Basic Spanish

For a student with no or very little knowledge of Spanish. 

This course is equivalent to the Level A1 of the Plan Curricular del Instituto Cervantes 

Module 1: Foundations - ¡Empecemos! (Let's Start!)

• Lesson 1: Spanish Sounds & Greetings

  • The Spanish Alphabet (El Alfabeto) - focus on vowel sounds (A, E, I, O, U) and tricky consonants (H, J, LL, Ñ, RR, C/G variations).

  • Basic Pronunciation Rules.

  • Essential Greetings: Hola, Adiós, Buenos días, Buenas tardes, Buenas noches.

  • Courtesy Phrases: Por favor, Gracias, De nada, Perdón, Con permiso.

• Lesson 2: Introductions & Subject Pronouns

  • Introducing Yourself: Me llamo..., Soy... (My name is..., I am...)

  • Asking Names: ¿Cómo te llamas? (informal), ¿Cómo se llama usted? (formal)

  • Asking How Someone Is: ¿Cómo estás? (inf.), ¿Cómo está usted? (form.), ¿Qué tal?

  • Responding: Bien, Muy bien, Más o menos, Mal.

  • Subject Pronouns: Yo, Tú, Él, Ella, Usted, Nosotros/as, Vosotros/as, Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes.

Module 2: Building Blocks - Verbs & Nouns

• Lesson 3: The Verb SER (To Be - Permanent/Identity)

  • Present Tense Conjugation of SER.

  • Using SER for: Names, Origin (Soy de...), Nationality, Descriptions (permanent qualities), Time/Dates.

  • Simple sentences: Yo soy estudiante. Él es de México. Es la una.

• Lesson 4: The Verb ESTAR (To Be - Temporary/Location)

  • Present Tense Conjugation of ESTAR.

  • Using ESTAR for: Location (Estoy en casa), Feelings/Conditions (Estoy bien/cansado/a), Present Progressive (-ando/-iendo - brief intro).

  • Basic Ser vs. Estar distinction (permanent vs. temporary/location).

  • Recap

  • Conversation

• Lesson 5: Nouns & Articles

• Gender of Nouns: Masculine (-o, exceptions) & Feminine (-a, exceptions).

• Number of Nouns: Singular & Plural (-s, -es).

• Definite Articles (The): el, la, los, las. Agreement with nouns.

• Indefinite Articles (A/An/Some): un, una, unos, unas. Agreement with nouns.

• Vocabulary: Common classroom objects, family members.

• Classroom objects. Foto, Foto 2

Module 3: Simple Sentences & Descriptions

• Lesson 6: Basic Sentence Structure & Questions

  • Simple Sentence Formation: Subject + Verb + Complement.

  • Negation: Using "no" before the verb (No soy estudiante).

  • Forming Yes/No Questions (intonation, ¿...?).

  • Basic Question Words: Qué (What?), Quién (Who?), Dónde (Where?), Cuándo (When?), Cómo (How?), Por qué (Why?), Cuánto/a/os/as (How much/many?).

• Lesson 7: Adjectives

  • Descriptive Adjectives: Common adjectives (bueno/malo, grande/pequeño, bonito/feo, alto/bajo, joven/viejo). Colores

  • Agreement: Matching adjectives in gender and number with the nouns they describe.

  • Placement: Usually after the noun (la casa blanca).

• Reading Comprehension

• Lesson 8: The Verb TENER (To Have)

  • Present Tense Conjugation of TENER.

  • Using TENER for: Possession (Tengo un libro), Age (Tengo X años), Obligations (Tener que + infinitive - brief intro).

  • Common TENER expressions: Tener hambre/sed/frío/calor/sueño/miedo (to be hungry/thirsty/cold/hot/sleepy/afraid).

Module 4: Expanding Verbs & Vocabulary

• Lesson 9: Regular -AR Verbs

  • Present Tense Conjugation Pattern for regular -AR verbs.

  • Common Verbs: Hablar (to speak), Estudiar (to study), Trabajar (to work), Comprar (to buy), Mirar (to watch), Escuchar (to listen).

  • Forming simple sentences with -AR verbs.

  • Cuadro de conjugaciones de los verbos -AR, -ER, -IR

• Lesson 10: Regular -ER & -IR Verbs

  • Present Tense Conjugation Patterns for regular -ER and -IR verbs.

  • Common Verbs: Comer (to eat), Beber (to drink), Aprender (to learn), Vivir (to live), Escribir (to write), Abrir (to open).

  • Practice forming sentences.

• Lesson 11: Numbers, Time, & Dates

  • Numbers 0-100.

  • Telling Time: ¿Qué hora es? Es la una. Son las dos/tres... y media, y cuarto, menos cuarto.

  • Days of the Week (Los días de la semana).

  • Months of the Year (Los meses del año).

  • Saying the date.

Module 5: Practical Communication

• Lesson 12: The Verb IR (To Go) & Places

  • Present Tense Conjugation of IR (irregular).

  • Using IR + a + place (Voy a la escuela).

  • Using IR + a + infinitive (Simple future: Voy a estudiar - I am going to study).

  • Vocabulary: Basic places (casa, escuela, trabajo, tienda, supermercado, restaurante, parque, banco, hospital).

• Lesson 13: Likes/Dislikes & Food

  • The Verb GUSTAR (to like/be pleasing to): Me gusta(n), Te gusta(n), Le gusta(n), etc.

  • Expressing preferences.

  • Basic Food & Drink Vocabulary (pan, agua, leche, café, fruta, pollo, arroz, etc.).

  • Simple ordering phrases: Quiero..., Me gustaría..., Para comer/beber…

  • Dialogs to express preferences

• Lesson 14: Useful Phrases & Prepositions

  • Asking for Directions: ¿Dónde está...?  Fotos (Where is...?).

  • Asking for Help: ¿Puede ayudarme? (Can you help me?).

  • Shopping Basics: ¿Cuánto cuesta? (How much does it cost?).

  • Basic Prepositions of Place: en (in/on/at), a (to/at), de (from/of), con (with), sin (without), sobre (on/about), debajo de (under).

  • Diálogo direcciones

  • Diálogo compras

Module 6: Putting It Together & Next Steps

• Lesson 15: Review & Simple Conversation Practice

  • Consolidate key grammar points and vocabulary.

  • Practice dialogues combining elements from previous lessons (introductions, talking about routines, making simple plans, ordering food).

  • Introduction to basic cultural notes (formality: tú vs. usted, personal space, greetings).

  • Resources for continued learning (apps, websites, language exchange partners, further courses).

  • Listening Comprehension