Formula‑100: A Speaking‑First Spanish Course

Hook

Imagine this: your teacher taught you hola and un café, por favor, yet in Barcelona you still ordered in English because you froze. That's what we fix. Our 100‑class, speaking‑first Spanish course is built for everyday use—so you can hold full conversations on simple topics and follow more complex stories. We teach Spanish as a skill, not just knowledge, using context and storytelling to get you speaking from day one.

TL;DR

• 100 personalized online classes you can take daily. Daily lessons for daily situations.
• Speaking‑first: conversation‑based training that treats Spanish as a skill, not theory.
• Method: real‑life context + storytelling + SRS (spaced repetition). You’ll talk from week one.
• Result: ask for a coffee, talk about your interests, and follow shows in Spanish.

Framework

Onboarding & Baseline

The 100 classes are designed like driver’s ed: they get you on the road. You’ll earn the “license,” and mastery will come from real‑world driving—rain, traffic, parking on a hill. After Formula‑100 you should comfortably jump into everyday conversations, and even more complex ones when the topic is yours. Switch your streaming audio to Spanish and watch a show. Keep working while a Spanish podcast plays in the background. These are the activities that actually grow your Spanish and let you keep learning on your own.

We start at level 0—everyone. There’s no fast track right now; we prefer solid ground over shortcuts. In onboarding we note what you care about (yes, even whether tacos beat enchiladas—opinions unlock real speech and they’re fun). From that baseline we set three simple goals in plain language, personalize your path, and seed your first SRS deck with phrases you’ll need this week.

How It Works

Each lesson you’ll see a conversation that’s part of a bigger, custom story. You decide what happens next; your choices shape the scenario, so you pay attention and remember. Every conversation includes notes—not random grammar tips, but small explanations that matter: a verb someone actually uses, a word in context, or a cultural reference that makes a line click.

Our Spaced Repetition System (SRS) resurfaces the right notes at the right time and tracks what you know versus what needs another pass. Every seven days we run a memory‑focused session to tie it all together.

Why Storytelling

Storytelling creates emotional engagement. When you become part of a plot, motivation shows up and stays; your actions matter. The lesson stops being a lecture on “usted” and becomes a young boy speaking to his grandfather or a Padawan showing respect to a Master. Characters role‑play back depending on your choices, so the scene feels alive. We skip dopamine gimmicks—streaks and fireworks for right answers—because they look nice but don’t make you speak. We ask for commitment and reward you with real progress.

Speaking From Day One

We will ask you to speak from day one. Not perfect sentences—just enough to get out of the comfort zone and lose the fear that blocks a second language. Think of arriving in a new country: your first words are hola, gracias, dos cervezas. In practice you’ll shadow lines and retell scenes. Characters respond based on your choices, and we reuse content from current and previous classes so nothing goes to waste. You’ll feel in context from the first week—not “after the theory.”

Feedback & Progress

Feedback is constant but light. We correct pronunciation that makes you unclear and the basic grammar that actually blocks communication—word order, missing articles, the tiny things. The SRS nudges you right before forgetting kicks in.

• By week 1: handle polite situations without freezing—say sorry and thanks, ask for basic things, follow simple introductions.
• By week 5: follow conversations about daily topics and add easy opinions. No academic pressure—just natural talk.

Progress shows up as a growing can‑do list, not a test score. That list builds the confidence to keep going.

Class Length & Flexibility

Classes run 40–45 minutes. That’s enough to see new notes, use them in context, and revisit earlier ones so they don’t fade. The commitment is real, but flexible: split a class into two shorter sessions when life gets noisy. We care about habits more than hero days. There’s no “secret” way to learn a language in 100 classes—only Formula‑100, our honest way to put you in real Spanish fast and keep you there until it feels like yours.

Examples / Templates

Below are two sample micro‑conversations like the ones you’ll work with. Keep them short—designed to be used and reused, not to impress on length.

Conversation 1: En la cafetería

A: Hola, ¿me pones un café con leche, por favor? B: Claro. ¿Para aquí o para llevar? A: Para aquí. ¿Cuánto es? B: Dos euros con veinte. A: Perfecto. Gracias. B: A ti. ¿Algo más? A: No, nada más. ¡Buen día!

Notes

• me pones (ES): natural way to order: “Could I get…?” Alternative: me das/me da.
• para aquí / para llevar: for here / to go.
• ¿Algo más?: Anything else?
• con + bebida: un café con leche → coffee with milk.

Conversation 2: Presentaciones rápidas

A: Hola, soy Ana. Mucho gusto. B: Encantado, me llamo Luis. ¿De dónde eres? A: Soy de México, ¿y tú? B: Yo soy de España. ¿Vives por aquí? A: Sí, vivo cerca. ¿Trabajas en esta oficina? B: Sí, en marketing. ¿Tú a qué te dedicas? A: Soy diseñadora.

Notes

• (Yo) soy / (Yo) me llamo: two common ways to introduce yourself.
• ¿De dónde eres? / ¿De dónde es? (tú/usted): mind the register.
• ¿A qué te dedicas?: “What do you do?” (profession/occupation).
• vivo cerca: I live nearby.

Common Pitfalls—and How We Fix Them

• Intermediate plateau → After week 1, progress feels slower because milestones fade.
  • Fix: set slightly harder tasks, compare with previous lessons, and keep a followable story so progress isn’t only “what you learned.”
• Studying, not speaking → Reading about painting won’t make you paint. Same with Spanish.
  • Fix: increase active participation as you advance; your input steers the story, so the Spanish you learn fuels better participation.
• Overcorrecting every sentence → Language is contextual; one perfect line won’t transfer.
  • Fix: delay most correction to the end using light codes ( G grammar, V vocab, WC word choice). Notes resurface later with new angles; small mistakes guide the next attempt.
• Leaving speaking to the end → Speaking is the hardest—and most useful—part. Waiting stalls momentum.
  • Fix: speak from day one with shadowing, role‑play, and retells of scenes.

Daily Lesson Kit (45 Minutes)

• Total Daily Commitment: ~45 minutes per day split into three research‑backed phases that boost retention, prevent overload, and keep steady progress.
• New Conversation (15 min): Start audio‑first (Assimil style). Listen to a natural conversation before reading to train rhythm and pronunciation while building comprehensible input.
• Active Practice (20 min): Interactive reinforcement—listening checks, speaking practice, and contextual exercises that turn passive vocabulary into active communication.
• Spaced Repetition Review (10 min): Anki‑style review at spaced intervals so you revisit material just before you forget it.
• Assimil Flow: Listen → Read → Speak → Repeat—absorb by audio, confirm with text, then practice pronunciation and recycle.
• Flexible Micro‑Learning: On busy days, split it: morning listening (15), lunch‑break practice (20), evening review (10).
• Minimum Effective Dose: Even 20 minutes daily maintains momentum—prioritize the conversation and review phases; consistency beats perfection.
• Anki Integration: Pre‑built decks match each lesson—cards auto‑generate from conversation vocabulary; no manual flashcards.
• Time Ratios That Stick: The 15–20–10 split balances cognitive load—longer practice for skill building, short but frequent reviews for memory.
• Weekly Progression: Scales across ~100 sessions with weekend catch‑ups, optional extended practice, and simple checks (e.g., record a 60–90‑second monologue; hold a 5–10‑minute everyday chat; book a table by phone).

Ready when you are. We’ll handle the structure; you bring the voice and the choices.