Going from A1 to A2 in Spanish might seem like a lot of work, but with the right methods, and a good study plan - you can reach A2 within 3 months. I just did this in French!
We will talk about what it means to be an A2 level in Spanish, and the best input and output methods to get there - and I’ll help you come up with your own study plan.
By the end of this article, you will know exactly how much time it will take you to reach A2 in Spanish, and what you are going to do to get there!
¿Estás listo/a? (Are you ready?)
¡Empecemos! (Let’s start!)
Summary: How To Reach A2 In Spanish
If you are trying to learn how to reach the A2 level in Spanish, you should first know what A2 means.
A2 level means that the learner can understand basic and commonly used phrases, order food, as well as ask and answer basic questions.
An A2 level in Spanish requires about 160-200 hours of study time and a vocabulary of 400-600 words.
When going from A1 to A2 in Spanish, it is hard to find study methods that are both effective and enjoyable.
However, after having studied 5+ languages over the years, I have learned what has personally worked best for me, and that is the following.
Try these study methods:
Listening To TPRS/Comprehensible Input (Dreaming Spanish / Español Con María)
Apps like Memrise/Duolingo/Drops
Language Transfer (App With Free Spanish Lessons)
Listen To Spanish Music And Read Lyrics Simultaneously
Use Flashcards Daily (Anki/Quizlet/Etc)
Journal Using Google Translate
Master Pronunciation Of Spanish Letters/Vowels
Find & Memorize Spanish Quotes That Resonate With You
What It Means To Have An A2 Level In Spanish
Having an A2 level in Spanish means that you can understand basic and commonly used phrases, order food, as well as ask and answer basic questions.
A2 is the first level where you really can begin to express yourself, although it will be in an extremely basic and simple way. Some other things you might be able to do with an A2 level in Spanish are:
Talk about routine tasks
Introduce yourself - mention where you are from, and describe your family
Write basic greetings and common phrases
Express your feelings, wishes, and plans in a simple way
Have very basic conversations if the speaker talks slowly and clearly
How Many Words Are Needed To Reach A2 In Spanish?
To reach an A2 level in Spanish you need to know 400-600 words. Some of these will be passive vocabulary - meaning you can’t produce it, and some will be active - meaning you can.
This number, of course, includes all conjugations of a verb as one single word.
How Many Hours Are Needed To Reach A2 In Spanish?
According to many sources such as AcademiaContacto, you need about 160-200 learning hours to reach an A2 in Spanish. This means that if you study for 1 hour a day, you will reach A2 within 6 months.
Study Time Per Day | Time To Reach A2 In Spanish |
30 Minutes | 10-13 Months |
45 Minutes | 7-9 Months |
1 Hour | 5-7 Months |
2 Hours | 2-3 Months |
Best Input Methods To Reach A2 In Spanish
Now we are going to talk about the best methods to get input at this crucial stage in our learning journey.
The hardest part about being at the A1 level is that it’s still hard to understand a lot of material, so we have to use very beginner materials that are sometimes incredibly boring.
However, I have been where you are at, and I just got over this hump in French, these are the methods that I used to make it a smooth and easy process.
Listening To TPRS/Comprehensible Input
Comprehensible input is a message that we can understand - but that is a little bit above our current level in the language. This means that although we don’t have the necessary vocabulary to understand 100% of intermediate content.
We can comprehend the meaning by just understanding 65-85% of it - which is much more manageable for us as beginners.
Some of my favorite TPRS/Comprehensible Input YouTube channels that you can enjoy (100% in Spanish) are the following:
Apps Like Memrise, Duolingo, and Drops 📲
Although I didn’t use these apps to get to A2 in French recently, I did use them at first when I began learning Spanish over 3 years ago.
For a beginner language learner, having a little bit of structure can help. I suggest that you only use apps like these for 15 minutes a day max. Trust me, all the other methods on this list will improve your Spanish at double the speed in comparison.
Language Transfer (App) 💡
This is an app that isn’t talked about enough. The creator is a polyglot (someone who speaks many languages) that teaches languages.
The app Language Transfer is a collection of recordings that he took while teaching students Spanish, and it includes 90 classes that are edited and refined so that you’re always learning.
It’s an incredible set of audio lessons and is 100% free! Give it a go and see where it takes your Spanish.
Listen To Spanish Music And Read The Lyrics 💽
One way to review hundreds of words a day (and learn new ones) is by listening to Spanish music and reading the lyrics.
With Google’s “translate feature” - you can almost always find lyrics and their translation to learn from. I use this method about 30 minutes a day along with my other input methods.
It’s a fun and easy way to progress daily!
Flashcards (Anki/Quizlet/Etc) 💻
Another super powerful technique that I use at the beginner stages of learning a language is the use of flashcards. I currently use Anki on my computer, but I wrote an article on all of the best flashcard apps if you're interested in finding the best one for you.
The important part is reviewing your flashcards daily, and trying to see as many new words as possible.
Here at Acquire The Language we’re strong believers in the power of acquired words vs learned words. So my advice is always that you try and see new words, but don’t try and force yourself to remember them right away.
Your brain only remembers what is relevant, so after you expose yourself to the same word 20-40 times, surely you’ll remember it.
Best Output Methods To Reach A1 in Spanish
Now that you have some methods for getting input, now you need to plan out how you are going to practice speaking. Output methods, although very useful, should be employed much less than input methods at this stage.
The reason is that the input will help you get better at pronouncing, and hearing new words - which is the most important thing at this point in time.
Some argue that speaking at this stage isn’t good because it can cause bad habits, however, I find that from my experience a little bit of speaking practice is better than none. Here are the methods that I used over the past month to get my French level from A1 to A2.
Journal Using Google Translate
Every evening I take out my journal and my computer. I write my journal entry on my computer and translate it with Google, and write word for word that translation in my journal.
Afterward, I like to have Google Translate read it to me, and I read it out loud as well. This helps me remember new words without “studying”, as well as to get practice imitating the correct pronunciation
If you're interested in learning exactly what my method looks like, I wrote an article all about journaling to improve your Spanish.
Master Pronouncing The Basics
One source you can find simple stories with audio that you can imitate is The Fable Cottage. They have numerous well-known stories that are translated perfectly, and accompanied by audio files - created by native speakers.
You should also watch some videos like this one here about pronunciation in Spanish so that you understand the basics as well as possible.
Find Spanish Quotes That You Like And Memorize them
Another way that you can get output is by finding short quotes in Spanish that you identify with. I have done this a lot in both French and Spanish. It’s an easy way to perfect your pronunciation with one or two-sentence quotes.
It’s much easier to focus on the pronunciation of each word whenever there are 20 words or less than it is when it’s a 200-word story (for example).
Make A Plan To Reach A2 In Spanish
Now that you have some methods for getting input, and producing output - it’s time to create a study plan. This plan should include what methods you plan to use, and how much time per day you will spend on each of them.
Below I will show an example of the study plan that I followed recently to get my French level from an A1 to an A2 within a few months.
The study plan that got me from A1 to A2 in 3 months in French
Conclusion: How To Reach A2 In Spanish
If you want to reach A2 in Spanish as quickly as possible, you have to create fixed goals to reach that level. This includes having a study plan that mentions:
How you will get input
How you will practice speaking
How long you will study each day
How long you will spend on each learning method
Whenever you have all of these things, you are ready to start the journey to the A2 level, which will bring you the ability to enjoy the language a little bit more.
Personally, what I did to reach A2 in French in 3 months is that I studied consistently for 1.5 hours a day.
To further my progression, I also listened to podcasts and beginner courses while I would cook, clean, or drive somewhere.
If you are interested in learning all of the methods I used to learn Spanish to fluency, check out this article “The 11 Best Methods For Mastering Spanish”.
Have a great day/evening/night, chao!
Ben