The best way to learn Spanish is going to vary from person to person. Some people pick up reading and writing Spanish faster, while others might skip straight to speaking and listening.
Your plan to learn Spanish must be tailored to your current wants, needs, and lifestyle. If it isn’t practical for your current life circumstances, chances are the Spanish-learning attempt won’t stick, and that could make you feel that the feat is impossible altogether.
The truth is, you can learn Spanish, but it won’t be easy. If your “why” is clear, and you have the commitment to do this, the good news is the hardest battle is already out of the way. You will achieve your goal with time, practice, patience, and a lot of fun and new relationships along the way.
Sometimes people get discouraged when they learn that reaching fluency in Spanish can take years. Something that changed my perspective on that was the thought that, with or without studying Spanish, five years will pass by. Wouldn’t I rather be speaking Spanish five years from now versus never taking on the endeavor?
After having done it, I can confirm that the journey was, and continues to be, worth it.
1. Take Spanish Classes
Some people will jump straight into speaking, and with much respect, I don’t believe this is the best way to learn the language, specifically for adults. Some people are naturally gifted that way, so if that is you, just know I wish that was the case for everyone, but you are actually quite an exception! Think of taking Spanish classes as building blocks. You will memorize words in an organized variety of categories.
You will learn the rules and structure of the language, starting simply and slowly moving into the more complex mechanisms. You will have a guide to help you as you stumble along, someone who truly understands the logic behind why you may be struggling with certain concepts. Spanish classes alone do not result in fluency. However, they set you up for fluency and are the first step of the process.
2. Find Someone to Practice With
Beyond learning, you need practice speaking and listening, and you need to form an emotional bond with the culture, too. The human connection will drive you much further than ambition alone can. The more you can practice, the quicker your learning process will be. In the beginning, you will feel uncomfortable and embarrassed to make mistakes or sound stupid. It is essential to push through those feelings and reframe them.
You are not dumb. You are incredibly driven and brave, and the right people will recognize and respect you for it. At the end of the day, you aren’t doing it for the approval of others. You are doing it for yourself, for the opportunities it could bring professionally, and for the chance to connect more deeply with people from other countries. Through this process, it will change you. Overcoming those feelings of shame equips you to do the same in other aspects of your life and ends up being very empowering.
3. Watch Children’s Shows in Spanish
Listen, I know it sounds ridiculous, but this is an underrated tool when it comes to language learning. Although English you is an adult, Spanish you is a baby, and baby Spanish you needs to develop at a level that it can handle. Many shows for toddlers and young children naturally have language teaching built into them. They speak slowly and simply and repeat themselves often. Be sure to have English subtitles on in your early language-learning phase.
Pro tip: believe it or not, you can find a show you enjoy, and you never need to confess you like it to anyone. Your secret is safe with me! Watching just an hour a day, perhaps while doing chores or on a commute to work, will prove to be helpful.
4. Add Spanish Subtitles to Movies and Shows You Watch
The best way to learn Spanish is to implement Spanish into things you already naturally do. If you are anything like me, you watch TV before going to sleep at night. A simple way to pick up some new phrases while watching is to switch on Spanish subtitles while you watch your show.
When your Spanish gets advanced enough to watch movies and shows in Spanish, you can continue to use Spanish subtitles to read as you listen and confirm you are really getting it right. In the early phases of learning Spanish, English subtitles are good, but eventually, you are going to want to fully immerse.
5. Listen to Music in Spanish
More than observing the language, you need to feel it. From pop to rock to bachata and reggaeton, there are so many types of Spanish music, and you can definitely find one that fits your vibe. I like a lot of slow, romantic, yet modern and unique Spanish music, like Manu Chao and Josean Log. I also love Shakira and Enrique Iglesias and did have my phase with reggaeton, and I still enjoy it at the gym.
Through listening to music in Spanish, you will deepen your connection to the culture and language, and you will also learn phrases that stick in your head. Speaking in the conditional became so much easier for me after listening to Bad Bunny sing, “Qué hubiera pasado si estuviésemos juntos, aún enamorados.”
6. Download a Language Exchange App
After you have mastered the basics and can carry on even a little bit of a conversation in Spanish, do yourself a favor and download a language exchange app. This was an absolute game changer for me. Anytime I wasn’t living abroad or in daily contact with Spanish speakers, I would use an app called HelloTalk. It allows you to talk to people from all over the world. You strike up friendships with people, and for me, it was fun because you know you will likely never see these people again. It really takes out the shyness and embarrassment factor.
So if you want to share your day-to-day drama and thoughts with a Spanish speaker, this is a place you can do so. Trust me, it will bring your Spanish to a completely different level if you really use it.
7. Attend In-Person Language Exchanges
You may not know it, but most major cities have language exchanges. You can look for them on sites like Meetup and even in Facebook groups. People from around the world meet to practice the language they are learning. I went to a few language exchanges when I was living in Spain, and it was helpful. It’s usually a casual setting where you are having some drinks, which helps remove the embarrassment factor of making mistakes. The people who attend are typically friendly, open-minded, and happy to help.
8. Run Errands with a Hispanic Person
If you can do some grocery shopping and cooking with a Spanish speaker, I recommend making an activity of it. Maybe grab coffees beforehand and stroll the grocery store. Point out everything and ask him or her to translate it to Spanish. Repeat what they say aloud. Actually seeing these things in person really helps lock them into your memory. Commit to memorizing the names of whatever ingredients you end up purchasing.
If you are able to then go cook with them, I’d do the same activity in the kitchen. Ask them to translate everything they are doing and repeat after them. Try to commit what you are learning to memory and practice what you learned that day with them.
9. Go to Hispanic Restaurants
This is another way to connect emotionally with the culture, and along the way, some key phrases and dishes should stick in your head. Try to commit to speaking to the waiter or waitress in Spanish. Ask them questions about the most popular and authentic dishes. Make sure you go to a place that isn’t crazy busy. You do have to read the room and make sure they have time for the additional chit chat.
Try the foods and expose yourself to new flavors. This is one of the ways your love for the language and culture will grow and fuel you to keep learning.
10. Take a Salsa or Bachata Class
Taking a salsa or bachata class serves a few different purposes. Number one, it is helping you in case you ever get invited to a Hispanic wedding or party. These moves will help you when you least expect it. Aside from that, this is another way to immerse yourself in the culture, meet Hispanic people, and become more connected with the language. These experiences really do push you through the harder times of the learning process.
11. Start Going to Soccer Games
This recommendation is much less about learning vocabulary and much more about creating more positive moments that connect you to the culture. Soccer is a massive part of Hispanic culture, and it helps you start understanding more about the countries you are learning about. You will feel the energy, excitement, and passion. You will see the rivalries and deep friendships, and slowly, you will become a part of it, too. You’ll definitely learn some cuss words along the way!
12. Travel to Spanish-Speaking Countries
Whether it is a volunteer trip, a fun vacation, or an extended stay, traveling to Spanish-speaking countries is one of the top ways to immerse yourself and bring your skillset to an entirely new level. When I was still early on in my Spanish journey, I had the chance to go on a volunteer trip to Costa Rica. We went to the heart of the jungle and stayed with a Costa Rican family. They were absolutely incredible, and they touched my heart so profoundly. I cried a lot when I had to say goodbye, and it was an experience that will always have a piece of my heart.
13. Move Abroad
I tried to order this list in a practical way. All of the steps until now are pretty much doable for anyone. This one is the trickiest, but also hands down the best and fastest way to learn Spanish.
When I moved to Spain, I thought that I spoke Spanish. That is, until I was forced to survive off it. Suddenly, I felt I didn’t know it at all. I quickly learned how to transfer my head knowledge into practical application and learned so much more through experiencing it every day, all day, in situations where I genuinely needed to communicate. This is the reason I am fluent today.
14. Date or Marry a Hispanic Person
Now let’s make this clear: you would never date or marry someone JUST to learn their language. However, it is a major bonus and is the second best way to learn Spanish. Aside from it being the most fun way to learn a language, it is also the most practical. You need to speak and listen to Spanish every day, and that becomes much more doable when you have someone to do it with. You also naturally will talk to your partner about everything, and if you’re willing to try to do so in Spanish, it will force you to spread your vocabulary across all subjects. It is also naturally motivating. With songs like “I Would Do Anything for Love,” it’s clear to see that love motivates humans. If you are so lucky as to fall in love with a Hispanic person, take full advantage of the language-learning opportunity that awaits.
How I Became Interested in Learning Spanish
I am 100% American, born and raised in Texas. If you were to trace my lineage back to Europe, you’d find strong Swedish and German roots. Being from Houston specifically, I was very immersed in Mexican culture.
My dad even preached at a Hispanic church for many years, where the message needed to be translated from English to Spanish. Some days after church, we’d grab elote from the bike vendors and quickly learned the delicious habit of topping watermelon with Tajín.
Despite the influence, I was totally uninterested in learning another language at that age and paid it zero attention. That all changed when I got to college. I attended a university that was made up of around 70% international students, and I started making friends from South America, specifically Chile and Colombia.
Like many colleges, two years of a language class were mandatory, and I chose Spanish. I had amazing professors and great friends, and as someone naturally drawn to writing and communication, I found myself loving the learning process. I fell in love with the culture across the board.
Through movies, books, language learning, and connecting with my friends, Spanish started becoming a part of my life. Beyond the language learning itself, I also admired the international students I was meeting.
At such a young age, they were moving on their own to a whole new country, speaking a second language, and succeeding at doing so. I saw a confidence in them that I admired, and slowly I started to want to have that experience too.
As my mandatory Spanish classes came to an end, I found myself tearing up on the couch as I talked about it with my roommate, Nicholle.
She really understood me in general, my emotions, and how to make me laugh and come up for air when I felt overwhelmed. She told me, “Just change your minor to Spanish!” I knew it was late, but I also knew she was right. So I went to the professors and begged them, “Please let me change my minor!” Thankfully, they said yes.
I then taught English in Spain for two years, and when I came back implemented it into my work life. I later fell in love with and got engaged to a Peruvian, so Spanish continues to be a part of my life to this day.
The Best Way to Learn Spanish is Making it Yours
The best way to learn Spanish is to slowly make it a part of your life. Embrace the people, the music, the food, the dancing, travel, and new relationships. Dedicate structured time to study, and add Spanish subtitles and shows into your mix of daily entertainment. Time will pass, and if you stay dedicated, your hard work will pay off. It will open doors to a whole new world of friendships, ways of thinking, and ways of living. It will change your life for the better.
