Spanish A2 

For a student with some knowledge of Spanish

Course Goal: By the end of this A2 level, learners should be able to understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate personal relevance (e.g., basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). They can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar topics. They can describe in simple terms aspects of their past, their immediate environment, and matters related to immediate needs.

A2 Spanish Course Outline (Based on Instituto Cervantes Guidelines)

Module 1: Review & Expansion - Recordando lo Básico

• Goals: Reactivate A1 knowledge; expand basic descriptions.

• Functions: Reviewing greetings, introductions, personal information; Describing people, objects, and places with more detail; Expressing likes/dislikes and preferences (gustar, encantar, preferir).

• Grammar: Review of Ser vs. Estar; Review of Present Tense (regular & key irregulars like tener, ir, hacer, poder, querer); Adjective agreement (gender/number); Possessive adjectives; Basic question words. Introduction to Demonstratives (este/ese/aquel and variants).

• Vocabulary: Review A1 themes (family, professions, numbers, colors, basic objects); Adjectives for personality and physical description.

• Culture: Review formal/informal address (tú/usted).

Module 2: Daily Life & Routines - Mi Día a Día

• Goals: Describe daily routines and schedules.

• Functions: Talking about daily activities; Telling time precisely; Expressing frequency; Sequencing actions.

• Grammar: Reflexive Verbs (levantarse, ducharse, vestirse); Present Tense of more irregular verbs; Adverbs of frequency (siempre, a menudo, a veces, nunca); Time expressions (por la mañana/tarde/noche, antes de, después de); Basic connectors (primero, luego, después, finalmente). Introduction to Present Progressive (estar + gerundio).

• Vocabulary: Daily routine verbs; Parts of the day; Days of the week, months, seasons; Ordinal numbers (basic).

• Culture: Typical daily schedules in Spain/Latin America (meal times, siesta concept).

Module 3: Past Experiences I - El Fin de Semana Pasado

• Goals: Talk about completed actions in the recent past.

• Functions: Narrating simple past events (what you did yesterday, last weekend); Asking about past activities.

• Grammar: Introduction to Pretérito Perfecto (Present Perfect - haber + past participle): Formation and use for recent past or experiences connected to the present (Hoy he comido paella, He estado en México). Regular and common irregular past participles. Time markers (hoy, esta mañana/semana/mes, ya, todavía no, alguna vez).

• Vocabulary: Leisure activities; Weekend vocabulary; Past time expressions.

• Culture: Common weekend activities.

Module 4: Past Experiences II - Historias y Anécdotas

• Goals: Talk about specific completed actions in the more distant past.

• Functions: Narrating specific events in the past (holidays, important moments); Creating a simple narrative sequence.

• Grammar: Introduction to Pretérito Indefinido (Simple Past): Formation (regular -AR, -ER/-IR verbs); Key irregular verbs (ser/ir, estar, tener, hacer, poder, querer, dar, ver); Use for completed actions in a finished time period. Time markers (ayer, anoche, la semana pasada, el mes/año pasado, en [year]). Contrast between Pretérito Perfecto and Indefinido (initial comparison).

• Vocabulary: Travel and holiday vocabulary; Verbs related to past events (visit, travel, happen, meet).

• Culture: Talking about past holidays or significant life events.

Module 5: Descriptions in the Past - Así Eran las Cosas

• Goals: Describe people, places, situations, and habits in the past.

• Functions: Describing what things/people were like; Talking about routines or habitual actions in the past; Setting the scene for a past narrative.

• Grammar: Introduction to Pretérito Imperfecto (Imperfect Past): Formation (regular -AR, -ER/-IR verbs); Irregulars (ser, ir, ver); Uses for descriptions, ongoing actions, habitual actions, age, and time in the past. Contrast between Indefinido (actions) and Imperfecto (descriptions/background).

• Vocabulary: Adjectives for describing places and situations; Childhood vocabulary; Verbs related to routines and habits.

• Culture: Comparing life in the past vs. present (simple terms).

Module 6: Shopping & Descriptions - De Compras

• Goals: Handle simple shopping situations; Describe items in more detail.

• Functions: Asking for items in a shop; Asking prices; Describing clothes (color, size, material); Making comparisons.

• Grammar: Direct Object Pronouns (lo, la, los, las); Indirect Object Pronouns (me, te, le, nos, os, les); Using gustar-like verbs (quedar bien/mal, parecer); Comparatives (más/menos... que, tan... como); Superlatives (el/la/los/las más/menos... de). Verb poder for requests (¿Puedo probarme...?).

• Vocabulary: Clothes, colors, sizes, materials; Shops and shopping expressions; Numbers (review and higher numbers for prices). Currency (Euro, Pesos, etc. - mention).

• Culture: Shopping customs; Tipping (brief mention).

Module 7: Food & Restaurants - ¡Buen Provecho!

• Goals: Order food in a restaurant; Talk about food preferences.

• Functions: Understanding a simple menu; Ordering dishes and drinks; Expressing preferences; Asking for the bill.

• Grammar: Review of querer for ordering; Using poder for requests; Indirect Object Pronouns with verbs like traer (¿Me trae la cuenta?); Vocabulary related to quantities (un poco de, mucho, demasiado); Imperative mood (Affirmative tú/usted forms - regular and common irregulars like poner, tener, venir, decir, hacer, ir, ser for simple instructions/requests).

• Vocabulary: Food and drink items (expanding A1); Meals; Restaurant vocabulary (menu, waiter, bill, tip); Cooking verbs (basic).

• Culture: Meal structure in Spanish-speaking countries; Tapas culture (Spain); Common dishes.

Module 8: Health & Well-being - Cuerpo y Salud

• Goals: Talk about health problems and feelings.

• Functions: Describing simple symptoms; Saying how you feel; Giving simple advice.

• Grammar: Verb Doler (Me duele(n)...); Using tener for symptoms (Tener fiebre/frío/calor/sueño); Using estar for temporary states/feelings (Estoy enfermo/cansado); Simple Imperatives for advice (Toma agua, Descansa).

• Vocabulary: Parts of the body; Common illnesses and symptoms (cold, flu, headache, stomach ache); Basic health advice vocabulary.

• Culture: Visiting a doctor/pharmacy (basic interactions).

Module 9: Plans & Future - ¿Qué Hacemos Mañana?

• Goals: Talk about future plans and intentions.

• Functions: Making plans with others; Expressing intentions; Making predictions (simple).

• Grammar: Introduction to Futuro Simple (Simple Future): Formation (regular and common irregulars like tener, poder, querer, hacer, decir); Uses for plans and predictions. Using Ir a + infinitivo (Near Future - review and contrast with Futuro Simple). Time expressions for the future (mañana, la semana/el mes que viene, el próximo año).

• Vocabulary: Leisure activities; Planning vocabulary (quedar con, ir a, tener planes).

• Culture: Social planning customs.

Module 10: Giving Directions & City Life - Por la Ciudad

• Goals: Ask for and give simple directions; Describe a neighborhood or city.

• Functions: Asking the way; Understanding and giving directions; Describing locations of places.

• Grammar: Imperatives for directions (sigue todo recto, gira a la derecha/izquierda, cruza la calle); Prepositions of place (review and expand: enfrente de, detrás de, entre, sobre, debajo de); Using hay (review); Using estar for location (review).

• Vocabulary: Places in the city (review and expand); Verbs for movement (ir, venir, seguir, girar, cruzar); Directional phrases.

• Culture: Public transport basics; City layouts.

Module 11: Review & Consolidation - Repaso Final A2

• Goals: Consolidate A2 grammar and vocabulary.

• Functions: Integrated practice combining various functions (e.g., narrating a past trip, describing your routine, making plans for the weekend, handling a simple shopping interaction).

• Grammar: Review of all three past tenses (Perfecto, Indefinido, Imperfecto) and their main uses/contrasts; Review of object pronouns; Review of future forms; Review of imperatives.

• Vocabulary: Comprehensive review of A2 themes.

• Activities: Role-plays, longer dialogues, simple writing tasks (e.g., postcard, email), reading short texts, listening comprehension activities. Preparation for DELE A2 exam format (optional).

Throughout the Course:

• Communicative Practice: Emphasis on pair work, group work, and interactive tasks.

• Pronunciation & Intonation: Continued focus on clarity.

• Cultural Awareness: Integrating cultural notes relevant to each topic.

• Error Correction: Constructive feedback on spoken and written production.

• Learning Strategies: Encouraging autonomous learning.

This outline provides a comprehensive framework for an A2 level course aligned with the Instituto Cervantes' standards, focusing on developing practical communication skills for everyday situations.