Spanish for Traveling: Speak From Day One!

Learn the 5 pure Spanish vowels and the most common consonants. We will also discover the "magic" of Spanish pronunciation that makes it consistent and easier to read than English, and practice with a short text.

Master the Spanish sounds that have special rules! In this lesson, we'll learn how the pronunciation of letters like C and G changes depending on the vowel, and how to correctly pronounce Z, Q, LL, and Y.

Learn the names of all the letters in the Spanish alphabet (El Abecedario). This is an essential skill for travelers who need to spell out their name, a reservation code, or an address.

Learn the essential phrases to start any conversation! We'll practice greetings (Hola, Buenos días), goodbyes (Adiós, Hasta luego), and the "magic words" of courtesy like por favor and gracias that will open doors on your travels.

Go beyond a simple 'hello'! In this lesson, you'll learn the two most common ways to state your name (Soy... and Me llamo...) and, most importantly, how to ask "What's your name?" (¿Cómo te llamas?).

Continue the conversation by learning to ask "Where are you from?" (¿De dónde eres?). You'll practice answering with your country of origin (Soy de...) and your nationality, paying attention to gender agreement (colombiano/a).

Learn how to answer "How are you?" with more detail using the verb ESTAR. We'll cover key adjectives for travelers like cansado/a (tired), feliz (happy), and bien (well), and practice gender agreement.

Discover how to use the verb SER to describe fundamental characteristics. You'll learn adjectives to describe what you or others are like (e.g., optimista, simpático/a) and understand the key difference between SER and ESTAR.

Learn the super versatile verb TENER ('to have'). You'll practice using tengo (I have) and tienes (you have) for essential travel items, common physical sensations like tengo hambre (I'm hungry), and for asking and stating your age.

Why is it el pasaporte but la maleta? Learn the crucial concept of noun gender in Spanish and how to use the articles for 'the' (el/la) and 'a/an' (un/una) correctly.

It's time for action! Learn the simple pattern to conjugate regular -AR verbs in the present tense for Yo (-o) and Tú (-as) using key travel verbs like viajar (to travel) and comprar (to buy).

Complete your knowledge of present tense regular verbs by learning the patterns for -ER and -IR verbs. Good news: for Yo and Tú, they're the same! We'll also learn the super useful verb entender (to understand).

Learn to describe your daily travel routine using reflexive verbs like me levanto (I get up). You'll also learn the essential skill of telling time in Spanish, including asking "What time is it?" (¿Qué hora es?).

Learn how to ask key questions like "What do you do?" (¿Qué haces?) and talk about how often you do things using adverbs of frequency like siempre (always), a veces (sometimes), and nunca (never).

Learn the unique but essential verb GUSTAR. You'll master how to say "I like" (Me gusta...) for singular items and actions, and Me gustan... for plural items.

Learn how to express dislikes (No me gusta...) and, crucially, how to agree (A mí también) and disagree (A mí no) when someone shares their opinion.

Time to order! Learn key food and drink vocabulary and how to use the verb QUERER ('to want') with its e->ie stem change (quiero, quieres) to order confidently in a restaurant or café.

Go beyond ordering things and learn how to express the actions you want to do. You'll master the Quiero + Infinitive structure (e.g., Quiero viajar) to talk about your travel wishes and plans.

Let's travel to the past! Learn the Preterite Tense endings for regular -AR verbs (-é, -aste) and the important spelling changes for -car and -gar verbs in the "Yo" form.

Continue with the Preterite Tense by learning the endings for regular -ER and -IR verbs (-í, -iste). Good news: they are exactly the same!

Master the irregular Preterite forms of two essential verbs: SER (to be) and IR (to go). You'll learn that their past forms (fui, fuiste) are identical and how to tell them apart by context.

Put it all together! Learn how to ask "What did you do?" (¿Qué hiciste?) and practice narrating a simple sequence of events from your previous travel day using sequencing words.

Let's look to the future! Learn the most common way to talk about future plans in Spanish using the irregular verb IR (voy a..., vas a...) plus an infinitive verb.

Practice using the voy a + infinitive structure to create a simple travel day itinerary. You'll use sequencing words and expressions for different parts of the day (por la mañana, por la tarde).

Learn the subtle but important difference between making a plan (voy a...) and expressing a desire (quiero...). You'll practice using quiero + infinitive to talk about your future travel wishes.

Learn how to make simple invitations using ¿Quieres...? and ¿Vamos a...? You'll also learn essential phrases to accept or politely decline invitations from new friends you meet on your travels.

Time to talk! Practice putting everything together in our first simulation: a simple hotel/hostel check-in and an introductory conversation with another traveler.

In this simulation, you'll practice ordering a meal at a restaurant. You'll also learn crucial phrases to communicate food allergies and ask about how spicy a dish is.

Practice navigating a new city! This simulation covers asking for basic directions (¿Dónde está...?) and buying different types of simple tickets (un boleto, una entrada).

Switch gears and practice your reading comprehension. We'll read short, simple travel dialogues together to build your confidence in understanding written Spanish.

Let's do a final polish on some key pronunciation points to ensure you're understood. Plus, Marco will share some personal, practical tips for traveling in Spanish-speaking countries.

Let's celebrate your progress! In this lesson, we'll review all the amazing practical skills and "superpowers" you've acquired throughout this course.

The journey doesn't end here! Discover the next steps you can take to continue improving your Spanish, from A2 level courses to practical immersion tips.