Reading and Writing Spanish from Scratch

Most people who start learning Spanish focus on speaking, then hit a wall when they encounter a menu, a form, or a message they cannot parse. This program starts with text — because reading and writing are where you actually build lasting comprehension.

What the program addresses

You will work through the mechanics of written Spanish: accent marks, gendered nouns, verb conjugation tables, and sentence-level punctuation rules that differ noticeably from English. These are not minor details — they change meaning.

Each week introduces a new text format: personal messages, product labels, news headlines, short narratives. You read real material, not invented classroom sentences. By week four, most participants can read a basic Spanish article with a dictionary and understand roughly what is happening.

How sessions are structured

Sessions run twice weekly, 75 minutes each. One session focuses on reading comprehension exercises; the other on writing short structured texts. Feedback on written work is returned within 48 hours with inline annotations, not generic comments.

Petra Vanhoof, enrolled last intake: I had tried apps before but nothing stuck. Having someone actually mark up my sentences and explain the logic made a real difference.

What this program does not cover

Pronunciation and spoken fluency are outside this program scope. If your priority is conversation, a different format would suit you better. This is specifically for people who need to read and write Spanish accurately — for travel, study, or professional correspondence.

Progress depends on consistent practice between sessions. The program includes structured homework, but results vary based on time invested outside class hours.