Course Catalog / BMU 110 / Syllabus
BMU 110 Everyday Spanish: Real Talk for Real Life: Course Syllabus
Welcome. You are an adult with a full life, and this course is built for that. This page shows what you will learn, why it matters, what you will do, and how to succeed. Come back to it any time you wonder what is next.
This page helps you
- Explain what success looks like in this course
- Find your next step and set your own target dates
- Find help when you get stuck
Why this course matters
You meet Spanish speakers at work, at the store, or next door. You do not need grammar drills to be polite and get things done. This course teaches a small set of high use phrases, polite forms, and ways to recover when you get lost. You practice them in the places you actually go. The level is beginner (CEFR A1 to A2).
This course is for you if:
- You want practical Spanish for real situations, not a grammar class
- You work with, serve, or live near Spanish speakers and want to connect
- You took Spanish in school, forgot most of it, and want a fresh start
What success looks like
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Greet people and introduce yourself politely, using usted with strangers, in a short spoken exchange.
- Recover when you do not understand, using at least two survival phrases and asking people to repeat or write things down.
- Say and understand numbers, prices, times, and phone numbers well enough to confirm an appointment or a total.
- Complete a routine task at a store, a doctor's office, a job site, or on the phone, using a phrase script.
- Hold a 2 minute role play that finishes a real task and keep a weekly practice plan.
You will know you got there in two ways. First, you pass the post-test with 80% or higher. Second, your capstone rubric shows Ready to use on each row.
Your next step
Start with the pre-test. It takes about 10 minutes and is not graded. Then open Lesson 1: Hola. The phrases that get you through anything.
Here is the full path through the course:
- Pre-test: 13 questions, plus 3 quick confidence questions. Not graded. You take it once.
- The lessons, in order: 8 lessons, from Lesson 1: Hola. The phrases that get you through anything to Lesson 8: Small talk, family, and keeping it going.
- Post-test: 13 questions. Pass with 80%. Retake as often as you need.
- Course survey: about 2 minutes, optional and anonymous.
- Your certificate: type your name and print it.
- A 30 day check in, if you opt in.
Your dates. BMU sets no deadlines. You choose them. Pick a start date and a target finish date now, and put both on your calendar. Each lesson's action step also says when to do it, such as tomorrow or this week.
Course schedule
Every lesson has the same parts, so you always know what is coming: a short read, a Try it action step you do in real life, and, in most lessons, a quick check. Times come from each lesson page.
| Lesson | Read | Action step | What you do (Try it) | Builds outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-test | 10 min | None | See where you start | All |
| Lesson 1: Hola. The phrases that get you through anything (free preview) | 10 min | 10 min | Your first ten minutes | Start here |
| Lesson 2: Introduce yourself and ask about others | 16 min | 10 min | Your four line introduction | O1 |
| Lesson 3: Numbers, prices, and time | 14 min | 10 min | Numbers in your real life | O3 |
| Lesson 4: At the store and the market | 13 min | 15 min | Shop in Spanish | O4 |
| Lesson 5: At the doctor's office | 15 min | 15 min | Your visit card | O4, O2 |
| Lesson 6: On the job site | 12 min | 15 min | Your job site card | O4 |
| Lesson 7: Directions, getting around, and phone calls | 13 min | 15 min | Get around in Spanish | O3, O4 |
| Lesson 8: Small talk, family, and keeping it going | 17 min | 30 min | Capstone: your Spanish Survival Kit | O5, O1, O2 |
| Post-test | 10 min | None | Show what you can do (80% to pass) | All |
| Survey (optional) | 2 min | None | Tell us what to improve | None |
Suggested pace
Two lessons a week. That is about four weeks. Short daily practice with the phrase cards helps more than one long session. Go faster or slower if your life calls for it.
| When | What to do | About how long |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Pre-test, Lesson 1, Lesson 2 | 56 min |
| Week 2 | Lesson 3, Lesson 4 | 52 min |
| Week 3 | Lesson 5, Lesson 6 | 57 min |
| Week 4 | Lesson 7, Lesson 8, Post-test, Survey (optional), Certificate | 87 min |
How much time it takes
- Each lesson: 10 to 17 minutes to read, in one sitting.
- Each action step: 10 to 30 minutes, done in your real life within the window the lesson gives.
- At the suggested pace: up to about 87 minutes a week.
- The whole course: about 4 hours and 12 minutes, including the tests and the survey.
What you will do and why
Each task below practices or checks one of the outcomes above. Nothing here is busywork.
| Task | What you do | Counts toward the certificate? |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-test | Answer 13 questions and 3 confidence questions before Lesson 1. It shows where you start, so you can see your growth later. | No. Not graded. |
| Check your understanding | Answer 4 short questions at the end of a lesson. Every answer tells you why it is right or wrong. | No. Try as many times as you like. |
| Try it action steps | Do one real task after each lesson. Each one builds a piece of your capstone. | No, but they are where the change happens. |
| Capstone | Spanish Survival Kit: a 15 to 20 phrase card for the learner's own life plus a recorded 2 minute role play in one setting (store, doctor, job site, or phone). | You score it yourself with the rubric. It is not checked by BMU. |
| Post-test | Answer 13 questions and the same 3 confidence questions. Each retake mixes the order and swaps in some new questions. | Yes. Pass with 80% or higher. |
| Self-assessment | Rate yourself on each outcome and pick one to review. | No. It is for you. |
| Survey and 30 day check in | Tell us what helped and what to fix. Opt in to a check in at 30 days. | No. Both are optional. |
Your capstone rubric checks these parts:
- Greet and stay polite
- Get the job done
- Recover when stuck
- Keep it going
Grading and your certificate
- Pre-test: not graded. You take it once. It is fine to miss questions. They show where to start.
- Post-test: you need 80% or higher. You can retake it as many times as you need. Your first try is the one BMU uses to see how much the course helped, so there is no need to rush it.
- Capstone: self-scored with the rubric. A row that says Not yet just shows you where to look next.
- Certificate: it unlocks when you pass the post-test. The survey is optional and never blocks it. Type your name on the certificate page and print it.
What you need
- Cost: Lesson 1 is free. The rest of the course is part of BMU All Access, $9.99 a month, when enrollment opens.
- Device: a phone, tablet, or computer with internet and a current version of Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox.
- Skills: you can open links, type in a box, and scroll. Printing is optional. You can also save pages as a PDF.
- A phone or other device that can record your voice, for the 2 minute role play
- Job aids and tools: Everyday Spanish Pocket Card and Practice Log (printable); Spanish Phrase Cards (free BMU tool).
How this course works
This course is self-paced and online. There are no live classes, no group posts, and no one checks when you log in. Taking part means three things:
- Read each lesson in order, in one sitting if you can.
- Do the Try it step in your real life. That is where the learning happens.
- Be honest with yourself on the checks, the rubric, and the self-assessment. Your reflections are private, and you never have to share them.
Policies and flexibility
- Pace: go at your own speed. There are no late penalties. If you miss a week, pick up where you left off.
- Retakes: lesson checks and the post-test have no limit on tries.
- Your progress: lessons, notes, and test scores are saved in this browser on this device. They are not tied to your name. If you clear your browser data, use private browsing, or switch devices, your progress will not follow you.
- Honest work: take the pre-test and post-test on your own, without notes, other people, or AI. Please do not share test answers. Your certificate says you passed, so let the score show what you can do.
- Using AI: You may use AI to brainstorm, explain an idea in simpler words, or practice. If AI helps you draft your capstone, check every fact and make it sound like you. Never paste passwords, account numbers, or medical details into an AI tool.
- Changes: if BMU changes this course, the date at the top of this page will change, and we will say what changed here.
Getting help
This course was created by MM3, U.S. Navy veteran and educator. Because the course is self-paced, there is no live instructor. You are not on your own, though. Here is where to go:
- Quick answers: the BMU Help Center covers progress, certificates, billing, and technical problems.
- Ask a person: use the Contact BMU support form and pick a topic. We read every message and reply as soon as we can. Please do not send card numbers or passwords.
- Something not working: refresh the page and try a current browser. If it still fails, contact support, choose Technical problem, and tell us the page, your device, and your browser.
Accessibility
We want every page to work with a keyboard, a screen reader, and zoom. Tables scroll on small screens, and answers open with a tap. If anything gets in your way, or you need a lesson in another format, tell us on the contact form. Choose Technical problem, say it is an accessibility issue, and describe the page. We will work to fix it or get you the content another way.
Check your understanding of this syllabus
Can you answer these three questions? If so, you are ready to start.
1. What does success look like in this course?
You can do the 5 things listed under What success looks like. You pass the post-test with 80% or higher, and your capstone rubric shows Ready to use.
2. What is your next step?
Take the pre-test, then start Lesson 1: Hola. The phrases that get you through anything. Put your own start and finish dates on your calendar.
3. Where do you get help?
Try the Help Center first. Then use the contact form. We read every message and reply as soon as we can.
Recap
- Start with the pre-test. It is not graded.
- Do one lesson at a time, and do each Try it step in real life.
- Pass the post-test with 80% to earn your certificate. Retakes are unlimited.
- Need help? Use the Help Center or the contact form.
Sources
This syllabus is built from the course design record. The research behind each lesson is listed at the end of that lesson.