How to Learn to Speak Spanish

If you are planning on becoming an expat in Spain you will also most likely be considering how far your command of the Spanish language needs to go, and what the best way to learn Spanish is.

This is a question frequently asked by expats. The answer for expats in Spain lies in personal circumstances and location.

If you are moving to a popular expat area in coastal Spain there is arguably less need to learn an abundance of Spanish than if you are planning more inland where less English services and speakers are available. If you are planning on working in Spain you should be able to speak Spanish.

Note that learning English in the Spanish school system is now compulsory and many Spanish businesses recognise the value of being able to speak some English.

Whatever your circumstances, arguably it is advisable to learn the local language to make your time overseas more rewarding and any effort you make will be appreciated by the locals.

There are actually four official languages in Spain: Castilian Spanish (the most common and the official language of 21 countries), Catalan, Basque and Galician. In addition, there are many regional dialects.

There are many ways to get to grips with at least the basics of the Spanish language.

You can give yourself a head start and use internet resources to learn Spanish online before you even arrive in your new home.

You can for example Learn Spanish fast with Transparent Language software

There are many free tutorials that give you an introduction to Spanish pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary.

Many Spanish language courses are tailored to expats in Spain to help them learn the local language.

The larger cities as well as coastal areas and university cities provide Spanish language courses in abundance so no matter what your proficiency is you will find a suitable course. In the following link you can search and choose Spanish Courses in Spain

You can of course also take a Spanish language course as preparation for your move to Spain as it is a commonly offered course in other countries too.

If you want to learn Spanish more quickly or at your own pace then hiring a private tutor is a good option. With a personal language tutor lessons are tailored to your learning goals and feedback is instant.

Without a doubt the best way to learn Spanish is to immerse yourself in the language and if you are an expat in Spain then you have the perfect setting to enhance your Spanish skills.

Spanish TV is in general dubbed so this is an excellent resource to learn the Spanish language and of course you have access to an abundance of printed resources in the local language such as books, newspapers and magazines.

Spaniards are also patient with expats who wish to develop their Spanish language skills so talking to local people will help you immensely.