Spanish Uncovered Review: Cost, Pros & Alternatives for Travel

If you want to visit Spain or one of the many fascinating countries in South America, it is a great idea to learn Spanish before you go.

The best way to learn Spanish is to fall in love with a Spaniard and learn from them right? But sometimes that is not a real possibility so we found another way for you.

The other way is the Spanish Uncovered online Spanish course by Olly Richards. In this Spanish Uncovered review, you'll find out all about the course, how we rate it, and what we liked/disliked most about it.

We will also cover what Spanish Uncovered includes, how it differs from other online Spanish lessons, and whether the course offers a way to learn Spanish naturally (as it claims to do).

How We Did This Spanish Uncovered Review

In order to make this review as varied and informative as possible, language learners James, Mauricio, and Matthew tested out Spanish Uncovered on their own, before sharing their findings.

The scoring system provided on this site is based on comparisons between the product in question and other similar language-learning apps on the market.

Five stars indicate excellence, whilst a lower star rating indicates room for improvement.

The comments and opinions that you read throughout this Spanish Uncovered review are the results of their findings during a 7-Day free trial with access to Spanish Uncovered.

All three individuals are fluent Spanish speakers already, so know which positive features or ‘red flags' to look out for.

The factors listed in the review table above are measured in the following ways:

Effectiveness – This is measured by the progress that we were able to make during the time we had access to this beginner course, and the projected progress one would be able to make when language learning over a prolonged period. ****
Value for money – We compare the Spanish Uncovered cost with other beginner courses. ****
Ease of use – As language learners, user experience plays a large part in whether we keep coming back, resulting in progress. A poor user experience usually leads to a lack of progress.
Languages Available – Offering multiple languages by no means makes an app or language platform better. However, it usually means they're more popular and capture a wider audience, investing more heavily in the factors above.

What is Spanish Uncovered?

Spanish Uncovered is a language course that offers a unique, independent approach to learning the Spanish language. It is part of the ‘Uncovered' series which offers you the chance to learn a new language through an entire story.

Comprising 20 modules, Spanish Uncovered claims to take you to an upper-intermediate level of Spanish within 100-150 hours of study time.

The Spanish story, El Hombre del Sombrero, contains an easy narrative with basic grammar and common Spanish vocabulary words.

This course, unlike many alternative language learning courses, provides you with material and common Spanish phrases that you'll actually use in your everyday life.

Spanish Uncovered is best for those at the early stages of language learning or those with limited knowledge of Spanish to begin with.

What's Included in the Spanish Uncovered course?

Spanish Uncovered Review is a comprehensive course that takes you from beginner to upper-intermediate level Spanish.

The following are some of the key features included:

20 modules, each with a video lesson and accompanying PDF transcript A lively and interesting story, El Hombre del Sombrero, to keep you engaged Spanish words and grammar points introduced in context with example phrases

In addition, the course provides a grammar lesson complete with explanations and examples, as well as exercises to practice your new Spanish skills.

What is ‘I Will Teach You A Language?' And Who is Olly Richards?

I Will Teach You a Language is a language-learning brand created by Olly Richards, who is one of the creators of the Storylearning series.

The Storylearning Series is a set of interactive language courses which are designed for new language learners who are interested in completing a course without having to spend hours upon hours studying boring grammar rules.

The main goal of the course is to get students engaged in immersive story-telling, which makes learning Spanish fun and engaging. The ultimate goal is to understand Spanish grammar and (eventually) reach a fluent Spanish level.

Spanish Uncovered is part of this series which includes other courses like French Uncovered, Russian Uncovered, German Uncovered, Portuguese Uncovered, Italian Uncovered, and many more courses.

What is the Story Learning method?

The Story Learning method uses stories to teach Spanish grammar and vocabulary, following the latest research from neuroscience and cognitive psychology.

According to the website, the method is based on two principles: firstly, that stories are the best way to learn a language, and secondly, that learning grammar and vocabulary in context is more effective than learning them in isolation.

The method uses stories to help students learn Spanish in a natural and fun way. The focus is on communication rather than grammar rules, which makes the learning process less daunting for many students.

Spanish Uncovered: Course Overview

This course contains 20 complete chapters, each of which has a similar structure to the other.

Throughout the course, you'll be learning Spanish grammar, vocabulary, and culture all in the context of a story.

The story is about an American man who visits Spain for the first time and gets caught up in a mysterious adventure.

You can expect the following inclusions from Spanish Uncovered:

20 chapters
PDF with exercises
Vocabulary and grammar explanations
Vocabulary and grammar videos with Olly (the course creator)

In addition:

Reading and listening activities,
Pronunciation lessons and pronunciation training videos
Learning tips from Olly

What You Can Learn in Each of the 20 Modules

Below, you'll see how this online course is structured. The fact that it covers multiple parts of the language-learning process is one of the reasons we rate it highly.

Below, you will see what you can expect from each Spanish lesson of Uncovered.

1. Syllabus

A short description of the topic, as well as what you'll learn in the chapter and why it is important to do so.

2. Reading and Listening

In each lesson, you'll go through the next part of the story “The Man with the hat”, reading and listening only to the Spanish version.

This form of immersion is a key feature in this language course and a great way to listen to proper Spanish pronunciation.

Remember, both Latin American Spanish and Spanish versions are available so that you can choose the one that is most appropriate for your language learning.

3. Vocabulary

In this lesson, you will:

Learn some of the new words you learned in the short story. Cover key Spanish vocabulary. This is a fantastic area to check if you're having difficulty comprehending a word or phrase.

4. Cognates and Translation

In this session, you are able to view the English translation. Olly demonstrates how to utilize cognates in a video lesson, showing you the most useful cognates from the chapter you just read in Olly's short story.

Spanish shares a significant number of terms with English, so learning extra words in each chapter and improving your vocabulary is very beneficial.

5. Grammar

Spanish, like the German language, has a lot of grammar that might be difficult for linguistic novices, like pretty much all foreign languages.

If you've studied French, Italian or Portuguese already then Spanish grammar will no doubt be easier for you. Even so, there will be certain aspects that are tricky to learn.

Spanish Uncovered:

Focuses on key Spanish grammar topics in each module
Frequently references the text and explains why the grammar works the way that it does.

6. Pronunciation

In this lesson, vocal coach Angela appears through video lessons to help you to focus on Spanish pronunciation and ensure you sound more like a native Spanish speaker.

7. Speaking

Uncovered is a self-study Spanish course, so there's no need to interact with a Spanish speaker one-on-one in tutor-style format.

Whilst this may seem negative, the course compensates for this by featuring regular ‘Speaking' lessons.

In these lessons, you go through a text and are encouraged to read aloud and record yourself. A speaking partner will then provide feedback on your pronunciation.

8. Final Review Quiz

Finally, each chapter has a final review quiz to see how much you've absorbed the lessons' material and individual words/Spanish vocabulary.

There are also quizzes at various stages of the lesson to ensure that you have a firm grasp on what's going on in the narrative.

If at any point, you're having difficulties keeping up with the tale, it's time to go back and review that course module once more.

Spanish Uncovered Features

Online page of most common spanish words

In addition to the features mentioned above, one of the best things about Spanish Uncovered is that all the resources (recordings, PDFs) are in both Latin American Spanish and Castilian Spanish.

So, you just need to choose which of the two types of Spanish you want to learn. This is pretty useful since most courses just offer one type of Spanish.

If you're a complete beginner and unsure about which accent/dialect to follow when learning Spanish, we'd suggest just selecting at random. Focus on that later. Phase one should be to focus on Spanish grammar and vocabulary.

Below is an overview of the topics that you'll come across in Spanish Uncovered.

Express Interests in Spanish

You'll learn to express interests and understand others when they do the same. While doing this, you become familiar with key elements of Spanish grammar.

Spanish Pronouns

Pronouns (I, you, he/she/it, we, you plural, they) are introduced in Spanish Uncovered, and you will learn how to use them correctly.

This is a very important part of learning the language since they are used extensively in the Spanish language.

Articles and Nouns

You'll learn how to use articles depending on whether nouns are masculine or feminine. Again, this is a critical part of learning Spanish.

The Verb Ser

In Spanish, there are two forms of the verb ‘to be.' Ser is one of these verbs. In Spanish Uncovered, you learn how to conjugate this verb.

Tener vs Haber

These are two forms of the verb ‘to have.' But they are not interchangeable and learning them is important once you progress beyond complete beginner level when you learn Spanish grammar.

Different past tenses, including:

Preterite tense
Present perfect tense
Imperfect tense

These are three of the main past tenses in Spanish.

Spanish Uncovered provides a great platform from which to familiarize yourself with each of these tenses and when/how it is used.

The Conditional Tense

This is one of the future tenses in Spanish and a key part of the future tense learning process.

Por vs Para

There are two ways to say ‘for' in Spanish**: por** and para. Spanish Uncovered takes you through this topic, which is often really difficult for English speakers to learn.

Spanish Uncovered Cost: Price and Guarantee

gold coin of 7 day free trtial

Spanish Uncovered costs $297 and is backed by an unconditional 30-day guarantee and a full 7-day trial.

You can try it free for seven days and if it is not to your liking then it doesn't require monetary payment.

Nevertheless, even when you decide to enroll, you still get an opportunity to try it for 30 days. You can also opt for 3 monthly installments at no extra cost.

You will be speaking Spanish with locals in no time. After this Spanish course, you will be able to freely order on your own in every Mexican restaurant.

Learn Spanish with Spanish Uncovered

cartoonized castle

Embarking on a journey to Spain or any Spanish-speaking country is an adventure that promises rich cultural experiences and unforgettable memories. But that adventure can be quite difficult if they speak a foreign language and you do not understand them.

To truly immerse yourself in the local culture and connect with the people, learning the Spanish language is a must.

While falling in love with a Spaniard might be a romantic notion, it's not always practical. That's where Spanish Uncovered comes in. This innovative online Spanish course by Olly Richards offers a unique and independent approach to language learning.

As you uncover the captivating story of "El Hombre del Sombrero," you'll be guided towards fluency in Spanish, enabling you to navigate the intricacies of travel and forge deeper connections with locals.

Whether you're strolling through the vibrant streets of Barcelona or savoring the flavors of paella in Valencia, Spanish Uncovered empowers you to unlock the true essence of your travel experience.

Is Spanish Uncovered free?

Based on the fact that you receive a 7-day trial with no request for payment, Spanish Uncovered is free temporarily.

If you like the course and find that the storytelling method is working for you, then payment is required. So, the entire course is not free, but Olly is fair in that he lets you try the course without paying anything initially.

What We Liked Most About Spanish Uncovered

There are several aspects we liked a lot about Spanish Uncovered. We have summarized these benefits below.

Key Pros

It's one of the few Spanish language courses that take a comprehensive and well-rounded approach to language learning.
It's not just a grammar book with some listening exercises thrown in or a vocabulary builder course.
It covers all areas of the language so that you can feel confident when using Spanish in different contexts and situations.

What we Disliked about Spanish Uncovered

As with any language course, there is room for improvement. We have summarized what we believe these areas are below.

Key Cons

The quiz at the end of each lesson requires a lot of work.
There are around 30 questions for every module and you have to write your answers by hand (online)
Some learners may find it difficult to follow conversations when there is no visual accompaniment.

As a side note, we'd love to see more focus on speaking practice through additional video lessons to help people actually speak Spanish.

Spanish Uncovered Alternatives

In honesty, there are not many comprehensive beginner-friendly courses for learning Spanish available in this style.

This style of study may be suited to those who enjoy a literacy and grammar-heavy approach (it's really detailed with its explanations), but it might not be for you if that's not your thing.

Below, we have listed some popular alternatives for anybody who wants to learn Spanish in an alternative way.

Rocket Spanish

Rocket Spanish is an online Spanish course that is similar to Spanish Uncovered. It has a focus on grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation with regular speaking exercises.

One thing that we like about Rocket Spanish is that it includes culture lessons in each module.

Like Spanish Uncovered, Rocket Spanish requires a one-time payment but does offer all users a 7-Day free trial. See our Rocket Spanish review.

Pimsleur Spanish

Pimsleur Spanish is an audio-based Spanish course that is designed for those who want to learn conversational Spanish.

The focus of the course is on helping students to develop good pronunciation, and it does this by repeating phrases and words often.

This course is different from Spanish Uncovered because there is little focus on reading and more focus on listening.

Unlike Spanish Uncovered and Rocket Spanish, Pimsleur provides a subscription-based model which you can cancel at any time.

Glossika Spanish

Glossika Spanish is a different kind of Spanish course that does not follow a story or use any grammar lessons. Instead, Glossika helps you to learn through lots of repetition, just like the Pimsleur audio course above.

Glossika's payment structure is also different from Spanish Uncovered and Rocket Spanish. It offers a subscription model which you can cancel at any time, or purchase modules à la carte.

FAQs Regarding Spanish Uncovered

Now that you know all about this language-learning course let's take a look at some frequently asked questions about Spanish Uncovered before you start preparing for your trip.

Does Spanish Uncovered work?

Spanish Uncovered will definitely teach you the Spanish language if you respond well to this style of language learning.

As mentioned, it is best suited to people who like literacy and a grammar-heavy approach. The course is extremely thorough with its explanations. However, others will prefer aural resources.

Overall, the volume of content available makes Spanish Uncovered a good value for money if you use it properly. It is beneficial long-term that there are no recurring charges.

Do you need any prior knowledge of the Spanish language?

No previous knowledge of Spanish is required in order to begin this course.

However, it's important that you have some basic understanding of the Spanish language in order to get the best possible results.

How long does it take to complete this course?

This online course will typically take around five months for a student who spends an hour on their studies each day, but this is dependent upon how quickly you learn and whether you have any previous knowledge of Spanish or not.

Is there anyone that should not take this course?

If you're looking for a course that is heavily focused on speaking and listening, Spanish Uncovered may not be the best fit.

Additionally, this course might not be suitable if you don't enjoy detailed explanations and prefer learning with more visuals. Also, very advanced Spanish learners might not benefit from it.

Summing Up: Final Thoughts on Spanish Uncovered

Overall, Spanish Uncovered provides learners with good value for money. In addition, we recommend it to those who want to learn key Spanish grammar rules and vocabulary before practicing spoken Spanish.

If you are already familiar with grammar and looking to focus on speaking then this course may not be the right one for you.

However, it will always be a great supplementary resource for language learners based on its self-study format.

Take the Spanish Uncovered free trial now and find out for yourself just how much progress you can make in 1 week.

Spanish Uncovered Review: Cost, Pros & Alternatives for Travel | 2024