Learn Spanish for Free! 45+ Free Resources Proven to Promote Fluency
You’ve made the right choice to explore your options in learning Spanish, the second most-spoken language in the world. I bet you’re wondering: is it really possible to learn Spanish for free? It is! All you need to do is decide if you prefer to self-study or enroll in a free course. To help you understand which method works best for you, feast your eyes on our long list of free Spanish resources.
Jump-start your journey to fluency with our guide and start learning Spanish for free. Let’s get started!
How Is It Possible to Learn Spanish for Free?
We are hard-wired from birth to learn language. During the first year of life, our brains learn to recognize and use the specific sounds and common grammar rules—among other elements—of our mother tongue. Think back to when you were a kid telling your mom that a friend “gaved” you something and you’ll realize how challenging a task it was for you to fully master your first language. The good news is, your brain is fully capable of learning more than one language. The question is how?
Motivation is Key!
While it’s useful to consider the difficulty in acquiring any language, it’s more important to understand that with the right mindset and motivation, you will reach native proficiency in a foreign language—no matter at which age you begin learning. Spark inspiration in your language routine by setting yourself up for success from the very beginning. How do you do this?
- Understand your ultimate goal in learning Spanish so that you weed out irrelevant information. Ask yourself: do you want to sound like a native speaker? Do you want to speak basic Spanish for travel purposes? What is your priority? What do you want to achieve?
- Create weekly targets that help you to narrow your focus. Week one, for example, you aim to learn 10 nouns, 5 verbs, listen to native Spanish in a podcast, and practice for 5 minutes with a language partner.
- Set a realistic timeline for achieving your goals. Do you have time to read Spanish for 30 minutes a day? Does your attention span only let you focus for 5 minutes at a time? Tailor your self-study routine to reflect what you are capable of accomplishing.
- Lastly, don’t expect perfection! Remember that making mistakes is an essential part of the learning process and those you speak with will appreciate your efforts.
Resources for You to Learn Spanish for Free
Don’t Wait, Immerse Yourself Now
As you know, you didn’t study your native language and yet you reached fluency. Similarly, you can thrust yourself into an immersion setting and start talking immediately with native Spanish speakers. Take a look at these sites to see which one works for you:
- Homeschool Spanish Academy – sign up for a free class with a native Spanish speaker from Antigua, Guatemala.
- Italki – provides 1-on-1 lessons with native speakers, look for free trial classes.
- Verbling – 1-on-1 Spanish lessons, look for free trial classes.
- Meetup.com – look for Spanish language meetup groups in your area.
- Couchsurfing – go Couchsurfing in a Spanish-speaking country.
- Reddit: r/Spanish – join a community of native speakers and Spanish learners.
- Menéame – Spanish version of Reddit, based in Spain.
- Linguaholic Spanish Forum – chat your way to fluency with groups of natives and learners.
- Lang-8.com – join a community of native Spanish speakers.
“Pick and Plug” from English to Spanish
Our mother tongue has already given us a blueprint for language-learning. Luckily for you, Spanish sentence structure is almost identical to English, so the similarities will play to your advantage. If you’re not yet ready to start talking, build your Spanish fluency from scratch by picking up new Spanish words and plugging them into phrases you say in English.
How to Do It
First, deconstruct a simple sentence in English and translate each part. As you continue, document new vocabulary by jotting it down in your language journal. For example, think of the phrase “I want to eat a cookie.” Search for “to want Spanish conjugation” and you’ll find conjugation tables that teach you the pronouns and tenses that go with verb changes. Stick to yo quiero or branch out and write out all of the present tense verbs.
Then, focus on the infinitive “to eat” (comer), while you remember that you can switch it out for other infinitives you learn along the way. Finally, look up the word “cookie” in Spanish, and you’ll find una galleta. When you put it all together, you get: Yo quiero comer una galleta.
Build As You Go
As your Spanish awareness grows, you can build on this simple sentence by plugging in new vocabulary:
Change the infinitive: Yo quiero comprar una galleta. (I want to buy a cookie.)
Change the object: Yo quiero comprar una blusa. (I want to buy a shirt.)
Make the object plural: Yo quiero comprar unas blusas. (I want to buy some shirts.)
From this point, the options are endless!
Check out the best dictionaries to find new words:
- Wordreference.com – (website) includes active forums where you can ask native Speakers for clarification on words or phrases.
- SpanishDict – (website, app) provides a dictionary, conjugation tables, and lessons.
- Google Translate – (website, app) translate full sentences or do it word by word, see lists of synonyms.
- Learn Spanish Offline – (app) includes common Spanish phrases, travel vocabulary.
- Dictionary Linguee – (app) provides conversational translations and applied grammar.
- English Spanish Dictionary – (app) enables offline use.
Space Out Your Repetitive Study Time
Given that spaced repetition is a proven method of improving memory and recall while learning a foreign language, you’ll need to practice new words regularly. Create flashcard sets by hand or use an app to organize your study time and apply repetition methods. Commit to a schedule where you alternate between indexing new words in your flashcard sets and reviewing old ones. If you’d like an app for Android or iPhone, check these out:
- Anki – embed video, audio, or images into the app to custom-create flashcards.
- Quizlet – flashcards, diagrams, and study guides.
- Cram – download others’ flashcards or make your own.
- StudyBlue – premade flashcards and quizzes.
- Brainscape – offers over 10,000 Spanish audio flashcards.
- Spanish Flashcards – premade Spanish flashcards based on themes.
Mix Video and Audio Lessons
Audio and visual learners will benefit the most from these lessons, which effectively train your listening skills to register Spanish sounds and separate words in natural speech. Here is a list of both audio and video sources of Spanish instruction:
Audio Lessons
- 1 2 3 Teach Me Spanish – online lessons with audio and worksheets.
- Notes in Spanish – podcast with transcripts and worksheets.
- Coffee Break Spanish – 40 lessons of basic Spanish.
- SpanishPodcast.net – native Spanish monologues with free transcripts.
- Duolingo Podcast – combination English-Spanish narration and storytelling.
- Unlimited Spanish – Language guidance and conversational Spanish for beginners.
Video Lessons
- Spanish Academy TV – Spanish lessons, practice conversations, materials, and cultural insights.
- Spanish and Go – a couple teaches conversational and travel Spanish.
- Why Not Spanish? – videos are mostly in Spanish and designed for beginners or intermediate learners.
- Professor Jason Spanish – grammar-heavy, articulate Spanish professor.
- Spanish Dict – progress through “volumes” as you go through the videos.
- Spanish Pod 101 – cover Spanish reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
- Spanish Sessions – Spain-based Spanish teacher shares language lessons.
- 5 Minute Spanish – mini-lessons that last 5 minutes.
- Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish – a telenovela turned into lesson format.
Enroll In a Free Course
If you prefer to study under the direction and guidance of a program, then have a look at a long list of free Spanish courses that you can explore online:
- StudySpanish.com – sign up for a free membership to access thousands of Spanish resources.
- Practical Spanish – lessons, music, and eBooks.
- University of Texas – lessons on grammar and vocabulary for all levels.
- Spanish for Beginners – thematic Spanish lessons.
- Spanish Listening – listen to native speakers from around the world speaking Spanish.
- The Spanish Experiment – free lessons and Spanish children’s stories.
- Speaking Latino – search for lessons on Spanish slang and colloquialisms by region.
- Todo Claro – interactive online lessons.
- Duolingo – thematic lessons with audio.
- Memrise – language program designed to boost memory.
¡No hay un mejor momento que el presente!
The present moment is the only moment there is, so hesitate no more. Do yourself a favor and click at least one link on this list to get started today. Once you’ve found a few resources that align best with your learning style, hit the ground running! If you’d like to start practicing right away, sign up for a free class with Homeschool Spanish Academy where a friendly and fun native Spanish-speaking teacher is waiting for you!
Do you want to see how HSA can help you achieve fluency? Learn more about us!
- All About Adverbial Clauses in Spanish
- How to Immerse Yourself in Spanish While at Home
- Ver Conjugation: Free Spanish Lesson, Exercises, and PDF
- What Are the Different Levels of Language Proficiency?
- What Is And How To Master AP Spanish Language
- What Does it Actually Take to Become Fluent in Spanish?
- Top 10 Science Fiction Spanish Books for Adults (with PDFs)
- All You Need to Know About Spanish as a Second Language
- Top-Rated Accredited Online Spanish Classes for Kids - February 22, 2023
- 6 Compelling Reasons Why Your School Should Outsource Spanish Class - February 3, 2023
- 20 Free Spanish Books, Novels, and Stories in PDF and Printables - January 25, 2023
