The Elementary Course starts before the beginning of the relevant semesters. The general objective of this basic course is to enable students to get by fluently and effectively in the situations they will surely have to face throughout their stay in our university and our town. Due to its very nature, it is an intensive course.

At the end of each unit section or area, there is a test aimed at refreshing the student's knowledge of the subjects which acts as a general revision. These tests partially reproduce the exercises of previous sections, mainly communicative and of different types, dealing both with objectives and mechanics. Therefore, students must apply all their knowledge in order to answer the test satisfactorily. This assessment system is applied in all three courses.

The time

• What time is it?
• Your habits
• Agenda
• Spanish traditions

Enabling students to:

• Give and get information about the time and activities in everyday life.
• Talk about his/her leisure hobbies.
• Give and get information about sports and how often they care practised.
• Showing interest in someone's habits.

Contents:

• Expressing past actions using the preterite.
• First, second and third persons singular present indicative of the verbs hacer, levantarse, acostarse, empezar, terminar, salir, soler, volver, comer, trabajar, jugar, ir, leer, llegar, escuchar, escribir, ver, preferir... (to do, to get up, to go to bed, to begin, to finish, to go out, to usually do sthg, to come back, to eat, to work, to play, to go, to read, to arrive, to listen, to write, to see, to prefer...)
• The verb gustar + infinitivo (to like + infinitive).
• The verb soler + infinitivo (to usually do sthg. + infinitive).
• The verb empezar + a + infinitivo (to begin + to + infinitive).
• The verb terminar + de + infinitivo (to finish + infinitive).
• First and second persons singular preterit of the verbs estar, hacer, comer, ir, visitar, comprar, ver, jugar, trabajar (to be, to do, to eat, to go, to visit, to buy, to see, to play, to work).
• Third person singular preterite of the verbs gustar (to like) and encantar (to love sthg).
• Reflexive personal pronouns: me, te, se.
• Interrogatives: qué, a qué, para qué (what, what...for).
• The time, days of the week, seasons of the year... Musical and literary preferences. Other leisure activities, sports. Frequency: a veces, por la mañana... (sometimes, in the morning...).

Family and personal relations

• Family relations
• Family picture
• How old is...?
• It's his/her birthday

Enabling students to:

• Exchange simple personal information on the family.
• Give and get personal information on the family, likes, dislikes and interests.
• Talk about the family in an informal way: showing pictures.
• Congratulate someone on his/her birthday.
• Give and get information the owner of a particular object.

Contents:

• First, second and third persons singular present indicative of the verbs estar (to be) and tener (to have).
• Indirect object personal pronouns: me, te, le.
• Third person singular present indicative of the verb gustar (to like).
• Interrogatives: cuántos/as, quién (how much/many, who).
• Demonstrative pronouns and determiners: éste, ésta, esto... (this, that...)
• Possessive determiners: mi, tu, su... (my, your, his/her...)
• Comparative forms.
• Personal pronouns with preposition: para mí, para ti (for me, for you).
• Possessive pronouns: mío/a/os/as (mine), tuyo/a/os/as (yours).
• Interrogatives: de quién (whose).
• Exclamations: qué (what).
• Family relationships. Marital status. Introduction to trades, professions and activities. Personal objects. Months of the year.

The professional world

• What do you do for a living?
• A new job.
• Job requisites. The curriculum vitae.

Enabling students to:

• Talk about projects, wishes for a near future and duties.
• Being able to show their personal likes and dislikes.
• Talk and ask about intentions and plans.
• Talk about a duty.
• Expressing preferences.

Contents:

• First, second and third persons singular present indicative of the verbs dedicarse, trabajar, hacer, ir, querer, tener, poder and preferir (to devote oneself, to work, to do, to go, to want, to have, to be able and to prefer).
• Verb ir + a + infinitivo (to go + to + infinitive). Verb querer + infinitivo (to want + infinitive).
• Verb tener + que + infinitivo (to have to + infinitive).
• Future of the previous verbs.
• Verbs with irregularities in e/ie.
• Comparisons: positive, comparative and superlative.
• Trades and occupations. Games of chance.

The house

• How many rooms are there?
• Where is the kitchen?
• A better house.

Enabling students to:

• Give and get information about the nearest surroundings.
• Give and get information about a house: location and description of rooms, furniture and general features.
• Give and get information to place things on pieces of furniture and shelves.
• Get information about a house with a view to living in it.

Contents:

• Indefinite articles: un, una (a/an).
• Concord in number and gender of article-substantive-adjective.
• Interrogatives: dónde, cómo, cuántos/as (where, how, how many/much).
• Third person singular present indicative of the verbs ser, estar and tener (to be and to have).
• Second person singular imperative of the verbs poner and dejar (to put and to let).
• Direct object personal pronouns: lo, la, los, las.
• Indirect object personal pronoun: le.
• Contraction de + el = del.
• Rooms. Furniture. Characteristics. Location.

Food

• A recipe.
• The soup.
• Bars and restaurants.
• Food.

Enabling students to:

• Order in a bar and in a restaurant, choose a meal and drink a toast.
• Understand and follow directions to prepare a dish.
• Order from the menu in a restaurant.
• Ask someone for something they do not reach. Drink a toast.
• Ask for the bill.

Contents:

• First, second and third persons singular present indicative of the verbs ir and querer (to go and to want).
• Third person singular present indicative of the verb traer (to bring).
• First person singular present indicative of the verbs pagar and invitar (to pay and to invite).
• Second person singular imperative of the verbs tomar, batir, pelar, echar... (to take, to beat, to peel, to throw...)
• Emphatic subject personal pronoun: yo (I).
• Object personal pronoun: me, nos.
• Interrogatives: cuánto (how much).
• Menus in a restaurant. Drinks in a bar or cafeteria. De primero/de segundo/de postre (First course, main course, dessert). Cutlery and objects. Food.

The city

• Could you tell me the way to...?
• Do you know if there is any...?
• Country or city.
• Traffic.

Enabling students to:

• Give and get information on where shops and public buildings are.
• Give and ask for directions about how to get somewhere and how far it is.
• Get information about useful spots of interest in a city they are visiting.
• Talk about likes and dislikes, opinions and preferences on where to live.

Contents:

• First, second and third persons singular present indicative of the verb poder (to be able to).
• Verb poder + infinitivo (to be able to + infinitive).
• Contraction of a + el = al.
• Indefinite articles: un, una, unos, unas (a/an, some).
• Present indicative of the verb haber: hay (there is/are).
• Third person singular present indicative of the verb estar (to be).
• Third person singular imperative of the verbs seguir, torcer, mirar and perdonar (to follow, to turn, to look and to excuse).
• Ordinal numbers: primera, segunda, tercera, cuarta (first, second, third, fourth).
• Second and third persons singular present indicative of the verb saber (to know).
• Impersonal form of the present indicative of the verb poder: se puede (to be allowed).
• Hay + un, una / Estar + el, la + nombre propio (There is + a / To be there + the + proper noun).
• Interrogatives: a qué, a dónde (what, where).
• Obligation clauses.
• Shops and public places. Transports. Directions. Traffic signs. Ir en, ir por... (to go by...).