Your Complete Guide to Learning Spanish

Language Services Direct Team

There are 572 million Spanish speakers worldwide. This number is expected to grow to over 750 million by the year 2060. There are 21 countries around the world where Spanish is the official language (or one of them).

Don’t hesitate to learn Spanish if you’ve been considering it; you will be able to utilise a beautiful and incredibly influential language.

We want to start by congratulating you on your decision to study the Spanish language. You’ve already made the most important step, and you can have a successful path to speak Spanish fluently if you approach the language learning process correctly.

In this guide, we’ll give you some ideas and resources to help you on your way with your Spanish learning journey, with everything from Spanish words to their rich culture! Let’s get started!

Why should you learn Spanish?

There are many reasons why you may want to learn Spanish, from business and entrepreneurial enterprises to travelling the world and discovering Spanish speaking countries.

Speaking Spanish is a common practice worldwide, and British people love to travel and even relocate to Spain, making it the most popular second language among us. Aside from being the second most spoken language in the US, Spanish is also the official language of business in many Latin American nations.

Spanish, like Italian, French, Portuguese, and Romanian, is a Romance language, which means it developed from Latin, the language of the Romans. Because of these commonalities, learning Spanish can be a useful method to start learning another language.

If you want to be able to hold a conversation with native Spanish speakers, you’ll need to learn your Spanish vocabulary and practise rolling your ‘r’s’ for perfect Spanish pronunciation!

Everything you need to know about learning Spanish

Now you know why you want to learn Spanish, let’s get you started with how to learn Spanish and some tips and tricks to look out for.

Spanish grammar and pronunciation

You can begin your Spanish journey with all the ways to say thank you in Spanish!

Your tongue may twist while you study Spanish, as though it were preparing for a limerick contest. You can, however, quickly become fluent in your pronunciation and sound like a native speaker with a little practice.

Because Spanish vowels are substantially shorter than English ones, they do not have the opportunity to blend into diphthongs, which are syllables that have two vowel sounds. Certain Spanish consonants may be difficult to understand in everyday speech because they are spoken softer than English consonants. You might have to adjust your hearing!

You’ll also need to be aware of Castilian Spanish vs Latin American Spanish. The essence of the Spanish language has not changed; rather, what separates Castilian Spanish from Latin American Spanish are the minor distinctions, which can also differ from nation to nation or area to region (so, in effect, every Spanish-speaking nation has a slightly different version of standard Spanish!).

Learning Spanish fast

If you want to learn Spanish fast, you might opt for an intensive Spanish language course.

These courses allow you to study at your own pace and are often more engaging and involved than many free Spanish lessons and resources.

In addition, a lot of the best products are regularly updated with fresh, current content, guaranteeing that you have access to the most relevant educational opportunities.

How long does it take to learn Spanish?

There’s no one size fits all answer for how long it takes to learn Spanish.

You should be able to achieve conversational fluency in Spanish in 8 to 12 months if you begin as a beginner and dedicate an hour to practising the language each day. That works out to about 250–350 hours. But remember that in this case, consistency is crucial.

The method you choose will dictate how long it takes you to learn Spanish. The duration will change, for instance, if you choose the immersion option, textbook, or regular lecture.

The quickest and easiest approach to learn a new language is to enrol in an intensive Spanish language course. If you need to learn Spanish quickly or need to understand the fundamentals for business, these courses are perfect for you.

Spanish culture and celebrations

Spain is well-known around the world for its flamenco dance and music, bullfights, amazing beaches, and abundant sunshine. However, people occasionally overlook the fact that Spain has long been one of Europe’s cultural hubs.

You might not also be aware that every Spanish speaking country, especially those in Latin America, will celebrate the Day of the Dead every 1st and 2nd of November. In our guide to this spooky festival, you’ll find everything you need to know about the traditions and some handy Spanish phrases to learn so you can party with the native speakers!

Learning Spanish for business

The fact that learning Spanish actually broadens your access to international businesses is one of the strongest justifications for doing so.

Businesses can access major rising economies through it, like Mexico (one of the MINT countries, along with Indonesia, Nigeria, Turkey, and Mexico), as well as smaller, less developed but nonetheless promising nations. After Portuguese-speaking Brazil, one of the BRICS, Mexico has the second-largest economy in Latin America and is now ranked 15th in the world.

If you expect to work with Spanish or Latin American business partners, or if you intend to expand your firm into Spain or Latin America, Spanish is probably going to be your primary means of communication. Of course, it might not be possible to relocate or visit in person at this time, but thanks to digital technology, we can still do business “virtually” in person.

Looking for intensive Spanish classes?

We hope this guide to learning Spanish has been useful to all language learners out there who have chosen Spanish for their next language learning journey!

From getting to grips with the Spanish alphabet to full on fluency, we can help you on your way!

Undertaking intensive language classes is a productive and quick method of learning a new language. If you want to learn Spanish faster, SIMON & SIMON’s intensive language training can be the best option.

You only receive the best tuition because all of our teachers are native English speakers with years of training and experience teaching their target language.

We offer intensive courses in Spanish, French and Arabic, and Business Language Courses in a range of languages to suit your needs.

Contact us today to get started!

Learning Spanish FAQs

How difficult is it to learn Spanish?

For an English speaker, Spanish is actually one of the easiest languages to learn. Naturally, this does not imply that learning it will be easy. Though the chances are in your favour, you still need to find your motivation.

What should I do first when learning Spanish?

One of the things you have to learn how to do before you can speak Spanish is the alphabet. It is fairly easy to remember, and learning it is crucial to having proper spelling. The Spanish alphabet consists of twenty-seven letters and is sometimes referred to as “Abecedario.”

Can adults learn Spanish fluently?

Although it can be difficult, learning a new language as an adult is definitely not impossible. Being able to speak Spanish, one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world, can lead to a multitude of opportunities.