La acompañante del tren (C1)

Not everything is as it appears with a lost little girl on a train! This cuento by Ana Ruiz is designed not only to thrill... but to help C1 (Advanced) students with their tenses: pretérito indefinido, pretérito imperfecto, pretérito pluscuamperfecto, condicional y pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo. This tale also comes with some helpful exercises and a translation at the end!

Cenicienta - una versión feminista (Cinderella - a feminist version) (B1-C1)

What if Cinderella never needed Prince Charming after all?

Lynne Ellis, a long-term, advanced student of El Patio entered her twist on a traditional fairytale for our Short Story Competition. Cinderella is re-imagined as a strong, independent, educated woman who escapes the clutches of slavery!

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.

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 ...

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.

El templo perdido - a short story for beginners (A1)

Learn while you practise reading! Ana Ruiz has written another short story which not only functions to practise directions, descriptions and new vocabulary, but takes you right into the streets of Barcelona's Barrio Gótico (Barri Gòtic), and the literary treasures that might be found there. A micro literary thriller! Good for an A1 level.

La casa australiana - a short story (and lesson) for beginners! (A1)

Read the first of our stories in Spanish - graded for specific levels. This one is for beginners, or A1 in progress (A1 complete is when you've done Upper Elementary 3). It not only contains a glossary of nouns, and a list of conjugated verbs, but - wait for it - lesson on SER & ESTAR - hurrah!

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