--- title: Spanish description: This topic covers the essentials of the Spanish language, focusing on basic pronunciation, present-tense verbs, and high-frequency vocabulary. Learners will build the skills needed to introduce themselves, ask directions, and handle simple, everyday exchanges. category: languages subcategory: romance-languages difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced url: /subject/spanish-(beginner) --- # Spanish This topic covers the essentials of the Spanish language, focusing on basic pronunciation, present-tense verbs, and high-frequency vocabulary. Learners will build the skills needed to introduce themselves, ask directions, and handle simple, everyday exchanges. ## Available Resources 7 Books • 5 Courses • 7 Websites ## Websites ### 1. Lawless Spanish Reference site by Laura K. Lawless with explanations of Spanish grammar, verb conjugation tables, vocabulary lists, and pronunciation notes, plus graded self-marking quizzes that let learners test each point after reading it. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.lawlessspanish.com/ **Tags:** spanish grammar, verb conjugation, vocabulary, quizzes, reference ### 2. Notes in Spanish Unscripted conversations between a British learner and a native Madrid speaker, recorded at beginner pace, with worksheets covering the vocabulary and idioms used, giving practice in following real Spanish rather than textbook dialogue. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.notesinspanish.com/beginners-spanish-podcast/ **Tags:** spanish listening, conversational spanish, podcast, spain spanish, beginner spanish ### 3. StudySpanish.com Free tutorial site organized into pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar units, each ending in self-scoring quizzes; beginners work through present-tense verbs, gender and articles, and basic sentence structure at their own pace. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://studyspanish.com **Tags:** spanish grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, quizzes, beginner spanish ### 4. News in Slow Spanish Weekly current-events programs read at deliberately reduced speed, with full transcripts, grammar segments, and expression explanations, letting learners follow real news stories before they can handle native-speed broadcast Spanish. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.newsinslowspanish.com/ **Tags:** spanish listening, news, transcripts, slow spanish, comprehension ### 5. LingQ **Author:** Steve Kaufmann Reading and listening platform where learners import or choose texts with audio, look up unknown words inline and track vocabulary as it moves from new to known. It supports daily comprehensible-input practice and steady vocabulary growth across dozens of languages. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.lingq.com/ **Tags:** comprehensible-input, extensive-reading, vocabulary-acquisition, listening-practice ### 6. conjuguemos.com Conjuguemos is an interactive language-learning site focused on Portuguese (and other languages) verb conjugation practice. It offers customizable quizzes, vocabulary drills, and printable worksheets through games and activities. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://conjuguemos.com **Tags:** websites, languages, romance-language ### 7. spanishdict.com SpanishDict is a comprehensive Spanish–English dictionary with audio pronunciations, example sentences, and verb conjugation charts. It also offers beginner-friendly grammar lessons, vocabulary flashcards, and practice quizzes to help new learners build core Spanish skills. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://spanishdict.com **Tags:** websites, languages, romance-language ## Courses ### 1. Spanish 1 Gamified beginner track covering core vocabulary, present-tense verbs, and simple sentence patterns through short translation, listening, and matching exercises, with spaced repetition prompting review of items the learner has previously missed. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.duolingo.com/course/es/en/Learn-Spanish **Tags:** spanish vocabulary, spaced repetition, language app, beginner spanish, self-paced ### 2. Advanced Spanish Grammar in Context University-run course working through subjunctive use, subordinate clauses, and connectors as they appear in authentic texts and audio, with exercises that ask learners to justify grammatical choices in context rather than memorize rules. **Difficulty:** Advanced | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/advanced-spanish-grammar **Tags:** spanish grammar, subjunctive, advanced spanish, online course, syntax ### 3. Dreaming Spanish Level 3 Video library built on comprehensible input: speakers use visuals, gestures, and controlled vocabulary so meaning stays clear without translation. Level 3 material suits learners who can already follow slow, simplified Spanish across everyday topics. **Difficulty:** Advanced | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.dreamingspanish.com/ **Tags:** comprehensible input, spanish listening, immersion, video lessons, language acquisition ### 4. Language Transfer Free audio course of roughly ninety tracks in which Mihalis Eleftheriou teaches one student, reasoning aloud from English cognates and word-building patterns so the grammar is worked out rather than memorised. No textbook, notes, or drills required. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.languagetransfer.org/courses#complete-spanish **Tags:** spanish, audio course, grammar, free resource, self-study ### 5. Learn Spanish: Basic Spanish Vocabulary Professional certificate program from UC Davis building a working vocabulary of roughly 1,500 everyday Spanish words alongside basic grammar, covering greetings, family, food, travel, and daily routines through reading, writing, and short speaking exercises. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.edx.org/professional-certificate/ucdavis-learn-spanish-basic-spanish-vocabulary **Tags:** courses, languages, romance-language ## Youtubes ### 1. SpanishPod101 Channel posting vocabulary drills, pronunciation guides, and slow-speech listening practice for early learners, including long-form compilation videos that repeat core phrases and everyday dialogue until recognition becomes automatic. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://youtube.com/@spanishpod101 **Tags:** spanish vocabulary, listening practice, pronunciation, beginner spanish, video lessons ### 2. Why Not Spanish? Colombian-accented lessons delivered mostly in slow, clear Spanish, covering grammar points, everyday vocabulary, and culture, so beginners build listening comprehension while getting explanations they can still follow without English. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://youtube.com/@whynotspanish **Tags:** spanish listening, colombian spanish, grammar explanations, beginner spanish, video lessons ### 3. Butterfly Spanish Grammar and vocabulary lessons taught by a Mexican instructor who explains in English then demonstrates in Spanish, covering verb tenses, common expressions, and pronunciation points that beginners typically confuse. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://youtube.com/@butterflyspanish **Tags:** spanish grammar, mexican spanish, verb tenses, beginner spanish, video lessons ## Podcasts ### 1. Coffee Break Spanish **Author:** Coffee Break Languages Audio lessons from Radio Lingua in which a teacher walks a learner through Spanish pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar in short episodes. Season one starts at absolute beginner level, with later seasons moving into longer conversations and more demanding structures. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** en | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://coffeebreaklanguages.com/spanish **Tags:** spanish, audio lessons, conversational spanish, language podcast, beginner spanish ### 2. Notes in Spanish **Author:** Ben Curtis, Marina Diez A long-running Spanish podcast by an English speaker and a native speaker from Madrid, built on unscripted conversations about everyday life in Spain, with separate beginner, intermediate and advanced series. Regular listening builds comprehension of natural spoken Spanish. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** Spanish | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.notesinspanish.com/ **Tags:** spanish, listening-practice, conversational-spanish, comprehensible-input, podcast-learning ## Books ### 1. Short Stories in Spanish for Beginners **Author:** Olly Richards Eight original A2-B1 short stories built around the 1,000 most frequent Spanish words, ranging from science fiction to crime to history. Each chapter is paired with a vocabulary list, a plain-language summary, and comprehension questions, turning narrative reading into a structured study session. It is the entry point to Olly Richards' broader 'Short Stories in [Language]' series, widely recommended as the most painless way to start reading in a new language. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** Spanish | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/Short-Stories-Spanish-Beginners-Yourself/dp/1473683254?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** spanish, graded reader, reading comprehension, vocabulary, short stories ### 2. Intermediate Spanish: A Grammar and Workbook **Author:** Irene Wilkie, Carmen Arnaiz Routledge workbook pairing short grammar units with drills and answer keys, covering tenses, pronouns, the subjunctive, and prepositions. Working through it gives learners who already know basic Spanish a systematic review plus written practice to correct recurring errors. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0415355028?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, languages, romance-language ### 3. Easy Spanish Step-By-Step **Author:** Barbara Bregstein Builds Spanish grammar in a deliberate order, starting with cognates and high-frequency vocabulary before moving through present, past, and future tenses. Exercises follow every short lesson, so a complete beginner finishes able to form and understand basic sentences. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071463380?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, languages, romance-language ### 4. Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish **Author:** Margarita Madrigal A 1950s self-teaching classic that starts from English words with predictable Spanish equivalents, then adds verbs and sentence patterns in small increments. The exercises let an absolute beginner build usable sentences early without formal grammar terminology. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385410956?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, languages, romance-language ### 5. Spanish Vocabulary: An Etymological Approach **Author:** David Brodsky Traces Spanish words back to Latin, Arabic, and Germanic roots, and maps the sound changes linking them to English cognates. Readers gain a system for inferring unfamiliar vocabulary rather than memorizing lists, though it assumes some grammar background already. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0292716680?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, languages, romance-language ### 6. Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish **Author:** Joseph J. Keenan Addresses the usage problems textbooks skip: tú versus usted, false friends, idioms, slang, swearing, and the mistakes English speakers repeat. Written by an American long resident in Mexico, it helps learners sound natural rather than merely correct. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/029274322X?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, languages, romance-language ### 7. Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Spanish Grammar **Author:** Gilda Nissenberg Single-volume coverage of Spanish grammar from articles and noun gender through every tense and the subjunctive, with exercises and an answer key after each topic. Suits learners who want one book to drill systematically from the basics upward. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071422706?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, languages, romance-language --- *This content is part of Dantes.io - Your Treasure Map to Knowledge* *Curated by humans at Dantes.io. Personal study use welcome; republishing this curation requires permission (team@dantes.io).* View this page online: https://dantes.io/subject/spanish-(beginner)