You might not think of the Internet as a huge classroom, but when it comes to learning a new language like Spanish, there are a multitude of resources available online to accomplish that goal. And, best of all, mastering a second language doesn’t have to cost a penny.

While many sites offer Spanish-speaking programs for pay, they also offer portions of their services for free. Other sites offer all of their services for free. A survey of some of the sites offering free resources to learn Spanish produced a wide variety of results.
Available for free on most sites are lessons in pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. Be sure that your computer can play video and is wired for sound, because most of the sites offering free services allow you to hear the instructor explaining the various lessons and pronouncing the words in Spanish. Hearing the word pronounced in Spanish is a huge part of learning the language.

Some sites design their free offerings to help a speaker learn enough in a quick period of time to be able to function in a Spanish-speaking country. Others attempt to teach Spanish from the ground up, with offerings of basic, intermediate and conversational Spanish.

For example, if you want to learn enough to be able to communicate in a Spanish-speaking country, or even a Spanish-speaking neighborhood, there are sites that teach phrases and questions commonly used in a variety of everyday situations. Learn how to order food in a restaurant, or how to talk to a taxi driver. Learn the basic greetings when you meet someone, or if it’s someone you have or want to have an intimate relationship with – learn some of the words of love in Spanish. These sites also have courses to provide you with phrases and sentences so you can answer the phone, ask about the weather or talk to someone in a hotel where you may be staying.

If that doesn’t suit you, other sites offer more comprehensive lessons to move a student from beginning Spanish to conversational speaking, all with the help of dozens of lessons.

The choice is yours, and be sure to check out sites and test them to see what you like and what you don’t like. But one thing is clear: learning to speak Spanish doesn’t have to cost any money.