Top Spanish Language Learning Tools: Teach Yourself Spanish for Travel!

How would you like to teach yourself Spanish for travel? Let’s talk about Spanish language learning tools, apps, and the best free Spanish lessons online (and offline).

Learning a language is an incredible asset for traveling the world. Being able to speak to host country nationals in their mother tongue can not only help you get around more easily, it also goes a long way in helping you have more authentic and meaningful interactions with the people you meet.

For many travelers, language is a big hurdle and even prevents people from considering certain destinations. With short-term trips, a few words and phrases can be enough to get by. But more intimidating destinations may call for a local guide and translator to help navigate through the language barrier.

How we learned Spanish for travel

If you’re like us and want to travel independently, learning a language like Spanish can be super helpful. I (Michelle) was a French major but ended up learning Spanish in college as well when I did a two-summer internship with a non-profit in the Dominican Republic.

I taught myself the basics with a Dos Mundos textbook in preparation for that first summer. Then I got lots of practice living with Dominican host families and working with Spanish-speaking counterparts.

Years later, we went through a similar process for Jedd as we prepared for a multi-week trip to Ecuador. He was learning Spanish as a beginner while I brushed up on everything I’d forgotten.

We thought it would be helpful to others to share some of the resources we’ve found – many of which are free online – to quickly get your Spanish skills up to par without sitting in a class.

Our Top Four Resources for Learning Spanish Online and Offline:

Coffee Break Spanish Podcast

I think these are some of the best free Spanish lessons offline. The Spanish podcast is a fun and easy way to learn grammar and vocabulary while you’re on a walk, doing chores, or driving in the car. As an added bonus, it’s produced by Scottish people so you hear a fun accent when they’re explaining the concepts in English.

For Jedd, we used the free Beginner’s Episodes (Season 1), and I went through some of the free Advanced Episodes (Season 4) for myself.

We essentially used CoffeeBreak Spanish as the core of our “curriculum” for the first couple months and found other youtube videos and games that reinforced the topics they cover in Season 1. Jedd listened to each episodes several times and recorded the vocabulary he learned in a notebook as he went along.

You can listen to all four seasons of podcasts for free. If you want further resources, like extended lessons and written transcriptions, then you can pay for the premium version.

By the way, the same company, Radiolingua, also does podcasts for other languages. (We wrote about Coffeebreak French on our Preparing for a Budget Trip to France blog post).

Pros: Engaging and digestible lessons with good explanations of the grammar concepts you’re not used to.
Cons: Audio-only needs to be supplemented with something visual to help make the words stick in your mind- either use the materials from the Premium version or do some self-directed note taking.

Rosetta Stone Spanish

Rosetta Stone Spanish is the most well-known and also the most expensive option for language-learning. I personally like it because it helps you learn new words and phrases intuitively (without direct translation). You can get different language levels a la carte or bundle levels 1 through 5 in a package.

If you’re on a budget or are not 100% sure you’ll be able to stick to the program and get your money’s worth, then I wouldn’t put Rosetta Stone at the top of your list. But if you want the best, all-in-one, interactive program, then go for it.

Click here to check prices for Rosetta Stone Spanish on Amazon

Pros: Engaging, visual, and methodical.
Cons: Costly. The immersion approach is intended to help you pick up on grammar naturally, but the program doesn’t explain why a particular language structure or pattern is used. It needs to be supplemented with a textbook or something to really allow you to create new sentences on your own.

DuoLingo Spanish

The DuoLingo smartphone app has gained popularity in the language-learning world because it “game-ifies” learning the language. Perhaps because I’m not typically motivated by games, “leveling up,” or competing, this method was a little less effective for keeping me coming back.

But Jedd likes the DuoLingo app a lot, and it is a very convenient way to brush up on grammar and vocabulary on the go or when you’re short on time. You can also set up the app to see your friends’ progress, which provides a bit of accountability.

DuoLingo can also be played straight from the website if you prefer not to use it on your phone.

Pros: Engaging and easily digestible lessons, like playing a game. App sends you reminders to play and rewards you for consistent use.
Cons: Doesn’t always teach practical vocabulary- like when will you need to say “The monkey wears red pants”?

Spanish Youtube Videos

Some of the best free Spanish lessons online are found on youtube. I think the more effective way to use Youtube is to search for specific topics that you need to review, rather than following one Youtube channel as the basis of your classes.

Spanish Dict is the closest I found to a quality introductory series of lessons. You could start there but we found the host to be a little too cheesy.

Butterfly Spanish, on the other hand, has a more likable and entertaining host (in our opinion) who is a native speaker. She covers a lot of the basics, although the lessons are not quite methodical enough to really be a stand-alone language learning program. But definitely worth using as a supplement to the topics you’re covering on other mediums.

Pros: Engaging and fun. Audio and visual in one.
Cons: No good cohesive series to take you methodically through. Teacher occasionally goes on tangents that are a bit too advanced.

Other Spanish Resources We Use:

Spanish Netflix Shows

Over time, I’ve noticed an increasing amount of Spanish content available on Netflix. While it’s nowhere near a structured Spanish lesson, watching shows in Spanish is a great way to absorb real Spanish phrases and get used to native speakers. Plus, it doesn’t feel like “work” if you’re watching a show you enjoy!

Depending on your level of Spanish, I recommend turning on subtitles in English or Spanish to assist your comprehension.

Not all of the shows on Netflix are top quality, and they may not always be licensed to your country. Here are some recommendations to look for:

– El Ministerio del Tiempo – (probably my favorite for quality content) a secret agency guarding Spain’s past from time-traveling intruders, Spain Spanish
– El Gran Hotel (aka Hotel de Secretos) – this period show has been remade in multiple countries so you can likely find it in Spain Spanish, Mexican Spanish, and maybe others.
– El Tiempo Entre Costuras – Set in Spain and Morocco during the Civil War, Spain Spanish
– Juana Ines – period melodrama inspired by actual events, Mexican Spanish
– La Nina – follows a former Colombian guerilla fighter into medical school (I eventually grew tired of the adolescent drama)
– La Casa de Papel (a.k.a. Money Heist) – a bit intense, lots of plot twists, Spain Spanish
– Tiempos de Guerra (a.k.a. Love in Times of War) – set at a Spanish war hospital in Morocco, Spain Spanish
– Ingobernable – Mexican political thriller (recommended by one of our readers)

Quizlet Flashcard App

Another way to reinforce and memorize concepts you’re learning elsewhere is to use a flashcard app like Quizlet. Other users have made numerous flashcard series for Spanish so you can search for the specific topic you want to study. See the Spanish collection here.

Google Translate for Spanish

Google Translate is great for looking up unknown words quickly. I even paste in phrases I’ve composed in Spanish and see how they come out in English, just to see if I’ve put them together correctly.

Google Translate has also been really helpful when communicating with our Airbnb hosts via e-mail in Spanish. Keep in mind that many words have multiple meanings and nuances, so the software isn’t always 100% accurate.

Spanish Textbooks

For me, having a basic Spanish beginner textbook is really useful for looking up grammar concepts or verb conjugations. You can also use the practice activities in each chapter to hone your skills. There are zillions of options out there and you can probably find something cheap at your local thrift shop. I personally used Dos Mundos textbook when I was first learning (and still do).

Online Spanish games

Digital Dialects is a super basic site that has some simple online games to help you practice your beginning Spanish vocabulary. If you need to review things like numbers, colors, animals, etc. then give this a whirl. It’s probably not something you’ll want to use every day, though.

Other Resources We Still Need to Try:

Online conversations

Sites like iTalki can help you find native Spanish speakers who are looking to practice English online. You can connect with folks via web chat (Skype) and exchange language practice time in both languages.

FluentU is a site that compiles real world Spanish language videos all in one place. You can find videos for any level and a wide variety of topics, each with Spanish subtitles and interactive captions so you can look up unfamiliar words in English. You can also download their audio files to listen as a podcast. The site requires a member login but appears to be free.

Spanish apps our readers recommend

SpeakTribe and Babbel are Spanish language-learning apps that focuses on conversation skills. These apps use lessons that allow you to listen to native speakers and respond in interactive dialogues.

If you’ve used any of these tools yourself or have some new recommendations for us, we’d love your feedback.

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