November 30, 2020 by Rafael Parra Learning Strategies 0 comments

The Best Way to Learn Spanish According to Users on Reddit

Did you know Reddit is a great tool to learn Spanish?

This platform can be confusing to new users, so let’s explore the best way to learn Spanish on Reddit. It’s an amazing way to connect with Spanish speakers from all over the world!

What is Reddit?

Reddit is a semi-anonymous social media platform that has gained popularity in the past few years. Users post text walls, images, videos, and all sorts of multimedia content in different communities called “subreddits.” Other users then can leave comments on each person’s posts, adding to the conversation. The most “upvoted” (Reddit equivalent of likes) posts and comments appear on your front page. Basically, you get content that’s curated by other Reddit users.

One unique Reddit feature is the ability to downvote or dislike a comment or post. Rude comments, false facts, and irrelevant posts often get enough downvotes to push them out of view.

So, how does the site work? It all starts with many different subreddits.

What Are “Subreddits”?

Subreddit is the name given to the different communities that live within Reddit. One cool aspect of Reddit is that you can choose which communities (subreddits) you want to be a part of. This means you can curate and customize your Reddit account so it only shows you things you’re interested in! For example, if you like knitting you can subscribe to “r/knitting” to see photos of people displaying their knitting skills.

These communities are shared through a link that’s similar to a hashtag. Users can create and contribute to any subreddit they like. Later, we’ll take a look at the best Spanish subreddits for you to check out.

Reddit is Great for Asking and Sharing

The Reddit community is always happy to lend a hand. You will typically get a response within a few hours, making this a great source of advice on many topics—including Spanish.

This community thrives because of the people who actively participate on the website. You’ll notice that there are plenty of native Spanish speakers who want to help you speak their language.

Are you ready to have a fun and easy Reddit experience, and learn Spanish in the process? Here are some beginner tips!

Beginner Tips for Navigating Reddit

Reddit may be overwhelming to new users, but there is a way to work around that! If you follow these tips you’ll be a pro before you can say the word español.

1. Start with the App

Reddit’s desktop app is different from what other social media apps usually look like. The mobile app, on the other hand, is user-friendly and easy to get into. You can download the Reddit app to create an account, choose subreddits, and get started faster than on the website.

2. Read the Sidebar

All subreddits have a “sidebar” with general info, useful links, and community rules and guidelines. Many subreddits also have an FAQ section in their sidebar that might save you a couple of clicks and maybe even a whole post. You can find the sidebar on the mobile app by tapping on the three white dots on the top right corner of the app, and then tapping on “community info.” Or you can find it on the right side of your browser if you’re on a computer.

3. Use the Search Function

With over 200 million active users, chances are that your question was most likely already answered in a previous thread. That’s why you should use the search function built into the app to see if you can find what you’re looking for. Another alternative (and the one I use the most) is to Google your search query and add the word “Reddit” to it.

For example, type “fun Spanish quotes Reddit” in your search engine of choice and it will give you quick results.

4. Customize your Experience

The best way to customize your Reddit account to suit your liking is to join as many interesting subreddits as possible and start enjoying your colorful and entertaining feed. In some ways, you’re bound to stumble across subreddits naturally through reading comments that lead you to them or you can check out the suggested subreddits that pop up along the sidebar—but these are fairly passive ways to enjoy Reddit.

If you’re ready to grab the bull by the horns and start using Reddit to learn Spanish, then you’ll enjoy this curated list I’ve made for you!

Here’s a look at the best subreddits to learn Spanish.

Learn Spanish With These 8 Subreddits

1. r/Spanish

This is the central hub and biggest Spanish community on the site. r/Spanish is dedicated to discussing, teaching, and learning Spanish. You can go there and ask any questions you have about grammar, spelling, regional accents, slang, share stories… you name it! I personally enjoy going through it every now and then to answer some questions I might be able to help with (as I’m a native Spanish speaker).

Check this interesting post: “I’ve got until May to become comparably fluent in Spanish… Oh boy!”

This subreddit doesn’t offer help with homework, translations, or proofreads, but luckily there are other subreddits for that! Otherwise, this is the first place you should look if you want to learn Spanish on Reddit.

2. r/Spanishhelp

If you’re stuck on your Spanish assignment or need to get an A on your next Don Quijote essay, r/Spanishhelp comes to the rescue! This subreddit is dedicated to helping Spanish learners with everything from homework and assignments to proofreading and video/audio transcription requests.

It’s important to note that this community won’t do the work for you, due to their strict “zero work done” code that forbids posts from asking others to complete their assignments for them. Instead, members are more than willing to help you with specific questions, and they’ll even check your work for you!

Keep in mind is that this particular community is small, so it may take couple of days to receive a reply. In other words, don’t rely on this for any last-minute homework checking!

3. r/SpanishBookClub

This is your one-stop-shop for all your Spanish book needs. r/SpanishBookClub is ready to give you everything from Spanish literature recommendations to free Spanish e-book downloads to take on your next vacation! If you just read a great Spanish book and want to discuss it, this is the right place for you.

People often come to this subreddit asking for help identifying a Spanish book that they don’t remember. If you can’t quite recall what that book series about a rebel Spanish swashbuckler was called, this subreddit has got you covered.

Check out: 20 Free Spanish Books, Novels, and Stories in PDFs and Printables.

4. r/translator

This subreddit is the place to go for translation requests on Reddit. If you want to translate something that doesn’t result in grammar mistakes like the translations from Google Translate, you’ll want to participate in this group. Similar to r/Spanishhelp, this community also has a “no zero work done” policy. Meaning if you want to have your translation homework checked, you’ll have to provide them with an initial translation of your own. Also, since these are people who are translating for fun or to help out, you won’t get help if you need to translate long documents. This community is big and quick to help you as long as you follow the rules.

5. r/JudgeMyAccent

The quickest way to get positive attention from native Spanish speakers is to show them that you’ve put effort into a good accent. That doesn’t mean that your accent has to be perfect, or even good—but the effort is noticeable. If you’re ready to polish your pronunciation, the subreddit r/JudgeMyAccent is a good resource. You get to upload a short audio clip of yourself speaking Spanish, and native speakers will give you tips and pointers on how to improve your accent. Get ready for some constructive feedback! Users are friendly and helpful most of the time. If you’re not sure how to handle honest feedback, you may want to brace yourself before you send off your audio.

6. r/DoesNotTranslate

While this subreddit is not highly specific to Spanish, it’s still a great community for posting and learning about words or expressions in different languages that don’t translate well. You know it all too well—that word you want to translate, but it doesn’t seem to exist.

A personal favorite of mine is the English word “agency.” The word agencia in Spanish describes institutions that provide services. But there’s no way to translate the “agency” that refers to the ability we have to choose and change our environment. So frustrating! Maybe I should go to r/DoesNotTranslate and post about it.

7. r/Language_Exchange

This subreddit is so much fun! r/Language_Exchange is a community dedicated to helping members find a language partner. Imagine I want to practice my English and you want to practice your Spanish—this is where we would find each other. After a quick chat in the comments, we set up a voice call, and start practicing in real-time!

If you don’t feel comfortable sharing your voice online, you can always choose to keep it via text, so there’s no real pressure to really speak to someone if you don’t want to. Either way, you’ll find this is a great resource to practice and learn Spanish while helping someone else out too.

8. r/languagelearning

Last but not least, we have r/languagelearning. This community is not specifically designed to learn Spanish. Still, they are ready to give you tips on how to improve your language learning skills with polyglot podcasts, books, and personal stories of success and struggle in the wonderful world of language learning.

Ask Us Anything!

Reddit is an essential tool when you dedicate some online time to learn Spanish instead of scrolling social media. You will be able to find a whole group of people ready to help you for the fun of it. One of the best things about this site is that even after years of using it you’re always going to find new content and communities to learn, share, and have fun with.

Do you like to use Reddit? Is there a subreddit we missed or that you would like to share with us? Let me know in a comment!

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Rafael Parra

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

A native Spanish speaker from Guatemala, I'm a psychology student, creative developer, and aspiring polymath who's always learning new things and improving as a person. I'm a nerd when it comes to language, education, and videogames. My goal is to practice all these disciplines in unison and make something great with my time.