Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Según el correo, la siguiente entrevista será por teléfono. - According to the email, the next interview will be by phone.

In normal speech and writing you use the article because you’re referring to a specific email: según el correo = “according to the email.” Dropping the article (según correo) sounds like a headline or shorthand and is uncommon in everyday Spanish. If you mean “according to an email,” you’d say según un correo.

Does correo by itself mean “email” in Spain, or should it be correo electrónico?

In Spain, both are fine:

correo electrónico is the clear, formal way to say “email.”
correo often means “email” in context, especially in workplaces. You’ll also hear email, e-mail or mail in informal speech. All are widely understood.

What does según do grammatically here?

Según is a preposition meaning “according to.” It introduces the source of the information: según el correo = “according to the email.” With a noun like this, no verb mood issue arises (no subjunctive). It can also be followed by a person: según Juan…

Is the comma after según el correo necessary?

It’s recommended. When a short prepositional phrase like según el correo comes at the start, Spanish typically uses a comma before the main clause for clarity.

Why la siguiente entrevista and not la entrevista siguiente?

Both are possible, but the default with siguiente is before the noun.

la siguiente entrevista = the next/following interview (neutral, most common).
la entrevista siguiente is used more when you’re enumerating items (e.g., “the interview that comes next in a list”). In many contexts, it’s less idiomatic than the prenominal position.

What’s the difference between siguiente and próxima?

siguiente highlights sequence (“the following one in order”), often tied to a previous item.
próxima highlights time (“the upcoming/next one”). In many real-world contexts, they overlap. You could say la próxima entrevista with essentially the same meaning here.

Why the future será instead of present es or va a ser?

All three work, with subtle nuances:

será: neutral future plan or arrangement; slightly more formal.
es: scheduled fact stated plainly; common in timetables/schedules.
va a ser: “going to be”; a bit more conversational. So you can also say: Según el correo, la siguiente entrevista es/va a ser por teléfono.

Could será here mean “it’s probably by phone”?

Spanish simple future can express probability about the present (e.g., Será tarde = “It’s probably late”). In this sentence, the phrase según el correo anchors it as a stated plan, not speculation. Without that phrase, La siguiente entrevista será por teléfono could be read either as a plan or as a guess, depending on context.

Why is it por teléfono and not en or al teléfono?

Because por expresses the means/instrument (“by phone”).

por teléfono = by phone (standard).
al teléfono is used in set phrases like Está al teléfono (“He/She is on the phone”).
en el teléfono refers to location or device (“in/on the phone” as an object), not the means. Only use an article if referring to a specific device: por el teléfono de la oficina (by the office phone).

Could I say entrevista telefónica instead of será por teléfono?

Yes. You can say:

la entrevista será por teléfono (by phone),
la entrevista será telefónica, or
la entrevista será por videollamada / la entrevista será online if relevant. Also common in formal registers: la entrevista se realizará por teléfono.

Why ser and not estar with entrevista?

Events use ser to describe what/when/how they take place: La entrevista será por teléfono, La reunión es a las 10. Estar is for states/locations of people/things, not events.

Do the articles match gender correctly: el correo, la entrevista?

Yes. correo is masculine (el correo), and entrevista is feminine (la entrevista). Hence la siguiente entrevista and the verb in singular: será, not serán.

Are the accent marks important: Según, será, teléfono?

Absolutely. They mark stress and distinguish forms:

según (ú)
será (á; future of ser) vs sera (a heifer!)
teléfono (é) Leaving them out can change meaning or sound unnatural.

Can I replace según with something else?

Yes, common alternatives:

De acuerdo con el correo, …
Conforme al correo, … (more formal)
Como dice el correo, … (more colloquial: “as the email says”)