Learning Spanish on a plane
If you happen to fly frequently, whether for work, pleasure, or family reasons, you may find yourself with a lot of “down time” while up in the air. When you find yourself wondering how to spend your time on the next long flight (particularly one without an in-flight movie) or extended layover, why not practice your Spanish? Make the most of that tedious travel time with this list of the best ways to learn Spanish on a plane.
4 best ways to learn Spanish in-flight:
1. Listen to Spanish audiobooks
One of our all-time favorite ways of practicing your Spanish when you’re stuck in an airplane cabin for an extended period of time is to [listen to Spanish audiobooks.] You can easily familiarize yourself with Spanish words and sounds without disturbing any of your fellow passengers. Just tailor your playlist to your skill level, pop in some earbuds, and you’re good to go. This method is most useful if you already have some knowledge of the basics, but you can find a list of Spanish audiobooks by difficulty level here.
This is a particularly good method of learning Spanish on a plane if you get motion sickness from reading or eye strain from staring at a backlit screen in the darkness. The add-on benefit is that you get to absorb some great culture during time that could have otherwise been wasted.
2. Read Spanish books
If you’d prefer to read rather than listen, there are plenty of books you can read on the flight. I’ve found that the trick is to select books that are just the right length for the flight. Too long, and you’ll lose your place (or lose your interest) when you get off the flight or change planes. If reading a printed book is too hard on the eyes under that tiny plane reading spotlight that they give you, check out some Spanish e-books on a Kindle or other e-reader that has a “low-light” setting. It makes reading on red-eyes a breeze!
List of the best Spanish e-books for long flights:
Don Quixote
By Miguel de Cervantes
Get it free
El Alquimista
by Jorge Ángel Livraga Rizzi
Get it free
Cien años de soledad
By Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Get it free
Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal
By JK Rowling, Translated by Alicia Dellepiane
Get it free
El Evangelio según Pablo
By John F. MacArthur
Get it free
3. Spanish apps for the plane
Some Spanish language learning apps are specially designed with travel in mind. Short bursts of lessons are useful for quick regional trips or flights that are punctuated by frequent interruptions. If you’re taking a long flight, you may be comfortable with a Spanish app with longer form lessons. Here are our favorite apps for learning Spanish while flying:
4. Travel with a Spanish speaker!
OK, this one isn’t always an option. But we thought we’d throw it in there as a suggestion. After all, real-time conversation with a native is almost always one of the fastest and most productive methods of learning a new language.
Some people get extremely nervous on planes, others just get bored. Either way, practicing your Spanish is a good way to take your mind off the flight. Take your shoes off, kick your feet back, and enjoy bettering yourself with these Spanish lessons. You’ll be on the ground in no time.
If the next flight that you find yourself on is bound for Mexico, Spain, or any other Spanish-speaking destination, you’ll be well practiced upon landing! What is your favorite way to practice Spanish while flying? Let us know, and enjoy your next flight.
By the way, so long as you’re practicing Spanish on the plane, you may want to know these airplane-related Spanish vocabulary words:
- Fly / Volar
- Suitcase / Maleta
- Aisle / Pasillo
- Row / Fila
- Seat / Asiento
- Pillow / Almohada
- Headphones / Auriculares
- Luggage compartment / Compartimiento de equipaje
- Tray table / Mesita auxiliar
- Seatbelt / Cinturón de seguridad
- Emergency exit / Salida de emergencia
- Life vest / Chaleco salvavidas
- Wing / Ala
- Propellor / Hélice
- Altitude / Altitud
- Pilot / Piloto
- Flight attendant / Auxiliar de vuelo
- Airport / Aeropuerto
- Passport / Pasaporte
Ebooks may not be available for free at all times or to all customers, or may require a subscription to Kindle Unlimited (a service offered by Amazon that functions much like a Netflix for books). There are links on this page that can be defined as “affiliate links”. This means that your purchase or subscription supports this site via a small commission (at no additional cost to you).
You may also like to read:
How to say the color orange in Spanish.
How to say goodnight in Spanish.
How to say thank you in Spanish.