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Friday, March 24th
If you're into old-school language-learning methods - heck, some of us are just comfortable with the repetition of the drill-it-to-death method - and you like flashcards with English-to-Spanish vocabulary words, English explanations of grammar concepts and the good old-fashioned conjugation charts, StudySpanish has it all. Their free website has a comprehensive list of the grammar concepts and vocabulary topics where you can practice away! StudySpanish also offers an app with audio grammar explanations...in English, and some dialogs to practice.
Back to the basics
StudySpanish has a large amount of free information on its website. It's great for breaking down the traditional elements of language learning. On the main page, there are tabs for pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and verb drills. There are also free quizzes and activities to test your written skills. Each tab gives you perspective on the topic. For example, on the grammar tab, it reminds you that good grammar is definitely helpful, but being a grammar expert isn't the goal; speaking conversationally is. Whether you want full lessons or to use the site for periodic support, Study Spanish offers both.
Free is good
Full lessons are available on the website for free, and a majority of the site is accessible for no cost. The Camino al Exito app has a free trial of 7 days; however, most lessons are locked without a paid subscription. In addition, the free version of the app didn't offer much, if anything at all, over what the website alone offered. Other people, who had accessed the full, paid-version of the app, noticed only small extensions above the website, including dialogs to read, listen to, and repeat, and certainly not worth the money invested. Stick with the website for the best value.
Paid is better
StudySpanish utilizes familiar, old-school teaching and tutoring on its site as well as on the free version of the app. Their grammar explanations are in English, focus on conjugation charts, and the lessons are set up like many textbooks' lessons. If you're looking to learn or improve your conversational Spanish, we wouldn't look on the website or the free access to the app.
Costs
Cancellation policy
StudySpanish's cancellation policy is straightforward: email them notifying them of a cancellation within three days of the most recent membership payment for a refund.
Very traditional lessons
The lessons are presented in an order, and you can follow them or pick and choose what you need to work on. The lessons are presented in a very old-school manner. Here's your grammar topic, here's the explanation, here's the practice, and here it is in the conjugation chart. You can now take a quiz to test your skills. This method bodes well for those who like charts and to break down the information presented. It also uses English for the explanations, so the explanations are clear, but again...English. We believe StudySpanish isn't the best resource for actually learning the language; it's more useful when taking a course in school, for example, and you want clarification, reinforcement, and practice on topics in the unit you're studying. There's a section for quizzes after you learn your topic, but the free version has one quiz, so it's the same exact quiz if you need to re-test yourself.
More robust Spanish lessons elsewhere
StudySpanish has been around for several years, and has kept its traditional method of teaching and quizzing grammar and vocabulary. It's cut and very dry. This makes it a good resource if you need extra practice or additional explanation for material in your Spanish classroom. If you're interested in thinking in Spanish, learning conversations, or having a little fun while studying, you'll have to do the work on your own or find another source.
Have you always wanted to learn Spanish? Or have you learned some, but really want to improve your skills in order to be able to read Spanish newspapers or talk with native speakers? Do you have business associates or neighbors who speak Spanish, or have you wanted to talk in Spanish with the locals on your next trip? There are 460,000 people who are native Spanish speakers right here in the US, and 20 countries that have Spanish as their official language. No matter why you want to learn it, the question is which Spanish lessons are right for you.
With so much of our life going digital, from many of us doing our job remotely, to video chatting with our family or internet shopping, it's natural to want to explore online options for learning Spanish. There are many programs available online and through apps, and we can help you sift through them.
The first thing to consider is how much Spanish you already know. If you're just getting started, there are many programs whose focus is on the beginner, with lessons chock full of grammar, vocabulary, and practice. At the same time, the concentration is so heavy on brand-new students that many programs offer little to nothing for the intermediate or advanced learner.
Another important factor is your learning style and preference. Some learners like to go in the order that the experts have the lessons set up so that they can meet their language acquisition goals. Other students know that they want to pick and choose their lesson order based on their needs. For example, if the learner is going to travel in the near future, they want their first lessons focused on related vocabulary, like asking for directions and checking in at a hotel. Others are in the medical or business field, so they want to follow the language learning path best suited to their careers.
A major consideration is if repetition is okay with you, or if you will lose focus if the lessons aren't entertaining. Some learners are motivated to continue the day's lesson or look forward to the next lesson because of the fun and exciting apps that include gaming-like activities, points, badges, competitive leaderboards, and animation. Let's face it, if you're not motivated to learn, will you really stick with the program? Other students want to push forward with the traditional, square-shooting approach that feels comfortable as tried and true. Start with vocabulary and practice, add on grammar, preferably with detailed explanations in English, more practice, along with repetition and recycling of older material to solidify the knowledge base.
Once you know what level of Spanish learner you are, from beginner to advanced, your purpose of learning it, from travel to profession or just because, and if you like to be entertained or want "just the facts, Ma'am" , there are a few more aspects of Spanish lessons you may want to consider:
TopConsumerReviews.com has evaluated, rated, and ranked the best choices for online Spanish lessons. We're sure that with this information, you'll have what you need to make the right choice for your goals in learning, acquiring, and becoming fluent in Spanish. ¡Ya vamos!
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