What are FSI and DLI?
In 1957 the Foreign Service Institute, the State Department's school for diplomats, recorded a Spanish course that is still one of the most thorough ever made. Here it comes with new illustrations, restored audio (the original tapes are one tap away), and, for invited learners, an AI tutor to talk it through with.
Alongside it is the Defense Language Institute's Spanish course, a book of its own: dialogues and listening passages, each paired with the FSI unit it fits.
1
DLI lesson 1 · pairs with Unit 3
En la escuela
Move hotel greetings and location questions into a school conversation.
2
DLI lesson 2 · pairs with Unit 11
En el consultorio
Use known ser/estar and possessives in a short doctor-office conversation.
3
DLI lesson 3 · pairs with Unit 5
¿Quién es el señor?
Extend identity and origin from the embassy to a new introduction.
4
DLI lesson 4 · pairs with Unit 12
Con el doctor
Recombine negation, courtesy and location expressions in a doctor visit.
5
DLI lesson 5 · pairs with Unit 14
¿Qué autobús tomo?
Apply ir and time expressions to choosing a bus.
6
DLI lesson 6 · pairs with Unit 6
Una buena comida
Add another food conversation to the restaurant unit.
7
DLI lesson 7 · pairs with Unit 6
En el restaurante
Transfer lunch ordering into a short new restaurant exchange.
8
DLI lesson 8 · pairs with Unit 16
En la calle
Move sightseeing and indirect-object work into street directions.
9
DLI lesson 9 · pairs with Unit 10
En el almacén
Use direct objects while shopping at a department store.
12
DLI lesson 12 · pairs with Unit 15
En el aeropuerto
Use indirect-object requests in an airport/customs setting.
13
DLI lesson 13 · pairs with Unit 8
¿Vamos al hotel?
Transfer housing and social language to arriving at a hotel.
14
DLI lesson 14 · pairs with Unit 19
Un accidente de tránsito
Tell what happened in an accident using event/background contrasts.
15
DLI lesson 15 · pairs with Unit 21
Después del accidente
Extend irregular preterite to explaining an accident.
16
DLI lesson 16 · pairs with Unit 21
Una entrevista
Practise irregular past forms in an interview.
17
DLI lesson 17 · pairs with Unit 22
¿Dónde están los documentos?
Revisit past events and present irregulars while looking for documents.
18
DLI lesson 18 · pairs with Unit 23
El ascenso
Use recent-event and congratulation formulas after irregular-verb work.
19
DLI lesson 19 · pairs with Unit 26
En la oficina del mayor Anderson
Add office questions to the official-interview neighborhood.
20
DLI lesson 20 · pairs with Unit 44
En el taller de mecánica
Combine inequality, equality and descriptive adverbs in a car-service situation.
21
DLI lesson 21 · pairs with Unit 27
Una invitación
Use familiar affirmative commands in making an invitation.
22
DLI lesson 22 · pairs with Unit 28
En la fiesta
Carry command practice into a party conversation.
23
DLI lesson 23 · pairs with Unit 29
¿Y los mapas?
Apply command and clitic control to practical instructions.
24
DLI lesson 24 · pairs with Unit 24
¡Tratémonos de tú!
Use time expressions and familiar address in social conversation.
25
DLI lesson 25 · pairs with Unit 25
Una indiscreción
Recombine past narration and pronouns in a social mishap.
26
DLI lesson 26 · pairs with Unit 13
En el puerto
Practise present progressive in a different setting.
27
DLI lesson 27 · pairs with Unit 26
En el taller del sastre
Use progressive and impersonal/reflexive constructions at a tailor's.
28
DLI lesson 28 · pairs with Unit 31
Los preparativos finales
Extend past progressive to travel preparations.
29
DLI lesson 29 · pairs with Unit 35
En el campo
Consolidate past narration in a countryside visit.
30
DLI lesson 30 · pairs with Unit 30
Pasando por un pueblo de provincia
Use the FSI review unit as a bridge to DLI's town-and-travel review.
31
DLI lesson 31 · pairs with Unit 9
Una excursión
Move present perfect from an apartment visit to planning an excursion.
32
DLI lesson 32 · pairs with Unit 9
El desfile militar
Offer more present-perfect examples with -er/-ir participles.
33
DLI lesson 33 · pairs with Unit 45
En el estadio
Contrast present and past perfect in a sports conversation.
34
DLI lesson 34 · pairs with Unit 51
Vamos al teatro
Combine future forms and uncertainty/subjunctive choices in theatre plans.
35
DLI lesson 35 · pairs with Unit 37
Enviando un giro
Turn wish/request subjunctives into a banking/post-office encounter.
36
DLI lesson 36 · pairs with Unit 41
Monumentos históricos
Consolidate request subjunctives and indirect commands while discussing historical sites.
37
DLI lesson 37 · pairs with Unit 42
Una llamada radiotelefónica
Consolidate requests and adverbial subjunctives in a radio call.
38
DLI lesson 38 · pairs with Unit 38
El vuelo en helicóptero al Campo Bolívar
Practise subjunctive after impersonal expressions.
39
DLI lesson 39 · pairs with Unit 42
La llegada al Campo Bolívar
Mix already practised adverbial subjunctive patterns.
40
DLI lesson 40 · pairs with Unit 47
En casa del coronel Sarmiento
Move imperfect subjunctive into a visit to someone's home.
41
DLI lesson 41 · pairs with Unit 50
Una visita al Campo Bolívar
Reinforce irregular imperfect subjunctive and como si.
42
DLI lesson 42 · pairs with Unit 48
Charla de sobremesa
Use conditional forms in after-dinner conversation.
