Learn Spanish the fun, natural (and inexpensive) way

June 30, 2018

Costa Rica, Expat Life

If you’re thinking about traveling to Latin America, and definitely if you are planning to move to a Spanish-speaking country, you should learn some Spanish. The more you learn, the easier getting around and getting things done will be. Plus you’ll avoid awkward, confusing or embarrassing scenarios, or more seriously, avoid being taken advantage of because you don’t know how to communicate. We know from experience that picking up a second language as an adult is not easy, but we’ve discovered some fun ways to learn over the years. Plus, these are things you can do for free or very cheap! You don’t have to spend tons of money on classes to learn a language, you just need to be resourceful, motivated and dedicate the time to learning.

An important note: If you have zero Spanish skills to start with and have never taken a beginner’s class or picked up a text book, you DO need to start this way. You have to learn the basics to get an idea of how the language is structured. Look for classes at a local community college, pick up a textbook, or check out Duolingo. Once you have a foundation, these tips will be much more effective to help reinforce what you’ve studied and absorb the language in an organic way.

Tip #1: Watch children’s shows.

Some learners try to jump right into Spanish versions of their favorite shows or movies because they think they will be entertained and somehow just absorb what’s being said. But most likely the language will be way too advanced in adult TV and movies, plus they talk very fast, and use too much slang for a beginner to learn from. Think about it: children’s shows are made to help kids learn to speak, so they will help you too! Even if you have been studying for awhile, start at the very bottom with shows for toddlers and work your way up. Remember to turn the subtitles on in Spanish if possible, so you can see the words as they are being spoken. This helps immensely to clarify what you hear and get familiar with spelling.

“Pocoyo” is a great show that you can watch on YouTube for learning vocabulary and basic sentence structure. It’s extremely slow and repetitive, but that’s exactly what you need to learn, and if you focus on understanding everything, you won’t get bored. Another great beginner show is “Peppa Pig“, also available on Netflix, where you can turn on subtitles. You’ll find plenty of others on Netflix, too, if you search. Disney movies are great once you work your way up to that level, since they are available in multiple languages. The only thing we’ve noticed with Disney movies is that the subtitles and dubbed Spanish usually don’t match. It seems like they were translated by two different people, or maybe one is Latin American Spanish and the other is European Spanish. So this could either be frustrating or interesting depending on your level, because you can see different ways of saying the same things.

Once you get to a more advanced level, there are plenty of wonderful Spanish language movies to watch. This is a great way to get used to different cultures and accents, as you will notice that the speed and pronunciation is quite different depending on the country. Spain, Mexico and Argentina seem to be the top Spanish speaking countries that produce movies– with three very different accents. I find that Mexican Spanish is the easiest to understand, and follows what you may have learned in text-books very closely, despite the colorful slang you will hear repeatedly.

Tip #2: Read children’s books – out loud!

If you’re more of a visual learner or just like to read, children’s books are also a great place to start. Most larger bookstores have a Spanish section where you can browse and flip through books to find the right level for you, and of course you can also search online. Reading and translating as you go is fun, like solving a puzzle to uncover the story’s meaning. Reading out loud is a really great way to practice your pronunciation, too. It takes some time to be able to roll your r’s with ease, and get comfortable with the Spanish accent. To pronounce things correctly you actually need to learn to move your mouth differently which can feel weird at first. But that’s why reading out loud at home is the best way to practice, with no pressure or judgement!

Check out some of the books below that we liked to get an idea of what to look for. Some are even Spanish/English which is great because you have the translation right there.

Tip #3: Grab a drink and chat it up with a local

When you’re first learning, it can be really intimidating to practice your conversational Spanish with native speakers. You may be embarrassed you’ll say the wrong thing or feel like no one has the patience for you. If you’re already in a Spanish speaking country, one of the best places to practice is a local bar. Use your discretion, of course, and find a bar you feel safe at (especially if you are a female). Most likely there will be someone at the bar who is already a few drinks in and looking to chat with just about anybody, even a gringo with broken Spanish. You’ll be less intimidated to use your Spanish after a cerveza, and you won’t feel so much pressure to say everything correctly in this setting. Ask about local food, sports, music, etc. You could even say “quiero practicar español“– I want to practice Spanish– and they will probably appreciate your effort. Gringos have a pretty bad reputation for visiting Spanish speaking countries and not knowing a word of Spanish, just speaking loudly in English to everyone expecting them to understand. Don’t be this kind of gringo!

If bars aren’t really your scene or you can’t find one that has a friendly enough atmosphere, try cafes. Grab a coffee and see if there are any people hanging out who look like they have time to chat. Often groups of older gentlemen will be sitting around talking and have no hurry to get anywhere. You could try striking up a conversation with them, asking for directions or advice about the area. They will most likely love to share their opinions about local topics, and even hear about where you’re from.

Tip #4: Listen to (slow) Spanish music

Repetition is key to remembering new words and phrases, so music is another amazing tool to help you learn. Browse Latino artists and find something you like but also something slow enough to catch the words. Before you know it you’ll be singing along, and even if you don’t fully understand the phrases will be burned into your memory. Find videos with lyrics and follow along, and then pause to translate what you don’t understand. Just like reading books, it becomes like a fun puzzle to uncover the meaning, and makes you appreciate the song even more when you understand it.

Here’s just a few of my favorite artists for learning Spanish that you can check out on Spotify:

Carla Morrison – Indie pop singer and songwriter from Mexico with a dreamy voice and plenty of slow songs that are easy to understand.
Mon Laferte – Chilean singer and songwriter with some fun and funky upbeat songs and some ballads that both have a good pace to follow along with lyrics
Caloncho– A Mexican alternative rock band with some catchy mellow beats and interesting lyrics to decode
Café Tacvba – Mexican rock band with a wide range of styles and sounds and lots of albums
Juanes – popular Colombian pop/rock singer and guitarist

Tip #5: Look for Spanish conversation groups or partners

Once you have basic conversation skills, join Meetup and search for local Spanish conversation groups, or conversation exchange events. Sometimes groups will be a mix of native speakers and learners who just want to chat in Spanish, and other groups are organized more to help each other learn, so it will be a mix of Spanish learners and English learners. If you don’t see a group already, start one!

You can also check out Conversation Exchange to find others in your area who are Spanish native speakers learning English who would like to do one-on-one meetings where you help each other learn and practice. These are such a great format for learning because you can have natural conversation, unlike in a classroom, and since you are both learning a second language and taking turns being the “teacher” and “student”, it takes the pressure off and creates a great casual atmosphere to learn. I’ve used this site all over the world – Seattle, New York, Madrid, San José, Panama City- and met so many cool people this way. It’s a great tool to practice with native speakers while you are home or while you’re traveling. When you’re in a new city it’s also a great way to meet locals and get advice and tips for the city you’re in, plus learn the local slang, since you will quickly find out while traveling that every country’s Spanish is a little different.

We hope these ideas will help you to learn and pick up Spanish in a more fun and natural way! You will notice too that these resources are all free or very affordable, especially when compared to language classes, tutors, or online learning subscriptions. You’ll see that when you use multiple methods to learn you’ll start to hear or read common words or phrases over and over in different places, and that recognition and repetition is how you will eventually remember them. Immersion is the best way to learn, and you can create that experience for yourself if you try to expose yourself to the language in a variety of ways – listening, reading, talking, even singing! You may never speak like a native – we still don’t after living in Costa Rica for years – but you will surely become conversational if you put in the time, which will make your experiences abroad much more positive and interesting.

by Laura

We teach you some Spanish in this video about expat life in Costa Rica!