Summer Intensives 2025! January 13-24

Join us for our Summer Intensives in 2025 (January 13-24) - an exciting two weeks of Spanish study in Northcote, Melbourne CBD and Online! This is a chance to boost your level in a way that would normally take months. Along with our first three Elementary levels (Elementary 1, 2, and 3), we offer FULL 15-hour Conversation Courses where you can improve your speaking confidence, as well as shorter conversation and travel courses!

New courses starting soon!

Australia's best-loved Spanish language school, now teaching Face-to-Face and Online. Learn Spanish socially - whoever and wherever you are.

Join Curiosidades Culturales, a New El Patio Conversation Course!

Join El Patio teacher Patricio for a captivating introduction to Latin American culture - from food to artists and much more!

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.

Autumn Intensives 2024! April 15-26

Join us for Autumn Intensives at our CBD and Northcote centres for two exciting weeks of Spanish!

These are held in-between Terms 1 & 2, you'll be able to boost your level quickly in an Elementary Level or Conversation Course.

We have something for every level!

Tapas and Pintxos - what's it all about?

Despite all the delicious food on offer in the regions of Spain, one style of dish has become synonymous with the country: tapas. Their fame is perhaps only matched by pintxos, its Basque cousin. Read on for a history of these iconic delicacies, and some of the best recipes you can try at home - or in one of our upcoming Tapas and Pintxos Workshops!

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!

APRIL - easy, flexible payment for your next course!

Read on for information about our new partnership with APRIL, giving you the option of secure instalment payments at El Patio!

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 ...

Subscribe to our newsletter!

Each month we'll send you Spanish language tips, practice exercises, useful links, special offers and fun upcoming events.

View past newsletters


Join our online community!

Become our friend on facebook or follow us on twitter. Connect with us and become part of our online spanish community.