• The Open University

Spanish for Beginners 1: Meeting and Greeting

Learn how to greet people, and talk about where you live and what you do in this Spanish for Beginners course

116,356 enrolled on this course

People shaking hands

Spanish for Beginners 1: Meeting and Greeting

116,356 enrolled on this course

  • 4 weeks

  • 4 hours per week

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Introductory level

Find out more about how to join this course

  • Duration

    4 weeks
  • Weekly study

    4 hours
  • 100% online

    How it works
  • Unlimited subscription

    $244.99 for a whole yearLearn more

This free online course is the first of six in the Spanish for Beginners program. It will introduce you to the basic language, so that you are able to:

  • greet people and introduce yourself and others;
  • talk about where you live and where you come from;
  • talk about what you do;
  • talk about the languages you speak;
  • ask for clarification or repetition when you don’t understand.

Start to speak, listen, read and write in Spanish

During the four weeks of the course, you will learn some of the vocabulary and phrases you need to help you interact with people at a basic level.

You will start to develop the four language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing through a range of activities that introduce the language in authentic settings, and the audio and video resources will show you the language in action.

There are some activities when you will also practise your speaking skills, as it is important that you start speaking as soon as possible!

You will also learn some essential Spanish grammar, including some basic verbs. Finally, you will get some tips and advice on how to develop your study skills, so that you become a successful language learner.

Take your Spanish learning offline by purchasing two hours of downloadable audio files and transcripts made by the course creators at The Open University. These MP3s are a great way to practise your Spanish listening and speaking wherever you are. They cover examples and exercises in the same topics as the course.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Greetings, names and introductions

    • Welcome to Spanish for Beginners 1: Greetings, names and introductions

      Let’s get started, but first meet your fellow learners.

    • A young man waiving to camera as he gets into his car

      Greetings

      First things first: Learn how to say hello and goodbye.

    • Spanish vowels

      First steps in pronouncing and spelling Spanish words

    • This is a photo of two men shaking hands.

      Greetings at different times of the day

      Learn how to greet people at different times of the day.

    • This is a photo of a plaque on which the names of a group of lawyers, Juan Carlos Villalba Anaya, Rosa María Roldán Herrero and Francisco González Martín, can be read.

      Asking and giving names

      The natural start for any conversation with a new acquaintance: Saying your name and asking theirs.

    • Image of a man shaking the hands of a woman across a table.

      Introductions

      Learn to introduce people to each other.

    • Photo of a hand writing with pen on paper

      Over to you

      Test what you learned this week and find how to get the most out of it.

  • Week 2

    Nationalities and languages

    • Photo of many hands each holding up a different national flag

      Nationalities and languages

      Meeting new people starts by introducing yourself. Learn how to ask for and give personal information in Spanish.

    • Earth and flags.

      Adjectives of origin

      Adjectives of origin are formed from the name of the country. Find out how.

    • Photo of a Spanish woman with an Indian shaman in Mexico.

      Spanish in contact

      Spanish is the official language in over twenty countries where it coexists with many indigenous languages.

    • A group of Spanish people in the street, dressed up in 16th century costumes.

      Spanish names

      Have you ever wondered why Spanish-speaking people have two surnames? Here’s the answer.

    • Students in a language class.

      Saying what languages you speak and how well

      Learn how to tell other people what languages you speak and how well.

    • Photo of a hand writing with pen on paper.

      Over to you

      Test what you learned this week and find how to get the most out of it.

  • Week 3

    Talking about places

    • A street in a Hispanic town

      Talking about where you live

      Exchanging personal information and talking about where you live are excellent ways to start a conversation. Find out how.

    • The ‘plaza’

      Plazas (squares) are a typical feature of Spanish and Latin American towns and cities, and a microcosm of Hispanic society. See what can be found in them.

    • A photograph of a random page in a bilingual dictionary

      Using your dictionary

      The dictionary is every language learner’s companion. Discover some of the information it can give you.

    • Naming places

      Street names can tell us a lot about the history of a town. Let’s look at a few of these.

    • Photo of a hand writing with pen on paper

      Over to you

      Test what you learned this week and find how to get the most out of it.

  • Week 4

    Occupations, jobs and workplaces

    • A collage of photos including an actor, a road sweeper, a chef and an office worker

      Occupations

      Whether you’re a taxi driver, a pensioner, a teacher, a job seeker or something else, here’s how to tell people what you do.

    • The image is focused on a pair of hands sorting cherries.

      Explaining what you do

      Learn some verbs so you can tell people a bit more about what you do.

    • A group of office workers eating burgers around a table at a lunchtime meeting.

      Jobs and workplaces around the world

      Jobs and workplaces can be quite different depending on the country you’re in. Test your knowledge and join the discussion.

    • Photo of a hand writing with pen on paper.

      Over to you

      Test what you learned this week and find how to get the most out of it.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Develop skills in basic Spanish for interacting in common communicative situations
  • Engage in simple communication in Spanish
  • Apply the language introduced in order to greet people, talk about where you live and what you do
  • Apply the language introduced to talk about the languages you speak and ask for clarification or repetition when you don’t understand

Who is the course for?

This course is aimed at people with no prior knowledge of Spanish who want to learn the basic language and find out about the Spanish-speaking world. It will be taught through English.

Who will you learn with?

Zsuzsanna Bárkányi

I'm a lecturer in Spanish at the Open University. I'm fascinated by languages, how they work, and how we learn them.

Palma Mackenzie

I've been teaching Spanish with the OU for the last 14 years. Over this time I've built up a wealth of experience in distance learning for adults. I also have expertise producing learning material.

Who developed the course?

The Open University

The Open University

As the UK’s largest university, The Open University (OU) supports thousands of students to achieve their goals and ambitions via supported distance learning, helping to fit learning around professional and personal life commitments.

  • Established

    1969
  • Location

    Milton Keynes, UK
  • World ranking

    Top 510Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$244.99 for a whole year

Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$79/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 23 Mar 2025

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

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  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

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Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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