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Beginner

Unit 1: Introduction to Spanish

Topics:

  • Spanish alphabet and phonetics [video] [pdf]

  • Greetings and farewells (e.g., Hola, Adiós, Buenos días)

  • Introducing yourself (e.g., Me llamo..., Soy...)

  • Numbers 0-20

Grammar:

  • Subject pronouns (e.g., yo, tú, él/ella)

  • Basic verbs: ser (to be) in present tense

Culture:

  • Importance of greetings in Spanish-speaking countries

  • Overview of Spanish-speaking countries and their flags

Unit 3: Describing People and Things

Topics:

  • Family and relationships (e.g., madre, hermano)

  • Physical descriptions (e.g., alto, bajo, rubio)

  • Common adjectives (e.g., grande, pequeño)

Grammar:

  • Adjective-noun agreement (casa grande, niño pequeño)

  • Introduction to verbs like tener (to have) and gustar (to like)

Culture:

  • Family dynamics in Spanish-speaking countries

  • Importance of gustos (likes/preferences)

Unit 5: Going Places

Topics:

  • Places in a city (e.g., escuela, tienda, parque)

  • Directions (e.g., a la izquierda, a la derecha)

  • Asking for help (e.g., ¿Dónde está...?, ¿Cómo llego a...?)

Grammar:

  • Prepositions of place (en, sobre, debajo de)

  • Conjugating ir (to go)

Culture:

  • Modes of transportation in Spanish-speaking countries

  • City life in Madrid, Mexico City, or Buenos Aires

Unit 7: Exploring Culture Through Holidays

Topics:

  • Major holidays (e.g., Navidad, Semana Santa, Carnaval)

  • Vocabulary related to celebrations (e.g., fiesta, regalo)

Grammar:

  • Past tense introduction (preterite of regular verbs)

Culture:

  • Explore specific holiday traditions in countries like Mexico, Spain, or Colombia

Unit 2: Everyday Basics

Topics:

  • Days of the week, months, and seasons

  • Colors and shapes

  • Classroom vocabulary (e.g., libro, mesa, lápiz)

  • Asking and answering basic questions (e.g., ¿Cómo estás?, ¿Qué día es hoy?)

Grammar:

  • Articles (el, la, los, las)

  • Singular and plural nouns

Culture:

  • ​Traditional school life in Spanish-speaking countries

  • Festivals related to seasons (e.g., Día de los Muertos)

Unit 4: Everyday Actions

Topics:

  • Basic verbs: comer (to eat), beber (to drink), ir (to go)

  • Daily routines (e.g., me levanto, desayuno, voy a la escuela)

  • Time-telling

Grammar:

  • Present tense regular verbs (-ar, -er, -ir endings)

  • Reflexive verbs (me levanto, te duchas)

Culture:

  • Mealtime traditions in Spanish-speaking countries

  • Popular foods (e.g., paella, tacos)

Unit 6: Expressing Wants and Needs

Topics:

  • Shopping vocabulary (e.g., precio, dinero, barato)

  • Foods and drinks

  • Expressing needs (necesito, quiero)

Grammar:

  • Conjugating querer (to want) and necesitar (to need)

  • Indirect object pronouns (me, te, le)

Culture:

  • Marketplaces (mercados) and bartering traditions

Intermediate

Unit 1: Expanding Communication

Topics:

  • Greetings and phrases for various contexts (e.g., formal vs. informal)

  • Expressing feelings and emotions (e.g., estoy emocionado, tengo miedo)

  • Talking about hobbies and free time

Grammar:

  • Review of present tense with irregular verbs (jugar, poder, salir, hacer)

  • Introduction to stem-changing verbs (e → ie, o → ue, e → i)

  • Direct and indirect object pronouns in the same sentence (me lo das)

Culture:

  • Differences in formal and informal communication across Spanish-speaking regions

  • Leisure activities in Spanish-speaking countries

Unit 3: The Future and Making Plans

Topics:​

  • Making plans and setting goals (e.g., voy a viajar a España, quiero ser médico)

  • Dreaming about the future (e.g., me gustaría)

  • Discussing hypothetical situations (e.g., si tuviera dinero, viajaría por el mundo)​

Grammar:

  • Future tense (hablaré, vivirás, irán)

  • Conditional tense (me gustaría, podrías, viajaríamos)

  • Introduction to si clauses (simple conditionals)​​

Culture:

  • Discussing career paths and future aspirations in Spanish-speaking cultures

  • Celebrations of achievements (e.g., quinceañera)

Unit 5: Daily Life and Practical Conversations

Topics:

  • Navigating public transportation

  • Ordering food at restaurants and shopping for clothes

  • Solving problems while traveling (e.g., he perdido mi maleta)

Grammar:

  • Commands (formal and informal) (haz, no hagas, haga, no haga)

  • Reflexive verbs in daily contexts (levantarse, vestirse, relajarse)

  • Indirect commands (que lo haga él)

Culture:

  • Dining etiquette in Spanish-speaking countries

  • Regional differences in shopping and transportation

Unit 7: Complex Communication

Topics:

  • Writing formal emails or letters

  • Making polite requests and suggestions (e.g., ¿Podría ayudarme?)

  • Presentations and storytelling

Grammar:

  • Subjunctive with emotions and wishes (espero que tengas un buen día)

  • Introduction to passive voice (se habla español aquí)

Culture:

  • Formal communication styles in business and academia

  • Public speaking traditions in Spanish cultures

Unit 2: Describing Past Events

  • Topics:

    • Daily routines in the past

    • Sharing memories and past experiences

    • Historical events (e.g., la independencia de México)

  • Grammar:

    • Preterite tense for regular and irregular verbs (hablé, fui, estuve)

    • Common time expressions with the preterite (ayer, el año pasado)

    • Introduction to imperfect tense (hablaba, tenía)

    • Difference between preterite and imperfect tenses (cuando era niño vs. ayer)

  • Culture:

  • Famous historical events and figures in Spanish-speaking countries

  • Storytelling traditions in Latin America

Unit 4: Opinions and Debates

Topics:

  • Stating opinions (e.g., Creo que..., Pienso que..., En mi opinión...)

  • Agreeing and disagreeing (e.g., estoy de acuerdo, no es cierto)

  • Discussing pros and cons of common topics (e.g., la tecnología, el medio ambiente)

Grammar:

  • Subjunctive mood (present) for opinions and doubt (es importante que estudies)

  • Using impersonal expressions (es necesario que, es posible que)

Culture:

  • Social issues in Spanish-speaking countries (e.g., environmental conservation)

  • Debating cultural topics (e.g., ¿debería haber corridas de toros?)

Unit 6: Storytelling and Cultural Narratives

Topics:

  • Telling stories from childhood or about a trip

  • Describing people, places, and events in detail

  • Discussing movies, books, or music

Grammar:

  • Advanced use of preterite vs. imperfect (de repente, mientras, entonces)

  • Past perfect (había hablado, habíamos salido)

  • Introduction to relative pronouns (que, quien, cuyo)

Culture:

  • Famous authors, movies, and music from Spanish-speaking countries

  • Legends and myths (e.g., La Llorona, El Chupacabra)

Unit 8: Exploring Cultures

  • Topics:

    • Regional Spanish dialects and accents

    • Festivals, holidays, and cultural practices

    • Art, literature, and historical landmarks

Grammar:

  • Future perfect (habré terminado, habrá salido)

  • Conditional perfect (habría hecho, habríamos dicho)

  • Culture:

    • Famous artists and writers (e.g., Pablo Neruda, Frida Kahlo, Gabriel García Márquez)

    • Regional variations in holidays and celebrations

Advanced

Unit 1: Perfecting Fluency

Topics:

  • Advanced conversation skills (e.g., paraphrasing, using idiomatic expressions)

  • Expressing nuanced opinions (A mi juicio, En cuanto a)

  • Using complex connectors (aunque, sin embargo, por lo tanto)

Grammar:

  • Review of subjunctive mood (present and past)

  • Compound sentences with conjunctions (aunque, porque, sino que)

  • Double object pronouns (me lo dio, se lo compré)

Culture:

  • Differences in regional Spanish accents and idioms (e.g., vos in Argentina, ustedes in Mexico)

  • Language in professional settings (emails, formal interviews)

Unit 3: The Subjunctive Masterclass

Topics:

  • Hypothetical situations (Si tuviera tiempo, iría al cine.)

  • Expressing emotions and doubt (Me alegra que hayas venido.)

  • Using the subjunctive in formal writing and debates

Grammar:

  • Subjunctive in noun, adjective, and adverbial clauses

  • Pluperfect subjunctive (hubiera hablado)

  • Si clauses in complex contexts (Si hubiera sabido, habría actuado diferente.)

Culture:

  • Cultural nuances in expressing emotions and politeness using the subjunctive

  • Analyzing political or philosophical speeches

Unit 5: Analyzing Media and Literature

Topics:

  • Analyzing films, documentaries, and literary texts

  • Writing reviews and critiques

  • Discussing symbolism and themes in art and media

Grammar:

  • Advanced relative clauses (lo que, lo cual)

  • Concessive clauses (a pesar de que, por más que)

  • Use of subjunctive in literary analysis

Culture:

  • Explore influential films and directors (e.g., Pedro Almodóvar)

  • Study of poetry (e.g., Pablo Neruda, Octavio Paz)

Unit 7: Regional Variations and Dialects

Topics:

  • Pronunciation and vocabulary differences (e.g., vosotros vs. ustedes, che in Argentina)

  • Slang and idiomatic expressions (e.g., guay in Spain, chévere in Venezuela)

  • Regional grammar quirks (e.g., voseo in Argentina)

Grammar:

  • Understanding regional quirks without changing grammar fundamentals

  • Analyzing how cultural context influences language use

Culture:

  • Explore regional music, cuisine, and traditions

  • Study the history of Spanish language evolution

Unit 2: Advanced Narratives

Topics:

  • Discussing historical events or personal anecdotes

  • Using descriptive language for people, places, and emotions

  • Analyzing short stories or excerpts from literature

Grammar:

  • Past perfect (había terminado) and preterite perfect (hube terminado)

  • Advanced use of imperfect vs. preterite for storytelling

  • Relative pronouns (cuyo, el cual, la cual)

Culture:

  • Analyzing a famous literary work (e.g., Cien años de soledad by Gabriel García Márquez)

  • Storytelling traditions in Latin America and Spain​​

Unit 4: Professional and Academic Spanish

Topics:

  • Writing formal emails, essays, and reports

  • Vocabulary for professional contexts (e.g., business, law, medicine)

  • Presenting arguments and defending positions

Grammar:

  • Passive voice (se construyó el puente en 1990)

  • Impersonal expressions for academic writing (Es importante destacar que...)

  • Nominalization (la decisión, el aprendizaje)

Culture:

  • Workplace etiquette in Spanish-speaking countries

  • Formal writing conventions and communication styles

Unit 6: Advanced Cultural Studies

Topics:

  • Discussing global issues (e.g., immigration, environmental policies, human rights)

  • Exploring traditions, celebrations, and their meanings

  • Examining social movements in Spanish-speaking countries

Grammar:

  • Advanced connectors and discourse markers (por consiguiente, en contraste)

  • Conditional and subjunctive for discussing hypotheticals (Si los recursos fueran limitados...)

Culture:

  • Debates on modern challenges (e.g., climate change in Latin America)

  • Analysis of social movements like Los Indignados or feminism in Argentina

Unit 8: Fluency in Debates and Discussions

Topics:

  • Debating controversial topics (e.g., bullfighting, renewable energy)

  • Presenting arguments in a structured format

  • Negotiation and problem-solving

Grammar:

  • Advanced use of conditional and subjunctive for arguments

  • Emphasis on politeness and tact in disagreements

Culture:

  • Debating styles in Spanish-speaking countries

  • Cultural importance of tertulias (intellectual discussions)

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