· 7 min read
Learn Spanish for Beginners: Where to Start
By Language Lab editorial team
Learn Spanish for beginners: the first free course to follow, first phrases, the three grammar ideas to expect, and a first-month plan built on self-testing.
Spanish is a kind language to begin. It is written the way it is pronounced, English speakers can already recognise more than 3,000 of its words, and the US State Department puts it in Category I, languages close to English, at 30 weeks of classes. A beginner needs four things: one course to follow in order, a handful of phrases to say aloud, a clear idea of the three grammar points that are new, and a habit of self-testing. The Open University's three free Getting started with Spanish courses give about 22 hours of guided study, enough to introduce yourself, greet people, talk about your day and make plans. Your first target is level A1: a very basic range of the most common simple expressions, enough for immediate, concrete needs.
Why Spanish is a good first language
- It is phonetic. The BBC's guide describes Spanish as written the way it is pronounced.
- You know many words already. English and Spanish share so many words of Latin origin that more than 3,000 are recognisable; most English words ending in -tion end in -ción.
- It is officially one of the shorter courses for English speakers: Category I, 30 weeks of classes, on State Department figures.
- There is a great deal to hear. The Instituto Cervantes counts about 520 million native speakers.
Step 1: follow one beginners' course
| Course | Who makes it | Length | What you learn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Getting started with Spanish 1 | The Open University (OpenLearn) | 8 hours | Vowel sounds and the letter h, formal and informal introductions, greetings |
| Getting started with Spanish 2 | The Open University (OpenLearn) | 6 hours | Everyday activities, telling the time, the present tense of common verbs, the r sound |
| Getting started with Spanish 3 | The Open University (OpenLearn) | 8 hours | Greeting people in different contexts, inviting friends out, accepting and declining |
| Mi Vida Loca | BBC (archived) | 12 weeks | An interactive video drama for beginners, mapped to level A1 |
The three Open University courses follow on from each other; the first is aimed at people learning Spanish for the first time. Do them in order. Mi Vida Loca is a good companion for listening, though the BBC's Spanish pages are archived and no longer updated.
Step 2: learn these phrases aloud
| Spanish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hola | Hello |
| Adiós | Goodbye |
| Por favor | Please |
| Gracias | Thank you |
| De nada | You're welcome |
| Me llamo ... | My name is ... |
| ¿Qué tal? | How are you? |
| Bien, gracias | I'm fine, thank you |
| No entiendo | I don't understand |
| ¿Habla inglés? | Do you speak English? |
These are from the BBC's archived list of key Spanish phrases. Because Spanish is phonetic, you can read them aloud with confidence once you know the sounds of the letters.
Step 3: expect three new ideas
The BBC's guide names the biggest differences in grammar for an English speaker.
- Gender. Spanish nouns have a gender.
- Agreements. Words that go with a noun change to match it.
- Verb endings. Each tense has six different endings.
- And one sound: the rolled r, as in carretera, road, which the guide says can make the language seem tricky at first.
None of these needs to be mastered in month one. Meet them, notice them in every sentence you learn, and let the course introduce them in order.
Step 4: test yourself
A 2013 review of ten learning techniques, led by John Dunlosky, rated two as high utility: practice testing and distributed practice. Rereading and highlighting were rated low.
- After each lesson, close the page and say everything you remember.
- Cover the Spanish and produce it from the meaning.
- Start every session with yesterday's material.
- Say every new sentence aloud.
A first-month plan
- Week 1: Getting started with Spanish 1, a little each day; the phrases above, aloud.
- Week 2: Getting started with Spanish 2; start Mi Vida Loca for listening.
- Week 3: Getting started with Spanish 3; test yourself on weeks 1 and 2.
- Week 4: review all three courses, and record yourself introducing yourself and describing your day.
What comes after the first month
Twenty-two hours is a start. The State Department's full figure for Spanish is 552–690 class hours, and Spain's official DELE diplomas run from A1 to C2. Your next milestone is A2, then B1, the first level described as handling most normal day-to-day situations. For practice at each stage, the Instituto Cervantes publishes Aveteca, a free archive of activities at A1–A2, B1–B2 and C1. Language Lab's Spanish course is built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor, so you can practise speaking from the first week.
Frequently asked
How do I start learning Spanish as a beginner?
Follow one beginners' course in order, such as the Open University's free Getting started with Spanish 1, 2 and 3, learn a few phrases aloud and test yourself after every lesson.
Is Spanish easy for beginners?
For English speakers it is among the easier languages: the US State Department puts it in Category I at 30 weeks of classes, and it is written the way it is pronounced.
What should I learn first in Spanish?
The sounds of the letters, greetings and introductions, and phrases such as Me llamo, Gracias and No entiendo.
How long does it take a beginner to learn Spanish?
The US State Department allows 30 weeks of full-time classes, within a range of 552–690 class hours, to reach a speaking and listening score of 3 on the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale. The first free courses give about 22 hours.
What is A1 Spanish?
The entry level of the DELE diplomas: a very basic range of the most common simple expressions, enough to satisfy immediate, concrete needs.
What is hard about Spanish for beginners?
The BBC's guide names gender, agreements and verbs with six endings in each tense, plus the rolled r.
Sources: The Open University, OpenLearn, Getting started with Spanish 1, 2 and 3; BBC Languages, A Guide to Spanish: 10 facts, Key phrases and Mi Vida Loca (archived pages); US Department of State, National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Foreign Language Training; Instituto Cervantes, DELE levels, Aveteca and El español en el mundo, Anuario 2025; Dunlosky et al., Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: The Alhambra from the Mirador de San Nicolás, Granada, by Jebulon / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons).
