Phrase Caféthe bi-weekly email course with a learning purpose 🍅
Ditch the boring vocabulary lists and silly apps.
Master Spanish through our free bi-weekly email course, backed by innovative research 🧠, featuring disappearing text and audio from native speakers.
Always free. Unsubscribe anytime.
Each day, more of the paragraph disappears.
Day 1
Day 3
Stuck on a word?
You can always read the full English translation or listen to the native Spanish audio.
Research shows this combination helps your brain connect the words to their meaning and sound, accelerating your path to fluency.
Join thousands of learners on the path to fluency. Your first lesson is just one click away.
Each day, more of the paragraph disappears, training your brain to recall it from memory.
This is how you achieve fluency.
Day 1: The Full Paragraph
"Cada mañana, el sol se levanta y saluda a las montañas. Los pájaros cantan en los árboles y las flores abren sus pétalos. Es un nuevo día lleno de posibilidades y aventuras."
English: "Every morning, the sun rises and greets the mountains. The birds sing in the trees and the flowers open their petals. It is a new day full of possibilities and adventures."
Get the audio by subscribing below 👇
Day 2: Fill in the blanks
"Cada ___, el sol se ___ y saluda a las ___. Los pájaros ___ en los árboles y las ___ abren sus ___. Es un nuevo ___ lleno de ___ y aventuras."
English: "Every morning, the sun rises and greets the mountains. The birds sing in the trees and the flowers open their petals. It is a new day full of possibilities and adventures."
Get the audio by subscribing below 👇
Day 3: More blanks to fill
"Cada ___, el ___ se ___ y ___ a las ___. Los ___ ___ en los ___ y las ___ ___ sus ___. Es un ___ ___ lleno de ___ y ___."
English: "Every morning, the sun rises and greets the mountains. The birds sing in the trees and the flowers open their petals. It is a new day full of possibilities and adventures."
Get the audio by subscribing below 👇
Day 4: Test your memory
"___ ___, el ___ se ___ y ___ a las ___. Los ___ ___ en los ___ y las ___ ___ sus ___. ___ un ___ ___ ___ de ___ y ___."
English: "Every morning, the sun rises and greets the mountains. The birds sing in the trees and the flowers open their petals. It is a new day full of possibilities and adventures."
Get the audio by subscribing below 👇
Day 5: Recall the full paragraph
"___ ___, ___ ___ ___ ___ y ___ ___ ___ ___. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ y ___ ___ ___ ___ ___. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ y ___."
English: "Every morning, the sun rises and greets the mountains. The birds sing in the trees and the flowers open their petals. It is a new day full of possibilities and adventures."
Get the audio by subscribing below 👇
Ready to start learning for real?
This method of spaced repetition and contextual learning helps you move beyond memorization to true understanding.
Our approach is rooted in the latest research on language acquisition and cognitive psychology.
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Review material at optimal intervals to solidify it in your long-term memory.
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Learn phrases in context to improve comprehension and retention.
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Engage with the material through active recall exercises to strengthen your neural connections.
This method of spaced repetition and contextual learning helps you move beyond memorization to true understanding. See how it works.
📧 See some emails →Join thousands of learners on the path to fluency. Your first lesson is just one click away.
Whether you're a heritage speaker, professional, or culture enthusiast - if you want to master real Spanish, this is for you.
"I tried apps for years but still froze with Spanish-speaking patients. Now I use real phrases daily, and my patients actually smile when I speak."
- James K., Healthcare Professional
"Finally, Spanish that doesn't sound like a textbook! Last month in Mexico City, locals were shocked at how naturally I spoke. Worth every minute!"
- Sarah M., Travel Enthusiast
"As a student, I was tired of memorizing endless vocabulary lists. Phrase Café's daily emails make learning feel effortless and fun."
- Alex P., University Student
Traditional learning methods are overwhelming.
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Endless vocabulary lists and complex grammar rules lead to burnout.
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Slow progress and a lack of real-world application make it hard to stay engaged.
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Without a clear path to fluency, most learners abandon their goals.
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Phrase Café delivers a 5-day email sequence to your inbox every other week. It's a simple, effective way to build fluency without the frustration.
For English speakers, reaching conversational Spanish takes 6-12 months with consistent daily practice. The FSI estimates 600-750 hours for professional proficiency. With Phrase Café's daily emails, most learners report holding basic conversations within 3-4 months. Read our full fluency timeline guide →
The best approach combines daily exposure, native audio, and real-world phrases - not isolated vocabulary lists. Start with pronunciation, then high-frequency words, then basic verb conjugations. Phrase Café delivers this in 5-minute daily emails with native audio and our "disappearing text" method. See our complete beginner roadmap →
Yes - consistency beats intensity. Research shows short daily sessions create stronger neural pathways than sporadic hour-long blocks. 5 minutes daily = 30+ hours per year. That's enough to reach basic conversational ability. Phrase Café is designed exactly for this. Learn our micro-learning method →
You'll receive a new 5-day email sequence every other week, starting on Monday. This gives you a week to master the new phrase and a week off to let it sink in - aligned with spaced repetition science for maximum retention.
The core email course is free. You can learn Spanish with our bi-weekly emails at no cost. We also offer an optional $5/month subscription for learners who want extra features and to support Phrase Café - but it's completely optional. You'll never need to pay to keep learning.
Apps focus on gamification and isolated vocabulary. Phrase Café focuses on real-world fluency: cultural context (how natives actually speak), native audio from day one, disappearing text that forces active recall, and no screen time - learn from your inbox. Compare all methods →
No problem. Each email builds on the last but is designed to stand alone. Jump back in anytime. For best results, try to complete each 5-day sequence, but missing a day won't derail your progress.
Yes! You'll get access to our growing archive of all past sequences in your welcome email. Browse by theme, difficulty, or cultural topic. Preview our email archive here →
Spanish is one of the easiest languages for English speakers. The FSI ranks it as a Category I language - the fastest to learn. You share thousands of cognates (words that look similar), and Spanish pronunciation is consistent. With daily practice, you'll progress faster than you expect. Start with our beginner guide →
Absolutely. Millions of people reach conversational fluency through self-study. The key is consistent daily exposure and practicing with native audio. Phrase Café delivers both to your inbox - no tutor, no app, no schedule to keep. Just open your email and learn.
Start with high-frequency words: greetings (hola, buenos días), common verbs (ser, estar, tener, ir), numbers, and everyday nouns. The 100 most common words cover ~50% of spoken Spanish. Phrase Café teaches these in context so you remember them. See our essential vocabulary list →
Start with greetings and essentials: "Hola" (hello), "Buenos días" (good morning), "Gracias" (thank you), "¿Cómo estás?" (how are you?). Phrase Café teaches you these phrases with native pronunciation and cultural context. Learn Spanish greetings →
Popular apps like Duolingo and Babbel work for basics, but most learners plateau because apps focus on gamification over fluency. For real-world Spanish, combine apps with contextual learning like Phrase Café's email method - native audio, cultural context, and active recall. See our full app comparison →
Fluent? No. Conversational? Yes. With 1-2 hours daily, you can handle basic conversations, travel situations, and understand slow Spanish in 90 days. True fluency takes 1-2 years. Set realistic expectations and you won't burn out. See our 90-day sprint plan →
Start with present tense of the 5 most common verbs: ser, estar, tener, ir, hacer. Then learn the regular patterns (AR, ER, IR verbs). Don't memorize tables - learn conjugations in real sentences. Phrase Café teaches verbs in context so they stick. Master present tense conjugation →
Start with neutral Latin American Spanish - it's understood everywhere. Regional differences (Spain vs Mexico vs Argentina) are mostly vocabulary and accent, not grammar. Once you're conversational, you'll naturally pick up regional variations. Phrase Café teaches universally understood Spanish.
Listen to native speakers daily. Spanish pronunciation is consistent - each letter makes the same sound. Focus on rolling your R's, the Spanish "J" sound, and vowel clarity. Phrase Café includes native audio with every phrase so you hear correct pronunciation from day one. Learn pronunciation rules →
Yes - but passively watching won't make you fluent. Use the "active watching" method: Spanish audio + Spanish subtitles, pause to study phrases, repeat out loud. Shows like "La Casa de Papel" and "Élite" are great for intermediate learners. See our TV learning guide →