Course A1 "Newcomer"

From zero to A1.2
40 classes of 60 minutes each
live online with a native-speaker teacher
mini-group of up to 3 people or individual classes
about 5 months with 2 classes a week

In this course, you will go from zero to a level that is enough to get by in any Spanish-speaking country: you will learn to read and write in Spanish, talk about yourself and deal with basic everyday situations — in a café, in a restaurant, on public transport and in many other places.

Who this course is for

This course is for people who have never studied Spanish, or who studied on their own but never really understood it, gave up and now want to start again from the alphabet.

What you will learn

Speaking and communicating

Talking about yourself and the people around you

introduce yourself: your name, age, job, where you are from and where you live
talk about your family and friends
describe your day and say how often you do things
talk about your hobbies
describe a person: what they look like, their character, their clothes
numbers up to 100, the time, days of the week and months

Managing in everyday situations

say hello and goodbye, and ask questions when you meet someone
ask the time and agree on a day and time
order in a café and book a table in a restaurant
find your way around a town: ask for directions and check a train timetable
as a guest: ask someone to pass you something at the table

Discussing and agreeing

say what you like and ask the other person what they like
say what you need to do, can do and want to do
describe the weather and your town, and compare it with other places
give your opinion and agree or disagree with the other person
ask for and give instructions with «tú» and «usted»

Listening

slow, clear speech: simple questions and short dialogues
songs we study in class

Reading

aloud, with correct pronunciation — from the first classes
short, simple texts: stories about people, menus, a city guide

Writing

short texts of 50–80 words
fill in simple forms

Grammar

the present tense of regular and irregular verbs
the present tense of reflexive verbs
the verbs ser and estar, and haber
verbs with an infinitive: tener que, poder, querer, soler + infinitive
articles, gender and number of nouns
demonstratives and possessives: este; mi, tu, su
question words
the verb gustar and similar verbs
the adverbs también and tampoco
comparisons
the imperative with «tú» and «usted»

Programme

The course follows the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and is based on the Instituto Cervantes curriculum (Plan Curricular del Instituto Cervantes) and the programmes of Spain's state language schools (Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas).

The programme and all the materials were created by our academic coordinator, Ivanis — a native Spanish speaker, linguist and translator, with a bachelor's degree in linguistics and a Master's degree in Translation and Intercultural Mediation (University of Salamanca).

How the course is organised

The course has two blocks of 20 classes, and each block is divided into four chapters of five classes. The names of the blocks and chapters tell one story: you meet a new person, then you tell them all about your life, show them your town and invite them to your home — and step by step you learn to talk about all of this.

Block 1. Let's get to know each other · classes 1–20

Chapter 1. Hola (1–5)
Chapter 2. We are friends (6–10)
Chapter 3. Meet my family (11–15)
Chapter 4. This is my daily routine (16–20)

What we study: the alphabet and reading rules, the verbs ser, estar and tener, the present tense of regular and irregular verbs, reflexive verbs, articles, gender and number, demonstratives and possessives, question words, numbers up to 60, the time and days of the week, jobs, family, daily routine.

Block 2. Tell me everything · classes 21–40

Chapter 5. You need to study (21–25)
Chapter 6. I like you (26–30)
Chapter 7. Let me show you my town (31–35)
Chapter 8. Come and visit me (36–40)

What we study: verbs with an infinitive (tener que, poder, querer), the verb gustar, también and tampoco, muy and mucho, the weather, appearance and clothes, comparisons, ser and estar for character and mood, hay, está and es, the town and transport, cafés and restaurants, the imperative, parts of the body, numbers up to 100.

What the classes are like

Each class lasts 60 minutes. At the start, we set the communication goals of the class. Then we look at new vocabulary and grammar rules, and you use them straight away in written and spoken exercises, dialogues and role plays. At the end, we check whether we have reached the goal.

Each class comes with theory in English — useful for reviewing at home — and its own Quizlet flashcards to revise the vocabulary. After each class there is homework that takes 30 to 40 minutes: you check part of it yourself, and the teacher checks a short text and a video. All materials are included in the course price.

Every course has review classes and speaking practice classes. In most classes we introduce new material, and then we hold a special class to review what we have covered, so that everything settles in your mind. In the speaking practice classes there is no new topic: you speak freely about everything you have learnt so far and see how far you have come.

How we check your progress

At the end of each block, you take a self-marking test: you see your result straight away, with your mistakes and an explanation of each one in English.

Final exam

The course ends with our own final exam, based on material you already know. It has three parts:

a grammar and vocabulary test — 150 questions, and you see your result straight away
a written part — a translation, a text about your family, a reading comprehension task and a photo description
a 15-minute conversation with Ivanis on familiar topics: your life, family, hobbies, town and plans

After the exam, you get detailed feedback in English. And if your result is still below the pass mark, we will make a plan together: which topics to review and when to take the exam again.

After this course

You will speak with confidence about yourself and your life in the present tense, and you will be ready to move on to Course A2 "Tourist", where three past tenses are waiting for you →

Price

From €16 per class

In a mini-group of up to 3 people, each class costs from €16 per person, in a pair, from €20 per person, and individually, from €32. Classes are paid in packages of 5, 10 or 20 classes. A package of 10 classes has a 10% discount, and a package of 20, 15%.

We will tell you the exact price after you fill in the form and we prepare a proposal with a course and a teacher for you.

Ready to start Course A1 "Newcomer"?

To start, you only need to fill in a short form: we will look at your level and goals and suggest the format and teachers that suit you best.

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