Beginners Level: Spanish for Absolute Beginners

4.8 (675 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

John Maxwell
2026-06-03
Enjoying the class and Gloria is doing a great job
Elena Naskova
2026-05-29
Despite previous attempts to learn Spanish, my current progress is significantly better due to the well-structured curriculum and exceptional instruction.
Robert L.
2026-05-29
This course is great for a beginner. Gloria is an amazing teacher that is patient with her students while also being demanding enough of us to make us learn.
Lisa Terry
2026-05-28
After years of trying to learn languages on my own, I decided to devote some time to a course. My good friend said that the Berges Institute had very good pedagogy, so I gave it a try. I was very stimulated by and engaged with the lesson material and feel like I'm off to a good start! The ease of picking a class time that suited me was really good, and the ability to schedule makeups or finding class videos to watch helped me with the two times I couldn't make a class.
Christine Dasco
2026-05-28
I can't say enough positive things about the Berges program and about my wonderful professora, Gloria. The sequence of the course flows in a way that is logical and accessible. I am genuinely learning and making breakthroughs with my speaking and comprehension that I hadn't been able to attain with language learning apps. I love how easy it is to reschedule classes. That works so well for my sporadic schedule. And Gloria is amazing. She is patient, positive, encouraging, and has a warmth and authenticity that makes it truly a joy to learn from her.
Abraham Proffitt
2026-05-27
This is a very well organized and effective course! The beginner course was more than an introduction - it actually got me closer to real conversational Spanish. I used Duolingo and other apps for years with little progress, but this course actually helped me form conversations and built my confidence speaking Spanish! For beginners like me, I recommend taking the course until the end. From my experience, this helped me a lot starting from the basics of Spanish and how to use it. It is fast paced and requires a significant time investment for necessary memorization and the book and written exercises work well for retention. I only wish it was more than 1 day/week!
Yuanyi Xing
2026-05-25
I like it that the curriculum is well structured and contains solid basic knowledge
Jeff Whetzel
2026-05-21
This level has been very helpful for me. I tried a foreign language app, but I find the interactive classes from Berges to be much more conducive to learning the language. I will definitely take more classes from Berges in the future!
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