Websites such as Spanish Romance and Study Spanish offer free online lessons for beginners in the Spanish language (see Resources). The courses start by teaching the pronunciation of the Spanish alphabet and incorporate audio files to help learners master difficult sounds. The lessons also cover basic Spanish grammar topics such as gender, noun plurals and regular verbs before progressing to more advanced grammar topics such as future and conditional tenses. Spanish Romance also has links to Spanish jokes, literature and proverbs to provide beginners with their first insight into Spanish culture.
For those who are good at absorbing information that they hear, following an audio course for beginners could be a good way to learn Spanish. Spanicity is one example of a website that provides Spanish lessons for beginners online in an audio format. Students can start with audio lessons covering the basics of the Spanish language before moving on to more advanced audio grammar and vocabulary lessons. The website also offers downloads of popular Spanish songs, complete with video tracks and a translation of the lyrics.
If you enjoy traveling and intend to concentrate on learning the variety of Spanish spoken in Latin America, you could consider attending Spanish lessons in countries such as Argentina, Chile or Costa Rica. Spanish Study Holidays is a company that specializes in running Spanish courses throughout Latin America, all of which are taught by native Spanish speakers. Beginners can choose from an intensive course with 15 lessons per week or a super-intensive course with 25 lessons per week. Courses run for between one and nine weeks, with lessons typically taking place in the mornings and Spanish activities or excursions being organized for the afternoons.
Purchasing a book of language lessons is another good way for beginners to start learning Spanish. A selection of Spanish courses should be available in all large bookstores, although if you know which book you want, it might be cheaper to search for a secondhand copy online. Books such as "Fundamental Spanish" and "Spanish for Beginners" present basic Spanish lessons in a clear and logical format. Some books also include an audio CD, which is a useful way to supplement your language learning and increase your exposure to the sounds of the Spanish language.