If you’re like millions of other Americans, you’re somewhat interested in learning Spanish, maybe you’ve even taken a class or two back in the day, but you can’t really do much with it, let alone carry on a conversation with native speakers. You’ve spent some money on language software or books, but you haven’t finished much.

The reason for this is that most of the common ways of learning a language just aren’t fun. Above all, learning a language should be a lot of fun, and if you don’t enjoy it, you won’t get very far.

The number one way to have fun and learn is to live abroad for a while, or at least take an immersion trip to learn languages. But if you don’t have the money or time to do it yet, you’re lucky you can at least get started when you travel (What, not packing yet?). The internet is full of free and fun ways to boost your language learning. It doesn’t matter if you are a complete beginner with just a few words, like Hellounder your belt

Here are ideas that can “virtually” immerse you in times when you can’t physically immerse yourself in another country. Remember, pick a few ideas from the list below that you like and don’t get discouraged. It does not matter if you are a beginner or if you are intermediate or advanced in Spanish. These ideas are useful for students of all levels.

1. free online radios. Very cool. There are several big companies offering free radio now, and most of them offer artist bios and stories, plus links to similar music that can keep you looping for hours. Type in any artist or genre and find the lyrics online to follow along. Bookmark the artists you like and find similar songs and artists by browsing. Try some traditionally Latin genres like vallenatos Prayed bachatas or you can try Latin Rock. You can also find local radio stations from around the world that stream for free online by searching: listen live radio.
2. blog. Learn from people who have actually learned to speak Spanish or whatever language you’re interested in, not just the sites that sell you their software. Blogs dealing with immersion language learning often offer a lot of free information on how they managed to learn or become fluent. Because these people have had so much fun learning a language, they have a lot of interesting stories and they give you really specific advice for free on how you can do it. It’s like having your own personal consultant or booking without having to pay for it. These sites often have free community discussion groups and newsletters, video or audio tutorials, games and learning programs, e-books, and links to other great online resources. Try searching for “immersion languages ​​learning Spanish”, “why study abroad” or Spanish plus the word “blog” and start exploring. You can also browse blog directories and find sites of interest that way.
3. online video sites. You can find just about anything on YouTube, Yahoo videos, and other similar sites. There are tons of videos that are in Spanish but have English subtitles. You can often find your favorite show, movie or cartoon. Cartoons are great because you can often follow the plot very easily and pick up single words here and there more easily than in movies. Try to find a clip of some of your favorite scenes but with Spanish audio or subtitles. Get a little creative with your searches. In addition, you can search for interviews and commercials with Latino or Spanish actors and actresses in their native language or dubbed or subtitled versions of the shows you like. If they are international superstars, their Spanish interviews can often be found with English subtitles. If you are a beginner, Spanish audio with English subtitles should be the goal. If you are an intermediate or advanced learner, you should look for Spanish audio with Spanish subtitles, so try to find shows you like and add “in Spanish”. Remember, the goal is not to understand everything, not even 2% if you haven’t already. Try to catch a single word that is repeated frequently and start building your vocabulary. You’ll eventually want that base when you have the time or money to travel (Looking at maps already?).
4. online pen pals. Or should we start calling them text friends? You’re probably already on some of the social networking sites, and maybe even have a bunch of friends. The beauty of social media is that you can connect with people from all over the world. Search for friends from countries that interest you and send them a message. It’s free, and many people might be interested in being pen pals. There are even sites dedicated entirely to international pen pals and they offer their services for free. Once your writing improves a bit, you can start using instant messaging (also free).
5. webchat. And if you’re at the stage where you can talk a bit, ask your pen pal to do a free video chat through your social networking site, instant messaging service, or free computer-to-computer calling service. . There are tons out there, so just search for them and choose the one you like the most.
6. football Online, or maybe as you know it, soccer. I know, I know, you think football is boring. It’s fine, but it’s probably because you don’t know many players, so it doesn’t mean much. Read some bios about Ronaldinho, Messi and other players on ESPN’s Soccernet or other sports sites, wait for the big games and even watch some free matches and replays online. See how Barcelona take on Real Madrid next season in the rivalry rematches and see some of the best players in the world stacked together on one pitch. And, of course, watch in Spanish whenever you can. Watch a replay of the 2010 World Cup match between Uruguay and Germany for third place with a Spanish commentator. You can’t say you don’t like football until you watch the World Cup final or the Spanish professional football league final and the voice on the big screen yells Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooolaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! By the way, great goal translates to “absolutely brilliant, fantastic, amazing goal”. You have to love how much you can say with little words online. Compare that to a US commentator calling out some of the biggest goals in US soccer history (Goal!). It just doesn’t match!
7. Spanish cable online. Go to a cable station in Latin America or Spain, such as Telemundo or Univision, and click the Videos menu. You can not only watch small video clips online for free, and if you are a beginner or intermediate, you better keep it small for now. You will also see short ads from 5 to 30 seconds. Normally, you can log out when the ads appear, but you can use those ads to your advantage because they are often new and entertaining in a new language. When you see a particular brand that you are familiar with, you will hear the slogan or tagline the company uses in Spanish. After listening to it several times, try writing it down. Try looking up the sentence and you will most likely learn not only a few words, but also a new grammatical structure. And stumbling over grammar in context is much more likely to stick in your head than hours or reading textbooks.
8. Company Websites. Go to your favorite electronics, clothing, food, or beverage company and click the link to convert the page to Spanish. Companies that appeal to young or college audiences often create videos, games, and other fun things to do. When you get to the site, look for the place on the page where it allows you to go to the Spanish version of the site (most big companies have this now). Sometimes you can change the region to Latin America or even choose a particular country and get specific types of Spanish versions of the site. If it’s a supermarket, look at all the pictures they have and product names and you’ll get a bunch of free cards. If it’s a different site and you’re a beginner, most of the content will be hard to read, so focus on the ads, images, and captions. The image gives you context of what is happening and you can put the caption into a free online translator.
9. Free online translators. Just don’t expect your translations to be totally accurate. Use them as a starting point, not your final source, and then look up the words in free online dictionaries…
10. …What wordreference.com, a free online dictionary that is more than just a dictionary. The secret? the forums Even after 6 years of learning Spanish, I find myself constantly going to the end of a given word entry and examining the different contexts where the words and phrases are used. And the best part is that native speakers chime in every day with nuggets of cultural and linguistic knowledge that would otherwise only be available to you if you traveled to their home countries (Looking for plane tickets yet?).
11. Spanish Magazines Online. Most online magazines offer free samples and you can search people in spanish or other magazines you like. Although you may not understand much as a beginner, you can learn a lot of funny sayings from figure captions and covers, and you don’t have to pay for subscriptions at first because you’ll have more than enough material to keep you busy.
12. search engines. It doesn’t matter what your favorite search engine is, it matters what you search for. First, in your head, complete this sentence “I really love ____!” Whatever that word or phrase is, search for it and then add the word “Spanish” and start browsing. Every day there are new things to learn.

Anything you can do or find online for fun will help. Once you have a vocabulary base, you are ready to start traveling and studying in other countries, which is even more fun and is really where your Spanish learning will take off!