The following ideas will also work for any other language you’re studying.
11 Free Online Spanish Slang from Spain Resources
by María Arlandis
Spanish slang is present on the internet and it’s easy to find new ways to improve your Spanish slang for free. There are many ways to learn el español de la calle.
1. Reading blogs in Spanish. The first thing I’d recommend is reading blogs in Spanish about topics that interest you the most. For example, if you are interested in Spanish cuisine, you should look for blogs about that. Bloggers use Spanish slang often to get closer to their readers. I follow El comidista, which from an entertaining perspective talk about cooking recipes, and Mundo Nómada which describes trips from around the world, especially from Asia.
2. Menéame is a website where people send stories and readers vote for the best ones to increase their popularity. You could say that it’s the Spanish speaking version of Digg. It’s interesting to read the stories on this website because they use standard vocabulary and furthermore, many blog posts are full of slang in context.
3. Asco de vida. On this website Spanish-speaking readers tell stories that ruined their day using spontaneous slang, sometimes coming across as too vulgar. It’s the Spanish alternative to the website Fuck My Life.
4. Tv shows and music in Spanish. Tv shows, movies and music in Spanish will help you gain knowledge about Spanish slang easily. I would highly recommend tv shows like Aida or La que se avecina. On the website RTVE you can access many documentaries and tv shows for free, but without subtitles. This option is best suited for students with a higher level of Spanish. It’s always helpful if you watch something with subtitles in Spanish. That’s the way I learned English slang. For an intermediate it would be better to listen to music in Spanish. Artists like Joaquín Sabina, Amaral or Estopa use Spanish slang in most of their songs. You can check out these videos on YouTube of some subtitled tv shows to learn some idioms: clips of Buenafuente and El hormiguero.
5. Language Exchange. The best way to improve your Spanish slang or regular Spanish is practicing with native speakers. You’ll help them with the language they are learning, and they’ll help you with your Spanish. Everybody wins. This system works particularly well because both of you are in the same learning situation. You won’t feel embarrassed if you say something wrong and your partner will be more patient and understanding than a random native speaker. Talking to a native speaker you will learn just like children learn their mother tongue: learning idioms gradually and in context. On the internet you can find language partners on websites like Verbling or if you prefer to meet them in person you can always try to find Spanish speakers on www.meetup.com.
A Spanish version of this article was originally published under the title 5 formas gratuitas y fáciles de mejorar tu español coloquial.
Check out these other Spain Spanish Courses articles.