Learning Spanish doesn’t have to mean textbooks and grammar drills (unless that’s your thing—no judgment!). One of the best ways to make Spanish stick is to connect it to something you already love. Whether it’s travel, cooking, music, or even football, blending language learning with your passions makes the process fun, natural, and way more effective.
Travel: The Ultimate Immersion Experience
If you’ve been in my World for a while you’ll know that I’m a huge advocate for language-learning as a method to travel more sustainably. So if you love to travel, learning Spanish is a game-changer. Being able to ask for directions, order food, or chat with locals turns a trip from a sightseeing tour into a real cultural experience. And you don’t have to wait until you arrive to start practicing!
Before you go: Watch YouTube travel vlogs in Spanish or follow Spanish-speaking travel influencers. Apps like Duolingo or Memrise can help you pick up useful travel phrases.
During your trip: Skip the tourist hotspots and practice your Spanish at local markets, cafés, and small family-run restaurants. Even if your Spanish is basic, people appreciate the effort!
After you return: Keep the momentum going by journaling about your trip in Spanish or staying in touch with people you met abroad.
I spent years bouncing around South America, and let me tell you—there’s nothing like negotiating a bus ticket in Spanish to get your language skills up to speed fast!
Cooking: A Delicious Way to Learn
If you love food (and who doesn’t?), why not learn Spanish through cooking? Following a recipe in Spanish is a great way to expand your vocabulary without even realizing it.
Start simple: Look up Spanish-language recipes for dishes like tortilla española (Spanish omelet) or empanadas (one of THE tastiest foods to come out of Argentina). Read through the instructions, translate key words, and then try making the dish while listening to Spanish music or a podcast.
Watch cooking shows: Shows like MasterChef España or Latin American, Street Food South America (Netflix) food YouTubers offer a great mix of natural conversation and cultural insight.
Join a Spanish cooking class: Whether online or in person, cooking with Spanish-speaking chefs is a fun and interactive way to learn.
Music, Sports, and More: The Possibilities Are Endless
Whatever you love, there’s a way to mix it with Spanish learning. Into football? Watch matches with Spanish commentary. Love music? Listen to Spanish songs, translate the lyrics, and sing along (badly, if necessary). There’s a great activity that I recommend students do to help them continue to progress with their Spanish I’ve included the link to the lesson (where I use Cycling as an example) on YouTube at the end of this blog post.
The key is to make Spanish a part of your everyday life in a way that excites you. When learning is fun, it doesn’t feel like work—it just becomes part of who you are. ¡Vamos!
