It is Too Dangerous to Study Alone
An old wise man once said, "It's dangerous to go alone."
I wish someone had told me where to start when I began my language journey many years ago. I ventured into uncharted waters and unknown territories, only to realize that most problems could have been solved by having someone point me in the right direction.
You can start learning with Duolingo, sure.
Maybe Babbel or Rosetta Stone, but there is a reason why these apps are not the magical pill for learning a language; they are all complementary tools. If you think you can learn a language solely by relying on them, well, I have some bad news: you won't.
Get a professional teacher.
There's a reason why your friend Miguel from Mexico, your wife, or her family cannot teach you Spanish effectively; they are not teachers and don't know how to teach or answer questions about the language. It's the same reason you can't teach English right now; you speak the language but don't necessarily know how it functions.
Get guidance until you can take off on your own.
Build a strong foundation and then study mostly independently. But please, please, please get someone to help you start. We have seen many cases where students begin learning with apps or non-professional teachers, only to later realize that they have problems with basic grammar that could have been avoided with proper guidance. You can book us here, or book another professional teacher on iTalki. Just please, get some guidance first.
Too many resources is also bad.
Don't buy every book you encounter or download every possible app you find in your App Store. Hoarding language resources as if they were supplies for a zombie apocalypse is not OK. Get a few and use them until you finish them or have had enough, then move on to new materials.
You need input. Lots of it!
Let's address the elephant in the room. You need to use the language. Having only classes and ignorign the language after you finish your class will not only make you learn slowlier but you will feel frustrated. Also, trying to find material on your own is time-consuming, and you'll probably spend more time finding materials than actually using them. Here, I provide you with a list of resources for active reading and listening. But in case you need more, you can always go to the Resources Tab and find out more awesome content.
Listening
Input Approach divides listening into Active and Passive Listening.
-Peppa Pig (or Peppa La Cerdita) en español - Watching this show is not only easy but relaxing. The topics are straightforward, and every episode is less than 5 minutes long. They are designed to keep kids entertained with easy-to-follow topics and recurring vocabulary. Watch it here!
-Bluey - If you think Peppa La Cerdita is too childish, try Bluey, which is slightly more complex but still extremely entertaining. The episodes tackle somewhat more intricate subjects than Peppa, yet they remain easy to follow, with each episode lasting less than 7 minutes on average. Watch it here!
-HelloSpanish Comprehensible Input Videos - Yes, these are our videos, so we have to promote them, right? If you still find Peppa or Bluey difficult to understand, you may not be at that level yet. You need something more manageable and easy to follow, which is where our videos come in. Our Comprehensible Input Videos are created with one goal in mind: for you to understand most of them. Each video covers a single topic and uses basic vocabulary that you'll need for later videos. Our videos are also short and easy to follow. Give them a try, and when you feel ready, move on to Peppa or Bluey. Watch it here!
-HelloSpanish Podcast - We don't recommend listening to podcasts in Spanish on complex topics just yet, unless you want to use them for passive listening. They won't help you much otherwise. You can listen to "News in Slow Spanish" or "Spanish101 Podcast," but you need a basic level of language proficiency to understand and fully benefit from them. Start with our "HelloSpanish Podcast for Beginners" and build up your listening comprehension the right way; comprehensible input is your friend. Listen it here!
-Netflix Spanish Shows - You know what they say, "you get what you pay for." In this case, Netflix is genuinely good. You might have noticed that when watching a show, the audio often doesn't match the subtitles. This is due to the separate industries of dubbing and subtitling, which often function independently. Netflix, however, tried to save money by creating their own subtitles. Instead of following established subtitling rules, they simply transcribe what the actors are saying, inadvertently helping Spanish learners. We highly recommend watching Club de Cuervos or La Casa de las Flores for Mexican Spanish. Turn on the subtitles and immerse yourself in the language. Watch the trailer
Reading
You got your copy of Harry Potter, you say? Well, keep reading it every day. Don't like Harry Potter or find it too difficult to follow? Start with a lower-level reading that's simple enough for you to understand and enjoy.
-Yotsubato - Yotsuba moved with Daddy to a new house from our old house waaaaaaay over there! Moving is fun 'cos people wave! (Ohhhh!!) Yotsuba met these nice people next door and made friends to play with... Yotsuba is a comic intended for kids, making it super easy to follow. Using comics is not only fun, but it's also easier to read than plain text since you have images that provide more context for understanding sentences. There's a Spanish version you can buy on Amazon, but before you buy it, check out this sample page to see how easy it is. Sample here!
-365+1 Stories by Disney - Is Yotsubato too easy? Try this book instead. 365+1 Stories is a book with a single story per day, designed for reading to kids at bedtime. Its format makes it incredibly useful. When reading, you should always strive for either length or time; either read a specific length (a page, three paragraphs, etc.) or a specific amount of time (1 min, 15 min, etc.). This book solves the problem for you: one page is all you need to read. If a story is still too difficult, just skip it and read the next one the following day. Buy it here!
-HelloSpanish Comprehensible Stories - We've created some super cool stories for you to read early in your Spanish journey. They're parallel readings, so you can read the English version and still follow the story when needed. Every story is written in three ways: advanced, intermediate, and basic. Is the advanced version too hard? Switch to the intermediate one. Just starting? Use the basic story first. We also have audio to listen to as you read! Watch them here!
-HelloSpanish Comprehensible Readings - Read along with us and understand grammar while using Dragon Ball comics to improve your Spanish. With these videos, each less than 10 minutes long, you'll get your daily dose of reading plus a bonus of grammar. They're fun and straightforward. Don't forget to download the Anki Deck for each video, so you can practice extra vocabulary later. Watch them here!