for those without time stamps this was 2024, its 2026 now and my spanish has improved a lot since then. Im not exactly fluent yet but id say im at a level b1-b2? anyway here's what I recommend you do if you are in the same boat i was
apps are fine but are really only good at giving you vocab and spelling and stuff. go to youtube and watch the entirety of the language transfer spanish course, then find a teacher on youtube who speaks english primarily to start. finish whatever course they have, watch a ton or even all of their videos, then move onto ButterflySpanish, she speaks a fair bit of spanish but still mostly english in her videos, which will help you a lot and wont overwhelm you. once you've finished her videos, move onto a teacher who speaks nearly exclusively in spanish and only occasionally translates something into english. MOST IMPORTANTLY you have to pay attention. none of that "learn spanish in your sleep" junk that's all over youtube. you cannot learn without paying attention and you can't learn in your sleep, that's not how the brain works.
my routine is while im at work, ill listen to videos from a spanish teacher (right now im listening to Hola Spanish,) then "reward" myself by watching a couple episodes of a show i like in spanish. It helps if its something you've seen before. ALSO!! don't use subtitles if you're able. Maybe at first, but what you really ought to be practicing when watching something is listening and auditory comprehension. subtitles turn an auditory exercise into a visual one, which is a different process. you can pick up your reading skills from books and other online resources, but subtitles are gonna throw you for a loop both due to their inaccuracies and the fact that you'll be reading instead of listening. I also recommend trying to accustom yourself to various dialects and accents, but primarily focus on the one that you're learning for. while you're watching stuff, pick out words you dont know, write them down, and look them up after the episode. dont just use google translate, try to read them on a spanish dictionary website, in spanish.
If you're like me and dont have access to a lot of immersion learning or a practice partner, just paying attention to shows and movies and watching a lot of it will help u pick up structures, grammar, and vocab if you're paying attention. dont just do one thing, supplement with every tool you have, and try to target your weak spots. you can also change apps and things you use frequently to be in spanish, just as a small tip
ALSO TALK TO YOURSELF OUT LOUD! If u only practice talking in ur head u will find that your throat, tongue, and other speech related muscles are not developed enough to say the words that are clear in your head. (that being said, also try to change ur inner voice to spanish) the muscles used for certain sounds in spanish are different from the sounds in english. you need to develop a connection between the muscles, the brain, sounds, and the words and structures. I cannot stress enough that the muscle development is highly important. your brain will construct sentences you fully understand and know how they sound but your mouth will not keep up, itll feel like a tongue twister.
Anyway, take that as you will bc im not a professional nor am I educated in language learning, never took a spanish class, and am not fluent, but!! through effort on your own and with time and practice you too can learn spanish to an intermediate level and be conversational.
