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
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Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
4 hours100% online
How it works
Spanish for Beginners 1: Meeting and Greeting
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.
Greetings
First things first: Learn how to say hello and goodbye.
Spanish vowels
First steps in pronouncing and spelling Spanish words
Greetings at different times of the day
Learn how to greet people at different times of the day.
Asking and giving names
The natural start for any conversation with a new acquaintance: Saying your name and asking theirs.
Introductions
Learn to introduce people to each other.
Over to you
Test what you learned this week and find how to get the most out of it.
Week 2
Nationalities and languages
Nationalities and languages
Meeting new people starts by introducing yourself. Learn how to ask for and give personal information in Spanish.
Adjectives of origin
Adjectives of origin are formed from the name of the country. Find out how.
Spanish in contact
Spanish is the official language in over twenty countries where it coexists with many indigenous languages.
Spanish names
Have you ever wondered why Spanish-speaking people have two surnames? Here’s the answer.
Saying what languages you speak and how well
Learn how to tell other people what languages you speak and how well.
Over to you
Test what you learned this week and find how to get the most out of it.
Week 3
Talking about places
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.
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.
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
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.
Explaining what you do
Learn some verbs so you can tell people a bit more about what you do.
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.
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?
I'm a lecturer in Spanish at the Open University. I'm fascinated by languages, how they work, and how we learn them.
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?
Established
1969Location
Milton Keynes, UKWorld ranking
Top 510Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020
Ways to learn | Buy this course | Subscribe & save | Limited access |
---|---|---|---|
Choose the best way to learn for you! | $79/one-off payment | $244.99 for a whole year Automatically renews | Free |
Fulfill your current learning need | Develop skills to further your career | Sample the course materials | |
Access to this course | tick | tick | Access expires 23 Mar 2025 |
Access to 1,000+ courses | cross | tick | cross |
Learn at your own pace | tick | tick | cross |
Discuss your learning in comments | tick | tick | tick |
Tests to check your learning | tick | tick | cross |
Certificate when you're eligible | Printed and digital | Digital only | cross |
Cancel for free anytime |
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.
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- 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
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
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
Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn
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