Spanish Beginner IV

Course Description: Students in Beginner IV will continue to develop their ability to express themselves in the present tense in Spanish and begin to use more nuanced structures. It is recommended for those who have successfully completed Spanish Beginner III, or who have previously studied Spanish and have a good understanding of the verbs "ser" and "estar", regular and irregular verb conjugation in the present tense and a foundational vocabulary including numbers, emotions, descriptions, family, weather, clothing, and hobbies.

In this course, core grammar structures covered include the usage of direct object pronouns (I see you, he hugs me, she takes care of us) and reflexive verbs (yo me baño, ella se despierta, etc.). Students will also learn to use possessive pronouns (mine, yours, ours, etc.), prepositions of time (before, after, until, etc.) to be able to narrate events in order, and the present progressive tense to describe on going actions.

Students will enjoy practicing the structures studied with dynamic, conversational activities discussing topics such as shopping, daily routines regarding meals, bathing, sleep, and personal possessions. After having taken Beginner IV, students should be able to respond to questions like:

¿Son tuyas estas pinturas?
¿Me acompañas a la tienda?
¿A qué hora te duermes generalmente?
¿Sabes donde puedo comprar mole?
¿Conoces al maestro de historia?
¿Por qué está rompiendo Juan esos papeles?
¿Vas a levantarte temprano mañana?

Prerequisite: Spanish Beginner III or equivalent

Duration: Intensive series - 5 weeks (2 classes/week) or Regular series - 10 weeks (1 class/week)

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Course Outline:

Core Grammar Topics:

1. Common irregular verbs “conocer, obedecer, traducir, conducir”
2. Possessive pronouns “mio, tuyo, suyo, nuestro, etc.”
3. Uses of “saber” and “conocer”
4. Direct object pronouns (me, te, nos)
5. Direct object pronouns and future with “ir”
6. Common prepositions of time "antes de, despues de, durante, hasta, desde, etc."
7. Reflexive verbs of daily routine
8. Present progresive “estar” + gerund
9. Direct object pronouns with present progressive

Required Textbook: Bregstein, Barbara; Easy Spanish Step by Step; McGraw Hill ed. 2005