Back to School - Learn Spanish Online and Resources for Teachers

September is here, and for many that means one thing: the summer holidays are over and a new school year begins. It’s a busy time for teachers, often a demanding period for parents, and a moment when learners look for ways to get ahead.

Spanish Online Video School: Now Bigger Than Ever

I am delighted to announce that my Spanish Online Video School has grown. What began back in April with 30 lessons has now expanded into a full programme of 52 lessons, complete with over 250 videos and more than 750 interactive activities designed to test your learning in real time.

The course now covers the equivalent of the first two years of Spanish at school, making it ideal for year 7 and 8 pupils who want to revise, or get ahead outside of class. But it’s not just for younger learners, I also made it with adults looking for a structured, academic approach to Spanish in mind.

Spanish Step 1 Course Content:

Spanish Step 1: Module 1 - All About Me

1. 📞 ¿Cómo te llamas? - what are you called?

2. 😊 ¿Qué tal? - how are you?

3. 🔢 ¿Cuántos años tienes? - how old are you?

4. 🥳 ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? - when is your birthday? 

5. 🏡 ¿Cómo es tu familia? - what is your family like?

6. 👻 ¿Cómo eres de carácter? - what is your personality like?

7. 🟢 ¿Cuál es tu color favorito? - what is your favourite colour?

8. 👁️ ¿Cómo eres físicamente? - what is is your physical appearance like?

9. 🐶 ¿Tienes mascotas? - do you have any pets?

10. 🌎 ¿De dónde eres? - where are you from?

Spanish Step 1: Module 2 - Passions and Pastimes ​

1. 🎳 ¿Qué haces en tu tiempo libre? - what do you do in your free time?

2. 🏀 ¿Te gusta hacer deporte? - do you like to do sport?

3. 🎸 ¿Eres melómano? - are you a music lover?

4. 🥶 ¿Qué haces cuando hace frío? - what do you do when it's cold?

5. 🎄 ¿Cómo celebras Navidad? - how do you celebrate Christmas?

Spanish Step 1: Module 3 - 9 to 5​

1. 📚 ¿Qué asignaturas estudias?  - what do you study?

2. ⏰ ¿Cuándo tenemos clase? - ¿Qué hora es? - when do we have class? - What's the time?

3. ✏️ ¿Dónde está tu bolígrafo? - where is your pen?

4. 🏫 ¿Cómo es tu colegio? - what is your school like?

5.  🧑‍🏫 ¿Cómo son tus profesores? - what are your teachers like?

6. ⚽ ¿Qué actividades extraescolares haces? - what extracurricular activities do you do?

7. 💰 ¿En qué trabajas? - what do you do for a living?

8. 📈 ¿Cómo es tu jefe? - what’s your boss like?

9. 📅 ¿Cuándo tenemos reunión? - when is the meeting?

10. 🏙️ ¿Cómo es tu oficina? - what's your office like? 

Spanish Step 1: Module 4 - My Corner of the World

1.🏡 ¿Dónde vives? - where do you live?

2. 🛀 ¿Cómo es tu casa? - what's your house like?

3. 🏛️¿Qué hay en tu barrio? - what's your neighbourhood like?

4. 📚 ¿Dónde está la biblioteca? - where's the library?

5. 🛫 ¿Adónde vas a ir de vacaciones? - where are you going to go on holiday? 

Spanish Step 2 Course Content:​​​​

Spanish Step 2: Module 1 - My Memorable Holiday

1.     🏝️ ¿Adónde fuiste de vacaciones? - where did you go on holiday?

2.     ✈️ ¿Cómo fuiste? - how did you travel?

3.     🎢 ¿Qué hiciste en tus vacaciones? - what did you do on holiday?

4.     🧐 ¿Cómo fue tu viaje? - how was your holiday?

5.     🤕 ¿Qué pasó en tus vacaciones? - what happened on your holiday?

6.     🗿 ¿Qué hiciste en Latinoamérica? - what did you do in Latin America?

Spanish Step 2: Module 2 - Fantastic Food

1.     🍎 ¿Qué te gusta comer? - what do you like to eat?

2.     🤤 ¿Por qué te gusta este plato? - why do you like this dish?

3.     🌯 ¿Qué sueles comer? - what do you normally eat?

4.     🍽️ ¿Qué comiste ayer? - what did you eat yesterday?

5.     🥗 ¿Llevas una dieta sana? - do you have a healthy diet?

6.     🧑‍🍳 ¿Quieres venir al restaurante conmigo? - do you want to come to the restaurant with me?

​​Spanish Step 3: Module 3 - A Day In My Life

1.     ⏰ ¿Cuándo te despiertas? - when do you wake up?

2.     🛌 ¿Cuándo te acostaste anoche? - when did you go to bed last night?

3.     ⚽️ ¿Qué sueles hacer los fines de semana? - what do you usually do at the weekend?

4.     👶 ¿Qué hacías cuando eras más joven? - what did you used to do when you were younger?

5.     🧹 ¿Cómo ayudas en casa? - how do you help at home?

Spanish Step 1: Module 4 - My Style

1.     👕 ¿Qué ropa llevas? - what clothes do you normally wear?

2.     📱 ¿Cómo usas tu móvil? - what do you do on your phone?

3.     📺 ¿Qué te gusta ver en la tele? - what do you like to watch on TV?

4.     🍿 ¿Te gustan las películas de acción? - do you like action films?

5.     🎞️ ¿Fuiste al cine ayer? - did you go to the cinema last night?

These courses guide learners through 4 key tenses (Present, Preterite, Imperfect, and Near Future), with introductions to the conditional. They provide all the essentials you need to start speaking Spanish confidently.

And the journey doesn’t stop there, Spanish Step 3 is already in the works, due before Christmas. This next stage will introduce the Present Subjunctive, Present Perfect, Conditional, and Simple Future.

At only £7.99 a month - just over the cost of a pint in London - the Spanish Online Video School offers huge value for anyone serious about learning.

The Independent Learner Section

Alongside the video courses, I’ve expanded the Independent Learners section of Languages on a Plate. This area focuses on building cultural capital and helping learners explore the Spanish-speaking world, its people, food, music, and history.

I originally made it after being inspired by helping my students’ end-of-term projects, and since starting it, it has become a one-stop hub packed with insight and useful fact-checked knowledge. It’s also a helpful starting point of inspiration for A-Level Spanish Independent Research Projects (IRPs).

Deep-Dive Blog Content

My blog continues to grow with long-form articles on culture, history, music, and more. Recent posts include:

• A review of the revival of Evita in London and a deep dive into the life of Eva Perón

• A Spanish perspective on the 2025–26 football season

• A feature on Gloria Estefan, inspired by her appearance on Songs and Stories

These pieces are designed to enrich your understanding of Spanish-speaking cultures while offering engaging reads for learners and teachers alike.

Teacher-Focused Content

I have also re-opened the Spanish Teacher Total plan, which now includes over 100 resources. Most are fully scaffolded lessons, while others target exam preparation.

In addition, I’ve been developing Spanish Step 4 and Spanish Step 5 content, with GCSE/IGCSE and A-Level documents being uploaded.

On top of all this, I’ve also launched a brand-new Teacher Training area with CPD content. Most recently, I created a 90-minute video walkthrough showcasing over 100 different activity types for Key Stage 3. It’s the perfect resource for anyone completing their MFL PGCE or any ECT, but equally valuable for experienced teachers looking to refresh their activities with engaging and proven templates. Just like all the other content, I will be adding other tips and tricks throughout the academic year.

New Music Playlists

Finally, I’ve created Spanish language playlists to support both learning and teaching. There are two versions:

• A classroom-safe playlist with no explicit content (to the best of my knowledge), perfect to send to your students, or play in class

• An at home playlist containing explicit and non-explicit tracks for learners who want the full range of modern and canonical Spanish music - or just to use as a launchpad to make their own Spanish language playlists

These are available on my Spotify page.

So here’s to a brand new academic year. Whether you’re learning Spanish online, teaching in the classroom, or simply curious about Hispanic culture, I hope these resources help.

Buena suerte, and enjoy the new content!