I get a lot of emails asking me how I learned Spanish. The truth is that I just jumped in without any direction at all, using a variety of different programs and resources, adding them and dropping them as I figured out what worked for me.

I’m not an expert, just a learner like you. I’m not suggesting that my way is the way, and there are almost certainly more efficient learning paths out there. But when I was starting out, I would have loved to have seen a detailed self-study plan that had actually worked for someone.

And so, dear blog reader, I’m making one just for you!

(As I’ve learned more about language-learning, I’ve also heard great things about programs like Assimil and Teach Yourself. However, this post is aimed at people who, like me, are interested in learning Spanish from home using free resources.)

Based on my experiences over the past year, this is what I would suggest to learners wanting to self-study Spanish using free resources.

This post is divided into three parts:

Your very first month…

OK, so you’re a complete beginner. You know nothing. Nothing.

No hay problema, friend!

Just start. Don’t wait or research programs or try to calculate how long, exactly, it will take until you’re able to speak Spanish. Pick a resource and just start.

Recommended resources:

I really like Pimsleur as an introductory language course. It’s 100% oral/auditory, and you’ll be able to verbalize simple requests and statements within the first half hour. It’s an amazing feeling! Pimsleur works well for establishing a good accent right from the start.

Pimsleur is not a free program, but I have never and will never pay for a Pimsleur course. I think that they’re grossly overpriced. However, if my library – a small library in a town of 1800 people – was able to get it for me, then I’m sure you can get it from most libraries. I think that the full 3-part Pimsleur course has 90 lessons, but my library only had the first 16 lessons. I found them very valuable.

edited on August 25th to add a new resource: I’ve heard nothing but good things about Language Transfer, a free audio introduction to Spanish modelled on Michel Thomas. I’ve listened to parts of it, and it seems to build very logically and surprisingly quickly.

Mi Vida Loca is a fun, simple introduction to the Spanish language for absolute beginners. It’s an interactive video course with a story that unfolds over 24 episodes. I started it too far into my Spanish journey, and found it too easy, so I never finished it. But if I were starting over, I would use it from day one. The story is engaging, the production value is high, and there are full transcripts available.

Duolingo is in no way a standalone language course, no matter what anyone might say. But it’s a fun, addictive, gamified approach to learning languages. It’s good for learning vocabulary, gender and basic sentence structures. (read my review of Duolingo here)

I think that it’s important to study vocabulary explicitly, especially at the beginning stage of learning a language. You have to decide what works best for you: paper flashcards, electronic flashcards, word lists, spaced repetition software. I use anki, a free spaced repetition program. Whatever approach you choose, I recommend that you create your own decks or lists from day one, adding the vocabulary that you learn through your various resources. Downloading pre-made decks doesn’t provide the same rich learning experience.

I also recommend listening to music from day one. It’s a nice way to immerse yourself in the culture right from the start.

Absolute beginner? Come on in, the water’s fine!

source: taoty / freedigitalphotos.net

What an hour a day might look like at this level:

30 minutes Pimsleur or Language Transfer

10 minutes vocabulary practice

20 minutes alternating Mi Vida Loca and Duolingo

What an hour and a half a day might look like at this level:

30 minutes Pimsleur or Language Transfer

15 minutes vocabulary practice

25 minutes Mi Vida Loca

15 minutes Duolingo

5 minutes singing along to a Spanish song

Extra “free” Spanish: listen to Spanish music in the background while going about your daily life

Beginner / High Beginner / Low Intermediate:

Now you’ve got a bit of basic Spanish under your belt. You might not be able to express everything that you think, and you don’t understand everything that you hear, but you’re well on your way! The road from beginner to intermediate can take some time. Don’t rush it; just enjoy the journey.

General advice for this level:

Build your momentum. Use a variety of resources so that you come across the same vocabulary and sentence structures in multiple contexts. Don’t spend hours trying to come up with the “perfect” plan; just choose a few resources that interest you and commit to them.

Create a simulated immersion environment:

switch your phone and computer to Spanish

listen to Spanish radio and music in the background

make a Spanish news site your homepage

follow Spanish speakers on Twitter or other social media (I have a Spanish twitter list here, if you’re looking for people to follow).

Get into the habit of thinking in Spanish. Narrate your actions internally as you go about your day-to-day life. Make a quick note of any vocabulary that you’re missing so that you can look it up and add it to your vocabulary study later.

Plan on at least two weekly conversations with native speakers. Try to write a text and have it corrected by native speakers at least twice a week. Take note of important vocabulary – the words that you lack when speaking or writing are the ones that you personally need the most.

Keep growing your vocabulary, using whatever approach works best for you. Whether you use flashcards, SRS or word lists, remember that vocabulary study is meant to support your Spanish learning, not to overwhelm it. Fifteen minutes per day is my upper limit for anki; any more than that, and I start getting restless.

At this stage, I highly recommend making an effort to hit all four language skills daily: listening, speaking, reading and writing. I posted a description of how that looked for me about two months into my own Spanish learning adventure.

Recommended resources:

Listening

Destinos is one of the best resources that I used as a beginner. While it’s a whole language course, with workbooks, textbooks and additional audio, the only part that I used was the video, which is available for free online. The story is dated and a little bit cheesy, but you’ll be amazed at how much your listening comprehension will improve over the course of 52 episodes. (read my review of Destinos here)

I’ve also heard very good things about Extr@, a 13-episode sitcom (complete with laugh track) for Spanish learners. I previewed one episode, and the actors speak very clearly. The story is silly, and the laugh track is annoying, but the show seems charming.

Notes in Spanish is an excellent podcast for Spanish learners. Marina and Ben, the hosts, are entertaining and very pleasant to listen to. The beginner podcast has quite a bit of English in it, but it has some interesting expressions and good cultural insight. The intermediate podcast – which is where I started, towards the end of Destinos – is all in Spanish and gave a real boost to my listening comprehension.

Keep listening to music. It’s also a good idea to listen to Spanish radio or watch Spanish movies and TV shows with English subtitles. Native material will probably still be beyond your listening ability at this point, but it will help you to internalize the rhythm and music of the language.

Speaking

It’s time to find a language partner! Yes, you’re probably a bit nervous. But it’s ok. The only way to learn to speak a language is by speaking it – and you’ll improve quickly once you start! I did all of my language exchanges over Skype, 30 minutes of Spanish followed by 30 minutes of French or English. I found my language partners for free on italki and on Conversation Exchange. If you have more money than time, you might consider getting a tutor instead of a language partner; Spanish tutors on italki are very affordable.

You can read my in-depth review of italki here, and my tips on language exchanges here.

Reading

VeinteMundos is a digital magazine that also happens to be one of the best websites out there for Spanish learners. Every two weeks they put up a new article from somewhere in the Spanish speaking world. The text has a mouseover dictionary, and there’s full audio to accompany it. The reader’s voice is pleasant and slow enough to follow along. The stories are interesting, and include links to related video and websites. (read my review of VeinteMundos here)

I think that the upper-beginner level is the perfect time to read your first novel. I recommend starting with a children’s novel that you’ve already read in your own language. If you own a copy in both languages or if you have access to the audiobook, even better!

The first children’s novel that I read in Spanish was Charlie y la Fábrica de Chocolate by Roald Dahl. After that, I read (in order): Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, Charlie y el Gran Ascensor de Cristal by Roald Dahl, and Las Brujas by Roald Dahl. While many language learners want to start with Harry Potter, I found it very difficult as a beginner. It was much more accessible after first tackling four simpler children’s novels.

Writing

Writing short texts is a great way to consolidate what you’re learning. Lang-8 and italki both provide platforms where you can post a text and have it corrected by native speakers. Shorter texts tend to get corrected more quickly and more comprehensively.

I know that some people think that grammar is a bad word. Personally I like grammar – not because I like grammar in and of itself, but because I like Spanish. Learning grammar helps me speak Spanish more clearly and correctly, so I like it!

I used the Practice Makes Perfect Verb Tense book. I used a gift card to buy it, so it wasn’t free, but at less than 15 dollars it was very affordable. It’s a very US-centric resource, with lots of pop culture references, but it explains concepts well and moves along at a steady pace. You could also try the About Spanish site, which is free and comprehensive, but plastered in obnoxious ads.

Duolingo (which I mentioned in the section for absolute beginners) is very useful for basic sentence structure and verb tenses – although I think that it’s less useful after you’ve finished the first 3/4 of the skill tree.

Really looking to go far?

FSI Basic Spanish (edited to correct broken link – March 2016) is probably the most comprehensive free Spanish course available. It was created in the 1960s for American foreign service workers, and it’s now in the public domain. FSI Spanish Basic is a full course, with downloadable audio and textbooks, including dialogues and lots of different drills. It’s dated, and it can be dry at times, but it works. I think that FSI is best started at a high beginner or low intermediate level; it might be too overwhelming as a complete beginner. (read my review of FSI Spanish here)

Soon you’ll be swimming without a flotation device.

source: anekoho / freedigitalphotos.net

What an hour a day might look like at this level:

15 minutes reading a novel or an article

10 minutes vocabulary practice

25 minutes watching Destinos, intensively listening to Notes in Spanish or having a Skype conversation

10 minutes writing or grammar study

What an hour and a half a day might look like at this level:

20 minutes reading a novel or an article

15 minutes vocabulary practice

30 minutes watching Destinos, intensively listening to Notes in Spanish or having a Skype conversation

15 minutes writing or grammar study

10 minutes Duolingo, singing along to Spanish songs, or reading a Spanish twitter feed

Extra “free” Spanish: listen to Spanish music or podcasts in the background while going about your daily life; listen to podcasts or FSI while going for a walk; watch Spanish movies and TV with subtitles

Upper Intermediate / Advanced:

This is where Spanish gets really fun!

At this level, you’re moving from learning the language to actually using it.

At an upper intermediate or advanced level, you need lots and lots of input from native material: books, TV shows, movies, podcasts. “Levelling up” feels infinitesimally slow when you’re at a higher level, but luckily the stuff that you get to do with the language should be fun enough to keep you motivated.

General advice for this level:

As much as possible, live your life in Spanish. The focus at this level should be less on formal study and more on massive exposure and input. That said, it’s important to keep pushing yourself. Aim for more complex conversation topics, take note of important vocabulary, and write out your thoughts.

Talk.

Keep up with regular conversations (either in-person or over Skype), which will get more and more interesting as your level improves. If you’ve been working with the same language partner or tutor for a long period of time, you might need to make an effort to push yourself by discussing more complex subjects.

Read.

Read lots and lots. I think that reading is the best way to build vocabulary, internalize sentence structure and strengthen grammar in any language. I generally prefer novels over shorter texts like articles or blog posts, although I do read those as well. I’m currently reading series for children and young adults. I’m on the fifth and final book of the Percy Jackson series, and then I’ll move on to the third Harry Potter book. I do plan on reading adult literature originally written in Spanish before the end of 2014.

Listen.

Lots of input is important at this level. Notes in Spanish Advanced and Gold serve as a good bridge between resources for Spanish-learners and native Spanish audio, but there’s still quite a jump from one to the other. With practice, it gets easier.

I’ve become a podcast addict lately! I like listening to talk radio shows with lots of visual imagery and interesting topics. RTVE (Spanish Public Radio) offers a wide variety of high-quality podcasts. Some of my favourites are Nómadas, Fallo de Sistema and Futuro Abierto. I listed more of my favourite podcasts and shared more details about them here.

Get your news in Spanish.

While I still take a quick glance at CBC / Radio Canada to stay up to date with what’s happening in Canada, I get the bulk of my news in Spanish now. I listen to the daily podcast Buenos Días América while walking the dog. I read Democracy Now or Amnistía Internacional with audio and full transcript a few times a week. I read articles on BBC Mundo, Voz de América or El País. I listen to Spanish talk radio while doing stuff around the house. I don’t watch the news on TV, but if I did, I’d almost certainly do it in Spanish.

Watch.

While I love movies, I find that – from a language-learning perspective – television series can be more effective, especially when you’re just starting out with native audio/video. There’s more repetition, and you have more time to get used to the actors’ voices and mannerisms.

Watching a dubbed show that you’ve already seen in your own language can be a very powerful learning tool. I’m currently watching my way through my box sets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in Spanish. At the beginning, the dialogue seemed impossibly fast. But after a full season, I’m finding it much easier to follow along. When I have a few free minutes in the evening, I might also watch an episode of The Simpsons online.

Original Spanish television is also a great resource for learners, since it includes not only words but also body language and cultural references – both of which are key for truly understanding a language. Drama Fever is an excellent source of original Spanish television with English subtitles can easily be turned on or off. A few of my favourite shows on Drama Fever are Isabel, Desaparecida, Frágiles and El Tiempo Entre Costuras. Unfortunately, I think that Drama Fever only works in North America.

RTVE is another very good source of free Spanish television without subtitles.

A note on grammar:

At the upper intermediate and advanced levels, you’ll probably find yourself wanting to use advanced verbal constructions (“If I’d known that you were going to be there, then I would have come.“). Practice Makes Perfect and FSI (both of which I mentioned in the section for beginners and intermediate learners) include grammar appropriate for advanced learners. Reading helps internalize complex structures, but I think that it’s also important to explicitly practice them in conversation or in writing in order to truly make them yours.

The world is your ocean!

Gualberto107 / freedigitalphotos.net

What a typical day looks like for me at this level:

15 minutes checking out the news over breakfast

10 minutes vocabulary practice (anki)

30-60 minutes listening to podcasts (I do this while walking my dog)

30 minutes reading a novel (I read every night before bed)

You’ll notice that – except for vocabulary study, which I do on my phone in blocks of 2-3 minutes throughout the day – none of this is actually time-consuming “study”. I’ve just replaced activities that I used to do in English with the same activities in Spanish.

Other Spanish activities that I do throughout the week:

at least once a week (although I aim for twice a week when I can): hour-long conversation on Skype with my tutor

at least twice a week (more often if my schedule allows): watch an episode of a TV show

once every week (or two): write a text using some of the complex grammatical structures that I’ve been practicing in conversation

once every week (or two): intensively read an article, reading it multiple times and digging through it for new words and turns of phrases

So there you have it: my step-by-step approach to learning Spanish. There are lots of other great resources out there, and I’m always keeping my eyes open for new stuff. But this is what worked – and what’s still working – for me!

If you’re self-studying Spanish, I’d love to hear about your experiences! What works for you? What do you struggle with? What do you enjoy?