Introduction

Welcome to Spanish Down Under! This book is designed for students looking to learn Spanish in the Australian and New Zealand context, where language study is not as prevalent as in Europe or the United States. This book caters to a wide range of students and focuses on a hands–on, student–centric approach to learning Spanish. Pedagogically, it starts from a complete beginner level (students with no prior knowledge or experience) and progresses to an upper intermediate level. It helps students develop and use the 4 basic language skills (speaking, listening, writing and reading) engagingly and interactively. This book introduces students to important vocabulary and cultural and grammatical concepts in an approachable and appropriately staged manner. It draws on cultural examples from the Spanish–speaking world and Australia and New Zealand. It also introduces students to a standardised or pan–Spanish language variant that will account for the most widely spoken regional variations.

Additionally, it provides students with a list of place–related slang and other variations. This book links the language–learning journey with cultural themes to develop student’s social awareness and understanding, as these are essential aspects of language acquisition. It seeks to establish those bridges by acknowledging a range of cultural and social realities for students in the Australian and New Zealand contexts. Finally, it is aligned with the European Framework (A1–C1) and aims to ensure that students who complete the course will have a working proficiency in Spanish.