Students of Spanish at HKU are encouraged to further their Spanish learning outside the classroom. HKU’s Main Library has a wealth of books for Spanish learning such as grammar books, textbooks, or easy readers adapted for students of all levels. You can search the Library catalogue or ask your teacher.

Students and teachers can also refer to the useful links sections where we have compiled a comprehensive list of resources that can be accessed anytime, anyplace. All links are divided into specific sub-sections.

Useful links for Spanish students

SPANISH LEARNING TOOLS BY HKU SPANISH PROGRAMME

All digital games and activities designed by your teachers: Link

Mastering the Core Components: Grammar, Vocabulary, and Pronunciation

To achieve a high level of proficiency, it is essential to specifically practice the basic components of the language. These specialized resources are considered the gold standard in their respective fields.

Grammar and Syntax: The Academic Gold Standard

• SpanishDict Although it is primarily a dictionary, it has become a comprehensive learning ecosystem. The platform includes a large number of free grammar lessons, vocabulary lists, and interactive quizzes, making it a true one-stop-shop for students.
• ThoughtCo Spanish An exceptional and constantly updated resource for clear explanations of Spanish grammar. Maintained by expert Gerald Erichsen, the site breaks down complex grammatical concepts in a practical and accessible way.

Vocabulary Acquisition

• AnkiSRS A powerful and versatile open-source flashcard program, a favorite among dedicated language learners. Its effectiveness for long-term memorization is unparalleled, although it has a steeper learning curve.

Pronunciation and Phonetics: Hearing and Seeing the Sound

• Forvo The world’s largest crowdsourced pronunciation dictionary. It is an indispensable tool that allows you to hear words pronounced by multiple native speakers from different regions, ideal for learning accent variations.
• Sounds of Speech (University of Iowa) For a technical understanding of phonetics, this is an unparalleled academic resource. It provides a complete guide to the articulation of Spanish sounds with animated diagrams, audio, and real-time videos of a native speaker’s mouth.

Reading Material

A free online magazine for Spanish students. It offers articles on culture and travel with keyword translations that appear when you hover over them.

• Lingua.com Offers short texts graded by levels (A1-C1). Each reading is accompanied by an audio and reading comprehension exercises.
• Kwiziq – Reading Practice A large selection of reading texts classified by CEFR level, with tools to save vocabulary and phrases.

Online Dictionaries

• WordReference A very popular bilingual dictionary with very active forums where users can ask about nuances and word usage. Essential for all levels.

Multimedia Resources

YouTube Channels

• Spanish with Ignacio: The channel of your favorite HKU teacher, with really good explanations and ideas to learn Spanish.
• Other recommended channels with practical lessons and street interviews: Why Not Spanish?, Español con Juan, and Easy Spanish.
• Lyricstraining Memorize songs while playing with Lyrcistraining!

Press, TV, and Radio

• RTVE Play The free streaming platform of the Spanish public broadcaster. It offers access to series, movies, documentaries, and TV programs, many with subtitles.
• Yabla A video-based learning platform with a large library of authentic content. It includes interactive subtitles, speed controls, and games. Requires a subscription.
• Press: Leading newspapers to practice reading with current news: El País (Spain), La Nación (Argentina), El Universal (Mexico).
• TV and Radio: Platforms to watch and listen to content in Spanish: RTVE Play (TV and Radio from Spain) and Radio Ambulante (stories from Latin America).

Podcasts

• Coffee Break Spanish Structured lessons that gradually progress from the very basics. Ideal for beginners.
• Hoy Hablamos Daily podcasts of about 10 minutes on various topics (culture, news, grammar). Perfect for intermediate students.

Apps

• Duolingo Free and very popular. Its game-like format is ideal for building vocabulary and practicing sentence structure consistently.
• Babbel Focuses on practical, real-life conversations. The lessons are short and designed by language experts. Requires a subscription.
• Memrise Uses flashcards and videos of native speakers to help you memorize vocabulary and phrases in a natural way.

Social Networks for Languages

• Tandem A language exchange app that connects you with native speakers from around the world to practice via text, audio, or video.
• HelloTalk Similar to Tandem, it allows you to find language exchange partners to chat with. It includes built-in translation and correction tools.
• Busuu Combines structured lessons with a community of native speakers who can correct your writing and pronunciation exercises.

Purchasing Spanish books in Hong Kong

Most bookshops in Hong Kong sell Spanish dictionaries or grammar books, however, to buy textbooks in Hong Kong there are limited options:

The Spanish Bookstore

An online store that provides books for people learning or teaching Spanish in Hong Kong. They also distribute other materials printed and/or made in Spain such as educational toys/games, backpacks or notebooks.