At Tell Me in Spanish, we thoroughly try and test different products including textbooks, courses and other resources that help Spanish learners. Only the best courses and textbooks (in my opinion) are posted on this page and each has been personally reviewed by me, Daniela! To support our mission, this page contains affiliate links and we do make a small commission when you purchase a product that you find through our site.
Spanish Learner’s Roadmap
Have you ever wondered what you should be focusing on when learning Spanish? You’re not alone! Many Spanish learners and students wish they knew where to start, how to progress from one topic to the next.
That’s why I’ve created The Complete Spanish Leaner’s Roadmaps. It’s a simple and fun pin-up that shows you the exact Spanish language topics to learn, step-by-step, from day 1 beginner’s to advanced topics.
Top Online Courses for Learning Spanish
Pimsleur Spanish is a speak-and-listen audio course that helps learners of all levels develop their listening, speaking and conversational skills. Check out my full review of Pimsleur Spanish to see if it’s the learning companion you’ve been looking for.
Spanish Uncovered is a unique course that teaches you the language through stories. The creator and teacher, Olly Richards, has a perfect accent and command of the language. His teaching method is very effective for learning fast and I highly recommend you shortlist or buy this course if you’re serious about learning Spanish.
SpanishPod101 is an excellent option since it offers many different learning features, functions and resources. On top of the standard course, there are excellent community features, a podcast and extra learning modules for specialized knowledge and vocabulary for different situations and environments. I explain all in my detailed review.
Gritty Spanish is very different from most language courses. It focuses on Latin American Spanish and packs in lots of slang vocabulary. It comes in both censored and uncensored versions, depending on if you want to learn profanity and curse words, too. Read my review if you’re interested in learning effective, everyday Spanish.
My Favorites: 7 Best Online Spanish Courses. Wondering which course is right for you? If you’re looking for the best online spanish course that suits your needs, learning style and goals, then check out this article I wrote comparing all 7 of these courses to get a side-by-side comparison of them as well as the pros and cons of each.
Learning Spanish?
Join the Tell Me In Spanish community and get a copy of my step-by-step Spanish Learner’s Roadmaps and tricky synonyms & vocab cheat sheets.
Best Spanish Textbooks
For All Learning Levels and Ages
Top 5 Textbooks For Beginners
Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish is a textbook for beginners that are looking to learn Spanish as fast as possible. With 45 lessons, you’ll learn vocabulary, forming sentences and the conjugation tenses you need to start applying what you learn in daily conversations. You can read my detailed report on it here.
Aula Internacional 1 & Aula Internacional 2 is a two-volume set of beginner-level textbooks that offer and follow a formal Spanish learning curriculum very closely. Because they are separate books and have different contents, you can find my reviews for both Aula 1 and Aula 2 here. For learners interested in DELE certification, these are the definitive books to get.
Gramática de Uso del Español is, as the name implies, for the grammar nuts (like myself) out there that want to learn Spanish with a strong emphasis on studying Spanish grammar. As I describe here, this textbook follows the syllabus from Instituto Cervantes.
Easy Spanish Step-by-Step is the book to get for learners that like to put their lessons into practice. I highly recommend it if you like to study and then have tons of exercises and readings that apply your newly learned knowledge into practice.
Spanish for Dummies is a great option if you know for certain that you want to focus on Latin American Spanish. This is what most of the Spanish-speaking world uses, so it makes sense for many learners to consider this option. You can find out more about it here.
Top 3 Textbooks For Intermediate Learners
Intermediate Spanish Grammar is in my opinion, the best textbook for Spanish intermediate learners who want to practice grammar. It contains over 116 grammar lessons and 400 exercises that will help you test your knowledge and understanding of each concept. If you need short grammar explanations and lots of practice, this is the book for you. Here you can check out my complete review.
Aula Internacional 3 & Aula Internacional 4 are a great option for intermediate learners that want to follow a formal Spanish syllabus. These two-volume sets of intermediate books contain grammar explanations and exercises to work on your four Spanish skills (reading, speaking, writing and listening). As I mention in my review, you might need a Spanish partner to make the most out of them.
Practice Makes Perfect: Intermediate Spanish Grammar is as its name suggests, an excellent book for people that want to learn and level-up their grammar skills. In addition to the book, you will also have access to an online lab with vocabulary flashcards and audio recordings. If you want more information, you can check out my complete review.
Top 3 Textbooks For Advanced Spanish
El Ventilador is hands down my favorite spanish textbook for advanced learners and students. It contains advanced vocabulary and grammar structures as well as many practice exercises to improve your listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. You can check out my complete review to learn more about it. This is the perfect advanced learning resource for adults.
Advanced Spanish Grammar is the best advanced Spanish textbook when it comes to grammar-focused students and learners. As I discuss here, it’s extremely helpful and thorough with over 100 units and 400 exercises to put your new Spanish knowledge into practice and commit it to memory.
Advanced Spanish Step-by-Step is from the same publisher and follows the same, reliable and consistent format as the Beginner version, which also made my top picks list. As I go over in my review, the book is concise with only 15 lessons. However, that doesn’t mean you’re getting less. It focuses on what you need and then provides you with +150 exercises to practice the lessons taught.