Happy Internet Day! The invention of the World Wide Web has been one of the biggest game changers in human history, radically reshaping almost every aspect of our lives.

For all its faults, the internet has flung open the door to a seemingly infinite (and ever-growing) world of educational tools. Today, we’ll take a look at our top 5 resources for online Spanish learning. Click here to read this post in Spanish.

1. The Royal Spanish Academy

How many times have you looked up a word and found that one dictionary says one thing and another dictionary says another? Have you ever googled a grammar question and agonized over which style guide to follow? (Chicago, AP, MLA, Oxford… so many choices!)

In Spanish, this problem disappears: there is one authoritative body to rule them all! The Real Académia Española (RAE) can give you definitive answers to all your Spanish questions. Check out their website at www.rae.es or go directly to the Diccionario de la lengua española. The dictionary is very thorough: you look up a verb, you can see all the ways to conjugate it.

2. Fundéu

Fundéu is another official resource that works hand in hand with the RAE. Languages evolve quickly, and Fundéu is the RAE’s way to answer language and usage questions as they emerge in real time. One of the hot issues in the last couple of years has been gender-inclusive and gender-neutral language. As you can imagine, this is a particularly difficult subject to navigate in Spanish, where all nouns have a gender and the masculine form is traditionally used when referring to groups of both males and females.

3. YouTube

This popular video-sharing website is a treasure chest full of Spanish language and cultural gems! You can find dynamic Spanish lessons, watch top YouTubers from different Spanish-speaking countries, learn how to make traditional foods as you follow recipes in Spanish, or listen to songs in Spanish with the lyrics and sing along. This is a fun way to work on your listening skills, learn about different cultures, and improve your pronunciation!

If you’re not quite sure what you’re in the mood for, just type a word in Spanish in the search bar and prepare to be entertained!

4. Spanish language newspapers

See the world from a different point of view! Search for periódico + country name to find newspapers from different Spanish-speaking countries. (In Spain, the most-read newspaper is El País.) Reading foreign newspapers in Spanish will not only help you improve your language skills and teach you new vocabulary, it will also give you a more international perspective on global issues and events.

5. Sample DELE Exams

Earning a DELE diploma is one of the best ways to officially certify your Spanish level. But even if you’re not planning on taking the exam any time soon, going over practice tests can help you round out your Spanish skills and discover your strengths and weaknesses. Visit www.dele.org and click on each of the levels to find a full practice exam (with answer key).

There’s a lot the digital world can offer us, but some things never change. The best way to learn Spanish is to travel to a country where it is spoken, take a course, and talk to people. When you learn with don Quijote, you’ll be immersed in Spanish day in and day out, polishing your language skills and putting them to use in the real world. Until then, take full advantage of the virtual tools at your fingertips!

France and Spain share more just than a border — they also share words! To celebrate French Language Day, let’s have a look at French words that have made their way into the Spanish vocabulary. Click here to read the Spanish version of this post.

Words have a way of spreading across languages when people, things, and ideas travel around the world.  Word borrowing is a common occurrence any time one language comes in contact with another. In some cases, the loan word is assimilated into the receiving language with changes in spelling and/or pronunciation, while in others the word is transplanted directly from the original language without modifications. 

English speakers will recognize most of the words below, as English is heavily influenced by French.

French                       Spanish                                                       English

avalanche                   avalancha                                                     avalanche

ballet                          ballet (pronounced balet)                             ballet

beige                           beige (no change in pronunciation)             beige

champagne                 champán                                                       champagne

champignon                champiñón                                                   mushroom

chef                             chef (prounounced with ch)                        chef

cliché                          cliché (prounounced with ch)                      cliché

corset                          corsé                                                             corset

gourmet                      gourmet (pronounced gurmet)                     gourmet

hôtel                           hotel (pronounced otel, like in French)        hotel

tour                             tour (no change in pronunciation)                tour

French has also had an impact on the other languages spoken in Spain, especially Catalan, which makes perfect sense geographically since Catalonia touches France.

In addition to loan words, just like English speakers have French toast and French fries, the Spanish have tortilla francesa (omelet), manicura francesa (French manicure), and the expression despedirse a la francesa (French goodbye, meaning to leave without saying goodbye).

Here at don Quijote, we’d like to say thanks to the French language. Spanish and English wouldn’t be the same without you!

Learning Spanish takes time. To make learning easier and more entertaining, today we’re bringing you a list of the best TV shows to learn Spanish depending on your level.

Grab a snack, get comfortable, and get ready to binge on some of the best TV series in Spanish.

Read this article in Spanish

First, for beginners, one of the best series is Cuéntame cómo pasó. It’s about the passing of time and the most important historical events that have happened in Spain from 1968 to 1986 (so far — the show’s still going). It’s the longest running Spanish TV show in history and revolves around what happens to the Alcántara family over the years.

Scene from Cuentame cómo pasó

Since it’s a show for the whole family, the dialogues are usually easy to follow and not too fast, with vocabulary that students of all Spanish levels can understand. It’s the perfect show to start learning Spanish or improve the level you already have.

If you want to hear what Spanish teenagers sound like, a good option is El internado. The story follows two orphan siblings, Marcos and Paula, who quickly discover that everyday life in an elite boarding school is anything but easy. Aside from not getting along with Iván, one of his classmates, Marcos starts to realize that strange things are happening at the school. Mystery, intrigue, high school crushes… this series has got it all, perfect for intermediate Spanish students who want to know how young people in Spain really talk.

Scene from El internado

To learn colloquial Spanish and listen to Spanish spoken by real people, both young and old, Los hombres de Paco is a very fun and entertaining show.

The series revolves around a typical police station. Paco, Lucas, and Mariano are a team of police officers who have big hearts but are clumsy and accident-prone. They complicate their cases, get tangled up in love affairs, show up at the wrong places… thanks to all the different situations they find themselves in, this is the perfect opportunity to hear Spanish as it’s spoken between friends, between adults, between young people, between work colleagues, and in the most common types of everyday situations. Watching this show is a good way to put the Spanish you already know into practice.

Scene from Los hombres de Paco

If you’re more interested in Spanish from Latin America, your best option is definitely Narcos. It follows the true and very dangerous story of an illegal cocaine trafficking network in Colombia. The leading man is Pablo Escobar, one of the biggest capos in history. The dialogue usually follows a relaxed pace, with characters speaking slowly and pausing frequently, making this a great way to learn Latin American Spanish in its purest form.

Scene from Narcos

Can’t make up your mind? For a little bit of everything, our recommendation is El ministerio del tiempo.

It’s a very special storyline. A team from the Ministry is in charge of making sure nobody travels back in time to change anything. Every time the team receives an alert, they’ve got to time travel immediately to make sure the past stays the same and protect the future. Because of the action, the show sometimes has fast dialogues, but other parts are slower, so you can hear Spanish spoken in an office environment, Spanish from other times in history, colloquial Spanish… a winning combination.

Scene from El Ministerio del Tiempo

Now you’ve got five fun ways to learn Spanish or perfect what you already know while you spend your lazy afternoons watching TV in Spanish.

‘If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.’ - Nelson Mandela. 

Over 400 million native Spanish speakers world-wide would probably agree that Spanish is the best! We think so too, and here are a few reasons why you should learn Spanish as your second language.

1. It’s a global language.

If you want to visit beautiful destinations and understand the culture on a deeper level, Spanish will give you that ability in at least 21 countries where it is the official language. Imagine traveling to Ecuador or Mexico or even Spain, and being able to get around and meet local residence on your own, without a guide!

2. Spanish opens a whole world of interesting activities.

It is the root of many beautiful dances like tango, salsa and flamenco, all of which have their own specific Spanish music and associated unique instruments. Learning the language will help you understand their meaning, cultural roots and historic background. Equally fascinating are the classic Spanish writers like Cervantes, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Federico Garcia Lorca and Pablo Neruda. All of a sudden, you have new literature to read, Spanish blogs to discover, news with different perspectives to read and great songs to sing.

3. Spanish is ranked #1 on Britain’s Languages For the Future report.

This report was specifically created to rank the most important languages for UK citizens to learn after English, but the information is universal – Spanish is the language of the future! Spanish is indispensable for any global business and opens many doors for workers across all industries.

4. It's one of the most spoken languages in the world, as well as the most used on the Internet.

There are more than 400 million native Spanish speakers worldwide and many more who speak Spanish as a second language. Although there is some argument, Spanish is largely regarded as the third most used language on the Internet.

5. Spanish is closely linked with other Romance languages like French, Italian and Portuguese.

That means that once you have some knowledge of Spanish, you will most likely find that learning another Romance language is much easier. For example, Spanish and Portuguese have 89% lexical similarity and according to a study, it is possible to a certain extent to understand each other.

6. Spanish is 100% phonetic.

Compared to many other languages, Spanish is quite easy to learn! It follows rules for the most part, it sounds like it is written and written how it’s pronounced. That’s a relief!

7. Spanish will open doors for you academically and professionally.

Spanish is an official language of the United Nations, International Criminal Court, World Trade Organization, International Labor Organization, International Telecommunications Union, Latin Union, African Union, Central American Common Market, European Union, Mercosur, North American Free Trade Agreement, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Organization of American States  and the Union of South American Nations.
 

The work of a true scholar of the Royal Academy of Spanish should be thankless and misunderstood. News about the inclusion of a controversial word in the dictionary comes out every year, or news about criticism of some definition of it... or about the repeated fight against the misuse of our language, or about the use of foreign words as if they were a plague.

And when it comes to this last case the latest moves made by the ancient institution have been quite innovative. A little warning before we tell you what they did: you're going to feel like we're telling you a joke you already know the punchline to.

The Royal Academy of Spanish disguised as a fashion company, created ads to sell a fragrance and sun glasses. The people who saw the ads could order the newly launched products, free of charge. The ad announced that the sun glasses were treated with a special material that gave them a "blind effect" (“blind effect” was left in English in the ad) and the perfume was called "Swine" (also in English). 

This is why we told you it was like telling a joke you already knew the end to...

The innocent “client" received sun glasses that made it impossible to see anything and a pretty bad smelling fragrance. Think about how the situation would have changed if the people "buying" the products had understood what "blind effect" and "swine" really meant.

After the campaign's initial impact (you know how viral campaigns can be) we should put the impact aside and allow ourselves a little time for reflection. We agree that the abuse of foreign words, and more so when there are equivalent terms in Spanish, can be detrimental to a language. But it is also true that many foreign words have been adopted by our language in an "academic" way without adaptation (golf, ranking, club...) or in their adapted forms (fútbol, ginebra...); some of which are perfect fodder for continuous mockery (“güisqui” for “whiskey,” “bluyín” for “blue jeans,” “pirsin” for “piercing”) and are considered ridiculous. Could the massive unloading of these words be stopped? Currently Spaniards take English as a mandatory subject in school and now there are more and more people who can enjoy TV and movies without dubbing all the time.

On the other side of the argument, and by the "other side" we mean on the other side of the pond, Americans increasingly use words of Spanish origin. It is striking to see how many times characters in TV shows use an expression in Spanish, even if it is something like "Vamonos!"  or “Este hombre ha cometido un delito” (this man has committed a crime). Will there be an institution that tries to defend the language of Shakespeare and denounces this type of "contamination" of the English language?

The Royal Academy of Spanish's campaign goes beyond all of this and criticizes snobbery. It denounces empty words in another language being used only to get your attention or to sell you something and it warns Spanish readers/users that the best way to avoid disappointment is by recognizing all of the possibilities that the Spanish language offers them. Perhaps the sour part of this unique campaign is that it seems the only way to convince Spaniards of the value of their language is to tell them to use it as an anti-fraud tool, but maybe that's just the way of the world. Maybe it's something as simple as telling us that we better know what people are talking about so that they don't laugh at us. The Royal Academy of Spanish really knows those who were born speaking their language very well.

So you see, amigos, knowing a language is essential for progress, to learn about a new culture and to avoid mishaps. Do you need more reasons to join a Spanish course in Spain with us?

Read the Spanish version

Summer is sneaking up on us, and with it comes months of lounging in the sun and time for relaxing. But that doesn’t mean you can’t sneak a little learning in there too. One of the best ways to learn Spanish is to read books in Spanish. The structure of the language will sink in as you pour over lovely descriptions, get pulled through wild adventures and pant over sordid love stories. Of course it’s all fun and games for those of you who are already advanced and can plough through all of the best sellers and exciting beach reads, but how do you get the pages flipping if you’re just a beginner. Take a look at a few great reads to devour in Spanish this summer whether you’re a beginner or a near-native.

Easy peazy:

10 años con Mafalda by Quino

If you’re looking for a completely authentic, and sophisticated read but with visual aids to help you through it, try 10 años con Mafalda, a collection of Mafalda comics from 1964-1974. The Mafalda comic strip is as iconic as Charlie Brown in Latin America, and is a great way to read something that is simultaneously sophisticated and cute, political and funny, childlike and very adult. Comic books are a great way to go because the pictures help you through on the first go around, while you pick up basic meanings, and on the second time through you may be able to dive deeper into zingy social commentaries and philosophical points of view.

El misterio de la llave by Elena Moreno

This book was written specifically for language learners but it does a good job hiding it. Published by the University of Salamanca and written so that you only really need to know around 400 basic vocabulary words (with a pretty good glossary in the back to help with the trickier ones), the story winds readers through a mystery about a secret synagogue in Toledo, one of Spain’s most culturally rich small cities. It is a great way for beginners to start reading in Spanish, because although it was written with them specifically in mind, it really does hold up as a “real” book. This one’s definitely worth a try.

Middle ground:

Short Stories in Spanish: New Penguin Parallel Text

For readers who can get past the basics, there’s nothing more exciting than the idea of picking up a book by a famous Spanish or Latin American author, and reading real live Spanish literature. But all of those lengthy descriptions and complicated metaphors can get a little distressing after a few pages at this stage in the learning game. That’s why parallel text books are so great; they are perfect for combatting this dilemma. The Short Stories in Spanish: New Penguin Parallel Text includes beautiful works by Gabriel García Marquez, Isabel Allende and Javier Marías, and allows you to be as dependent on or as independent from the English translations (side by side the Spanish) as you want. No need to grab the dictionary every five minutes to grasp Marquez’s nuances; what you’ve got here are just some great classics along with contemporary Spanish literature and a little English on the side.

Manolito Gafotas by Elvira Lindo

Ok so this one is a kid’s book (well, it’s actually a series of children’s novels), but don’t shirk it ´til you try it. It’s a great choice for getting an inside look into the life of a normal kid from a working class family in Carabanchel, a barrio in Madrid. Although the series is for kids, beware, the books are filled with Spanish sayings and some slang that may be a bit tricky for Spanish learners at an intermediate level; but isn’t learning “real” Spanish what you’re really after anyway? Don’t be scared off, these books are a great way to get a sense for what a typical, working class barrio in Madrid is like. And if they turn out to be a little too difficult, check out the movies inspired by the books made in 1999 and 2004 before you get reading.

You’re not a native, but close to it:

Como agua para chocolate by Laura Esquivel

You’ve reached the moment of best sellers in Spanish! Hurray! Now it’s time to get absorbed into the best ones. Como agua para chocolate is a romantic tale, filled with lustful, tear-stained recipes, mystical magic, and plenty of charm. It is the perfect treat for lounging on the beach in the hot sun. And if you feel you miss anything in the Spanish version, there is always room to read it for a second time in English (this one was a best seller in the US for two years and also worldwide) or to check out the movie.

La Sombra del Viento by Carlos Ruíz Zafon

This one’s a keeper and just happens to be one of the best-selling books of all time (that means good summer reading for sure). La Sombra del Viento will grab you and pull you through 1940s Barcelona in a captivating story filled with mystery, lust, dark and smoky scenes and deep descriptions of characters that are so vivid you will start to miss your new “friends” when you wake up in the morning or walk home at night. Be careful if you have things to get done, this one might not let you go until you get through its 565 pages.

So spread out the beach blanket and get ready to relax into a great Spanish book! It’s the perfect way to learn Spanish this summer without even noticing! And if you’re looking for something a little more intense learning check out some of our most popular courses to have an incredible Spanish adventure this summer.

Dutch and Spanish together are Indo-European languages. This is a large language group consisting of as many as more than 400 related languages. Although both languages are not descended from the same subgroups they do show some similarities. In fact, the alphabet is virtually the same except for a few additions to the Spanish alphabet, such as the Ñ and the LL. The Dutch have the advantage of being able to imitate Spanish sounds more easily because almost all sounds are also found in Dutch itself. Sounds such as the rolling R and the hard G also appear in Spanish as double RR and J. This is one of the reasons why the Dutch are generally quicker to master another language and thus automatically have a head start in learning this beautiful Romance language.

• The Spanish language has its origins in Latin because it is a Romance language. Because Latin used to be used in the Netherlands as a lingua franca (main language of communication between countries that do not share the same language) mainly in writing, this Germanic language of origin also shows similarities derived from Latin.
• Just as Dutch has loan words from Spanish, there are also loan words that the Spanish language has adopted from Dutch. Many of these words are due to past shipping.
• While learning Spanish, there is a chance of false friends. These are words from the Dutch language that show many similarities with the Spanish language, but have completely different meanings.

The Spanish language comes from a subset of Indo-European languages and is considered a phonetic language. This means that you pronounce what you read. This Indo-European language group consists of as many as 400 related languages and is divided into four subgroups, Germanic languages, Indo-Iranian languages, Romance languages and Slavic languages. Spanish falls under the Romance languages along with Portuguese, French, Italian and Romanian. These languages are so named because they derive from the Latin of Ancient Rome and therefore share similarities in sound and grammar.

That being said, Dutch has no similarities at all; indeed, Dutch is in possession of quite a few loanwords from Spanish. Loan words that are most common in the Dutch language come from French, German, English and Spanish. This is due to the fact that France, Germany and the United Kingdom are neighboring countries with which the Netherlands always maintained a close relationship. In addition, the population close to the border often spoke two languages, creating more clustering. In the case of Spanish loanwords, things were slightly different because Spain, of course, is not a direct neighboring country. This language comes directly from Latin. Partly because the Netherlands used to use Latin primarily in writing and as a lingua franca. Because of this, among other things, similarities can be found in Spanish and Dutch. The origin of some loan words, mostly ship words from Dutch comes from history. As a country, the Netherlands was known for its colonization and many voyages of discovery around the world. This created a lot of trade and cultural exchange which in addition led to language exchange. Nowadays, more and more loan words from Spain are being used due to globalization and an ever-growing Spanish-speaking population.

Certain words that are written exactly the same and mean the same thing in both languages are often the somewhat shorter words, such as bar (bar) and photo (photo). Words that Dutch has adopted from Spanish are also present. In fact, the Spanish word for party, fiesta is already fully integrated into the Dutch language. The same goes for the words siesta (small nap), tapas (small Spanish snacks), macho (tough guy) and lasso (round piece of string). Conversely, Spanish has also borrowed certain words from the Dutch language. While these words have been slightly adapted to Spanish, they still have the same meaning. Loan words like dike (dique), freebooter (filibustero) and words like starboard and bakboard that have been translated to estribor and babor are some examples..

Not always do Dutch words that are very similar to Spanish mean the same thing. Occasionally, one must also look out for the well-known false friends of a language. False friends are words that have similarities in some other language, but have a totally different meaning. Examples of some false friends you may encounter while learning Spanish are pan, cara, aceite and carta. At first you would think that these words mean pan, car, vinegar and card, but nothing could be further from the truth. The actual meanings of these words are bread, face, oil and letter. This can occasionally lead to certain laughable situations.

Language Learning

A report published this month by the British Council, entitled Languages for the Future, has confirmed what most linguists and anyone who takes an interest in languages were thinking: Spanish is the best language for the UK population to learn. With an overall ‘score’ of 76, it easily surpasses Arabic (54), which takes second place, and French, Mandarin Chinese and German making up the top five.

The report employed a variety of measures to determine the ten languages considered most important to the United Kingdom’s economic, cultural and diplomatic future. Among these factors included the destinations of British exports, the UK government’s commercial and diplomatic priorities, the value of emerging markets, as well as the most popular holiday destinations for Britons, and the ability of other countries to speak English. The document highlights the missed opportunities that stem from a lack of language-speaking abilities among Brits.

The key message of the research was the “alarming” absence of language-skills among the British public. According to a survey carried out on 4,000 adults by the polling organization YouGov, 75% were unable to even hold a conversation in a language other than English. Only 4% could do this in Spanish, a worrying figure given the growing importance of Spanish in an ever-globalized world of over 400 million native Spanish speakers (compared to 335 million native English speakers).

Looking at the indicators more closely, it’s unsurprising that Spanish holds top spot. Its value in UK exports and business activities is broad and growing: Spain is Great Britain’s eight-largest trading partner – rising to 5th position when eliminating English-speaking nations and grouping Francophone Belgium and France together – and 34% of British companies state that Spanish is important to their growth. By examining the list of emerging markets, Spanish-speaking nations occupy 4 of the 30 most important developing economies, the same number as English-speaking countries. In fact, by 2030, the Mexican economy is expected to have outgrown that of the UK.

From a cultural perspective as well, Spain is the most popular non-English speaking country for British tourists, and no Hispanic country features highly on the list of English proficiency. What’s more, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office is pouring resources into boosting diplomatic presence in South America, at a time when Anglo-Hispanic relations features prominently in the news with respect to two of Britain’s overseas territories.

Study Spanish

Alongside the British Council’s own investigations, there exist other advantages to learning Spanish as a second language. It happens to be an official language of most of the world’s international organizations, for example the United Nations and the International Labor Organization, as well as pan-Latin American bodies. Aside from economic and political factors, learning Spanish enhances your understanding of the cultural and social aspects of Spain and Latin America that are important to their identity. Furthermore, the health benefit of learning a second language cannot be underestimated: a recent medical report suggests that the ability to speak a language other than your mother-tongue delays the onset of Alzheimer’s disease by about four years.

So these are just some of the reasons why you should head over to Spain or Latin America and speak Spanish!

Besides Spain’s Royal Spanish Academy, there are 21 other official Spanish academies around the world that promote and regulate the Spanish language, including the US’s misleadingly named North American Academy of Spanish (Academia Norteamericana de la lengua española, known by its initials ANLE).  

The Spanish Language in the US

The ANLE admits in its website that it should be called the “United States Academy of the Spanish Language”, then goes on to explain that it didn’t take that name when the academy was established in 1973 because the state of New York would not accept it, as it sounded too much like the name of a governmental institution. The website also includes articles that cover topics of interest such as whether or not Spanish should be considered a foreign language in the US.

From June 6 - 8, the ANLE will be holding its first conference in the organization’s 40 year history. Under the motto “unidad en la diversidad” (unity in diversity), the conference will be held at the Library of Congress in Washington DC , where participants will explore and discuss Spanish use in the United States and the presence of Hispanic cultures in American economics, politics, history, etc.  

The ANLE has made great efforts to standardize US Spanish. The academy’s latest book, entitled Hablando bien se entiende la gente, touches on common errors and alternatives to popular English loan words that are often false friends, such as the use of the word “aplicar” to refer to applying for a job. The ANLE also airs on Univision 41 (in New York, California and Washington DC) a program called “digalo bien” which uses everyday examples, accessible language and a bit of humor to offer short pieces of advice on Spanish language usage. Episodes are also available for view on Univision’s website.  

In a recent interview with the Spanish newspaper El Pais, the director of the academy expressed optimism when asked about the state of the Spanish language in the US, mentioning the 50 million speakers that live there, but going on to point out that the ANLE is more interested in the quality than the quantity of Spanish being used. He also described Spanish in the US as a language that is greatly influenced by English. When asked how Spanglish affected the academy’s mission of promoting quality Spanish use, he explained that while the ANLE pays attention to the phenomenon because it’s an interesting topic, they don’t “lose any sleep over it […] Spanglish will never become the language of the US”.

The ANLE is the youngest member of the Association of Spanish Language Academies. Member academies meet every four years. The Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language is the only other member not based in a country or region in which Spanish is the most spoken language. Although Spanish is the second most spoken language in the US, it is expected to become the country with the most Spanish speakers in the world by the year 2050.

The University of Salamanca released “HiHola” earlier this month, an innovative videogame that is designed to build players’ Spanish language skills as they enjoy interactive game play. The entertaining and educational game’s designers assert that while the best way to learn a language is by living it, the second best way is by virtually living it”. HiHola is a 3-D virtual game, similar to the Sims, set in Salamanca, Spain, where users are immersed in the town’s youthful energy, its impressive historic scenery, and most importantly, the Spanish language.

Playing the game

Players take on the role of study abroad students, making their way through Salamanca using Spanish they’ve recently learned in class to communicate with others in everyday situations. Players can attend class in the park with their teachers, hang out with friends, hit the clubs at night, or just take in cultural attractions such as the Plaza Mayor, la casa de las conchas and the monumental New Cathedral. A chat system allows students to talk to one another and set up study sessions with their teachers.

The current version of the game is designed for intermediate-level Spanish learners and players must already have a basic command of the language to follow instructions. Versions of the game designed for other Spanish levels are scheduled to be available in the future. 

With a budget of 2.8 million Euros, HiHola is the product of a joint collaboration between the University of Salamanca and digital animation companies. It also received support from the local Department of Industry, Energy and Tourism, and Education. The game has first been released to Spanish language schools and the University of Salamanca’s summer course program, but it is planned to be distributed internationally to schools also.  

A learning and teaching resource

Teachers can use the game to complement the material they’re teaching and even to evaluate students’ progress after they’ve finished playing. It’s already being used at the University of Washington, where students seem to be responding positively. Teachers confirm that using the game as an engaging study tool seems to encourage more “study” time.

HiHola offers students the unique opportunity to experience Spain and learn Spanish in an ideal study destination. The game effectively captures the lively university atmosphere and historic air that characterize Salamanca and have traditionally made the city popular among Spanish language students from around the world. Founded in 1218, la Universidad de Salamanca is one of Europe’s oldest universities.

HiHola effectively transforms the traditionally passive learning format of a videogame into an active learning experience, which allows players to not only improve their Spanish but to also gain valuable insight into Spain’s rich cultural heritage.