At school reception
- Buenos días, ¿cómo está?Formal greeting using usted.
- Encantado/a de conocerle.Nice to meet you, formal.
SIOC Language Labs · A1–B2
Spanish
A practical, structured language workspace for study, travel and everyday life. Use the filters, open one section at a time and practise aloud.
Practice system
Daily practice, arrival and memory system
Add a structured daily routine to the grammar maps, dialogues and situation vocabulary already in this Lab. Use the system before departure and alongside your course.
Daily practice →A0–C1 vocabularyArrival packRepair & classroomAfter classExam tasksPDF checklistPrintable pack
The placement tool is a self-check, not an official CEFR or school placement result.
01
Your learning route
Do not try to memorise the whole page. Work in short, repeated blocks and use the language in complete sentences.
- 1
Learn 8–12 useful items.
- 2
Say every example aloud.
- 3
Write three personal sentences.
- 4
Use the material in a short dialogue.
02
Grammar map
Open one point at a time. Read the rule, say the examples aloud and make one new example of your own.
A1Tú, usted y cortesía
Rule
Use usted with staff, professors and unfamiliar adults unless the context clearly invites tú.
Example
¿Podría ayudarme? / ¿Me puede indicar…?
Watch out
Keep verb agreement consistent with the form you choose.
A1Ser and estar
Rule
Use ser for identity and defining characteristics; use estar for state and location.
Example
Soy estudiante. / Estoy cansado. / La escuela está en Madrid.
Watch out
Some adjectives change meaning with ser or estar.
A2Por and para
Rule
Use por for cause, exchange, route or duration; use para for purpose, recipient or deadline.
Example
Estudio por interés. / Estudio para trabajar en España.
Watch out
Do not translate one English for automatically as por or para.
B1Pretérito perfecto and indefinido
Rule
Use the perfect for a past event connected to the present; use the indefinido for a finished past time.
Example
He perdido la llave. / La perdí ayer.
Watch out
Regional use differs, especially between Spain and Latin America.
B1Object pronouns
Rule
Place unstressed pronouns before a conjugated verb or attach them to an infinitive, gerund or affirmative command.
Example
Lo entiendo. / Le escribo a la escuela. / Se me ha perdido.
Watch out
Check whether the verb takes a direct or indirect object.
B2Basic subjunctive
Rule
Use the subjunctive after wishes, requirements, doubt and many impersonal evaluations.
Example
Quiero que me explique el proceso. / Es importante que entregue los documentos.
Watch out
A change of subject often triggers que + subjunctive.
03
Vocabulary by situation
Learn words in groups that match real situations. Every item includes a practical example.
School and study
| Spanish | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Buenos días, ¿cómo está? | Formal greeting using usted. | |
| Encantado/a de conocerle. | Nice to meet you, formal. | |
| ¿Podría repetirlo más despacio, por favor? | Polite request for slower repetition. |
Accommodation
| Spanish | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Todavía no lo he entendido bien. | I have not understood it properly yet. | |
| ¿A qué hora empieza la clase? | What time does the class start? | |
| Quisiera pagar con tarjeta. | I would like to pay by card. |
Transport
| Spanish | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Dónde está la parada? | Where is the stop? | |
| ¿Hay que cambiar de línea? | Do we need to change lines? | |
| Se me ha perdido la llave. | I have lost the key; the structure softens blame. |
Food and shopping
| Spanish | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Necesito hablar con recepción. | I need to speak with reception. | |
| Si tuviera más tiempo, estudiaría más. | If I had more time, I would study more. | |
| Lo que más me cuesta es hablar en público. | What I find hardest is speaking in public. |
04
Useful sentence bank
These are flexible sentence frames. Replace the details with your own name, time, course, address or problem.
In accommodation
- ¿Podría repetirlo más despacio, por favor?Polite request for slower repetition.
- Todavía no lo he entendido bien.I have not understood it properly yet.
In a shop
- ¿A qué hora empieza la clase?What time does the class start?
- Quisiera pagar con tarjeta.I would like to pay by card.
During a group project
- ¿Dónde está la parada?Where is the stop?
- ¿Hay que cambiar de línea?Do we need to change lines?
At school reception
- Se me ha perdido la llave.I have lost the key; the structure softens blame.
- Necesito hablar con recepción.I need to speak with reception.
In accommodation
- Si tuviera más tiempo, estudiaría más.If I had more time, I would study more.
- Lo que más me cuesta es hablar en público.What I find hardest is speaking in public.
05
Dialogue practice
Read both roles, then repeat the dialogue without looking. Change at least two details.
At school reception
A: Buenos días, soy estudiante nuevo. ¿Dónde tengo que registrarme?
B: Preséntese en recepción con la confirmación.
A: ¿Podría indicarme qué documentos necesitan?
Try this: Change the time, place and problem. Add one clarification question and one polite closing.
In accommodation
A: Se me ha perdido la llave y no puedo entrar en la habitación.
B: Podemos preparar una llave temporal después de comprobar su identidad.
A: Gracias. ¿Podría explicarme también el posible cargo?
Try this: Change the time, place and problem. Add one clarification question and one polite closing.
In a shop
A: Perdone, ¿dónde está la caja?
B: Está al final de este pasillo.
A: Perfecto. Quisiera pagar con tarjeta.
Try this: Change the time, place and problem. Add one clarification question and one polite closing.
During a group project
A: ¿Podemos acordar el siguiente paso?
B: Yo realizaré la investigación y enviaré los resultados mañana.
A: Bien. Yo me encargo de la presentación.
Try this: Change the time, place and problem. Add one clarification question and one polite closing.
06
A simple way to practise
Shadowing
Listen to or read one sentence, pause, repeat it with the same rhythm, then say it again without looking.
Substitution
Keep the grammar pattern but change the person, time, place, object or problem.
60-second speaking challenge
Try explaining one school, housing or transport problem for 60 seconds. If you get stuck, pause, rephrase and keep going.
Come back to it
Review after one day, three days and seven days. Move the easy items aside and spend your time on the ones that still need a little practice.
Original SIOC learning material. The supplied social-media examples were used only to identify useful themes; wording, structure and exercises below are newly written.