Spanish Idioms - they "Crack us Up"! (A2-B2)
Idioms are often strange and unusual - yet sometimes the perfect way to express ourselves. Have you ever actually seen it "rain cats and dogs"? … in Spanish we'd say "llueve a cántaros" (it's raining buckets). Idioms are a great way to enter into a culture's unique way of thinking, a way to "get to the point". It really pays to learn one or two - you are so going to impress your Hispanic friends if you throw one in at the right moment. Read Ben Wright-Smith's amusing article with his illustrations - which "hit the nail on the head"!
I Learn Spanish! … Stavros Aivaliotis
Stavros is a well seasoned Northcote student! Having started in El Patio at Elementary 1 in 2009 and now at an Upper Intermediate level, his is a familiar face at our Northcote school. Stavros has made many friends with staff, teachers and fellow students, often finding time to practice with them outside of class. He attributes this aspect to his continued enthusiasm for learning!
Direct Object Pronouns - Told through Banksy's Street Art! (A1-C1)
This is a tricky one, but don't lose heart! Direct Object Pronouns are short little words used to help make phrases easier to say and more interesting to hear! It, her, him, them (to name a few) all make our lives easier. But learning when and where to use them in Spanish can be frustrating! To ease you into it, we've matched photos of some of Banksy's best artwork with the examples, think of them as a memory aid!
False Friends - False Cognates (A1-B2)
Spanish and English words can be very similar and following familiar patterns often helps us to learn Spanish. However, we need to be careful because within these patterns lurk false friends ...
I Learn Spanish! … Jennifer Boyce
Read about our student, Jennifer Boyce, and her journey to learn Spanish, (along with adorable daughter Eleanor!) With levels A1 and A2 under her belt, she's now set her eyes on a B1 DELE certificate. She has learned that studying Spanish is largely about persistence!
El renegado (B1/B2)
Take a trip back in time to Asturica during the VIII century AD through the eyes of a 15 year old child and meet the military might of Terik! A short cuento by Ana Ruiz, designed for Intermediate students who want to better their understanding of the past tenses pretérito imperfecto and pretérito indefinido.
¿Por o para? Like Apples and Oranges ... (A1-B2)
Like the difference between ser and estar, students sometimes find the difference between por and para bewildering! 'Hack' the puzzle with us in this article to unmask the uses of these pesky prepositions!
When, Where, How, In What Way? (A1-B2)
Do not fear the Adverb. Adverbs do what adjectives simply can not. While adjectives describe nouns and pronouns, adverbs describe just about everything else!
I Teach Spanish! … Isidro Martínez García
Meet Isidro! He's from Mexico and has been teaching at El Patio since 2009. His contribution to our profesores series is thoughtful and offers colourful insight to the processes of teaching and learning Spanish in Australia. Do read right to the end, as he has created a fun lesson on the Direct Object and Indirect Object Pronouns!
Receta de paella valenciana (A2/B1)
Si todavía no os habéis atrevido a cocinar una paella, El Patio os muestra cómo hacerla. ¡Que os aproveche! If you haven't yet tried to make a paella, El Patio is going to show you how - isn't that what a Spanish language school is for? Enjoy!
Browse
- Beginners (principiantes)
- Courses (cursos)
- Events (eventos)
- Grammarbits (gramática)
- Learning (aprender)
- Level A1
- Level A2
- Level B1
- Level B2
- Level C1
- Recipes (recetas)
- Songs (canciones)
- Stories (cuentos)
- Students (estudiantes)
- Teachers (profesores)
- Travel (viajar)
Courses
- Popular Language
- Express Language
- Rápido Language
- Introductory Bargains
- Travel & Interest
- Workshops
- Intensives
- Online Modules
- Private Tuition
Gift Voucher $350
Easy! Surprise your Spanish-learning friends, family or colleagues with a Gift Voucher. A voucher may be for a full course or to go toward a course fee or even for texts. Once you have purchased…
