INDEX: WHO WE ARE? | ELE PROGRAMME COURSES | TEACHING FACULTY ELE | AGREEMENTS AND ACCREDITATIONS | ADMISSION, FEES AND CALENDAR

WHO WE ARE?

OUR SCHOOL

SEK International School Riyadh opened its doors in September 2021, thus establishing the second SEK Education Group international school in the Middle East. SEK has 130 years of history and experience in national and international education in five different countries.

SEK-Riyadh is built upon the experience and legacy of this innovative group of schools. The SEK Education Group stands out for providing quality international education to local and international communities in the places where the schools are established. Spain, France, Ireland, Qatar, and, recently, also in Saudi Arabia.

The main objective of this SEK school, as is with other SEK schools, is to prepare our students to be capable of being the owners of their own future and to become lifelong learners. To demonstrate our commitment to this ambitious goal, SEK International School Riyadh has gained authorisation deliver the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) and is a candidate school for the Diploma Programme.

Starting in 2023, the team responsible for the Spanish as a foreign language programme at SEK-Riyadh, after evaluating the students’ learning needs, implements the SFL curriculum according to the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and the guidelines of the Curricular Plan for the Cervantes Institute (PCIC).

Facilities

SEK Education Group has hired renowned designers, architects, and academics to transform the SEK-Riyadh campus into a unique and cutting-edge environment, using materials, technology and equipment that enhance learning.

The SEK-Riyadh campus includes: two large multipurpose covered pavilions for sports, artistic events, and other school events; two Learning Centres (for research and inquiry) with over twenty-five classrooms and a capacity of 500 students, two Creativity Centres (for visual and performing arts), two technological spaces, two multipurpose atriums, and offices for tutors, coordinators, and the school’s management.

FACILITIES

Head’s office

Building A, ground floor

Coordinator’s office

Building A, ground floor

Spanish Department

Building A, 2nd floor

Administration

Building A ground floor and first floor

Head of Educational Technology

Building A, 2nd floor

Classrooms

Building A ground floor, first and second

Building B, ground floor, first and second

ELE ORGANISATIONAL CHART

School Head

Sandra Ospina

CFO

Joan Blázquez Bayot

Administration

Shereen Elsayet

Coordination of the Spanish Department

Carmen Yolanda Rodríguez Mingorance

Teachers

Carmen Yolanda Rodríguez Mingorance

Claudia Arévalo

Talita Schneider Pereira

Inma Martín Yepes

Patricia Penalva

Margarita Garrido

Teresa Velasco

Nayra Sánchez

ELE PROGRAMME COURSES

Trade between Saudi Arabia and Spain increased significantly in 2021. The Saudi government proposed in 2022 the Vision 2030 plan, a strategic framework to reduce Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil by diversifying its economy and developing sectors such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, recreation and tourism.

In this latest field, Saudi Arabia proposed Spain as a partner in its development and aspired to become one of the top five destinations in the world by 2030. To carry out this plan, it is sending many students to Spain to train in tourism skills.

This business development has brought about a growing interest in the Spanish language among Saudis, especially among younger people who see learning our language as a good opportunity to build a better future for themselves.

TEACHING PLANNING

ELE Teaching Plan Academic procedure manual ELE courses program

OBJECTIVES

Promoting the development of essential language skills, such as oral and written expression, listening and reading comprehension, in line with the CEFR and PCIC standards, with the purpose of acquiring basic linguistic knowledge.
Promote the use of Spanish as an effective means of communication among students.
To stimulate autonomy in the learning process of students, enhancing their ability to learn independently.
To appreciate cultural diversity through learning about Hispanic culture, promoting respect for other societies and customs. Understanding and appreciation of other cultures are fostered through the knowledge and use of different languages.
To graduate a large number of students with Spanish levels A1-A2/B1-B2 following the criteria established by the CEFR.

ELE LEVELS A1-A2-B1

SEK RIYADH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL-LEVELS	MCER		HOURS	TOTALS
Access 1	A1.1	A1	50	100
Access 2	A1.2	A1	50	100
Access 3	A2.1	A2	50	150
Access 4	A2.2	A2	50
Access 5	A2.3	A2	50
Intermediate 1	B1.1	B1	50	200
Intermediate 2	B1.2		50
Intermediate 3	B1.3		50
Intermediate 4	B1.4		50

ELE A1-A2-B1 CONTENT

A1
General objective A1 Start communicating in Spanish and progress through two modules to acquire the ability to articulate needs, understand and use common expressions frequently, along with simple phrases aimed at meeting immediate requirements.
SEK RIYADH NIVELES		MCER	*FUNCTIONAL CONTENTS*	*GRAMMATICAL CONTENTS*
Access 1		A1.1	General Information Identifying people, places and objects Describing people, places, objects and states Knowledge and degree of certainty Expressing knowledge and ignorance Feelings, desires and preferences We express feelings Petitions To order something in a public establishment – shops Ask for the price of an item Social uses of language Greetings and farewells Introducing someone and reacting when being introduced Congratulations and thank you Oral communication control Express lack of understanding. Asking someone to repeat what they said. Verify that what has been said has been understood. Spell and request to spell. Requesting that something be written. To ask about a word or expression that is not known or has been forgotten. Ask someone to speak more slowly or louder.	Alphabet Pronunciation Intonation: realization of intonational patterns (declarative, negative, and interrogative). Accent and rhythm. Syllable division. Differentiation and use of capital letters and lowercase letters. Recognition and transcription of the main punctuation marks. Nouns Gender: rules for differentiating gender by ending. The gender of nouns referring to people (profession, kinship, etc.) Number: formation of plurals. Concordance. Article General uses of the definite article. Presence and absence of the article – very general rules. Adjective Qualifying adjectives. Demonyms. Gender and number. Concordance Personal pronouns Tonic personal pronouns Numerals Formation and agreement of the ordinals up to the tenth and the most commonly used cardinals up to one hundred. Uses of ‘ser’ and ‘estar’ Use of ser + to identify. ‘Ser’ + noun. Use of “ser + adjective” to refer to nationality, profession, place of origin, kinship, ideology, material. Temporal references Present indicators Sentence constructions Direct interrogative sentences Subject-verb agreement and subject-complement agreement. Order of placement of sentence elements.
Access 2		A1.2	General Information Comparing people, objects, places, situations and actions. Reasons to study Spanish: To refer to habitual actions or actions in the present moment. Observation Expressing and asking for opinions about someone or something. Expressing and asking for agreement or disagreement. Corroborate and deny someone else’s information (¿No es verdad? ¿Tú crees?) Feelings, desires and preferences Express and ask about tastes and preference: Expressing and asking about satisfaction. Express and ask preferences. Express and ask for desire and need. Oral communication control Requesting that something be written.	Nouns Gender: rules for differentiating gender by ending. Most frequent special cases. The gender of nouns referring to people (profession, kinship, etc.) Number: formation of plurals. Concordance. Article Morphology. Contractions. General uses of the definite and indefinite article. Presence and absence: general rules. Most frequent special cases: in treatments; with temporary markers; with hay/ está. Adjective Gender and number. Concordance Personal pronouns Unstressed and tonic forms Possessives Unstressed and tonic forms. General uses: identification, property relations. Article/possessive alternation. Questions Morphology and use of the direct interrogative. Use of the most frequent interrogative particles: what/which/who… Numerals Formation and agreement of the ordinals up to the twentieth and the most commonly used cardinals up to one hundred. Most common weights and measurements. Millions, just sample and recognition. Uses of ‘ser’ and ‘estar’ Use of “ser + adjective” to refer to nationality, profession, place of origin, kinship, ideology, material. Use of ser to express time and to refer to time. Use of estar for the location of objects and people. Contrast ser/tener/llevar in descriptions. Verb tenses Present indicative of regular verbs. Most frequent reflexive verbs (lamarse, dedicarse…) Verbs ’gustar’ and ‘parecer’. Introduction- very basically of the verbal periphrases of the infinitive: tener que, ir a, querer, poder, necesitar… Adverbs: quantity, affirmation, negation, mode, time and place. Prepositions (a/de/para/en/con…) Spatial references Subject-verb agreement and subject-complement agreement. Sentence constructions Direct interrogative sentences. Causal and final sentences (porque, para + infinitivo…) Most used abbreviations Addresses (Avda. C/, nº…) Treatment formulas (Sr., Sra., C/, nº…)
Objective A2 Learn to describe in simple terms aspects of the past and the environment, as well as issues related to immediate needs. Be able to establish conversations and write simple texts about aspects of daily life, travel and biographies.
Elemental 1		A2.1	*Review the functional content from level A1* Observation Obligation, permission and possibility Express and ask if it is possible or not to do something. Express and ask about the obligation to do something. Ask, grant or deny permission. Oral communication control Express lack of understanding. Asking someone to repeat what they said. Verify that what has been said has been understood. Requesting that something be written. To ask about a word or expression that is not known or has been forgotten. Ask someone to speak more slowly or louder	*Review the grammatical content from level A1* Intonation Accent and rhythm Nouns Article Contractions Qualifying adjectives Personal pronouns Depending on the subject and depending on the direct object, presence, absence and placement. Sample and recognition based on the direct object. Indefinite and quantitative Morphology and use of the most frequent Oppositions algo/nada Most frequently used relatives /que Uses of ‘ser’ and ‘estar’ Use of ser+ to indicate. Ser+nouns Use of estar +modal adverbs Hay/está Verb tenses Present indicative of the most frequent regular and irregular verbs. Verbs ’gustar’ and ‘parecer’. Prepositions Prepositive phrases – a, de, para,en, con… Most used abbreviations Ordinals Demonstratives Morphology and use to identify, mark and discriminate Possessives Article/possessive alternation Numerals Formation and agreement of ordinals up to 100 and cardinals up to 10,000. Weights and measures. Verb tenses Present indicative of irregular verbs. Simple past tense of regular verbs. Concordance Sentence constructions Exclamatory and imperative sentences. Uses of the most common interjections. You qualify the verb in the indicative, introduced by the most common relative pronouns (que, donde…).
Elemental 2		A2.2	General Information Referring to actions and situations in the past – simple past tense. Observation Feelings, desires and preferences Social uses of language To react to information or a story with expressions of interest, surprise, joy, sadness, etc. Oral communication control To indicate that it is not understood. Request the repetition of what was said. Verify that what has been said has been understood. Requesting that something be written. To ask about a word or expression that is not known or has been forgotten. Ask someone to speak more slowly or louder.	Article Most frequent special cases: in treatments; with temporary markers; with hay/ está Adjective Comparatives of superiority and inferiority. Indefinite and quantitative Apocopated forms Impersonal use of “haber” Affirmative and negative declarative sentences. Coordinated sentences with the most frequently used conjunctions. Comparative sentences of inferiority and superiority with frequently used particles. Pronunciation Intonation Accent and rhythm Introduction to accentuation rules Nouns Demonstratives Morphology and use to identify, mark and discriminate Indefinite and quantitative Questions Numbers up to 100,000 Uses of ‘ser’ and ‘estar’ Verb tenses Simple past tense of the most common regular and irregular verbs. Present perfect tense. The use of the preterite perfect and preterite indefinite depends on the temporal markers. Imperfect future. Adverbs Quantity, affirmation, negation, mode Prepositions Temporal references Past indicators. Indicators of past and future (antes de, después de..) Concordance Sentence constructions Impersonal use of power and other verbs (cooking recipes, instructions…) Impersonal use of “se” (se puede…)
Elemental 3		A2.3	General Information Referring to actions and situations in the past (Simple past and imperfect) Observation Knowledge and degree of certainty To express and ask about the level of (in)security. Feelings, desires and preferences Oral communication control Express lack of understanding. Asking someone to repeat what they said. Verify that what has been said has been understood. Requesting that something be written. To ask about a word or expression that is not known or has been forgotten. Ask someone to speak more slowly or louder.	Pronunciation Intonation Accent and rhythm Accentuation rules Personal pronouns Along with imperative forms Questions Use of interrogative particles Personal pronouns Along with imperative forms Verb tenses Imperfect past tense of the most common regular and irregular verbs. Morphology and usage. Imperative: morphology of the most common uses. Uses to invite to perform an action and to give simple instructions. Adverbs and adverbial phrases Prepositional phrases Sentence constructions Subordinate clauses Nouns with the verb in indicative or infinitive (ime parece que, creo que…)
B1
Objective B1 Acquire conversational skills about family matters and be able to use communicative strategies to maintain conversations related to the past and the future. To be able to read general texts and simple literary texts, as well as write letters and compositions about general aspects of daily life.
Intermediate 1	B1.1		*Review the functional content from level A2* Talking about the past Express habitual actions. To narrate past events. Talking about personal relationships To be interested in someone and their life. To express the impression that a person causes us.		*Review the grammatical content from level A2* Personal pronouns In terms of direct and indirect object: double pronoun. Verb tenses Imperative + clitic pronouns. Morphology and use of the infinitive as a noun and in periphrasis. Morphology and use of the participle in adjectival function and in compound tenses. Uses of the past tenses: present perfect, imperfect, and simple past. To resemble someone. Sentence constructions Temporal adverbials, causal adverbials with the verb in the indicative, and introduced by the most frequent conjunctions. Adjectives with verb in indicative. Conditionals: Si + present/present, future, imperative. Uses of being Ser + personality adjectives (qualities and flaws)
Intermediate 2	B1.2		Talking about the past To describe past situations. To express an action that occurred in a completed unit of time. To talk about an action that happened only once. To describe the situation or circumstances in which an event occurred. Narrating past events; biographies, personal experiences. To express the duration of an action started in the past and that continues in the present. To express aptitude. Defining personality.		Verb tenses Uses of the past tenses: present perfect, imperfect, and simple past. Verbs with prepositions (alegrarse de, estar harto de..) Temporal markers Start and duration of an action (hace, desde hace, desde que) Actions that happened only once (un día, una vez, aquel día …) Actions that happened with a certain frequency (normalmente, muchos días, a veces…) Prepositions To narrate past events (a + definite article + amount of time + de + infinitive)
Intermediate 3	B1.3		Talking about the past To describe the situation or circumstances in which an event occurred. Narrating past events; biographies. To express a past action prior to another past action. To express the cause of an event. Expressing moods: joy, sadness, and surprise Provide information about a place To describe. To ask and provide information of a cultural nature. Making comparisons: highlighting one thing among several. To ask and provide information of a cultural nature. Describing a place. Highlight one thing among several. To request the accuracy of information.		Verb tenses Uses of the past tenses: present perfect, imperfect, simple past, and pluperfect indicative. Verbs that express a change in mood (to get nervous, to scare, to get angry). Discourse connectors Cuando, luego, después, entonces. Porque y como. Quantifiers Demasiado, muy, bastante, más bien, algo, (un) poco, nada. Exclamatory phrases Qué + noun Cuánto/Cómo+ verb Sentence constructions Comparisons: relative superlative
Intermediate 4	B1.4		*Review the functional contents of level B1.3.* Expressing probability Expressing moods: joy, sadness, and surprise Expressing wishes and future plans To sequence future activities and express a project in the future. Congratulations and social wishes.		*Review the grammatical contents of level B1.3.* Verb tenses Periphrasis of probability: – deber (de) / tener que + infinitive. Verbs that express a change in mood (to get nervous, to be scared, to get angry). Present subjunctive for expressing wishes. Express a project in the future (dentro de…) Discourse connectors Cuando, luego, después, entonces Porque y como Exclamatory phrases Ojalá (que)

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

Throughout the school year, a series of cultural activities will be offered for all established groups on a bimonthly basis. Topics related to Spanish culture will be addressed in a broad sense, linking each activity to Spanish gastronomy, dance, and literature, among others. As an example, we highlight the following activities:

SPANISH GASTRONOMY WEEK – International Week

SPANISH FILM WEEK – Tadeo Jones

SPANISH DANCE WEEK – Flamenco

SPANISH LITERATURE WEEK – Gloria Fuertes

ART WEEK – Picasso

ELE TEACHING FACULTY

PROFILE OF SPANISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS

Spanish teachers at SEK-Riyadh school are qualified and committed to teaching Spanish as a foreign language. With a solid academic background in Hispanic philology and applied linguistics, they have a university degree in a Master’s in Spanish as a Foreign Language (ELE).

With previous experience in teaching Spanish to students of different ages and levels of language proficiency, they are dynamic and creative. They use a variety of methods and teaching resources, making their classes interactive and stimulating, adapting to individual needs, fostering an inclusive and collaborative environment in the classroom.

They are effective communicators, capable of explaining complex concepts in a clear and accessible way for everyone. They promote the active use of the Spanish language both in oral and written expression, providing opportunities for constant practice and the development of communication skills.

The SFL teachers at SEK-Riyadh incorporate cultural aspects of Spanish speakers that enrich the holistic understanding of the language.

COORDINATOR

Carmen Yolanda Rodríguez Mingorance

She is a distinguished professional with a broad career in the educational field, since she joined SEK Education Group in 1999. She holds a degree in Spanish language and literature, as well as in English philology from the University of Granada, Spain. Her solid academic background has been complemented with specialisation degrees in IB programmes, giftedness, and social and emotional intelligence. Her commitment to teaching Spanish as a second language led her to obtain a Master’s degree in SFL from Camilo José Cela University in Madrid in 2023. She has worked as an associate professor at Camilo José Cela University since 2012, teaching subjects such as Experimental Social Sciences and Practicum. After spending the period 2000-2004 teaching at SEK International School Alborán, as an English language teacher and tutor in the final stage of primary education, she went on to teach English, Spanish, and mathematics at SEK International School El Castillo, as well as working as a tutor in the second and third cycles of primary education (2004-2021). In the 2021/22 academic year, she joined a new project at SEK, becoming one of the pioneering teachers at the SEK Riyadh International School in Saudi Arabia. From the beginning, she served as a tutor of tutors, providing training on group and individual tutoring to novice teachers. Currently, she holds the role of coordinator of the Spanish department and teacher of language and literature at all levels, including two groups of parents of students and professionals interested in Spanish as a second language. With a focus on academic excellence and the continuous pursuit of knowledge, your commitment ensures that every student experiences enriching learning. Her passion for the learning process to teach her students optimal skills is clearly reflected in her professional dedication.

TEACHING STAFF

Claudia Arévalo

She has taught Spanish early childhood education, primary education and special education for over a decade. She has a solid education supported by a Master’s degree in Spanish as a Foreign Language (SFL). In addition to teaching classes at different levels, she has also taken on coordination roles in projects focused on active and participatory methodologies in the classroom, thus enriching the educational experience of her students. Specialised in special education, it allows for sensitive adaptation to the individual needs of each student, ensuring an inclusive and meaningful learning environment. For her, being a teacher is an exciting adventure to inspire, motivate and witness the growth of her students.

Talita Schneider

She is a Spanish language teacher, graduated in Philology and Hispanic literatures (2003) and specialised in Reading and Textual Production (2008) from the Universidad Federal de Pelotas, Brazil. She has perfected her didactic and pedagogical skills at the teacher training centre of the Cervantes Institute in Spain, with a scholarship from the Carolina Foundation. She holds a Master’s degree in Teacher Training for Spanish as a Foreign Language (2012) from the University of Alcalá de Henares (UAH), also in Spain. She was responsible for digital communication in the department of Spanish as a foreign language at the SGEL publishing house, where she has also conducted various training workshops for teachers from all over Europe. With over 20 years of experience as a teacher for children, young people, adults, students, and professionals in Brazil and Spain, Talita is certified as a DELE examiner (levels A1 to B2) by the Cervantes Institute. Her commitment to academic excellence drives her to constantly stay updated, ensuring that she offers the best educational experience to each of her students.

AGREEMENTS AND ACCREDITATIONS

We offer an internationally renowned education of the highest quality, based on the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, in addition to the SEK Future Learning model that promotes flexible, personalised, and collaborative learning, with methodologies and tools adapted to physical and virtual environments. We encourage critical thinking, real problem solving and entrepreneurship. It caters to the current and future needs of students.

We are accredited to deliver the IB PYP and MYP and are a candidate school for the Diploma Programme.

Our curriculum prepares students to gain access to the most prestigious universities in the world.

We have started the process to obtain accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, which will allow us in the near future to further facilitate the enrolment of our students in American universities.

SEK-Riyadh is an international school registered with the Ministry of Education of Saudi Arabia. SEK-Riyadh takes pride in being the first school to open as part of the International Schools Attraction Program of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, and in contributing to the Educational Vision 2030 for Saudi Arabia.

You can find more details about our curriculum here.

ADMISSION, FEES AND CALENDAR

If you are interested in applying for a place at our school, please visit our OpenApply Online Application System. There you will find all the information about application deadlines and relevant details. When applying, be sure to apply as follows:

If you are applying for the first time, select Application Form.
If you have a previous application (either from another student or because you are renewing an application), select Applicant and Family Login. Use the same email address you used in your previous application.
If you are interested in an appointment to visit the school, select Make an Appointment.

Choosing a school entails a long-term commitment between the school, the student and his/her family. The admissions procedure allows parents and the school to get to know each other, and determine whether SEK International School Riyadh is the right choice for their child.

Below, you will find three important documents that will help you understand the requirements and the application process to our school. Please read them carefully before completing the online application.

If you have any problems or can’t remember your password please contact us.

Admissions Manager

Julie Anne Alonso

+966530633295

admissions@staging3.sek.sa

Learning Spanish ELE