We understand that embarking on the journey to learn a new language can be both exciting and daunting. This is no different when it comes to mastering the basics of Spanish. If you're from the Anglosphere, you likely have some cultural and linguistic awareness due to our ties with the Hispanic world. This awareness can be both a blessing and a hindrance. It's a blessing due to an initial familiarity with vocabulary, yet it can be challenging to know how to respond when someone asks a seemingly simple question like "¿de dónde eres?", as you might understand what it means, but don't know how to respond appropriately.
This is where my beginner's interactive Spanish course is designed to help you understand how to respond to these questions and truly grasp the mechanics behind the language. I designed it after numerous years teaching the language to English natives and many years designing courses. In my experience as a qualified teacher, I've learned how to progress students' learning much faster than methods not based in pedagogy, and while teaching (largely) teenagers and young adults, I've transformed that experience into a fun and engaging adventure.
Sign up for our cheap beginner Spanish course and discover how to confidently answer essential questions like "¿cómo te llamas?" and "¿de dónde eres?" with ease. Through a series of videos, interactive exercises, and activities, you'll quickly pick up key words and phrases, turning your language learning into an empowering and independent exploration. Join us to learn Spanish online and unlock a world of opportunities with our expertly designed modules.
Mastering Spanish Basics
What's In a Name?
Understanding how to introduce yourself is a key step in mastering Spanish basics. Our interactive Spanish course begins with an entire module (All About Me) of 10 core lessons designed for this purpose. The first lesson, titled "¿cómo te llamas?" which means "what are you called?" starts you off with the very basics of introducing yourself. In this lesson, you'll learn to confidently respond with simple phrases like "me llamo [name]" (my name is [name]).
Additionally, you'll explore variations that might come up in interactions with native speakers, such as "mi nombre es [name]" (my name is [name]), ensuring you're ready for any situation. Through videos and engaging instant-feedback interactive exercises, you'll practise these phrases and the rules behind them until they become second nature. This foundational skill not only boosts your confidence but also sets the stage for more complex conversations.
How's It Going?
Learning to ask and answer "¿qué tal?" ("how are you?") is another fundamental aspect of mastering Spanish basics. This question is a casual way to check in with someone and can open the door to more in-depth conversations. It's vitally important if you visit Spain or Latin America. In our interactive Spanish course, you'll learn a logical vocabulary set that will be helpful and give you the tools in your arsenal to push ahead. Each learning component is accompanied by interactive exercises to help reinforce your understanding. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to comfortably express your mood and enquire about others'. This skill not only enriches your vocabulary but also enhances your ability to engage in everyday interactions.
Your Age and Birthday
Understanding how to talk about your age and birthday is a crucial part of Spanish basics, not only because the questions "how old are you?" and "when is your birthday?" require knowledge of numbers and months, but also as part of core knowledge of who you are, and vital information for travel. Our interactive Spanish course covers all of this in the lessons "¿cuántos años tienes?" (how old are you?) and "¿cuándo es tu cumpleaños?" (when is your birthday?). You'll learn to respond with phrases like "tengo [x] años" (I am [x] years old) and "mi cumpleaños es el [date]" (my birthday is on [date]). These lessons include a variety of exercises and activities to help you practise and internalise these phrases. By the end of this section, you'll be equipped to share these personal details with ease, further enhancing your conversational abilities - in addition to knowing the basic numbers and the months of the year!
Introducing Your World
Family and Personality
Discussing your family and describing your personality are essential topics in any language. They often come up when you're interacting with someone for the first time (consider how small talk often starts with questions about parents and siblings). In Module 1 of our interactive Spanish course, you'll delve into lessons like "¿cómo es tu familia?" (what is your family like?) and "¿cómo eres de carácter?" (what is your personality like?). You'll learn to describe family members with phrases such as "tengo una hermana" (I have a sister) or "mis padres son simpáticos" (my parents are kind). Additionally, you'll explore expressions that capture your character, like "soy extrovertido" (I am outgoing) or "soy tranquilo" (I am calm).
Moreover, I cover the grammar behind these responses (like adjective agreement and verb conjugation) so that you have the tools to manipulate the language much faster than other services and apps that restrain you with set-phrases and immersion learning. These lessons are designed to help you build a personal connection through language, supported by engaging exercises. By mastering these topics, you'll be able to share more about your personal world in Spanish.
Favourite Colours and Appearance
Being able to talk about your favourite colours and physical appearance is a fun way to express yourself in Spanish. In our interactive Spanish course, you'll explore lessons like "¿cuál es tu color favorito?" (what is your favourite colour?) and "¿cómo eres físicamente?" (what is your physical appearance like?). You'll learn to describe yourself with phrases such as "tengo los ojos azules" (I have blue eyes) and "soy alto" (I am tall). These lessons incorporate interactive exercises that make learning engaging and memorable. By the end of this section, you'll have the vocabulary needed to convey your unique traits and preferences.
Pets and Origins
Discussing pets and where you are from provides a glimpse into your life and background. Our interactive Spanish course makes sure to include our furry (or sometimes not furry) friends in lessons like "¿tienes mascotas?" (do you have any pets?). You'll learn to answer with phrases like "tengo un perro marrón" (I have a brown dog) to "no tengo mascotas" (I don’t have pets). Moreover, in lessons like "¿de dónde eres?" (where are you from?), you'll practise verb conjugation properly by saying "soy de [x]" (I am from [x]) or "vivo en [x]" (I live in [x]).
All of these lessons are supported by interactive exercises that make language learning dynamic and enjoyable. By mastering these topics, you'll be able to share personal details and engage in meaningful conversations, while also understanding the mechanics behind them with verb conjugation.
Exploring Interests and Culture
Free Time Activities
Beyond the initial 10 lessons to introduce yourself, in Module 2: Passions and Pastimes, we delve deeper into what makes us tick! Engaging in conversations about free time activities is a lively way to connect with others. We introduce you to lessons like "¿qué haces en tu tiempo libre?" (what do you do in your free time?). You'll learn to express activities with opinion phrases like "me gusta leer" (I like to read) and stem-changing/boot verbs like "juego al fútbol" (I play football).
These lessons include a variety of interactive exercises designed to help you practise and remember these expressions. You'll also continue to build essential vocabulary, such as the days of the week, sports, verbs of opinions and adjectives, linking what activities you do on which days, or adjusting activities depending on the weather. By the end of this section, you'll be prepared to discuss your hobbies and discover common interests with any Spanish-speakers you encounter, enhancing both your vocabulary and cultural understanding.
Sports and Music Preferences
Discussing sports and music preferences can reveal much about your personality and interests. As such, we seek to give you proper topic-specific vocabulary to discuss these areas through our lessons like "¿te gusta hacer deporte?" (do you like to do sport?) and "¿eres melómano?" (are you a music lover?). In these lessons, you'll gain the ability to express preferences with phrases such as "me encanta el baloncesto" (I love basketball) or "prefiero la música clásica" (I prefer classical music). By mastering these conversations, you'll be able to share your passion for sports and music, fostering deeper connections with Spanish-speakers. Just think of how often you and your friends talk about your favourite hobbies and musicians. Learning how to do this effectively in Spanish is an essential step to meeting like-minded people from the Spanish-speaking world, which has to be a main goal for learning this wonderful language.
Seasonal and Holiday Traditions
A perhaps unusual but core component to our course is a focus on understanding traditions and cultural differences. At the end of Module 2, we delve into this for the first time when we touch upon some of the Spanish-speaking world's Christmas traditions, providing you with insight into cultural nuances. By the end of this module, you'll be equipped to discuss anything you do in the Present Tense, any opinions you might have on them, and you will have some cultural insight into some of the Christmas traditions. All of this knowledge put together puts you in a really great starting point to expand on your knowledge and interact actively with the Spanish-speaking world.
If you're bored of the usual "daily streak" success but no progress rut that many learners find themselves in, dive into our course and get ahead of the curve.