Spanish tutors for school, exams and everyday conversation

Consider this short teaching example. A learner writes “Me gusta los libros”, intending to say “I like books”. Simply crossing out gusta does not explain how to build the next sentence.

With gustar, think of the thing being liked as pleasing the person. “Me gusta el libro” means “I like the book”: one book takes gusta. “Me gustan los libros” means “I like the books”: the plural los libros takes gustan. The word me stays the same because the person expressing the preference has not changed. The RAE explanation of gustar sets out this agreement pattern.

Now try a new preference: las películas means “films”. “Me gustan las películas” means “I like films”. The useful check is whether the learner can choose gustan and explain why, rather than repeat the corrected book sentence from memory. A tutor can then use the same pattern in a spoken question and response.

Knowing what to say is only part of a conversation. An adult preparing for travel might learn “Un café, por favor” (“A coffee, please”), then lose the thread when the other person asks “¿Con leche?” (“With milk?”).

A short practice exchange could continue with “Sí, con leche, por favor” (“Yes, with milk, please”) or “No, sin leche, gracias” (“No, without milk, thank you”). The learner listens for the choice and gives the reply that matches what they want. If the question is unclear, “¿Puede repetirlo, por favor?” means “Can you repeat that, please?”. Asking for repetition is a useful part of beginner interaction; it gives the conversation a way to continue.

For a follow-up, swap café for té (“tea”) and change the answer to the milk question. A tutor can say the question first, show it in writing if needed, and then try again without the text. Progress here means understanding and responding to the changed exchange, not merely delivering the opening phrase faster. These are constructed practice examples, not a promised lesson script.

For GCSE Spanish in England, use resources for your board and exam year. AQA 8692 and Pearson Edexcel’s GCSE first taught in 2024 both assess listening, speaking, reading and writing, including dictation. Their speaking tasks differ: AQA combines a role-play, reading aloud with a short unprepared conversation, and a photo-card discussion with further unprepared conversation; Pearson uses reading aloud, a role play and a picture task with conversation. Practising the correct format matters alongside knowing the language.

One useful school-level exercise is to connect a time word with its verb. “Hoy voy al cine” means “Today I am going to the cinema”. To describe yesterday’s completed trip, use “Ayer fui al cine” (“Yesterday I went to the cinema”). Replacing hoy (“today”) with ayer (“yesterday”) while keeping voy leaves the verb in the present; fui gives the intended completed past meaning here. Both forms come from ir, “to go”.

That is a constructed language example, not a full exam answer. The next task could be answering a past-event question aloud, then writing the same meaning accurately. For listening or dictation, compare what the learner heard with the transcript to establish whether the difficulty was the word’s meaning, its sound or its spelling.

Courses elsewhere in the UK and international qualifications need their own specification. Send the qualification name and board with your enquiry so preparation can follow the right requirements.

For the International Baccalaureate, explore IB Spanish tutors and specify your course and level when enquiring.

Use the introductory meeting to compare how a tutor would approach your particular difficulty. Agree priorities for the first paid lessons and decide what you will look at together when reviewing progress.

Latimer offers online one-to-one tuition. Matching requests are free, and the free introductory meeting is a chance to discuss your goals, the teaching approach and practical arrangements.