Using driving time to learn languages is a great way to make the most of your time in the car. Whether you’re commuting to work or running errands, time in the car is an opportunity to practice and improve your language skills. Getting stuck in traffic is no fun, but if you plan ahead you can use this time productively. And if you have a long commute it can be a perfect opportunity for you to learn as long as you plan ahead and take advantage of the available time.

Best ways to learn Spanish while driving are a combination of active and passive learning activities. These include but are not limited to listening to Spanish music, Spanish language lessons, as well as native podcasts or radio, as well as speaking out loud or shadowing.

In this article I’ll discuss best ways and ideas to help you learn Spanish while you drive, things that I tried myself in my Spanish learning journey (which I have begun not that long ago).

---

Limitations to learning Spanish while driving

But first let’s discuss limitations of learning Spanish (or any other language) while driving.

It goes without saying that driving requires your full attention and cognitive resources, and attempting to learn a new language while driving could be dangerous and distract you from the task of driving safely. It is important to prioritize safety and avoid activities that could potentially distract you while driving.

Reading and writing are out of question. You also can’t watch videos or play a game, for example. These activities will demand too much attention. It is a good idea to find a quiet, safe place to pull over if you need to focus on learning a new language or any other task that requires your full attention.

But there are other ways you can use to learn while driving, such as listening to language learning podcasts or using language learning apps on your phone or other device. These options allow you to learn in a way that does not distract you from the task of driving.

Let’s discuss them in detail.

Planning your car learning activities ahead

You’ve got to have a language learning plan so you always know what material you can use when time allows. Otherwise you will end up walking in circles and most likely will be losing a lot of time or end up overwhelmed thinking what material you should cover.

For effective language learning time outside of the car is more important than time spent in the car. Ideally you have your language routine, and you see clearly how time while driving can fit into it.

Time you’re out of the car is when you lay a solid foundation for your language learning journey. It is also a time to plan how you will take advantage of the time in your car so you can make the most out of your “car learning” experience.

Choosing best ways to learn Spanish in the car

Best ways and activities to learn Spanish in the car should meet the following criteria:

1. Hands free activities
2. Minimal distractions
3. Passive or active passive in nature
4. Focus on listening and speaking
5. Use material that is easy to follow or familiar

It is best if we briefly review each one.

1. Hands free activities

As you are driving your eyes should be on the road and hands on the wheel. This means you can’t use most of the language learning apps as they require you to actively interact with it.

2. Minimal distractions

In general, reading and writing are out of questions because these activities require your full attention and thus are very distracting. Following the same principles you can’t watch a video or look up words.

3. Passive or active-passive in nature

Driving is not a linear activity. You move and stop (sometimes for extended periods of time). Sometimes you have to be extra alert, and at other times you can relax. Thus ideally you should aim for a combination of active and passive learning activities so you can pick and choose what you want to do.

4. Focus on listening and speaking

One basic activity you can do in the car is listening to the language you’re learning. You are probably already listening to music, radio or podcasts in the car. Why not listen to those in Spanish?

Listening is great because you keep your eyes on the road and you can switch between passive and active modes easily. It is a perfect learning activity!

But listening will only get you so far. If you want to learn Spanish well, you have to practice speaking too.

And speaking Spanish is another great activity you can practice while driving especially if you are in the car by yourself. You can choose to think out loud by talking to yourself or repeat after what you hear (shadowing practice).

You can practice conversational Spanish together with your family. Of course if your level of Spanish is still very low, or your family is not very interested in learning Spanish it might not be the best option for you. Perhaps you can use that time to teach them what you know: even if it is just some words or phrases. Why not give it a try?

5. Use material that is easy to follow or familiar

Lastly you should pick material that is fairly easy: at or just slightly above your level, or material that you are already familiar with.

For example, driving is a great opportunity to review what you’ve learned before.

---

With these criteria in mind let’s look at the best material to use while driving.

1. Language courses for learning Spanish in your car

While there are no language courses designed specifically for learning while driving, there are some that are perfect to help you learn while you are at the wheel.

Michel Thomas and Pimsleur

Two most popular language learning courses are Michel Thomas and Pimsleur. These audio lessons are designed as a conversational course where teacher is interacting with you as a student and thus they can be used completely hands free.

The courses consist of 30-minute lessons that slowly build up in difficulty. There is a lot of repetition and explanations in English.

These audio language courses have been around for a very long time and offer a time proven language learning techniques that worked for thousands of language learners.

They are designed to teach you basic Spanish vocab so you can hold simple conversations. You’ll be able to practice Spanish and learn to speak Spanish in no time. They will not bring you all the way up to the advanced level of fluency but they should help you develop some conversational skills that you can continue to develop to bring your language level higher.

Michel Thomas and Pimsleur are available as apps that you can download and use on the phone. Apps come with additional reading lessons, quizzes and other features that you won’t be able to use while driving, but they offer core lessons that you can follow along just as you would with the original courses.

They are also still available as CDs although you might have to look around to get them. You might want to check your local library to see if they have CD of these or other Spanish courses that you can borrow.

Language Transfer

Language Transfer is another great (and free!) course available for Spanish. In fact I’d go as far as to say it is a best free audio course for Spanish out there. It’s been my audio companion for the past several months. It is available as an app, but you can also download mp3 files and use them as you will.

Language Transfer Spanish course contains 90 short language lessons with each lesson being only around 10 minutes long. Thus it provide a perfect opportunity to learn even on short commutes.

2. Language learning apps for your commute

Above mentioned courses are also available as apps that you can download and install on your phone. Like I said the apps come with extra material that you won’t be able to use while driving, but real value of these courses is in the audio content.

Personally I don’t like to hear too much English explanation and I like to maximize my exposure to content in native language, so I stir away from Pimsleur and the like.

I prefer listening to LingQ mini-stories. I find it is a great way to be exposed to 100% native content and learn Spanish while driving.

I can play the lessons one after the other in a playlist so I don’t have to be distracted interacting with the phone and keep my eyes on the road.

I find that LingQ is very effective for language learning. I found LingQ when I was looking for the best language-learning app, and I fell in love with it. It is based on listening and reading which suits my type of learning. It is one of the few apps that can help learn the basics of the language quickly. I highly recommend you look into it.

3. Listen to your favorite Spanish music

Another great way to learn is to listen to native Spanish songs. Listening to songs in a foreign language is a type of passive learning where you don’t try to pick out words and meaning, and simply enjoy the language. You can always look up the words and study the songs when you are at home, or not driving.

Keep in mind that you will hear a lot of slang that might not be appropriate for general conversation. Also songwriter might use poetic expressions which might not be commonly used and are not easy to understand.

For me personally, I find it very difficult to make sense of some lyrics. Even when I understand all the words separately somehow they don’t make much sense when put together. But I am just a beginner, so I am sure it will change as I get more comfortable with the language.

4. Spanish podcasts for language learners

There is a number of podcasts designed for Spanish learners. For example SpanishPod101.

Usually they present Spanish dialogue followed by explanation in English. While it might not be the best way to immerse yourself into target language it can be a good way to learn useful words, phrases and grammar.

5. Native Spanish podcasts

Listening to authentic Spanish podcasts might be a good option for more advanced learners. Just remember that usually native Spanish speakers talk very fast. While you might not understand much of what is being said it is a great way to get to used to the sounds of spoken language, and the way Spanish conversation flows.

6. Spanish radio

Listening to Spanish radio is another great option for more advanced students. Of course, students at any level can benefit from listening to native language content that is not in any way adopted for learners, but what you will get from it will greatly vary on your level and experience with the language.

Keep in mind that Spanish is one of the fastest languages in the world, so it takes some practice to develop proper listening comprehension skills.

---

Can I learn Spanish while driving?

While you can learn a language while driving, you are very restricted in what you can do while at the wheel. It is possible to learn it is best to reserve time at the wheel for extra Spanish practice and leave the bulk of it for time when you can fully focus and concentrate.

There are some options you might consider if you want to try to learn Spanish while you are on the go:

1. Listen to a language learning podcast or audio course while you drive. This can be a good way to learn new vocabulary and grammar while you are on the road
2. Practice speaking Spanish with a language learning app or language exchange partner while you are driving. This can help you get comfortable with using the language and improve your pronunciation
3. Find a Spanish language radio station or playlist to listen to while you drive. This can help you get exposure to the language and become more familiar with its rhythms and sounds

It is important to remember to always keep safety in mind when driving and not to engage in activities that could distract you from the task at hand.

What is a good app to learn Spanish while driving?

Michel Thomas, Pimsleur and Language Transfer are great options if you are looking for an audio course. They can be used as a foundation for your language learning routine. They worked for thousands of students and might work well for you.

What can I do if I get stuck in traffic?

You might have a bit more flexibility with what you can do if you are stuck in traffic. And I mean you are not moving. You have some freedom to choose between active and passive ways of learning. You can use apps that require more interaction like: Duolingo. You can also review Spanish vocabulary that you’ve studies before.

Can I use Duolingo while driving?

Duolingo is highly interactive app that requires your full attention. You have to interact with it using your hands, so it not recommended to use Duolingo while driving. You can consider using it when you’re stuck in traffic.

---

I hope this article will give you some ideas and help you plan your commute time and learn Spanish while driving.

Let me know what you do while driving! What do you listen to? What kind of activities do you do? How are they helping you?

---