I’m currently fluent in four languages (Maltese, English, Spanish and Italian), and I’m aiming to reach fluency in a few more languages within the next ten years.
I have some knowledge of Catalan, Portuguese, French and Russian too.
It’s fair to say that I’ve spent a good chunk of time dabbling in languages ever since my teenage years. I’ve also tried my hand at Chinese before realizing I didn’t have enough time or energy to get good at it. I still hope to get back to it at some point.
I’ve mostly used Duolingo, class lessons, and 1-to-1 lessons on Italki. I found Duolingo great for the initial steps and building vocabulary, while Italki is really good for advancing fast, provided you find the right teacher. I haven’t had great experiences in a class setting, except for when I took Catalan lessons, as we had a fantastic teacher and a great group of students as well.
Resources for Learning Spanish
Over the past ten years, I’ve been learning Spanish in different ways. Here are my favorite resources.
- italki – Find a great teacher for 1-1 sessions
- Profe de Ele – Website with explanations and exercises
- Duolingo – Great free app to get the basics in place.
- Mimic Method – Great for learning Pronunciation
- Gramática de uso del español – Best series of books for learning grammar.
Portuguese
You have Brazilian or European Portuguese. If your intention is to work or live in Portugal or other European territories I would recommend you learn the European version.
This is the website I use apart from having a teacher on iTalki:
Focus on Sound and Pronunciation
Most people struggle with sound, and it is quite evident that sound can be critical to being understood and understanding others.