.

You can easily download or stream free episodes from the Podcast app on iOS or on Spotify.

There are some great Spanish Podcasts out there for those that like hearing the Spanish language in spoken format.

Below are my three favorites.

Coffee Break Spanish - (For Beginners and Intermediates)

Far and away the best Spanish Podcast out there (IMO).  I used this Podcast early on and loved it.

They have fun and engaging episodes that teach you the essentials of the language.

They even created an interesting storyline in which they break down the intricacies of the language through story.

Españolistos - (For Intermediates and Advanced - Latin American Dialect)

Naturally, I couldn’t recommend a Spanish Podcast without recommending our own, could I?

My wife (Colombian) Andrea, and I (gringo), made this Podcast for Latin American Spanish Learners who wanted to hear conversations on various topics.

There are a wide variety of episodes ranging from Latin American travel and cultural differences to famous biographies and even some grammar translation exercises. All the Podcasts feature a free downloadable transcript to reinforce your vocabulary and increase your listening comprehension.

The best part is the Podcast is spoken in Spanish 99% of the time as it is focused on Intermediates and Advanced Spanish learners.

Notes in Spanish - (For Intermediates and Advanced - Spain Dialect)

Ben and Marina do an excellent job hosting this conversational Podcast.

The Podcast features short 15-30 minute conversations between the two. They have over 100 episodes to get you going.

They speak with a dialect from Spain so it is especially good for those learning Spanish from Spain.

Pro Tip: When listening to a Spanish Podcast, follow along with the transcript so that you can be reading and hearing at the same time!

5) Read Books in Spanish

This one can be a difficult. It was so difficult that I often neglected it early on in my studying.

If you like reading, why not trying reading a book in Spanish?

I did this with the Narnia series and although I didn’t understand every word, I understood most of it and still found it just about as enjoyable as I would have in English.

Rather than review every single word I didn’t understand, (that would take forever), I looked up the common words that kept coming up. Who would have thought that “enano” meant dwarf in Spanish?

If you are finding this method to be too intimidating, just pick out your favorite book in the Spanish translation. Just about every popular book these days is translated into Spanish.

I picked out one of my favorite books in the Spanish translation. Since I had already read this book a couple times in English I already knew the storyline and what was going on in each chapter.

This allowed me to understand the words as I had an idea of the plotline. I experienced the book in a whole new way.

I think this is the perfect way to get started with a Spanish book.

In case this still frightens you, I would say you should attack it like the 20-mile march mentioned above.

Spend 5-10 minutes each morning reading a few small passages. It’s ok if you read slower. The important part is you are making progress through reading.

Pro Tip: If you read on a Kindle device, you can highlight the words in Spanish and get the definition for the words that you don’t understand. Granted, the definition is in Spanish so hopefully you will be able to understand the definition.

6) Begin Writing in Spanish

If you haven’t noticed by now, our Spanishland School motto is, “Piensa como nativo.”

We truly believe that in order to achieve Spanish fluency you need to start thinking and acting like a native speaker.

How can you do that?

By immersing yourself in the language, you will slowly start to think like a native. One way to start thinking in Spanish is to start writing in the language.

Do you write in a daily journal?

If you already do, why not try to write at least half of it in Spanish. This is a great way to stretch your mind and push yourself to use and think up new words.

Early on, I set a goal to scribble down half a page of my thoughts each morning in Spanish. I did this at the same hour every day during my regular study time.

I forced myself to use new words that I had learned in my flashcard app.

Then, after writing them down, I made sure to use them in my conversations with my Spanish tutor later on in the day.

Thus, I was engaging all aspects of my brain and really learning the vocabulary.

Pro Tip: Stretch your mind and write a short story involving wild and imaginative things.  The more outlandish the story, the more likely you are to remember the vocabulary words.

7) Join an Online Spanish Membership or Course to Improve Grammar and Pronunciation

Do you ever struggle with what to study next?

If you are anything like me, you likely struggle with staying focused, being consistent, and most importantly, improving your weak areas.

The best part about joining a good online Spanish course or membership is that the structure is already perfectly laid out for you.

When I got motivated on my Spanish fluency, I watched a bunch of random YouTube videos, bought a few Spanish grammar books, and tried speaking Spanish with whoever would give me the time of day.

Were these things bad?

No, of course not... but the problem was more the fact that I was un organized, going from one topic to the next, and thus I eventually plateaued in my progress.

If I had a Spanish teacher that put together an organized study plan for me to get to the next level, I believe I could have gotten out of the intermediate plateau much sooner.

That's one of the main reasons we created the Parcero Membership.

Our membership is specifically focused on Intermediate and Advanced Spanish students that are looking for structure and consistency in their studies.

Each month, we teach on a specific grammatical theme and provide weekly study material with engaging videos, dialogues, and reading material to keep you focused on your Spanish studies.

We even have a special private Podcast and small group speaking opportunities just for our Parcero students.

You can learn all about it and join at the next available enrollment date here.

Pro Tip: Look for a fully structured course or membership that you connect with in a meaningful way. It's so important to enjoy the process.

Study Plan for Your Next 30 Days

I’m going to give you a simple study plan for the next 30 days.

After that, you can change things up and focus on the things that you are enjoying most. This is meant to be an example, not a hard and fast study plan that you must go by.

Here is a sample routine for someone with a busy work schedule.

I believe this can easily be accomplished if you can squeeze out an extra 5 hours a week.

During the Week

Morning Routine

• Before getting ready, spend 15-20 minutes reading in Spanish and journaling half a page worth of thoughts in Spanish.
• Listen to Spanish music in the shower or while you are getting ready.

Commute To and From Work

• Listen to a Spanish Podcast or a Pimsleur Spanish CD. I got my CD’s at a local library.

Lunch Hour

• Take 30 minutes to an hour doing a Spanish lesson with an online tutor 3 times a week.

After Dinner

• Half of the nights after dinner you can watch a Spanish show or American TV with Spanish Subtitles. The Spanish subtitles are crucial.
• For the other half of the nights, make sure to schedule a language exchange with a friend that you can chat with in person or on video.

Weekend

• Try to attend a Spanish meetup if there is one in your area. You can find one on Meetup.com.
• Plan time to speak in Spanish on the weekend with a tutor or a conversation exchange.  Maybe you know a native Spanish speaker that lives nearby that doesn't mind helping you?  If so, offer to buy them lunch in exchange for help.
• Make sure you schedule next week’s tutoring lessons in advance before you get busy.

As you start getting to a more intermediate level it is important to start putting in time focusing on grammar with a textbook or teacher. It's never too late to work on grammar.

So What’s the Best Way to Learn the Spanish Language?

Ultimately, the best way is the one that you enjoy the most and can make consistent progress in. For me, that was scheduling consistent time to speak with native speakers.

By the way, I don't consider myself an extrovert at all so I am living proof that anyone can do it!

This article set out to provide you with the 7 best ways to learn Spanish. I have tried and tested all of these methods and many more. Without a doubt, these 7 are the most effective.

I've actually got a list of 11 top ways (4 more cool ones) that you can get here.

I didn’t mention using Rosetta Stone or the Duolingo app, not because I don’t find them helpful. They most certainly are.

However, I find them to be too passive in their approach. 

If the goal is to get to Spanish fluency, then you need to focus each day towards interacting with the Spanish language and speaking it early on.

There is nothing quite like meeting someone else in a Spanish speaking country and then also speaking their language.

How do you say are you nine years old in Spanish duolingo?

Where does your grandmother live in spanish duolingo?

Can you repeat it to me again miss duolingo Spanish?