For a schedule of group classes click here. You can enrol online here.
Step-by-Step Spanish -- A 36-Week Course in Three Distinct Parts
The Step-by-Step Spanish course will take students from zero knowledge to being able to get by in real situations. Students will be taken from absolute beginner to pre-intermediate level gradually over 36 weeks. The course is divided into three self-contained parts and students who are unable to commit to the full 36 weeks also have the option of taking each part separately.
Step-by-Step is aimed at students who have the time to learn over a number of months in a relaxed way. The course covers the theory necessary to acquire a solid grounding of the language, which is then consolidated and put into practise by means of activities based on practical everyday scenarios students might encounter when travelling or moving to a Spanish speaking country.
The four skills, listening, reading, writing and speaking, are covered in depth. Along the course, students will absorb structures and sounds gradually and will build up a significant level of fluency in a natural way. Every level will begin with a review of the one before to consolidate the previously acquired skills.
The course utilises a textbook, following the Instituto Cervantes curriculum.
Spanish for Beginners I: The first 12-week stage provides a first contact with the language for those students with no previous knowledge. The syllabus is based on different topics that will help you get by when meeting Spanish speaking people. At the same time, it introduces the workings and sounds of the language and it provides the necessary tools to enable students to make sentences from scratch. No previous knowledge is necessary to join Beginners I.
Course content
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Get by in Spanish |
Grammar |
Vocabulary |
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Making Friends Out and About Home from Home Cheers! |
Gender and number Verbs “ser” and “estar” “Hay “ and “estar” Present tense of regular verbs Present tense of basic irregular verbs Adverbs of place Demonstrative adjectives Possessive Adjectives “Para” + infinitive The future tense |
Alphabet and numbers Countries and Nationalities Professions Hobbies Family The house The city Food and drink |
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Book Es Español: Lessons 1-5 |
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Spanish for Beginners II: The second stage is for learners who have finished the first stage or who have had previous contact with the language and wish to further their knowledge, become more confident and consolidate and practice what they’ve already covered. This second part is also ideal for those who’d like to refresh their GCSE Spanish or Spanish acquired while travelling.
Course content
| Get by in Spanish | Grammar | Vocabulary |
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Shopping Travelling Talking about daily routine Expresing likes and dislikes The time Doctors |
Stem Changing Verbs Reflexive Verbs The progressive tense Idiomatic uses of verb “tener” Further uses of “ser” and “estar” Verb “gustar” and others that work like it (“doler”, “encantar”, etc.) The Present Perfect Comparatives and Superlatives Uses of “qué” and “cuál” Times references Frequency adverbs |
Clothes Food Colours and Shapes Shops Money Packaging and measures Days of the week Months Parts of the body Spare time activities |
| Book Es Español: Lessons 6-8 |
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This is a rough guide about what you need to know before you join Beginners II:
| Get by in Spanish You can: |
Listening/Speaking You can: |
Reading/Writing You can: |
Spanish for Beginners III: The third stage consolidates what has been learnt in the previous courses and takes students further onto new structures and tenses that will enable them to communicate in a more effective way. By the end of this stage, students will have significantly improved their knowledge of Spanish.
Course content
| Get by in Spanish | Grammar | Vocabulary |
| Past events Expressions The weather Talking about future plans Making appointments Talking on the phone |
The Simple Past Direct and Indirect pronouns The Imperfect Tense Prepositions “por” and “para” The two verbs to know “saber” and “conocer” The Simple Past and The Imperfect Tense compared The Imperative Different ways of expressing the future Relative pronouns |
Time phrases Set expressions The weather Trips and geography |
| Book Es Español: Lessons 9-12 |
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In order to join Beginners III, apart from knowing the abilities to join Beginners II, students must be familiar with the following:
| Get by in Spanish You can: |
Listening/Speaking You can: |
Reading/Writing You can: |
Spanish Rápido is aimed at those students who need to learn as much as possible in a short period of time. It is ideal for people who are going on holiday, or who are travelling to a Spanish speaking country, and don’t have enough time to commit to the Step-by-Step course. It can also be a taster for those wanting to join the Step-by-Step course.
The course is focused on very practical, simple communication based on set topics, mainly for socialising and getting by in real life situations found when visiting Spanish speaking countries. Some of the topics covered in the course are; giving and asking for personal information, ordering drinks and food, booking hotel rooms, renting cars, etc.
This course is for Complete Beginners and for False Beginners wishing to refresh their memory.
The course consists of twelve 1.5 hour lessons and is aimed at those students who have a high level of Spanish grammar and wish to improve their conversational skills. The classes involve discussing current affairs and other more light hearted topics, translating into English, using real-life material, music, and Spanish and South American literature.
By the end of the course, students will be able to communicate more creatively,
effectively, clearly and with more confidence. They will also be able to understand
a wide variety of topics and gain a greater knowledge of Hispanic culture.