Castellano wasn’t on my radar until I had the hankering to visit Spain and learn more about my Spanish heritage. Since Mexican Spanish is my native tongue, I figured I could give this a try. I have found that French has helped me more here than Mexican Spanish.
Links
- Ba Ba Dum – interactive flashcards available for several languages.
- BBC Languages – European (Castilian) Spanish – although it is no longer being updated, it’s still a good resource.
- CapicúaFM – culture, language, and games. There’s also a podcast you can listen to.
- Coffee Break Spanish – Archived podcast library.
- Free Language – Spanish – free language resource library with other languages available. Start here: Beginner Castilian Spanish Audio.
- IELanguages – Spanish – free language resource library with other languages available.
- Lingua – choose from 5 languages. Vocabulary games, spaced repetition.
- Linguanaut: Learn Spanish – another free language resource with other languages available.
- Live Lingua – Castilian Spanish – I discovered this one kind of late. They have other languages available is probably one of the most comprehensive online language learning libraries I’ve seen to date.
- News in Slow Spanish (Castilian) – Intermediate level.
- Notes in Spanish – another great podcast. Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced podcasts are available. There’s also a Gold podcast for more advanced learners and a podcast dedicated to travel, life, and culture.
- SquidTV – listings of Castilian Spanish television channels and radio stations.
- WikiTravel: Castilian Spanish Travel Phrasebook
Apps
- Beelinguapp: Learn Languages with Audiobooks – free with in-app purchases. Available for iOS and Android, I love this app. You can read and listen to books in two languages.
- Diccionario RAE y ASALE – it is the official dictionary app of the Real Academia Española (RAE) and the Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (ASALE). Available for iOS and Android.
- Duolingo – FREE. I know many folks who don’t like Duolingo, but it has its upsides. It’s easy to start, just download the app or head over to their site and start learning. I especially love chatting with the bots and trying to earn more lingots (in video game speak, cash, coins, and rubies) to unlock more culture lessons. Get the TinyCards (iOS/Android) app to create your flashcards too! Available for iOS and Android.
- Learn Spanish with Wlingua – the app icon has both a Mexican and Spanish flag, but the pronunciation is in Castilian. There are FREE and premium plans. Available for iOS and Android.
- Mango Languages – subscription required; $19.99/month or FREE with any participating library. I used to get this for free from my local library, and one day they suddenly stopped supporting it. It’s similar to Duolingo, but it focuses more on visual and audio. The monthly subscription is $19.99, but you’ll have over 70 languages at your fingertips. I love that in between lessons, it will give you culture tips. You can access Mango Languages via web and download lessons through the app (iOS and Android) on to your phone or tablet.
- Polly Lingual – free with in-app purchases. This used to be called Qué Onda Spanish and now is part of a language suite where you can learn other languages also. I have this on my AppleTV as well as on my iPhone for easy access and learning on the go. If you want to unlock all 13 languages, you’ll need to get the Polly Passport. The annual fee is $9.99. I love this subscription because I can also access it on other devices. It’s also one of the cheaper options out there. One thing to note is that you can also hire a Polly Ambassador who are live video tutors. Their rates and experience are listed clearly.
- Speak and Translate by Apalon Apps – free with in-app purchases. Available for iOS only.
Books
I do not have any books to recommend since I do not have any Castilian Spanish books in my language learning library.