St Valentine’s Day Piropos – Spanish exercises

Piropos San ValentínDo you have a special someone on St Valentine’s Day to give all your love? If you want to surprise her/him with your Spanish lover skills and you want to learn how to flirt in Spanish, we give you the piropos no one would be able to resist! But be aware, maybe some of them will make her/him laugh or run away!

¿Crees en el amor a primera vista o tengo que volver a pasar?
Do you believe in love at first sight or do I need to pass by again?
Ya me puedo quedar ciego: acabo de ver lo más bonito del mundo.
I now can be blind: I just saw the most beautiful thing in the world.
Si la belleza fuese un instante, tú serías la eternidad.
If beauty was an instant you would be eternity.
Si no existieras, te inventaría.
If you didn’t exist, I would invent you.
Tal vez para el mundo sólo seas una persona, pero para esta persona eres el mundo.
Maybe you’re just a person to the world, but to this person you are the world.

After all this love, do you want to continue your Spanish learning? Take a look at the infographics of different levels that we have in our Learning resources.

If you want to know the learning experience of others Spanish students like yourself, check out our AIL students section.

Plato de temporada – Spanish exercises

During Madrid’s mild winters, locals prepare seasonal stews using ingredients such as beans, lentils, tripe and garlic.

Here, we have a recipe for garlic soup that serves two. It’s a great winter plato de temporada!

Match each ingredient with its image to complete the recipe:

Ingredientes

Typical stews of Spanish winter
  • 3 cucharadas de _ _ _ _ _
  • Una pizca de _ _ _ _ _
  • 4 dientes de _ _ _ _ _
  • 50 gramos de _ _ _ _ _ duro
  • 1 litro de _ _ _ _ _

Preparación:

Cortar (2) / Mezclar / Verter

Pelar / Calentar / Poner

Añadir (2) / Cocer

Plato de temporada

Soluciones:

Aceite de oliva/Sal/Ajo/Pan/Agua Cortar/Poner/Pelar/Cortar/Añadir/Añadir/Mezclar/Verter/Cocer

Do you want to continue your Spanish learning? Check out our Learning resources section page to test your Spanish level with our quizzes.

Do you want to further expand your knowledge of Spanish? We recommend you this post about Spanish expressions with “dar”.

Spanish Cooking workshop – Featured after-class activity

It’s time to tie on your apron and pop on your chef’s hat. Our cultural activity this month is a traditional Spanish cooking class! Whether you regular whip up Michelin star-worthy meals or consider burnt toast to be the extent of your culinary talent, our Spanish Cooking Workshop is a great way to sprinkle some Spanish flavours into your recipe book.

Cooking like a Spanish

This month, our students have been learning to make three classic Spanish dishes. These recipes are tortillas, paella and pan tumaca, a tasty tomato-topped bread.

Cooking workshop, our Featured after-class activity

Before the students enter the class, we divide our school’s personal kitchen into stations. We dedicate each station to a different dish and fill them with all the herbs, spices, fresh ingredients and cooking utensils needed. With everything in order, the students get cooking! The fluffy loaves of bread are toasted, the colourful vegetables finely chopped and the chicken fried in the paella pan.

When it’s time to flip the sizzling tortilla, everyone clambers around to be the one to launch it into the air. Successfully catching the tortilla on its way back to earth can be met with an explosion of applause. One class even hailed the boy who caught their tortilla as the ‘Tortilla King!’ Every twenty minutes, the groups at each station rotate. This allows everyone in the class to enjoy preparing every part of the meal.

Eating like a Spanish

Finally, everyone gathers around to enjoy the paella and tapas. With approving “Mmm’s” and hands reaching for second servings, the class finishes on a high note. Students are often eager to replicate the recipes back home! If you’re also looking to inject some Mediterranean inspiration into your cooking, why not give our class a go?

Learn everything about this activities in AIL Madrid and find out about other feaured after-class activities, like our Christmas market walk.

Featured AIL Student – Junko

Junko is studying a Spanish course in AIL Madrid

Hello! My name is Junko, I am from Japan and I am an AIL Madrid Student currently taking a semi-intensive B1 Spanish course.

I chose to start learning Spanish a year ago after my husband and I moved to Madrid for his work. I tried out three or four other language schools before coming to AIL Madrid and out of all of them, I like AIL’s atmosphere the most!

My favourite thing about the school is the other students you get to meet there. I enjoy talking with the students who come from places like China, France and the US, and I also get on well with my classmates. They are younger than me, but the age gap isn’t an issue and I always find it interesting to hear what they have to say.

As I have a busy schedule, I think the ten weekly hours of classes offered in the semi-intensive courses are a good amount for me to learn Spanish from. The teachers at AIL are really friendly and they always bring up interesting topics for us to discuss in class. I find speaking to be the hardest part of learning Spanish, but my teachers are patient and always let me finish all of my sentences when I am speaking in class. Since starting the Spanish course, I am now able to talk to native speakers, take calls and organise local services to fix household problems on my own. I used to work in the Ministry of Commerce in Japan, so I am also excited by the idea of being able to use Spanish in my work in future too!

Do you want to meet another AIL Madrid Student? You can get to know Sandra, who started as a total beginner, in our Spanish Language Students section.

Christmas Markets in Madrid – Featured after-class activity

Christmas time is finally approaching! In Madrid, this festive season means a city full of lights, decorations and loved ones gathering for brindis together. Out of the many special held at this time of year, a trip to Madrid’s Christmas markets is one of the most magical.

The colourful market stalls spill onto the city streets every December, offering all sorts of gifts to buy. Taking full advantage of their presence, AIL Madrid’s students bundle up in warm layers and start shopping!

Christmas Markets, Featured after-class activity

Our favourite Christmas Market

Our favourite market, and that of our students, is the Christmas market of Plaza Mayor. Boasting more than 100 stalls, the famous market is the perfect place to get lost in. You can find everything from nativity scene figurines to Christmas trees, baubles, garlands and glittering lights. The market takes place from November to the last day of the year, leaving plenty of time to explore.

Another Christmas market we never fail to stop by is that of the emblematic Plaza de España. The handmade quality and huge variety and novelty of all its items on sale delight our students. They never leave without purchasing at least one special gift for their families! With the opening dates of the Christmas markets just around the corner, we can’t wait to pay them another visit. Who knows what we’ll find?

Learn everything about this kind of activity in AIL Madrid and find out about other featured after-class activities, like our treasure hunt in Retiro Park.

Featured AIL Student – Sandra

Sandra, our featured AIL StudentHi! I’m Sandra, a twenty-year-old AIL student from Sweden. I started learning Spanish as a total beginner at the start of September this year.

My Story

I chose to take Spanish lessons mainly for my family. My mother’s side of the family is Venezuelan and don’t speak any English. To make communicating with them easier, I decided to start learning Spanish. I went online to find the best language school in Spain. After reading so many amazing recommendations, I decided to study Spanish in AIL Madrid.

My Life in Madrid

I have been in Madrid for two months now. Living in a country surrounded by people who speak the language, I’m amazed at how much my Spanish has already improved. Everyday tasks like ordering in a restaurant, asking a local for directions and talking to store cashiers have become great opportunities for me to practice what I learned in class. I’m feeling more and more comfortable with the language. I can now speak Spanish better than some of my friends who have been studying it in Sweden for years!

My Teachers

The teachers in AIL Madrid are also so warm and welcoming. It really helps when learning Spanish as a beginner. My teacher, Olga, takes the time to make sure we understand everything in lessons. She always helps us with our problems, so no one ever hesitates to ask questions.

The teachers participate in all our fiestas and activities too. This means that most of the time, they don’t even really feel like teachers!

My Future with Spanish

I will never regret my decision to come to Spain. After I finish my time here, I’ll be able to speak Spanish for the rest of my life! If you want to spend your money on enhancing your ‘life backpack’ of skills, I would recommend learning Spanish at AIL Madrid.

Do you want to discover another AIL Student experience? You can read about Peter’s, a private and group classes student who wanted to focus in business Spanish, in our AIL Madrid Spanish Language Students section.

A Riverside Bike Ride – Featured after-class activity

From time to time, we like taking a break from the city centre to experience a more tranquil pace of life. Armed with sunscreen, water bottles and hats, ten of our students enjoy a riverside bike ride with our teacher Servando through the city’s very own nature escape: the Madrid Río.

A nice bike ride around Madrid Río

We first scoop up some pre-booked bicycles from Mi Bike Río (www.mibikerio.com), located just by Metro Principe Pío. Then, we begin our journey in a southerly direction towards the Royal Palace. Along the way, we peek in at the Casa de Campo and admire the views of the Catedral de la Almudena.

The river is the perfect location for a bike ride, even if the weather has us working up a sweat sooner than we´d expect! Rather than cycling on the crowded straight path on the east side of the river, we instead stick to the western route. The path is packed with swooping curves, dips and inclines continuing past the Estadio Calderón. Around us, children splash in the outdoors fountains and adults bask on the lawns. It’s as though they’re sunbathing on a private beach.

After reaching our final stop at Matadero Madrid, we head back and return our bikes. Then, we stroll to the nearby Paulaner Biergarten (located riverside by the Campo del Moro) for some well-deserved refreshments. Fancy coming next time? ¡Apúntate a uno de nuestros cursos en AIL Madrid!

You can find out more after-class activities like a riverside bike ride in our after-class activities section.

How to ask for directions in Spanish – Spanish exercises

If you’re tired of being enslaved by your GPS, or even worse, you don’t have any signal, then getting lost and asking the locals for help is a great way to practice your Spanish. To learn how to ask for directions in Spanish, why not use these phrases?

Perdona, ¿Hay un banco/una estación de metro/una farmacia por aquí? Excuse me, is there a bank/metro stop/pharmacy near here?
Disculpa, ¿Para ir a……? Sorry, to get to… (insert street name/area)?
¿Sabes dónde está……? Do you know where ….is?

The answer you receive will very likely include common direction verbs such as:
Coger – to take
Girar – to turn
Seguir – to continue (irregular!)
Ir – to go (irregular!)
Cruzar – to cross

Furthermore, it will also nearly always involve the imperative. In the informal singular form, this tense is really easy! To help you, here are the same verbs again in their simplest imperative form.

1. Coge la primera/segunda calle a la derecha/izquierda… (take the first street on the right/left…)
2. Gira a la izquierda en el semáforo… (turn left at the light…)
3. Sigue todo recto… (continue straight on…)
4. Vete a la derecha/izquierda… (go right…)
5. Cruza la plaza… (cross the square…)

Do you want to continue your Spanish learning? You can go to our Learning resources section page and and put you to the test with our quizzes.

Also, in order to put into practice what you learned in this post with the activities that we recommend you in our After-class activities section.

Featured AIL Student – Rachel

Rachel is studying Spanish in AIL MadridHello! My name is Rachel and I’m from Brighton in the UK. I’d like to share my incredible experience studying Spanish in AIL Madrid with you.

My story

Until just recently, the only language I could speak was English. Having promised myself that I would learn another language, I took advantage of a short break between jobs to work as a teaching assistant in Madrid. I work during the day, so I was looking for a language school that could offer me night classes. Most of all, however, I wanted somewhere where I would feel at home.

I came across a perfectly timed night Spanish course for me at AIL Madrid, a language school with great online recommendations. My first class was fantastic! My teacher, Edu, was incredibly friendly and I got on really well with the other six people in my class.

The most difficult part of learning Spanish can be having the confidence to start a conversation in it. However, the atmosphere of the classes at AIL were perfect for practicing. We all helped each other and no one ever laughed if someone made a mistake (and we made plenty at the start!). Edu was also really attentive and always took the time to respond to any doubts we had.

If you want to learn Spanish or simply improve your current skills, my advice would be to apply to AIL. Everyone is so kind, so I always feel at home there. My Spanish has improved dramatically. When I first arrived in Madrid, I never dared to speak to my Spanish friends. Nowadays, they have to ask me to stop – once I start speaking in Spanish, there’s no stopping me!

Do you want to meet another AIL Student? You can get to know Junko, a semi-intensive B1 student, in our Spanish Language Students of AIL Madrid section.