Summer course: Spanish Language and Culture

Initiate and develop your basic knowledge of Spanish language and culture through classes and external visits that aim to give you the opportunity to learn about important figures in the history of Spanish art, as well as teaching you linguistic notions according to your level.

Dates: From 22 June to 17 July 2026.

Why study this course?

Understand expressions and the most common vocabulary on topics of personal interest (very basic personal and family information, greetings and farewells, shopping, directions, telephone, employment).
Can write in simple everyday words on familiar matters related to his/her immediate environment and immediate needs.
Understand the main idea of an oral discourse and is able to link sentences and write texts in a simple way.
Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is used.

A diploma will be awarded by the University!

Programme

Presentation of the course. The city of Madrid: past and present. Walking the streets, El barrio de las letras (tapas). Beginners group: Identity presentations (My name is I am, I live, I study...). Intermediate group: Planning the future. Discourse markers. Spatial-temporal locators.
Velázquez: Life and work Socio-cultural environment. Narration / description Walking the streets: Traces of Velázquez in Madrid. Beginners' group: Spatio-temporal location (what is there? where is he?) and regular presents, time and weather. Intermediate group: Contrasting pasts: Narration / description.
Goya: life and work, socio-cultural environment, popular festivals. Visit to the Prado Museum. Beginners' group: habitual actions (irregular present conjugation). Intermediate group: Contrasting past tenses: Narration / description.
Picasso: Life and work, socio-cultural environment. Visit to the Reina Sofia Museum: Guernica. Beginners' group: Character, way of being and mood, shapes and colours. Intermediate group: grammar; indicative/subjunctive (opinion and judgement).
Collection and sharing of experiences. Royal Palace or Retiro Park: pond, glass palace and forest of the absent. Beginners' group: "gustar" verbs. Intermediate group: recommendations and advice (periphrasis, imperative, subjunctive).
Grammar content for elementary level: greetings and farewells, introductions, verbs in the present tense, adjectives, locating people and objects, tastes and hobbies.
Grammar content for intermediate level: review of past tenses, opinions and counter-opinions, evaluations and statements, use of indicative/subjunctive.
Non-functional content: Madrid, a living city. The life, work and historical context in which three masters of Spanish painting lived: Velázquez, Goya and Picasso.

Course description

Duration: 4 weeks.
Credits: 10 ECTS.
Language: Spanish.
Place: C/ Alberto Aguilera, 23, Madrid.
Requirements: candidate profile and approach to a potential market: any undergraduate student with an interest in improving and deepening their knowledge of Spanish language and culture. In the version of the course designed for beginners, no previous knowledge of the language is required; in the version aimed at intermediate level students, a minimum level of B1 Spanish is required.
Enrolment: to enrol, please contact(Summer.School@comillas.edu)
Registration deadline: until 15 May.
Price: 2,000 Euros.