El Patio Spanish Language School

400 millones de hablantes de español

Students of El Patio made a video answering some questions about their connection with the Spanish-speaking world and their experience of learning Spanish.

Have a look, be inspired and join 400 million speakers of Spanish!

Isidro's Book: The Journey of Dreams Pursued

Those who've ever had the pleasure of being in one of Isidro's classes know just what a true master of language he is. Yet they may be unaware that he is also a total literature fiend, and a published author himself!

In this article read 9 of Isidro's mini-tales from his short story collection: La travesía de los sueños perseguidos (The Journey of Dreams Pursued); with wonderful side-by-side translation.

Read to the end to enter the draw to win a copy of Isidro's book!

I Learn Spanish! ... Emmanuel Liu

Emmanuel admits he's a bit of a sports fanatic. He loves baseball, tennis and soccer - all sports that happen to have many famous players from Spanish speaking countries. From his fandom came the desire to understand what these players were saying! That's when Emmanuel took up Spanish classes.

Now, nearly four years into his Spanish studies - things are getting kind of serious! Taking the language to new heights, Emmanuel is planning to take the B2 DELE exam soon - go you good thing!

La maestra - a story for beginners! A1

Ana's latest story describes the daily grind of a high school History teacher. Pushed to the limit by the boredom of the curriculum and rebellious students, she decides to turn the tables, and invites the students to enact their versions of the past. Using Spanish idioms that involve the body, such as "cuesta un ojo de la cara" and "no tiene pelos en la lengua", and written entirely in the present tense, this story is perfect for students in the Elementary levels.

Discover the imperfect tense and the marvels of Tenochtitlán, city of the Mexicas (Aztecs) (A2-B2)

Tenochtitlán - a city of water and temples - lies buried under the immensity of modern day Mexico City. What was this incredible city like when the Spanish first set eyes on it in the 16th Century?

This article offers a glimpse of the wonders of this metropolis and is an excellent opportunity to brush up on your past tenses - particularly the imperfect (el imperfecto). So get your grammar-hat on and delve into a lost world!

Staff Picks - Cantautores & canciones protesta

María Rúa has compiled a gorgeous playlist uncovering some beautiful relics from the past, a movement which defined generations of songs to come. This list evokes a spirit of protest, a momentous tradition where art was often used to rival oppressive rulers and unsinkable regimes.

One of Our Teachers Wrote a Travelogue!

Meet Andrés Treviño (if you haven't already met him in class)! Andrés is one of El Patio's teachers - but also, a traveller and a writer.

In his book 'Fragmentos del paisaje', Andrés invites us to share his experiences throughout a year of travelling through Latin America; past the beautiful postcards and brochures and into the lives of the locals. Through his eyes and ears be a witness to the amazing moments, and raw truths of Latin America.

Read the inspiration behind and enter the competition to win one of four copies of 'Fragmentos del paisaje'!

Typing Tildes & Spanish Punctuation - é ñ ü ¿ ¡

Ever wondered how to master typing those little squiggles, dots and quirky punctuation marks? You may have thought it involved some sort of program, toolbar or application - you'd be wrong!

It's super easy to write Spanish punctuation on an English keyboard. Find out how in this article.

El maremoto (The Seaquake) Using Pretérito Perfecto! (A2)

Have you ever had a doomsday scenario play out in your head? Perhaps you've been daydreaming about what to do in a zombie apocalypse, or a nuclear fallout? How prepared would you be? Where would you go?

It's something that has fascinated many people over the years, inspiring countless films, books ... and nightmares.

Here Ana paints her version of Armageddon - a wall of water created by un maremoto (a seaquake). This story is not only designed to get your heart racing, it will also help you learn the uses and conjugations of the Present Perfect past tense (Haber + Past Participle).

Staff Picks - Matt's Spanish Alt Rock Playlist

In our second, hand-selected Spotify playlist Matt gives us a taste of the alternative rock scene in Spain - inspired by the months he spent living there as an exchange student.

Matt is part of El Patio's student support and reception team - but also plays in an alternative rock band himself! He's got good taste - check it out.

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