When I first arrived in Spain, just getting my Spanish from A2 to B2 nearly killed me. At the time, I thought I’d spend the rest of my life just sticking with Spanish and Chinese. But over time, especially after traveling around Europe a bit, I realized that only knowing Spanish was still a bit limiting. I was so envious watching my German and French friends switch seamlessly between several languages. So last year, on a whim, I decided to challenge myself and pick up the French and German I had long put aside!
Honestly, tackling three languages at once is no easy feat… In the beginning, my brain was a complete jumble. I’d often be speaking French and a German word would pop out, or I’d try to apply Spanish grammar to German. But after some trial and error, I found that with the right method, there’s a way through it. I’ve broken down my learning into several key areas: core grammar, vocabulary building, listening input, and speaking practice.
My List of Go-To Resources
Everyone has different learning styles, so I’m not going to offer an “authoritative guide,” but rather just share the combination of tools that I’ve found effective. My core strategy is to use resources that are relatively easy to access in Spain, combining both online and offline methods.
French
I had some basic French, so my goal with French and Spanish was to get back to a B1 level. I primarily use Duolingo + Memrise to reinforce vocabulary, and I follow the Coffee Break French podcast for listening practice. This series is fantastic—it progresses from easy to difficult, and the scenarios are very practical. For my textbook, I use the digital version of the Alter Ego+ series, which has very clear grammar explanations.
German
German was a completely new challenge, as I was starting from scratch. I’m currently struggling through the A1 level. For apps, I use Babbel, which I find better than Duolingo for a structured introduction. For listening, I stick to the simplest material, like Slow German. Additionally, the Goethe-Institut’s official website has a wealth of free practice resources—it’s worth exploring to find some hidden gems. The textbook I chose is the “Touring Germany” series; it might be a bit old, but its structure is really solid.
| Language | Main App | Supporting Podcast/Website | Textbook |
|---|
| French | Duolingo, Memrise | Coffee Break French | Alter Ego+ |
| German | Babbel | Slow German, Goethe-Institut Website | ‘Touring Germany’ |
| Spanish | N/A | Radio Nacional de España | El Cronómetro |
Finally, I want to say that there are real advantages to learning other European languages while in Spain. First, the geographical proximity is a huge plus; you can easily take a weekend trip to France or Germany for some immersive practice. Second, the linguistic environment in major cities offers great opportunities to practice speaking with people from various countries. I now have a set schedule for myself: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are for German, while Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are for French, to avoid mixing them up. Although my progress is slow, I can feel myself improving a little every day, and that’s a great feeling. I’m just losing a bit too much hair over it. I hope everyone else can find their own rhythm and joy on their language learning journey!
