Let’s be honest: if you’ve been learning Spanish for a while, there’s a good chance you’ve asked yourself this question:
“Okay… but am I actually speaking Spanish well?”
Do you mean speaking clearly? Speaking “neutrally”? Or speaking the way Spanish is spoken in real life, you know, messy, full of slang, sprinkled with weird expressions, and occasionally topped with a dash of English?
This little question isn’t just about vocabulary; it’s about the gap between the Spanish you learn in the classroom and the Spanish you hear in real conversations. And it’s a big gap.
Where This All Started
The inspiration for this post came from a comment we got about our Spanish podcast:
“You use too many English words. That doesn’t help us learners.”
Fair point. But the comment got us thinking: What should educational Spanish content sound like? How much should we simplify for clarity? And at what point does simplifying mean we’re no longer teaching real Spanish?
Because there’s a tension here, a tug-of-war between being clear and being authentic, and if you’ve ever tried to talk to a native speaker and gotten completely lost, you know exactly what I mean.
So… What Is Real Spanish Anyway?
Let’s clear something up: real Spanish is not perfectly clean or perfectly “correct.”
It’s regional, changing, informal, emotional, and often blended with other languages, especially English, in some countries.
Here’s what real Spanish looks like in the wild:
- “Le clavé el visto.” (Argentina) - “I left them on read.”
- “Está medio random todo esto.” - “This is all kind of random.”
- “Me dio un montón de feedback por WhatsApp.” - “They gave me a lot of feedback over WhatsApp.”
- “Eso fue muy cringe.” - “That was so cringe.”
- “Estuvo chidísimo.” (Mexico) - “It was awesome.”
None of these are going to appear in your textbook’s “Spanish for Travelers” section. But they will pop up in real conversations, in the street, in memes, in the office, or at dinner with friends.
Should Educational Content Teach Real Spanish?
Here’s the tricky part: most Spanish learning resources prioritize a “neutral,” clear, slow, and tidy version of Spanish.
That’s totally fine, especially for beginners. You need that clean foundation to build on.
But as you move into intermediate and advanced territory, you hit a crossroads: Do you want to learn “correct” Spanish? Or do you want to learn Spanish that lets you survive a real conversation with someone from Argentina, Colombia, or Spain?
The thing is… “neutral” Spanish can sometimes feel like fake Spanish. And “real” Spanish can feel like an avalanche of confusing slang and idioms.
The Big Dilemma: Clarity vs. Authenticity
Some teachers and creators avoid slang, regionalisms, and borrowed words entirely so learners don’t get overwhelmed.
That makes sense. But there’s a risk if you simplify too much:
- You might never understand native speakers in real contexts.
- You might think you’re “bad” at Spanish when in reality, you’ve just been trained to understand a filtered version.
If you go all-in on authenticity:
- You might lose the learner halfway through the sentence. It could frustrate instead of motivate.
It’s a delicate balance. Teach too cleanly, and you risk creating a Spanish bubble that bursts the moment your student talks to an actual human. Teach too authentically, and you risk scaring people off before they get a handle on the basics.
It’s Not Just About English Words…
Sure, the “cringe,” “feedback,” and “random” debates get a lot of attention. But this isn’t only about anglicisms.
It’s also about regional variations; the dozens of ways different Spanish-speaking countries say the same thing.
For example:
- Chido (Mexico) vs. copado (Argentina) vs. bacán (Chile/Peru) - all meaning “cool.”
- Computadora (Latin America) vs. ordenador (Spain) - computer.
- Auto (Argentina) vs. carro (Colombia) vs. coche (Spain) - car.
So… which one should you teach? The “neutral” one? But does a truly neutral one even exist?
And here’s a spicy question: when we call something “neutral,” are we just imposing one variety as the standard?
So How Do You Actually Learn Real Spanish?
Okay, so we’ve identified the problem. Now, what’s the solution?
If you want to understand real Spanish, you need exposure to it in all its messy glory, without throwing clarity completely out the window. Here’s a balanced approach:
Step 1: Build a clean foundation first.
You do need that basic grammar and “neutral” pronunciation at the start. Think of it as learning the rules before you break them.
Step 2: Add in slang and regionalisms slowly.
Once you can handle everyday conversations, start sprinkling in expressions from different countries.
Step 3: Listen to real conversations.
Podcasts, YouTube interviews, street interviews, or even TikToks. Yes, you’ll be confused at first. That’s the point.
Step 4: Learn to decode, not memorize.
Instead of trying to remember every single regional word, train your ear to understand from context.
Step 5: Get comfortable with “messy” Spanish.
Language in the real world isn’t perfect; it’s full of half-sentences, filler words (este…, o sea), and borrowed vocabulary.
For Teachers and Content Creators: The Balancing Act
If you’re a Spanish teacher or content creator, the challenge is even bigger.
Ask yourself:
- Am I preparing my learners to pass a test, or to hold a real conversation?
- How much can I “clean” the language before it stops being authentic?
- Am I showing them only one country’s way of speaking, or exposing them to different accents and vocabulary?
The truth is, there’s no perfect balance. But acknowledging the tension between clarity and authenticity is the first step.
The Myth of “Perfect” Spanish
Here’s a little secret: perfect Spanish doesn’t exist. Even native speakers make grammar mistakes, mix languages, and use words that outsiders wouldn’t understand.
Spanish is alive. It changes every year -sometimes every month- thanks to pop culture, social media, and regional trends.
So if you’ve been waiting until your Spanish is “perfect” before diving into the messy world of real conversations… stop waiting.
Why Real Spanish Matters
If you want to speak Spanish only to pass exams or read formal documents, sure, stick to the textbook.
But if your goal is to laugh at memes, understand TV shows, make friends, and feel at home in a Spanish-speaking country, then you need real Spanish.
Yes, it will confuse you at times. Yes, it will force you out of your comfort zone. But it will also give you the skills and confidence to survive -and thrive- in the wild.
Because real Spanish isn’t just about grammar and vocabulary, it’s about rhythm, tone, emotion, and culture. It’s about how people actually talk to each other, not how they talk in an exam. So don’t be afraid to mix the clean with the messy.
Learn your copado and your chido, your ordenador and your computadora. Understand that “neutral” is helpful, but it’s not the whole picture.
At the end of the day, if you want to truly connect with people, you’ll need to step out of the safe bubble of classroom Spanish and dive into the living, breathing, wonderfully chaotic world of real Spanish.
