Module 1: ¡Hola! - Getting Started

Module Overview

Duration: 2 weeks
Level: Complete beginner
Theme: First contact with Spanish - sounds, basic interactions, and essential numbers

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Lesson 1: Spanish Alphabet and Pronunciation

Duration: 90 minutes

Objectives:

• Identify all 27 letters of the Spanish alphabet
• Pronounce each letter correctly
• Recognize and produce unique Spanish sounds
• Understand strong vs. weak vowels
• Apply basic stress rules

Content Covered:

1. The Spanish Alphabet

   • All 27 letters with audio examples
   • Letter names vs. sounds
   • Comparison with English sounds

2. Special Spanish Sounds

   • Ñ
   • RR vs. R (pero, caro)
   • J
   • G before e/i
   • LL variations
   • Z/C before e/i

3. Vowels

   • Strong vowels
   • Weak vowels
   • Diphthongs basics

4. Stress and Accent Marks

   • Natural stress rules
   • Role of written accents

Practice Activities:

• Listen and repeat exercises
• Minimal pairs discrimination
• Record yourself spelling your name
• Pronunciation tongue twisters

Cultural Note:

Regional pronunciation differences - seseo vs. distinción, yeísmo

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Lesson 2: Basic Greetings and Farewells

Duration: 60 minutes

Objectives:

• Use appropriate greetings for different times of day
• Say goodbye in various contexts
• Understand formal vs. informal situations
• Use basic courtesy expressions

Content Covered:

1. Greetings

   • Hola
   • Buenos días - until noon
   • Buenas tardes - noon to nightfall
   • Buenas noches - after dark

2. Farewells

   • Adiós
   • Hasta luego
   • Hasta mañana
   • Hasta pronto
   • Nos vemos

3. Courtesy Phrases

   • Por favor
   • Gracias
   • De nada
   • Perdón/Disculpe
   • Lo siento

4. Basic Questions

   • ¿Cómo estás?
   • ¿Cómo está usted?
   • ¿Qué tal?
   • ¿Y tú/usted?

5. Responses

   • Bien, gracias
   • Muy bien
   • Regular/Más o menos

Practice Activities:

• Role-play different greeting scenarios
• Listen to dialogues and identify formal/informal speech
• Morning, afternoon, and evening greeting practice
• Create mini-conversations

Cultural Note:

Greeting customs in Spanish-speaking countries (kisses, handshakes, time considerations)

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Lesson 3: Numbers 0-20

Duration: 75 minutes

Objectives:

• Count from 0 to 20 accurately
• Spell numbers correctly
• Use numbers in basic contexts
• Understand number agreement with nouns

Content Covered:

1. Numbers 0-10

   • cero, uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez
   • Pronunciation focus on tres, seis, diez

2. Numbers 11-20

   • 11-15: once, doce, trece, catorce, quince
   • 16-19: dieciséis, diecisiete, dieciocho, diecinueve
   • 20: veinte

3. Special Cases

   • Uno → un/una
   • "Un libro" vs. "Una mesa" (one table)

4. Basic Applications

   • Phone number digits
   • Quantities
   • Simple math expressions

Practice Activities:

• Number bingo
• Listen and write phone numbers
• Counting objects in images
• Simple addition/subtraction in Spanish
• Memory games with number sequences

Extra Information:

• Preview of larger numbers structure
• Cultural note on lucky/unlucky numbers

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Lesson 4: Days of the Week and Basic Time Expressions

Duration: 75 minutes

Objectives:

• Name all days of the week in order
• Understand that days are masculine
• Use basic time expressions
• Talk about when things happen
• Understand the Spanish calendar week

Content Covered:

1. Days of the Week

   • lunes, martes, miércoles, jueves, viernes, sábado, domingo
   • All days are masculine: "el lunes"
   • No capitalization in Spanish

2. Basic Time Expressions

   • hoy
   • mañana
   • ayer
   • la semana
   • el fin de semana
   • todos los días

3. Simple Scheduling

   • "El lunes"
   • "Los lunes"
   • "De lunes a viernes"

4. Parts of the Day

   • la mañana
   • la tarde
   • la noche

Practice Activities:

• Create a simple weekly schedule
• Listen to people describing their week
• Days of the week song
• "What day comes before/after?" game
• Plan weekend activities using new vocabulary

Cultural Note:

• Spanish calendar starts with Monday
• Weekend culture in Spanish-speaking countries
• Saint's days and their importance

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Module 1 Assessment: "First Conversations"

Duration: 30-45 minutes

Format:

The assessment consists of four parts testing all module objectives

Part 1: Listening Comprehension

• Listen to 5 short dialogues with greetings/farewells
• Identify: time of day, formal/informal register, appropriate response
• Listen to phone numbers and write them down
• Identify days of the week in spoken context

Part 2: Pronunciation

• Read aloud a list of words focusing on special sounds
• Spell your name and a Spanish word
• Count from 0-20
• Say the days of the week

Part 3: Written Exercises

• Write appropriate greetings for given times/situations
• Complete number sequences
• Match days with activities
• Fill in missing courtesies phrases

Part 4: Spoken Production

• Record or perform live 3 mini-dialogues:
  1. Morning greeting with formal person
  2. Afternoon casual encounter with friend
  3. Saying goodbye and "see you on [specific day]"

Passing Criteria:

• Minimum score: 70% overall
• Must achieve: At least 60% in each section
• Special focus: Pronunciation section weighted heavily for foundation building

What Students Need to Know:

1. All 27 letters and their pronunciation
2. Greetings for all times of day
3. At least 5 different farewell expressions
4. Numbers 0-20
5. All days of the week
6. Basic courtesy phrases
7. Simple time expressions

Remediation:

Students who score below 70% receive:

• Targeted practice exercises for weak areas
• Additional pronunciation recordings
• One-on-one practice session opportunity
• Can retake assessment after 48 hours

Success Indicators:

Students ready for Module 2 can:

• Greet someone appropriately any time of day
• Have a basic polite interaction
• Understand and use numbers in context
• Make simple plans using days of the week
• Pronounce Spanish sounds comprehensibly