Tips for learning Spanish on Duolingo

Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of our Spanish course!

Duolingo’s Spanish course is a free, fun, and effective way to develop your speaking, writing, reading, and listening skills through short, bite-sized lessons. Whether you’re learning Spanish to connect with family, prepare for post-pandemic travel, or keep up with schoolwork, our Spanish course gives you variety and flexibility for fun, personalized learning.

You’ll earn points and compete with friends and learners around the world— it might feel unlike any classroom experience you’ve ever had! And a recent study shows that our course really works, too: reaching midway through in our Spanish course is equivalent to four semesters of university classes, so sticking with your learning pays off!

In this post, we share everything you need to know about learning Spanish with Duolingo: how to get started, our favorite tips and tricks, and all the learning tools you get, all for free. And when you’re ready, you can start the course here!

Your language-learning toolkit

Our Spanish course is designed by our curriculum experts and learning scientists to align with the CEFR, international language teaching guidelines that focus on communication and getting learners to use their new language. You can check out all the Spanish vocabulary and grammar we cover here, and we add new material all the time.

On Duolingo, Spanish learners can study in lots of different ways. Check out all of the features and study tools right at your fingertips!

• Guidebook. Each Unit Guidebook offers tips about vocabulary, grammar, or pronunciation, as well as a roundup of key phrases! These short explanations help you focus your attention on the most important parts of your lessons. Find them by tapping on the notebook icon at the top of each unit.

• Stories. These short, fun dialogues get you reading and listening to conversational language. You’ll be picking up words and phrases without even feeling like you’re studying! If you see levels with the book icon in your path, that means your course has Stories!

• Grammar Lessons. Memorizing verb tables doesn’t get you using the language, so instead we’ve made Grammar Lessons feel as fun and game-like as the rest of the course. You’ll solve grammatical puzzles in special grammar units, where you’ll focus on mastering bite-size chunks of grammar. Read more about our approach to grammar teaching here.

• Personalized grammar tips. After learning about a grammar topic, you’ll get personalized grammar pointers right in your lessons! These grammar reminders help focus your attention on the topics that are the most challenging for you.

• Duolingo Classes. It’s never too early to join a Duolingo Class to practice Spanish with native speakers and other learners in a fun, casual setting! Look for events especially for your level, and soon you’ll be listening, speaking, and laughing with new amigos from around the world. You can find general conversation practice, or you can choose an Event about solving puzzles, playing a game, dancing zumba, or reading Spanish love poetry!

Leveling up your learning

The Duolingo Spanish course also has lots of material for intermediate and advanced learners.

• We add new lessons, tips, and Stories to the course all the time, so be sure to update your app regularly.
• Our Duolingo Podcast introduces intermediate learners to fascinating stories about Spanish speakers across the globe. They’re great for listening practice and for learning about culture!
• Later in the course you’ll also get more practice immersing yourself in Spanish, in exercises that don’t rely on English at all! These all-Spanish exercises get you thinking in Spanish and using the whole range of Spanish vocabulary and grammar that you’ve studied! Read more about these immersive exercises here!

¿Hablas español? Get ready to say sí!

Our Spanish course will keep you coming back day after day, because our teaching and learning experts have designed a language-learning experience that is both fun and effective.

Check out our other articles about learning Spanish on and off the app. You’ll also find ideas for getting creative with your learning!

Ready to start learning Spanish? Click here to download Duolingo and take that first step!