Spanish conversation practice with role plays you will really use
Apps taught you the words, but you go blank when a waiter in Madrid or a neighbour in Mexico City talks to you. This prompt has your todo.is agent play real-life roles in Spanish, by text or voice note, at your level and in the variety of Spanish you need, then explain the mistakes after each scene.
The prompt
- Help me practise speaking Spanish. My level is [YOUR LEVEL] and I need [SPAIN OR LATIN AMERICAN] Spanish for [WHY YOU ARE LEARNING]. Run a role play [HOW OFTEN]: you set the scene in one line in English, then play a native speaker (waiter, pharmacist, landlord, colleague) only in Spanish. Send voice notes at a natural but clear speed with the text under them. I will reply by voice message. Keep each scene to 8–10 exchanges and do not correct me during it. Afterwards, list my mistakes with the right form and the rule, paying special attention to ser vs estar, preterite vs imperfect and noun gender. Add 5 phrases a native speaker would use in that situation, and repeat any scene I struggled with a week later.
What to change
- [YOUR LEVEL]: E.g. "A2", "B1, rusty after school", or "can read but not speak".
- [SPAIN OR LATIN AMERICAN]: Spain uses vosotros and different words (coche, ordenador); most of Latin America uses ustedes (carro, computadora).
- [WHY YOU ARE LEARNING]: E.g. "moving to Valencia in June", "talking with my partner’s family", "work calls with our team in Bogotá".
- [HOW OFTEN]: E.g. "every Tuesday and Thursday at 19:00" or "once now".
Example result
- Role play: ordering at a tapas bar in Seville
- Level A2+ · Spain Spanish · 9 exchanges
- Camarero (voice): ¡Buenas! ¿Qué os pongo?
- You (voice, transcribed): Hola, queremos dos cañas y... una ración de croquetas, por favor.
- Camarero: Muy bien. ¿Algo más? Las espinacas con garbanzos están muy buenas hoy.
- You: Sí, una tapa de espinacas. ¿Es picante?
- Camarero: No, no pica nada. ¿Estáis de vacaciones?
- You: Sí, somos aquí por una semana.
- *(The scene continued: asking for the bill, paying by card, asking for directions to the cathedral.)*
- Your corrections
- • "Somos aquí" → "Estamos aquí" (location uses estar)
- • "El pescado es muy bueno hoy" → "El pescado está muy bueno hoy" (how food tastes right now: estar)
- • "Ayer fuimos a la playa y era muy bonito" → "…y fue muy bonito" (one completed event: preterite)
- • "la problema" → "el problema" (masculine, despite the -a)
- • "¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta de crédito?" Correct and natural.
- Phrases a local would use
- • ¿Qué os pongo?: What can I get you? (you will hear this a lot in Spain)
- • Una caña: a small draught beer
- • Para picar: something to nibble on
- • ¿Me cobras?: Can I pay? (informal, very common)
- • Ponme otra, por favor: Another one, please
- Ser vs estar in one line
- Ser for what something is (identity, origin, time, material); estar for where it is and how it is right now (location, state, taste today).
- Next scene
- Thursday 19:00: a pharmacy. You have a sore throat and need something without a prescription.
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and choose your level, the Spanish you need, your reason and how often to practise.
- Send it to your todo.is agent on WhatsApp or Telegram; voice notes work best there.
- Play each voice note and answer out loud. Use text if you are on a bus.
- After the scene, read the corrections and say "same scene again" to redo it with the new phrases.
Tips for a better result
- Choose scenes you will face in the next month. A role play of your real landlord conversation beats a generic restaurant scene.
- If you freeze, say "¿Cómo se dice…?" and the English word. Your agent keeps the scene going in Spanish.
- Ask for the speed you need: "más despacio" for slower voice notes, or "normal speed, no text" when you are ready.
- Keep a running list of corrections in one chat and ask your agent to quiz you on it every Sunday.
Spanish conversation practice: FAQ
- Should I learn Spain or Latin American Spanish? Pick the one you will use most. They are fully mutually understandable; the main differences are vosotros, some vocabulary and accent, and your agent can point them out as they come up.
- Can complete beginners do role plays? Yes, at A1 your agent keeps scenes to 4–5 short exchanges, gives you the key phrases first and allows answers in a mix of Spanish and English.
- Will it correct my pronunciation? It transcribes your voice messages, so if a word comes out wrong in the transcript you will see it. For detailed accent work, ask for a separate drill on the sounds you find hard, like the rolled r.
- Can I practise for the DELE speaking exam? Yes. Ask for DELE-style speaking tasks at your level; the agent can check the current exam format on the Instituto Cervantes site first.
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