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Speaks Spanish (Native)
HK$117
per lesson
5
7 reviews
Native speaker with 4 years of experience teaching Spanish – Hi! I'm from Mexico 🇲🇽 and I would love to be the one who accompanies you to achieve your communication goals in Spanish. I am interested, above all, in you to be able to express and communicate ideas effectively. Through 4 years of experience teaching Spanish Language and Literature in High ...
Speaks Spanish (Native)
HK$47
per lesson
5
6 reviews
¡Únete a mí y hagamos que el español cobre vida en cada palabra y gesto! Aprende este maravilloso idioma con diversion y de manera diferente. – Soy una apasionada de la comunicación y las artes escénicas con una amplia experiencia en interactuar con personas de diferentes culturas. Aunque no tengo una certificación de educación superior en enseñanza, mi amor por el español y mi habilidad para conectar con otros me permiten ofrecer clases de español únicas.
Speaks Spanish (Native)
HK$219
per lesson
5
16 reviews
Certified Spanish teacher with 10+ years of teaching experience – Hi! My name is Alberto and I am a fully qualified teacher of Spanish as a foreign language. I currently live in Madrid, Spain. I offer personalised lessons for adult and teenage students of all levels, from beginners A1 to advanced C2 (General Spanish, Business Spanish, Exam Preparation DELE/SIELE/GCSE/A-Level, conversation, grammar, culture.
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What our Spanish students say
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Amedeo
4.9
Aug 3, 2022
I had some sessions with Carmelo and so far I am fully satisfied. I studied Spanish at high school and then forgot most of it. Hence, I have been looking for a tutor who would help me brush up on my Spanish. I strongly recommend this teacher!
Caroline
4.9
Aug 3, 2022
Sheri es INCREÍBLE! She is so much fun to work with and I highly recommend starting or continuing your Spanish language learning with her. She has many fun activities and is extremely helpful!
Angelique
4.9
Aug 3, 2022
Elena has been an amazing Spanish teacher for our daughter since May. Gabi loves attending her weekly session. She keeps learning and improving while having fun.
Guillermo
4.9
Aug 3, 2022
I'm glad to have the trial lesson with you. You are a very enthusiastic person and I felt that the time went very fast because the lesson was very entertaining.
Angela
4.9
Aug 3, 2022
Norah has been absolutely amazing in my Spanish learning journey! She makes sure that I am comfortable with all the content but will still challenge me to grow. She makes it fun and light-hearted so it's enjoyable to study, especially after a long week at work.
Learn Spanish with online courses
If you've always wanted to learn Spanish, you're not alone at all. Many people take Spanish classes every day worldwide. And it's no surprise! Spanish is a beautiful language with deep meaning and a fascinating linguistic background. It can take you to various places, from South America to Spain and even the Pacific islands. However, you may have several questions about how to start or why it's even beneficial. The great news is that learning Spanish is definitely worth it. With the proper tools to assist you on your path, you'll witness the rewarding outcomes of your hard work.
Learn Spanish
Table of contents
Why Learn Spanish?
Basic Spanish lessons
Beginner Spanish Classes
Advanced Spanish Classes
Learning Spanish Verb Conjugations
Spanish Nouns and Gender
Differences Between Spanish Varieties
What's the Quickest and Easiest Way to Learn Spanish?
Learning Spanish on Your Own: Useful Resources
Learning Spanish with Preply
Why learn Spanish?
Discovering a new language is a thrilling challenge that broadens your horizons, allowing you to connect with people from different cultures and lands. Learning Spanish, in particular, offers countless benefits. Here are some compelling reasons why learning the Spanish language is a fantastic idea:
• Expand Your Connections: By learning Spanish, you can forge meaningful connections with millions of individuals across the globe, transcending geographical and linguistic boundaries.
• Unlock Related Languages: Learning Spanish can give you a head start in comprehending other related languages, enhancing your language-learning abilities.
• Boost Your Business Skills: Enhancing your Spanish language proficiency equips you with valuable skills for the global economy, allowing you to thrive in Spanish-speaking business environments and compete effectively.
• Confidently Travel and Live Abroad: With a solid grasp of Spanish, you can travel to and live in Spanish-speaking countries with confidence, immersing yourself in new experiences and building lifelong memories.
• Keep Your Mind Sharp: Learning Spanish stimulates your brain, keeping your mental faculties agile and active, regardless of your age.
Learning a new language like Spanish opens doors to express your creativity, explore different facets of your personality, and invigorate your mind.
Learn Spanish For Beginners: Basic Spanish lessons
Embarking on Spanish lessons for beginners introduces you to a fascinating language with a rich heritage. Spanish belongs to the Romance language family, alongside Italian, French, and Portuguese, all deriving from Vulgar Latin, the colloquial Latin spoken in the Roman Empire. As a result, you'll notice many recognizable words shared among these languages. Although Spanish technically falls under the Germanic language group, it has absorbed countless words from Latin and other Romance languages like French. This means you'll encounter numerous cognates, words that sound and mean the same, in both Spanish and Spanish. You'll find familiar terms such as el animal (animal), la celebración (celebration), and público (public) without needing to consult a dictionary.
An intriguing aspect of Spanish vocabulary is its significant Arabic influence, ranking second only to Latin. Many Spanish nouns starting with al-, such as la almohada (pillow), la alfombra (rug), and el algodón (cotton), trace their origins back to Arabic. This influence stems from the Moors' conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century, leaving a lasting imprint on the Spanish language with approximately 4,000 modern Spanish words derived from Arabic.
As a beginner Spanish learner, you may find Spanish pronunciation slightly challenging. However, with practice, it becomes more manageable. Spanish and Spanish share many sounds, but a few exceptions exist. Notably, the double-r (doble erre) or rr sound poses a unique challenge, creating a rolling sound present in words like arriba (up/above) and correo (mail). The r sound is also rolled at the beginning of words like rojo (red) or after the n sound, as in sonrisa (smile). Mastering the rr sound involves practicing the movement of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, producing a purring sound like that of a cat.
Another sound that confuses Spanish speakers learning Spanish is the j sound, which resembles a throatier version of the Spanish h (as in "hand"). It appears in words like jardín (garden) and rojo (red). Complicating matters further, the letter h, found in words like hotel (hotel) and hombre (man), is silent and not pronounced at all.
The double-l or ll sound presents another challenge, found in words like llamar (to call) and amarillo (yellow). Typically, this combination is pronounced as the Spanish y sound (as in "yes"). However, in Argentina, most people pronounce it as the sh sound in "sheep." In Spain, it is even pronounced like the Spanish j sound (as in "jump").
Accent marks in Spanish indicate stress on specific syllables. For example, the word algodón (cotton) is pronounced al-go-DOHN. The squiggly tilde over the letter ñ, as in año (year), represents a unique sound combining the Spanish n and y sounds, resulting in ahn-yo.
One advantage of Spanish pronunciation is that each letter typically has one or two associated sounds, which remain consistent across the language. Consequently, it is easier to read a Spanish word and pronounce it correctly on the first attempt. This stands in contrast to Spanish, where words often deviate from their spelling.
Mastering a typical Spanish accent and pronunciation takes time and practice. Consistent repetition, particularly through reading aloud, helps internalize the rules. Watching Spanish TV shows, movies, and listening to Spanish podcasts, radio, and films also contribute to sounding like a native Spanish speaker.
To communicate in Spanish fluently, familiarize yourself with essential phrases for conversation. Start with greetings, such as buenos días (good morning), buenas tardes (good afternoon), buenas noches (good evening/night), or the casual hola (hello). Other fundamental phrases include ¿Cómo estás? (How are you?) or the more formal ¿Cómo está usted? (How are you?).
When meeting someone for the first time, you'll want to introduce yourself and inquire about their name and origin. To state your name, use "Me llamo X" (I call myself X) or "Yo soy X" (I am X). To ask for someone's name, use ¿Cómo te llamas? (How do you call yourself?) or ¿Cómo se llama usted? (How do you call yourself? - formal). To discuss your origin, say "Yo soy de X" (I am from X), and to ask someone where they are from, use ¿De dónde eres? (informal) or ¿De dónde es usted? (formal).
For farewells, adiós or chao suffice, while hasta pronto (see you soon) and hasta luego (see you later) provide alternative options.
Numerous other useful phrases, expressions, and words will become part of your conversational Spanish repertoire as you progress in your learning journey. From por favor (please), gracias (thank you), and de nada (you're welcome), to ¿Dónde está X? (Where is X?) and ¿Hablas español? (Do you speak Spanish?), learning these phrases enables smoother communication with native Spanish speakers.
Learn Spanish Verb Conjugations: Mastering Spanish Verbs
Verbs are the backbone of any Spanish sentence, allowing you to express actions and states. All Spanish verbs end in -ar (like hablar, to speak), -er (like comer, to eat), or -ir (like vivir, to live). This characteristic makes it relatively easy to identify a verb in Spanish compared to other word types, such as nouns or adjectives. However, these endings only represent the infinitive form of the verb (e.g., "to do," "to be," "to eat," "to speak").
To use Spanish verbs correctly, they must be conjugated, which means applying specific endings based on the subject of the verb (the one performing the action). For regular -ar verbs, such as hablar, when the subject is yo (I), you drop the -ar ending and add -o, resulting in yo hablo (I speak). When addressing tú (you), it becomes tú hablas (you speak). Each subject has its unique conjugation, or verb ending, and this applies to all verbs, regardless of whether they end in -ar, -er, or -ir. However, the conjugations differ slightly depending on the ending.
Mastering Spanish verb conjugations is crucial for effective communication in Spanish, and a significant portion of your learning journey will be dedicated to understanding the grammar of Spanish verbs. Once you grasp this aspect, you'll be well on your way to fluency in Spanish.
Spanish Nouns and Gender: Understanding Gender in Spanish
Every Spanish noun is assigned a gender, classified as either masculine or feminine. Gender in Spanish does not imply that every person, place, object, or idea is inherently male or female. It is a grammatical categorization system present in Spanish and many other languages, affecting how speakers use these languages.
In Spanish, gender often aligns with expectations. For example, la mujer (the woman) is feminine, requiring the feminine definite article la (the), while el hombre (the man) is masculine, requiring the masculine definite article el. However, there are instances where gender assignments seem arbitrary. Why is el vestido (the dress) masculine while la masculinidad (masculinity) is feminine? Why is la silla (the chair) feminine while el sofá (the sofa) is masculine?
Learning Spanish nouns involves memorizing their gender classifications, which requires practice. Certain word endings can provide clues to the gender. For instance, nouns ending in -o are often masculine (e.g., el teléfono, the telephone), while those ending in -a are often feminine (e.g., la cara, the face).
Adjectives in Spanish must agree with the nouns they modify, meaning their endings must reflect the gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) of the noun. For example, the adjective rojo (red) modifies a singular, masculine noun like el libro (the book), resulting in el libro rojo (the red book). When the noun is feminine, like la mesa (the table), it becomes la mesa roja (the red table). In the plural form, the adjective ending changes accordingly, leading to expressions like los libros rojos (the red books) and las mesas rojas (the red tables). With repeated exposure and practice, you will become accustomed to using Spanish adjectives and nouns correctly. This skill is one of the earliest ones you'll develop as you begin your journey to learn Spanish.
Differences Between Spanish Varieties: Spain, Latin America, and Mexico
You may already know that there are variations in Spanish vocabulary across different Spanish-speaking regions, such as Spain, Mexico, and Latin America. However, the extent and significance of these differences may intrigue you. Is it essential to learn a specific form of Spanish, like Latin American Spanish or European Spanish?
The good news is that, for the most part, different varieties of Spanish are mutually intelligible. This means that speakers of Argentinian Spanish can communicate with speakers of European Spanish from Spain and vice versa without major difficulties.
However, some differences in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary exist among regional varieties of Spanish. For instance, different regions have unique words for "bus." In European Spanish, it's el autobús, while in Argentina, it's el colectivo. Mexican Spanish speakers refer to it as el camión, and in the Dominican Republic, it's la guagua. These variations in vocabulary extend to localized slang and terms for everyday objects, adding distinct flavor to different regions of the Spanish-speaking world. Exploring these differences is part of the joy of learning Spanish and discovering how language adapts to different cultures.
Regarding pronunciation, there are notable variations. For example, Spaniards pronounce the letters ll as the Spanish j sound, while most Latin Americans pronounce them as the Spanish y sound. Additionally, European Spanish speakers pronounce the letter c (before e or i) and the letter z as the Spanish th sound, while in Latin American Spanish, these letters sound like the Spanish s sound. In terms of grammar, one significant difference lies in the pronoun for "you all." European Spanish distinguishes between the informal vosotros/as and the formal ustedes, both meaning "you all" but used in different contexts. In Latin American Spanish, however, ustedes is used for both formal and informal situations, and the use of vosotros/as is rare. Nevertheless, speakers of different Spanish varieties will understand each other, regardless of whether ustedes or vosotros/as is used.
These examples highlight a few distinctions between Spanish in Spain and Spanish in Latin America. As you progress in your Spanish learning journey, you'll encounter more variations, allowing you to appreciate the richness and diversity of the Spanish language.
What's The Quickest And Easiest Way To Learn the Spanish language?
What's the best and simplest method to learn Spanish? There's no definitive answer to how you can acquire a new language. With numerous options available, it's no surprise that selecting a learning style or approach can be overwhelming. The fastest and easiest way to learn Spanish is the one that minimizes difficulties. If you find textbook reading tedious or get bored with flashcards, it might be better to choose a more engaging and exciting method. Understanding your own preferences is crucial for success.
Among the millions of non-native Spanish speakers and learners, you'll encounter individuals who have utilized various resources to grasp the language. Some resources are free, while others come at a low cost or require a significant financial investment. There is no correct combination, and it's up to you to determine the most suitable methods. Here are a few methods to rapidly learn Spanish:
Classroom Setting or One-on-One Instruction:
Learn in a classroom with a teacher or tutor providing individual instruction.
Online Spanish Courses, Classes, Software, or Apps:
Access paid or free online resources and websites for learning Spanish, including courses, classes, software, or apps.
Spanish Media Resources:
Utilize Spanish podcasts, playlists, books, movies, and TV shows for learning and practice.
Learning Spanish in the Classroom:
Spanish is widely taught in schools and universities globally. Classroom learning is a popular choice for students of all ages, providing interactive sessions with teachers who can correct mistakes and offer feedback. Additionally, interacting with fellow learners facilitates conversation practice.
While students make up a significant portion of classroom learners, many adults also enroll in Spanish language classes. Numerous cities and communities offer free or affordable language courses. Even with a full-time job, committing to a weekly class after work or on weekends can considerably enhance your Spanish skills.
Learning Spanish with a Private Tutor:
Private tutoring offers personalized learning experiences similar to traditional classrooms. Having a skilled tutor by your side can help you improve your pronunciation and focus on areas where you struggle. Many tutoring sessions take place via video calls, eliminating the need for in-person meetings. However, finding a top-quality tutor at an affordable price can be challenging.
How Can I Learn Spanish on My Own? — Useful Resources for Learning Spanish:
When Spanish classes, teachers, or native speakers aren't accessible, there are still numerous Spanish media resources to aid your path to fluency. Many of these resources are available for free online or at low costs through subscriptions to platforms like Netflix or Spotify.
Books to Learn Spanish:
If you enjoy reading, there is a wide range of Spanish literature that can help you master the language. Spanish books cater to all skill levels, from beginner-level short story collections to advanced works of magical realism. Reading books in Spanish allows you to progress at your own pace and expand your vocabulary. Reading aloud can also provide speaking and pronunciation practice.
Learning Spanish with Podcasts, Songs, and Audio Resources:
Spanish podcasts offer a natural way to hear the language spoken by native speakers. From beginner-level grammar podcasts to advanced storytelling podcasts, there are plenty of options available, many of which are free. Listening to Spanish songs also aids language acquisition, especially when combined with reading the lyrics and using them for further practice.
Learning with Spanish TV Shows and Movies:
Watching Spanish movies and TV shows provides an engaging way to connect with the language. Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime offer a wide variety of content for different proficiency levels. Subtitles can be used to aid reading comprehension, and pausing to look up unfamiliar words enhances learning. Breaking up the content into manageable chunks helps prevent overwhelm.
Free Online Spanish Classes, Software, and Apps:
There is an abundance of free Spanish content available online and through mobile apps. From grammar wikis to forums and classes, you can find numerous options. However, be aware that free products often sacrifice quality and may lack listening and speaking practice. Interactive lessons can be basic, poorly designed, and filled with ads. Therefore, it's crucial to supplement such resources with additional materials.
Spanish Flashcards and Phrasebooks:
Online platforms like Quizlet offer Spanish flashcards that can boost your memory retention. These flashcards are portable and enable practice anytime. Similarly, Spanish phrasebooks provide practical expressions for real-life situations, such as ordering at restaurants or asking for directions. Carrying a pocket phrasebook while traveling can be convenient.
Remember, while flashcards and phrasebooks are valuable learning tools, they cannot teach you spontaneous language usage in conversations. For that, you need to engage in real Spanish dialogues.
Learning Spanish With Preply
Preply is an online platform that connects students with language tutors from all over the world. It is a great way to learn Spanish for a number of reasons:
• You can learn at your own pace. With Preply, you can schedule lessons with your tutor whenever you want, so you can fit your learning into your busy schedule.
• You can choose a tutor who is a native Spanish speaker. This is important for getting the most accurate pronunciation and grammar instruction.
• You can get personalized attention. Your tutor will be able to focus on your specific needs and help you improve your Spanish at your own pace.
• It is affordable. Preply lessons are much more affordable than traditional in-person Spanish classes.
If you are interested in learning Spanish with Preply, here are the steps you need to take:
• Create a free account on Preply.
• Search for Spanish tutors in your area or in a specific country.
• Filter your search results by criteria such as price, experience, and teaching style.
• Read the tutor profiles and watch their video introductions to learn more about them.
• Book a trial lesson with a tutor to see if they are a good fit for you.
If you are happy with the trial lesson, you can then book regular lessons with your tutor. We offer a variety of payment options, so you can find a plan that fits your budget.
Frequently asked questions
While it’s easy to find free language apps, it’s important to note that these tend to have limited impact. Learning a new language effectively involves correcting mistakes and having constant conversations in that language. 1-on-1 lessons with native tutors can make the difference, and these days it’s very easy to find affordable Spanish tutors online.
Learning Spanish by yourself is difficult but not impossible. It requires a lot of study and motivation, but you'll find there are lots of tools out there that can help you from apps to books to shows and music. If you can combine your personal study with conversations with native speakers, you'll likely find you progress much more quickly and become confident holding conversations as well as reading and writing. For some people, it's easier to start with tutoring and progress to more independent study while others find the reverse works better for them.
There are lots of free resources out there that you can use to help you study Spanish online. However, they can't take the place of a native-speaking tutor. Use apps and websites to help supplement your learning but having a tutor to help you practice, highlight any mistakes and work with you on finding your learning style can make a huge difference when it comes to learning to speak Spanish fluently. Our platform allows you to compare hourly rates between tutors, so you can tailor your study to your budget.