Learning Spanish in Spain – The Do's and Don'ts

Spanish is the second-most spoken native language in the world, with nearly 500 million native speakers and 600+ million total speakers across the globe. It’s an official language on four continents and increasingly important in business, travel and culture. By learning Spanish, you’re unlocking communication with a huge part of humanity – from chatting with your neighbors in Spain to connecting with friends in Latin America.

Living in Spain means you get daily real-life practice, which is something textbooks or apps alone can’t offer. And beyond practical communication, studies show that learning a language can literally change your brain↗: bilingual people develop denser grey matter (more neural connections), and even if you start later in life, the “mental gym” of language study improves your concentration, memory and creativity. In short, Spanish is a global key that also supercharges your mind – a win-win you shouldn’t pass up while living in Spain.

Don’t default to English, embrace Spanish, even if it’s not perfect. Instead of defaulting to English at every interaction (as I did for far too long), make it a habit to use Spanish first. If you’re not sure what to say, a great phrase is “Estoy practicando mi español” – “I’m practicing my Spanish.” This signals to locals that you want to speak their language and most will greatly appreciate your effort. You’ll find that every interaction – whether buying bread or asking for directions – becomes a mini-lesson.

By ditching the habit of immediately asking “Do you speak English?”, you create more opportunities to improve. Remember, Spaniards generally learn some English in school, but many - like you and me - are much more comfortable in their own mother tongue. If you lead with Spanish, they’ll patiently help you through the conversation. It might feel awkward at first, but over time those little chats at the supermarket or bus stop add up to big progress. So, challenge yourself: at the bank, the bakery or the bar, start engaging in Spanish.

Many language learners (me included) get self-conscious about making pronunciation mistakes. But here’s the secret: communication is about content over perfection. If you focus on what you want to say rather than how perfectly you say it, you’ll speak a lot more and thus improve faster. Spaniards are amazing in this regard. In my experience, locals are far more patient with my broken Spanish than I was with myself. They’re usually thrilled you’re trying and couldn’t care less if your rr isn’t rolled or if you mix up ser and estar. If you worry obsessively about your accent, you’ll stay quiet and miss chances to practice. Embrace the fact that you have an accent – it shows you’re speaking a new language! Kids don’t wait to perfectly pronounce words before they start talking, they make mistakes, learn and get better each day. We adults can learn from that. So long as you’re understandable, dive in. Over time, your pronunciation will get closer to native-like, especially as you listen and mimic more. One day you’ll realize you’re being understood easily and that confidence will help you break barriers.

Many Spanish town halls (ayuntamientos) and cultural centers offer free or low-cost Spanish classes for foreign residents. From big cities to small towns, there are often government-funded courses to help new foreign residents like us integrate. Libraries, adult education centers and universities may host classes or conversation groups as well. Don’t assume you have to pay for an expensive private academy – check the local community resources first. Chances are you’ll find beginner to intermediate Spanish courses either free or for a symbolic fee.

Check your local Ayuntamiento for free or discounted Spanish classes

Look for Local Meetups and Exchange Groups

Beyond formal classes, take advantage of the huge range of language exchange meetups and online resources available. Every major city (and many smaller ones) in Spain has weekly “intercambio” nights where locals and foreigners gather to swap languages over a drink. These gatherings offer a dynamic platform for learners and native speakers to come together, practice languages, and forge meaningful connections. For example, meetup events in Madrid↗ and Barcelona↗ as countless cities (search for “Spanish-English exchange on Meetup.com”) are a great way to make friends and learning Spanish.

Facebook is another goldmine: groups such as “Madrid Language Exchange”, “Valencia Language Exchange”, etc., organize regular meetups – simply join a group and you’ll see event posts each week. These meetups usually take place in relaxed settings like cafés or bars, and you’ll be paired with partners or groups to chat half in Spanish, half in your language. It’s fun, free and incredibly effective.

Leverage online resources

Platforms like italki or Preply let you schedule short 30–45 min sessions with native tutors 2–3 times a week. For a more casual setup, Tandem or HelloTalk let you find Spanish native speakers to practice with via text/voice messages. There are also countless YouTube channels, podcasts (try Notes in Spanish↗ for instance) and free websites for self-study.

The bottom line: Spain offers an abundance of free and low-cost ways to immerse yourself in Spanish – take advantage of all of them. The more varied your practice, the faster you’ll progress.

If you only socialize within your comfort zone, you are missing the whole reason you’re in Spain! You’ll order beers and handle bank appointments in English, and months will pass with only basic “hola, gracias” Spanish skills. The real magic happens when you mingle with locals. Join the local cycling club, volunteer at community events, attend town fiestas or just chat with your Spanish coworkers after hours. Initially, it can be intimidating to insert yourself into Spanish-speaking social groups, but this is where you’ll learn the authentic, everyday language (and culture) that textbooks can’t teach. Moreover, integrating can greatly improve your overall well-being abroad – suddenly Spain starts to feel like home. Plenty of expats share how learning Spanish led to lifelong friendships they never would have formed otherwise.

You don’t need to abandon your expat friends, of course, but make a point to expand your circle. Grab coffee with your Spanish neighbor, join a local gym class or accept that invitation to a Spanish family’s Sunday lunch (you’ll likely get an invite if you show interest). Not only will your Spanish improve, but you’ll also feel more integrated and far less homesick. The more you immerse yourself in Spanish society, the more Spain’s language (and heart) opens up to you.

Spain is officially a multilingual country. In addition to the nation's official Spanish (Castilian), the Spanish Constitution recognizes other co-official languages in their respective autonomous communities: Catalan/Valencian, Galician and Basque. In addition, several regional languages such as Asturian, Aragonese, Leonese and Aranese (Occitan) are protected and promoted under regional laws, even if they don’t have full official status. Altogether, Spain is home to more than 10 recognized languages and linguistic varieties, making it one of the most linguistically diverse countries in Europe.

One of the charming (and initially confusing) aspects of Spanish is how much it varies by region. Within Spain alone, someone from Madrid, someone from Sevilla and someone from Bilbao might use different words for the exact same thing. Ever try to buy a peach and get corrected to melocotón in one region but durazno in another? Or hear the bus called autobús in Castilian but guagua in the Canary Islands? Even within Spain, you’ll find coche vs. carro for “car”, zumo vs. jugo for “juice”, etc. And of course, Latin American Spanish has its own rich tapestry of vocabulary and accents. The key is: don’t get discouraged by this, embrace it as part of the fun. If you travel across Spain, you’ll pick up regional vocabulary organically. Think of it like English: an American understands “lift” means “elevator” in British English, it’s the same with Spanish. Learning the variants ultimately expands your vocabulary and listening skills. It prepares you to chat with people from Bogotá to Barcelona. So instead of seeing it as a barrier, treat each new regional word or accent as a cultural lesson.

Spain produces award-winning cinema and wildly popular Netflix shows, so you have no shortage of entertaining study material. Leave the guilt about binge-watching behind – if you do it in Spanish, it absolutely counts as learning! Watching Spanish movies and series helps tune your ear to different accents and speeds of speech, and you’ll pick up a ton.

In fact, a Cambridge meta-analysis↗ found that listening and viewing activities, like films, can lead to measurable vocabulary growth, with learners acquiring around 9–18% of new words after a single exposure session. Research also highlights that films expose you to authentic language, cultural references and colloquial expressions, which deepens understanding and memory.

For example, if you watch La Casa de Papel (Money Heist), you’ll not only be on the edge of your seat, you’ll also hear Madrid slang and expressions in context. (It’s no wonder it became one of the most-watched non-English shows in Netflix history). Classics from director Pedro Almodóvar or modern hits like Elite, Vis a Vis and Cable Girls expose you to a range of regional accents and cultural references. I suggest turning on Spanish subtitles (not English) when you watch, that way you connect the spoken words to written form in Spanish. It can be hard at first but stick with it. Over time, you’ll catch yourself understanding more without subtitles. And unlike flashcards, a series will keep you motivated to find out what happens next.

Beyond Spain’s own productions, check out content from Latin America too: Colombian telenovelas, Mexican films, Argentine series, etc., all available on streaming platforms. They’re hugely entertaining and give you a broader exposure to the Spanish-speaking world. Consider it a free immersion course from your couch. Pop some palomitas (popcorn) and let yourself be entertained into Spanish fluency.

Never underestimate the power of music for language learning. How did you learn the alphabet? Likely through a song, like my daughter did. Music engages memory in a unique way. Spanish songs are no exception: when you sing along, you’re practicing pronunciation, vocabulary and even grammar (those catchy chorus lines use full sentences!). Research shows↗ that incidental vocabulary learning through listening leads to ~15% immediate and ~13% delayed retention of new words, comparable to reading and better than purely visual input. The lyrics plus tune combination makes the language stick. And it’s easy to incorporate into your day: throw on some Spanish tunes while cooking or commuting and in no-time you’ll start absorbing common phrases.

Spain has a rich musical heritage across genres. If you like pop or flamenco, try Rosalía. Into classic rock? Give Joaquín Sabina or Heroes del Silencio a listen. More of a reggaeton fan? Bad Bunny or J Balvin. Don’t worry if you can’t understand a whole song at first. Look up the lyrics (letras) online, many YouTube videos have subtitles or try LyricsTraining. Over time, as your Spanish improves, you’ll start catching more meaning from those songs. And when a Spanish song comes on at a local bar and you find you can sing along, trust me – that’s a gratifying moment. So go ahead, make a playlist and dance along.

One of the coolest things about living in Spain is that you’re surrounded by Spanish everywhere, all day. This sounds obvious, but think about it: every cereal box, shampoo bottle, street sign, bank ATM screen, metro announcement – it’s all free Spanish practice waiting for you. I call this passive immersion and it’s a huge advantage of learning in-country. Make it a habit to actually read things that you might normally gloss over. Standing in line at Mercadona? Pick up an item and scan the label, you might learn that espinacas means spinach or sin azúcares añadidos means no added sugars.

On the metro, listen to the stop announcements or read the ads and billboards – even if you don’t catch everything, you’re training your brain to recognize common words. When you get a utility bill or a bank statement in Spanish, don’t immediately switch to Google Translate or ask for an English version. Try to parse it first. You’ll be surprised that administrative Spanish has a lot of repetitive formulas and vocabulary (factura, importe, pago, etc.) that you’ll quickly pick up. Everyday exposure really helps cement vocabulary because you see it in a meaningful context. I remember learning words like oferta and rebajas (sale/offer) just by the sale signs in shop windows, or sortida (exit) in Catalan when I visited Barcelona because it was on every highway off-ramp. Little by little, these words become second nature. So treat the whole city as your classroom.

Finally, the overarching “mistake” to avoid: expecting the world to cater to you in English. Yes, moving abroad is overwhelming and it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking, "It’d be so much easier if everyone here spoke English". But the truth is, that mindset limits your experience immensely. When you flip it and approach with "I’m a guest here, let me learn their language", you unlock the real richness of your new home. Spaniards are generally warm, curious and incredibly supportive when you make an effort to speak Spanish. Even if you only muster a few broken sentences, you’ll often be met with smiles and encouragement. I’ve had shopkeepers give me mini Spanish lessons at the register, just because they saw I was trying.

Your effort shows respect, it says "I'm invested to learn about you and your culture". As a result, locals tend to open up to you more. The point is, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. They are inevitable and truly the way you learn. Every conversation where you struggle but persist is one step closer to fluency. And Spaniards will meet you halfway: they’ll speak a bit slower, use simpler words or switch to a mix of English and Spanish to help you along.

The reward for your effort isn’t just better Spanish – it’s a richer life in Spain. You’ll form deeper connections and friendships, feel more confident and independent and have countless “aha!” moments where something that once confused you, like a local joke or a song lyric, suddenly makes sense (yes, even despacito).

In the end, the cliché is true: you get out what you put in. So give it your all, Spain will give you so much back.

Daily life in Spain often involves paperwork and official appointments. Knowing these words and phrases makes the process far less stressful.

Key Words

Key Phrases

Use these at banks, ayuntamientos, police stations, extranjería offices and with landlords.