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The other day, I asked a group of students this question: "What apps or platforms do you use to learn Spanish?"...and wow, I was not expecting such a wide variety of answers!So today, I want to share their amazing suggestions with you. Even if you're a beginner or a more advanced learner, you might find a new tool here to add to your daily practice. Vamos! PART I: The ones I usually recommend Here are a few tools that I usually share with students who want extra practice outside of class (apart from the Extra Grammar Ebook and the PDFs I always share... some of you are always hungry for extra practice!).These were originally also recommended by students, and I've been re-recomending them since then. All of these are either completely free or have very&nbsp; good and solid free versions.<h2>Duolingo Podcasts</h2><a data-mce-href="DUOLINGO%20PODCASTS%20https:/podcast.duolingo.com/" href="DUOLINGO%20PODCASTS%20https:/podcast.duolingo.com/">Link aquí</a> This was recommended originally from a dear student, and he was so happy about the pace of the stories (as Spaniards tend to talk at crazy speed), and the stories in the past tenses, which he always had trouble using in a mixed and natural way.Here they share short stories in Spanish with English narration in between. Great for listening on the go, and they’re especially helpful for intermediate learners.<h2> Dreaming Spanish</h2><a data-mce-href="https://www.dreamingspanish.com/browse" href="https://www.dreamingspanish.com/browse">Link aquí</a> A favorite! A dear friend from EEUU who helped me a lot with my web design recommended this for me. This YouTube-based platform offers tons of videos a wide variety of levels and accents, and it¡s all based on comprehensible input. They have content for absolute beginners all the way to advanced levels. Super engaging and actually fun to watch.I'm still waiting for something like this but in Italian!<h2> Babbel</h2><a data-mce-href="https://es.babbel.com/" href="https://es.babbel.com/">Link aquí</a> It's not 100% free, but it offers a few lessons for free and is well-structured. I usually recommend it to people who love a more academic or grammar-based approach.<h2> Busuu</h2><a data-mce-href="https://www.busuu.com/es" href="https://www.busuu.com/es">Link aquí</a> Similar to Babbel but with more interactive features and a community aspect. They also let you practice with native speakers by correcting each other’s writing. &nbsp; PART II: The apps a new group recommended — and I loved discovering Here’s where it gets interesting. When I recently asked a new group of students who are learning an A1 course, they came up with some amazing tools I had never heard of before!Here they are:<h2>“Charlemos” Facebook group</h2><a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/charlemos/" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/charlemos/">Link aquí&nbsp;</a> Apparently, there’s a great little community on Facebook where Spanish learners and native speakers meet up virtually to practice together. It's a friendly space to ask questions and exchange voice notes or texts.I had heard about other Facebook groups who offer language exchanges, but this one seems absolutely lovely and safer (especially for women - I've myself suffered some harrassment from online apps for language exchanges).<h2> HelloTalk</h2><a data-mce-href="https://www.hellotalk.com/es" href="https://www.hellotalk.com/es">Link aquí</a> A super interactive app that connects you with native Spanish speakers (and speakers of basically any language). You can chat, send voice messages, and even correct each other's sentences.<h2> Language Transfer – Complete Spanish</h2><a data-mce-href="https://www.languagetransfer.org/courses#spanish" href="https://www.languagetransfer.org/courses#spanish">Link aquí</a>Totally free, audio-based, and very different from anything else out there. It focuses on logic and how the language works. It’s like learning through conversation and reasoning, perfect for curious minds.<h2> Airlearn</h2><a data-mce-href="https://airlearn.com" href="https://airlearn.com">Link aquí</a> A newer platform where you can listen to native speakers and adjust the speed and subtitles. I tried it for a bit and really liked how natural it felt. Great for listening and picking up real-life vocabulary.<h3> TalkPal AI</h3><a data-mce-href="https://talkpal.ai/es/" href="https://talkpal.ai/es/">Link aquí</a> One student described it as "Duolingo meets ChatGPT."&nbsp; You chat with an AI who speaks Spanish and corrects your messages.&nbsp; Está bueno if you’re trying to build confidence but you get a bit too anxious when speaking to real people.Bueno, hasta aqui el post.&nbsp; &nbsp; Muchas, muchas gracias 💛...to all the students who shared these ideas: GRACIAS. You reminded me that the best resources often come from each other. Learning is a community process, and it’s beautiful to see how many tools are out there to support us along the way.Got more app ideas? Message me on Whatsapp — I’d love to hear about them!

Free & Useful Apps to Learn Spanish (According to My Students!)

Disclaimer: None of my posts have been written using any kind of AI. AI is only used to check on grammar mistakes and word synonyms.&nbsp; <h3>Use the phrases and words you know on a daily basis</h3>Practice makes perfect: if you are a beginner, stick to a reduced number of phrases and/or verbs that you can use in different contexts and with different uses. I start teaching beginners SER (to be) and TENER (have), because you can stretch those to talk about quality, quantity &amp; content in different settings.&nbsp;Some phrases: - ¿Cuánto es? ¿Dónde es? ¿Quién es? ¿Cómo es? ¿Cuándo es? ¿Cuál es? - ¿Es... libre de gluten / vegetariano / grande / pequeño ? - (No) tengo frio / sueño / hamper / dolor. - (No) tengo mi pasaporte / mi maleta / mi comida / a mi amigo &nbsp;- ¿Tenéis (Spain) / tienen (rest of the world)... comida / platos veganos / sal / agua / baño/ leche de almendras?<h3> Once you feel confident with them, switch them up for more complex phrases</h3>This is not the most low - effort tip, but it's necessary to evolve your language usage, the variety of your vocabulary and the phrases you form.&nbsp; Keep doing this until you feel you have a couple of ways to express the same idea.Greetings and goodbyes are a great start: &nbsp; A1: ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? But as you get more proficiency, you'll get to: A2: ¡Buen día! ¿Qué tal la mañana? Yo bien, ¿y tú? ¡Me alegro! ¿Cuánto cuesta? B1: ¡Buenos días a todos! ¿Que cómo estoy yo? Por aquí excelente, nunca estuve mejor. ¿Y por allí? Ah, qué dicha. ¿Me dices cuánto cuesta?&nbsp; B2: ¡Buenos días, qué gusto veros/verlos! ¿Cómo ha estado todo? Me alegro mucho. ¿Serías tan amable de decirme cuánto cuesta? C1: ¡Buenos días! ¿Podrías indicarme el precio, por favor? Agradezco mucho tu ayuda <h3>Use language apps to practice&nbsp;</h3>We know them: Duolingo is the most known app to learn languages, although is not my favorite App. For my own learning, I like Memrise and Drops, and I've heard good things about Babbel as well.&nbsp; There are also many interesting apps that allow you to "talk" to and write to an AI-powered voice, which can be a useful way to prepare yourself for different settings and challenges. I strongly believe that human interaction is preciously irreplaceable, but anything we can use to improve our knowledge, feel more confident and enjoy the process is very well welcomed.&nbsp; No kind of app will match real interaction, but they but they can be helpful and knowledge doesn't take up space.

PART II - Low-effort things you can do to improve your Spanish

Disclaimer: None of my posts have been written using any kind of AI. AI is only used to check on grammar mistakes and word synonyms.&nbsp;Low-effort things you can do to improve your Spanish. This also works for any other language you are learning!<h3> Join Facebook and WhatsApp groups&nbsp;</h3> Focus on those where they speak in Spanish. It can be the main purpose of the group, such as "Practice Spanish daily" or local groups where native speakers naturally speak Spanish.<h3> Follow people on social media that create content in Spanish.&nbsp;</h3>Interact with those posts so that the algorithm knows you are interested in that type of content. You can also change your settings so that your apps know you can and want to watch content in that language. Again, these can be teachers who share their knowledge of the language, or mainstream content creators who make videos that are interesting to you.&nbsp; If you want a list of creators I like and follow, you'll find it at the end of this post.&nbsp; &nbsp; <h3>Eavesdrop</h3>We love a good "chismecito": try paying attention to that story that is being told ion the subway or at the table next to you. Not only will you have the chance to hear a great story, but also you'll pick a ton of vocabulary, common expressions, verb tense mixes and pacing and accent usage.&nbsp; It's the perfect (and cheapest) listening exercise!

Low-effort things you can do to improve your Spanish

Disclaimer: None of my posts have been written using any kind of AI. AI is only used to check on grammar mistakes and word synonyms.&nbsp;Hola!&nbsp;Today, I want to give you 4 ideas to practice your writing skills in any language you are learning.<h3>1. Write your future self a letter</h3>I've started implementing this idea with my A2+ students, and they've been loving it. Using the FutureMe webpage, you can write yourself an email and set the date and time in which you'd like to receive it.&nbsp;I can assure you: it's always a big surprise and a lovely experience to read what you've written. I've done it myself consistently for a couple of years, from whatever state I was writing in (happiness, nostalgia, hopefulness, fear) and writing whatever came to mind at the moment.Whatever I write, it makes me feel like my past "me" is sending an invisible hug to my present "me".If you do it in a foreign language, you'll also be able to judge how much (or not) you have improved in the language. If you have kept just a bit of consistency, you'll see a delightful difference in how you used to write to how you currently write.&nbsp;<h3>2. Leave reviews in Google Maps </h3>&nbsp;Sharing is loving:✨ Write a nice review about that good restaurant you've been to.✨That new coffee shop that has just opened around the corner? Do the owner a favour and share what you liked the most about their brand-new menu. &nbsp;✨Share the timetable details about that bus station only you know about.&nbsp;Needless to say that reading the existing reviews in the language you're learning will also help you to gain more vocabulary around nouns, adjectives and adverbs related to giving and expressing opinions.&nbsp;<h3>3. Take notes about what's happening around you</h3>If you like chilling in a coffee shop, if you're feeling a bit alone in a bar, or if you want to make more of your commute; keep a small notebook or a dedicated note in your phone about what's happening around you.It can be about simple things: what other people are doing, what are they wearing, what they are talking about, what emotions are they expressing, how are they sitting.You can write it in any tense you'd like, according to what you want to express.🕰️ You can keep it simple by writing in the present tense (una mujer camina...)🕰️ Maybe spice the present up with the prerífrasis verbal estar + gerundio (una mujer está caminando...),&nbsp;🕰️ You can put the pasts to use by writing what happened 10 minutes ago (una mujer caminó / una mujer caminaba)🕰️ Or emphasizing what has just happened using the Pretérito Perfecto (una mujer ha caminado con prisa...)🕰️Finally, you can take it one step further and write predictions about what's about to happen, using the future tense (una mujer caminará... &nbsp;/ va a caminar)<h3>4. Leave comments on social media&nbsp;</h3>😊 That positive reinforcement you were just about to leave in the cool video?&nbsp;😡 That criticism you wanted to throw to that enraging post?😏 The cool comment you wanted to leave your friend?Write it in your second language!<h3>Final thoughts</h3>Yes: AI makes it so, so easy to write for us.But being able to write properly allows us to ground ourselves, connect with our own thoughts, and to produce in our own unique ways.Writing is a practice and a statement; it's a political act and an intimate one.Losing the practice of writing is also losing a part of our humanities.&nbsp;Keep writing ✍️💖

4 great ways to write in another language

If you do not live in a country that speaks the language you are learning as the main language, you may want to try this tips: Disclaimer: none of my posts have been written using any kind of AI. I only use AI to check on grammar and synonyms.&nbsp;<h3>1. Create a community that speaks that language (and you only have that language in common)</h3> It doesn't feel right to talk in a language if both parties can communicate better in another. Imagine practising Spanish with your american friend.&nbsp; Find, connect and build relationships with people who only speaks your target language.&nbsp; Ideas: • Bumble &amp; Tinder friends / date mode with language filters • Language Meetings and exchanges • Communities of countries that speak the language you are speaking in your own country<h3>2. Keep in touch with the language without feeling you have to "learn" it </h3>Educational videos and podcasts are great but they do feel staged/ performative.Find channels you actually enjoy in the language you are speaking.&nbsp;You will feel naturally compelled to visit those channels if you actually enjoy them.<h3>3. Turn a hobby into the new language</h3>If you enjoy watching a movie or a series at night: watch them only if they are available in the language you are learning.If you enjoy cooking new dishes from different parts of the world, watch youtube cooking videos or read cooking books in that language only.If you enjoy doing crafts and need tutorials to create them, turn that hobby into your language door.Sports analysis? Find a native that creates that content.&nbsp;&nbsp; Hope this was useful!

The art of keeping in touch with a language if you don't live in a country that speaks it

As all of my posts, this post has not been written by any kind of IA.&nbsp;I have only used AI to check some translations and / or to check grammar mistakes, as English is not my first language. If you are living outside of your native country and you are trying to learn the local language, increasing your political awareness can be a key.Increasing your political awareness can also help you developing your language skills.&nbsp;<h2>Ideas&nbsp;</h2>1. Ask locals how they feel about certain current topicsYou will get a wide range of opinions, but each individual will give you their unique perspective over certain topic.To know what to ask, you can:2. Use "<a data-mce-href="https://www.newsinslowspanish.com/" href="https://www.newsinslowspanish.com/">news in Slow Spanish</a>" to hear about the newsIt's a payed-based platform, but you will be able to listen to interesting audios about the latest news, narrated in a slow and second-language-friendly way.3. Find cool youtubers that share the news in a friendlier wayYou can also ask local friends what are their to-go Youtube sites when it comes to news.&nbsp;Alternatively, you can try getting into Youtube's rabbit holes until you find channels that make you feel welcomed.&nbsp;Remember you can slow down or speed down any video using the tool bar.&nbsp;4. Listen to podcasts about local and worldwide newsSame alternative as Youtube, but better if you are on the go, commuting or using mobile data.Don't forget that listening without visual imputs is considerably harder.Give yourself a big pat on the back if you can understand loose words,&nbsp; complete phrases or ideas: any of those are big accomplishments!&nbsp;<h2>Benefits of following what's happening in the country</h2>1. You will be more aware of the country's struggles, hot topics and current situation.&nbsp;That knowledge is useful in itself, in my opinion, but it can also fuel decisions about&nbsp;investments, job market status, places to live, and legal modifications in the country.&nbsp;2. You will be able to understand the target language better"Traditional" reporters and journalists usually speak separating words, pronunciating clearly, and you can see different other imputs on the screen (texts, images). I find them easier to follow rather than "normal" people reporting news.&nbsp;3. But, if you follow "normal" people who are reporting news...You will be able to pick up the "real" way in which locals speak. Finally, it's also respectful to be politically aware of the country you are visiting or living in, and an opportunity to connect more deeply with locals, who are the ones who struggle the most with their countries's policies. You will get the chance to be able to dive more deeply into their situations and understand better how the country came to be why it is like it is now.&nbsp;

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Free & Useful Apps to Learn Spanish (According to My Stud...

PART II - Low-effort things you can do to improve your Sp...

Low-effort things you can do to improve your Spanish

4 great ways to write in another language

The art of keeping in touch with a language if you don't ...

Improve your language skills by being politically aware (...