I’ve been in Spain for a while now and recently managed to pass the DELE B2 exam. My score wasn’t high, but a pass is a pass, and it feels like a good milestone for my years of self-study. I’ve seen many people on the forum asking how to learn Spanish, so today I’m starting this thread to share my personal experience of stumbling my way from scratch to B2. I hope it helps, and I welcome any corrections or additions from the experts here.
When I first arrived, I could barely speak a complete sentence in Spanish. I ordered food mostly by pointing, or a dedo, which led to a lot of funny situations. That’s when I became determined to master the language. I initially enrolled in a language school, but after a few months, I realized that no matter how great the teacher was, the effect was limited if I didn’t review and actively use the language at home. Later, due to work, I switched completely to self-study.
My Core Self-Study Strategy
1. Textbooks & Apps: Building a Strong Foundation is Key
For textbooks, I used ‘Modern Spanish’ (现代西班牙语) and its accompanying workbooks. This series has a very clear grammar system. Although it’s a bit dated, it was a great help for understanding grammar structures for my DELE B2 exam preparation. After completing the first two books, I had a solid A2 level. After that, I mainly used ‘ELE Actual’ and ‘Sueña’, which are more focused on real-life scenarios. As for apps, Duolingo is okay for learning vocabulary in bits and pieces, but for systematic learning, you need to rely on textbooks. I also highly recommend the RAE dictionary and WordReference; they are far more reliable for looking up words than any translation software.
2. Immersive Input: Listening and Reading
The biggest hurdle from B1 to B2, in my opinion, is listening comprehension. My method was simple: force myself to listen. During my daily commute, I would listen to news broadcasts from Cadena SER or RNE. At first, I couldn’t understand 90% of it, which was very frustrating, but you have to persevere. Gradually, you start catching keywords, then phrases, and finally, you can grasp the main idea. Watching series is also very helpful. Many Spanish shows on Netflix have Spanish subtitles. Watch with subtitles on first, and then turn them off once you’re familiar with the content. For reading, I would read news websites like El País or El Mundo. It was slow at the beginning with lots of words to look up, but that’s how you build your vocabulary.
The Final Sprint: DELE B2 Exam Preparation
Three months before the exam, I entered a dedicated preparation phase. At this point, extensive listening and reading weren’t enough; I had to focus on targeted practice tests. I primarily used ‘El Cronómetro’ and ‘Preparación al DELE B2’—these two books are lifesavers for exam prep. The goal of doing practice tests isn’t to guess the questions but to familiarize yourself with the exam format, timing, and rhythm. For the speaking and writing sections especially, you must practice under timed conditions and then find a language exchange partner or a local friend to help you with corrections. Below is a simple framework I put together for the speaking Tarea 1, which you might find helpful:
| Step | Key Points |
|---|
| Describe the problem | Summarize the core problem of the picture/chart in 2-3 sentences. |
| Analyze the causes | Propose 2-3 possible causes from different angles, a key skill for anyone self-studying Spanish B2. |
| Propose solutions | Based on the causes, suggest 2-3 concrete and viable solutions. |
| Personal opinion | Briefly summarize and express your own view or expectations. |
Finally, I want to say that there are no real shortcuts to learning a language; you have to find good resources like these B2 textbooks. Fantasizing about becoming fluent in a month is unrealistic. The most important things are persistence and speaking up. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes; Spanish people are very forgiving with foreigners speaking their language. I used to mix up ser and estar all the time, but I got through it. I hope everyone’s Spanish learning journey goes smoothly and that you all achieve your target levels soon! ¡Mucho ánimo!
