The fastest way to learn Spain Spanish is to spend most of your study time on Spanish from Spain that you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input. The plan below names something to read or hear at each of six levels, with its own split of a study hour.
What to Do at Each Level
Find the level that sounds like you. Its bar shows one suggested way to spend an hour of study.
- Level 1
I'm just starting out or know only a few words.
Read and listen 32 min. Review 18 min. Speak 10 min.
Learn words for one topic at a time, like food or travel, with a picture for each. Say each word out loud with the Spain pronunciation.
- Level 2
I can handle simple exchanges.
Read and listen 36 min. Review 12 min. Speak 12 min.
Listen to a podcast episode for beginners, recorded in Madrid, and play it a second time. Then say one new line to a tutor or a friend.
- Level 3
I follow conversations on familiar topics.
Read and listen 40 min. Review 7 min. Retell the story 13 min.
Listen to the week's news from Spain, told slowly and explained, then listen again while you read the transcript. Tell someone about one story in your own words.
- Level 4
I understand most content but miss some nuance.
Read and listen 44 min. Check details 5 min. Discuss the topic 11 min.
Listen to Ben and Marina, who record in Madrid, talk about life in Spain. Note one expression you'd like to use, and try it in your next conversation.
- Level 5
I read complex topics but rare words slow me down.
Read and listen 45 min. Check details 4 min. Explain your view 11 min.
Watch a programme from Spain's public broadcaster about a topic you already know. Afterwards, talk through one detail you missed with a tutor or a friend.
- Level 6
I can read almost anything.
Read and listen 45 min. Discuss and write 15 min.
Read opinion pieces in a newspaper from Spain on a topic you care about. Write or say your own view, and ask someone from Spain for feedback.
When a level starts to feel easy, try the next one, and step back down if you lose track after a few lines. These levels describe what you can follow, and they don't match the A1 to C2 levels of the DELE exams.
With Bubblegum, Poppy, your AI tutor, writes each Spain Spanish lesson around your level and your goal, and she'll explain any line you ask about. Bubblegum's lesson audio is made with AI, so also listen to people from Spain each week, like the podcasts above.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Spain Spanish?
The U.S. Foreign Service Institute puts Spanish in its group of languages closest to English, at about 30 weeks, or 690 class hours, for its English-speaking students. A typical week there is 23 hours in class and 17 hours of study on your own. That number is for Spanish in general, and it doesn't promise a level.
If you study on your own, here's how your own hours add up.
| Study Each Week | After Four Weeks | After Twelve Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| 3 hours | 12 hours | 36 hours |
| 5 hours | 20 hours | 60 hours |
| 7 hours | 28 hours | 84 hours |
What Slows Learners Down
- Switching Accents Every WeekHopping between Latin American and Spain audio makes the sounds harder to pin down. Keep most of your listening from Spain until it feels familiar.
- Starting With a Word ListA list of the 500 most common Spanish words gives you a meaning for each, but it won't show how a word is used or how it sounds in quick speech. Pick up common words from Spanish you read and hear, and review them inside those sentences.
- TV Before You're ReadyIf a show loses you after a few minutes, go back to a podcast at your level. Return to TV once you can say what a short news report was about.
Learn Spain Spanish Easily With Bubblegum
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Spain Spanish. You learn from Spain Spanish you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
- Spain Spanish is its own journey, and lessons are read aloud in a Spain accent.
- Verb tables show the vosotros forms and mark them as used in Spain.
- Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, and you can export them to Anki.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- A book you bought in Madrid can't become a lesson. Send Poppy a photo of a page you're stuck on, and she explains it.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which Spain Spanish App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Spain Spanish, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. For courses, word apps, and tutors too, see the best ways to learn Spain Spanish.
Can I Learn Spain Spanish in Three Months?
Three months is about 13 weeks, so three to five hours a week adds up to 39 to 65 hours. That's less than a tenth of FSI's 690 class hours, so pick a goal you can check, like ordering a meal and asking for the bill in Spain.
How Much Should I Study Spanish Each Week?
Aim for three to five hours a week of Spanish you understand, in sessions of at least 15 to 30 minutes. A 30-minute session fits a whole Notes in Spanish Inspired Beginners episode, which runs about 22 to 30 minutes. Steady time each week matters more than a streak, and our post on longer sessions over short streaks explains why.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State, Foreign Language Training (FSI categories: Spanish, 30 weeks; Category I, 552-690 class hours)
- Drops: Learn Castilian Spanish
- Notes in Spanish Inspired Beginners (Apple Podcasts)
- Notes in Spanish Intermediate (Apple Podcasts)
- News in Slow Spanish: Spanish (Spain) edition
- Deep Spanish, by Notes in Spanish (Apple Podcasts)
- RTVE Play
- El País
- Instituto Cervantes: DELE diplomas
