While the official language in Costa Rica is Spanish, many Costa Ricans speak impressively impeccable English. The ability to communicate proficiently in English opens up a lot of doors for local Costa Ricans, especially in the thriving tourism industry. Locals have long learned the English language to facilitate English-speaking tourists and even expats better. But, when foreigners make an effort to speak the native language while they are here, it is very well received and appreciated. There are also plenty of day-to-day scenarios where being able to speak Spanish is highly beneficial.
Learning a new language might be easy for some, but for many of us, it is challenging and requires a great deal of effort. Fortunately, there are vast resources available to help you get started or improve upon your current Spanish abilities. If you want to start learning or improving your Spanish for an upcoming trip or perhaps your big move to Costa Rica, there is an app for that. Actually, there are a lot of apps for that.
SURVIVAL SPANISH FOR TRAVEL
Survival Spanish for Travel is a great app to start learning the essentials of the Spanish language. Using this app, you will be introduced to hundreds of essential Spanish words and phrases for free using specially designed flashcards. You can use this app on-the-go and whenever you have a few free minutes.
BRAINSCAPE
Brainscape is the company behind the Survival Spanish for Travel app, but they also have other resources for learning Spanish and just about anything else you want to study. Using Brainscape, you can also make and share your own flashcards, if you want. Brainscape uses the latest cognitive research to design their flashcards. There are four levels of Spanish flashcards, as well as an entire level dedicated to just verbs. Each level has between 10 and 32 decks of cards.
LINGQ
LingQ is a unique app because it allows the user to become more immersed in the language by utilizing podcasts, audiobooks, and interviews. Each audio lesson or resource comes complete with a transcript. This is a useful learning tool for gaining exposure to native Spanish speakers.
CONJUGATO
One of the most challenging areas of learning Spanish for English-speakers is to master is verb conjugations. Fortunately, ConjuGato is a free app that is focused exclusively on Spanish verbs. This app is complete with mnemonic flashcards, conjugation tables, and a list of the 1000 most commonly used verbs in the Spanish language.
NEWS IN SLOW SPANISH
This is an amazing program for Spanish-language learners who want to improve their listening and comprehension skills. News in Slow Spanish is a weekly podcast for Spanish language learners. There are multiple levels and a free option if you aren’t ready to commit to a subscription. When you pay for a subscription, you gain access to not only the podcast, but transcripts, grammar lessons, and quizzes. This is an engaging way to take your Spanish to the next level.
Learning a new language is a process. However, there is no time like the present to begin! These apps can also be used as supplemental material if you are taking Spanish classes.