Intensive Courses

Far and away the best way to become proficient in Spanish quickly is to go on a well-taught intensive course. Look for courses which talk about learning all 4 skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening), and which use trained teachers. The following are recommended for their teaching methods:

Don Quijote Language Schools
Schools in various locations in Spain and also South America

Olé Languages
Offering a wide range of Spanish courses for foreigners in barcelona

Instituto Mediterraneo Sol
Schools in Granada city and Almuñecar

Free Internet Spanish Resources

BBC Spanish resources
A truly excellent short online course, which is completely free. It will not give you the same start as a Spanish course with a tutor, but is a very good second best.

Really Learn Spanish
A series of podcasts with lots of tips and tricks for people who already know some Spanish.

Spanish Stories
Several simple stories for intermediate students of Spanish, with integrated vocabulary help for some words. Click on the spines of the books to read the stories.

Online Spanish Publications

The following are not designed for Spanish learners, but reading them can help with your vocabulary and grammar skills

El Pais
National Spanish newspaper

El Mundo
National Spanish newspaper

Granada Digital
Online news from Granada

Books and CDs

The following books are recommended for students at each level. The books in the panel on the right are also recommended for all levels.

Beginners

Spanish with Michel Thomas - Complete Course
Spanish with Michel Thomas - Short Course
An excellent introduction to Spanish, especially for those who think they are not much good at languages. No hard work involved! (that will come later though, of course)

Oxford Take Off in Spanish
an excellent book and audio course to get you started, written by the author of one of the most popular Spanish course books, Pasos.

Intermediate & Advanced Spanish Students

Classic Spanish Stories and Plays
Adapted for intermediate students, this book gives the student a chance to read all of the Spanish "greats" without getting too bogged down in obscure vocabulary and endless description. An excellent insight into Spanish culture as well as the language.

Collins Easy learning Spanish Grammar
There's no getting around it - at some point you will have to study grammar in order to be understood clearly in Spanish. This book is an excellent, clear introduction to the subject.