The 5 best free tools

If you consider a backpacking trip to Latin America, we suggest that you start learning Spanish beforehand. On one of my first trips, I spent close to 9 months traveling in South America. It was so much more fun and easier after I built a basic level of Spanish. 

A lot of online lists tell you about the best free apps to learn Spanish, but I found that most of those apps were not fun and have its limitations.  

To help you learn Spanish fast for free, take a look at my list of the free online apps and websites that I like the most! You´ll be asking in Spanish for directions and ordering food in a restaurant before you know it! 

Bonustip: Look at Rocket Languages. Click here.

1.    Spanishdict

There are many resources available on the internet. So many that it makes you lost! But the absolute #1 app that you need to download is Spanishdict. It`s for a reason, THE online translator that backpackers use when they want to learn Spanish and travel to Latin America. You can use the app offline which makes it easy to use when you hit the road. And all you have to do is to type in an English or Spanish word. The most amazing part? It gives you not only the translation of the word and an audio button with how to pronounce it. But it shows different definitions and multiple ways of how the word can be used with examples of common expressions and sentences. This makes learning so much easier! Because our brain works better when you learn words in a context! Did I forget to mention that the app has a conjugation table for any existing verb? Trust me, Spanishdict makes your learning and travels a lot easier!  

Go to Spanishdict

2.    YouTube

We all know Youtube! But do you know that it´s full of channels with teachers who do free Spanish lessons to give you tips on grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and more!? It has amazing content, and I have been using it over and over again for improving my Spanish! My 2 favourite teachers are Andrea from the channel Spanishland School and Juan with Español con Juan. Why do I love both of them? Andrea is a beautiful Colombian teacher and excellent at explaining Spanish grammar. All of her videos help! And Juan is the most passionate and engaging teacher I found on Youtube. His style is very entertaining and different from others. I would highly recommend Andrea and Juan for those who is at the intermediate and advanced level (however some of the videos are perfect for beginners and to start listening vocabulary) 

Go to YouTube

3.    Duolingo

Duolingo can´t be missed on my list and it´s an awesome free app to learn Spanish. What I like about Duolingo is that you competitively learn lessons with a game format. You have to set yourself learning goals about the amount of time that you want to study, and if you fail in those goals then there are consequences. It keeps you motivated and you move on to the next level once you are done! I met many travelers in South and Central America who used Duolingo before and during their trip! Why do they love it? The big advantage of Duolingo is that the lessons are really short (sometimes 5 minutes). So there is always a moment during the day when you have time to improve your Spanish skills! 

Go to Duolingo

4.    Hello Talk

What I love about traveling is that you get to know a culture and the language. Maybe that´s one of the reasons why I like this app HelloTalk so much! With the app, you can connect with native speakers and chat with them. It works super easy. All you need to do is to find a Spanish speaker who is interested in speaking your language! In my case, I have been chatting with most people from various countries in South and Central America who were eager to learn Dutch! The app encourages you to help each other by correcting each other mistakes. It´s super cool and useful! It has helped me a lot in improving my Spanish skills! A nice bonus is that I am still in touch with some of the people I met on this app! It´s always good to have friends everywhere in the world, for crashing at someone his place! 

Go to Hello Talk

5.    StudyBlue

I think all of us used them as a study tool when we were young: the classic Flashcards! It can be a huge help during the process of learning Spanish. With StudyBlue you can make them super easy! What I find practical about this app is that you can use it offline whenever you want! I recommend making 5 of your flashcards every day. Just look around and write down a word you don´t know. Simple as that! But write down the word always in a context so that you remember the words easier! It´s the fastest way to memorize your flashcards and you would be surprised how fast you increase your Spanish vocabulary!

If you want to learn an language online. I can also recommend you to check out Rocket Languages. Click here.

Summary best resources for learning Spanish for Free

Here you have it! The best tools for learning Spanish for free are based on my experience. I started learning Spanish by myself from scratch and developed fast. You can´t go wrong with any of my recommendations! But please comment below if you have any suggestions! 

However, which Spanish tool do you go for. If you study in a Spanish-speaking country you will be immersed in the culture and speak Spanish in no time. I believe that learning the language and cultural immersion makes it an unique experience.

So do you have interest in a beautiful language immersion, with Spanish courses and immersion programs designed for all students? Contact us right now, and combine your study Spanish in Latin America with the best adventures and volunteering!