Beginners Level: Spanish for Absolute Beginners

4.8 (714 reviews)
A Berges student

Master essential Spanish conversation skills through our logical, building-block approach that develops sentence-building abilities from day one.

This ten-unit course covers core grammar (ser/estar, regular verbs, time expressions) and practical vocabulary, enabling you to introduce yourself, discuss preferences, and handle everyday situations with confidence.

By completion, you'll speak basic Spanish with the solid grammatical foundation that distinguishes serious learners from casual app users.

  • 10 classes (90 min. each)
  • Via Zoom

Course Content

Class 1: Spanish basics: Alphabet, pronouns, and family vocabulary

In this class, you will learn the alphabet, the verbs ser and estar, definite and indefinite articles, and vocabulary related to family members in Spanish. You will start building very simple sentences using this material.

By the end of this first class, you'll construct basic Spanish sentences—your first step toward real conversation.

Class 2: Spanish basics: Adjectives, prepositions, and adverbs

In this class, you will learn common adjectives, prepositions, adverbs, conjunctions, and possessive adjectives. You'll also learn some basic words and expressions, numbers 1 through 5, and how to introduce yourself and ask questions in Spanish. We'll also explore how to talk about your favorite things.

Class 3: Spanish basics: Verbs tener, ir, and hacer

In this class, you'll learn how to conjugate and use the verbs tener (to have), ir (to go), and hacer (to do/make) in the present tense. You'll also learn some nouns related to time, the days of the week, and numbers 6 through 10. Lastly, we'll explore vocabulary for places (lugares) and prepositions like a (to), while practicing how to talk about going to places in Spanish.

Class 4: Spanish regular verbs ending in -ar

In this class, you'll learn vocabulary related to la casa (the house), practice using hay (there is/there are), and master the conjugation and use of regular Spanish verbs ending in -ar.

Class 5: Spanish regular verbs ending in -er and -ir

In this class, you'll learn regular verbs ending in -er and -ir and explore essential nouns that pair with these verbs. We'll cover key concepts like subjects and objects, the Spanish personal a, and the prepositions con (with) and sin (without). You'll also work with the adverbs mucho and poco, habit-related time expressions, and the basic use of the present tense. Finally, you'll refine your understanding of bueno, malo, bien, and mal.

Class 6: Body parts, numbers, age, and time

In this class, you'll learn how to identify and name las partes del cuerpo (body parts) in Spanish and master numbers from 0 to 100. You'll also practice saying your age and telling time.

Class 7: Spanish reflexive verbs

In this class, you'll learn how to talk about doing things at specific times in Spanish and dive into Spanish reflexive verbs, understanding how they work and when to use them in everyday conversations.

Class 8: Clothes, por & para, and the verb gustar

In this class, you'll learn vocabulary related to la ropa (clothes) and explore the prepositions por and para. We’ll cover the pronouns mí and ti and introduce the verb gustar (to please), so you can express likes and preferences.

Class 9: Present tense review

In this class, we'll review the present tense, covering basic irregular verbs, regular verbs ending in -ar, -er, and -ir, as well as numbers, basic vocabulary, reflexive verbs, and gustar. You'll also write a short essay about yourself, entirely in Spanish!

Class 10: Food & drinks

In this class, you'll learn vocabulary related to food and drinks, as well as how to order food at a restaurant. You’ll also review the present tense, including reflexive verbs and gustar.

Dan Berges

Reviews from our students

Gina Scanlon
2026-07-23
I am over halfway through the course and am finding the learning style of the teacher very pragmatic and helpful. The socratic style of the classes also keeps you on your toes and gets you speaking a lot of Spanish throughout each class. Teacher is friendly and it's clear he has a passion for the language and for people learning it correctly. The homework is also helpful.
Jon Embry
2026-07-22
For absolute beginners, this covered a lot of ground. My wife and I both took the course and got a lot out of it. We had a great professor who grew up in Spain, which was perfect for us.
Laura Miles
2026-07-22
This has been a very good course. I like how they review the homework and we all have a chance to speak and are corrected appropriately. The feedback is very good. The pace is fast but they review everything each lesson which is helping this process.
Kate Pesin
2026-07-18
Great program. I highly recommend these classes to anyone looking for a flexible, high-quality online Spanish program. The combination of excellent teachers, supportive learning environment, and convenient scheduling has made my learning experience both effective and enjoyable.
Bianca R.
2026-07-18
María Chanamé is an absolutely awesome teacher! She explains everything in a way that makes it easy to understand and remember. I am so glad that I chose her as a teacher. I gave it 4 instead of 5 because I feel like class 4 should be broken into 2 classes.
Christopher Butler
2026-07-16
I have been very pleased with the pacing and challenge of the material as aimed at adult beginners! Having each class build not just vocabulary but foundation blocks of grammar is exactly what I needed to help jumpstart my learning. And having the homework set up with multiple exercises intended to spread over the week between classes is perfect -- I space out the homework so that nearly every day I am getting review time by working through one or two exercises along with the flash cards I'm making for myself as I go. I expect I will continue on to the second level at this pace!
Sherrie Varner
2026-07-16
Our instructor uses a combination of verbal, written, and modeling to guide use through beginner level conversations. She uses fun conversation topics, to help make our verbal practice entertaining. When I struggle, with verb conjugations, she redirects and uses modeling to correct. This class is enjoyable and appropriate for beginner level.
Jackie Lutz
2026-07-13
The Berges Institute Level 1 class was the perfect way to get back into learning Spanish. I was having a very hard time finding a class that would be real-time, with a good teacher, at the right level, and not too expensive. I like the Berges Institue because of the flexibility of the program (e.g. it's easy to reschedule),the focus on basic conversational spanish, and the fact that there are many levels to accommodate my progression with the language. I was lucky to sign up with Nelson. His experience teaching with Berges is a benefit to his students. He moves quickly but makes time for questions, and he is able to adapt the content based on the time available and our skills. I have recommended Berges to friends, and would definitely encourage them to take a class with Nelson.
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