• 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

116,236 enrolled on this course

People shaking hands
  • Duration

    4 weeks
  • Weekly study

    4 hours

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.

What topics will you cover?

  • 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.

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?

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

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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Join the conversation on social media

You can use the hashtag #FLLearnSpanish to talk about this course on social media.