Slang and Profanity!
Spanish speakers have invented many vibrant expressions to convey strong emotions and paint colourful pictures. Some come from religion or relate to food or body parts, while others are just plain funny or absurd.
Even if you don't plan on using slang or profanity, it sure is helpful to know what others are saying - especially in high-stress situations! It's also essential to know the strength and cultural differences of the words you're using. Google translate can't help you with this!
It's time to let loose some "tacos" (swear words)! Here is a small selection to whet your appetite our new Slang & Profanity Workshop!
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!
How to study in Spain for FREE
One of the benefits of being a student at El Patio is being able to connect with the Hispanic world here, in Melbourne. But sometimes these benefits stretch a little further abroad.
Any student at El Patio can apply for a scholarship to Valladolid in Spain for 1 or 2 weeks. Read this article to find out more!
Hints and Guidelines for Zoom classes!
We're really pleased to be able to keep our classes going during the COVID-19 period. Online (Zoom) classes are now the norm for the moment.
For the best online class experience, we've laid out a set of guidelines, from both the tech point of view - as well as best behaviours!
Champeta - What's the hype? / Champeta - ¿Por qué tanto bombo?
One of the most rewarding aspects about studying Spanish is the opportunity it offers to engage with Hispanic cultures from across the world.
Let Naira, one of our staff from Colombia, tell you all about 'Champeta' - a dance style that burst onto the world stage in February this year. As you find yourself spending more time inside and in need of new exercise ideas, why not try the Champeta ​Challenge at home!
Know your Arepa
The Arepa is a traditional flat corn cake that you can eat for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner, making it an essential food for many. It can be fried, baked, fried and baked, grilled or steamed. It can be a side or a main, have fillings or toppings, making it without a doubt one of the most versatile Latin-American dishes.
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.
Bienvenidas / bienvenidos, welcome to all our beginner students
If you've just started studying at El Patio right at the beginning, here are some ideas about how to get the most out of your course for your future success with speaking Spanish.
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!
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El Patio Tote Bag
What's cooler than a tote bag? A tote bag filled with your Spanish books - duh! But seriously, these bags are strong, made from natural canvas and built to last. Perfect size for your textbooks…
