Short course
Spanish: Lower Intermediate Conversation
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates and time:
13/04/2027 - 15/06/202717:00 - 19:00
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£315.00
Join us to take your Spanish conversational skills to the next level.
This course focuses on enhancing listening comprehension and speaking skills, accuracy and fluency to improve your conversational proficiency across various everyday contexts.
Through multimedia resources, activities, engaging discussions, and feedback, you'll refine your grammar, expand your vocabulary and gain more confidence in initiating and maintaining a conversation.
Participants will practice communication skills in simple personal, recreational and public settings.
Is this the right level course for you?
To benefit from the course, participants should have done one of the following:
- Completed our Spanish: Lower Intermediate level courses (Part 1 and Part 2); or
- Studied Spanish for approximately two years or achieved a GCSE (Grade A/A*); or
- Achieved or are near A2 Level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages in Spanish.
New students, who have not completed 'Part 1' and 'Part 2', whose proficiency in the language is appropriate for the course level are very welcome.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Course starts 13 April 2027
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Tuesdays, 5.00-7.00pm.
The weekly schedule below is intended to give an indication of the main topic(s) likely to be covered in each session. Please note that these may sometimes change according to the tutor’s discretion to reflect the interests of course participants.
Week 1: Social media and online habits
Week 2: People and places – descriptions and experiences
Week 3: Memorable moments – talking about the past
Week 4: Life back then – Recalling childhood and past habits
Week 5: The world in 2050
Week 6: Services and problem-solving in daily life
Week 7: Housing and daily life around the world
Week 8: Music, film and pop culture
Week 9: City life vs countryside
Week 10: Celebrations and cultural traditions
Key grammar points
– The present tense and frequency adverbs
– Agreement, ser/estar, and pronoun use
– Pretérito indefinido (simple past); time markers
– Comparing the past and present using pretérito imperfecto
– Futuro simple, expressions of prediction, and conditional phrases
– Modal verbs: poder, tener que, necesitar; impersonal expressions: se puede, se necesita
– Hay vs estar for describing spaces; prepositions of location and movement
– Gustar-type verbs; opinions with que + indicative, agree and disagree expressions
– Comparatives and superlatives; prepositions of place; past tenses review
– Reflexive verbs; soler + infinitive
Key functions
– Expressing opinions about the platforms and applications you use and stating how often
– Describing people, cities, and personal situations
– Narrating personal stories and significant experiences
– Talking about customs and routines in the past
– Speculating about the future — technology, environment, cities, lifestyles
– Discussing problems; requesting help; explaining needs and solutions
– Describing your home and neighbourhood; comparing lifestyles in different countries
– Talking about favourite music and films; giving opinions on artists or shows
– Comparing lifestyles; sharing experiences
– Describing traditions; talking about changes over time; sharing festive experiences
Course aims
Enhance learners’ conversational skills in real-life everyday situations to communicate ideas and engage in conversations with confidence.
Course objectives
- Enhance learners’ ability to understand spoken language in varied everyday contexts.
- Familiarise learners with varied and practical vocabulary, grammar structures, and registers to express themselves in simple everyday conversations.
- Improve pronunciation and intonation for clear and accurate communication.
- Explore the use of appropriate language in everyday social settings (e.g. formal/informal) and etiquette.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be better prepared to:
- ask and answer simple questions about personal information, daily routines, work, leisure activities and immediate needs.
- take part in short exchanges, using basic turn-taking strategies.
- initiate, maintain, and close simple conversations on familiar topics in everyday situations, using basic phrases and strategies.
Level and demands
This course is pitched at A2 Level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Teaching methods
You will learn through practical classroom activities that encourage the active use of the target language. Sessions typically integrate meaningful scenarios, pair and small‑group work, and collaborative problem‑solving in a supportive and friendly environment. The activities bring together speaking, listening, reading, and writing, enabling you to apply the language purposefully in real‑life situations.
The course is designed to build your spoken and listening abilities while deepening your understanding of cultural nuances, etiquette, and everyday usage. We will work with new grammatical structures through meaningful, communicative tasks, and you will continue developing your reading and writing skills both in class and independently through self‑study.
Assessment methods
Formative assessment will be integrated into a range of activities, including guided role‑plays, scenario-based pair and group work, and progressively less structured conversations and tasks. Learners will be encouraged to participate in these activities, using the target language to respond to real-life situations, and will benefit from ongoing tutor feedback to support development.
Mr Esteban Cichello Hubner
Esteban Cichello-Hubner studied International Relations, Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition at Hertford College, University of Oxford and completed a teaching degree at the OU Education Department. He then pursued his Spanish Philology studies at the University of Salamanca. Esteban is an author and an experienced Foreign Modern Languages tutor who has taught several courses at the Oxford University Language Centre and OUDCE.
Mr Leonardo Sanchez Gorosito
Leonardo Sagor is a native qualified Modern Foreign Languages tutor. He is originally from South America and has taught several courses at the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education throughout his career. He is also a composer, a guitar player and a talented singer. Leonardo graduated from the University of Salamanca and obtained his PGCE at the University of Bedfordshire. He is a tireless traveller who has explored more than 50 countries. He recorded his voice for the legendary Michel Thomas language courses and is currently working on teaching Spanish through cinema.
Digital badge
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be issued with an official digital badge from the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford. In order to be issued with your badge, you will need to have attended at least 80% of the course.
After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download your digital badge. You will be able to add this badge to your email signature and share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee | £315.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Textbooks
No textbook required. All course materials will be provided by the course tutor.
Recommended reading
Recommended reading is optional and you are not required to purchase these books to study this course.
Library facilities
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Library, part of the Bodleian Libraries, for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are also welcome to use the Library for reference.
- More information about the Library can be found on the Bodleian Libraries website.
- This guide for Weekly Class students also provides further information.
Course reading
- Practice Makes Perfect / Dorothy Devney Richmond
Module code: O26P603XSW
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page.
