Best Way To Learn Spanish

Traditional classes want you to commit to a semester-long course.

Online tutors are sliding into your Instagram DMs.

So, what does really work?

This post breaks down the most popular methods for learning Spanish, compares their pros and cons, and helps you figure out what actually fits your life.

The good news is that learning Spanish is totally doable – you just need to find the approach that doesn’t make you want to quit after two weeks.

Apps like Duolingo, Babbel, and Rosetta Stone are usually the first thing people try. After all, they’re everywhere, and most of them are free.

The appeal is obvious.

Apps are flexible, gamified, and fit into tiny pockets of your day. Five minutes while you’re waiting for your coffee. Ten minutes on the train. The bite-sized format makes it easy to build a daily habit, and those streak counters are surprisingly motivating.

Here’s the problem – you’re not actually speaking to anyone.

You’ll pick up vocabulary and basic grammar patterns, but holding a real conversation is a completely different skill.

The exercises also get repetitive fast, and good luck understanding the grammar explanations when they do bother to include them.

Apps work best as a starting point for complete beginners who need to learn basic vocabulary and sentence structures. Perfect for busy people who want something low-pressure to get started. Just don’t expect them to get you to conversational fluency on their own – because they won’t.

In-person Spanish classes at community colleges, language schools, or adult education centers offer something apps can’t: the opportunity to practice with actual human beings.

You get a structured curriculum designed by qualified teachers, regular practice with classmates, and built-in accountability through scheduled classes and homework. There’s something valuable about learning alongside other people at your level – it normalizes the awkwardness of butchering your first attempts at speaking.

The downsides are, of course, less flexibility and usually a hefty price tag. You’re locked into specific class times, which gets tricky if you have an unpredictable schedule. And since everyone learns at different speeds, classes can move too fast for some people and painfully slow for others.

Traditional classes work well for people who thrive in structured environments and actually benefit from in-person accountability.

If you’re someone who struggles with self-discipline or genuinely enjoys the social aspect of learning, this might be your best shot.

Online tutoring sits somewhere between apps and traditional classes, giving you structure without locking you into someone else’s schedule.

Platforms like Preply connect you with native Spanish tutors who tailor lessons to your actual goals.

Want to focus on conversational fluency? Done.

Need business Spanish? There are specialists there.

Preparing for a trip? You can practice exactly the phrases you’ll need.

You choose your tutor based on their specialty, teaching style, price, and availability. Then, schedule lessons at times that work for you.

The real advantage here is getting personalized feedback and speaking practice from day one. Your tutor corrects mistakes in real time, explains confusing grammar in ways that make sense to you, and adjusts the pace based on how quickly you’re picking things up.

This approach helps you avoid cementing bad pronunciation or grammar habits early on. Plus, speaking from the beginning builds confidence way faster than any app. You’re not just memorizing words – you’re learning how to use them in a conversation.

The main drawback is cost. Online tutoring is more expensive than apps, though still more affordable and flexible than traditional classes. But for the personalized attention and faster progress, it’s often worth it.

The DIY approach includes traditional textbooks, YouTube channels, podcasts, and structured online courses. Appeals to independent learners who like controlling their own pace.

The pros are solid. Resources are often free or dirt cheap, and you can study whatever interests you most.

Self-study requires serious discipline, though.

There’s no teacher or classmate expecting you to show up. You also have nobody to correct your pronunciation or grammar mistakes, which means you might be practicing errors for months without realizing it. Learning alone can also feel demotivating when you inevitably hit plateaus.

This approach works best for highly motivated self-starters who genuinely enjoy independent learning and have strong organizational skills.

If that’s not you (and honestly, it’s not most people), you’ll probably need to combine this with something that provides more structure.

Immersion methods include watching Spanish TV shows and movies, listening to Spanish music, using language exchange apps like Tandem or HelloTalk, and travel or immersion programs.

The benefits are easy to see: you get authentic exposure to how Spanish is actually spoken – slang, cultural references, natural speech patterns, all of it. It’s also way more enjoyable than drilling grammar exercises. In general, learning through entertainment doesn’t feel like work.

The problem is that complete beginners often struggle with pure immersion. Watching a telenovela when you only know 50 words is more frustrating than helpful. Language exchange apps connect you with native speakers, but conversations get awkward fast when you lack the vocabulary to express basic ideas.

Immersion works best as a supplement rather than your main method.

Once you have a foundation of basic grammar and vocabulary, immersion helps you internalize natural speech patterns and expand your understanding. Just don’t expect to become fluent by only watching Netflix with Spanish subtitles – it doesn’t work that way.

Here’s the truth: the ‘best’ method depends entirely on your learning style, budget, schedule, and goals. There’s no magic solution that works for everyone.

That being said, most successful Spanish learners combine multiple approaches. They might use an app for daily vocabulary practice, listen to Spanish podcasts during their commute, and schedule weekly tutoring sessions for conversational practice.

For complete beginners, we recommend starting with a foundation-building method like an app or structured course, then adding conversational practice through something like Preply early on.

Don’t wait until you feel ‘ready’ to start speaking, as that day never comes. Speaking from the beginning, even when it feels uncomfortable, speeds up your progress dramatically.

The key is finding methods you’ll actually stick with. The perfect study plan you abandon after two weeks is worthless. Try a few different approaches, see what fits your life, then commit to consistency over intensity.

If you want personalized guidance and real conversational practice without the rigidity of traditional classes, online tutoring offers a practical middle ground. Most platforms like Preply offer discounted first lessons, so you can test them out without major commitment.

Whatever you choose, remember: every fluent Spanish speaker started exactly where you are now. So, you’ve got this!