When I first arrived in Spain, my Spanish proficiency was basically limited to getting by with ‘Hola’ and ‘Gracias.’ Later, due to work and daily life needs, I was determined to overcome the language barrier. Classes were inflexible and expensive, so for my goal of Spanish certification exams, I embarked on the long road of self-study. I recently received my DELE B2 certificate, and many friends have asked me if it’s truly possible to pass the exam through self-study alone. So today, I’m starting this post to share my honest thoughts and some experiences with you all.
The answer is: Absolutely! But it’s not an easy path; it requires immense self-discipline and the right methods. The biggest challenges of self-study are the lack of systematic guidance and an environment for speaking practice. I made many mistakes in the beginning, like burying my head in a grammar book only to find I still couldn’t speak a word. Later, I realized that a language is meant to be ‘used,’ not just ‘studied.’
My Prep Materials and Tools
Unlike taking a course, you have to find all your materials yourself when self-studying. After some trial and error, I settled on the following resources, which I found to be very effective:
- Textbooks: “Nuevo Prisma” and “Preparación al DELE”. The former is for systematic learning, while the latter is a dedicated exam prep guide (much like this one on self-studying for Japanese certification exams), and you absolutely must do the practice tests in it!
- Apps: Duolingo is great for learning vocabulary in your spare moments, but I highly recommend HelloTalk. You can find language exchange partners on it, which is a huge help for both speaking and writing.
- Online Resources: The official RTVE website has tons of free documentaries and news programs, which are excellent listening materials. I also frequently listen to podcasts like “Hoy Hablamos”.
How I Allocated My Time for Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing
To prepare for the DELE, all four skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—must be developed evenly; you can’t have any weak areas. I generally planned my weekly study according to the table below, but of course, you can adjust it to fit your own situation.
| Skill | Primary Method | Weekly Hours |
|---|
| **Listening ** | Listening to podcasts, watching RTVE news and Spanish series without subtitles | 5-6 hours |
| **Speaking ** | Finding language partners on HelloTalk, shadowing and imitation | 3-4 hours |
| **Reading ** | Reading Spanish news, understanding the questions in “Preparación” | 4-5 hours |
| **Writing ** | Writing 1-2 essays per week for a language partner to correct, summarizing common sentence structures | 2-3 hours |
Passing certification exams through self-study is definitely a viable path, but it tests not only your learning ability but also your perseverance. The preparation process is tough, but when you can finally communicate with locals in Spanish without barriers and understand local newspapers and TV, the sense of accomplishment is irreplaceable. I hope my experience can give a little confidence to all the friends out there on their self-study journey! Wishing you a swift escape from this ordeal! No, I mean, I wish you all the best in enjoying the learning process!
