Private online course · 4 weeks · 20 hours

Pasos de TangoArgentine Culture, Tango and Rioplatense Spanish

Pasos de Tango is a private online Spanish course for people who love Argentina. In 20 one-to-one hours over four weeks, you learn to speak like Buenos Aires: voseo, lunfardo and everyday expressions, through tango history, mate, asado, football and the city's stories. By the end you can follow a tango lyric and talk about Argentine culture with real confidence.

  • Private 1-on-1
  • 20 hours in 4 weeks
  • Level A2 or higher
  • Certificate of completion
Book Pasos de TangoDownload the student guide (PDF)
The course

Who it is for and what you will do

Who it is for

  • People who love Argentina and want to sound like Buenos Aires, not like a textbook.
  • Tango dancers and music fans who want to understand what the songs and the milonga are really saying.
  • Gift buyers looking for something more personal than a trip voucher for a partner, parent or friend who loves Argentina.
  • Heritage learners with Argentine family who want to talk with relatives in their own Spanish.
  • Travellers planning a trip to Buenos Aires who already know some Spanish (A2 or higher).

What you will be able to do

  • Speak and understand voseo (vos sos, vos tenés, vení, mirá) and use "che" naturally.
  • Recognise common lunfardo words in songs, films and conversations, and know when to use them.
  • Follow the meaning of a tango lyric line by line, including slang and metaphors.
  • Talk about tango history, Gardel, Piazzolla and the codes of the milonga.
  • Chat with confidence about mate, asado, football, public holidays and the barrios of Buenos Aires.

Pasos de Tango is a Spanish language course about tango and Argentine culture. It does not include dance lessons.

4 weeks

The 4-week plan

  1. Week 1

    Speak like Buenos Aires

    Voseo, "che", basic lunfardo and everyday city life

  2. Week 2

    Tango from the inside

    History, the world of Gardel and Piazzolla, milonga etiquette and dance vocabulary

  3. Week 3

    Table and street

    Mate, asado, fútbol, feriados and local customs

  4. Week 4

    Stories

    A short text, a film clip, then your own presentation: "My Buenos Aires day" or a short tango lyric you write

20 lessons

Full curriculum: 20 one-hour lessons

Suggested lesson flow (60 min): warm-up chat 5, input 15, guided practice 20, speaking task 15, wrap-up and homework 5.

Week 1: Speak Like Buenos Aires

Lesson 1 ¿Vos de dónde sos? Voseo in the present
  • Goals: introduce yourself and ask questions using vos; recognise voseo forms in speech; use ustedes for the plural.
  • Key vocabulary: vos (you, informal); sos (you are); tenés (you have); querés (you want); podés (you can); vivís (you live); ¿de dónde sos? (where are you from?); porteño/porteña (person from Buenos Aires); el barrio (neighbourhood); mucho gusto (nice to meet you); encantado/encantada (pleased to meet you); ustedes (you, plural); ¿a qué te dedicás? (what do you do for a living?)
  • Key structures: vos + present tense: hablás, comés, vivís (stress on the ending); no stem change with vos: querés, podés, dormís, pensás; ser: vos sos; plural always ustedes (no vosotros).
  • Speaking task: role-play meeting a porteño in a café; ask and answer at least 8 questions with vos.
  • Homework: write 10 questions with vos for an Argentine pen pal; record yourself reading them aloud.
Lesson 2 Che, ¿todo bien? Greetings and everyday expressions
  • Goals: greet, chat and say goodbye like a local; use "che", "dale" and tag questions; give friendly commands with vos.
  • Key vocabulary: che (hey, to get attention); ¿todo bien? (all good?); ¿qué onda? (what's up?); ¿cómo andás? (how are you doing?); dale (OK, sure, go ahead); bárbaro (great); joya (great); re (very, as in re lindo); ¿viste? (you know?, see?); mirá (look, listen); chau (bye); nos vemos (see you); un beso (bye, literally a kiss)
  • Key structures: vos imperatives: mirá, escuchá, vení, decime, contame; tag questions ¿viste? and ¿no?; the one-kiss cheek greeting.
  • Speaking task: make plans to meet a friend by "phone": suggest, accept with dale, set a time and place.
  • Homework: send your teacher 3 short WhatsApp-style voice notes using che, dale and one imperative.
Lesson 3 Lunfardo 1: people, money and work
  • Goals: understand the most common lunfardo words; know when slang is fine and when it is not.
  • Key vocabulary: pibe/piba (kid, young person); mina (woman, colloquial); chabón (guy); laburo (job); laburar (to work); guita (money); mango (peso, money); morfar (to eat); birra (beer); pucho (cigarette); quilombo (mess); bondi (bus); los viejos (parents); trucho (fake)
  • Key structures: register switching (lunfardo with friends, neutral Spanish at work); set phrases: no tengo un mango, ¡qué quilombo!, estoy a full con el laburo.
  • Speaking task: tell your week using 6 lunfardo words, then retell it in neutral Spanish for a job interview.
  • Homework: learn 20 words from the guide glossary; write a 100-word message to a friend using 8 of them.
Lesson 4 A day in the city: transport, café and timetables
  • Goals: move around Buenos Aires, order at a café and describe a daily routine with vos.
  • Key vocabulary: el colectivo (city bus); la SUBE (transit card); cargar la SUBE (to top up the card); el subte (underground); la parada (stop); tomar (to take, for transport); la cuadra (block); a dos cuadras (two blocks away); la vereda (pavement, sidewalk); el kiosco (corner shop); un cortado (espresso with a little milk); las medialunas (small croissants); la merienda (afternoon snack); cenar tarde (to have dinner late)
  • Key structures: reflexive routine with vos: te levantás, te acostás; directions with vos imperatives: doblá, seguí, tomá; word warning: in Argentina "coger" is vulgar, so always use "tomar" for transport.
  • Speaking task: plan a route from Palermo to San Telmo, then order merienda for two in a café.
  • Homework: write "Mi día típico" (120 words) as a message to an Argentine friend.
Lesson 5 Vesre, slang and telling a story
  • Goals: recognise vesre (reversed words); tell a short anecdote in the past using voseo.
  • Key vocabulary: el vesre (reversed slang, from "revés"); feca (café, coffee); jermu (mujer, wife); lorca (calor, heat); gotán (tango); zabeca (cabeza, head); ofri (frío, cold); garpar (pagar, to pay); al toque (right away); de una (sure, absolutely); posta (for real); zafar (to get away with it, to get by); bancar (to support, to put up with)
  • Key structures: preterite with vos: vos fuiste, hiciste, dijiste, tuviste; sequencing: primero, después, de repente, al final.
  • Speaking task: tell a 2-minute anecdote with voseo and at least 5 slang words; answer the teacher's follow-up questions.
  • Homework: do the Week 1 review in the guide; listen to 10 minutes of Argentine radio via an official station website and note 5 expressions.

Week 2: Tango From The Inside

Lesson 6 Where tango was born
  • Goals: describe the origins of tango in the Río de la Plata; use the imperfect for description.
  • Key vocabulary: el arrabal (outskirts); el conventillo (tenement house); el patio (courtyard); el inmigrante (immigrant); el puerto (port); el Río de la Plata (River Plate); la orilla (shore, bank); el candombe (Afro-Rioplatense rhythm); la habanera (Cuban-rooted dance rhythm); la milonga (music, dance and dance event); el bandoneón (bandoneon); el compadrito (streetwise young man); surgir (to emerge)
  • Key structures: imperfect for setting the scene: había, vivían, se bailaba; impersonal se; dates: a fines del siglo XIX.
  • Speaking task: describe a day in a conventillo around 1900 from a historical photo.
  • Homework: read the tango timeline in the guide and write 8 sentences about the origins of tango.
Lesson 7 Gardel and the golden age
  • Goals: tell a life story; contrast preterite and imperfect; learn the people of the golden age.
  • Key vocabulary: el cantor (singer); la voz (voice); el letrista (lyricist); el compositor (composer); la orquesta típica (tango orchestra); la época de oro (golden age); grabar (to record); el disco (record); la película (film); la gira (tour); el ídolo (idol); el accidente aéreo (plane crash); el mito (legend, myth); "cada día canta mejor" (he sings better every day, a popular saying about Gardel)
  • Key structures: nació en / murió en; preterite for events, imperfect for background; relative clauses with que and quien.
  • Speaking task: present Gardel's life in 2 minutes, then compare him with a famous singer from your country.
  • Homework: listen to two Gardel recordings via official sources and write your impressions (80 words).
Lesson 8 Piazzolla and nuevo tango
  • Goals: describe music and give opinions; talk about tradition and change.
  • Key vocabulary: el nuevo tango (new tango); la vanguardia (avant-garde); el quinteto (quintet); el violín (violin); el contrabajo (double bass); el piano (piano); la guitarra eléctrica (electric guitar); el ritmo (rhythm); la armonía (harmony); la polémica (controversy); innovar (to innovate); melancólico (melancholic); bailable (danceable); me pone la piel de gallina (it gives me goosebumps)
  • Key structures: opinions: me parece que, para mí, a mí me gusta más; comparatives; gustar with vos: ¿a vos te gusta?
  • Speaking task: blind listening: the teacher plays a golden-age tango and a Piazzolla piece from an official source; the student compares and defends a favourite.
  • Homework: listen to "Adiós Nonino" and "Libertango" via official sources; write a 120-word review.
Lesson 9 The milonga: codes and etiquette
  • Goals: understand how a milonga works; use polite and impersonal forms to explain rules.
  • Key vocabulary: la milonga (dance event); la pista (dance floor); la tanda (set of 3 or 4 songs); la cortina (short break music between sets); el cabeceo (nod to invite); la mirada (the look); la ronda (line of dance); el musicalizador (DJ); la práctica (informal practice session); el milonguero/la milonguera (regular dancer); sacar a bailar (to ask to dance); la entrada (entry fee); los zapatos de tango (tango shoes)
  • Key structures: se acostumbra, no se debe, hay que; ¿bailamos?; polite conditional: ¿te molestaría...?, ¿sería posible...?
  • Speaking task: role-play arriving at a milonga: ask about the entry fee, find a table, chat between songs.
  • Homework: write 8 etiquette rules starting "En la milonga se..." or "No se...".
Lesson 10 Dance words and reading a lyric
  • Goals: learn dance vocabulary; read a tango-style lyric and explain it line by line.
  • Key vocabulary: el abrazo (embrace); el eje (axis, balance); la caminata (walk); la salida (opening step); el ocho (figure eight); el giro (turn); la parada (stop); la sacada (displacement); el boleo (whipping leg movement); el gancho (hook); la marca (lead signal); conducir (to lead); seguir (to follow); la pausa (pause)
  • Key structures: metaphor and nostalgia in lyrics; imperfect for memories; lunfardo in poetry; a reading strategy (gist, then words, then feeling).
  • Speaking task: read original practice lyric 1 from the guide aloud and explain each line in your own words.
  • Homework: annotate original practice lyric 2: underline the lunfardo and write the meaning of each line.

Week 3: Table And Street

Lesson 11 Mate
  • Goals: understand and explain the mate ritual; use imperatives with pronouns.
  • Key vocabulary: la yerba (yerba mate); el mate (gourd and drink); la bombilla (metal straw); el termo (thermos); la pava (kettle); cebar (to serve mate); el cebador/la cebadora (the person serving); la ronda de mate (mate circle); amargo (bitter, without sugar); dulce (sweet); lavado (washed out); ¿querés un mate? (would you like a mate?); gracias (in a mate circle: "no more for me"); el mate cocido (mate made with tea bags)
  • Key structures: imperatives with pronouns: cebame uno, pasámelo, no la muevas; offering, accepting and refusing.
  • Speaking task: act as cebador and talk the teacher through the ritual step by step.
  • Homework: write "Cómo preparar un mate" with at least 8 vos imperatives.
Lesson 12 Asado
  • Goals: talk about food and the asado; order at a parrilla; invite people.
  • Key vocabulary: el asado (barbecue, and the social event); el asador (grill master); la parrilla (grill, steakhouse); las brasas (embers); la leña (firewood); el carbón (charcoal); la tira de asado (short ribs); el vacío (flank); el chorizo (sausage); la morcilla (blood sausage); las achuras (offal); la provoleta (grilled provolone); el chimichurri (herb sauce); jugoso / a punto / bien cocido (rare / medium / well done)
  • Key structures: ordering: ¿me traés...?, quisiera...; comparisons: más tierno que, tan rico como; the custom: ¡un aplauso para el asador!
  • Speaking task: first order a meal at a parrilla, then invite the teacher to an asado at your place.
  • Homework: write a WhatsApp invitation to an asado: day, time, what to bring.
Lesson 13 Fútbol
  • Goals: talk about football passion; express emotions; recount a match.
  • Key vocabulary: la cancha (pitch, stadium); el hincha (fan); la hinchada (crowd of fans); el cuadro (team, colloquial); ¿de qué cuadro sos? (which team do you support?); el clásico (derby); el superclásico (Boca vs River); golazo (great goal); el arquero (goalkeeper); la gambeta (dribble); el potrero (street football pitch); la camiseta (shirt); la Selección (national team); el Mundial (World Cup)
  • Key structures: exclamations: ¡qué golazo!, ¡no lo puedo creer!; ponerse + adjective: me pongo nervioso; preterite for match events.
  • Speaking task: commentate a famous goal (for example, Maradona against England, 1986) from memory or an official clip.
  • Homework: write a 150-word match report on a game you watched.
Lesson 14 Feriados and memory
  • Goals: talk about Argentine public holidays and history; use dates and the passive se.
  • Key vocabulary: el feriado (public holiday); el fin de semana largo (long weekend); la Revolución de Mayo (May Revolution); el Día de la Independencia (Independence Day); el Día de la Bandera (Flag Day); el prócer (national hero); la escarapela (national rosette); el desfile (parade); el locro (corn and meat stew); las empanadas (empanadas); los pastelitos (fried pastries); conmemorar (to commemorate); la memoria (memory, remembrance)
  • Key structures: dates: el 25 de mayo de 1810; passive se: se celebra, se come, se recuerda.
  • Speaking task: compare an Argentine feriado with a holiday from your own country.
  • Homework: complete the feriados culture card in the guide and write about one holiday (100 words).
Lesson 15 Customs and barrios
  • Goals: understand social codes; describe neighbourhoods; give advice with the subjunctive.
  • Key vocabulary: el saludo con beso (cheek-kiss greeting); la sobremesa (chat after a meal); la previa (gathering before going out); la feria (street market); el almacén (corner grocery); la plaza (square, park); las facturas (sweet pastries); el dulce de leche (milk caramel); el alfajor (filled cookie); los ñoquis del 29 (gnocchi on the 29th of the month); la buena onda (good vibes); puntual (on time); salir tarde (to go out late)
  • Key structures: te recomiendo que vayas, conviene que, es mejor que + subjunctive; negative commands: no llegues temprano (colloquially also no llegués).
  • Speaking task: guide a first-time visitor through San Telmo, La Boca, Palermo, Recoleta and Abasto.
  • Homework: write "5 consejos para tu primer viaje a Buenos Aires".

Week 4: Stories

Lesson 16 Reading a story
  • Goals: read a short Rioplatense text; summarise and retell it.

  • Text (original, written by Vamos Academy):

    Domingo en San Telmo. El domingo me levanté tarde, como buen porteño. Tomé el colectivo hasta San Telmo y caminé por la calle Defensa, entre puestos de antigüedades y gente de todos lados. En una esquina, un pibe tocaba el bandoneón a la gorra. Me quedé escuchando un rato, con un feca en la mano. Después entré a un bar notable, de esos con mesas de madera y mozos que te conocen. Mi amiga Lucía llegó media hora tarde, obvio. "Che, perdoname, el bondi no venía nunca", me dijo. Nos reímos, pedimos medialunas y hablamos hasta que se hizo de noche. Cuando salimos, en la plaza había una milonga al aire libre. No bailamos, pero miramos las parejas girar bajo los faroles, y pensé que esta ciudad siempre tiene una historia más para contarte.

  • Key vocabulary: el puesto (stall); las antigüedades (antiques); la esquina (corner); tocar a la gorra (to busk for tips); el bar notable (historic café); el mozo (waiter); el farol (street lamp); el adoquín (cobblestone); regatear (to haggle); quedarse (to stay); hacerse de noche (to get dark); obvio (obviously); perdoname (sorry, forgive me)

  • Key structures: connectors: mientras, sin embargo, por eso, cuando; preterite and imperfect in narrative.
  • Speaking task: retell the story, then tell it again from Lucía's point of view.
  • Homework: write a 120-word summary plus a short continuation of the story.
Lesson 17 A film clip
  • Goals: understand Rioplatense speech in a film scene; report what characters say.
  • Material: a short clip (3 to 5 min) from a film the student can watch legally, such as Esperando la carroza (1985), Nueve reinas (2000) or the tango documentary Café de los maestros (2008). Do not download or copy clips; use a licensed streaming service or official trailer.
  • Key vocabulary: la escena (scene); el personaje (character); el guion (script); el acento (accent); la tonada (accent melody); los subtítulos (subtitles); el chiste (joke); la ironía (irony); ¿qué dijo? (what did he/she say?); dijo que (he/she said that); ¡no da! (that's not OK!); ¡qué sé yo! (who knows!); ¡mirá vos! (well, look at that!)
  • Key structures: reported speech: dijo que + imperfect or pluperfect; recognising the "sh" sound (yo, calle, lluvia) and the Italian-like intonation.
  • Speaking task: describe the scene and retell the dialogue in reported speech.
  • Homework: choose your final project (presentation or lyric) and write an outline.
Lesson 18 Writing workshop
  • Goals: draft the final project; use imagery and nostalgia; organise ideas.
  • Key vocabulary: la letra (lyrics); el verso (line); la estrofa (verse, stanza); el estribillo (chorus); la rima (rhyme); la metáfora (metaphor); extrañar (to miss); volver (to return); el recuerdo (memory); la madrugada (early hours); el desengaño (disappointment); de golpe (suddenly); ya no (no longer)
  • Key structures: antes + imperfect / ahora + present; ya no + present; time markers for a day: a la mañana, al mediodía, a la tarde, a la noche.
  • Speaking task: read your draft aloud and discuss changes with the teacher.
  • Homework: finish the draft using the template in the guide.
Lesson 19 Rehearsal
  • Goals: polish pronunciation, voseo and flow; prepare for questions.
  • Key vocabulary: para empezar (to start); en primer lugar (first of all); después (then); mientras tanto (meanwhile); por último (finally); para terminar (to finish); les cuento que (let me tell you that); la verdad es que (the truth is); lo que más me gustó (what I liked most); en resumen (in short); ¿alguna pregunta? (any questions?); me quedé con ganas de (I was left wanting to)
  • Key structures: presentation signposting; handling questions: buena pregunta, a ver, no estoy seguro pero...
  • Speaking task: full recorded run-through; the teacher gives feedback on pronunciation, voseo and connectors.
  • Homework: practise the final version 3 times aloud.
Lesson 20 Final presentation and celebration
  • Goals: deliver the final project; hold a free conversation on Argentine culture; understand an unseen tango-style lyric.
  • Key vocabulary: brindar (to toast); ¡salud! (cheers!); ¡felicitaciones! (congratulations!); lograr (to achieve); el certificado (certificate); animarse (to dare, to go for it); aprovechar (to make the most of); el viaje (trip); la próxima (next time); seguir estudiando (to keep studying); ¡nos vemos en Buenos Aires! (see you in Buenos Aires!); extrañar (to miss)
  • Key structures: free use of everything from the course.
  • Speaking task: 5 to 8 minute presentation or lyric reading plus Q&A; then the teacher shows a short original lyric the student has not seen and the student explains its meaning.
  • Homework: none. The teacher suggests next steps and the student receives the certificate of completion.
US$419

Format and price

FormatPrivate 1-on-1 classes, online
Length4 weeks, 20 hours (5 hours a week)
ScheduleYou choose your times, Monday to Friday, between 08:00 and 22:00 Argentina time
LevelA2 or higher. Take the free level test first
PriceUS$419 for the full course, all-in
DepositOptional: secure your place with a 30% deposit (US$125.70) when your course starts 10 or more days from today. The balance (US$293.30) is due 5 days before your start date.
IncludedStudent guide (PDF) and your teacher's course materials
CertificateVamos Academy certificate of completion

Student guide (PDF)

See the whole course before you book: how it works, the weekly plan and the practice materials you will use in class.

Download the student guide (PDF)

Certificate

When you finish the course you receive a Vamos Academy certificate of completion. It is not a licence or an official certification.

Questions

Questions about Pasos de Tango

Is Pasos de Tango a dance class?

No. Pasos de Tango is a Spanish language course about tango and Argentine culture from Vamos Academy. You learn the history, the vocabulary of the dance and the milonga, and how to understand tango lyrics, but the course does not include dance lessons.

What level of Spanish do I need for Pasos de Tango?

You need A2 level or higher. Vamos Academy offers a free online level test at go.vamospanish.com/level-test so you can check your level before booking.

How does the Pasos de Tango course work?

It is a private 1-on-1 online course: 20 hours over 4 weeks, 5 hours a week. You choose your class times between 08:00 and 22:00 Argentina time. It costs US$419, and it ends with a Vamos Academy certificate of completion.

Will I learn Argentine Spanish, or standard Spanish?

You learn Rioplatense Spanish, the Spanish of Buenos Aires: voseo (vos instead of tú), the "sh" sound in words like "calle" and "yo", everyday expressions like "che" and "dale", and common lunfardo slang. Teachers also show you when to switch to neutral Spanish.

Can I give Pasos de Tango as a gift?

Yes. You can book and pay for someone else, in full or with a 30% deposit of US$125.70. Write to Vamos Academy on WhatsApp, call 1-888-808-1242 or e-mail online@vamospanish.com and the team will help you set it up for the person receiving it.

Ready to start Pasos de Tango?

20 private hours in 4 weeks, at times you choose. US$419.

Book your courseTake the free level test

Questions? Write to us on WhatsApp (opens in a new tab), call 1-888-808-1242 or e-mail online@vamospanish.com

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