How many people speak Spanish, exactly?
You might know Spanish, but do you KNOW Spanish?
With 572 million speakers all over the globe – in Spain as well as Latin American countries including Mexico, Argentina, Costa Rica and Chile – Spanish is one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world. For work, travel, cultural exchange or just fun, learning how to speak Spanish is easy, fast and convenient with the Babbel self-study app.
Featuring an ad-free interface, speech-recognition technology, live classes and lessons for all Spanish language levels, Babbel uses cutting edge methods and technology to make learning Spanish accessible and rewarding. If you want, you can jump right in by trying one of Babbel’s free lessons: the first lesson in every level is free, so you can see how Babbel works to teach you a new language quickly.
Heading on a trip? Start learning Spanish today from a phone, tablet or computer. Babbel lessons are perfect for learning Spanish for travel, as they are tailored to the different accents, dialects and nuances from the many different regions of the Spanish-speaking world.
The Spanish spoken in Spain, for instance, is a bit different to that spoken in Argentina when it comes to pronunciation, vocabulary, and even specific phrases. Babbel's Spanish lessons offer content from native speakers from all over the world, including podcasts and options for live instruction — both in one-on-one classes or group lessons — with Babbel Live.
Surround yourself with the language. Even if you can’t move to a Spanish-speaking country, you can still try to immerse yourself. Find TV shows in Spanish, change your phone settings, read the news in Spanish — anything to get a little more learning into your day-to-day life.
Tackle the hardest parts early. There are a few tricky grammar topics in Spanish that everyone struggles with at the beginning. Learning the two forms of “to be” (ser and estar), or the two forms of “for ” (por and para), or the irregular verbs is tough, but if you tackle them head on from the start, you’ll build your confidence right away.
Learn the Spanish gender rules. For an English speaker, the fact every noun in Spanish is masculine or feminine can be a new concept. Despite a few exceptions, however, Spanish has a pretty straightforward way to tell the difference. Learning which endings correspond to which (grammatical) gender will make everything else easier.
Focus on what you need to know. Think about the first language you know: even if you’ve spoken it your whole life, you don’t know every single word. Your goal might be to be fluent, but focussing on the most relevant topics — how to order food, how to write a business email or whatever else you might need to know — will help you right away. Learning some basic Spanish phrases will make you feel far more prepared than memorising a bunch of random vocabulary.
Make learning fun! If your motivation wanes, remember that language learning should be engaging. If daily grammar drills feel monotonous, explore new methods, such as watching a movie in Spanish, and reconnect with your initial reasons for learning the language.
Learning a language with the Babbel self-study app offers many benefits over the conventional classroom-based environment. First, in our current dynamic world, flexibility is key, and that’s why Babbel offers a variety of learning methods.
The app puts access to real native Spanish speakers from different regions in the user’s pocket, offering valuable exposure to authentic Spanish conversations, accents and materials. Here’s just a few of the features you’ll find in the app.
1. Speech recognition and native speaker pronunciations. One of the hardest parts of learning a language is feeling confident enough to speak it. Babbel helps you overcome that with native Spanish speakers voicing every word and phrase. After you hear it, you practise saying it with our AI-powered speech recognition.
2. Guided grammar help. Our app doesn’t just throw you into the deep end when it comes to tricky grammar. Whenever you run into a new grammatical concept — whether it be prepositions, the imperative tense or whatever else — Babbel will walk you through exactly how the rule works, followed by a number of examples.
3. Free resources like podcasts and magazine articles. In addition to the trial lessons, Babbel offers other ways for learning. You can listen to one of our many podcasts for language learners, or dive into the grammar and vocab articles in our magazine.
4. Regular reviews to support your progress. Spaced repetition — revisiting something regularly to move it from short-term to long-term memory — is essential to learning, and it’s built into the Babbel app. Our Review feature brings back the vocab you learned so you can make sure to remember what you’ve learned.
5. Private and group classes. In addition to the self-study app, Babbel offers multiple ways to learn with real people. You can either join a group class, with up to six people and an expert teacher, or work with that teacher one-on-one. Either way, our classes will fit your schedule (they’re offered around the clock) and learning style.
You can take the Spanish courses (called “units” in the Babbel app) that Babbel offers entirely in order, but you may also want to know what else there is you can try out. We have the basic grammar and vocabulary, of course, but there are also lesson units covering culture, food, colloquialisms and more. Here are just a few of the many different units you can take.
Mexican Spanish vs. European Spanish — The first choice you’ll have is which variety of Spanish you want to learn. If you’re not sure, don’t worry, because there are many lessons specifically discussing the differences between the two.
Business Spanish — If you’re learning for a job, we have lessons that touch on everything from working in construction to writing emails.
Pronunciation — Not sure how to pronounce a double L or an N with a tilde? Take the pronunciation courses, which will explain all of the intricacies of speaking Spanish.
Food In Spain and Latin America — Feeling peckish? Take this course, which will give you vocab for Galician, Valencian, Chilean and more cuisines!
Refresher Courses — If you took Spanish years ago but can’t quite remember everything you learned, we have lessons specifically for that. It’s a quick way to get to know basic vocab and grammar again.
Babbel caters to Spanish learners of all levels, from complete beginners to advanced speakers looking to refine their skills. The first lesson of every level is free, allowing you to explore from the very beginning or at a more advanced level across multiple devices.
Lessons are customised to each user’s proficiency and utilise the latest technology for pronunciation assistance. Users can focus on specific needs, whether it’s business Spanish, vocabulary, grammar, or conversational skills.
Not sure where to start? Babbel offers a placement test to assess your level and guide your learning path. For a more personalised experience, Babbel Live Private Classes provide a placement class with an expert teacher to determine the best starting point for you.
Learning Spanish through Babbel is not only enjoyable, but also effective! In fact, 92% of Babbel users reported improved language proficiency within two months. The app allows you to track your progress and review past material anytime, even after your subscription ends. With a wide range of ways to learn, no matter what your motivation or skill level, Babbel is bound to make your language learning journey easier.
Start learning today by trying the first lesson of every level for free!
Test first lesson of every course for freeYou might know Spanish, but do you KNOW Spanish?
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