Beginner Spanish Course

After Beginner, you can

• Introduce yourself and others, and ask and answer simple personal questions.
• Talk about your family, home, daily routine, likes and dislikes in the present tense.
• Handle numbers, prices, dates and the time.
• Understand short, slow, everyday sentences and simple written texts.

Units and lessons

1. Unit 1 · Ser, articles & adjectives

   Greetings, subject pronouns, ser, el/la/un/una and making adjectives agree.

   1. Greetings, Subject Pronouns & Ser, Part 1 of 2
   2. Greetings, Subject Pronouns & Ser, Part 2 of 2
   3. Dialogue Lab: First Meetings
   4. Gender, Number & Articles, Part 1 of 2
   5. Gender, Number & Articles, Part 2 of 2
   6. Contrast Clinic: El, La, Un, Una
   7. Review: Pronouns, Ser, Gender & Articles
   8. Error Hunt: Pronouns, Ser & Articles
   9. Adjective Agreement & Placement
   10. Transformations: Make It Plural, Make It Feminine
   11. Spiral Review: Articles, Adjectives & Ser
   12. Unit 1 review: Ser, articles & adjectives

2. Unit 2 · Sounds of Spanish

   Vowels, r and rr, b/v, j, ll, ñ, c/z, linking, intonation and stress, with listening and speaking.

   1. Sounds of Spanish: The Five Vowels
   2. Sounds of Spanish: B = V, and the Soft D and G
   3. Sounds of Spanish: R and RR
   4. Sounds of Spanish: J, G, H and Ñ
   5. Sounds of Spanish: LL and Y, C, Z and S
   6. Sounds of Spanish: QU, GU and GÜ
   7. Sounds of Spanish: Linking Words and the Melody of Questions
   8. Sounds of Spanish: Which Syllable Is Stressed?
   9. Unit 2 review: Sounds of Spanish

3. Unit 3 · Present-tense verbs

   Regular -ar, -er and -ir verbs and the stem changers e→ie, o→ue, e→i.

   1. Present Tense: Regular -AR Verbs
   2. Real-World Mission: A Week of -AR Verbs
   3. Dialogue Lab: What Do You Do?
   4. Beginner Vocabulary Practice, Part 1 of 4
   5. Present Tense: Regular -ER and -IR Verbs, Part 1 of 2
   6. Present Tense: Regular -ER and -IR Verbs, Part 2 of 2
   7. Contrast Clinic: -ER vs. -IR Endings
   8. Stem-Changing Verbs: E → IE
   9. Stem-Changing Verbs: O → UE and E → I
   10. Contrast Clinic: Which Vowel Changes?
   11. Review: Adjectives, -AR, -ER & -IR Verbs
   12. Error Hunt: Verb Endings & Agreement
   13. Spiral Review: Your First Ten Lessons
   14. Unit 3 review: Present-tense verbs

4. Unit 4 · Everyday irregulars

   Pongo, salgo, tengo, digo, doy, sé, conozco: the yo-go verbs, saber vs. conocer, and can, want, need or have to + infinitive.

   1. Yo-Go Verbs: Pongo, Salgo, Traigo, Hago
   2. Yo-Go Plus a Vowel Change: Tengo, Vengo, Digo, Oigo
   3. Dar, Ver and Saber: Doy, Veo, Sé
   4. Conocer and Parecer: Conozco, Parezco
   5. Saber vs. Conocer
   6. Mastery Check: Saber vs. Conocer
   7. Can, Want, Need, Have To: Verb + Infinitive
   8. Real-World Mission: First Day at a New Job
   9. Core Verbs: Everyday Actions
   10. Unit 4 review: Everyday irregulars

5. Unit 5 · Ser vs. estar

   When to use ser and when estar, plus estar + gerund for right now.

   1. Word Web: Jobs & Workplaces
   2. Ser vs. Estar, Part 1 of 2
   3. Ser vs. Estar, Part 2 of 2
   4. Real-World Mission: Describe a Photo
   5. Mastery Check: Ser vs. Estar
   6. Error Hunt: Ser or Estar?
   7. Spiral Review: Ser, Estar & Everyday Verbs
   8. Estar + Gerund: What's Happening Right Now
   9. Unit 5 review: Ser vs. estar

6. Unit 6 · Possessives, numbers & time

   Mi, tu, su, basic prepositions, numbers, prices, telling the time and your daily routine.

   1. Possessive Adjectives & Basic Prepositions
   2. Dialogue Lab: Whose Is It? Where Is It?
   3. Transformations: Possessives
   4. Beginner Vocabulary Practice, Part 2 of 4
   5. Numbers: Counting, Ages & Ordinals, Part 1 of 2
   6. Numbers: Counting, Ages & Ordinals, Part 2 of 2
   7. Real-World Mission: Prices, Ages & Phone Numbers
   8. Telling Time: ¿Qué hora es?, Part 1 of 2
   9. Telling Time: ¿Qué hora es?, Part 2 of 2
   10. Real-World Mission: Reading a Timetable
   11. My Day: Me Levanto, Me Ducho
   12. Spiral Review: Numbers, Time & Possessives
   13. Unit 6 review: Possessives, numbers & time

7. Unit 7 · Dates & questions

   Days, months, dates, family words, asking questions, and little words like todavía, casi, otro and ninguno.

   1. Days, Months & Dates
   2. Word Web: Family & People
   3. Question Words & Asking Questions
   4. Answer First: Build the Question
   5. Review: Possessives, Prepositions & Question Words, Part 1 of 2
   6. Review: Possessives, Prepositions & Question Words, Part 2 of 2
   7. Error Hunt: Questions & Prepositions
   8. Beginner Vocabulary Practice, Part 3 of 4
   9. Core Words: Then, Still, Almost, Also
   10. Core Words: Other, Some, None, Last, Only
   11. Unit 7 review: Dates & questions

8. Unit 8 · Gustar & key irregular verbs

   Talking about likes with gustar, the body and me duele, then tener, ir, hacer, hay and the weather.

   1. "Gustar" and Expressing Likes, Part 1 of 2
   2. "Gustar" and Expressing Likes, Part 2 of 2
   3. Contrast Clinic: Gusta vs. Gustan
   4. Mastery Check: "Gustar" and Expressing Likes
   5. Word Web: The Body & Feeling Unwell
   6. Dialogue Lab: Me Too, Me Neither
   7. Spiral Review: Gustar, Questions & Ser/Estar
   8. Word Web: Food & Drink
   9. Key Irregular Verbs: Tener, Ir, Hacer + Hay, Part 1 of 2
   10. Real-World Mission: Tener for Feelings & Needs
   11. Key Irregular Verbs: Tener, Ir, Hacer + Hay, Part 2 of 2
   12. Real-World Mission: Weekend Plans with Ir A
   13. Contrast Clinic: Hay vs. Está/Están
   14. Word Web: Weather & Seasons
   15. Real-World Mission: The Weather Report
   16. Unit 8 review: Gustar & key irregular verbs

9. Unit 9 · This & that, and the Beginner level so far

   Este, ese, aquel, clothes, spiral reviews and core words for places, feelings and everyday life.

   1. Word Web: House & Furniture
   2. Demonstratives: This, That & Those, Part 1 of 2
   3. Demonstratives: This, That & Those, Part 2 of 2
   4. Transformations: This, That & Those
   5. Word Web: Clothes
   6. Real-World Mission: Shopping for Clothes
   7. Spiral Review: Everything So Far — People & Descriptions
   8. Spiral Review: Everything So Far — Actions & Plans
   9. Word Web: Places & What You Do There
   10. Word Web: Feelings & States
   11. Core Verbs: When Things Happen
   12. Core Words: Up, Down, Back, There
   13. Core Words: Life, Love & the World
   14. Beginner Vocabulary Practice, Part 4 of 4
   15. Unit 9 review: This & that, and the Beginner level so far

10. Unit 10 · Beginner final review

    Comprehensive review, challenges and the exit test for the Elementary level.

    1. Beginner Comprehensive Review, Part 1 of 3
    2. Beginner Comprehensive Review, Part 2 of 3
    3. Beginner Comprehensive Review, Part 3 of 3
    4. Beginner Challenge: The Big Error Hunt
    5. Beginner Challenge: Dialogue Marathon
    6. Beginner Challenge: Translation Relay
    7. Beginner Challenge: Build-a-Sentence
    8. Beginner Challenge: A Day in Madrid — Morning
    9. Beginner Challenge: A Day in Madrid — Evening
    10. Beginner Challenge: Write Your Introduction
    11. Unit 10 review: Beginner final review
    12. Beginner Level Test: Ready for the Elementary level?