Course A2 "Tourist"

From A1.2 to A2.3
80 classes of 60 minutes each
live online with a native-speaker teacher
mini-group of up to 3 people or individual classes
about 10 months with 2 classes a week

With only the present tense, life abroad is not easy. In this course you will learn three past tenses, and you will be able to talk about your past and ask anyone about theirs.

Who this course is for

For people who already speak with confidence about themselves in the present tense: you have finished our A1 course or studied Spanish before, you can conjugate regular and irregular verbs in the present tense, and you use basic vocabulary.

If you are not sure about your level, you can take our free Spanish level test →

What you will learn

Speaking and communicating

Talking about the past

what you did yesterday and how your weekend went
what you have already done today and what you have not done yet
what you have ever tried
what your childhood and student years were like
combining different past tenses: "I was at home when…"

Managing in everyday situations

at the bank, in a hotel, in a restaurant, at the supermarket…
look for a flat and come to an agreement with an estate agent
at the doctor's: say what hurts, call an ambulance…
ask for and give directions, and choose a means of transport
at work: discuss tasks, a promotion and retirement
numbers from 100 to 1000

Discussing and agreeing

suggest plans and arrange to meet
tell the story of a film and discuss TV series
compare things and choose the best: "the most…", "one of the most…"
talk about your plans for the future
talk about the weather, holidays and dates, and make a toast

Listening

speech at a calm pace: dialogues, short stories, requests and instructions
songs and short films we study in class

Reading

biographies of famous people and short news articles
flat adverts, menus and timetables
short stories and fairy tales

Writing

connected texts of 80–100 words: a story about an event or a description

Grammar

three past tenses — Pretérito Indefinido (the simple past), Pretérito Perfecto (the past connected to the present) and Pretérito Imperfecto (the past for descriptions and habits) — and how to combine them
direct and indirect object pronouns: «lo», «le» and «se lo»
the imperative with «usted»
the verb phrase estar + gerundio (perífrasis verbal) — an action that is happening right now
comparatives and superlatives
the verb phrase ir a + infinitivo (perífrasis verbal) — plans for the future
the full form of possessives: mío, tuyo, suyo (posesivos tónicos)

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 four 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 move to a new country, settle in and remember how things used to be — and step by step you learn to talk about all of this.

Block 1. Where did you come from · classes 1–20

Chapter 1. What happened? (1–5)
Chapter 2. There was a mistake (6–10)
Chapter 3. They got divorced (11–15)
Chapter 4. I found out yesterday (16–20)

What we study: the simple past (pretérito indefinido) of regular and irregular verbs, verbs with vowel changes, the difference between hubo and fue, comparisons, numbers from 100 to 1000, yesterday's weather, holidays, the bank, the hotel, the restaurant.

Block 2. You found a place to live · classes 21–40

Chapter 5. I'm looking for a flat (21–25)
Chapter 6. I've already found it (26–30)
Chapter 7. Shall we go to the cinema? (31–35)
Chapter 8. The best film (36–40)

What we study: direct object pronouns (lo, la, los, las), prepositions of place (preposiciones de lugar), demonstratives (demostrativos), dates and ordinal numbers, plans for the future (ir a + infinitivo), the superlative (superlativo), the house and the flat, the supermarket, films and TV series.

Block 3. The renovation is still not finished · classes 41–60

Chapter 9. What have you done today? (41–45)
Chapter 10. Have you ever been to Mexico? (46–50)
Chapter 11. I've already given it back! (51–55)
Chapter 12. I've got a headache (56–60)

What we study: the past connected to the present (pretérito perfecto), "already" and "not yet", "ever", indirect object pronouns (le, les) and how to combine them (se lo), the imperative with «usted» (imperativo de usted), actions in progress (estar + gerundio), work and career, taxes, health and the doctor.

Block 4. Everything was different before · classes 61–80

Chapter 13. What my childhood was like (61–65)
Chapter 14. When I was a student (66–70)
Chapter 15. I was at home when… (71–75)
Chapter 16. I did it! (76–80)

What we study: the past for descriptions and habits (pretérito imperfecto), combining past tenses, "before" and "now", possessives (posesivos), how to get somewhere, stories and fairy tales, preparing for DELE A2.

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 the written tasks. All materials are included in the course price.

Every course has vocabulary activation classes and speaking practice classes. In most classes we introduce new material, and then we hold special classes where we activate the vocabulary from several chapters, so that you do not forget the new words. 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 a final exam in the DELE A2 format and a final grammar test. So that you know what to expect, before the exam we hold four preparation classes — one each for reading, listening, writing and speaking.

After this course

You will talk about the past with confidence and you will be ready to move on to any of our B1 courses: for example, Course B1 "Expat", where the future tense and the subjunctive 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 A2 "Tourist"?

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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