Which Type of Spanish Does This Course Teach? – Bonus #3

Spanish from Spain or Latin America?

This is a short bonus video, not an official lesson. I get this question a lot: “Wes, what kind of Spanish do you teach? Spanish from Spain, or from Latin America? And which country?” So here’s my answer.

Spanish is spoken in many countries

Just like English, Spanish is spoken in lots of different countries. Think about English: British English, American English, Australian English. Even inside one country there are differences: someone from New York doesn’t sound like someone from Texas. Different accents, sometimes different words.

Spanish works the same way. People in Spain, Mexico, Colombia or Argentina all speak Spanish, and they all understand each other, but with different accents and some different words.

The Spanish I teach: as neutral as possible

When I made this course, I had to decide which Spanish to teach. I’ve lived in Spain for years (the north of Spain), so I picked up a lot of words, phrases and accent from there.

But I really wanted everyone to be able to follow this course, no matter which Spanish you want to learn. So I keep it as neutral as possible, and I don’t go too deep into one specific accent.

When Spain and Latin America are different, I show you both

Whenever something is different between Spain and Latin America, I’ll tell you, and I’ll explain both ways. A good example is “you guys”:

We saw this in lesson 9. That way, whether you’re learning Spanish for Spain or for Latin America, you can follow all 200 lessons.

What this course doesn’t cover: voseo

In Argentina, Uruguay, and in its own way in Chile and some other countries, people use voseo: they say vos instead of tú, with different verb forms. That’s a whole topic of its own, and I chose not to include it in this course.

So if you’re specifically learning Spanish for Argentina or Chile, this course might not be perfect for you on its own. For most learners, though, it’s a super solid basis, and voseo is easy to pick up later once you know the foundation.

And one more time: don’t rush

As much as I love that you want to watch everything, please take your time. It’s like studying for a test: you can race through the whole book, or read one chapter, go over it and practice with it. The second way, you learn much more. I explain this in more detail in bonus #2.

Frequently asked questions

Will people in Mexico understand me if I learn Spanish from Spain?

Yes, absolutely. The differences are mostly in accent and some words. People from Spain and Latin America watch each other’s movies and series all the time and understand each other just fine.

Which Spanish should I learn?

Pick the Spanish of the place you’ll use it most: where you’re traveling, moving, or where your friends or partner are from. Not sure yet? Then this course is perfect: you learn the neutral basics first.

Next: lesson 11

That’s it for this bonus video. Next up is lesson 11: our first Spanish verb, querer (to want). ¡Adiós!