El Patio Spanish Language School

El Encuentro - The Encounter (B1/B2)

Ever met someones eyes in a bar and thought "Where do I know you from?" Perhaps you've never met at all... Sometimes people just have one of those faces... Or perhaps you've known this person all along.

A short story for levels Upper Intermediate and Advanced (B1/B2) with help in the uses of "se" in all its forms.

Saber Vs Conocer and other Spanglish dilemmas ... (A1-B1)

The temptation to translate English directly into Spanish, or vice versa, is a strong one! But this can lead many Spanish students into nasty traps!

Learn about just some of the words you can't use interchangeably or translate exactly from English: Saber and Conocer, Ir and Venir, Traer and Llevar, Preguntar and Pedir. Use them correctly and get into a Spanish mind!

La Colmena (B1)

A short tale (cuento) by Ana Ruiz designed for students at the B1 level (Upper Intermediate and above). Explore a hive of busy bees as they happily go about their daily business. From the queen to the humble worker, bees live fascinating lives. Yet there is a serious message to be taken from their tiny lives, as the gentle and fragile balance of nature is being disrupted ...

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"!

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!

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