Foundations 1 · Part 1 of the Foundations series
For complete beginners, and anyone who wants to go back to the basics and get them right this time
Finally get the basics of Spanish to stick: 36 clear video lessons that take you from your first “hola” to simple, everyday conversations
If you’re new to Spanish, or just want a refresher of the basics, even if you’ve started before and it never stuck. Go at your own pace: about 3 to 4 weeks at an hour a day, or a couple of months at 20 minutes a day.
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Want to speak Spanish, but not sure where to start (or start again)?
Maybe you’ve been at it on and off for years. Maybe this is your first proper go. Either way, you know a handful of words: hola, gracias, una cerveza, por favor. But when you come to use them, it all goes wrong. You can’t put a sentence together, the words come out slowly while you search for them in your head, and you’re never sure if it’s soy or estoy, el or la.
You’ve probably tried:
- An app. Fun for a while, but you collected words, not sentences. One learner put it perfectly: “I have a 1900 streak but still can’t speak the language!”
- A bit of everything: a podcast here, a video there, whatever you see advertised. “It’s totally random”, as one of you told us, so nothing builds on what came before.
- A class or a textbook, years ago. Lots of theory, not much speaking.
- Starting again, more than once. And every time you go back, you’ve forgotten most of what you learnt.
The reason you wanted Spanish hasn’t gone away: the trip, the house in Spain, the neighbours you’d love to really talk to, keeping your mind active, or simply finishing something you’ve always wanted to do. And lately you may have started to wonder whether your memory is still up to it.
It isn’t your age, and it isn’t your memory. It’s that the basics were never explained properly, in an order where each one builds on the last, and then put to use straight away.
Let’s be honest. You want to start speaking Spanish, and stop being a beginner. Simple as that!
Handle everyday Spanish on your own
You walk into a café and order in Spanish. You introduce yourself to the neighbours, say where you’re from and what you do, and ask about them. You ask for directions and follow the answer. Nothing fancy, but it’s real Spanish, and it’s yours. That’s what finishing A1 feels like.
Get out of Beginner Zone, fast
You already know more Spanish than you think. The first lessons show you the words you already have and give you a first structure to put them in, so you’re making sentences straight away.
Introduce yourself and get to know people
Greetings, introductions, what you do, your family, and describing the people in your life, with the phrases that make a good first impression.
Get things done when you’re out and about
Numbers, telling the time, ordering in restaurants and shops, the days of the week and asking for directions. The everyday situations where you need Spanish most.
Talk about your life, your plans and what you like
Your daily routine, what you like and don’t like with gustar, what you’d prefer, what you have to do and what you’re going to do.
Finally get the basics that trip everyone up
Ser vs estar, masculine and feminine, el and la, and verb endings that make sense instead of driving you crazy. Explained so they click, rather than as tables to memorise.
Complete understanding: see it, do it, read it
Simple explanations and immediate practice exercises so that everything clicks into place: over a hundred exercises, and comprehensive notes to fill in all the gaps. 36 lessons in order, with nothing to work out yourself.
Why the basics never stuck before
Most apps give you words without explanations. You tap the right answer and keep the streak going, but nobody tells you why it’s soy here and estoy there, or how to put a sentence of your own together. Classes and textbooks often go the other way: lots of theory, not much use. And if you’ve dipped in and out over the years, every fresh start covered something different, so you’re left with holes in the basics. That’s why it doesn’t stick.
Foundations 1 fills them in, in order. Every lesson explains one thing clearly, in English, from someone who speaks your language: what it means, why Spanish works that way, and how to use it. Then you use it straight away. You see it in the video, you do it in the exercises, and you read it in the notes, so every point is covered from three angles. One step at a time, in the right order, each lesson building on the last.
See it: the video lesson, with every point explained in English
Do it: exercises and vocabulary tests to practise it straight away
Read it: PDF notes for every lesson, so you never have to take your own
I learned Spanish as an adult, and I remember what it was like not to understand a word Lis said. So I explain things the way I wish they’d been explained to me.
That’s the approach. Foundations 1 is where it starts.
Introducing…
Foundations 1
The first course of the Foundations series. Covers A1: your first real conversations in Spanish.
Foundations 1 is a self-paced video course for complete beginners, and for anyone who wants to go back to the basics and get them right this time. 36 video lessons take you through the communication fundamentals and the essential grammar and vocabulary, in the order that makes them click.
I teach every lesson myself, in English, with simple explanations and immediate practice. Each one comes with comprehensive PDF notes, so you don’t need to worry about taking notes yourself. When you’re ready, Foundations 2 and 3 take you all the way through A2.
Everything above, one payment of $99
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Where A1 fits in your Spanish journey
Language levels are measured on the CEFR scale (the Common European Framework of Reference), which runs from A1 for beginners up to C2 for near-native mastery. Here’s the path most learners take, and where Foundations 1 starts you off.
- Start here
Beginner
Everyday phrases, introducing yourself, simple questions and answers
Elementary
Your routine, your past, and simple conversations about familiar things
Intermediate
Most travel situations, your experiences, plans and opinions
Upper intermediate
Talking with native speakers on a wide range of topics, without strain on either side
Advanced
Expressing yourself fluently and spontaneously, and following long, demanding speech
What is A1?
A1 is the first level on the scale, and the foundation for everything that comes after it. It’s the point where Spanish stops being a list of words and becomes something you can actually use: simple, everyday conversations about yourself, the people around you and the things you need.
It isn’t fluency, and conversations still need a little patience from the other person. But every level above it is built on these basics, which is why it pays to get them right.
Here’s What’s Inside Foundations 1
36 video lessons in seven parts, each with comprehensive PDF notes, plus over a hundred exercises, 7 vocabulary tests and two reviews to check your progress.
Part 1 · 8 lessons
Your first conversations
Start speaking straight away with the Spanish you already know. Then greet people, introduce yourself and others, and pick up the survival phrases that get you through when your vocabulary runs out. Plus how to memorise vocabulary so it stays, how to pronounce any Spanish word you see, and the numbers from 1 to 99.
- Course introduction
- You already know Spanish
- Greetings
- Let me present to you…
- Phrases to memorize now
- Memorization techniques
- The alphabet
- Numbers
Part 2 · 4 lessons
Who you are, and the present tense
Who you are, what you have and what you do for a living, with ser and tener. Then your first verb endings, and the complete present tense, with the tips that make every verb form easy to remember.
- Ser and tener
- Ser with occupations
- First conjugations
- Complete present tense
Part 3 · 4 lessons
Your day, and what you can and want to do
Telling the time, describing your daily routine and asking about other people’s. Then poder and querer: asking politely if you can, and saying what you want.
- Telling the time
- Daily routines
- The verb poder
- The verb querer
Part 4 · 3 lessons
Masculine, feminine, and ordering
El or la, un or una: the patterns that tell you the gender of most Spanish words, so you stop guessing. Then ordering in restaurants, shops and cafés, including the polite forms that change from country to country.
- Gender
- Articles
- Ordering and the imperative
Part 5 · 5 lessons
Ser, estar, and describing your world
The two verbs for “to be”, explained so you know which one to reach for: who people are, where things are, and how they look and feel. Then your family, and hay for what’s around you.
- Ser and estar
- Family vocabulary
- Estar for location
- Describing people
- Hay
Part 6 · 4 lessons
What you like, and what you’d prefer
Likes and dislikes with gustar, the distinctive Spanish structure that impresses native speakers, in two lessons. Then the pronouns that go with it, this one or that one, and preferir.
- Likes and dislikes with gustar
- Pronouns review
- Likes and dislikes part 2
- Demonstratives and preferir
Part 7 · 6 lessons
Plans, obligations, and finding your way
What you have to do with tener que, where you’re going with ir, and what you’re going to do with the ir a future. Then the days of the week, the impersonal se natives use constantly, and asking for and following directions.
- Tener que
- Ir
- Ir a future
- Days of the week
- Impersonal se
- Directions
Plus
Reviews and vocabulary tests
A mid-course review and a full course review to pull everything together, and 7 vocabulary tests along the way, so you can see exactly how much you’ve learned.
- Mid-course review
- Course review
- 7 vocabulary tests
- Next steps
Put the 36 lessons together and you’ve covered the A1 (Beginner) level of Spanish. Fluent? Not yet, and I’d never promise that. But you’ll be out of Beginner Zone: able to handle everyday situations, talk about yourself and the people in your life, and get by on your own.
Everything above, one payment of $99
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Here’s What Foundations Students Say
“This course was exactly what I needed. Things were explained in a way that I was finally able to understand.”
MelissaPre-intermediate Foundations student“Taking Foundations will be one of your best decisions ever and will speed up your Spanish acquisition.”
Dan ForbesBeginner“I love this course! I have tried to learn Spanish multiple times in the past but each time my learning would plateau and I would give up. The course structure has helped me stay motivated by testing my skill level more organically as well as provided me with a clear view of the journey to fluency.”
RayFoundations 2 student who had plateaued and given up before“The teaching was clear and well planned and contained a lot of useful grammar , enjoyable exercises, interesting videos with varied spanish accents. The explanations were easy to follow and the quizzes and practice exercises were very practical and made studying a pleasure . There is a lot of great content to re visit and I have learned and understood much more than I have from books and other sources in the past. I look forward to Foundations 3 !!”
Philip CraigFoundations 2 student“Your method worked for me, and now I am finally clear on those concepts! The best part is that a couple of concepts that you unlocked for me, allowed me to have revelations in other areas of my Spanish. I feel like I took a big leap forward with Foundations 2. Now I’m really looking forward to Foundations 3.”
Bruce BowmanFoundations 2 student“Foundations 2 reinforced things I had learned before, but I never felt completely sure I knew them. Now I can talk about past events with more confidence, and I no longer have to avoid the past in my conversations. I want to do Foundations 3 as soon as possible.”
MartyFoundations 2 student“I had been studying Spanish on and off for years. I’m somewhere between A2-B1 and Foundations2 has helped with my comprehension as it uses various native speakers for our practice. It has also refreshed some tenses for me and inspired me to take my Spanish to the next level. Well worth it”
Spencer BungardFoundations 2 student, A2 to B1 after years of “on and off”
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Take a full 30 days. Do the first lessons, work through the exercises and the notes. If you find you don’t love Foundations 1, for whatever reason, just let us know within 30 days, and we’ll refund 100% of your payment. No questions asked. That makes this a risk-free investment in your Spanish.
I’ve tried before and it didn’t stick. Why would this be any different?
…and the other questions you’re probably wondering about
Is this for me?
Foundations 1 is for complete beginners, those new to Spanish, or learners who want a fresh start.
It’s specifically designed for those people who have tried various methods of learning, and find that it still won’t stick. If you haven’t made the progress you expected in the time you’ve been studying, Foundations is for you.
However, it’s NOT for intermediate or advanced learners.
How long will it take to complete Foundations 1?
For people who are serious about making progress in their Spanish, we recommend building up to around one hour per day. At this cadence, you’ll be able to complete the course in around 3 to 4 weeks.
There’s no schedule to keep up with, though. At 20 minutes a day it takes a couple of months, and that works just as well. You have lifetime access, so go at whatever pace suits your week.
Why pay when there’s so much free Spanish out there, including your own podcast?
Free Spanish gives you words and phrases, but not a path, and it rarely explains why things work. Foundations 1 is one fixed order: 36 lessons that cover the essential grammar and vocabulary, each explained clearly and practised straight away. The podcast is great listening practice once you have the basics to hang it on.
How is the course delivered, and how long do I have it?
Video lessons with exercises and PDF notes in the Spanish Obsessed course area. It’s a one-off purchase with indefinite, permanent access, so you’re free to take as long as you need, and come back to any lesson whenever you want a refresher.
What if it doesn’t work for me?
You have a 30-day money-back guarantee. Try the course out, and if you don’t like it, you’ll get all of your money back within 30 days of purchase. No questions asked.
Will I get to practise speaking?
Foundations 1 gives you the phrases and structures to speak from the first lesson, and the exercises after every lesson have you putting your own sentences together. What it doesn’t include is live speaking practice with a teacher; that’s what our live Academy classes are for. Think of Foundations 1 as the thing that gives you something to say.
I’m over 70 and my memory isn’t what it was. Is this still for me?
Most of our students are over 50, and the course is built for adults: no streaks, no games, no gimmicks. Every lesson comes with notes and exercises to revisit, there’s a lesson on memorization techniques early on, and regular vocabulary tests help the words stay.
Everything above, one payment of $99
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Hi, I’m Rob
I’m British, and I learned Spanish as an adult, so I know what it’s like to start from the very beginning, usually with Lis, who is from Colombia and speaks the real thing. Since then, over 50,000 learners have gone through our courses, and more than a million have listened to our podcast, which is probably where you found us.
I teach every lesson in Foundations 1 myself, and I explain things the way I wish they’d been explained to me when I started. Finish it, and you’ll be out of Beginner Zone and ready for Foundations 2. We’d love to have you with us.
Here’s Everything You’re Getting With Foundations 1
Foundations 1 includes:
- Part 1: Your first conversations – start speaking with the Spanish you already know
- Part 2: Who you are, and the present tense – say who you are and what you do
- Part 3: Your day, and what you can and want to do – talk about your day and ask for what you want
- Part 4: Masculine, feminine, and ordering – stop guessing el or la, and order anywhere
- Part 5: Ser, estar, and describing your world – know which “to be” to use, and describe anything
- Part 6: What you like, and what you’d prefer – say what you like, and what you’d rather have
- Part 7: Plans, obligations, and finding your way – make plans and find your way around
Plus, with every lesson:
- Comprehensive PDF notes – so you don’t need to worry about taking notes yourself
- Over a hundred exercises – to reinforce what you learn
- 7 vocabulary tests and two reviews – so you can see your progress
- Lifetime access – take as long as you need
All backed by a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee.
Everything above, one payment of $99
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee | Instant Access
You’re one click away from finally getting the basics of Spanish to stick.
