SPANISH STAGE 1 COURSE DESCRIPTION
The following is a broad outline of what will be covered in Spanish Stage 1. The
course detail is explained in terms of: language topics and grammar, i.e. what you
can do with the language plus the main tenses and structures covered. Please note
that exact detail and order may vary depending on choice of class, coursebook and
particular needs of the group. At beginner level the tutor will assume no prior
knowledge of the language.
Topic areas:
1. Introduce yourself to someone and give some basic information about
yourself such as where you live/what you do/your age/what you
drink/what you want to eat.
2. Talk about other people and give the same kind of information about
them as in (1) above.
3. Ask someone else about their habits, what they do, where they live,
where they work etc.
4. Tell the time in Spanish.
5. Talk about what you are going to do in the near future.
6. Ask for what you want in a shop.
7. Describe people’s appearance, clothing etc.
8. Express your likes/dislikes.
9. Give basic directions in Spanish.
Main Grammar Points:
• Recognise the difference between the two verbs for "to be" in Spanish, ser
+ estar
• present simple of regular ar/er/ir verbs and most common irregular verbs:
ser, estar, tener, ir + hacer
• subject pronouns: yo, tu, él, ella etc..
• simple prepositions: en, de, a, entre, delante de, enfrente de etc..
• question words: ¿dónde, cómo, cuando, cuanto, qué, quién, por qué?
• masculine + feminine articles: el, los, la, las, un, una, unos, unas
• possibly a brief introduction into the use of the simple past tense, fui,
estuve, etc.
By the end of the course you should be able to communicate with a native
Spanish speaker who asked you the following questions:
¿Qué vas a tomar?
¿Cómo se llama tu amigo?
¿A qué hora sale el tren para Madrid?
¿Qué vas a hacer durante el verano?
¿Puede usted decirme cómo se llega a la estación de
autobuses?
¿Qué te pasó anoche?
¿Te gusta estudiar la lengua española?
In trying to choose the correct level, you may have to balance what you know of the
language (grammar, vocabulary etc) with your ability to speak it, since, depending on your
personal history of learning the language, you may be stronger in one area than the other.
SPANISH STAGE 2 COURSE DESCRIPTION
The following is a broad description of what will be covered in STAGE 2. Please note
that exact detail and order may vary depending on choice of class, coursebook and
particular needs of the group. The tutor will assume that students will have
completed stage 1 or equivalent.
1 Revision and Consolidation of Stage 1:
• talk about yourself, friends and family, describe where you live
• explain your daily routine, likes and dislikes
• ask for information and directions
Main grammar points: present tense of regular ar/er/ir verbs, e.g. hablar,
comer, vivir. Present tense of ser and estar. Main irregular verbs- hacer, ir,
tener and haber. Simple prepositions: en, a, de etc.. Vocabulary revision:
numbers, adjectives, family, routine, time and days, food, drink and travel.
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Main Topic areas covered in Stage 2:
talk about what you did yesterday
tell the story of your life so far
talk about past holidays, visits to Spanish speaking countries
talk about what you used to do
describe what your friends and family were like
describe good/bad experiences you’ve had over the previous year
say when your football team will win the European Cup
say what life will be like 50 years from now
say what you and your friends were doing last night between 8.00 and
10.00 pm
3 Main grammar points covered in Stage 2:
• simple past of regular and main irregular verbs, e.g. hablé ,comí, viví,
fui, etc.. tuve , hice etc…
• imperfect tense for past description, routine and continuous actions e.g.
trabajaba, iba, comía etc…
• direct and indirect object pronouns e.g. lo/la/los/las/le/les etc.
uses of por and para
• simple future tense, e.g. tendré, iré etc.
• present perfect tense, e.g. he estado en.., ¿ has visto?
• imperative, e.g. venga, haz, dígame etc…
Following the course you should be able to communicate with a native
Spanish speaker who asked you the following questions.
• ¿Cuándo llegaste a España?
• ¿Cómo fue el viaje?
• ¿Habéis estado en México?
• ¿Cuando tú tenías quince años, ¿tomaban drogas tus amigos?
• ¿Te parece que algún día Escocia será un país independiente?
• ¿Por qué no estabas aquí ayer a las diez? ¿Qué hacías?
In trying to choose the correct level, you may have to balance what you know
of the language (grammar, vocabulary etc) with your ability to speak it, since,
depending on your personal history of learning the language, you may be
stronger in one area than the other
SPANISH STAGE 3 COURSE DESCRIPTION
The following is a broad description of what will be covered in STAGE 3. Please note
that exact detail and order may vary depending on choice of class, coursebook and
particular needs of the group. The tutor will assume that students will have
completed stage 2 or equivalent.
1 Revision and Consolidation of Stage 2:
- talk about past holidays, events, etc.
- talk about what you used to do
- describe past experiences, what things were like etc.
- predict what life will be like in the future.
Main grammar points to be revised: simple past of regular
and main irregular verbs - hablé, fui etc., imperfect tense trabajaba, iba etc. Direct and indirect object pronouns. Simple future
tendré, iré etc. Present perfect - he estado en ¿ has visto? etc.
Imperative forms - venga, haz etc..
2
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Main topic areas covered in Stage 3:
talk about different kinds of experiences in the past and future
write and tell story of books, films, plays etc. you have read/seen
talk about hopes, wishes, desires etc.
talk about what will happen when something else happens
talk about what you would do if something happened
3. Main grammar points covered in Stage 3:
- combining and choosing between appropriate past tenses covered till now:
simple past, present perfect and imperfect
- pluperfect ( past perfect ) tense to talk about the past from the past
la fiesta había empezado cuando llegamos
- present subjunctive to express hopes, desires etc.., espero que no
sea muy caro, quiero que ( tu ) vengas and the future - cuando vayamos
a España tomaremos un vino tinto
- Conditional tenses to talk about hypothetical situations si yo ganara la lotería me compraría una casa en Saltcoats
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Following the course you should be able to have a go at the following:
¿Puedes comentar en español sobre un artículo de algún periódico?
¿Puedes contar en español el argumento básico de una película inglesa
o española y dar tu crítica personal?
¿Puedes describir en español tus deseos para el futuro
¿si ganaras la lotería qué harías ?
In trying to choose the correct level, you may have to balance what you know of the
language (grammar, vocabulary etc) with your ability to speak it, since, depending
on your personal history of learning the language, you may be stronger in one area
than the other
SPANISH STAGE 4 COURSE DESCRIPTION
The following is a broad description of what will be covered in STAGE 4. Please note
that exact detail and order may vary depending on choice of class, coursebook and
particular needs of the group. The tutor will assume that students will have
completed stage 3 or equivalent.
1
Revision and Consolidation of Stage 3
- talk about different kinds of experiences in the past and future
- write and tell story of books, films, plays etc. you have read/seen
- talk about hopes, wishes, desires etc.
- talk about what will happen when something else happens
- talk about what you would do if something happened
Main grammar points to be revised
- combining and choosing between appropriate past tenses e.g. simple past,
present perfect , imperfect and pluperfect
- present subjunctive to express hopes, desires etc.., espero que no
sea muy caro, quiero que ( tu ) vengas and the future - cuando vayamos
a España tomaremos un vino tinto
- Conditional tenses to talk about hypothetical situations si yo ganara la lotería me compraría una casa en Saltcoats
2
Main language/topic areas covered in stage 4*
- topical discussion ( pair/small group/whole class ) on such areas as the
arts, politics and current affairs
- written work on areas of interest to students, e.g. El Cine de Almodóvar,
El Mundo de Hoy, Las Autonomías etc.
- short oral presentations on a subject of students’ choice
- TV/video material reflecting current affairs in Spanish Speaking World
* the above is only a guide. At this level it is expected that participants
suggest specific topic areas which reflect their interests.
3
Main Grammar points covered in Stage 4
- further consolidation and practice of all main tenses
- further work and practice on subjunctives:
present - no creo que sea cierto
perfect - espero que haya terminado
imperfect - le aconsejé que viniera
pluperfect - si yo hubiera sabido habría venido
- additional work on grammar and structure as necessary
In trying to choose the correct level, you may have to balance what you know of the
language (grammar, vocabulary etc) with your ability to speak it, since, depending
on your personal history of learning the language, you may be stronger in one area
than the other
Español nivel 4 (Avanzado)
Este curso está diseñado para estudiantes que tienen un nivel suficientemente alto
para conversar con fluidez y desean mantener o mejorar ese nivel. Este nivel puede
repetirse tantas veces como el estudiante lo desee ya que cada año el material y
contenido serán diferentes.
Objetivos de este curso:
• Mejorar la habilidad de conversar en español. (Usando estructuras más
sofisticadas; modos (indicativo, subjuntivo e imperativo) y sus tiempos;
expresiones idiomáticas y coloquiales)
• Ampliar vocabulario específico a través de lecturas.
• Mejorar la habilidad para leer y entender cuentos cortos, artículos del
periódico y de revistas.
• Mejorar la escritura.
Actividades del curso:
• Los estudiantes discutirán en pequeños grupos las noticias, temas de
actualidad, libros y películas.
• En clase se leerán artículos, noticias y cuentos de escritores españoles y
latinoamericanos.
• Se revisará la gramática y se harán ejercicios para practicarla.
• El estudiante escribirá pequeños ensayos sobre temas dados por el profesor.
• Se verán videos con historias cortas para mejorar la habilidad de escuchar y
se discutirá el contenido.
• Los estudiantes tendrán la oportunidad de hacer pequeñas presentaciones al
grupo sobre arte, música, pintura, escritores, etc. (Esta actividad es
voluntaria).
Este curso se realiza en una atmósfera relajada, cordial y sin presiones, por lo
tanto es muy importante que el estudiante esté en el curso adecuado. En caso de
que el estudiante no esté muy seguro de su nivel, se recomienda hablar con el
profesor para que le oriente y le sugiera el nivel más adecuado donde pueda recibir
la atención y contenido que merece.