What is the best app to learn some Spanish for the Camino? Thanks

[Quin]

Hi I am doing the Camino in May/June and have no Spanish and was looking for an app so that I could practice some words that I will need, many thanks

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I personally used Duolingo, no idea how it compares to any of the others.
Buen Camino !

 

[proudapo]

Hi I am doing the Camino in May/June and have no Spanish and was looking for an app so that I could practice some words that I will need, many thanks

Microsoft translator.
Yes, I want to learn some Spanish, but having this app will take a lot of pressure and anxiety off.

 

[Quin]

Microsoft translator.
Yes, I want to learn some Spanish, but having this app will take a lot of pressure and anxiety off.

I was going to use that app too

 

[Quin]

Microsoft translator.
Yes, I want to learn some Spanish, but having this app will take a lot of pressure and anxiety off.

I personally used Duolingo, no idea how it compares to any of the others.
Buen Camino !

Thanks, I am using that at the moment, but find it has a lot of irrelevant words that I wouldn’t use. I was just wondering if there was anything better.
Buen Camino

 

[David Tallan]

I went through the complete Duolingo Spanish offering and wasn't sure how much ahead I was at the end in terms of actually being able to speak or understand real Spanish and not just fill in the blanks in exercises.

Recently, I've been having much more success with Dreaming Spanish (YouTube and website, rather than app) and the Comprehensible Input methodology they use. I was probably low to middle intermediate when I started but recently have been able to listen to El Camino People podcasts in Spanish and understand what was being said. But this methodology isn't Camino focused and really best if you want to learn Spanish, not just a few phrases.

To focus on Spanish for the Camino you might want to check out something like Maria Seco's Spanish for the Camino.

 

[trecile]

Not an app, but an online course focused on Spanish for the Camino.

Spanish for the Camino

I help pilgrims learn the Spanish they need for their walk across Spain on the Camino de Santiago.

spanishforcamino.com

 

[Quin]

I went through the complete Duolingo Spanish offering and wasn't sure how much ahead I was at the end in terms of actually being able to speak or understand real Spanish and not just fill in the blanks in exercises.

Recently, I've been having much more success with Dreaming Spanish (YouTube and website, rather than app) and the Comprehensible Input methodology they use. I was probably low to middle intermediate when I started but recently have been able to listen to El Camino People podcasts in Spanish and understand what was being said. But this methodology isn't Camino focused and really best if you want to learn Spanish, not just a few phrases.

To focus on Spanish for the Camino you might want to check out something like Maria Seco's Spanish for the Camino.

Thanks David, I will give those methods a try, much appreciated

 

[woody66]

Hi!
Agree about Duolingo lesson 30 still counting to three and phrases like tu esposa es elegante; handy when you want the right bus!


I use Language Transfer it expands your vocabulary quickly ; you just listen (no writing notes; i am lazy) i learned more in a few hours than weeks at evening classes! (give it a go; i was building my own sentences' after a few of the lessons)
Link hear

Spanish — Language Transfer

www.languagetransfer.org

If you have no Spanish at all i found this
Link

Learn Basic Spanish for Traveling in Costa Rica

Learn important words and phrases in Spanish, useful for travel. Also download and print our pocket guide to take with you and keep practicing!

mytanfeet.com

Basic phrases which will get you by.

To be honest it is polite to try and have some Spanish; but so far my attempts have usually been thwarted by the Spanish person speaking English on the Caminos i have walked.
I always get a bit flustered when i need to convey what i have learned.

 

[Frankybaby66]

Hi I am doing the Camino in May/June and have no Spanish and was looking for an app so that I could practice some words that I will need, many thanks

Try Michel Thomas - great if you want a 'no study' type course. Audio based. Very fast learning method. It worked well for me.
Other methods are available though ( don't want to contravene any [more] Forum rules )

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

This post is for more advanced learners of Spanish.

This morning I watched a recent LanguageJones Youtube video. He has a PhD in linguistics. The video was about listening to how native speakers speak casually and changing the words that we have learned. I'll give an English example: I'm instead of I am. Going with this he describes the Lingopie app and using French examples. I'll let his video explain the rest.

The lingopie URL

Learn a new language just by watching TV shows with subtitles - Lingopie

Learn a new language just by watching TV shows with subtitles. Get instant access to hundreds of great foreign TV shows in the language you are learning.

lingopie.com

YouTube video id: TAhbINAzcms

 

[Quin]

Try Michel Thomas - great if you want a 'no study' type course. Audio based. Very fast learning method. It worked well for me.
Other methods are available though ( don't want to contravene any [more] Forum rules )

Thank you

 

[Quin]

Hi!
Agree about Duolingo lesson 30 still counting to three and phrases like tu esposa es elegante; handy when you want the right bus!


I use Language Transfer it expands your vocabulary quickly ; you just listen (no writing notes; i am lazy) i learned more in a few hours than weeks at evening classes! (give it a go; i was building my own sentences' after a few of the lessons)
Link hear

Spanish — Language Transfer

www.languagetransfer.org

If you have no Spanish at all i found this
Link

Learn Basic Spanish for Traveling in Costa Rica

Learn important words and phrases in Spanish, useful for travel. Also download and print our pocket guide to take with you and keep practicing!

mytanfeet.com

Basic phrases which will get you by.

To be honest it is polite to try and have some Spanish; but so far my attempts have usually been thwarted by the Spanish person speaking English on the Caminos i have walked.
I always get a bit flustered when i need to convey what i have learned.

Thank you

 

[Quin]

Not an app, but an online course focused on Spanish for the Camino.

Spanish for the Camino

I help pilgrims learn the Spanish they need for their walk across Spain on the Camino de Santiago.

spanishforcamino.com

Thank you

 

[K_Lynn]

I used Duolingo and Pimsleur prior to my first Camino. Pimsleur is a paid monthly subscription that you can stop at any time. I chose it as it as I could listen to the lessons and hear how words should be pronounced and I figured people would be speaking to me in full sentences and not just saying "blouse" or "car" lol.

For complicated requests (at the post office when sending packages home), I used a translation app where I could write out what I needed (or use the voice to translate option).

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

For complicated requests (at the post office when sending packages home), I used a translation app where I could write out what I needed (or use the voice to translate option).

This worked well for us. The night before Peg was to visit a clinic I wrote something up and translated it by app and corrected that the best I could (eight years ago, the app is better now). I showed the translation to admissions, the nurse that was summoned and, in quick order, the doctor.

 

[SeñorJacques]

Although I've used (and enjoyed) Duolingo to learn some basic German and Arabic, I've been trying Mango to learn some Portuguese for my upcoming Camino this spring. It's a more "traditional" learning methodology and experience than Duolingo, which gameifies the language learning process (not a bad thing!) but I find it does a better job of teaching the underpinnings of grammatical structure, which better allows for putting original thoughts and sentences together.

Mango Languages – Online Language Learning Software

mangolanguages.com

If you're based in the U.S. and have a library card, you can connect to and use Mango free of charge through your library system.

 

[duncanwhyte]

Try Coffee Break Espanol

 

[Lindsay53]

I am four months into Duolingo and while I've learned some things I seem to have made little real progress. I think there is only so much you can learn from an app.

 

[David Tallan]

This post is for more advanced learners of Spanish.

This morning I watched a recent LanguageJones Youtube video. He has a PhD in linguistics. The video was about listening to how native speakers speak casually and changing the words that we have learned. I'll give an English example: I'm instead of I am. Going with this he describes the Lingopie app and using French examples. I'll let his video explain the rest.

The lingopie URL

Learn a new language just by watching TV shows with subtitles - Lingopie

Learn a new language just by watching TV shows with subtitles. Get instant access to hundreds of great foreign TV shows in the language you are learning.

lingopie.com

YouTube video id: TAhbINAzcms

The Linguistics YouTube channel I've been watching is Linguriosa. The fact that I can understand her videos is a testament to the progress I'm making.

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

I used "Language transfer " and loved it. It starts from the many similarities between English and Spanish and builds from there. The form is of a Dialogue one on one lesson between teacher and not spanish speaching student. It was nice to listen to, also because of the way he explains the origins of some words. Many courses emphasise memorising , this one works more from understanding on the base of what you allready know.
It is free, I used it a lot via headphones during "trainingwalks" and in so doing "killed two birds with one stone"
I tried Duolingo too, but did not like that at all, to many repetitions and as a result very little progression

 

[Frankybaby66]

I used "Language transfer " and loved it. It starts from the many similarities between English and Spanish and builds from there. The form is of a Dialogue one on one lesson between teacher and not spanish speaching student. It was nice to listen to, also because of the way he explains the origins of some words. Many courses emphasise memorising , this one works more from understanding on the base of what you allready know.
It is free, I used it a lot via headphones during "trainingwalks" and in so doing "killed two birds with one stone"
I tried Duolingo too, but did not like that at all, to many repetitions and as a result very little progression

Is this an app or a YouTube channel?

 

[woody66]

Is this an app or a YouTube channel?

It's an app and i have it on my desktop as well; it is one guys solitary effort who put this amazing course together!
It is so easy to listen to something about his voice like Antonius said ;your are given the similarities between English and Spanish words their roots and how to find and use them!
Best app i have ever used
Woody

 

[Frankybaby66]

It's an app and i have it on my desktop as well; it is one guys solitary effort who put this amazing course together!
It is so easy to listen to something about his voice like Antonius said ;your are given the similarities between English and Spanish words their roots and how to find and use them!
Best app i have ever used
Woody

Thanks Woody

 

[Mahonsk]

Hi I am doing the Camino in May/June and have no Spanish and was looking for an app so that I could practice some words that I will need, many thanks

I started with the free version of Duolingo for my Camino. I liked it so much I upgraded to a paying version (£60 per year) and 4 years later, I still use it for lessons every day. It’s perfect for me. People will say that it won’t make you fluent. Who wants fluent if you don’t live there or need it for work? I wanted to understand and to be understood. That’s what I call communication. And you’ll have a whole heap of fun ‘communicating’ with the Spanish. They’ll correct you in the loveliest ways. And you’ll both be smiling.

 

[John Sikora]

I've used Fluenz and definitely used an app or two. I've had entire conversations with both of us using some app to do the translation. Basic Spanish is great, but every once in a while you have a more complex thought that you need to speak to someone about. Most of the apps work great.

 

[WisTom]

I agree with the previous posts regarding Duolingo. Like Rosetta Stone, it teaches you basic vocabulary but NOT how to speak. As a former language teacher, my first recommendation is always Pimsleur - an oral approach that builds with 30 minute daily lessons to get you speaking, not just vocabulary building. I used it to learn sufficient Italian prior to walking the Via Francigena from Turin to Rome in February of 2022. People were wonderful, but no one spoke English or Spanish. With Pimsleur, I had a sufficient base to communicate and carry on basic conversations.

 

[Coramsfield]

Hi I am doing the Camino in May/June and have no Spanish and was looking for an app so that I could practice some words that I will need, many thanks

Hi I am doing the Camino in May/June and have no Spanish and was looking for an app so that I could practice some words that I will need, many thanks

Duolingo has deteriorated in the past few months as they rely increasingly on AI. Whereas before, there was a discussion you could refer to so you could understand the answer, that is now gone. This makes it so there is no way to figure out why your answer is wrong or figure out how to structure sentences by yourself.

Babble has modules for different applications, which is great because what you need to order at a bar or ask and understand directions is very different than what you need to learn to read literature. Start with the tourist ones.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

Recently, I've been having much more success with Dreaming Spanish

Good website. I just took a quick look, and I think it'll help me along with the Duolingo that I've already been using for the last year.

Dreaming Spanish

The biggest collection of Spanish Comprehensible Input content for all levels.

www.dreamingspanish.com

 

[wynrich]

I want to second Pimsleur (they have a Castilian Spanish version), Language Transfer, and Duolingo, all mentioned above. They make a great combination for getting up and running in a few months. And if you want some listening practice: Notes in Spanish (podcast, etc.).

 

[Portach]

Hi I am doing the Camino in May/June and have no Spanish and was looking for an app so that I could practice some words that I will need, many thanks

I have been trying to learn Spanish for more than 20 years, starting with books, CDs, night classes……! I tried duo lingo, it didn’t do much for me. The Michel Thomas course got me started, I could finally put some sentences together, book a room, order a meal. I still had great difficulty understanding native speakers. I have been using Babbel more recently. I like the structured approach, I need to understand the grammar, not just learn phrases and vocabulary and this app suits me. You may prefer a different approach. It is so worth persevering, being able to have some conversation in Spanish has added a lot to the experience. Buen camino!

 

[Sue127]

Good website. I just took a quick look, and I think it'll help me along with the Duolingo that I've already been using for the last year.

Dreaming Spanish

The biggest collection of Spanish Comprehensible Input content for all levels.

www.dreamingspanish.com

Just read through the introduction. It sounds very interesting and will make a nice change from Duolingo. Not quite sure when I will need to say "The cow likes to swim in the swimming pool!"

 

[FarmieAnn]

Hi I am doing the Camino in May/June and have no Spanish and was looking for an app so that I could practice some words that I will need, many thanks

I am using Duolingo and love it

 

[chuckhibbs]

I am four months into Duolingo and while I've learned some things I seem to have made little real progress. I think there is only so much you can learn from an app.

I prepared for months learning Spanish before my last Camino. It really helped me especially when reading sign’s, directions etc. But what I found more useful was plugging in my earphones as I walked and asked Siri how to pronounce the phrases I knew I would be using at that time . If I needed a bed for tomorrow night , I would ask Siri how to pronounce that phrase in Spanish. Or “ can you help me find …”. etc.
Hope this helps and enjoy your Camino!
Chuck

 

[Dani7]

Anyone tried Babbel with enough learning to hold and understand a basic conversation? I’m considering it. Will also look at suggestion from @David Tallan

 

[HappyValerie]

I found "Spanish With Paul" podcasts super helpful. He starts with some basics similar to English, then builds. I had sentences happening before I knew it!
Lessons are sequetial, with lots of revision, & downloadable notes if you want them. When my April 2020 Camino was postponed, I had extra time to walk around my 5km "zone" listening to the podcasts.
I enjoyed using what I'd learnt when I finally made it to my 2022 Camino.
I vote for : SPANISH with PAUL.

 

[Gary Martin]

I want to second Pimsleur (they have a Castilian Spanish version), Language Transfer, and Duolingo, all mentioned above. They make a great combination for getting up and running in a few months. And if you want some listening practice: Notes in Spanish (podcast, etc.).

I don’t have a talent for language But Pinsleur actually got me talking. The pronunciation training is excellent and the beginning vocabulary is usable.
I like to practice while walking on a local trail. I use earphones but practice the required responses at full volume. I argue with the instructor. I loudly insist on red wine rather than white. It’s fun.
Other walkers tend to avoid me.

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

Whatever course or app that you use a very nice way to maintain your knowledge is listen to music in spanish language. I played the cds of Mercedes Sosa a lot ( and still do) Many lyrics of her songs you can find on the internet( she does not write them herself, she interprets songs written by famous South American songwriters and poets

 

[trecile]

I've always found that a glass of vino tinto helps with my fluency.

This is actually scientifically proven!

It's True: Alcohol Helps You Speak a Foreign Language Better

People who drank a boozy beverage were more fluent than those who drank water

time.com

 

[sun is shining]

You might also consider hiring an online tutor for a few sessions. I'm doing that with Tamazight because I won't have time to learn the actual grammar but still want to have a basic vocabulary for brief conversations. One session a week covering greetings, restaurants/bars, albergues/hotels, shopping might be more beneficial than actual language learning apps like DuoLingo.

For anyone what really wants to learn Spanish, this combination might help:

- DuoLingo for the repetition of grammar concepts (it's certainly a long-haul-app and not that useful if you just want to learn the basics)

- CoffeeBreakSpanish - fantastic podcasts that are especially useful for things like greetings/restaurants

- ConjuGato app - app that lets you drill the conjugation of verbs in all the tenses. Super useful for those that really want to learn Spanish but struggle with past tenses. Cost ~ 9€ lifetime access

- An actual (online) course - some people might manage but I think a book-based course with an actual teacher is the easiest way to get started and have a proper foundation. My Zoom course costs me 100€ for 15 weekly online sessions with a native speaker

- Tandem app - it's an app that lets you connect to other language learners. Say you offer English and the other person offers Spanish. It's free to use and I found it easy to find long-term language exchange buddies there

 

[sun is shining]

And for anyone that's more into tech than people - ChatGPT 4 holds down a pretty decent conversation in Spanish with you (following the right prompt: eg pretend to be a waiter in a restaurant) while correcting your mistakes.

 

[Quin]

I used "Language transfer " and loved it. It starts from the many similarities between English and Spanish and builds from there. The form is of a Dialogue one on one lesson between teacher and not spanish speaching student. It was nice to listen to, also because of the way he explains the origins of some words. Many courses emphasise memorising , this one works more from understanding on the base of what you allready know.
It is free, I used it a lot via headphones during "trainingwalks" and in so doing "killed two birds with one stone"
I tried Duolingo too, but did not like that at all, to many repetitions and as a result very little progression

Thank you I will give this a try.

 

[David Tallan]

I've always found that a glass of vino tinto helps with my fluency.

This is actually scientifically proven!

It's True: Alcohol Helps You Speak a Foreign Language Better

People who drank a boozy beverage were more fluent than those who drank water

time.com

Also learn another language better. Something I learned in my TESOL courses at university in the 80s.

Two or three glasses of wine, however, reverse the effect.

 

[trecile]

Two or three glasses of wine, however, reverse the effect.

At that point I start to have trouble with English!

 

[kenwilsonjr]

https://www.pimsleur.com Another vote for Pimsleur here. I've used Duolingo and Babbel but found the approach that Pimsleur takes with their focus on listening and speaking really clicked for me. As someone else noted, this is a great option to do while on your neighborhood walks. Though I may well be developing a reputation as the crazy old man talking to himself in Spanish as I follow along.

 

[kdespot]

I've always found that a glass of vino tinto helps with my fluency.

This is actually scientifically proven!

It's True: Alcohol Helps You Speak a Foreign Language Better

People who drank a boozy beverage were more fluent than those who drank water

time.com

This is absolutely true! I'm a retired Spanish teacher and so I have lots to say on this topic.
Just a few here...
In addition to any app or program that you use to actively learn, also try to have as much spoken Spanish in your environment as possible, the good old immersion theory. Regardless what level you are, just listen to a podcast without having the goal of understanding. Instead, just "catch" words... like fishing. Let all the other fish go by. If you do this long enough, you'll be surprised how many words you catch, and eventually you'll start catching meaning.
Another tip: Listen to the same short clip three times, with the same goal of just "catching" words. Then, if you can, listen while reading the transcript. Then listen once more, without the transcript. For a fun, free place to do this, try Radio Ambulante (transcripts on the website).
These strategies really will help you tune your ear!
With Radio Garden, you can listen to live radio stations anywhere in the world. Free.

 

[kenwilsonjr]

Chrome browser has an extension available called Language Reactor that adds a lot features to Netflix subtitling, audio pause/repeat, etc that some might find helpful to extend your study.

 

[Susan Maria]

I used free Duolingo for Portuguese for 2 years, but when I met a Portuguese lady on camino, I could not understand a single word. I'm using it now for Spanish, but more because it's fun and gamefied (I have a 149-day streak! I'm in Amethyst League!) and recalls a couple of words per day. However my opinion now is that it mostly teaches you how to answer Duolingo questions.

So I signed up with Babbel, which costs money, and found I learned MUCH faster. I've taken a 3 month subscription to Babbel Live now and this gives me unlimited online classes (1:6) with a real teacher. I'm using it as an intensive Spanish course.

 

[WGroleau]

HB 2.0

 

[KariC]

Hi I am doing the Camino in May/June and have no Spanish and was looking for an app so that I could practice some words that I will need, many thanks

Consider live classes - in person or zoom. I think there are Institutos Cervantes in many places, and so many other options. Way better way of learning, for me, than the "escuche-repite" of most programs.

 

[Sminn]

I was reading the other day that Samsung are releasing a phone with Live Translate during a call. I wonder how that will go booking beds/rooms etc whilst on the Camino.

 

[David61]

Thank you

If you wish to try Michel Thomas I will happily send you mine for free. Really not good for me, the format is non-interactive so hard to learn anything

 

[Susan Maria]

Another point, Duolingo uses a lot of South American pronunciation rather than Spanish.

 

[kdespot]

Yeah, if you're learning specifically to walk the Camino, you really want to train with Castilian Spanish. It sounds quite different from what is heard in most parts of the US! News in Slow Spanish has a regular program of just Castilian Spanish (don't choose "Latino"). I'm a news hound so I really like this program. Regular episodes of actual news come out at the end of each week. Lots of archived episodes about culture, science, etc, including a few about the Camino. They have a 7-day free trial.

 

[WGroleau]

Yeah, if you're learning specifically to walk the Camino, you really want to train with Castilian Spanish. It sounds quite different from what is heard in most parts of the US!

Definitely! I spoke Mexican Spanish for years and got an A in a third-year college class on the phonetic differences of different dialects, but still had trouble understanding people in Spain for the first few months.

 

[GPeachy]

Fluenz is a very good program. It is specifically geared to English speakers learning other languages. Although I didn't know about it before I I walked the Camino in 2016 (resorted to Italian as it is close enough) I used it to learn Spanish last yera before a trip to Madrid with my husband and I was very happy with the lessons. I was able to speak Spanish at hotels, restaurants, and to taxi drivers. I am continuing to learn Spanish with this program. The next time I walk in Spain or go there for a vacation I will be much better prepared. I also use dueling as it is fun and supports my other learning.

 

[starrysky]

Thanks, I am using that at the moment, but find it has a lot of irrelevant words that I wouldn’t use. I was just wondering if there was anything better.
Buen Camino

pimsleur is fantastic. i did it for one month prior to my camino and ended up translating for others on the camino. you can get a 7 day free trial to see if you like it