Having just moved to Spain, not knowing a word of Spanish is incredibly tough… I’m basically ordering food with sign language and navigating the supermarket checkout on pure instinct. I feel like I’m on the verge of becoming a total recluse if I don’t start learning Spanish soon. Lately, I’ve downloaded a ton of language apps, made a lot of mistakes, but also found some real gems. I’m sharing them with fellow beginners who are struggling, hoping to help you avoid some of the hurdles.
Duolingo
This one is probably a household name, with its very recognizable green owl icon. The advantage is its gamified learning approach; completing levels and maintaining a streak every day gives you a great sense of accomplishment and helps you stick with it. The content is quite comprehensive, covering everything from the most basic alphabet sounds and words to simple sentence structures. The downside is that it can be a bit too “gamified”; the grammar explanations are weak, and sometimes you don’t know why an answer is correct. I generally use it for initial exposure and to maintain a feel for the language, but it wouldn’t be my main tool for [self-studying Spanish]. For more complex grammar points like understanding [ser and estar], you might need another resource.
Memrise
If Duolingo is a game, then Memrise is more like a flashcard system that combines videos and memory science. What I particularly love about it is that many words come with short videos of native speakers, so you can see their actual mouth movements and hear authentic pronunciation, which is so much better than a purely machine-generated voice. It uses spaced repetition to help you reinforce your memory, which is a huge help for building vocabulary in the early stages of self-learning Spanish.
A Comparison of a Few Apps
To make it more intuitive, I’ve created a simple table summarizing my personal take on a few popular apps for you to reference:
| App Name | Main Pros | Main Cons | Best for |
|---|
| Duolingo | Gamified, easy to stick with | Weak on grammar, content can be repetitive | Absolute beginners, building interest |
| Memrise | Real native speaker videos, scientific memory curve | Limited features in the free version | Focusing on vocabulary, correcting pronunciation |
| Babbel | Structured curriculum, focus on conversation | Subscription fee is relatively high | Those willing to pay for systematic learning |
| HelloTalk | Language exchange, real-life context | Can easily turn into awkward small talk instead of learning | Practicing speaking after gaining some foundation |
Personal Summary
No single app is perfect. My current combination is: using Memrise as my main tool for learning new vocabulary, spending about 10 minutes on Duolingo daily to reinforce the basics and keep my streak alive, and once I feel a bit more confident, I’ll consider getting a Babbel subscription for more systematic learning or finding a language partner on HelloTalk. Of course, the best teacher is life itself—listening and speaking more is the key! Even though I’m still practically mute… Do you have any other hidden gem apps to recommend? Feel free to leave a comment and discuss below!
