A1. Lesson 6: Introducing Yourself (Name, Country, Profession) + Simple Dialogues

🎯 Goal: Learn how to introduce yourself in Spanish using key phrases related to name, country of origin, and profession. Practice through listening, speaking, and interactive exercises. By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to confidently introduce yourself and ask others about their background in real conversations.

 📌 Vocabulary: Key Words and Phrases

Learn essential words and phrases to introduce yourself, organized into three categories: names, countries, and professions.

👧 Names:

• Me llamo… – My name is…
• ¿Cómo te llamas? – What is your name? (informal)
• ¿Cómo se llama usted? – What is your name? (formal)

🌎 Countries (with nationalities):

• Soy de España – I’m from Spain (español/a)
• Soy de México – I’m from Mexico (mexicano/a)
• Soy de Alemania – I’m from Germany (alemán/a)
• ¿De dónde eres? – Where are you from? (informal)
• ¿De dónde es usted? – Where are you from? (formal)

📝 Notes:

• “Estadounidense” is gender-neutral (no -o/-a change).
• Nationalities are capitalized in English (Spanish), but lowercase in Spanish (español).

👩‍💼Professions:

• Soy profesor – I’m a teacher.
• Soy profesora – I’m a teacher. (fem)
• Soy estudiante – I’m a student.
• Soy médico – I’m a doctor.
• Soy médica – I’m a doctor (fem).
• ¿A qué te dedicas? – What do you do? (informal)
• ¿A qué se dedica usted? – What do you do? (formal)

📝 Notes:

• For example, camarero can be gendered: camarero (m), camarera (f).
• Enfermero (m) → enfermera (f), abogado (m) → abogada (f).
• The word ‘artista’ is the same for both genders in Spanish.

↩️ Flashcard: Professions

Say the Spanish phrase, recall its translation, and flip to verify. Master it!

↩️ Flashcard: Countries + Nationalities

🧠 Grammar Focus: Ser + Llamarse + Dedicarse

The verb ser (to be) is used to talk about your name, origin, and profession. Pair it with the correct subject pronoun to form sentences.

👧 Name: to state your name

• Me llamo Pedro. – My name is Pedro.
• Mi nombre es Pedro. – My name is Pedro.
• ¿Cómo te llamas? – What is your name? (informal)
• ¿Cómo se llama usted? – What is your name? (formal)
• Me llamo María. – My name is María.
• Él se llama Carlos. – His name is Carlos.

🌎 Origin: to say where you’re from

• Soy de Estados Unidos. – I am from the United States.
• ¿De dónde eres? – Where are you from? (informal)
• ¿De dónde es usted? – Where are you from? (formal)
• Yo soy de Colombia. – I am from Colombia.
• Él es de Argentina. – He is from Argentina.

👩‍💼 Profession: to describe your job or role

• Soy estudiante. – I am a student.
• ¿A qué te dedicas? – What do you do? (informal)
• ¿A qué se dedica usted? – What do you do? (formal)
• Ella es profesora. – She is a teacher.
• Nosotros somos estudiantes. – We are students.
• Ustedes son médicos. – You all are doctors.

⚠️ Note: “médicos” → male or mixed group; “médicas” → all-female group.

💼 How to use “dedicarse a” (to dedicate)

The verb “dedicarse a” is a reflexive verb in Spanish. It means “to dedicate oneself to something” or “to work as / do something for a living.”

📝 Examples with a verb:

• Yo me dedico a estudiar. – I dedicate myself to studying.
• Ella se dedica a cocinar. – She works as a cook / dedicates herself to cooking.
• Ellos se dedican a hacer videos. – They work making videos.

📝 Examples with a noun:

• Tú te dedicas a la música. – You work in music.
• Nosotros nos dedicamos a la enseñanza. – We work in education.
• Usted se dedica a la fotografía. – You work in photography.

Note: Use tú for informal situations (friends, peers) and usted for formal situations (strangers, elders, professionals).

↩️ Flashcard:

🔍 Fill in the Missing Word

Complete each sentence by choosing the correct word from the word bank. Think about meaning and grammar – every word fits only one sentence.

🧩 Quiz: Nationalities

Select the correct response from the options below.

1.

aleman alaman alemán alemén

2.

portugués portugés portuges portuguez

3.

(fem)

frensesa franzesa fransesa francesa

4.

estodounidense estadounidense estidounidense estadunidense

5.

(fem)

mexiquena mexicena mexisana mexicana

6.

español espanyol espanol espaniol

Complete Quiz

Quiz Results:

Total Correct Answers:

🎓 Grammar Focus: ¿Qué es? and ¿Quién es?

When asking about someone’s identity or role in Spanish, the choice between ¿Qué es? and ¿Quién es? depends on what information you’re seeking:

1️⃣ ¿Qué es? → “What is he/she?” (Profession/Role).

Use this to ask about a person’s job, occupation, or permanent role:

• — ¿Qué es Laura? (What is Laura?) — Es profesora. (She’s a teacher.)
• — ¿Qué es Carlos? (What is Carlos?) — Es estudiante. (He’s a student.)
• — ¿Qué es Ana? (What is Ana?) — Es doctora. (She’s a doctor.)

2️⃣ ¿Quién es? → “Who is he/she?” (Identity/Personal Description).

Use this to ask about a person’s name, relationship, or general identity.

• — ¿Quién es Laura? (Who is Laura?) — Es mi hermana. (She’s my sister.)
• — ¿Quién es Carlos? (Who is Carlos?) — Es mi amigo. (He’s my friend.)
• — ¿Quién es Ana? (Who is Ana?) — Es mi prima. (She’s my cousin.)

🔑 Key Rule:

• ¿Qué es? → Focus on what they do (profession).
• ¿Quién es? → Focus on who they are (name, role in your life).

✅ Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct words.

🎧 Listening + Shadowing Practice

Listen to a short dialogue of two people meeting for the first time. This will help you understand how to use the phrases in a natural conversation.

– ¡Hola! ¿Cómo te llamas?
– Me llamo Carlos. ¿Y tú?
– Soy Ana. ¿De dónde eres?
– Soy de Perú. ¿Y tú?
– Soy de Chile. ¿A qué te dedicas?
– Soy enfermero. Y tú, ¿a qué te dedicas?
– Soy estudiante.

🗣️ Shadowing Practice

Listen and instantly repeat each line of the dialogue, mimicking the speaker’s pronunciation and rhythm.

🧩 Quiz: Introducing Yourself

Choose the ONLY correct answer for each question. Focus on: names, countries, professions, and feelings!

🔍 Fill in the Missing Word

Fill in the gaps in the conversation using words from the list.

🎧 Audio Practice

This dialogue reinforces the lesson’s vocabulary and grammar in a slightly longer, natural conversation between two people meeting at a language exchange event.

Listen to the dialogue twice, then answer the 9 simple questions below.

🔍 Fill in the Missing Word

Complete the missing parts of the dialogue using the word bank.