Pro’s and Con’s of Online Spanish Courses
Are you ready to learn Spanish online? In some ways online Spanish courses are the ultimate way to learn Spanish, mixing convenience, a cheap price, and technology, all into one. In other ways, they are just not as effective as immersing yourself in a classroom or tutoring course. Let’s look at the relative advantages and disadvantages of learning Spanish online, and see if it’s right for you.
Pro’s of Learning Spanish Online
Convenience
When it comes to learning Spanish where you want, when you want, and even how you want, it doesn’t get any better than online courses. Think about it: you can access the lessons at any computer, at any time, and in just about any format. Unlike tutoring, which requires making time with another person, or classroom courses, which are completely inflexible in time, with online courses, you learn WHEN you want, WHAT you want, and HOW MUCH you want to learn in one sitting. Not bad, right?
The Price
Hey, how can you argue with a course that gets you through the novice, moderate, and advanced levels, all for about 1/5 the price of hiring a Spanish tutor or attending a class? While not all courses are as cheap as others, if you are buying online, there are some courses currently selling for $100 that cover more than others selling for up to $600. To see a list of these course, visit our reviews of top online Spanish courses.
Ease of Use
What other media allows you to learn online, with audio lessons, a narrator, and regular access to whatever grammar and vocabulary lessons you want? No more stuffy notebooks, no more heavy textbooks. Just you, your computer, and an Internet connection. Simple.
Of course, if you do want to print up notes or have lesson plans in your face, lots of courses offer PDF instructions that you can easily print up.
Disadvantages of Learning Spanish Online
No Regular Conversation/Interaction
One of the main faults I find with popular internet Spanish courses, is the lack of regular conversations and interactions you get. In truth, if you want to learn Spanish effectively, you can’t rely solely on online courses, no matter how good they are. They are a supplement, not a cure-all. I suggest using online courses to build your Spanish-speaking foundation, then using conversations with native speakers and an intercambio (exchange) program to solidify it. Working internships, living abroad, and exchange programs are all excellent ways of mastering your conversation skills—skills that just aren’t mastered with online Spanish courses.
Spanish Courses Don’t Always Include Evalution
A crucial component of any language program is the ability to have your skills—reading, writing, listening, and speaking—evaluated. While some online Spanish courses allow you to e-mail someone your writing and spoken samples, they just aren’t the same as having a rapport with a teacher or native Speaker. Again, use online courses to build up your basic knowledge, but use a tutor, native Spanish speaker friend, or classroom teacher to show what you’re doing right—and, especially, what you’re doing wrong. You don’t want to get to a country like Spain and find out that your pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary were distorted all along! Save yourself the embarrassment, and the confusion, by getting a friend or teacher to have a chat in Spanish and make your pronunciation more natural.
Some Lessons can be Impractical
One disadvantage of both online courses and classroom courses, is that they don’t give you enough exposure to the vernacular and slang of Spanish and its numerous dialects. It is great to understand the slang words of Mexicans, of Argentineans, of Spaniards, of Puerto Ricans as well as basic Spanish. And that’s just the start!
Most (although not all, see our reviews for more info) online Spanish courses only teach you formal, written Castilian Spanish, which just isn’t enough, and is often impractical in speech. Never rely on online courses for conversation skills; expose yourself to people of various Latin and Spanish nationalities to learn the full spectrum of vocabulary and figures of speech.
All in all, I would highly recommend finding an appropriate online learn Spanish course for your learning style. The beauty of online course/products is that you get all the great information and lessons at an absolute fraction of the price, as there are no extra costs for the producers of these courses whether they sell 50 or 5000 courses, they can offer an amazingly low price compared to tutoring or attending classes. Just be wise about what course you decide to use, learning from a course that is solely written won’t really help you learn Spanish at all. I wish you all the best for your journey into learning Spanish and the adventures that await!
For more information on learning Spanish, free lessons and our reviews of top learn Spanish courses on offer, visit http://learnerspanish.com
