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Iconic Design in the Spanish Speaking World

Design in the Spanish-speaking world has a rich and interconnected history. Each country's urban life is impacted and influenced greatly by the structure of their cities and buildings. If you're interested in all things architecture and urban planning, this one is for you! From ancient histories to master plans and changing urban landscapes, read on to find out more about some of the most impactful spaces within Spain and Latin America.

Ser or Estar … Dying to Know the Answer? (A1-C1)

When students first learn that there are two very different forms of 'to be' in Spanish they are often confused and perhaps even a little annoyed! "But why!?" is a very common reaction! Yet grasping the difference between 'ser' and 'estar' is often a watershed moment in the Spanish acquisition journey!

Receta de gazpacho andaluz

Andalusian gazpacho (gazpacho andaluz) is one of Spain's most popular summer recipes. Luckily for us, it's also one of the simplest! This traditional cold soup made from ripe tomatoes and cucumber is perfect as refreshing snack or entree on a warm afternoon.

Podcasts, in Spanish!

Podcasts can be seriously entertaining, funny, informative - and a wonderful resource for practising your Spanish!

Check out El Patio's Spanish podcast recommendations. There's something for every level!

What is "el gerundio" and when do we use it in Spanish?

Gerundio is the "gerund", commonly known in English as the -ING form. It basically means to put -ING at the end of the stem of a verb. In Spanish it is used similarly as it is in English (with one good exception) - to express actions that are happening in the moment or to talk about temporary situations.
In Spanish, we add -ANDO at the end of the verbs that end in -AR, and -IENDO to the verbs that end in -ER and -IR. Read on ...

El Patio Photography Competition 2020

Calling out to all Instagram fanatics, travel photography whizz-kids and landscape framing afficionados - here's your chance to get more than just 'likes' on Instagram for your efforts! Enter into our photography competition and we will display your beautiful piece for an entire month in both of our centres AND you could win a whole 15 hour course!

To make it both more fun and fair - the winner will be selected by popular vote: a people's choice award!

Read how to enter here! (It's super easy)

The Free 'El Patio ESSENTIALS' language sheets

As a supplement to your study materials, El Patio is producing a serious series of useful language sheets, covering key grammar topics and tenses in clear and straightforward language to help you as you learn.

Elephants and light bulbs - why we fear grammar and how to learn to love it

Leaping out at us from the pages of our textbooks, grammar is often feared and is often the 'elephant in the room'. But grammar isn't meant to be scary. In fact, it's something we're naturally good at. Grammar is part of our daily lives and is part of what makes us human.

Get Creative: Make Paella [A1]

Craig gives the traditional paella a personal twist. He makes something that's possibly unconventional, but that is easy to prepare, very yummy and quite paella-like. Be inspired, go wild in the kitchen and have a crack at Craig's fill-in-the-gaps recipe exercise. The exercise practises the first person in the present tense, and is perfect for beginners - particularly if you're in Elementary 2 or 3.

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