Adult classes — Spanish Basics (6-week programme)
How it works
Our tutors run group courses when there is sufficient demand. Courses require a minimum of 2 students and typically run with up to 4 students per group. Once interest reaches the required number, we arrange the course schedule based on group size and tutor availability to ensure convenient times and effective learning. All group sizes and timings are confirmed before the course begins.
Overview
This 6-week Spanish Basics course is designed for adult learners with little or no prior Spanish. It focuses on practical communication, building confidence in speaking, listening, reading and writing for everyday situations. Each week combines grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation practice and conversational activities.
Course structure (weekly breakdown)
Week 1 — Introductions and foundations
Greetings and farewells; polite expressions (please, thank you, excuse me)
Personal introductions: name, age, nationality, occupation
Alphabet and pronunciation: key sounds (ñ, ll, j, r), stress and accents
Numbers
Simple present of regular verbs (hablar, comer, vivir)
Classroom practice: pair introductions and short role-plays
Week 2 — Family, describing people and everyday verbs
Family vocabulary and relationships
Describing people: physical appearance and basic personality adjectives
Verb tener (to have) + possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su)
Regular vs irregular verbs introduction (ser, estar)
Asking and answering simple questions (¿Cómo? ¿Cuántos? ¿Por qué?)
Listening: short dialogues about family
Week 3 — Daily routines and time
Daily routine verbs (levantarse, desayunar, trabajar, dormir)
Telling the time and days of the week
Simple present tense practice with reflexive verbs
Frequency expressions (siempre, nunca, a veces)
Making simple schedules and describing routines
Speaking practice: talk about your typical day
Week 4 — Food, shopping and ordering
Food and drink vocabulary; meals (desayuno, almuerzo, cena)
Ordering in a café/restaurant; polite requests and paying the bill
Shopping vocabulary: items, prices, asking for quantities
Using gustar and similar verbs (gustar, encantar)
Practice: role-play ordering and shopping conversations
Week 5 — Travel, directions and at the accommodation
Transport vocabulary and buying tickets
Asking for and giving directions; prepositions of place
Booking and staying in a hotel: checking in, asking for services
Simple past introduction (pretérito perfecto / simple overview) to recount short experiences
Listening: dialogues at a station or hotel
Week 6 — Leisure, planning and review
Hobbies and leisure activities; making plans and invitations
Future expressions with ir a + infinitive for planned activities
Consolidation of key grammar: present, tener, ser/estar, ir a
Reading and writing short paragraphs about yourself or a recent trip
Final speaking assessment: short monologue and a conversation; course review and next-step guidance
Teaching approach and materials
Communicative, task-based approach focused on speaking and practical usage
Short grammar explanations followed by controlled and freer practice
Pair and group activities, role-plays, listening exercises and short written tasks
Use of visual aids, authentic audio clips and simple texts
Weekly handouts summarising vocabulary and grammar; homework tasks to reinforce learning
Assessment and progression
Formative assessment through weekly activities and teacher feedback
End-of-course informal assessment: speaking task and short written piece
Certificate of completion for attendees who meet participation requirements
Recommended next step: an intermediate beginners course (8–12 weeks) to expand grammar, vocabulary and conversational fluency
Practical information
Class length: typically 90 minutes per session
Class size: recommended 6–12 adults for optimal interaction
Materials needed: notebook, pen, optional course book (details provided on enrolment)
Expectations: regular attendance, completion of short homework tasks, participation in pair/group work
Outcomes after 6 weeks