Hola! Welcome to another episode of “Que Señorita“, a language learning series. Here, we are going to learn how you can learn a new language with absolutely zero investment. You know what? I lied. It does require a little investment which is nothing but your time. You know that time is money, right?

If you have the will to master a language all by yourself and that too, without spending a penny, then you are in the right place. I’m teaching myself Spanish for quite some time now with the help of a few online platforms. And trust me, they are super helpful.

I mean if you can/want to have a teacher then you go right ahead. It’s always better to have a worthy teacher but if you first want to explore the language a bit before making a jump into it, you might wanna have a look at the language learning resources I’m about to spill.

Language Learning Resources

Being a multi-lingual is a joy one has to explore for themselves.

Some of these platforms are purely for Spanish learners but most of these offer multiple language learning opportunities. But just in case, I’m listing everything I know.

1. Duolingo

I always talk about how beneficial Duolingo is to me and how it is absolutely free. And the way it is taught is also quite easy to grasp. Without overwhelming you with grammar from the beginning, Duolingo teaches you in a way to get you accustomed to the language bit by bit. And that is my favorite part of it.

Duolingo is the main supporting pillar of my language learning. And I highly doubt there would be anyone who can be disappointed with it.

2. Speaky

I came across Speaky quite recently and it is quite something to add to your language learning resources. Basically, it is a platform for all language learners. There will be native speakers and foreign speakers of different languages and learners can connect with a native speaker who will teach you some of the nuances of the language only the natives know of.

This is also a great place to make friends. It is important to have someone to communicate if you want to become better at a language and Speaky helps you with just that.

3. Edx

On Edx you can choose your favorite course and learn right from your home. You can learn for free on Edx but if you want a certificate then you must pay.

I enrolled for a few Spanish courses myself, although I haven’t applied for any certificate it helped a great deal. There are multiple reputed universities on Edx to choose from. And it is not just for language learning, there are so many other courses as well from computers to humanities.

4. Spanish pod 101

This is only for Spanish learners. If you are one, then this is another great option to explore. They have PDF guides to download, flashcards, free vocabulary lists, and grammar bank. Some of those are paid and some free.

5. Youtube

There are myriads of language teaching channels on Youtube and they are free. If you can spare some time to search that seems fit for you, there’s no doubt you are gonna find some amazing channels on Youtube. I watch them often as well, although I have Duolingo. You never know where you will learn the most.

And apart from that, I also subscribed to a few Spanish Vloggers to stay in touch with the language. And you may do the same if you wish to improve your language skills.

6. EWA

This is also a recent discovery. On EWA, you can find articles and books in a few different languages. If your target language is on this app, then you can also learn it from reading books. If you read a book, your vocabulary bank will be brimming with new ones. It will help you a lot. Like every other on this list, this is also free.

7. Lyrics training

The first thing any learner will do is find music in their target language. That is a great way to be connected with the language. Lyrics training is an app that has lots of music videos with subtitles and you can learn the language by singing along with it.

This is not just educational but also super fun to do. It has a Karaoke option as well.

8. Spanish Dict

This is an online dictionary for Spanish to English learners or vice-versa. No other language is available. But this is a great app. If you type in a verb, it instantly gives you the meaning of it, how it must be conjugated into different tenses, several examples to explain, and a few phrases we use often.

I love this one. Spanish Dict.

9. Google Assitant

Google assistant is a great help as well. When I say “Be my Spanish interpreter” it helps me with vocabulary and forming sentences. You can also make a casual conversation with Google Assistant in the language you desire.

“Siri” works the same way. Just change the language in settings and you can practice your target language with your virtual assistant.

10. Instagram

How I use Instagram for learning a language? I search for Spanish accounts, like actors, singers, or a teaching account, and every day for at least 5 minutes I watch their stories, posts, and descriptions. The way they speak teaches me a thing or two each day.

And one more thing is I try to make posts with captions in Spanish. The more I do it, I better I get used to it. In fact, you know, I changed the preferred language in my phone to Spanish so I can get acclimatized with the use of it every day. Tricks as this will help you more than you realize.

11. Netflix

I learned that if there’s an easy way to learn a language is through watching movies. It teaches you a lot. Watching movies will help you sharpen your listening skills as well as your grammatical knowledge. Since I began learning Spanish, I watched so many Spanish series and movies on Netflix that surely improved my Spanish. I found new vocabulary, saw the practical use of tenses, improved listening, and speaking.

So, do not neglect this step while learning a language. Watch as much as you can.

12. FluentU

This app is a paid platform that has several videos (available in many languages) to watch and learn from. But their blog posts are free and very helpful. They write detailedly and explain everything nicely. Even if you go wanna go with the paid version, do not overlook their blogs. They are awfully helpful.

I haven’t used their paid version, so I have nothing to comment on about that. But this is something to explore.

See, with so many online resources at our disposal, you can have a great start on your linguistic journey. Once you have enough understanding of the language you wish to master, you can either go for a teacher or continue self-teaching.

That’s about it. I hope I gave you enough value through this article, so happy learning! And I’ll see you again pretty soon.

Chao!

Lots of LOVE,

Nikki.

(Penname: Sarvani)

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